Upcoming joy and lack of romantic melodramas.

[dangermousie]

I promised to get to all the replies this weekend. I know I am behind :)

1. Newer Daemul trailer. How wonderful does it look? I believe it starts next week. I was worried earlier that they changed Kwon Sang Woo's character from the gigolo he was in the manga but thankfully no. Hooray. Some politics, some tough tough smart women, some sexy men, what more can you want?

2. Flames of Jailbait Desire started today. I am very eager to check it out especially as it seems to lack that dreaded monster of lengthy revenge dramas - childhood eps. Apparently the adults are there from the first episode. It does have some striking posters.



With these two, Runaway, Sungkyunkwan Scandal, Giant, Gloria, and Playful Kiss, there is a busy busy slate of current dramas waiting for me. Mmmmmmm.

BUT - did you notice something missing this year? I found 2010 a pretty good kdrama year but with one thing missing - while there were a number of dramas whose OTPs I went rabid for (Chuno, Sungkyunkwan Scandal, Giant etc), there has not been a single romantic drama out since winter. Not a single one! I am not talking about romcoms, which are always a dime a dozen (and often not my thing), I am talking about a go-for-broke, angsty, larger than life romance - the way Snow Queen or Robbers or Spring Waltz or A Love to Kill were. All the OTPs I listed came from dramas in other genres - dramas which are primarily revenge sagas, or period stories, or thrillers first. The last proper romantic melodrama we had was a lovely, low-key Will It Snow on Christmas and that ended in the winter! We are way overdue for another one, but of all the dramas I am looking forward to - Athena, Daemul, Runaway - none qualify. The closest we come is November's Secret Garden (but with its body-swapping premise, I think it is likely to be more of a romcom or oddball drama than an angsty romance I require) and January's My Princess which seems, with its storyline of hidden royalty inheritor, to be more of a light romcom. Boooo! I hoped Cinderella Unni would have been the one but what an all-around disappointment that proved to be.

Comments

[ockoala.livejournal.com]

Just watch the first 15 minutes of Flames. O. M. M-----F-ing God. That is all. I am in it for the long haul if this is the intensity we're getting. Think East of Eden crossed with WHIB.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

That sounds quite wonderful as I love both dramas you mentioned (even if EoE was flawed).

So, is YSH believable as an adult? And are his and Seo Woo's charcters really half-siblings? *eeeeeeek*

[popaddict.livejournal.com]

I agree. I didn't understand a word but I literally laughed out loud because of my already insane love of the melodramatics.

[(Anonymous)]

I watched flames of desire raw on tudou and frankly I liked it even better than I though and yes the children storyline only last one episode- GOOOOOOOOOD !- I felt love in YSH's eyes for SW - can't wait to see them together ! And yes he looks convincing- But I was afraid for him when he drove the car and called SW- as a young adult. The actors acting is good too- SW, SEK, YSH, KMJ ect... I cried during the SEK and SW scene. I loved the children acting especially the fierce and strong girl with her sister. I felt for her when she defended her father.
But I hope you are in a angsty mood. I can't wait for tomorrow episode !
Good start in my view but I hope they won't mess it and waste the talents.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I am always in an angsty drama mood.

Mmmmmmm, so excited. Can't wait.

[clairiere.livejournal.com]

It's pretty good, a little too overwrought for my taste (at times it feels like writer Jung Ha-Yeon is parodying makjang dramas), but the story reels you in. Very strong hint in the first min. that YSH and SW are step-siblings, but that's not as 'shocking' as the explanation later in the ep. re: how SW was conceived or born, which I think sets up the bigger mystery. The preview for ep. 2 also hints at another 'shocking' development re: Shin's sister, so I suspect they'll sustain or even improve on yesterday's ratings.

Of the four actors, I thought Seo Woo was far and away the most memorable early in the ep., but Shin Eun-Kyung settles in nicely and is convincing as the gritty, 'will claw at life on her bare hands and knees if need be' character.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Ooooooh, this sounds ineresting.

Plus, I love makjang :P

[ockoala.livejournal.com]

FoD is so good. It's like a insane gourmet makjang that understands the genre and takes it seriously without the lame slo-mo running shit.

Yes, SW and YSH are step-siblings, NOT half-siblings, egro no blood relation. Except a very very messy marriage relation.

SW's mom is SEK, who married JMK and raises his son YSH. It appears that she really does love/obssess/care about YSH like a real son. Omo, it's like she's afraid her real birth daughter is going to steal away her step son.

Anyways, I'm only 30 min in and I feel the need to blog about it already, it's that intense.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Oooooh, this sounds twisty. Mmmm.

[(Anonymous)]

Yes SW and SEK scene was very good. The child SEK is good too- I see this child actress EVERYWHERE and but this is the first time she impresses me.
And I feel so relieved that SW and YSH are not blood related !
Offtopic but I miss this cute and good child actress Jung Da Bin- she acted young Bong Soon in Iljimae.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Neat, thanks

[shinystory.livejournal.com]

there has not been a single romantic drama out since winter

I noticed that, too. I don't know if there are any coming out *this* coming winter.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

It's sad :(

[shinystory.livejournal.com]

It is! Sad stuff should come out to make us happy.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Yup yup yup

[ockoala.livejournal.com]

Hey Mousie, I think you'll want to watch first 12 min of FoD, subs and understanding not necessary.

Tell me if it doesn't blow your socks off with anticipation for what this drama will bring:

http://www.tudou.com/playlist/p/a62188.html?iid=60796359

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Off to check it out.

[popaddict.livejournal.com]

I didn't watch the whole, just the first 10 or so minutes until the flashbacks, but it was sooooooo good. Everything was at defcon level 1 and it was glorious.

Now I need to wait for subs. Le sigh.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

It was completely and utterly insane :)

[timescout.livejournal.com]

This is one point where our tastes in dramas diverge complitely. I can't stand makjang. Well, I can in small doses but a full makjang drama - no way jose! I tried a few times and gave up in disgust, ha.

That said, I know I'm going to enjoy your post if you decide to watch and post about FoD. It sounds crazy.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I looooove makjang but FoD may have been a bit insane even for me.