Personal Taste and a re-organization of my viewing list

[dangermousie]

Instead of catching up on my ginormous backlog, I have been rewatching parts of Personal Taste ep 10 and taking come caps. I am not even in the mood to watch anything else, no matter how good. I just want to wallow in PT.



I am obsessed with this drama. OBSESSED. It is definitely my drama of the spring season to me - by now I have achieved this absolute emotional immersion that is my goal in drama watching but doesn't happen all too often. I get incoherent, I get giddy, and rageful, and happy, and sniffly. Perfect, perfect.

Especially ep 10 which was such an emotional hothouse - yes, I love dramas because they turn me into an emotional vampire. MMMMM.



I love Lee Min Ho and Son Ye Jin's chemistry - it so warm and playful and relaxed but also really really hot. I can so buy them as incredibly compatible best friends and as a couple that should probably be locked up in a room together for a month. And I love how effortlessly happy they make each other and how they are so in sync like an utter couple. It's so important for both of them because they are so isolated - Jin Ho because he's reserved, workaholic, driven by past family history, and does not make friends easily. And Gae In because she has never even received love from her own father and her mother died when she was so little. Her close friend betrayed her etc - she is in an emotional desert. So I am so glad they found each other.



















Of all the scenes in this episode, the one I loved the most (except for, of couse, the kiss) was the scene after Jin Ho's mother and family show up and overhear that JH is gay and JH hugs Gae In and tells his mother that he loves this woman and wants to marry her. And Gae In says she loves him too. Because what kills me, both 100% mean what they say, but the other person has no idea - GI thinks Jin Ho is just covering up his secret in front of his mother and Jin Ho thinks Gae In is being a good friend. Oh, woobies!



But my favorite wasn't that part of the scene but the night after the family leaves - Gae In telling Jin Ho that if he needs, she will marry him to be his shield and so nobody would mock him. I love how open and accepting and loving she is. And I love that part of her reason is her goodness and her utterly loving heart but part is because she's fallen in love with him and she will take being close to him in whatever way she can. And I love his reaction - a crazy mixture of awe and guilt (because she is so amazing and he took advantage of that) and love and worry (because that's another example of that softheartedness that gets her so hurt) but also anger (because he's so madly in love with her, but to him her actions are another proof that she does not see him as a man because if she did she couldn't make the offer like that). I think a lot of this ep is frustration and love building in the very very controlled Jin Ho until he finally cannot stand it any more and thus we get the end of ep 10 - because he has tried to tell her the truth(s) before but it never worked out and he knows if he will tell her now, not only will he lose her in any capacity, but that it will hurt her so badly, he cannot do it. But he is trapped in a role of a gay best friend to the woman he loves and sees dating another guy and he's going nuts (when he walks out of the house, it's not just because of Chang Ryul's threat, it's because he thinks Gae In tried to set him up on a date with Director Choi and it's the final nail in the coffin of her seeing him as a guy, he believes). Anyway - both of them are so hurt, in love and loving, jealous, confused, it's a wonder they don't explode.









I really love Son Ye Jin as Gae In. I don't think she is classically beautiful but Gae In's lovely giving spirit and hopefulness shine from every pore. I think I am a little in love with her myself.



Lee Min Ho is that combo of acting chops and ridiculously sexy looks. Sometimes, I space out staring at him. What I really like about him is that he isn't just good-looking, he's also dead-sexy too, in a very masculine way. MMMMMM...





The thought of there being only 6 episodes of this perfection left fills me with horror. NOOOOOO!

Of course, all this rewatching forced me to confront the fact that I will never get through my backlog - i.e. there is no way I can keep up with 8 airing dramas. It's not doable, especially since Kimura's Moon Lovers (Tsuki no Koibito) starts next week and there is no way in hell I am not following that one as it airs. Nine airing dramas? No way.

So some major pruning is occurring:

Keeping for Weekly Viewing:

Personal Taste; Prosecutor Princess; Sunao No Narenakute - These three dramas I am obsessed about. I am not giving them up for anything.

Oh My Lady - OML is easy to keep up with since I skip all the scenes not involving the OTP or the cute kids. I am not as in love with it as I am with the three up top but it's fun.

Keeping, Maybe:

Yankee-kut to Megane-chan - subs for this are irregular so I am considering just waiting until it's done. But will see.

Dropping:

Down with Love - let's face it, I am 10 eps behind, the drama is almost done, I might as well wait until it's all done and marathon. Especially since I prefer downloadable subs to viikii ones for this so I can ff through parts that do not interest me and those subs are rather behind so it will be a while until they will be completed.

Dong Yi: - I am 6 or 8 eps behind (depending on whether you count raws or subbed). I might as well give up for now. Once the spring drama season is over, I can catch up and DY is so long that it will still be running then and once I catch up, I can just join the weekly watching again.

Cinderella Unni: I am less than 3 eps behind which is nothing but I don't want to catch up. All the main characters seem to have become permanent residents of Miseryville which wears down on one after a while. I have made a discovery that while I can watch most other genres as airing dramas, I cannot do it with melodramas. I prefer to have all my angst-emo-melo in one big, controlled by me, gulp and not in weekly dribs and drabs (see Will It Snow at Xmas, another excellent melodrama, that I tried to follow as it aired, had to give up, but really enjoyed marathonning after). So I'll catch up with CU once it's done.

Comments

[lesbiassparrow.livejournal.com]

I have never managed to keep up with any airing Kdrama - maybe that's because I love the melodramas and like you prefer to get all the angst in one giant dollop than in tiny bits. Also, I like to know in advance if the ending will be of the 'rocks fall, everyone dies' type.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I want to control my angst dozages, not have weekly schedule control it. And yes, I like knowing ending in advance (hence romcoms are great to follow as they air) and with melodramas you never know. I am fine with everyone in CU dying in the snow at once, but I'd like to be warned of that in advance.

Btw, Personal Taste is from the screenwriter of Stairway to Heaven and Stained Glass. I keep expecting car wrecks and amnesia, but so far no luck. It does explain why it only good good when it got angsty. I bet the writer wouldn't know a fluffy comedy if it punched him in the face and told him it was in love with a stepsibling.

[lesbiassparrow.livejournal.com]

Well, at least now you must be guaranteed one terminal illness. Which may or may not be magically cured.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

LOL. I can't see terminal illness in this drama but with this writer, I am guaranteed at least one scene like this:



(This is my favorite gif ever - it's basically distillation for why I watch kdramas :P)

[lesbiassparrow.livejournal.com]

That GIF is a thing of beauty. (I have been rewatching Tree of Heaven, BTW. I had forgotten how much crying there is in that one.)

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Since ToH is only 10 eps but they tried to stuff a normal, 24-ep drama amounts of angst into it, it's definitely concentrated. I watched that drama in one day while pretty sick - I am sure all the bawling I did din't help my fever but it was a glorious binge.

That GIF makes me so happy - I randomly pull it out and look at sometimes :P

[lesbiassparrow.livejournal.com]

Well, knowing the writer there will also be a GIF one day of hero lying half-in, half-out of shower while wailing the heroine's name. (Perhaps one of my fav. scenes in Stairway.)

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

hero lying half-in, half-out of shower while wailing the heroine's name.

All of a sudden, my interest in StH spiked up. I need it on dvds so I could ff all the boring plot and get to angst right away.

[lesbiassparrow.livejournal.com]

DVDS are essential to get the full effect of evil step-sister's CRAZY EYES.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I am afraid the evil stepsister has been ruined for me because the actress played the cool and not evil spy heroine in IRIS. It will be...startling, to say the least.

[algelic.livejournal.com]

Hmmmmmm I don't think my love for Personal Taste is even 1% as big as yours. XD but it's a shame though, because the lead actress is SO beautiful!

I mean, just look at this: http://shine-idol.blogspot.com/2009/03/son-ye-jin-vogue-magazine-photos.html
http://asianmediawiki.com/File:Ye-jin_Son-main.jpg

So PT makes me want to scream! How they ruined this beautiful actress!

PS: What other roles have you seen her in? Her recent movie "White Night" is awesome. You would like it (trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b6Qw-gv0Beg).

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I think if she was gorgeous it would look wrong for PT but I've seen SYJ before - in Summer Scent and in A Moment to Remember. She was supposed to be pretty in those but I didn't find her so - her looks aren't really my thing at all. I do think she's a great actress.

Re: White Night. Nope, it's a remake of a jdrama which I really really didn't like. The story is very much not my thing. Pity, because her and Go Soo in the same thing is pretty cool.

[boginje.livejournal.com]

If anyone wants to read Yankee-kun to Megane-chan manga here is the link:
http://www.mangafox.com/manga/yankee_kun_to_megane_chan/
Or if you wanna download you can do it here:
http://www.mangatraders.com/manga/series/2508

If you read the scanlated chapters of the manga there is no need for the subs!!

The 2nd episode is available here: http://www.tudou.com/programs/view/Q7TEekLp9JE/

It was Chiba-kun`s episode(which means one of my favorites)
It was PERFECT (a little bit different, but it`s OK cuz there are 16 volumes of manga so far(9 are scanlated)-on the other hand there are only 11 episodes of the drama)

BTW As I thought ,the production of the drama decided to replace the restroom with the roof(Shinagawa-kun`s favorite hanging out spot in the manga version is the restroom ).

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Thank you for the links!

[ambergold.livejournal.com]

yay!!! I utterly utterly approve of all your choices- your chosen top 3 are the exact three that I've chosen to watch and keep up with these season so woot:) all the others I'm not watching(putting off Down with Love too) but if I were they would be ranked exactly as above.

I still can't get over Personal Taste's about turn. I'm actually really sad that it had such a crappy first few episodes because it's still coloring my overall feeling about this drama - I love love love it but am wondering if it would have become one of my favorite dramas if I hadn't started out hating it.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

If it keeps up, it will become one of my favorite ones anyway - I'd rather the drama started out shoddy and got excellent as it progressed than the other way around (Powerful Opponents and BOF and Iljimae, I am looking at all of you!) This isn't the first drama I've seen that started slowly/meh-ishly but then picked up speed (My Girl actually comes to mind, for me, and it's one of my favorites) but usually I don't notice it as much because I watch it all at once, with ff-ing where necessary.

We are so lucky with dramas this season!

[ambergold.livejournal.com]

We are so lucky with dramas this season! agreed!

[issy-chan.livejournal.com]

oh no. pitty that you are dropping Dong Yi because i just can see you obsessing about it the same way here if you continue watching. i'm totally hooked by it right now. the best drama to make my missing Chuno less. but to keep up with 8-9 airing drama is not an easy job.
i watched ep1 of personal taste and somehow did not grab me much. maybe i try again later because you really making me curious ;-)

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

PT has pretty rough first 3-4 eps, just warning :)

I plan to catch up with DY later.

[timescout.livejournal.com]

Well, I'm watching 4 currently airing atm but as I go by the released subs it's somewhat feasable. But that can change if something more interesting comes along as I'm not really invested in any of them. Dong Yi and Oh My Lady are the ones that seem to go down easiest right now. I've decided to pick up the J-dramas once they've all done, except for the Kimura one. That I'll be following while it airs.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I like OML because I ff through a lot of parts which makes it go by quick - plus it's so fluffy and relaxing. I am not deeply invested but am amused which is almost as good.

[timescout.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that's probably why I like OML too. Funnily enough, that's how Dong Yi is as well. After the angsty beginning it's now rather funny and fluffy - really odd for a sageuk.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

A fluffy sageuk - what is the world coming to? :)

[timescout.livejournal.com]

Clearly it'll come to an end soon. Fluffy sageuks are a certain portent of that. ;P

[homocoucho.livejournal.com]

8 airing dramas is suicide. I can barely keep up with one. That said, I'm catching up on Prosecutor Princess and am more than ready to start on Personal Taste. I just love that with CU already airing on KBS World, I can follow that pace and just read the spoilers.

For now, my main crack is OML.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

OML is so ridiculously fun.

I could probably keep up with 8 dramas if I had no life at all and I didn't need sleep but as is...

[singing-tree.livejournal.com]

Happy to see you like PT too :) I remember reading some post a few weeks back where you weren't so enthusiastic about the whole thing :P

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Yes, I did a total 180 degrees turn on it. Didn't like the beginning now am in mad love

[your-insomnia.livejournal.com]

But he is trapped in a role of a gay best friend to the woman he loves and sees dating another guy and he's going nuts

YESSSSSS, so delicious. Kdramas with UST are so my thing. They need to make more of those XD

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

This one is so perfect!

[hope-fuleigh.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I've been marathoning this every spare minute I can get, because I just can't get enough of it... It's like a new form on crack.

I'm right at the part where Director Choi is confessing to Jin Ho, and had to leave, but oh my god, I can't wait to get back and see the fall-out! Jin Ho has gotten himself into a serious mess, and through no fault of his own.

My favorite part of all, so far, has been his "test" to see how much she learned from him, and he's all "what if we were dating because you looked exactly my ex-girlfriend, and I was still in love with her, and wanted you to act like her and I would even sometimes call you by her name?" and she was like, "yes, I would do that," and he's all *facepalm* "No! have you learned nothing??" And it's because his test is not based on how she looks, what she's wearing or her table manners, but whether or not she can demand to be an equal in a relationship, to be loved/cared for the same that she cares for another (and we've already seen how much he recognizes her kindness, with his comment to In Hee way early on) - so that, at the end of the day, she doesn't get hurt. Which he so wants to protect her from. Sigh. It's so wonderful.

And also, their debate about love and pride - her believing that when you love someone, you give up all your pride, and he's like, no, love DEFENDS your pride. Which, these two... oh man. Because she's embarassed him, and had him do so many things that would 'sacrifice' his pride, but he's done them for her... and his influence has boosted her self-esteem and her backbone, thus causing her to "defend" her pride.

And now look at me - I can't stop talking about it... It's so addicting!

[yunhalove.livejournal.com]

Oh wow. Sorry for butting in, but that last sentence. I can't believe I never noticed that- that they were each adhering to each other's definition of love. That just shows how much they are right for each other and how much each of them are opening new ideas/horizons for the other. GUH.

[hope-fuleigh.livejournal.com]

Yep. The solution to their differences lies somewhere in the middle - when you really love someone, you are willing to sacrifice so much for them, and in return, love makes you stronger, prouder, etc. Let's hope these two can figure out that balance!

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Your observation of them using each other's definition of love is so spot-on and something I never thought about before. Because, yes, love is about balance - it's supposed to make you more giving and unselfish but also instill confidence and happiness in you.

Also, if you just finished ep 7, you have so much goodness left to go through!

I love how worried he is about her soft-heartedness - I love that it isn't 'OMG she is too weak to live, useless blah blah' - he does not see her kindness as a flaw, it's as if it's just he knows the rest of the world is too flawed for that kindness.