Musings of the Obsessive Kind

I found this wonderful Tokyo Juliet MV (can't embed it) and now I have this huge yen to rewatch it. Seriously, just watch that MV!



TJ was one of my earliest dramas, one I followed as it was being subbed, and actually was the one which made me learn downloading - there was no way I could be satisfied with watching on youtube. I had had had to have it for my own. Objectively, it's not "good" but it's a hella entertaining, shippy, funny, and pretty. Also, wins any competition of "most kisses per drama" competition hands-down (with only They Kiss Again as a close contender). I was fairly new to dramas at the time and I didn't realize what a rarity that was.

So, what is TJ? A Taiwanese drama (based on a manga) starring Ariel Lin as Sui and Wu Zun as Liang, our drama's star-crossed lovers. Set in a world of fashion, the story follows the trials and tribulations of our protagonist, Sui, as she attends fashion school after deciding to become world's most famous designer, her vendetta with a famous, established and evil designer Chu Xing who stole her design, her mother, and is just generally evil, and oh yeah, her star-crossed OTP with Liang, another design student (who is shockingly a straight male!) who is her childhood OTP. Oh, did I mention who his father is? Yup, the aforementioned evil designer guy. It's shockingly less angsty than you'd expect with this set up, in fact it's rather fluffy instead but with yummy delicious nuggets of angst interspersed throughout. It gets a bit repetitive in its pattern sometimes - Liang and Sui are happy, an OTP interloper (of either gender) appears or his father schemes, angst, then they triumph, lather rince repeat, but it's entertaining anyway and full of cheesy goodness.

So, why watch? As I posted earlier - the premise of the thing (Sui is a genius college design student trying to make it to the top and get revenge on the evil designer who stole her design and broke up her family) is a fun, soapy bit providing some delicious cheesetastic crack, but that is not why I love it. The real story (and TPTB thankfully understand it as much as we do) is the gorgeous, angsty-happy OTP Sui has going with Ji Feng Liang, my one-time dorama boyfriend, and the estranged son of Sui's nemesis.

Sui/Liang is not only one of my OTPs, but they are also probably one of the healthiest OTPs I've seen in a drama (or anywhere). They fall in love with each other at the start, get together early on and stay together. They have ups and downs, temporary fights or setbacks, potential interlopers in the relationship and of course his evil father, but the OTP itself is so shockingly normal, surprisingly real. If they have problems, they talk about it and don't let misunderstandings pile up. They laugh and play around as much as they angst. The dorama is full of little real moments that make me go 'couples SO do that.' I can really see the two of them spending the rest of their lives together, and feel their everydays together, not just not able to imagine them outside the confines of the story.

It is also one of the more feminist dramas out there. Liang loves Sui precisely because she is so professionally driven and he is proud of her every success. Told you he was my one-time drama boyfriend! Add to it the fact that Wu Zun who plays Liang is drop dead gorgeous, that it's Ariel Lin being adorable, that he towers over her (kink!!!), that they have psycho chemistry and that there is plenty of kissing and I am set.

All that, and a sex scene involving handcuffs (on him). What are you waiting for? :)

ETA: here is a MV I can embed:

I found this wonderful Tokyo Juliet MV (can't embed it) and now I have this huge yen to rewatch it. Seriously, just watch that MV!



TJ was one of my earliest dramas, one I followed as it was being subbed, and actually was the one which made me learn downloading - there was no way I could be satisfied with watching on youtube. I had had had to have it for my own. Objectively, it's not "good" but it's a hella entertaining, shippy, funny, and pretty. Also, wins any competition of "most kisses per drama" competition hands-down (with only They Kiss Again as a close contender). I was fairly new to dramas at the time and I didn't realize what a rarity that was.

So, what is TJ? A Taiwanese drama (based on a manga) starring Ariel Lin as Sui and Wu Zun as Liang, our drama's star-crossed lovers. Set in a world of fashion, the story follows the trials and tribulations of our protagonist, Sui, as she attends fashion school after deciding to become world's most famous designer, her vendetta with a famous, established and evil designer Chu Xing who stole her design, her mother, and is just generally evil, and oh yeah, her star-crossed OTP with Liang, another design student (who is shockingly a straight male!) who is her childhood OTP. Oh, did I mention who his father is? Yup, the aforementioned evil designer guy. It's shockingly less angsty than you'd expect with this set up, in fact it's rather fluffy instead but with yummy delicious nuggets of angst interspersed throughout. It gets a bit repetitive in its pattern sometimes - Liang and Sui are happy, an OTP interloper (of either gender) appears or his father schemes, angst, then they triumph, lather rince repeat, but it's entertaining anyway and full of cheesy goodness.

So, why watch? As I posted earlier - the premise of the thing (Sui is a genius college design student trying to make it to the top and get revenge on the evil designer who stole her design and broke up her family) is a fun, soapy bit providing some delicious cheesetastic crack, but that is not why I love it. The real story (and TPTB thankfully understand it as much as we do) is the gorgeous, angsty-happy OTP Sui has going with Ji Feng Liang, my one-time dorama boyfriend, and the estranged son of Sui's nemesis.

Sui/Liang is not only one of my OTPs, but they are also probably one of the healthiest OTPs I've seen in a drama (or anywhere). They fall in love with each other at the start, get together early on and stay together. They have ups and downs, temporary fights or setbacks, potential interlopers in the relationship and of course his evil father, but the OTP itself is so shockingly normal, surprisingly real. If they have problems, they talk about it and don't let misunderstandings pile up. They laugh and play around as much as they angst. The dorama is full of little real moments that make me go 'couples SO do that.' I can really see the two of them spending the rest of their lives together, and feel their everydays together, not just not able to imagine them outside the confines of the story.

It is also one of the more feminist dramas out there. Liang loves Sui precisely because she is so professionally driven and he is proud of her every success. Told you he was my one-time drama boyfriend! Add to it the fact that Wu Zun who plays Liang is drop dead gorgeous, that it's Ariel Lin being adorable, that he towers over her (kink!!!), that they have psycho chemistry and that there is plenty of kissing and I am set.

All that, and a sex scene involving handcuffs (on him). What are you waiting for? :)

ETA: here is a MV I can embed:

So, one drama is off my 'in progress' roster. I have finished Tokyo Juliet.

Yay.

It's a fun drama but not incredibly memorable, though Wu Zun and Ariel Lin are adorable together. The main problem is that Liang and Sui are incredibly functional as a couple: they talk and believe in each other etc etc, which is awesome for them but makes for little drama: e.g. a girl named Maria tries to seduce Liang. He refuses but gets caught in compromising position. Sui's reaction? 'I believe you.' And he explains to her the truth. Great for them, not so great for the viewer.

Fashion cracks me up...

Has anyone on my flist seen City of Sky?, a Taiwanese dorama. Is it any good? Is it subbed?

Most importantly, the reason I am interested in it is because Rainie Yang and Ken Chu star in it. I fell crazily in love and ended up shipping them like mad in Meteor Garden (they are Xi Men and Xiao You) but that whole story ended so open-endedly, I simply need another fix where they are together. So, do they play an OTP? In which case I just might get it even unsubbed and/or sucky.

Anyone?

And because it's impolate to ask without gifts, here is a pic of the kissing protagonists of Tokyo Juliet:



Also, ep 7 of Smiling Pasta and ep 10 of Silence are subbed which is great except for my still lack of DSL 9and my extra harddrive being packed away).

And a few more TJ pics. In case anyone on my flist is interested but unaware, the guy here is the guy who is going to play Sano in the Hana Kimi adaptation. Mad squee as I find Wu Zun madly fanciable! Though for some reason, the most Sano-like dorama character I can think of is Mike He's character in Love Contract, only with way less angsty issues and I would have DIED if they picked Mike He for the role. Especially if they got Ariel Lin or Rainie Yang (both are pretty suitable) for Mizuki.


OTP!


( More pics )

Also, I have a mad pash to rewatch Goong. Btw, scottishlass, I know you are watching it. Do you like it so far?

Has anyone on my flist seen City of Sky?, a Taiwanese dorama. Is it any good? Is it subbed?

Most importantly, the reason I am interested in it is because Rainie Yang and Ken Chu star in it. I fell crazily in love and ended up shipping them like mad in Meteor Garden (they are Xi Men and Xiao You) but that whole story ended so open-endedly, I simply need another fix where they are together. So, do they play an OTP? In which case I just might get it even unsubbed and/or sucky.

Anyone?

And because it's impolate to ask without gifts, here is a pic of the kissing protagonists of Tokyo Juliet:



Also, ep 7 of Smiling Pasta and ep 10 of Silence are subbed which is great except for my still lack of DSL 9and my extra harddrive being packed away).

And a few more TJ pics. In case anyone on my flist is interested but unaware, the guy here is the guy who is going to play Sano in the Hana Kimi adaptation. Mad squee as I find Wu Zun madly fanciable! Though for some reason, the most Sano-like dorama character I can think of is Mike He's character in Love Contract, only with way less angsty issues and I would have DIED if they picked Mike He for the role. Especially if they got Ariel Lin or Rainie Yang (both are pretty suitable) for Mizuki.


OTP!


( More pics )

Also, I have a mad pash to rewatch Goong. Btw, scottishlass, I know you are watching it. Do you like it so far?

Watched the very ending of Tokyo Juliet (it's out unsubbed on youtube here.

No idea what they were saying or what was going on but ( Spoilers here )

Finished Tokyo Juliet ep 12. All I have to say is that I want to stab the bra guy in the eye with a fork.

I checked the cover of my shipped Magic Ring DVD and GLEEEST GLEE THAT EVER GLEED. The English summary on the back is comprehensible! This is usually a good hint the subs will at least make sense (you should see the scary summaries on backs of ISWAK and Goong). YAY. Am a bit closer to angsty angsty Joe Cheng (though if it turns into Love Contract Mark 2, I will scream. I watched LC after DBY because I wanted to see Mike He angst and ended up bawling for hours). Am amused that the front refers to it as 'fetish' serial. I know they mean 'popular' but a girl can dream, no? Mmmm, Joe Cheng and chains. Hmmmm. ( pics of DVD cover, front and back )

I have also watched more It Started with a Kiss. Ep 14 (the Christmas episode) makes living worthwhile. Honest. You think I am joking?

( ISWAK thoughts, spoilers through beginning of 15 )

In rec news, scottishlass wrote an excellent, NC-17 Mars fic here and alexandral has the picspam of ISWAK's Hospital Kiss here.

Finished Tokyo Juliet ep 12. All I have to say is that I want to stab the bra guy in the eye with a fork.

I checked the cover of my shipped Magic Ring DVD and GLEEEST GLEE THAT EVER GLEED. The English summary on the back is comprehensible! This is usually a good hint the subs will at least make sense (you should see the scary summaries on backs of ISWAK and Goong). YAY. Am a bit closer to angsty angsty Joe Cheng (though if it turns into Love Contract Mark 2, I will scream. I watched LC after DBY because I wanted to see Mike He angst and ended up bawling for hours). Am amused that the front refers to it as 'fetish' serial. I know they mean 'popular' but a girl can dream, no? Mmmm, Joe Cheng and chains. Hmmmm. ( pics of DVD cover, front and back )

I have also watched more It Started with a Kiss. Ep 14 (the Christmas episode) makes living worthwhile. Honest. You think I am joking?

( ISWAK thoughts, spoilers through beginning of 15 )

In rec news, scottishlass wrote an excellent, NC-17 Mars fic here and alexandral has the picspam of ISWAK's Hospital Kiss here.

Yes, it's fic. For Tokyo Juliet. Actually it's two short ficlets, and one of them is a x-over with Love Contract (because). It's an unusual format for me, so no idea if any good so concrit welcome.

Title: Top 10 Favorite Things, Compiled (As if. There’s better things to do) by Lin Lai Sui.
Fandom: Tokyo Juliet (spoilers through 5 or 6. Really vague though).

( She read somewhere that long earrings make you look more elegant and sophisticated. So she started wearing them. In fourth grade. Hey, she grew into them, all right? )

Title: Saved
A/N: This is a Love Contract/Tokyo Juliet cross-over. Why? No idea. But hey, both Sui and Feng live in Taipei. And they are both played by Ariel Lin. So there.
Spoilers: Through ep 20 of LC and through ep 7/8 of TJ.

( Can this possibly get any more surreal? She doesn’t want to find out. )

This weekend I kept my sanity during packing with the help of Ariel Lin. Namely, I was watching her in two very different roles in two very delightful doramas: It Started with a Kiss and Tokyo Juliet.

It Started with a Kiss kept me sane during the weekend, with the move from hell. Doramas: cheaper and healthier than illegal substances. Also, more effective.

This is a rare drama where I could watch it almost indefinitely because I love the characters so much, I don't care what they are doing. There isn't much angst, but I love the world of ISWAK so much I don't care. Also, can I join a long list of women who want a Zhi Shu?

( Long meta, with spoilers through beginning of ep 14 )

Ariel is quite different in my other dorama of the weekend, Tokyo Juliet. There she plays an attractive, confident (and a good cook) design student. TJ is very different from ISWAK but it is also romantic and light and good.

Tokyo Juliet is one of my favorite things. Honestly. True, the whole 'I shall rule the world through fashion' is cracktastic (and I think the show knows that). And the fact that every man in Taiwan seems to be after Sui is a bit OTT as well (though to be fair, she is attractive and there are plenty of women after Liang). But TJ is one of the most cracktastic, fluffy, adorable dramas out there. And I am all about the OTP of our plucky heroine Sui and her boyfriend, too-hunky-not-to-ogle Liang, a senior in the design college Sui is in (in the alternate universe of TJ, male fashion designers are mainly straight. Hee).

Also, I just love all the kissing scenes in TJ. They are so many and they look so real. If there was some sort of an award for Best Kissing Drama, TJ would be in the run for the win. The only one I could see to compete would be Mars (Love Contract and DBY also have lovely kissing but nowhere near the amount here). And I just love that the kissing scenes look real. Every time he kisses her, he cups her face and he strokes her skin and it's really hot. Yum.

I also love how they are shown laughing half the time when they are making out. It's not one of those misty our-love-is-so-full-of-cleansing-holy-lught type things, but the sheer giddy of finding your SO attractive and having fun and the deliciousness of that. It's nice to have a dorama that has that.

But anyway.

( Thoughts on eps 11 and 12 )