dangermousie | Heartstrings ep 2 - shoujo manga with an indie vibe

Short version - still loving it.

It is the second ep that is usually a maker or breaker for me in how much I will like a drama. Sometimes a shaky production finds its legs by then. And sometimes I get swept away by the set-up of the first ep only to realize when the second one comes around and settles into the story, that this isn't going to be my thing after all (see Best Love. I was giddy after the first ep, believing this was going to be the drama to break my Hong Sisters dry spell. But then the second ep came around and I realized that this really wasn't going to be my thing and so it proved, despite repeated tries).

The first word that comes to mind when I think of Heartstrings is 'mellow.' This drama is seeped through with the mellow, off-beat vibe. The colors, the pace, the narrative approach to what is pretty much a textbook shoujo manga story (and how I love it) imbue it with an indie soul. I don't think I will be as rabid for it as I am for City Hunter - this is simply not high stakes or intense enough - but I do think that I am going to adore watching it, feeling happy and immersed two hours a week.

I continue to adore both Gyu Won and Shin. Gyu Won is a little naive and spoiled but a good, strong person.

And Shin might have his issues, but he is a good person too.

Watch him apologize immediately when he learns why Gyu Won was so upset with him at the end of ep 1, and actually even explain.

My sole problem (and it is not a major one) is that while I find all the 'kid' stories interesting, the adult ones haven't grabbed me yet.

I am very bored by Song Chang Eui and his character's thing with his ex.

And I hope to God that he never likes Gyu Won because that would ick me out.

I am borderline icked out by their interactions already (and yet like Shin with teacher. Hypocrisy, thy name is Mousie).

The music continues to be gorgeous...