Time flies by

   It's been 2 years (yesterday, OK, I'm lazy) since I created an account on DA. Time surely flies by. I never thought I would be so active there, because every forum I signed up bored me after 2 months at most. Honestly, I thought dramas would have the same effect, and I know I'm still at the beginning, 2 and a half year is not that long. I plan to equal my dear friend, Peggy^^ in her admiration.

Maybe I'm getting older, but I do get sentimental sometimes, especially after nice drink pepsi-rum (50-50) and while smiling at all those memories. OK, this happens when I have nothing better to do, this is why I like to keep busy. I gave myself today as a day off, this is why I'm trolling here and there, having fun on my biiicycle, biiicycle! and getting slowly drunk.

My wuuuv^^

According to Hancinema:

It was later found out that Kim Nam-gil actually visited the shooting site of popular drama "The Greatest Love" that ended recently.

A staff on site said, "Kim Nam-gil made a surprise visit to the last shooting site. Many of the staff were happy to see him on such short notice". This visit happened because of his connection with director Park Hong-gyoon since "Queen Seon-deok" and many of the staff here this day were also on the drama set.

Kim Nam-gil had visited them in means of support. It was also a careful one because he isn't an active but a public service soldier.

Meanwhile, he also appeared as Cha Seung-won's rival on the first and last episodes. The fighting scene from "Queen Seon-deok" was shown and in the last episode his face was on the label of the drink Dok Go-jin used to advertise.

Listening to: George Michael - You Have Been Loved

Idols who can't act - Arirang

That actually made my day. Ahahaha! Oh well, opinions...

5. KARA's Goo Hara
4. Kim Hyun Joong
3. Suzy
2. Yunho
1. Kang Minkyung

Ekhem, too bad Yucheon is praised, just sayin'... (yeah, he's not top level either, but nevermind). I would also throw some others here (Jung Yonghwa, No Minwoo), but so far, I won't be adding more flame to already hurt fangirls' hearts.

공주의 남자 - The Princess' Man pics

Eh...
Laugh while you can, I'm preparing myself some tissues anyway...

Mr. Cha Seungwon interview

 Oh, I will miss the show. Truly.

"You better feel honored that you got to see a drama like this!" Dokgo Jin of MBC TV series "The Greatest Love" shouted out at the end of the show's last episode. So was it Dokgo Jin or Cha Seung-won that laughed confidently while he said this? The time during which this drama aired, when the border between drama and reality broke down, existed between Cha and his character Dokgo Jin as well. Cha, who is a top star like Dokgo Jin, has lived in the imaginary entertainment industry that Dokgo did, for 22 years. And Dokgo adopted Cha's trademark moustache and beard as well as the product he endorses. Of course, the Cha in reality is not a 37-year-old single man and does not have a past of being a sick boy. But like he said, he came to think "there is actually an actor named Dokgo Jin in Korea" and that they existed "as separate people, not a Dokgo Jin played by Cha." There are many actors who play their characters realistically and embed their images into their roles. But few hypnotize viewers to make people mix reality and an imaginary situation.

However, no matter how loved the show was, it is not easy for a character of a timely drama to overcome the passage of time. Like Kim Joo-won ("Secret Garden") and Gu Joon-pyo ("Boys Over Flowers"), Dokgo Jin too will weather. But even if Dokgo Jin disappears, Cha will remain. The Cha who managed to show "the cuteness to men" through not a confession but admittance and not love but bragging. Here is the interview through which you can 'recharge' yourself.
 

Museum

   

   Last week I visited my friend and since I had something to do in the museum, I took a tour of it. You see, I can't resist few things (korean men aside) - meringues and learning something. They didn't have the former. And when my meeting ended, I smiled to myself as some slightly not in her right mind person, and run to buy myself a ticket. And here I encountered my first shock - they have a discount for PhD students! Omo, it's a really an exception, because usually no one cares for us!

Music

   After some time, Huckleberry Finn released an album. At the beginning of July another band will do the same - W & Whale. Just can't wait, can't wait. While looking for samples, I came across lj community and one of the comments on new HF album was: but why such a strange name for a band? My answer is only one - read some f*cking books! Or - if those are too much for the mashed up brain - wikipedia is the friendliest friend of some out there! Asking what Huckleberry Finn stands for is like asking for troubles. Damn, soon Dumas won't say anything to some half-brainers. Am I too harsh? Hell, I'm restraining myself right now, trust me it's hard.

Anyway, back to the music - Huckleberry Finn are doing what they do best - wavy, nice sounds.

I Love Movies - cuts

   

   Ah, it's good to have some time! I can watch movie shows and lot of other shows properly, I can spot there some nice men, and I can make some cuts! Preferably on me, because some of those movies won't be shown here in any cinema around. Eh, sad life.

Anyway, in Korea one movie opens soon, and this movie features lots and lots of familiar faces - Ryu Seungryong, Park Haeil, Moon Chaewon and others. The interview I cut is with those three. Mr. Ryu plays ruthless Manchu leader, and I... oh noez... ~swoon~...

Plus, a short preview of Sector 7.

UAM - United Asian Management

No Namgil-nim yet.

Omo, we forgot to pay you! Mian!

Producers and directors of soap operas and movies may have difficulty shooting as scheduled after a group of management agencies announced they were refusing to let their actors work due to unpaid wages and performance fees.
The Corea Entertainment Management Association disclosed Wednesday a list of companies responsible for 32 dramas and films, which have failed to pay actors, along with the names of the productions, production heads and directors who made the dramas.
It said actors of the agencies will not participate in films made by the companies in question.
The collective action follows a chronic overdue payment problem in the film and drama production industry.

Yucheon - does he have any flaws?

Fangirl alert!

Park Yoochun’s ‘This Empty Place is For You’ has taken over various online music charts.

In Part 3 of the ‘Miss Ripley’ OST, Park Yoochun sang Song Yoo Hyun’s theme song ‘This Empty Place is For You’ and became a hot topic for doing so.
Part 3 of the ‘Miss Ripley’ OST, which includes ‘This Empty Place is For You’, was released online at midnight on the 21st and immediately became the most searched term on various portal sites as well as the most popular song on various music charts such as Naver Music, Daum Music, Melon, Dosirak, Bugs and Cyworld, effectively making an ‘all-kill’ on domestic music charts.
On the afternoon of the 21st, ‘This Empty Place is For You’ was still the most popular song on Daum Music’s Real Time Charts and Cyworld Music’s Real Time Charts, and was the second on Melon’s Recent Songs Chart and third on Bugs Music’s Real Time Charts. The song was still highly ranked in other online sites such as Dosirak and Naver Music as well.
‘This Empty Place is For You’ has been praised for perfectly portraying the longing for a woman by blending Park Yoochun’s emotion-filled voice with sentimental lyrics. As it shows what Song Yoo Hyun is feeling in the drama, it is expected to better complete the drama and Song Yoo Hyun’s method of showing his love for Jang Miri.
The song came on during the 7th episode of ‘Miss Ripley’ on the 20th when Song Yoo Hyun confessed his love for Jang Miri and proved Park Yoochun’s popularity as ratings shot up during the scene.
A representative of the production company stated, “Park Yoochun’s soft and warm voice was perfect for the song ‘This Empty Place is For You’ and this allowed him to make an ‘all-kill’ on the music charts,” and “He’s as passionate about his music as he is about acting, which makes us believe that Park Yoochun is a true entertainer.”
The ‘Miss Ripley’ OST will be released offline as a full album on July 4th.

Immortal Song 2

   

   Funny enough, I like the show. Probably against my own wish. OK, I liked the show, mah baby left, and truthfully, I have no reason to watch. Still, a music show other than The Great Three on the weekends (Music Core, Music Bank and Inkigayo). I could never warm up to I'm a Singer, even though it features Yun Dohyeon and BMK. I loved Opera Star though.

Anyway, back to the topic - one song haunts me. Million White Roses. For me, an European girl, this song is more than known. One of the saddest songs ever. Unfortunately - it was written and performed in the language I hate - Russian. And no, don't try to force anything - I do hate the language. I don't find it beautiful, romantic, melodic or anything. I had to learn it for 6 years during my school days, and the happiest moment was the final classes. Since two forces were combined - Korean language and Jonghyeon talent - I simply couldn't resist. I re-discovered how great this song is.

And yes, I have no knowledge about technical things in singing, I just judge song by one thing - goosebumps. If I have them, that means a song has its effect.

Embarrassing issue in Korea

An article from LATimes:

Reporting from Seoul—

The drop box is attached to the side of a home in a ragged working-class neighborhood. It is lined with a soft pink and blue blanket, and has a bell that rings when the little door is opened.
Because this depository isn't for books, it's for babies — and not just any infants; these children are the unwanted ones, a burden many parents find too terrible to bear.

One is deaf, blind and paralyzed; another has a tiny misshapen head. There's a baby with Down syndrome, another with cerebral palsy, still another who is quadriplegic, with permanent brain damage.

Jonghyeon - not again...

   Not only did he break up, but again health issue. The boy has the worst immune system I have seen, but I can't really blame him *cough* SMEnt*cough*. Hundreds of flights between continents, schedule that could kill Superman... Hmm, I have the feeling of Replay... DBSK Replay that is (oh damn, what a clever joke I made...)

After SMEnt facebook:

5 members of SHINee were planning to perform the best stage for the debut in Japan, but JONGHYUN couldn’t participate in the LIVE Stage because of high fever. Thus SM staff decided to open the LIVE Stage with only 4 members. This decision is made for JONGHYUN’s health so we ask for your understanding regarding this matter.

Also relay of ‘SHINee JAPAN DEBUT PREMIUM RECEPTION in LONDON’ in FACEBOOK SMTOWN will be postponed due to the situation. However, our staff will upload some parts of the LIVE Stage (video) as soon as possible (photos will be uploaded continuously).

We hope everyone can cheer JONGHYUN up and wish him all the best for a speedy recovery.

Thank you for reading and all your understanding.

[from FACEBOOK SMTOWN Staff]

Oh well, poor, talented boy...

The Princess' *Why-Not-My* Man stills

Oh, a glorious days of spamming the blog with pics are back! Waiting patiently for June 24th (Namgil-nim in public) and for more hype for this drama.
Update: added2 more pics.

Namgil-nim... oh and the rest.

Imagine all of your favorite top stars -- TVXQ, Kim Hyun-joong, Soo-ae, Super Junior, Park Jin-young, etc. -- in one place. How exciting would that be? Well, imagine no further because this is indeed happening on June 24th at 7:30 PM at the Banyan Tree Club & Spa in Jangchoong-dong, Seoul.
This event celebrates the launch of a grand-scale collaboration agency, United Asia Management (UAM), which will tie together six of the top and biggest entertainment agencies here in Korea: KEYEAST, AM Entertainment, YG Entertainment, SM Entertainment, JYP Entertainment, and Star J.
June 24th will consist of a press conference and a congratulatory party. Some of the special star appearances will be Kim Nam-gil, Choi Gang-hee, Kim Soo-hyun, 2PM, Ahn Sung-gi, Cha Seung-won, and Jung Joon-ho. Expected to attend as audience members will be stars Gwak Gyeong-taek, Kim Ji-woon, Kim Sung-soo, and Yoon Seok-ho.
UAM said that the agency was formed to team up the country's biggest artists and related entertainment officials. It will support the activities of Korea's stars, especially k-pop stars to further spread the Hallyu wave abroad. (KBS Global)

Uhm... I am really, really able to imagine that.  The only problem is that I will be probably unable to say anything that can make any sense, I will be smiling like on a high dosage of oxymorphone.

Oh wait, was someone else apart from Kim Namgil-nim mentioned? Damn, I need to read that again. And again. And again...

Where did I put my suitcase?...

Ha Jung-woo interview

Actor Ha Jung-woo could have gone the easy route. His father, Kim Yong-geon, is a well-known film and television actor who could have ushered him into the business. But Ha chose to make it on his own. He changed his name, studied theater in school and eventually entered film. Since then, he has become known for playing strong, unconventional characters, including a serial killer in the hit film “The Chaser” (2008), a male prostitute in “The Moonlight of Seoul” (2008) and a ski jumper who is an adoptee in the 2009 film “Take Off.”

New music

  New single of Yi Seungyeol is out, and this is one weird single.

Freeeedooooom!!!

   I'm after an exam! I have time (relatively)!! I can troll everywhere now! (and by everywhere I mean 3 places). My exam today was on Korean myths, and if I may be frank - I demand the highest score! Few things left me puzzled though. I tried to get rid of history knowledge and focus only on mythology, because, as we know, mythology has some loose ties with history, but they are well, let's say it like this - they are not what history needs to survive. I also prepared a chart, and now made it to the pic for everyone. Mind you, those are not historical ties or anything, but myths. And in myths boys are found under the stone. Alive. Boys, not the stone.

Miss Ripley

Well, ekhem... not only, to be fair.

SMEnt concert

PARIS (Yonhap News) -- Five South Korean pop bands held their first concert in Paris on Friday, making a successful debut on the European stage in front of more than 7,000 eager fans.

Popular acts TVXQ, Girls‘ Generation, Super Junior, SHINee and f(x) put on a three-hour performance at Le Zenith de Paris concert hall, singing a total of 44 songs for the fans, who had come from all parts of Europe, including France, Spain, Italy and Poland.

A survey

   I'm an English speaking fan, and I don't favor neither SuJu, nor Big Bang.

Korean pop, or K-pop, is driving the Korean Wave abroad and Asian women in their 20s make up the majority of overseas hallyu fans, a survey found on Monday.

The Korea Tourism Organization conducted the online hallyu survey on 12,085 non-Korean visitors from 102 countries to its website (www.visitkorea.or.kr) from May 11 to May 31, to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the website. The survey asked seven questions related to the Korean Wave in eight languages ― English, Japanese, traditional Chinese, simplified Chinese, German, French, Spanish and Russian ― on the site, via e-mail and on social networking services such as Twitter and Facebook.

Europe - some country over the rainbow

Oh well, maybe, just maybe some "big idiots heads" out there start to differentiate at least 5 countries in good ol' Europe, no? Europe is France, sure, but also not oh-so-famous-for-nothing-castles countries. We have castles here too, you know...

Anyway, Koreans start to see something more than The WORLD (made of Japan, Taiwan, China and Philippines. Sometimes Thailand.), and US, good to know.

God's Quiz

   Not that I will watch it, no, but I did watch the first episode of the first season last year and all I could say - too much hospitals. Anyway, show seemed to be good, taking a new approach to lab work and team working on cases. But there is one small drawback - although this is a good series, it is made by OCN which is not the biggest broadcast out there. In fact, OCN along with other smaller stations (ie. CGV, TVn) can make sometimes less strict drama, therefore more natural and human.

So, if you are interested in more info on it, you may go right here where obsessed fans dwell^^.

Plus, no idols in it, maybe this is why the drama is getting less attention than deserved.

Singing men

   If anyone is curious why I never mentioned dancing men - well, I did that out of protection of my own sanity. As almost every girl, I'm vulnerable to singing men, but dancing men have something in them that makes me... oh noez, kids may also stumble upon this post...

Anyway, today two of them, Hong Kwangho, who could sing the mackerel recipe and I would die from fangasm, and Ju Jihun, who could... ah, nevermind, it's still early.

In case you are interested in Korean musicals (as the humble jelly writing this), you may want to check this website: http://ticket.interpark.com/MusicalIndex.asp. It's basically ticket website, but it does have some nice features around.

Drama Full Throttle

   Slowly catching up with all dramas (Twinkle Twinkle only lags behind, eh...) and I have to say - I have never had such season. Usually it was 2, 3 dramas at most at the same time. It's all their fault. You know, "THEY" are very powerful. And all dramas I watch I enjoy for different reasons. If I don't like, I drop it. I may come back to it if I decide that the price of dropping is too much to pay. As some of you may notice, I have "Drama List" on the sidebar, updated daily (if there are any changes), and since some of those entered in the half-stage, and some are heading to the end, I decided to write a bit about them.

I'm not going to change anybody's opinion, but after reading heated discussion on D-A, I realized how flock-thinking is useful for some people. I wrote about it few times - people en masse don't like to express their own opinion, but are content if they can sign under the one belonging to others. This way they incorporate meaningful and difficult words into their "own" opinion. Saying: 'Yes, I feel exactly the same' in a situation when hundred of people expressed the same before you, is easier than saying the opposite. Because when attacked - the weapon of your own thoughts should be used.

From the list only New Tales Of Gisaeng rules undisputedly, other dramas are in random order.

5th Musical Awards

Oh yes, Hong Kwangho and Kim Junsu performances, keke^^
  

The monster in me

Autobiographical post. Not.

At first, I have to apologize for being biased. I do have some weakness for certain men and I can watch every movie/drama with them even if those are pure crap or mindless stuff (Greatest Love, everybody!). While waiting for Gyebaek, I decided to kill my time by watching a drama I did not have the chance to watch all those years. And those were the weirdest 5 hours in 2011 so far. The drama is about vampires. Yes, you read that right, vampires. Not the ones who sparkle and talk as if permanently constipated. Vampires that look exactly like humans.

Happy Birthday Park Yucheon!

생일축하합니다!!

JYJ - neverending saga

   Jana, baby, perhaps mah boys need you now?

I think everyone knows what I'm bitchin right now. Avex blocked JYJ charity concert in Japan. And the explanation is nonsense as ever - blah blah, previous contract, blah blah.

My first post since some time and not a cheerful one. And while I'm still recovering, I will not write much here. But to express my opinion (once more): AVEX is SMEnt. Nothing better.