Things I am watching and things I am anticipating

[dangermousie]

Watching:

DRAMAS

* Shut Up Flower Boy Band - kooky and with attitude

TV SHOWS

* Boardwalk Empire - still catching up
* Chuck - light and funny and entertaining as hell
* Farscape - my rewatch
* First Wave - nineties nostalgia
* Haven - duh, Audrey/Nathan 4evah.
* Sons of Anarchy - also still catching up

Anticipating:

10 Operation Proposal - I like cute fluff.
9 Fashion King - mainly in it for the cast.
8 Xuan Yuan Jian Zhi Tian Zhi Hen - sort of Chinese Paladin, with fancier CGI and Hu Ge playing evil and sexy.
7 Love Rain - I love melodramas, especially when they star Emo Prince (tm) and are directed by the four seasons guy.
6 Hanbando - thriller, politics, h/c, awesome cast.
5 The King - Ha Ji Won and Lee Seung Gi play, respectively, a North Korean operative and a South Korean prince, who have to have an arranged marriage. I was one of about five people who loved Spy Myung Wol and this seems like a higher quality take on the same thing.
4 Bridal Mask - Joo Won, my big ridiculous crush, is a superhero-type freedom fighter in the 1930s. A period superhero drama with romance? Bring it on!
3 Rooftop Prince - Yoochun (rawr!) is a period prince who catapults himself and his posse into the future to look for reincarnation of his dead love, who turns out to be Han Ji Min. I cannot wait!
2 Da Mo Yao - after about a bazillion dramas together, Hu Ge (my favorite cdrama actor) and Liu Shi Shi (my favorite cdrama actress) actually get to play an OTP! He's an icy general, she's a Chinese woman raised by an enemy tribe, blah blah blah the author is the writer of Bu Bu Jing Xin, most amazing thing ever. Bring it on!
1 Chu - Han Contention - my most anticipated, the humongous, violent Chinese epic about the struggle between Liu Bang and Xiang Yu to control China following the destruction of the Qin Empire. Bring on wars, politics, and ridiculously sexy Peter Ho!

Comments

[clairiere.livejournal.com]

Looking forward to your reactions, as usual. :)

I'm planning to start on/catch up with History of the Salaryman, though I can't seem to find an appropriate time to marathon. I've only tried clips, but it's hysterical and everything about it seems spot on (writing, direction, editing, music, characterization, performances), I can't wait.

Of the k-drama line-up in spring, the darkest appears to be The Man in the Equator/The Equator Man on KBS (vs. King on MBC and Rooftop on SBS). It's another revenge drama, but it's from the writer behind Women in the Sun and the PD for White Christmas, so there's a lot of expectation for a proper, psychologically interesting drama. The only/biggest problem is that they're having the toughest time casting the leads, and those who've read the synopses say it needs really solid actors.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I've not heard about the Equator Man. What is it about?

Salaryman was very funny, even if not my type of thing.

[clairiere.livejournal.com]

re: Equator Man: I didn't follow too closely the chatter on the synopsis in case the drama's good, but basically, it's the story of two friends since high school who grow apart when one of them loses his father under mysterious circumstances (his friend finds out his own father killed him) then his eyesight. Some say it's reminiscent of Baker King/East of Eden, others of Bail/Resurrection. Most comment/hope it's the male version of Women in the Sun, which was very dark (orphan gets adopted by well-to-do parents, mother has an unexpected pregnancy and, when the girl's born, blatantly favors the biological child who starts to use it against her sister, older sister in a fit of anger abandons the girl in a train station). Could have been makjang but the story and lead Kim Ji-Soo's performance turned it into something much more subtle, and word of mouth helped it nearly quadruple its ratings by the finale (7->27%). I've only seen the last two eps (the frequent clips on DCgall piqued my curiosity), and I can understand the high hopes for Equator. But the casting problems don't bode well.

Biggest news today though on DCgall is the gossip that Song Hye-Kyo's been cast in Bicha ('Flying Cart', it's like the Korean version of the Wright Brothers at the turn of 20c), the 7-year in the making project of In Jung-Ok (Ruler of Your Own World, Ireland). Lee Hyung-Min (of the upcoming Hanbando) is the PD, and I've read they got the greenlight from SBS to start filming in spring. SHK or not, it's a triangle (the mad scientist, his friend and butler, the woman in between), so a lot riding on casting well.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Thank you, that sounds interesting.

But not as interesting as Bicha! Wow!

[kitsune714.livejournal.com]

I haven't really watched a drama in ages and ages, though I have been slogging through my backlog of western programming. On my hit list: "Downton Abbey", "Game of Thrones", the last 2 episodes of this season of "Sherlock"...I've got enough to keep me busy, I think.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I want to watch DA!

[(Anonymous)]

Uh, uh! Isn't The King slightly frightening after the crash of Spy Myung Wol? Do they try to make it better or what?

Emma

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Well, I liked MW so it's not frightening to me, but I am sure it will be different anyway.

[once-a-weaver.livejournal.com]

"Hu Ge playing evil"

I understand what all the words mean, but seeing them together is odd :) I've never heard of that show, but now it sounds like it could be fantastic.

I'm looking forward to Da Mo Yao so much it's not healthy.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

That show sounds odd but potentially fun - evil Hu Ge with dreads.

[hamster428.livejournal.com]

Is she really Chinese in Da Mo Yao? I'm not very far along in the novel but she was raised by wolves before meeting her Chinese foster father. So when ppl ask, she says she's Chinese because of him. I really hope she's not because I hate it when you're born and raised in a dif land but you must.pledge.allegience to your blood country because the connection is un.friggin.breakable. Gimme a break ya know.
Oh and yes. Watching High Kick 1, Ojakgyo, Farscape 2. Looking forward to RP.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

That's what I've heard but I haven't read the book so no real idea.