Musings of the Obsessive Kind

1. One of the best things about Yoochun being cast in a drama is that his fangirls are a supremely dedicated bunch and thus you can be sure of a ton of MVs and other things. I mean, someone made a speculative trailer of I Miss You already, splicing Yoochun and Yoon Eun Hye's other dramas:

http://youtu.be/aPoVhOdQ4mY

It's utterly gorgeous. Mmmmm, I am super-excited for this drama - I love the leads and the writer to bits.

2. Speaking of fanworks, I am so lucky with Faith. The ratings for my obsession are mediocre, but the (English-language) fandom seems to have glommed on to it in a huge way. The soompi thread has over 600 pages (!!!!), we have a number of bloggers talking about it, and some very talented people are producing fanfics and vids. Compare it with May Queen, which has almost twice the ratings, yet the blogosphere is pretty dead about. This is all a long intro to a comment that I went hunting for MVs and found some gorgeous ones:



3. Apparently, Kim Bum has been confirmed for That Winter the Wind Blows. Noh Hee Kyung must have really liked him in her previous drama, Padam Padam (he WAS excellent). I've seen some fangirls upset that, once again, it's not the lead, but I really respect his choices - he keeps picking projects by a good writer which entail bouncing off some real heavyweights (in PP, it was Jung Woo Sung and here it will be Jo In Sung). I actually think these are great choices for him.

4. Last but not least, I keep wondering who will be the leading lady in Joo Won's upcoming drama. A lot of the likely candidates are busy. I think it would fun if it was Park Min Young - if I still like her after the horror that was Dr Jin, then clearly she can do no wrong in my eyes.

5. I am currently only following 4 airing kdramas - Five Fingers, Nice Guy, Faith, and Arang and the Magistrate. This is so much easier on my schedule (I dropped The Horse Healer and Oohlala Spouses, at the very least postponed The Great Seer, and I can't say I am watching Glass Mask in any consistent fashion).

1. One of the best things about Yoochun being cast in a drama is that his fangirls are a supremely dedicated bunch and thus you can be sure of a ton of MVs and other things. I mean, someone made a speculative trailer of I Miss You already, splicing Yoochun and Yoon Eun Hye's other dramas:

http://youtu.be/aPoVhOdQ4mY

It's utterly gorgeous. Mmmmm, I am super-excited for this drama - I love the leads and the writer to bits.

2. Speaking of fanworks, I am so lucky with Faith. The ratings for my obsession are mediocre, but the (English-language) fandom seems to have glommed on to it in a huge way. The soompi thread has over 600 pages (!!!!), we have a number of bloggers talking about it, and some very talented people are producing fanfics and vids. Compare it with May Queen, which has almost twice the ratings, yet the blogosphere is pretty dead about. This is all a long intro to a comment that I went hunting for MVs and found some gorgeous ones:



3. Apparently, Kim Bum has been confirmed for That Winter the Wind Blows. Noh Hee Kyung must have really liked him in her previous drama, Padam Padam (he WAS excellent). I've seen some fangirls upset that, once again, it's not the lead, but I really respect his choices - he keeps picking projects by a good writer which entail bouncing off some real heavyweights (in PP, it was Jung Woo Sung and here it will be Jo In Sung). I actually think these are great choices for him.

4. Last but not least, I keep wondering who will be the leading lady in Joo Won's upcoming drama. A lot of the likely candidates are busy. I think it would fun if it was Park Min Young - if I still like her after the horror that was Dr Jin, then clearly she can do no wrong in my eyes.

5. I am currently only following 4 airing kdramas - Five Fingers, Nice Guy, Faith, and Arang and the Magistrate. This is so much easier on my schedule (I dropped The Horse Healer and Oohlala Spouses, at the very least postponed The Great Seer, and I can't say I am watching Glass Mask in any consistent fashion).

( This sequence killed me )

And Kim Bum is no slouch either...

Btw, is it just me, or does JWS look like he could be Jo In Sung's older brother? Mmmm, now that would be a dream casting.

Padam Padam continues to be amazing with episode 3. What I love about it is the unhurried pace which, nonetheless, manages to cram in so many emotional interactions, complicated relationships (the relationship between Kang Chil and his mother is probably my favorite at the moment), and spectacular conversations, that I feel as if I am peeking through a window at real people. Jung Woo Sung's damaged, angry, immediate, oddly childish character continues to draw me in, but everyone else is equally good. And I am especially happy to see Kim Bum do so well - his scene with Jung Woo Sung in the restaurant was my favorite scene of the episode.

( My thoughts and caps )

Oddly, I am happy with getting two eps a week. If I had to marathon it, I'd not be able to emotionally stand it, I think.

Padam Padam continues to be amazing with episode 3. What I love about it is the unhurried pace which, nonetheless, manages to cram in so many emotional interactions, complicated relationships (the relationship between Kang Chil and his mother is probably my favorite at the moment), and spectacular conversations, that I feel as if I am peeking through a window at real people. Jung Woo Sung's damaged, angry, immediate, oddly childish character continues to draw me in, but everyone else is equally good. And I am especially happy to see Kim Bum do so well - his scene with Jung Woo Sung in the restaurant was my favorite scene of the episode.

( My thoughts and caps )

Oddly, I am happy with getting two eps a week. If I had to marathon it, I'd not be able to emotionally stand it, I think.

Getting my hands on the 1.5gb version of ep 2 was very much worth it because this drama is so gorgeous, it begs to be watched in high resolution.

( Don't believe me? Check out these caps )

If I was drawn by and in love with episode 1, by the end of episode 2, to say I was obsessed was an understatement. A lot of it is due to Jung Woo Sung - I don't remember the last time I felt such a degree of unthinking, fierce empathy for a drama character. Maybe Lee Byung Hun in IRIS? (Oh, that ended so well. Let's hope this will end better because I may not survive a repeat).

Everything about him gets me - his slightly alien way of looking at things (of course, this is the first time out in a normal world in 16 years), the way he reminds me of one of those giant dogs - friendly but cautious due to past mistreatment (interesting, as Han Ji Min's character shows open affection to animals the way she cannot to humans), the way he buries his anger and desperation and hopelessness under boisterous manner. The way he is with Han Ji Min.

Oh my God, the way he is with Han Ji Min. The chemistry, the writing, the height difference, the chemistry the chemistry the chemistry. Whenever the two of them together, it all sort of kicks into overdrive - I love how their interactions - awkward, uncertain, sometimes friendly and sometimes antagonistic - just ring true. My favorite scene in that ep was when they shared a fire in that abandoned house - the little moments got me: the way he looks at her neck (he hasn't been near a woman in a very long time), the way their hands touch when he peels the potatoes for her, the way she freaks when she realizes he's a former convict, just the awkward way they hold their bodies.

And of course that last scene (forgive me for crappy quality of the caps. As a sign of my insanity, I am now getting a 1.5 gb version so better caps coming).






And of course, the mysteries are really getting me too - why did the DA kill that kid years ago? What is with Kim Bum? Is he really an angel? And why did he pick JWS to help - that brief little unmemory Kim Bum has looking at JWS on the bus, where he is picturing himself sitting by JWS' kid version - what is with that?

Also, am I getting it correctly? The kid who was JWS' friend and who JWS got framed for murdering was Han Ji Min's uncle? (Oh God, I hate HJM's Dad - pathetic, wife-beating freak).

Anyway, this is amazing. Beyond amazing.

If I could, I'd make everyone watch this.

If I was drawn by and in love with episode 1, by the end of episode 2, to say I was obsessed was an understatement. A lot of it is due to Jung Woo Sung - I don't remember the last time I felt such a degree of unthinking, fierce empathy for a drama character. Maybe Lee Byung Hun in IRIS? (Oh, that ended so well. Let's hope this will end better because I may not survive a repeat).

Everything about him gets me - his slightly alien way of looking at things (of course, this is the first time out in a normal world in 16 years), the way he reminds me of one of those giant dogs - friendly but cautious due to past mistreatment (interesting, as Han Ji Min's character shows open affection to animals the way she cannot to humans), the way he buries his anger and desperation and hopelessness under boisterous manner. The way he is with Han Ji Min.

Oh my God, the way he is with Han Ji Min. The chemistry, the writing, the height difference, the chemistry the chemistry the chemistry. Whenever the two of them together, it all sort of kicks into overdrive - I love how their interactions - awkward, uncertain, sometimes friendly and sometimes antagonistic - just ring true. My favorite scene in that ep was when they shared a fire in that abandoned house - the little moments got me: the way he looks at her neck (he hasn't been near a woman in a very long time), the way their hands touch when he peels the potatoes for her, the way she freaks when she realizes he's a former convict, just the awkward way they hold their bodies.

And of course that last scene (forgive me for crappy quality of the caps. As a sign of my insanity, I am now getting a 1.5 gb version so better caps coming).






And of course, the mysteries are really getting me too - why did the DA kill that kid years ago? What is with Kim Bum? Is he really an angel? And why did he pick JWS to help - that brief little unmemory Kim Bum has looking at JWS on the bus, where he is picturing himself sitting by JWS' kid version - what is with that?

Also, am I getting it correctly? The kid who was JWS' friend and who JWS got framed for murdering was Han Ji Min's uncle? (Oh God, I hate HJM's Dad - pathetic, wife-beating freak).

Anyway, this is amazing. Beyond amazing.

If I could, I'd make everyone watch this.

Must.

I mean, I know I have a huge Kim Bum fangirl contingent on my flist and I am not above fighting dirty:



Most cut angel ever.

( A few more gorgeous promo stills )

Official MV:

What are you waiting for, people?

Got your attention now? Good.

Below is unspoilery for even ep 1, btw.

GUUUUUUUH

GUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUH

And no, I don't just mean Jung Woo Sung's body.

This is amazing. Not surprising with that cast and Noh Hee Kyung writing, and yet I am still surprised. Padam Padam doesn't feel like a drama at all. It feels, looks, and flows like an indie movie. It's smart but it also makes me feel (perhaps too much - I need to safeguard my heart so I won't spend hours crying if/when something bad happens).



I've heard the reviews on this are mixed and I get that - if Me Too Flower marches to the beat of its own drummer, Padam Padam is marching to the beat of its own ginormous band. It makes me think of Jo In Sung's movie "Dirty Carnival," with some "Friend Our Legend" and "Mawang" dramas thrown in. But that is just me trying to find comparisons - Padam Padam is very much its own thing.



And honestly, this drama is worth checking out if for no other reason than the performances - Kim Bum continues to prove he stands out among the young actors (and he holds his own against Jung Woo Sung, which is something else). Han Ji Min is prickly, off-beat and real (and with marvelous chemistry with JWS). But the drama belongs to Jung Woo Sung and even if nothing else about Padam Padam grabs you, you simply must peek in to see the man showcase his incredible acting chops. This more than makes up for the horror of Athena (I will never forgive the makers for finally getting him to do a drama and then wasting all that power and charisma).

( To reward you for reading this or tempt you to watch, have some more from the shower scene )

Hey, ockoala, are you watching this yet?

( Bonus Kim Bum )