Hindi Song in "I Need Romance"

It's from Bend It Like Beckham.



It's a good movie, IMO.

New Song Discovery: Safe by Britt Nicole

While watching Drop Dead Diva, I heard this song and was intrigued. And the funny thing is there are other comments on youtube saying the same thing :D

In Young ah...

How are you going to kiss Sung Hyun with tongue...

Then slap him on the head like a little kid? Damn, woman wake up!

I Need Romance Kissing NGs

I promise that this isn't the only reason I like this drama :D

I Need Romance Is Shaping up nicely

I guess I will write recaps on Couch Kimchi. I will also stop if it starts to suck but it looks promising so far. Enjoyed the last two episodes. I just hope these two end up together.

He'd better not be her Aidan and she ends up with her cheating boyfriend. Just say NO, folks!

Sure Thing

My new song obsession is Sure Thing by Miguel. I heard it on the radio and just had to find it. Only to find out that it was released like four (or two) years ago. LOL. I guess I really am out of the loop. But in my defense it was only released on a mixtape back then. It was officially released in January of this year. Yes, I'm still late but it could be worse.


This song sounds very familiar for some reason and makes me think of Prince and Terrence Trent D'Arby. The line I'm obsessed with is:

I will be your fuse... BOOM!


lol. I think it's the BOOM that I love. Hahaha

So Last Summer...

... it was all about my Coffee House obsession and this summer, it's City Hunter. Anyone else notice a trend here? I wonder what next summer's will be.

Although I don't think anything can ever match my CH1 obsession and I really don't want to relive that again. LOL.

Now that Nana has redeemed herself, I suppose all the ranting will end? Or not. I suspect that at least one Nana-hater will not be pleased :D

 

But go ahead, Nana. Get that ho girl away from your man! :D 

I must say that based on Couch Kimchi stats (searches and hits), City Hunter is on FIRE! Some were saying that Lie To Me was an online sensation but just based on what I've recently seen via CK, City Hunter has surpassed it.

My City Hunter Episode 9 Thoughts...

... have been posted on Couch Kimchi.

I Need Romance - Korean Cable Drama

I just saw the first two episodes of this show and think it's cute. Three friends and their stories of love. So it's totally Sex and the City and I think we have Carrie, Samantha and Charlotte here (no love for Miranda).

The Charlotte character was engaged to a guy who wanted to wait till their wedding night to have sex. As in, she put the moves on him and he rejected her. Gay? Probably. Impotent? Possibly but I think gay is likelier. He left her standing at the altar so she hires a guy to play him at their wedding to save face.

The main couple's romance began in a kdrama way - he had a crush on her in middle school and came to look for her 10 years later. 10 years after that, they are in a comfortable relationship. Since it's a cable drama, they kiss a lot. 

He's a struggling director who finally gets to debut. The lead actress tells the press she's got a crush on him and he tells his girlfriend that the young girl excites him while she's like a sister to him. LOL. She dumps him, the press reports that he's begun to date the actress, he comes crawling back to her, they get back together but I think he's two-timing her now. He cheated on her 5 years ago and I think they have so much history that he always wants her beside him. But the passion is probably gone even though they still sleep together. I guess there's just no mystery. It doesn't help that their sex actually follows a pattern she laid out. Like kiss me first before you touch my breast etc. So I guess he's bored. And now also likes other women. Or maybe it's classic kdrama misdirection. 

There's also her co-worker who obviously has a thing for her but I think he's going to end up with a broken heart. I wish she'd ditch her boyfriend but he's the main lead and the bigger name. Drats! 

Then there's the Samantha of the group. She's a model who dates a lot and cheats on all her boyfriends. She's in love with an ex who's married with a pregnant wife but has an antagonistic relationship with her assistant. I guess he's like her Smith and will end up with her. 

All in all, a cute show about love and friendship and already way more interesting that its predecessor, Manny. Let's hope it doesn't begin to tank as the weeks go by. 

Michael and Nikita Version 2

So Michael and Nikita of La Femme Nikita are probably my favorite TV couple of all time. Of course, it's been years since I've watched an episode of this show so who knows if it still holds up? Nonetheless, I've always remembered them very fondly.

So it's understandable that I'd be immediately biased against the remake. There are enough similarities to merit the word 'remake' but also enough differences to make it feel refreshing. 

Despite acknowledging that, I stubbornly remained against this couple till I watched the episode where they finally got together and had to grudgingly admit that they are not so bad. 

Nikita is a show that I don't follow every week and just watch an episode here and there so maybe I've seen a little over half of this season's episodes. Anyway, I decided to watch the last two episodes and okay, I admit it - this show's Nikita and Michael are not a disgrace to the previous version. In fact, they kind of actually work. GRRR. LOL

They started off the season on opposite sides and perhaps Michael could have caught her a time or two but his feelings won over and he purposely made a mistake or two. But in episode 17, when he was really out to get her, let's just say that Nikita wasn't as confident as she usually is. For that battle, it was either one or both of them would end up dead. But luckily, they cleared up their misunderstanding and are now fighting on the same side. 

One of the major differences between the couples is that in LFN, they often had to hide their true feelings to stay alive even though those that worked with them had major suspicions. With this one, once their misunderstanding was cleared up, they officially became a couple. And now both of them are living as former agents on the run trying to right some wrongs (previously Michael was still at the agency with Nikita being the Lone Ranger). 

I must say the season finale was kind of awesome and really sets up next season. Something tells me I'm going to be watching all 20+ episodes of Season 2. 

Some City Hunter Episode 8 Thoughts

As I've already mentioned, I would like these two to date.  Well, a few days ago, I also wanted Nana and the prosecutor to date but now I dislike him so obviously my mind can change in a week :D

But for this week, I liked the playfulness of their scene when she showed up the next morning. I like the way he popped out of hiding and how they looked at each other.

I also liked that she didn't question him even though she probably suspects that he was the one who'd tried to kidnap the senator.

But back to reality...

This was my favorite Nana/YS scene of the week:

I like how his voice softened when he asked that question. At the end of the day, he wouldn't want her to really dislike him under any of his guises. And he really wants to know what she thinks about him, doesn't he?

In a sense, her feelings for him don't really matter because regardless, his job is to protect her. And regardless of what his feelings for her might be, it's not like he wants to get into a relationship with her. At least not any time soon. But nonetheless, he does care what she thinks about him - both as the City Hunter and as Yoon Sung. 

Now, regardless of the skills Nana might have, Yoon Sung doesn't view her as an equal, at least not 'professionally.' Asking her if she'd consider another line of work wasn't simply because in general terms, she'd be safer (and he cares about her) but because he really doesn't think she's a match for him or anyone else like him.

And he speaks the truth. Had he been Jin Pyo or the creepy guy, she'd have been dead by now. And later on, when he tries to get her away from the congressman to keep her safe, while cute, it also speaks volumes of how he sees her as an agent. 

Now, that might be his view of 99% of the agents but it's still his view of her. I wondered if they would work together like in the manga. If they do, she might be relegated to admin work because I don't see how they can work together in the field. Why? Because he'd be way too distracted trying to keep her safe to actually be effective. 

Now, if this were Michael and Nikita (of either Nikita series), at the end of episode 8, there's a good chance he'd have gone after the senator because he'd be certain that Nikita could take care of herself. Nana and Yoon Sung are simply not that kind of couple and it obviously has a lot to do with the fact that the writers do want her to be saved and to be his weakness. (Mind you, Nikita and Michael are each other's weaknesses too but it's a different dynamic.)

It's like she can use her judo skills on him and shoot him but when they need him to save her, her kryptonite appears to render her powerless.

Having said all that, despite their agenda, I think the writers are working hard to at least give the character the appearance of being strong. Take the 'ditching work' scene. 

It's not like she left because she heard there was a 2-hour Coach sale at Macy's. She did leave for a compelling enough reason and I think many people who are currently employed know that people sometimes have to rush out of the office for personal reasons. It doesn't make them unprofessional - just human.

And the writers also know that sometimes having her be a damsel-in-distress so we can have romantic moments make her look weak so they try to explain it through dialogue. 

But it's clearly not enough for the audience since some are complaining. While it doesn't bother me because I've accepted what her role in this drama is, perhaps they would have been better served just making her a civilian with a regular 9-to-5 job so at least then, there wouldn't be grumblings about inconsistencies. 

But all in all, I enjoyed this week's episodes and look forward to the next two. My only gripe is I don't find the cases interesting enough. I feel they should be way more dramatic and interesting than shoes and military dodging. But that's just me. 

Yet another City Hunter post

So Jin Pyo is like this evil character but I like him despite all his evil deeds. And in fact, I think he's more realistic than Yoon Sung.

The scene that shows me that Yoon Sung doesn't quite understand anything is the fight scene with the woman. Now. I understand what it's trying to show: Yoon Sung is awesome, he's got a kind heart, he would never hit a woman blah blah blah.

I also understand why some other viewers would love it. But for me, it shows he really doesn't have his eye on the prize. If he's really trying to get these men so that he can lead a normal life after it's done, then he must be single-minded. (That he will continue to be the City Hunter even after he's done with the group of 5 is not something I have ruled out at all).

While fighting that woman, all he needed to do was knock her out so that he could continue with his task. Instead, he had to have a longer fight, become creative with a tie and everything just because she's a woman. In the end, what did it do? It took up time and since the woman was conscious, she could confirm to Nana where she should go.

There's also some sexism at play here. A woman with her job wants to be treated just like all her male counterparts. Now, if some dumb enemy decides to go with his own idea of chivalry or whatever the hell it is, she can definitely use it to her advantage but we can't (or can) turn a blind eye to the sexist undertones. It doesn't ruin the story especially as I know what the writers were trying to say as well as the moves they wanted to show us but there's also this hidden message in it.

Now, if the writers are having YS make all these mistakes so that he can toughen up, then fine. It's possible because there are consequences to his actions. He didn't get away quick enough and ended up shot.  But if it's for some bleeding heart stuff, then they need to just STOP! lol

City Hunter: The Pervert Edition

I posted this on soompi but I might as well post it here:
All caps from episode 8

For starters, I wish this were an American drama so these two could have an affair. 

But back to our couple...
So they go for a drive to scream their pains away

"It's fun hanging out with this jerk."

Then mother nature intervenes and it starts to rain

"It's fun getting wet!"

But, err, what happens when you're wet?

Pervert eyes...



"Opp... I mean, Yoon Sung ssi, don't look at me like that!"

It's time to dry out so she gets a change of clothes. 

"I don't need pants, Yoon Sung ssi - this shirt is long enough."

Makes sense, except it leads to...

Pervert Eyes Part 2



"Yoon Sung ssi, watch me jump! Watch your shirt ride up and down my bum!"

Looks fun but it leads to...

Pervert Eyes Part 3

"I can't take this anymore! Must. Stop. Her!"


She stops and as a bonus, gets a whiff of his Chanel shower gel.

*Gulp* "Why does it smell so manly on him?"

... which of course leads to the kiss that was never meant to be. 


,,, and a very disappointed Nana.


I hope the next Pervert story ends with more satisfaction. 

I don't know how these two plan to live together platonically when they are so hot for each other. lol 

City Hunter is the bomb drama this week

I still have to watch episode 8 but I won't be surprised of the drama becomes more like the manga as the story unfolds. I'm not sure yet but the writer is smart and seems to have pulled a switcheroo on the Nana-Yoon Sung relationship and I won't be too surprised if Nana ends up being fired from her job so that she can start working for YS. We'll see. 

I think I've become desensitized to the psycho second lead

I'm watching Lie To Me and I pity her more than anything. Her clinginess has become annoying but it's more because I think her character shouldn't have had to go down this typical path. Watching My Princess, I was one of the few who didn't hate Yoon Joo. I mean, she sucked, but I was okay with her having a happy ending with her professor. Watching Drunken To Love You, I don't find his ex irritating. Yes, she's being annoying but we need some conflict in the drama, anyway. Or maybe I'm just so used to these characters that they don't bother me that much anymore? And I know for darned sure they won't really be able to affect the leads' love? Or maybe I've just watched too many dramas that nowadays I just roll my eyes at this.

I think I'm warming up more to Best Love now that it's getting angstier.

I guess I'm a strange one. LOL. The weekend was the first time ever I checked out the OST. I think I like this song.


I think it's called Because You Are My Man by G.Na.

I do like G.Na's song with Rain.

Some songs to end the night

Switching gears a little, I heard this song while watching the Japanese Drama Moto Kare and kinda fell for it.

More On City Hunter

So some people are pissed by the characterization of Nana since she's supposed to be a Blue House bodyguard. I can understand their displeasure but it really doesn't bother me at all. All I think is, "Well, that's kdrama." I think for me, it's simply because I enjoy the drama so things like that are easy to dismiss. If it were the heroine of another drama, I probably would be irritated and curse the writers out for their shoddy job.

Instead of getting annoyed that Nana isn't smart enough to realize when someone is stalking her or isn't more suspicious about finding her apartment unlocked, I notice things like how with her wound, Nana now has a scar on her left cheek like Yoon Sung (Lee Min Ho) does. So I guess it's clear where my mind is, huh? :D

And for all her innocence, I am glad they didn't make her act shy and over the top about talking to Yoon Sung shirtless like in other dramas. Take Manny for example. The 30-something year old woman has two kids yet acted like a 15-year old who'd been raised in a convent when she saw the dude without his shirt on. I mean, come on.

Future Taiwanese Drama: In Time With You

The synopsis sounds good but I can't trust the execution.

English Title: In Time With You
No. of episodes: Tentatively set at 22
Length per episode: 60 minutes
Coming out in 2011
Director: Winnie Chu/Qu
Actors: Ariel Lin, Chen Bolin, David

Synopsis:

Chen Youching, always on the go, outspoken, outstanding, exceptional .. but also very proud. The only one who can stand her is someone who’s known her for 14 years – Li Daren.

On her 30th birthday, Li Daren’s message on “signs that you’re getting old” struck a chord in her heart. Am I getting old?

Faced with an attractive, mature guy like Li, who’s the same age as she is, she took him up on his NT$100,000 bet – on who’s going to get married first before they reach 31.

But where would she look for the right guy? The assistant that she thought had a crush on her turned out to be gay – although he did say that if he were to marry a woman, it would be her. Her former flame had brought his girlfriend, spending gazillions to propose to her -- much to everyone’s envy. As for her … she only has this guy who cheated on her five years ago appearing before her again … setting her heart fluttering again. Go steady? Sure. Get married? Sure. Give up Li Daren? No way!

Friends only? Because of words uttered in a heated moment: “I can never fall in love you.”

Li is vexed: Say we’re only friends that can never be in love, but still he can’t bear the thought of putting her out of his life.

Can’t let go. You can fool others, but you can’t fool yourself. It’s like the song that you wrote her, “I’ll Never Fall in Love with You.” It’s all because you’re so scared of loving her too much that you proudly leave.

In the city, everyone’s looking for love, looking for Mr/Ms Right. We stumble and fall along the way, only to discover that he/she has been right beside you all along, silently keeping watch over you. 

Credit: btzigane @asianfanatics
Sounds kind of good, right? But 22 episodes? Too long. However, if it's good, I will stick with it. It looks like it'll be fun but hopefully it will be more in the vein of something like Autumn Concerto and not be too slapsticky. I'm familiar with Ariel but I don't know the dude but hopefully, when it finally airs (don't know the air date), I won't be too wrapped up in other dramas to give it a shot.

Another City Hunter Post

I think now they are just letting us enjoy the OTP a little before they get into the revenge plot... I think.

How important is the writing in a drama?

For me, the writing is most important which is why unless the chemistry is really bad, I can ship any couple the writer wants me to ship as long as the writer gives me a real reason to. Which is why you won't find me complaining about the chemistry between leads as long as the writing indicates that the characters should be together. I guess you can say I often get swept up more by the writing than the actors. Of course, there are instances this might not work if the girl looks 16 but the guy looks 40 and I might end up being too distracted by the mismatch to notice the amazing writing.

And this leads me to Lie To Me. Clearly, the writer was lost at the beginning and everyone was pissed. This cost the production the Korean audience who was willing to give the drama a chance at first. But something else is going on. While the Korean audience no longer seems that interested, the online audience is rabid. Why is this so? It can't be the writing because although the writing has improved, it's still not awesome. Korean dramas often recycle stuff but there's still nothing particularly different or even engaging about this drama. So what is it?

I think it's the YEH factor. Ah Jung, in my opinion, is not the type of girl I wish I was but she's played by YEH whose got a certain appeal that many fans love. Plus the chemistry with Kang Ji Hwan is pretty damn good. So is that enough for us to be interested in the story? Not really the meat of the drama but the gravy? Not the actual cake but the frosting?

So in the end, the actors often play a role in how successful a drama might be. Anyone who watched Secret Garden had to agree that the actors really made that drama shine. Not even their actual acting talents but simply who they were. But that writer did it much better. She made sure the first few episodes were interesting enough to capture the audience before she started writing repetitive scenes to fill up time. By then, all factions of the audience (writing lovers and actor lovers) were emotionally invested in the story and even when the writing didn't do much, the actors could cover the difference.

So what's the point of this post other than stating the obvious? I guess I'm just wondering why this drama has such a huge online presence that many better written dramas do not have. Is it really the power of YEH? Which is not to say that the Korean viewers with Neilsen boxes aren't charmed by YEH but maybe majority of them are writing lovers.

Based on searches that find this blog...

... it looks like there are some people looking for Han Kang and Ji Hyun fic. To be honest, I thought of writing one but a part of me has let it go plus it's a pain to write stuff sometimes but another part of me wants to write it. I thought of a story called "49 Hours" which is obviously a very creative title and as expected, is about what Kang and Ji Hyun do when they are given 49 hours to spend together. I guess I will have to think about it. To write or not to write.

Yay to 6 digits.

I can think of at least 3 other Korean drama oriented blogs that get the same number of hits in a day but everyone (or thing) has its position in life. So yay to Couch Kimchi for getting to the 100K mark.

One of my favorite songs...

... and I wonder if this is more of my current philosophy which is why in Lie To Me I would prefer he get back with his ex? I wonder if I watched MNIKSS for the first time this year... I wonder if I would hate his ex at first sight like I did when I saw it 5 years ago.

But then again, maybe not. Maybe it's just because actor chemistry aside, the writer hasn't really given me a reason to want them to be together like say Kang and Ji Hyun or Yoon Sung and Na Na or even Soon Geum and Gun Woo even though he's being an ass right now (still haven't watched ep 8 of RT yet, though).

Hmm... this is what happens when I watch too many dramas at the same time. But speaking of OTPs, I'm not even sure who the OTP of Asuko March is but I guess I can take either guy.

She has all her romantic angst with one guy but you can never trust jdramas. They can have the girl have all the romantic drama with a guy for 9 episodes then in the last 2 episodes, she realizes she really loves the guy who's been a good friend the whole time. So with this drama, I'll just be a casual viewer with no ship. 

Rewatching Parts of City Hunter Already

I don't care about how much it differs from the manga since I've never read it and never will. It's quite jdrama-eqsue but has all the romantic bits that jdramas generally lack so it's like a perfect combo for me.

Our gorgeous hero with mommy troubles who mistakenly thinks he was abandoned, sees her suffering as well and doesn't realize that part of it stems from their forced separation. Both of them are in pain for the same reason although neither knows it.

I am one of the few who doesn't hate his fauxther. Even though he's mean and driven by revenge, he does love Yoon Sung in his own way. At the end of the day, I don't think he wants to see the kid hurt even though he stole him from his mother and raised him in a drug cartel without love. But hey, nobody's perfect. lol

Other than teaching the group of 5 a lesson, I really want to see the love story unfold. Yes, he fell in love with a photo and all that stuff but I'll ignore this since it's a kdrama after all. The love triangle is filled with mysterious characters like how is that prosecutor connected with Nana? I do think he's cute and kinda want to see her fall for him a little before eventually ending up with our man.

I also like how she's not gorgeous but just like a pretty girl-next-door type. Makes the story seem more realistic for some reason.

Now our hero has begun to get jealous of the other guy and they've started comparing dick sizes. LOL We already know the City Hunter is helping the prosecutor for the greater good but I would like to see these two become friends. I wonder what will happen when the CH gathers some dirt on his father and sends it to him. Will he still be the just, noble prosecutor? 

But at the end of the day, we all know who she's going to give her heart to and I can't wait till the moment she realizes that she's fallen for him and not only is he not a jerk but a wonderful guy who's been protecting her all along. Aww.

I want more, more, more and am already dreaming of a Season 2. Fighting!