One Montaigneian digression after another

[dangermousie]

1. I have started Heading to the Ground and, surprisingly, I like it, like it enough to follow it.



It might be the first drama in a while that I will actually follow as it airs. Perhaps it's because I went into it with rock-bottom expectations, perhaps it's because both leading characters are nice sweet people and I am in reaction mode against My Fair Lady brat, perhaps it's because the drama doesn't take itself too seriously. Whatever the reason, HttG and its story about an aspiring male soccer player and a young wannabe female sports agent seems genuinely sweet and charming, even if it won't win any masterpiece status any time soon.

Yunho is not the world's greatest actor but he is passable (and compared to some idols-turned-actors he is pure genius *coughKimHyunJoongcough*). I must be one of ten women in the Universe who fails to see the good-looks or sex appeal (honestly, I just don't get it) but his character is so sweet-natured and goofy, it would be hard not to like him. Ga Ara is, as always, ridiculously likeable and gorgeous - she is one of my favorite young upcoming actresses.

Oh, and the opening scene is not only cheestastically overdramatic but the Yunho-in-water-with-voiceover bit reminds of of Green Rose. I liked it better when Go Soo did it :P Which reminds me, make another drama asap, Go Soo!

But ultimately, we all know I am just marking time until IRIS anyway, don't we?





I have my doubts about Kim Tae Hee being able to pull off her role (I have seen her in Forbidden Love and Love Story in Harvard - she was breathtakingly gorgeous and utterly unimpressive in both). But surrounded by that cast, I don't much care - hopefully she either grew as an actress, had the role written to her strengths, or will be a distant muse and inspiration to Lee Byung Hun as he goes about assassinating people.

And speaking of murder and other yummy fictional stuff - Apparently they are moving upcoming Angel's Temptation to 9pm so it won't compete with the Queen Seon Deok unstoppable ratings. Makes sense - who will leave an already airing and highly iterative drama to check out another one on the off-chance it's better?

But does the earlier hour mean we won't be able to see nude Bae Soo Bin bathe in the blood of his enemies? :P

Well, at least he won't be wearing THAT! (One of these days, I must do an Andre Kim fashions post):



I really do want to check out QSD - it seems like the kind of show to either marathon on a cold day or have a weekly appointment with your TV for. Still, I am much too behind and will wait until DVDs.



Which reminds me, I still haven't finished Jumong or Emperor of the Sea. Yes, I know, I fail at drama, but those things are so bloody long! Kingdom of the Wind and Princess Ja Myung Go at its 38 and 39 eps respectively are the longest I could keep up.

And that in turn reminds me - is there any chance PJMG will be released on DVD with English subs. I'd love to own it. It's so deliciously complex but with a lovely, twisted love story underpinning it all.

Last but not least and having nothing to do with dramas, I started Simon R. Green's Blue Moon Rising, a fantasy novel and I am so very in love!

In the story, Prince Rupert of Forest Kingdom is sent on a quest to kill a dragon. Riding a unicorn (hehehehe). Everyone, including Rupert, knows it's basically a suicide mission because the impoverished, shrinking kingdom cannot afford two royal sons. But the mission does not go as planned - for one, Rupert and the dragon make friends. For another, there is Princess Julia, delivered to the dragon as a gift and terrorizing him ever since. She is as unwanted a daughter as Rupert is a son.

But when Rupert returns to Forest Kingdom, dragon, Julia, and unicorn in tow, that is when the story really begins - because Darkwood, through which Rupert had to fight his way on his quest, is encroaching on the land and will soon devour everything, leaving the land overrun with demons, if nothing is done.

I love this book. I love the mix of adventure and humor and desperation and heroism. I am crushing on Rupert, adore Julia, and am intrigued by everyone else.

Highly recommended.

ETA: OMFG, a kind soul on soompi posted a dcgallery poster for Chuno with the most detailed synopsis yet and am exploding here.





This is going to be an epic love triangle of DOOM.

Comments

[ladysaotome.livejournal.com]

Looks like Andre Kim designes Queen Amidala's outfits. lol (I actually liked the one with the white suit & sash, though. And judging from the other photos, certain models are apparantly quite nice in the *ahem* posterior...) ;)

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I approve of see-through shirts for what they show, if not in principle, so yes, some of his stuff is sort of OK :)

[meganbmoore.livejournal.com]

Simon R. Green has ruined me for a lot of other things, his Hawk and Fisher books especially. (Set in the same world as Blue Moon Rising, along with 2 standalone books and a sequel to BMR (you can read everything between the book ends in any order, it doesn't matter, but should read H&F before Beyond the Blue Moon.) The Deathstalker series sets a standard for deep space cracktastic badass melodrama that nothing else I've found can match, and the Nightside and Secret Histories series are awesome takes on noir and the James Bond type, respectively. My only problem with his stuff that he eventually has to find a way to link everything.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I am going to check them out - I really like BMR so far.

[uhmbrr.livejournal.com]

I think you are the first unbiased person who thought Heading to the Ground is decent, keep us updated on what ya think of it.


And CHUNO just got like 2023092310932132 times more awesome when they released THAT synopsis.

I mean her BROTHER caused the mess?! Her first love is her sweet master who turns vengefuldeliciousmaninamask.

And she's also a runaway bride?! And amidst all her running... she somehow still manages to hook up with the sexysoldierslave. Bitch is crazy.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Oh, don't mistake me - HttG is no masterpiece of any sort. It's not even a rock-solid drama a la Brilliant Legacy. It's not going on anyone's Top 10 list except for DBSK fangirls'. But for what it is, it's not bad - it kept my attention, was less-in-your-face agressively cheesy than Dream and had less high expectations (on my part) to be dashed than My Fair Lady. Also, unlike the latter, I don't think it's wasting its cast because the cast isn't (yet) capable of much heavy lifting anyway. It's a modest drama but it doesn't aim for more, so I cut it a lot of slack.

I mean her BROTHER caused the mess?!

Can you imagine that family reunion if Dae Gil and Hye Won ever worked it out? LOLOL. I wonder why he did it though - yeah, he wants to run away but why torch the house? And why did Hye Won agree to go with him or was she dragged? I bet she didn't enjoy slavery, cute master or no, but it's a rather drastic measure to get free.

Also, I wonder if he blames Hye Won for the fire? OMG, this would be awesome - he thinks she is in part responsible for the arson but can't stop loving her anyway.

How does he know who burned down the house btw, or that she is alive and not died in the fire? I am going crazy speculating.

vengefuldeliciousmaninamask.

At least he won't be trying to swindle her out of her life savings. Though he will probably be bleeding on her doorstep at some point, seeing the kind of drama it is.

she somehow still manages to hook up with the sexysoldierslave. Bitch is crazy.

She's trying to compensate for lack of lovin' she got in EoE :P

[ambergold.livejournal.com]

yep-Heading to the Ground is delightful and cheesy and delightfully cheesy. it's so badly written and yet I like it anyway. (btw-Yunho=cute but not hot. I don't get it either). Right now I've chalked it up to Drama Which is getting me Out of my Drama Slump(because apparently every drama that I had to take even the remotest bit seriously fails at that. and unlike My Fair Lady I can sense an emotional heart somewhere in there).

CHUNOOOOO. Who knows, it might even be the drama which converts me to the drama. now THERE'S a thought. I am really really hoping that Dramafever has their blog sufficiently set up by the time it premiers so that I can blog about it(provided I'm still working for them of course).

[ambergold.livejournal.com]

only I think I will set fire to something if JH is not her OTP.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

That is what I thought until I saw OJH as the general-slave and then, am shallow, I decided am fine with either one hooking up with Da Hae :)

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

HttG is...inoffensive is the word that comes to mind.

I plan to give MFL another try (I am a slave to Yoon Sang Hyun, being an ahjumma and all :P) but for me, MFL suffered from exaggerated expactations on my part - both Goong and Coffee Prince are among my ultimate favorites and when you throw in the rest of the cast, I expected something spectacular. If I went in with no expectations, I probably would have been pleased.

[clairiere.livejournal.com]

I have my doubts about Kim Tae Hee being able to pull off her role (I have seen her in Forbidden Love and Love Story in Harvard - she was breathtakingly gorgeous and utterly unimpressive in both). But surrounded by that cast, I don't much care - hopefully she either grew as an actress, had the role written to her strengths, or will be a distant muse and inspiration to Lee Byung Hun as he goes about assassinating people.

All I'm hoping re: Kim TaeHee is that she won't be a distraction, suck the energy out of the scenes & make me painfully aware she's acting while everyone else is into their roles. Maybe that's a tall order for her, but she's 30yo now. Can't imagine where she'd go from here, if she can't do some moderately decent work at this point in her career.


I really do want to check out QSD - it seems like the kind of show to either marathon on a cold day or have a weekly appointment with your TV for.

I can't say it's must-see TV though. It's a decent sageuk, but hardly one of the best I've seen or the most engaging, despite the novel attempts (whether it's the Shilla kingdom or the female leads). Among other things, Lee Yo Won & Um Tae Woong aren't just doing much for me, whether together or on their own. They're not terrible, but nor are they compelling. Which is rather disappointing, as I have fond memories of reading the Hangul translation of Samguk Yusa (one of the source materials for QSD) as a child, and some of the best tales involved QSD & General Kim YuShin. (Not as a romance, that's pure fiction.)


a kind soul on soompi posted a dcgallery poster for Chuno with the most detailed synopsis yet and am exploding here.

I'm loosely keeping an eye on the KBS dcgallery, and there's a KBS insider who's supplying some BTS stuff in the Chuno threads. (From what I can tell, he's a regular to the board who's resurfaced, and is currently involved with Chuno on some level.) Nothing major so far, just itsy bitsy details, eg. although some external investors are on board, production-wise it's really in-house (unlike IRIS, where KBS is just the broadcasting network), and from the reactions of the posters, I gather it bodes well for Chuno. They've also filmed (out of order) roughly up to ep. 8 in 20+ days, and expect to shoot the poster(s) next month.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Can't imagine where she'd go from here, if she can't do some moderately decent work at this point in her career.


CFs? Seriously, she is gorgeous but not only do I not think her a good actress, she has a bland on-screen presence. E.g., I don't think Rainie Yang, a big twdrama star, is a great actress, but she has charisma and a fun on-screen presence. Not so with Tae Hee.

Re: Chuno. That's a lot of eps filmed! Does that mean it will be entirely done by the time it airs? I'd love that as they won't be able to muck with it or have to deal with shoddiness that often results from a time crunch.

[clairiere.livejournal.com]

CFs? Seriously, she is gorgeous but not only do I not think her a good actress, she has a bland on-screen presence.

She's already a CF queen, and while she's a youthful 30yo, she's 30yo, and how much longer can she stay on top when she's being pushed out by the likes of Kim Yun-A the figure skater.

As for her "bland on-screen presence," I have to say I had the hardest time remembering her face (even as recently as last year) b/c there was nothing about her beauty or presence that grabbed me. She does sound like a very nice lady, but as an actress, she never projected that striking or interesting quality that makes me stop & watch.

Re: Chuno. That's a lot of eps filmed! Does that mean it will be entirely done by the time it airs?

I was surprised as well by how much they had done, though it's possible they haven't filmed full eps. & are just shooting whatever needs to be done in advance. But it does suggest they have the scripts and a rather clear direction of where they want to go with the storylines & the characters, and they might have everything or the essential in the can by the time of broadcast.

I'd love that as they won't be able to muck with it or have to deal with shoddiness that often results from a time crunch.

The thing is, 'time crunch' is often a given for k-dramas, and while they're trying to change the practice, I get the feeling some (eg. the vets) deal with it a lot better, and even thrive under the pressure, even if it's physically grueling. That's the impression I get from reading up on Last Scandal (and to a lesser extent, JuMong, where Song Il-Gook was essential in holding the cast & crew together, esp. after the 20 ep. extension). In the case of LS, I think it even created a positive feedback process between the cast & crew and the fans/viewers, and helped the show double its ratings on word-of-mouth. But that's a successful example, where you had the elements aligned or built for a positive outcome (eg. trust gained among cast & crew & fans). In the notorious cases, one thing goes wrong (eg. complications from tensions on set, a la Lee Da Hae leaving EoE in the middle), it exposes the cracks, and everything falls apart.

Long story short, for a big project/sageuk like Chuno, the safer option would be indeed 'pre-broadcast shooting.'

[uhmbrr.livejournal.com]

Kim Tae Hee seems like a real great girl... nice personality, smart, and you know, overall seems like a good benefit to the world...

so please make use of your intelligence... stop acting.

I can stand her in photographs or CFs, but every time she acts I get MAJOR second hand embarrassment. Even my friggin' mother, gets scared of her "acting" which really consists of blank stares or just widening her eyes.

I do think people in Korea are aware she isn't much of an actress, her projects are pretty lackluster in the ratings game (with exception to Stairway to Heaven) and so are her films that flopped.

But I think people see her as this role model, the celebrity. She's very intelligent and seems kind-hearted, they like her as a person, they believe her when she says the product she endorses is good because this is a Seoul National University graduate, who has big eyes and a small face (standard of beauty there).

She's pretty, a genius, and a good person, someone that would be appreciated in society. So we appreciate her, but TRUTH is she does not have the acting chops to be an actress, she's been in the business for a far long time too. And it it slightly annoys me that Son Ye Jin (loveloveloveher) would have gotten her role in Iris but whatever.

HADTOLETTHATOUT. sorry fans.


on CHUNO...

The PD is known to work that way, I think it's better too. The drama will make use of lots of effects and fight scenes, so it's probably better to pre-shoot it before showing it. It will also give us a more quality drama that way.

And no one will walk out in the middle of it now. ;-) harhar, kidding.

[clairiere.livejournal.com]

I do think people in Korea are aware she isn't much of an actress, her projects are pretty lackluster in the ratings game (with exception to Stairway to Heaven) and so are her films that flopped.

They tend to associate StH with Kwon Sang-Woo & Choi Ji-Woo, not KTH, though.

She's reportedly worked hard(er) on IRIS (than in the past), closely monitoring all of her scenes, and maybe it'll make some difference, maybe not. I'm not wishing her to fail (heck, I appreciate actors who know their limitations & work hard to improve), and we shall see in Oct.

re: Chuno:

And no one will walk out in the middle of it now. ;-) harhar, kidding.

No, I doubt that. Even actors with big egos are team players, if it's a project they believe in. And for LDH, I'm guessing Chuno may well be the diametric opposite of what she experienced on EoE.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Wasn't Love Story in Harvard (even though I couldn't get through it) a hit?

I hope she is at least tolerable in IRIS.

[uhmbrr.livejournal.com]

it averaged in the 14-17% maybe higher teens.. it was a moderate hit.

[clairiere.livejournal.com]

Wasn't Love Story in Harvard (even though I couldn't get through it) a hit?

If it's a hit, doesn't seem to be fondly remembered though. Conventional wisdom seems to be she has yet to leave her mark in any roles, whether it's acting or commercials. (She may be a CF queen, but even there, she's not considered as memorable as some of her rivals or predecessors.)

I hope she is at least tolerable in IRIS.

She seems ok, even moderately convincing, in some scenes, somewhat just there in others... Again, hard to tell/won't know for sure until we see the whole thing. Guess I'm a little more nervous than I should be, b/c of her character's impact on JJH's. LBH at least gets to work with Kim So-Yeon (whose excitement for & commitment to her character are hard to miss in her recent print interviews).

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I tried Lovers in Harvard and it was horrifying in many many ways (bonding over a body of an American AIDS patient! *cringe*)

JJH gets to work with LBH too, so not all is lost. She better act at least somewhat OK because otherwise she'll just fade into the woodwork.

[mishane.livejournal.com]

Re: Heading To The Ground

Can you tell me what the dynamics between the two are? I mean is it one of those bickering but secretly like each other OTP? Or are they/do they become good friends? I'm a little intrigued, but I have no clue what their interactions are like so...

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

So far I have only seen one ep - he is smitten and she is nice (if not romantically interested). No bickering so far.

[popaddict.livejournal.com]

CHUNO! Jang Hyuk! Lee Da Hae! Evil dude whose name I don't remember!

IRIS! -everyone but Tae Hee!

The End.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Heee. Just how I feel.

[bae-mac.livejournal.com]

LBH's arms and the sex hair...that's all.

:)

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

OMGYES.