Ranty McRant with a side of OTP picspam

[dangermousie]

Grrrr.

I know I shouldn't read Dramabeans' recaps of BOF because I have yet to see with her eye to eye on it but argh. Yes, yes, Lee Min Ho is very hot but sorry - he was a massive jerk in this episode. (Also, no, the drama doesn't meander when he is not on screen. I enjoyed the ep quite a lot). And I do not see how anyone couldn't see the Ji Hoo/Jandi potential (but then her boredom with Ji Hoo puzzles me - I have often come across different gradations of like for a character, but it's rare where I am so enamoured with a character and someone else can't stand the sight of him and is bored by them and dislikes their acting). And sorry, the whole 'how unrealistic F3 appear and help with her money/gangster problems - how do they know where to find her' GIVES ME RAGE. I mean, if you have a problem with that, take it up with the mangaka! I also know she adored the Japanese version and the only difference is that in Hanadan2 it was Rui only that had the 'Makino is in distress' beacon seemingly installed. And yet that was OK? Also, the whole griping that now F3 is there, she won't have money problems in Macau. Huh? Once again, Hanadan2 and Rui come to mind. Hello double standard!* Not to mention that (a) presumably Jandi had enough money for a hotel even without F3 but what, we are going to see her stay at a motel as opposed to shoujo fun and (b) this is about a guy who falls for a girl once she kicks him in the head. This ain't going to turn into The Outsiders, with the unwitting foreigner kidnapped and sold into sexual slavery by the mob to eventually die of an overdose!

Oh, also, Jandi can be a bit dim now and then but she wasn't in this ep (not any more than Makino in Hanadan2). She is fairly sheltered, after all.

Side note: I loved loved LOVED how in Hanadan2, Makino came to New York to look for Domyouji but when it seemed that he just dumped her, she lifted her chin, gritted her teeth and then went to damn sightsee the city, Domyouji be damned, because she came all that way and she wasn't going to waste it! Please let Jandi show the same kind of spunk here.

* I adore the Japanese adaptation, both seasons, with a fierce passion (and think it's a better, more coherent story than BOF, overall) but the double standard of HYD being the Holy Grail and BOF inferior on the basis of things that happen in both drive me insane! Not to mention that Hanadan has its own plotholes or jumps, k?

Anyway, to make self less rageful, Ga Eul/Yi Jung which makes me quite happy.

























And:

Comments

[sodahands.livejournal.com]

I can't believe she won't cut Jandi any slack this episode. I mean the girl went through major hell and she's in a foreign city so when some little kid offers to help her while she's still dazed from that awfulness of her jerkoff bf acting like the biggest jerkoff ever... well, calling her dumb is just mean and uncalled for.
I really enjoyed this episode as well and LMH's scenes weren't all that riveting imo. And even though I don't like Ji Hoo, Hyun Joong's acting's been pretty good since the New Caledonia arc.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Yeah. Do I wish she'd be stronger and kick those goons in the face? Yeah. Hell, yeah (good practice for Jun Pyo later :P). But I think she is strong anyway, under the circumstances.

icon!!!

[sodahands.livejournal.com]

I've noticed that she doesn't hold back when it comes to Jun Pyo so I don't think we need to worry :D

Feel free to steal the icon if you like. Depending on today's episode (I hear a certain douchebag cries not once, not twice but THREE times!!!), there'll be more on the way xD

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I hear a certain douchebag cries not once, not twice but THREE times!!!),

Glee, glee, GLEE!!!!!

[sodahands.livejournal.com]

I plan on breaking KMPlayer today taking millions and millions of caps of those scenes xD

[joonni.livejournal.com]

I'm not really critical when I watch dramas. I can only tell if it is really good (Damo, Legend) or if it is really bad (second half of iljimae). I don't really find plot holes and think about scene transitions. But I have recently started reading dramabeans recaps and because of her recaps, I'm learning more about such things.

I find that I am watching BOF with a more critical eye and I gawk at the plot holes and devices but I am hesitant to compare it to HYD because I did not watch that series with a critical eye. This is a different comparison than what you are doing. My comparison would be hey, BOF had these plot holes and HYD didn't, so this is better. I'm looking at each as whole stories of themselves without referring to each other In other words, I don't want to put a HYD as a standard for BOF and vice versa.

You're right, when I read dramabeans recaps of BOF and see some of the criticisms she has, I think that they may be too expectant of something that is based off a manga that was written in a certain manner. Perhaps it has the do with the uneveness of how BOF is creating its own story, folllowing the manga, etc. Poor Chinese HYD, how it is going to suffer from comparisons!!! since now there will be 4 (manga, TW, JP, KR) versions.

And yes, her criticism of Jandi staying at a hotel in Macau- what, is Jandi going to run screaming and fighting to be at a cheaper place when she has just almost be harassed, and her "friends" have come to help her? I don't know how much we expect out of this girl. Although I wish she'd kick more ass.LOL

And also, for some reason, why did I have less of problem with RUi showing up on the streets of NYC then with F3 showing up in Macau? Why? Is it the characters, the storyline specific to BOF? Perhaps, these characters just seem so young and less powerful than HYD?

I think that in general, audiences of kdrama have been trained to look for more reality. Because despite flying fight scenes, unbelievable and complicated family connections, Korean drama seem to draw less of line between what is fiction and what is not. Japanese dramas seem to have more of a distinction (Hanazakari no kimitachi e for example) and it is more obvious that we are suppose to learn something about real relationships through these outrageous situations. I think outrageous, extraordinary things are taken more seriously in Korean dramas, like they could have actually existed in the real world, whereas in Japanese dramas, they are fluff for fluff.

Hmmm...sorry for the long post, but I am in a pensive mood.

[joonni.livejournal.com]

also, what did you think about Jun Pyo's little glance at Jandi in the bar. That was a excellent look by lee min ho that portrayed some complicated emotions. So I'm waiting for the explanation for his behavior. I won't judge him yet. Better be good.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

And yes, her criticism of Jandi staying at a hotel in Macau- what, is Jandi going to run screaming and fighting to be at a cheaper place when she has just almost be harassed, and her "friends" have come to help her? I don't know how much we expect out of this girl. Although I wish she'd kick more ass.LOL

LOL. I wish her to kick more ass too.

I cringed a lot less at the Macau rescue scene than I did in MYC because the whole 'harassed by evil black people in slums magically two blocks from Times Square' was kinda cringe-worthy on a whole different level.

It's an interesting point about j v. kdramas. For me, though, there is still that duality - I don't expect the same degree of realism from e.g. Goong as I would from Kim Sam Soon.

[your-insomnia.livejournal.com]

I'm not bored with Ji Hoo nor do I dislike him - I just don't care too much about him. He is a side character in the story that is ultimately about Jandi and Jun-pyo. I'm happy he is there to save the day but I don't find Jandi/Ji-Hoo romance compelling at all. But hey that's just me...Everyone has a different opinion on everything...You shouldn't get too worked up about dramabeans. There are bound to be disagreements regarding ships/characters. I don't agree with them on everything too but for me it's always interesting to hear their opinions because they seem to be invested in this drama as much as everyone else.
Btw, wasn't Domiyoji a jerk too in jdrama? Jun-pyo is not doing anything worse than him. ^^

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I loathed Domyouji at that point in the jdrama too :) I am afraid I usually end up on the side of the heroine in lovers' spats. But also, he did look a lot more torn up about it than JP did. Let's hope we get to see some pretty pretty angst from JP in 14.

[your-insomnia.livejournal.com]

Because I know why he is doing it, I'm not that angry with him. But I remember how pissed off I was getting with him when his fiancee came into the picture and he was kind of warming up to her...I was like "Grrrr, Makino MOVE ON".

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Yup - I am not angry any more either, but yesterday, I was so pissed off :P

[your-insomnia.livejournal.com]

Lol now I was so angry with him in the beginning of episode 14 (God, are we obsessed or what? The episode came out today and it was already subbed and watched by everyone) when he was pushing Jan Di away and saying "you are a stain mark I want to remove" - IT WAS SO AWFUL...JP WHY DO YOU HAVE TO BE SUCH A JERK?? But I guess he has to be to protect her. XD I'm amazed just how much I'm enjoying the angst. =)

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Yeah - the way he broke up with her was insane (and seriously, if this doesn't give a clue he is way messed up, nothing does. A normal person would just be ;not interested any more, bye' not be so gratuitously awful)...

[luzzz777.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I don't get the comment about how the series becomes slow and prodding because Jun Pyo isn't in it for 70 minutes *shock, horror*. Methinks someone has a mild (heavy?) case of LMH-fever lol. I actually enjoyed this ep quite a bit. It was a welcome change to the usual Junpyo+Jandi angst/lovefest/makeouts (not that I don't enjoy those). Episode 13 provided a chance to flesh out other characters and relationships e.g. F3 + Jandi, Jihoo + Jandi, Ji Hoo + his grandpa, master of the porridge shop, JANDI[!]. I actually liked the first half of the episode more than the second half. Because the first half was filmed recently, the actors seem to be more intune with their characters and as such there's a lot more depth in each scene. The second half, on the other hand, felt more like a travelogue 8D.

And yes, Jandi may not always be street-smart but her reactions in Macau were understandable. Not everyone can see at first sight whether s/he is being conned. She's in a foreign country. And surrounded by 10 guys. I don't think a roundhouse kick would have done her any favours. I'd like to see some self-confessed experts on this matter be put in her position and see how they react.

And I think with tv drama, let alone one based on a shoujo manga, people need to leave their sense of reality at the wayside when they watch the show.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I really enjoyed the first half more - we got to see all these other characters freshed out. I adore JP (despite his slide back into jerkiness) and Jandi, but it's fun to see other characters and interactions get a chance to shine.

Macau looks super pretty but I keep getting East of Eden flashbacks and expecting Jandi to ditch JP and run off with Song Seung Heon.

[scottishlass.livejournal.com]

Usually I enjoy Dramabean's recaps but lately she has become a bit irrational, esp. with the whole HYD vs. BOF thing.

I actually find the whole of F3 turning up and coming to the rescue of JanDi much more plausible than just Ji Hoo (like in the Japanese version). Why? Because they know what can happen to a girl like Jan Di in a city like Macau and with Woo Bin's connections to the underworld, they would have had a second by second surveillance from gangsters, let alone their own network of DIs and bodyguards from their respective companies etc.

But yes, I hope Jan Di finds her spunk again. She might have fallen for Jun Pyo, but for crissake, gal, enjoy yourself in Macau with these three guys (or at least Ji Hoo) and curly haired douchebag be damned.
Additionally, Ji Hoo should end his valiant behaviour and go for Jan Di for real. It is always cool to not act out of respect and love for your best-friend but here Jun Pyo by not contacting anyone (including the F3) he has finally lost all respect.

[ambergold.livejournal.com]

but for crissake, gal, enjoy yourself in Macau with these three guys (or at least Ji Hoo) and curly haired douchebag be damned. Additionally, Ji Hoo should end his valiant behaviour and go for Jan Di for real. It is always cool to not act out of respect and love for your best-friend but here Jun Pyo by not contacting anyone (including the F3) he has finally lost all respect. could.not. agree.more. stop being so darn frickin GALLANT, Ji-Hoo, and just pull out all the stops! it's not like you've got much competition coming from darky douchebag. Plus, oh wait, you're intrinsically worth about 10 Jun-pyos anyway by mere virtue of the fact that you're FUNCTIONAL, so hey, it can't be that hard.

and I do like how it's all the F3 who rescue her.

Also, I really think Barbie Hsu's portrayal had 10 thousand times more spunk :( it's disappointing

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Because they know what can happen to a girl like Jan Di in a city like Macau and with Woo Bin's connections to the underworld, they would have had a second by second surveillance from gangsters, let alone their own network of DIs and bodyguards from their respective companies etc.


Exactly.

And agree with you on JH. It's all well and good to hold off because of friendship (I love that he does that - it makes him even more wonderful, IMO) but if said friend is being a jerk and doesn't want the girl? Yeah, you can make your move!

[ambergold.livejournal.com]

I've been reading Dramabeans recaps too and I have to agree; I usually find her quite insightful but I'm not really agreeing with her on a lot of BOF stuff(particularly how amazing Min-Ho is, but that's another story). Ah well.

also, Ga Eul/Yi Jung=passionate LOVE. Gimme more!

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I love LMH, I truly do, but that doesn't mean that (a) his character wasn't a masssive jerk in this ep; (b) his character in general is a pretty flawed person; and (c) no matter how much I like him, no, the drama doesn't die when he isn't on screen! For God's sake, Legend worked fine when Bae Yong Joon was off-screen and I adore BYJ in Legend much more than I do LMH in BOF (or anyone in kdrama, ever).

[alexandral.livejournal.com]

I am still to catch up on BOF (my daughter will be back tomorrow!) . I must say that I find Ji Hoo pretty to the bargain, but the actor's acting to be v. poor. But this is my usual thing with Korean dramas (may be because I involuntarily compare drama acting with what I watch in the films, other countries and Korean). Good acting is very rare in dramas. It is quite refreshing to see Lee Min Hoo to have such a good range. I think he will be a serious film actor v. soon. The guy playing Ji Hoo - I don't think so.

Dramabeans - I have read her summaries in the past and she seemed to be well-balanced. It seems that now she has a seious case of Jun Pyo love from what you are saying. :D At the end of the day, this drama has Ga Eul/Yi Jung OTP and prettiness of Ji Hoo!!! WHOEVER DENIES IT IS NOT TELLING THE TRUTH. :D

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

How far in are you? I thought KHJ was atrocious in the beginning (6 eps? 7 eps?) and then has been magically improving by leaps and bounds, IMO.

[alexandral.livejournal.com]

We finished ep.10 - but he is still very manekenish to me. :D But take it right - nothing out of "normal" drama acting.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I agree, I don't think he will set the world on fire with his acting but I guess I take drama acting/storylines as their own thing so I didn't even notice it until you pointed it out :)

[marspeach.livejournal.com]

I gotta say I missed Lee Min Ho too...But I've liked Ji Hoo more for a few episodes now (still not as much as Rui though). I don't mind the F3 coming to the rescue...In fact, I rather like it! (Hotness!)

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I know - I am so shallow and I like to watch them in action :)

[(Anonymous)]

I agree: I don't think this episode dragged at all, even with the absence of Lee Min Ho. In particular, I found Jan Di's final swimming lap really touching and sad, and enjoyed the bonding moment she shared with F3. But I'm afraid I have to disagree with you on Ji-Hoo. Yes, I enjoy his character (he's very sweet and dependable)... but I have trouble seeing him as anything more than a side-character whose main purpose is to cause friction between Jun Pyo and Jan Di. My main problem (gorgeous as he is) is with the actor.

In the other versions, especially Meteor Garden, I was constantly torn between rooting for Domyouji and Rei (maybe because I was in love with Vic, lol). But here, honestly, I find Ji Hoo's acting very uneven. Some moments he'll come off very genuine (when he's comforting Jan Di after she finds out she can no longer swim), or he'll seem kind of wooden and unnatural (when he's done conducting and walks off the stage; catching Jan Di's mother). Yes, he's improved, but for me it's just not enough.

And I confess to being confused by your anger towards Jun Pyo. His reaction is no different from the Japanese version (so far). And if I'm not mistaken (which I may be) didn't this same scenario occur in the manga as well? Either way, we all know he's going to have a good reason... so it seems a little early to be writing him off so quickly.

Also, I'm afraid I'm with the people who wish to see a little more spunk from Jan Di. Sure, her reaction to those situations are realistic... but as you've pointed out yourself, this is based on a manga. It's about a guy who falls in love with a girl after getting slapped/kicked in the face... so I don't think it's too far off base to want to see some of that original spark from her character. Surrounded by all those guys... I WANT to see her fight... to not sit, cowering, and wait to be rescued. And when she was taken hostage by that man in the market, I wanted her to CRUSH his foot... not be rescued by Jun Pyo's future fiancee. (I really wanted them to meet on semi-equal footing.) It's like her character keeps going back and forth between a kick-ass heroine and a damsel in distress, and it's frustrating. What happened to the girl who took on an entire school of bullies; who kicked her friend's ex-boyfriend when he insulted them; threw herself in front of a chair to protect Jun Pyo? Is the fact that she's in a foreign country the only reason?

Still, I see where you're coming from. But I think there are legitimate reasons for why people may disagree.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I agree, I wish Jandi would exhibit more strength, the way she did in the earlier eps. She is still plenty strong, true, but compared to the Japanese version, and especially the Taiwanese one, she does come across as rather weak.

Re: Jun Pyo. I did get plenty super mad at him in the other versions too, so at least I am consistent. But also, there is another catch: in the manga it was a momentary thing and I don't think he thought it through very well. And in the jdrama, not only did you see how much it was killing him not to just grab her and hold her (especially since I used to watch raws, too impatient for subs, and so had to pay extra attention to faces), while here JP came across as stone cold, much more in control (to be fair, they set up his being prone to coldness well in advance) and also they would have to work hard to have his reason be as good as in the jdrama - promise to a distant dad to take care of the company (and how would that be impaired by his dating habits?) is not really in the same league as getting messed up and knuckling under as a result of having someone you liked and admired kill himself in front of your eyes because of you. Now, JP might have an excellent reason and then I will fickly reverse my opinion, but for now...

[popaddict.livejournal.com]

Here's what I disagree with.

'how unrealistic F3 appear and help with her money/gangster problems - how do they know where to find her' GIVES ME RAGE. I mean, if you have a problem with that, take it up with the mangaka.

I am not coming here as an HYD fan, infact I find it quite subpar and underwhelming. That said, I have no problems with them jumping to the rescue (mangaka says so) and I understand that this is the crazy side of fiction but one scene where F3 decide to follow her to Macau or another scene where they mention looking for her or something of the like is all the story needs to make it appear plausible. Did they call up Woobin's cronies to locate her? Have they been following a trail of damsels-in-distress? It's annoying because it happens allllll the time. I get irritated by what I think are careless lapses in storytelling.

When I'm watching a cartoon, I have no problem with a massive anvil falling from the sky to smash a character into the ground, and still he lives. I do have a problem with that same scenario happening in what presents itself as a realistic adaptation. I can forgive a lot of things; ott characters, extended and pointless scenes, over or under acting, but some things just irk more than others.

That said, should she stay in a rathole motel when she has friends offering infinitely better accomodations? Heck, no.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I guess my thing is that I never viewed any version of Hanadan (or Goong or Hana Kimi etc) as realistic. I assume Woo Bin's contacts tracked her down and they caught up with her in a dramatic moment, but I don't need an explanation any more than the fact that they caught with her just then doesn't bother me the same way the plots of Winter Sonata, Stairway to Heaven or Autumn Tale, with amnesia, sibcest, or cancer caused by car accident bug me...

[popaddict.livejournal.com]

I understand. There are levels of realism, it's just that I have higher ones for BOF than it's currently fulfilling.

Oooooh, Stairway to Heaven. That one requires a 4 hr conference, talk about ridiculous!





Still <3 it. LOL.
In my defense, I love BOF too.

[kitkat-cat.livejournal.com]

Well, i love Jun Pyo, and even Jandi, since the beginning of the so-called Season 2, is greatly improved. It's as if everyone from the Director, to scriptwriter to Music guy took some kind of pill that improved things. I was actually getting really bored with things up to ep 12, and everytime Jandi and JiHoo appeared or Almost-bloody-not-Paradise, I would come close to either fast-forwarding, shouting at the screen or trying to throw things at it. Now, it feels almost as if they are getting into the groove of things and may just produce the goods! I always felt that F3 always looked out for Makino, and I didnt have a problem with that. I disagree with the idea that their rescues somehow negates the strong side of Makino. If she was perfectly capable and strong all the time, why on earth would she even need Doumyoji or friends??? Strong capable intelligent women can also be vulnerable and need help and be soft. i always felt that they (DM and MK) balanced each other out where they most need it.

as for jihoo, even i have to admit that the acting is greatly improved and while the character bores me, and i will have issues if he tries to muscles in on Jandi/JunPyo, he still has quite a way to go before he makes it into my hate list. :)

As for inconsistencies, like how they found her, or how Jandi can afford to stay in an expensive hotel, i have 4 words -> Willing Suspension of Disbelief. I mean, for god's sake, the thing is adapted from a shoju manga, not exactly known for their realism are they!?

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

True, all of a sudden even the music is good. mmmm - I love that angst storm just hit as that is always my favorite part.

[boycottbananas.livejournal.com]

I wanna watch Hana Yori Dango again, now that I've watched the movie. Also, I've come to realize that Shigeru wasn't all that bad. I hated her when I first watched it, but when I watched the special they had for the HYD movie, I realized that she loved Doumyoji so much, she acted oblivious to everything. Ah~

...sorry, this doesn't even have to do with BOF. XD

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Oh, Shigeru drove me batty. Hated her because of OTP glasses. I wonder if I will change my opinion now...I wanna watch the movie now, I've been saving it.

[boycottbananas.livejournal.com]

Yeah, Shigeru annoyed the HELL out of me because she was all, "I love Domyouji~ You support that, ne, Makino?" and stuff. But in the special that it showed before the movie aired, there were clips of Shigeru and I just felt bad for her, because she loved Domyouji so much, just like how Makino does, and she gave him up for Makino.

She doesn't have much of a role in the movie though, but she is kind of sort of Fujiki Naohito's OTP? XD;;

[leechunsa.livejournal.com]

I see SOEUL! ♥

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Oh YES.