My Name is Kim Sam Soon, Bednaya Nastya and 31 of June

[dangermousie]

tattarpunk came over last night, and between consuming pastries and fangirl-talking, we managed to watch four episodes of My Name is Kim Sam Soon.

MNIKSS is a kdrama about a 30 year old, slightly overweight (by Korean standards. She is what, size 4?) pastry chef with the unfashionable name of Sam Soon, who finds out her jerk of a boyfriend is cheating on her, on Christmas Eve.

However, suddenly-single-again Sam Soon's life is about to get a lot stranger and more interesting, because shortly after she finds a new job, her boss, a slightly younger (27), spoiled-rich-boy Jin-Heon (played by the yummy Hyun Bin, miles away from his character in Snow Queen) asks her to pretend-date him, to get his mother off his back. In need for money, Sam Soon agrees...

MNNIKSS is a super-famous drama. Very, very, very. Yet, I stayed away from it for a long time largely because I knew it was angst-light and I need my regular fixes. But tatterpunk suggested and I thought it would be a fine idea.

So, what did I think, four eps in?

I love it.



It totally went in stages. The first ep I was, frankly, bored. Sam Soon kept weeping and being low-spirited (an ended relationship is painful, I understand, but it was boring to watch, IMO), Jin-Heon was mildly amusing but not super hot (even now, I much prefer HB's look in Snow Queen) or exciting. But I don't like to give up on dramas without giving them a time to appeal. So I watched the second ep and was surprised to find out I liked it! And between then and ep four, I fell in mad, irrevocable love. I want to doodle the drama's name in my notebooks now, except I don't own any.

I still wish it had more angst (if it can't find more, it should borrow some from Bali, it has enough for 18 dramas) but the angst we do have is yummy.

Why do I like it?

1. The cooky, funny, and yet strong and warm-hearted Sam Soon. She is amazing, an amazingly adorable. And she is a mean drunk :) The scene where poor JH had to carry her because she was so wasted and she kept hitting him with her won stuffed pig was so funny and adorable all at once I nearly died.

2. Mmmmm, Jin-Heon. I started out amused by him, went through a brief spate in ep 2 (when he ruined Sam Soon's blind date) of wanting to stab him, and now I love him to bits. I want to squish him, except he would be entirely horrified. He is this perfect mix of sweetness and jerkiness, iciness and vulnerability, a hot guy and a five-year-old. I especially love him with his mute 5-year-old niece (oh, kdrama, never change!). He is like another person with her. He adores the child and never loses his temper with her (even when she calls in the middle of the night just to be silent on the phone) and is totally a Daddy to her. I melted.

3. I love the angst we got so far. Because, of course, JH is that way only because 'he is dead inside' (tm tatterpunk). We see a flashback of him in college and he is sweet and puppyish. But of course (and I love that we learn it gradually), he has DEEP ANGST. Because his one true love left him (for three years) just saying she was going to study, at the worst time of his life, right after a horrible car accident which shattered his leg which had to be reconstructed (ugh, multiple surgeries). Did I mention that he was driving and his brother and sister in law were killed and now he has car phobia? YES. I love kdramas.

4. Kdrama other girl. Mind you, I think she is not only unappealing but insane. When you ditch someone in such a fashion for three years, I don't care if you had the most excellent reasons ever. Even if you explain them now, it won't make a difference. He would have hated you by now anyway. But she gives JH angst and that makes me happy.

5. SS/JH. It's only beginning to develop and each is only beginning to get a glimmer of a realization they might be attracted and it's awesome. I love the scene in the station when they just stare at each other, or how he unthinkingly protects her from her jerk of an ex. YES.

6. Daniel Henney. Because I am amused by his speaking only English and dorky videotapes. I don't get the fuss about him though. Sure, he is good looking, but so is every kdrama actor. He does nothing for me.

In other news, I don't like to have posts lately without Bednaya Nastya so here is a quick clip from next to last ep, with Vladimir rescuing Anna who is trapped frm bad guys. Not much translation is necessary but she does tell him things like 'I was so afraid I would die without seeing you again' and 'I love you' 18 bazillion times. I am sure he is gratified, considering he broke out of jail to rescue her.

And on a last, slide-to-obscurity point, this seriously is probably the most obscure entry I made in this LJ so far.

But I just received in the mail a DVD of 31 of June (31 июня), a Russian movie from the 1970s (1978) which I loved in childhood entirely too much. I saw it once and couldn't forget it.

31 of June is an adult fairy tale based on (ironically) an American novel by J B Priestley, called The 31st of June: A Tale of True Love, enterprise and Progress, in the Arthurian and Ad-Atomic Ages. The story follows a seemingly impossible love affair between a medival princess in a fairy-tale kingdom and a modern day painter.

Oh, it's totally dated, the outfits and sountrack are completely 70s. It's probably cheesy and not excellently acted, and production values are not really there. But I don't care. It has such a connection to my childhood, I loved it when I flipped through the DVD as much as I did when I was a kid. I think I finally get the people who like old school Dr. Who.



1970s through medieval times in this clip. Heh. Disco is alive and well.

Comments

[carviangli.livejournal.com]

Oh...I don't want to spoil you but let's just say the "other girl" in KSS became one of my favourite "other girls" EVER. She is actually pretty much AWESOME.

Ironic that you say that because(uggh..I can't remember if this happened by ep four or not)..but has Sam Shik met her yet?! If he has...read on...if not DIVERT YOUR EYES

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He says the exact same thing to her. "I don't care about excuses" and the ironic thing is that she has a pretty good excuse. I pretty much adore her.


Must say...yess...you're finally watching it!!^^ I always wondered why you waited so long though...were you just waiting to save the best for last?! Daniel Henney is pretty hot but I think people just get swoony over him me included because he is a halfie and he speaks ENGLISH as opposed to kdrama engrish

SOOOO happy you're watching it...

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I know the other girl's reasons but I still think she is insane. Yikes. Oh well...

Re: waiting. I normally prefer my dramas more angsty, sort of half siblings dying in snow.

[carviangli.livejournal.com]

Ahhh...I'm sure you'll fall in love with her...she really becomes awesome...sort of like Megan Lai's character in Mars 'cept she wasn't a bitch at the start(she doesn't become friends with Sam Soon really but she's amiable and not irritating or clingy)

I normally prefer my dramas more angsty, sort of half siblings dying in snow

Lol. I prefer mine fluffy with cross-dressing weddings and just any variation of cross-dressing XD

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I'll see. I have really low level tolerance for other girls for some reason, but you never know. I did love Megan Lai :)

Re: cross dressing. LOL. Have you tried 'Butterfly Lovers' It's like a period version of Hana Kimi...

[egelantier.livejournal.com]

yay, 31st of June! I remember it in very hazy detail, but the girl there was leveliest thing I've ever seen. this, and songs. so sweet, thanks for reminding me.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I remember it only vaguely, it will be fun to rewatch...

[fivil.livejournal.com]

Yay for Samsoon love! I should rewatch myself but I can't seem to find the time.

a hot guy and a five-year-old
This descriptions fits way too many drama heroes, I find. :D

I think she is not only unappealing but insane
There is backstory which I find makes her not the worst other girl ever, and somehow strangely cute especially with Daniel Henney (eventually, of course) but still doesn't make me like her. In fact, one could argue her reasons and lack of telling them to JH even make her worse.. Will see what you think when you get to those eps (7-8 I think).

SS/JH is precious. It ends up being a very ..real relationship and yet still filled with cute.

Daniel Henney, well, he's hot and everything but I think I really warmed up to him because JH's such a jerk and Henry on the other hand is a massive sweetheart. I didn't find him like keymashingly hot or brainseizure hot but he's just one of those secondary guys in dramas who brings a smile on my face.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I know her reasons but while that saves her fom My Girl horridness, she is still insane...

[janlake83.livejournal.com]

this is one of of my fave dramas even if the angst is lighter than some we have seen. and yeah i don't get the oodles of women going gaga all over daniel henney *happy that he spoke mostly english but then again maybe not*.

i have to say though hyun bin hotter has a hotter body in snow queen than this one

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Yeah, he is hotter in SQ. Like him here though, too.

[kitsune714.livejournal.com]

I knew Hyun Bin would get to you eventually! I'm so glad you've started watching MNIKSS -- it's probably one of my favorite kdramas, in that it's got a nice blend of all the things I like: manpain, hot people, comedy, and strong female characters. I can't wait to see what you think of the rest.

...also, have you finished the Outsiders yet? XD

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Heeee. Huyn Bin got to me a long time ago, but yeah, it took me some time to chec out KSS. It's lovely though.

Re: TO. I haven't seen the last ep because I can't bring myself to see what happens to Dylan Kuo. I just refuse. He lives happily with Ady An, dammit!

[boundaid.livejournal.com]

Where are you getting this particular drama for (dropping hint --- I need help, haha)


And if this sounds weird, but I think the movie sounds so GOOOD. Like. Really.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I bought YA videos.

And that movie was fun.

[catdecember.livejournal.com]

oh my..yay!!! you've started MNKSS!!!!! *throws confetti*

you know, this show is probably less angsty but for some reason, i did not find any animosity towards Hyun bin's characters' ex and Daniel Henney. :) but sam soon is awesome. she's brutally frank and insecure and lovely but real, you know. and the supporting characters are awesome : sam soon's mom, her zany sister, the restaurant crew! :)

and the niece...she's cute, and always dolled up. :)

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Yeah, this is very very fun!

[kitkat-cat.livejournal.com]

Glad to see that you like MNIKSS! It's something I watch repeatedly. I remember when i first got it, I watched it continuously on loop, for about 4 or 5 times!

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

It's a lot of fun. More low key than I normally prefer but a good change of pace.