These photos released from the set of the upcoming SBS drama You're All Surrounded excites me. First of all, puppy Lee Seung-gi! Also, Cha Seung-won oppa! Running around as cops from the violent crimes division! Not to mention, this drama also has Go Ara (Reply 1994) and Ahn Jae-hyun (You From The Stars) among the cast. I have high hopes. Oh nooo.
I've been noticing a trend at SBS recently where they have this sudden obsession with suspense action dramas. Both of their currently airing weekday fare are gritty mysteries with some very valiant leads. Actually, this season's line up of dramas, on all networks, are lacking of rom-coms. Not exactly a bad thing though.
You're All Surrounded comes from the PD of History of the Salaryman and the writer of Ojakkyo Brothers. I haven't seen Salaryman yet, but I've heard great things. I have seen most of Ojakkyo, and I did really enjoy that show and its characters. So here's to hoping this new drama will have characters to fall in love with, at the very least. I don't wanna get my hopes up, but I think it's too late for that.
While I'm pretty sure Lee Seung-gi's hotheaded rookie cop character will frequently butt heads with Cha Seung-won's character, the strait-laced team leader, I'm still holding out for some bromance. I mean, after Seung-gi's cameo on Greatest Love and their subsequent refrigerator endorsement together, I need me some hyung-dongsaeng bromance.
You're All Surrounded will replace the currently airing Three Days when it ends in late April.
Noraebang, if you don't know (as if!), is the Korean version of karaoke (or what we call in my country, videoke) but with some additional necessities aside from the karaoke machine, tv screen, and microphone. It is absolutely essential for noraebangs to provide tambourines, or maracasses even (if they're being generous), and sometimes even clown wigs and huge-ass sunglasses (if they're being totally lavish). And of course, a noraebang session isn't complete without some of our favorite Korean pop songs.
What I'll be listing down today aren't necessarily what I'd choose to sing at a noraebang, but what I think every k-pop star and their favorite uncle would immediately punch in to sing should they find themselves in a dim room with a microphone in one hand and a tambourine on the other. Or perhaps, if they're in the mood for a power ballad, the tambourine is left on the table in exchange for a glass of somaek. Of course, this is from an outsider's point of view. All I'm basing this on is the fact that these songs have been covered so many times by so many Korean singers (and non-singers). And, seriously, I'm not complaining. I love these songs!
Lee Juck's "I'm Fortunate" (다행이다, Dahaengida)
It's funny because most international fans know the song because of covers by idol stars, and there's no mention of the song at all on Lee Juck's Wikipedia page, but indeed he was the original singer. This video is of his original version but we've heard this covered by everyone from idol star Kim Hyun-joong to balladeer K.Will, rocker Jung Joon-young to actor Joo Won, to name just a few.
Brown Eyed Soul's "Nothing Better"
Originally sung by Brown Eyed Soul's Jung Yup, this song has been performed repeatedly, time and again, at every turn, by almost everybody from 2PM's Nichkhun to SHINee's Jonghyun, Super Junior's Kyuhyun to actor Gong Yoo, that if it weren't such a good song I would've been ready to sew my ears shut.
Im Jae-beom's "Confession" (고해, Gohae)
One of my personal favorites, Im Jae-beom's "Confession" may be one of the cheesiest songs ever, in terms of lyrics, but he pulls it off with one of the rawest and roughest voices in the business. So it's no wonder that some of the best singers of today have all attempted to cover this song, of which FT Island's Lee Hong-ki's attempt is my favorite. CNBLUE's Jung Yong-hwa (plus Z:EA's Kwang-hee, unfortunately), rock singers Roy Kim and Jung Joon-young, and pop rock singer Hong Kyung-min have performed this song as well. 4Men's "Baby Baby"
Another overplayed R&B track, this time by vocal group 4Men. But let me tell you, just because something is overplayed doesn't make it bad. In fact, it's so good that everyone keeps singing it. And by everyone, I mean B.A.P's Daehyun (pre-debut video that brought me to tears!), SHINee's Jonghyun, SNSD's Yuri and Tiffany, and BEAST's Yoseob.
Kim Dong-ryul's "Drunken Truth" (취중진담, Chwijung Jindam)
Admittedly, the first person I heard this from was JYJ's Micky Yoochun. And it was awesome. And then I started hearing it everywhere so I had to find out who the original singer was. So, apparently, Yoochun wasn't the original singer, neither were Super Junior's Kyuhyun, nor Gavy N J, nor Fly to the Sky, but rather Kim Dong-ryul. I'll try to remember that name from now on.
DJ DOC's "Run to You"
You might've noticed, but almost every music festival ends with all the artists on stage rocking out to the one hip-hop song everyone and their grandmothers know the lyrics to. Some people mistakenly refer to this song as "Bounce With Me" due to the phrase being repeated throughout the track, but it's actually "Run to You." I first encountered this song via extra footage in the 2009 drama You're Beautiful where the boys of ANJELL (Jang Geun-suk, Jung Yong-hwa, and Lee Hong-ki) danced around to the track. And since then, I've heard it literallyateverymusicshow'soutro.
Rain's "Love Song"
This is probably one of the first Korean songs I learned the lyrics to. Not the very first, but it's somewhere up there. And clearly, I'm not the song's only fan as it's been covered by Seo In-guk, and all your favorite idols in severaldifferentparodies. Sometimes lauded for the song itself, but mostly for the accompanying sexy choreography, this song is definitely one for the books.
Ra.D's "I'm In Love"
This song is just beautiful. I seriously have four different versions of this song on my k-pop playlist. The first one is by Ra.D (see video above) who actually composed the song, and then the original recording by Brown Eyed Girls' Narsha, and then covers by CNBLUE's Lee Jong-hyun and two finalists on The Voice of Korea (Kim Min-ji and Park Eui-sung) who sang a duet version during the battle round. This song is so awesome even Queen Yuna has performed it before.
Tasha's "As Time Goes By"
This is one song I listen to on repeat, and one that I also know by heart. Tasha is a queen and this song may be old, but it's still relevant. At least according to the members of SNSDwho have sung thisat multiple occasions. Younha also has a cover, and Lee Hi slayed with this song when she was a finalist on K-Pop Star by turning the second verse into a rap with the help of the guys at YG.
JYP's "Honey"
Just hearing the intro to this song makes me wanna jump out of my seat to sing and dance along. Though I love JYP more for his softer, mid-tempo ballads (i.e. "I Have A Girl") it's uptempo songs like "Honey" and "Elevator" that make you wanna bust out the tambourine at the noraebang. It's been coveredso many timesthat you just knowit's a classic. And by classic, I mean old enough that World Star Rain was one of JYP's backup dancers back then.
The new SBS Monday-Tuesday drama God's Gift - 14 Days premiered this week, and it was awesome.
For one, it opened its first episode with this amazingly eerie animated story about a mother's endeavor to save her child from Death. And it was a beautifully crafted sequence that just captivated me from the get go. From then on, the drama just brought every element into play and it was plot point after plot point, resulting in a cinematically stunning thriller that takes you for an unexpected ride.
I hope this continues till the end, because if it does, I've gotta say, we've got a masterpiece in our hands. With clever writing, adept direction, and glorious editing, both episodes felt more like a suspense thriller film than a television serial.
I've also got to hand it to the cast. Every single casting feels right. Everyone from heroine Lee Bo-young down to lackey Han Sun-hwa, they are all on point.
I've honestly never seen actor Jo Seung-woo in anything prior to this drama but despite his character being the most detached from the central plot, he is captivating and immediately interesting in the role of ex-cop Ki Dong-chan. I've already googled him and found out that he began his acting career in stage musicals - which really explains my fascination, given my love for stage actors.
The only reason I know of idol-actress Han Sun-hwa (Secret) is because of her stint of being unfortunately married to Hwang Kwang-hee (Z:EA) on the variety show We Got Married. So I'm pleasantly surprised that she's doing her character, no matter how small the role is right now, justice. I'm actually looking forward to her character and I wonder if she'll be given an actual story arc.
Another idol-actor who I am loving on this show is Baro (B1A4) who plays the role of Ki Young-gyu, a developmentally disabled teenage boy with the mental age of a six-year-old. Baro plays the role with little nuances that help convey the character's struggles without dumbing him down, which I totally give him props for. As a result, Ki Young-gyu is delightful and endearing.
Child actress Kim Yoo-bin is also wonderful in the drama and her rapport with onscreen mom Lee Bo-young feels very realistic. I hope that despite her being gone in the story's current timeline, we'll still see flashes of her when our heroine travels back to 2 weeks prior the tragic incident.
And finally, Lee Bo-young. I thought I loved her after having seen her in I Hear Your Voice, but ohmygod, she's has brought my love for her to another level with how much she's impressing me in God's Gift. And it's only been 2 episodes, gosh darnit. I was sobbing and sniveling half the time I was watching the second episode just because of how much pain and desperation her character had to go through and Lee Bo-young brought those feelings across so skillfully. I can't help but love her.
I really can't wait for next week's episode to see how the time travel happens and how the rest of the story unravels. I noticed there were some seemingly unnecessary focus on random things in the first two episodes that didn't quite make sense at the moment (i.e. the storekeeper's hair accessory, the president's lawyer during the press conference, another hair accessory Saet-byul found at the accident scene, etc.) but because the plot will bring our heroine back to the past, I have a feeling all of these will be revisited later on in the story for some grander reveals.
I also need to know what's going on with the father and what his deal is. Because while our heroine, the mother, is running around trying to find her daughter in all desperation, I have a feeling that the father is less invested in the search. And I need to know why. What secret is he hiding?
Oof. Yet another drama I'll be crazily and carefully watching. Add to that the other thriller SBS is premiering this week, Three Days, and it looks like my week will be full of drama-induced panic and anxiety.
Another drama down, three more on the way (but that's a story for another day).
tvN's third installment for the I Need Romance franchise finally came to a close. Its last episode brought so much cute and a bit of sexy (mmmmm... those kisses) to end a series that warmed my heart and made me long for a noona-adoring puppy of my own. Anyone know where to find them?
Before I ramble on about the main couple, I have a handful of thoughts about the minor pairings. First off, Min-jung and Min-seok? I LUFF THEM. Those two were adorable to the very end and I love where the drama left off with them. Realistically, not all relationships end in marriage. And I'm glad the drama didn't foist that on these two characters who have always been steadfast in their disinterest in marital unions. But their mutual agreement to live in the here and now and be there for each other and for their twins was as heartwarming as any marriage vow. Even the misdirected saranghae's were fitting of these two characters.
As for our youngest couple, I've had frustrations over Woo-young and how he chooses to show his affection. On the one hand, he's adorable. On the other hand, not so much. And that definitely hit home in the last episode where he was so bullheaded about Hee-jae's decision to travel by herself for a year. I understand his wanting to keep her by his side, especially since they just started going out, but I hate the way he chose to react to her. There was wrist grabbing, and shouting, and condescending lectures involved that made me cringe. So while Woo-young continued to have one foot in and one foot out of the asshole basin, I’m glad Hee-jae stood by her decision to leave and find herself. I trust she'll be back a happier person, and I also believe Woo-young would wait, albeit impatiently.
On the other hand, I'm not quite sure if Tae-yoon has the balls to return to Se-ryung. Also, I don't even think he deserves a girl as awesome as her. Gotta hand it to this girl though, she knows what she wants and she stands by it. Tae-yoon hate aside, I’m glad he turned a new leaf with the support he gave Min-jung before he left. That was a surprising turn of events that I fully accept. He may not be the best boyfriend, but at least we know he has a heart after all.
And now, for the main reason I stuck to this drama like glue. The Goguma + Shing Shing couple. Should I even count the ways I love thee? I love that Shin Joo-yeon's character growth was complete and came full circle in the finale. It felt earned. She went through such emotional enlightenment to realize her own heart and I love that she experienced all the telltale signs of falling in love after the fact. Like, how she realizes all the little things she loves about Joo Wan after already having acknowledged the fact that she loved him. We know, as she also eventually found out, that she was in love. But the little things - his strong arms, his slim fingers, the way he looks from behind, his voice - these are things she only noticed she liked about him after already having fallen for him.
Wannie, on the other hand, also had some growing up to do. In most dramas, first leads have to learn to stop being assholes and realize their feelings in order to show affection. But our Wannie is the complete and total opposite. He loved completely and without question. His growth had a lot to do with reining his feelings in. It was definitely difficult for him to not be there at Shing Shing's side all the time. I'm glad the show made him realize that love is not a one-way street and made him understand that there are times when he had to back off. I also love that while we all swooned over his seeming perfection, Wan wasn't perfect. And the show acknowledged that. He wasn't always right and he didn't always make the best decisions.
Together, they were sizzling. But a lot of that had to do with the onscreen chemistry of Kim So-yeon and Sung Joon. This was the first time I've ever seen Kim So-yeon in anything and I've gotta give it to her. Despite Joo-yeon's incredible social flaws, I've never once disliked her as a character. She was hard on the surface, but you could always sense a tinge of vulnerability through her cracks and that made her endearing. Sung Joon, on the other hand, I've seen in a handful of dramas but this is the first time I've ever really warmed up to him. I guess I need to re-watch Shut Up Flower Boy Band, eh?
Another thing I loved about I Need Romance 3 was the friendships. Although, had Joo-yeon found it in her to make actual connections with people around her sooner, we would have had a lot more of cute girly banters between her and her girlfriends. It took way too many episodes for her to open up to the other girls, but I'll take whatever I can. Her restored friendship with Se-ryung was probably the highlight, as that was established earlier. But some of my favorite scenes from the final week were Joo-yeon's one-on-one conversations with Hee-jae and Min-jung. Her telling Hee-jae that she was offering advise not as a boss but as an unni, and her asking Min-jung if they can be friends - those were major turning points in her character growth that I absolutely loved. I felt so proud of her in those moments.
By all means, I Need Romance 3 was not the perfect drama. Anyone who follows me on tumblr would know the drama this show ignited, apart from the drama itself. There have been feminist rage hurled at almost all the male characters (I think only Min-seok was spared from this, ETA: I just went through the INR3 tag on tumblr, no one was spared). But ultimately, I Need Romance 3 was an entertaining ride that gave me so much life lessons, whether intentionally or indirectly. There were a handful of wise words from a handful of characters. Things like, "there is no future if there is no present," or about not being scared of things that have yet to happen, or about waking up not worrying about the future but instead to think of how I can make today happier...
