Musings of the Obsessive Kind

The pain, the chemistry, the longing (the way he is denying her and clutching her like a drowning man at the same time), and of course, the incredible way it's shot...My favorite romantic scene this year.

( My heart, this drama is cutting it to pieces )

I have a proper post about eps 11-14 of Love Rain (and eps 3-6 of Queen In Hyun's Man and the newest King 2 Hearts) to make, but I need hours to sort through literally thousands of caps and I couldn't wait until the weekend to post this...

It kills me, this misery between Hana and Joon precisely because they were so functional and uncomplicated together. How do they think they can go on acting as siblings for the rest of their lives escapes me. Sure, they won't live together (thank God for small mercies) but can you imagine any family function? In a way, even though it was Joon who broke up with Hana first and it took Hana an ep to find out why and make it a mutual thing, I think it is Hana who is the catalyst, the driver, the one who holds the key. Joon doesn't blame Hana for being the child of the woman the ghost of whom (unwittingly, but still...) wrecked his childhood and the presence of whom now will wreck his family functioning (as little as it is) for good. As he tells her in ep 13 "you are just you" (during that gorgeous scene where she asks him all these questions driven by his jerkish behavior when he broke up with her in 11 and he takes every word back and his eyes...) And with his abrasive personality and confrontational and ambivalent-at-best feelings towards both his (made of fail) parents, do you doubt him of being capable of going to his parents and telling them he's dating the daughter of Dad's lover/soon-to-be second wife and to take it or leave it? But there is Hana. Hana loves her mother, she wants her happy, she could never do that. And Joon knows that. That is why he broke up with her in 11 (though that didn't work for long, of course - ahhhh, when he runs to her at the end of 12!) And that is why he tells her he won't make her choose (especially after she goes on and on how she wanted a family when she was little, pleading for understanding) and let's mutually break up. If Hana ever goes to Joon and gives him the go-ahead, I doubt he'd hesitate for a second.

And you know, I really want her too. Sure, there can be a drama development where the parents find out on their own or something, but I want Hana to break under the pressure and affirmatively choose Joon. Yes, that means choosing what makes Joon happy over what makes her mother happy, but I just want him to come first to someone, for once. That conversation on the beach in 13, when he told her how his whole childhood he wanted to be first to someone, at least once* just killed me. I understand that Hana's feelings are complicated by the fact that she wants the same thing Joon wants so picking him might hit her "I am selfish" trigger but I hope she does.

* His parents are awful. The less said about Hye Jung the better, but much as I like In Ha the lover, In Ha the father is a horrible horrible failure. I don't care if neither you nor HJ planned or wanted a kid. You got one, now you have to take care of him (and no, marrying his Mom to give him a name doesn't end the obligation). That story that after the divorce, Joon's Mom kept Joon's Dad from visiting and Joon thought his Dad just didn't care - WTF! I am not even talking about HJ, who is a bona fide psycho, but are you telling me In Ha couldn't see his kid just because HJ said no? Especially in Korea where paternal rights, and not the maternal ones, are the default? Except for his feelings for Yoon Hee, In Ha is incredibly passive but that is not an excuse where a kid is concerned. RAAAAAGE.

Anyway, I should probably save it for a proper LR post...

The pain, the chemistry, the longing (the way he is denying her and clutching her like a drowning man at the same time), and of course, the incredible way it's shot...My favorite romantic scene this year.

( My heart, this drama is cutting it to pieces )

I have a proper post about eps 11-14 of Love Rain (and eps 3-6 of Queen In Hyun's Man and the newest King 2 Hearts) to make, but I need hours to sort through literally thousands of caps and I couldn't wait until the weekend to post this...

It kills me, this misery between Hana and Joon precisely because they were so functional and uncomplicated together. How do they think they can go on acting as siblings for the rest of their lives escapes me. Sure, they won't live together (thank God for small mercies) but can you imagine any family function? In a way, even though it was Joon who broke up with Hana first and it took Hana an ep to find out why and make it a mutual thing, I think it is Hana who is the catalyst, the driver, the one who holds the key. Joon doesn't blame Hana for being the child of the woman the ghost of whom (unwittingly, but still...) wrecked his childhood and the presence of whom now will wreck his family functioning (as little as it is) for good. As he tells her in ep 13 "you are just you" (during that gorgeous scene where she asks him all these questions driven by his jerkish behavior when he broke up with her in 11 and he takes every word back and his eyes...) And with his abrasive personality and confrontational and ambivalent-at-best feelings towards both his (made of fail) parents, do you doubt him of being capable of going to his parents and telling them he's dating the daughter of Dad's lover/soon-to-be second wife and to take it or leave it? But there is Hana. Hana loves her mother, she wants her happy, she could never do that. And Joon knows that. That is why he broke up with her in 11 (though that didn't work for long, of course - ahhhh, when he runs to her at the end of 12!) And that is why he tells her he won't make her choose (especially after she goes on and on how she wanted a family when she was little, pleading for understanding) and let's mutually break up. If Hana ever goes to Joon and gives him the go-ahead, I doubt he'd hesitate for a second.

And you know, I really want her too. Sure, there can be a drama development where the parents find out on their own or something, but I want Hana to break under the pressure and affirmatively choose Joon. Yes, that means choosing what makes Joon happy over what makes her mother happy, but I just want him to come first to someone, for once. That conversation on the beach in 13, when he told her how his whole childhood he wanted to be first to someone, at least once* just killed me. I understand that Hana's feelings are complicated by the fact that she wants the same thing Joon wants so picking him might hit her "I am selfish" trigger but I hope she does.

* His parents are awful. The less said about Hye Jung the better, but much as I like In Ha the lover, In Ha the father is a horrible horrible failure. I don't care if neither you nor HJ planned or wanted a kid. You got one, now you have to take care of him (and no, marrying his Mom to give him a name doesn't end the obligation). That story that after the divorce, Joon's Mom kept Joon's Dad from visiting and Joon thought his Dad just didn't care - WTF! I am not even talking about HJ, who is a bona fide psycho, but are you telling me In Ha couldn't see his kid just because HJ said no? Especially in Korea where paternal rights, and not the maternal ones, are the default? Except for his feelings for Yoon Hee, In Ha is incredibly passive but that is not an excuse where a kid is concerned. RAAAAAGE.

Anyway, I should probably save it for a proper LR post...

1. Respond to everyone...

2. Catch up on The King 2 Hearts eps 13-14, Love Rain 11-14 (bliss!!!) and Queen In Hyun's Man eps 5-6. I am putting aside The Equator Man to binge when it's done.

3. Clear up and post caps of eps 3-4 of QIHM - such a perfect, shippy, gorgeous drama. And Bung Do is such an amazing hero - smart, good, laid-back. Yoo Inna's heroine is wonderful and loveable too.

4. Read Cassandra Clare's latest in Mortal Instruments series, "City of Lost Souls." I eat up that series and the angsty angsty lurve between Clary and Jace with a big spoon. Though I think the premise of CoLS, in which Clary's used-to-think-he-was-her-brother-but-he-wasn't boyfriend gets possessed by her demonic-real-life-brother and there might be make-outs, reaches the levels of insanity not seen since CLAMP or Vampire Knight. Bring it on, people!

4. Start Sherrilyn Kenyon's "Born of Night," the first one in her League series. Love me some space opera, love me some romance, loved the other book in the series I read, and also met the protagonists of this one in the other book and thought they were awesome. The super-tall, super-strong invincible half-human former assassin and tiny dancer gal/daughter of a president that he rescues and who can wind him around her finger is a scenario made for me. Plus, I know Kenyon, h/c is going to be out of this world.

5. Finish Lauren Kate's "Fallen" quartet, at least the three books that are out. I am a sucker for paranormal romance YA (ummm, paranormal romance in general) and got 2/3 through this on my plane ride. Addiction! In Fallen, Luce, our teenage, sent-to-reform-school, seeing creepy visions heroine, finds out that she is one half of a super-doomed, super-punished couple - she keeps reincarnating over and over and over through the centuries only to die at the moment she and her equally punished OTP get together (he is a powerful sort-of-fallen angel and his punishment is to stay alive and remember everything only for it to happen over and over again no matter what he does). They are in their own cdrama! Only this time, she's not been baptized or brought up in any religion, so if she dies, that is the end, no reincarnation or anything. And a lot of supernatural bad guys are interested in that. On plus side, she also didn't die when they got together. Now, if she can only keep staying alive! Anyway, I love it to bits and ship the OTP. The whole thing would make a fun CW show but I am glad it's been left alone because you just know the makers would stick her with bad-boy Cam and not her OTP (see Vampire Diaries, adaptation of...).

6. Sleep. I am so jetlagged.

If there is one shippy trope that I am an utter slave to, it's the tall, icy, messed-up in reserved fashion businessman being utterly puzzled and smitten by the outgoing, chirpy, tiny girl he can't get of his mind. That is why I was so obsessed with Min Woo and Miju in Giant and that is why I am now fixated on Woo Jin/Joomi in A Thousand Kisses. They make me melt...It doesn't hurt that I adore both Ryu Jin and Kim So Eun, both of whom are capable of having chemistry with a brick wall.

By now, I just skip any scene that doesn't involve either of them (or people talking about them). I couldn't care less if the main couple jumped off the edge of the earth and died.

( Caps of eps 5 and 6 )

Have a really adorable MV (I especially love that it uses a song I am super-fond of).



I am currently on ep 6 - please tell me they get more screentime. Almost everyone on-line is only watching ATK for them.

Also, I repeat. If they make WJ's stepmom Joomi's bio mom, I will kill things. I do not want angst for my darlings at all. Only in a kdrama would age difference and the guy's utter lack of social skills not be enough of an obstacle so they'd be tempted to throw in sharing a blood sibling and being unknowing stepsiblings.

If there is one shippy trope that I am an utter slave to, it's the tall, icy, messed-up in reserved fashion businessman being utterly puzzled and smitten by the outgoing, chirpy, tiny girl he can't get of his mind. That is why I was so obsessed with Min Woo and Miju in Giant and that is why I am now fixated on Woo Jin/Joomi in A Thousand Kisses. They make me melt...It doesn't hurt that I adore both Ryu Jin and Kim So Eun, both of whom are capable of having chemistry with a brick wall.

By now, I just skip any scene that doesn't involve either of them (or people talking about them). I couldn't care less if the main couple jumped off the edge of the earth and died.

( Caps of eps 5 and 6 )

Have a really adorable MV (I especially love that it uses a song I am super-fond of).



I am currently on ep 6 - please tell me they get more screentime. Almost everyone on-line is only watching ATK for them.

Also, I repeat. If they make WJ's stepmom Joomi's bio mom, I will kill things. I do not want angst for my darlings at all. Only in a kdrama would age difference and the guy's utter lack of social skills not be enough of an obstacle so they'd be tempted to throw in sharing a blood sibling and being unknowing stepsiblings.

First off, seeing how cdrama-obsessed I am lately, I probably should make a 'most anticipated' list. But for now, let's do something else.

1. Firstly, my love BBJX. I found this 'shall Ruoxi pick Four or Eight' vid. It features clips from eps I haven't seen yet and all I can say is OMFG I am going to die when Four/Ruoxi finally becomes canon because even in the clips their chemistry is insane. I feel like I am intruding. Seriously insane.



Completely random thought - I keep wondering what will turn Four from a smart bystander into a dedicated contender - he seems to have very few people he cares for but those he cares for he will go to the wall for. I bet if he found out Eight was Ruoxi's boyfriend or if someone messed with Thirteen (because we know, historically, Thirteen spent a decade under house arrest), he'd go psycho.

Also, courtesy of spcnet, have this promo pic, in which it looks like Four and Eight would much prefer each other to fighting over Ruoxi :P Pssst, Ruoxi, maybe you don't have to choose - clearly a threesome is the way to go.



( You want larger, you get larger )

If, like me, you have a fondness for Thirteen (my favorite brother!) and a sneaking, irrational fondness for Thirteen/Lu Wu, have this promo pic. OMG, please tell me their friendship/companionship will progress to something else soon. Before their inevitable gruesome demise, that is, as I am sure nobody in this story is allowed more than 2.5 seconds of happiness.



2. Second, thanks to hanjae for the heads-up, the subbed trailer for Mystery in the Palace is out. Murders, maidservants and Kevin Cheng rocking the queue. All of you fail for not informing me that heroine and her OTP are possibly brother and sister. Who know they may be yet keep on consistently making googly-eyes at each other.



I mean, I approve of possible siblings who do this:



And this:



3. Of all the upcoming dramas from any country, I am most obsessed by Qing Shi Huang Fei with Ruby Lin as a princess loved and desired by two very different warlords. I found this awesome MV for Ruby/Wallace. I am firmly on Ruby/Yan Kuan bandwagon because he's the one who (1) didn't kill her father; (2) didn't hold her OTP hostage to force her to marry him. But still, I adore Wallace so I believe some hatesex would be in order. This drama looks ridiculously gorgeous and I cannot wait for it. I literally rewatch the 15-min trailer on a regular basis.



Love triangle MV:

After ep 2, it's official. I am in love!

If I had one niggle it's that I need more Woo Jin/Joomi (Ryu Jin/KSE) right NOW!!!! They have ridiculous chemistry and visually are just so appealing together. Their scenes turn me into jelly. Don't be stingy, drama! I like the main OTP just fine but I am obsessed with WJ/JM. And if online fandom is any indicator, I am not the only one - in fact, they seem to be the OTP everyone is obsessed over, not the main one. (Tbh, I think it will be like Gloria with two OTPs, each of which will have enough screen-time to be viewed as main).

He is so repressed, it's insane.



And no wonder, that is one dysfunctional family - as far as I can tell, his father dumped his mother when WJ was a little boy (and Mom then died) to marry his mistress, but it's not as if he ever treated the mistress as a human being either. No wonder WJ is a repressed icicle who never wants to be in love. Also, I am kinda amazed at how someone can be so rigidly polite while somehow projecting a constant 'fuck you' at the same time (to his stepmom).

Anyway, issues and angst and all that, it doesn't matter because he has no chance against Hurricane Joomi. Yup, that's one smitten and determined girl.



Not that I blame her. RAWR!!!



Pretty much, she is exactly what he needs - she is spunky and cheerful and forthright and irrepresible but also nice. (She is my favorite chracter, can you tell?) Plus, she won over Emo Rich Potter Boy, explictly against source manga canon, and after that anything is child's play.

Also, after years of drama-watching, I have a sixth sense for angst, and I can just tell their storyline will be the angsty one. I am not even referring to the 11-yr age difference or the fact that she is not from a 'suitable' family or the fact that he will have to have a crash course in emotions. Nope, the drama is making it pretty clear that Woo Jin's despised stepmom (who I actually like btw) is Joomi's birth mom - she walked out on Joomi and her older sis (the heroine) to marry Woo Jin's Dad. Ahh, kdramas - fakecest is like candy to you, isn't it? For once I actually hope I am wrong about my favorite trope (though I don't think I am) because I want this to be my fluffy safe darling.

Oh well, I shall distract self with height difference!



( And promo cuteness! )

I felt in the mood for a selective rewatch of Baker King (btw, now that 2010 is over, is BK officially the highest rated drama of the year?) and heh - I totally forgot how slashtastic this thing is!

I mean it would fit every kdrama trope - they are fake!siblings (Takgu is father's son and Ma Jun is mother's son though Takgu never learns it and while I know Ma Jun does, I can't remember when) and Takgu is the plucky poor one with the heart of gold who melts the dysfunctional rich boy. Heh. If Takgu was a girl we'd have every melokdrama ever made :)

I mean, hello:



Anyway, ep 16 is the motherlode of slashiness ( so I present you some choice moments behind cut )

OK, I know I am horribly behind on replies and promise to get to them asap.