My Lists: 10 favorite moments from the 2014 MAMA

The 2014 Mnet Asian Music Awards (MAMA) took place last week in Hong Kong (again!) and many of our favorite idols and Hallyu stars flocked to the AsiaWorld-Arena to attend k-pop's most-awaited event of the year.

I watched the entire thing with bated breath from red carpet to end credits, and I was a hundred times thankful that they aired it live on local tv - on time and with no extended commercials (unless Mnet was airing commercials too).

While I was happy with most of those who were declared winners that night (i.e. Winner, "Some", "Eyes Nose Lips", Epik High, etc.) there were some disappoints as well (I swear 2NE1 deserved album of the year and the only reason they weren't even nominated was, well, we all know why). Nonetheless, I had a blast watching the show - all 6 and a half hours of it - and I can't wait for it to be available online for a re-watch.

Despite the lineup of artists being noticeably shorter this year, there was still a lot of fun to be had. So here are 10 of my favorite moments - both big and small - from the 2014 MAMA.

(in no particular order)

1. Last Fantasy - Aptly named a fantasy, this stage performance consisted of Ailee disguising herself as Girl's Day Minah's male dance partner. Totally cute!

2. SMTM3 Special Opening Stage - Not even gonna lie, I was beyond excited when I found out Bobby was not just going to be performing "Come Here" but "연결고리 (YGGR)" as well. Bobby hit the MAMA stage and slayed. (And Mino being all excited and proud was just icing on the cake.)

3. Battle of the Century - Indeed, it was. This Block B vs. BTS special stage was the perfect example of a battle done right. The stage highlighted the immense talent of both groups perfectly (and I'm not even a Block B fan). From their dancing (and Jimin's abs - which excited not just Girl's Day Yura and Sojin, but Winner's Seung-yoon as well), their rapping, stage presence, and overall performance skills - everything was on point.

4. IU-Mino Duet - Another star of the night was Winner's Mino, who shared the stage not just with fellow YG artists but also with this year's Best Female Artist IU. It was something I didn't know I needed in my life until it was happening before my very own eyes.

5. Media Wonderland - Seo Tai-ji made a comeback this year and I was looking forward to seeing his performance on the MAMA stage. I'm not a huge fan of "Sogkyeodong" or "Christmalo-win" but I did love his old stuff. And by old stuff, I mean his hip-hop stuff back when they were Seo Tai-ji and Boys. So imagine my shock when U-Kwon (Block B) and Jungkook (BTS) got out of their seats for a planned dance break to cue the start of Seo Tai-ji's performance of "Come Back Home". I was half expecting YG to appear on stage for his signature moves but alas, Vasco (SMTM3) and Zico (Block B) joined him instead.

6. Lee Guk-joo x Jo Se-ho - There's nothing I love more than when non-idols get the spotlight they deserve. And let's be honest, 2014 was the year of Lee Guk-joo. She's just refreshingly awesome. Also, was this the kiss Mnet has been leading us on with all this time?! LOL.

7. Mino x Song Seung-heon - Mino is hilarious. And nothing proves that more than the many shots of him from the artists' sitting area where he always had the best reactions. None of them better than when he feigned (or not?) disappointment when hottie Song Seung-heon chose to give IU his rose. Better luck next time, Mino.

8. Winner x iKON - If having Bobby and B.I sit beside the guys of Winner during award shows is a glimpse into the awesomeness of the YG Family's future, then count me in. These guys are hilarious individually, but even more so together. Simply put Bobby, B.I, and Mino together and wait for the magic to happen.

9. Kai's Dance Solo - Kai, as usual, was breathtaking. While it might take me awhile to get used to seeing EXO as a 10-member group, at least I will always find solace in Kai's dance solos. (For now?)

10. YG Family being a family - I'm just so happy to see YG Family gaining new members because it's suddenly all so refreshing. We might not have 2NE1 at the moment, and Lee Hi And AKMU were nowhere to be seen at the awards show, but having Winner and Double B around seemed to lighten up everyone's moods. Even GD seemed to be more into things this year. The GD x Taeyang stage was one the best we've seen from them in awhile. They seemed more into it and actually put a lot of effort in both their vocals and choreography. Maybe having fresh meat around is making these older sunbaes work harder than usual. Whatever it is, I'm liking it.

Epik High's performance was livened up as well by the presence of Mino, Bobby, and B.I (plus Yoo In-na!). And just seeing them all there in the audience was nice. Every time one of them won, you can see how proud and genuinely happy they were for each other. Ultimately, the night ended with a glimpse of our YG family posturing for a selfie (groufie?) with Taeyang trying to be seen from the back by jumping as high as he possibly can.

I've found I've always enjoyed MAMA stages the best, so now that it's over, I guess all I have to look forward to are the year-end music festivals from the 3 big networks. And then it's a whole year to go until the next MAMA. Hopefully, they find a new location for next year's show. I mean, Asia is a big place. Macau is done. Singapore is done. Hong Kong is done, done, and done. Somewhere new, please?

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My Lists: 15 favorite k-pop songs from the second half of 2013

Looks like the second half of 2013 was filled with a whole lot of black, white, red, and gray.

And just like that, we're in 2014. My obsession has yet to wane and I don't see it going anywhere in the next few months, so I forge ahead.

In many ways, 2013 has been a very memorable year in k-pop. There were several songs released this year that are still on my "Favorites" playlist and are still on constant rotation. As I did 6 months ago for the first half of 2013, I've listed down my favorite songs from the second half of the year that was.

Without further ado, and in no particular order, here are my top 15 favorite songs released after July 2013.

miss A - "Hush"

Kim Hyun-joong - "Unbreakable"

B.A.P - "Badman"

B2ST - "Will You Be Alright?"

f(x) - "Rum Pum Pum Pum"

G-Dragon - "Who You?"

Seungri - "Let's Talk About Love"

Jung Joon-young -"10 Minutes Before Breaking Up"

IU - "The Red Shoes"

T.O.P - "Doom Dada"

SHINee - "One Minute Back"

2NE1 - "Missing You"

Exo - "Growl"

SHINee - "Symptoms"

G-Dragon - "Crooked"

So here's looking forward to yet another year of awesome music. Ciao!

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Currently Watching: The Heirs, Mi-rae's Choice, Pretty Man, Reply 1994

It's gotten really bad, this addiction of mine. I think this is the most number of dramas that I've ever attempted to watch simultaneously. By simultaneously, I don't mean I have 5 different screens simultaneously airing 5 different dramas. But If I could do that and still completely understand what I'm watching, I would. That would cut down on my drama-watching time significantly.

Aside from watching currently airing dramas, I'm also watching an older drama that has been on my to-watch list for so long. Also, I'm revisiting a favorite from last year. So without further ado, here are the dramas that are currently taking up most of my time.

1. The Heirs - As frustrating as it is to watch two overgrown teenage boys playing tug-o-war - sometimes emotionally and most times literally - with a tiny girl, I'm stuck to this drama like glue. For one, it does have a stellar cast - although most of them are underutilized and left in the background.

Aside from the main love triangle, I'm loving all the minor relationships in the drama. The mothers are awesome. Yoon Chan-young and Lee Bo-na are adorable. Well, Lee Bo-na is just all-around wonderful - and here I thought I was going to dislike her. I'm glad they took Krystal's character in a different direction because it's quite too easy to make her haughty, possessive, self-important role and turn her into a mean girl. It also must be said that characters like Lee Hyo-shin and Jo Myung-soo keep me sane.

We have 6 more episodes and I'm hoping we find some believable character growth in our main leads before the finale. If not, I will have wasted 20 hours of my drama-watching life that I could have very well used to re-watch City Hunter, a drama I actually liked Lee Min-ho in.

2. Mi-rae's Choice - While I'm more sympathetic towards the male leads in this drama, the Noble Idiot act that both Oppa and Kim Shin are pulling in the recent episodes are frustrating. I thought my annoyance would be reserved for Ahjumma Mi-rae, but no. The boys are starting to aggravate as well.

I'm just glad I'm still fully behind Mi-rae every step of the way. Because it's one thing to gripe about Noble Idiots and another thing entirely to have no heroine to support. I'm happy Mi-rae is not just likeable, but she's also shown the most character growth in the drama. She's no longer the weak pushover who was happy with being mediocre. Now, she has an actual dream and a goal to work towards. There's no way in hell she's ending up with Ahjumma Mi-rae's life and problems. She's above all that now and her growth has been fun to witness. Honestly, she needs neither men right now.

Here's to hoping that the final episodes redeem Kim Shin's decision to be an ass towards Mi-rae (to spare her from a future that hasn't even happened yet). I mean, we all know Mi-rae ends up with him, right? Park Se-joo may be awesome, but Mi-rae's just not feeling him. Sad. My Shin-woo feels are resurfacing. Let me love you, Shin-woo hyung!

3. Pretty Man - Come to think of it, we have Shin-woo and Go Mi-nam in separate dramas this season, and with the premiere of Pretty Man last week, Hwang Tae-kyung is back as well. All we need right now is for Lee Hong-ki to get himself a drama and my A.N.Jell babies will be complete.

That aside, Pretty Man had a pretty strong premiere week. In my personal opinion, that is. I'm not sure how it rated against The Heirs, who shares the same time slot, but I thought the first 2 episodes showed promise. While I was expecting fluff and cuteness, what I was not expecting was depth and mystery. I should have taken more note of KBS's decision to use Bel Ami as its international title, a reference to the Guy De Maupassant novel. Clearly, we're delving into darker and more emotional corners here.

I'm glad then that they have both Jang Geun-suk and IU on board. Both actors can do comedy and drama quite well. While Jang Geun-suk has a tendency to overact, it bodes well for the drama that he is also a very nuanced actor where multiple emotions come across with a single look.

Though they are of different genres, and are as different as night and day in treatment and aesthetics, what immediately comes to mind with the characterizations in Pretty Man is the 2007 drama Que Sera Sera. That character-driven drama tackled similar themes - an abusive relationship between a simple girl and a gold-digging womanizer. So while both lead characters in Pretty Man are completely flawed, I'm excited to see how working with each other will change them. Because that's where we're headed, right? Right?!

4. Reply 1994 - While I'm not liking how long this drama is seeming to be (20 one-hour-long episodes?!), I can't help but love its plot points and characters. A lot of the plotting is similar to its predecessor, Reply 1997, and yet it doesn't exactly feel the same.

What this drama does so well, as with 1997, is how they tackle real-life situations without aggrandizing these occurrences. First loves, first heartbreaks, one-sided loves, friendship, family - the drama finds these precious moments in the lives of our characters and highlights the emotions without amplifying them. It's very day-in-the-life and can easily make a wrong turn towards the mundane, but it doesn't. It's quite beautiful.

Because of the longer format, compared to 1997's total of 16 30-minute back-to-back episodes, 1994 actually jerks us around more in the question of who Na-jung ends up with. Is it Oppa? Is it Chilbongie? No, it's Oppa, right? Nope, Chilbongie? No! It's Haitai! Team Haitai for the win!

5. School 2013 - Truth be told, while School 2013 is on my list of favorite dramas, I actually haven't watched the entire drama. I used to watch it on KBS World when it aired late 2012 to early this year. And on those days I couldn't watch, I'd immediately go find the recaps on dramabeans while promising myself I'd download the episode eventually. I never did. So I finished the series half by watching it on tv, and half by reading the recaps online. I cheated and I'm sorry.

So now, with the vast onslaught of Lee Jong-suk and Kim Woo-bin feels (from both I Hear Your Voice and The Heirs), I've decided to revisit School 2013. Properly, this time around. I'm still on episode 2 (I started last night, to be fair) but the feels are already there. Heung-soo isn't even around yet and I'm already itching for his appearance and the promise of angst-y bromance. I luff them.

6. White Christmas - This drama has been on my list for the longest time. I actually started watching it several times before but never got past the first episode because of one thing or another. But I've always been told of how awesome it is and that I absolutely must see it. I actually have no excuses seeing how it's only 8 episodes long. And this is it. I swear.

I'm not going to deny the fact that the driving force behind watching White Christmas is, once again, Kim Woo-bin. He is awesome and I just need more of him. Not to mention the very many other model-actors in this drama. Apparently I have a thing for them. Lee Soo-hyuk, Hong Jong-hyun, Sung Joon - I love them all. If only Lee Jong-suk were in this drama too. HA.

7. We Got Married - In this variety-docu series, I'm still totally invested in the relationship of Taemin and Na-eun so I do try to stay away from the crazy things the fans have to say online. I don't need the netizen-driven drama to enjoy this couple, thank you very much.

I've also started to watch the 2 new couples: Jung-Jung Couple and the Yoon-han couple. I actually love Jung Joon-young and Jung Yumi together. They are hilarious and complete opposites, yet so awesome together.

To be honest, I'm thinking of dropping Yoon-han and his wife (I don't even remember her name). While I think they are cute and a perfect match, they bore me to tears. They should just get it over with and get married in real life. I loved Yoon-han even before he got on board the We Got Married train and he's an awesome singer and pianist, but this show is showing me how dull he is. Everything is just so damn serious with them. I can't. My older friends absolutely love it but I'd rather have more of Taemin and Na-eun's adorable first love instead.

So these are the shows I've been busy with on a weekly basis. It's insane. And yet, there are still other shows I watch every now and then, on top of my already busy drama-watching schedule. There's that adorable show Tablo and his daughter are on, Superman is Back. Cuteness overload, seriously. And then, of course, there's Running Man. And I also have to try to tune into the new season of 1 Night 2 Days, if only to check out the rapport between the new cast members and to see if the new PD is any good.

Ugh. I'm so ready to hibernate. Is it December yet? I need a breather. From work, that is. I'm probably just going to keep watching all these dramas (and the upcoming new ones) during my Christmas break.

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Pretty Man premieres this week!

I'm about ready to pull some hair out because I don't know where to find the time to watch all the dramas Korea's broadcasting companies have been throwing our way. The fact that Pretty Man will start to air in a few days, man alive! I mean, I still have The Heirs, Mi-rae's Choice, and Reply 1994 already keeping me super busy. Add to that my usual variety shows (i.e. Running Man, We Got Married)… Plus, you know, living out my actual life where I have work and stuff… How am I suppose to survive all this?

At the helm of this new drama is the same person who directed Flower Boy Ramyun Shop and Flower Boy Next Door - which were both fun, zippy, and beautifully painted rom-coms. So, at the very least, we can expect some quirky cuteness and aesthetically-pleasing images.

While I'm quite tired of Jang Geun-suk playing all these flower boy roles, I do love him as an actor. And though we're once again being forced to believe IU in a Plain Jane role, I think she has so much potential as an actor and she's come a long way since Dream High. She was a joy to watch in You're The Best Lee Soon-shin despite the drama's storytelling being a hot mess.

I haven't seen much of second male lead Lee Jang-woo aside from some clips of him on We Got Married, but I hear good things about him as an actor. And I loved Han Chae-young in Delightful Girl Chun-hyang, so here's to hoping I'll continue to love her in this new drama.

The plot may seem ridiculous right now, but what do we expect when it's based on a webtoon, right? So basically, what we know is that Jang Geun-suk plays the titular pretty man who's main goal is to woo the gorgeous Han Chae-young. But she plans on training him first and gives him the task of conquering 10 of the most eligible bachelorettes in the city. IU, on the other hand, plays your average girl-next-door who falls in love with our pretty man the moment she lays eyes on him in junior high. And, of course, Lee Jang-woo plays the nice guy who falls in love with IU's Plain Jane.

I've taken to calling this drama Pretty Man, based on the direct translation of its Korean title "예쁜남자 (Yeppeun Namja)" but KBS seems to have other plans as they've since been releasing teasers with the English title Bel Ami. Which is not actually English but French and translates to "pretty friend." This title references a Guy de Maupassant novel which, according to Wikipedia, "chronicles a man's corrupt rise to power from a poor police officer to one of the most successful men in Paris - most of which he achieves by manipulating a series of powerful, intelligent, and wealthy mistresses."

Despite my busy drama-watching schedule, it's not like I have a choice on whether or not to tune into this drama. Is there any question about tuning in? Nope. The only remaining question is, eotteokhae?!

Pretty Man premieres Wednesday on KBS, replacing current melodrama Secret.

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My Lists: 10 favorite idol-actors

I know it's been ages since my last post. I was down with a fever for a good week and that took away from quality online time. Heh. But anyway, I'm back now and thought it a perfect opportunity to write up another list.

There have been many casting news for new movies and dramas due out later this year to next year and, of course, a number of idols are being considered for big roles. What's a project without an idol-turned-actor up in the credits, right? While not all idol-actors are praiseworthy, there are certainly more than a handful of actors in your favorite dramas and movies who started out (and are still) idol stars. And for today's list, I'll be giving you my top 10 favorite idol-actors.

Yoon Eun-hye - I don't know much about Baby V.O.X but I do love me some Yoon Eun-hye. Though she got her fair share of criticism for her debut role as an actor in Goong, Yoon Eun-hye showed her detractors that she's actually got some acting chops in her follow up drama Coffee Prince. That drama, to this day, is still one of my all-time favorites and it put Yoon Eun-hye on my list of favorite actresses.

Eric Mun - Who doesn't love Shinhwa's leader, Eric? Not only is he tall, dark, and handsome, he's also such a charming guy with an insane sense of humor. Plus, the boy can act. One of my all-time favorite melodramas is the 2007 watch-it-and-weep Que Sera Sera where Eric played the lead role. That drama showed Eric in a totally different light, and boy was he legit in it.

Park Yoochun - This JYJ member is my favorite dorky actor. Sure, he's gorgeous and can do drama like a boss. But he's always especially adorable in those funny scenes where he's being a doofus. And this can be said for both rom-com Rooftop Prince and melodrama I Miss You.

T.O.P - A lot of people cringed every time Big Bang's TOP opened his mouth in action drama IRIS, myself included. But it's not entirely his fault that a lot of his lines were in English. While I have not loved TOP in any of his dramas yet, I was moved beyond tears by his performance in 71: Into the Fire. Even alongside big guns like Kwon Sang-woo, Cha Seung-won and Kim Seung-woo, TOP was able to hold his own and he totally stole that film.

Lee Seung-gi - I have not cried as much as I did while watching Lee Seung-gi's moving performance in The King 2 Hearts. This solo singer has done almost everything under the sun and he's been good at everything. He's a variety sweetheart, a CF king, and an actor to be reckoned with. While rom-com is his main game as an actor, it was the dramatic beats in his recent drama that knocked me off my socks.

Kim Dong-wan - There's just something about Kim Dong-wan that makes me wanna pet him and keep him in my pocket. And I don't just mean his size. Dong-wan, of Shinhwa fame, is insanely charismatic. Of the episodes of Cheer Up Mr. Kim that I've seen, Dong-wan has always shown such strong presence on screen and he always makes you want to root for him.

Jung Eun-ji - Who can even forget her character from Reply 1997? Eun-ji brought Siwon to life. With every stilted line delivery, every prolonged whine, every smirk directed at Yoon-jae, we all simultaneously fell in love with Siwon and A Pink's Eun-ji.

IU - I have a lot to say about how You're The Best Lee Soon Shin is turning out but none of them would be about terrible acting. Because, truth be told, the only good thing remaining about the show is its awesome cast. IU has been delivering well week after week, and her efforts are obvious and praiseworthy. P.S. I also loved her Pil-sook in Dream High.

Seo In-guk - Just as we could all relate to Eun-ji's fangirl character in Reply 1997, we also wanted a best friend like Yoon-jae. Sure, he was surly and broody, but he was also a gorgeous dork who was incredibly sweet to his best friends and brother. Seo In-guk continues to make us fall in love in this year's new Hong Sisters' drama Master's Sun.

UEE - I used to hate UEE, if only because I hated her character in You're Beautiful. But I guess you can call that effective acting. Hah. Later on, I fell in love with her in Ojakkyo Brothers and I haven't looked back since. It really helped that she had amazing on screen chemistry with Joo-won.

What about you? Who are your favorite idol-turned-actors?

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Halfway Report: You're The Best Lee Soon Shin

We're nearing the halfway mark of You're The Best Lee Soon Shin and I'm happy to report that I'm still stuck to it like superglue and I'm still pretty much invested in all the lead characters and their respective narrative arcs.

To be honest, because of my excitement over this show, I've found myself watching its episodes twice. First time will be in its raw form, without English subtitles - with me trying to keep up with what little knowledge I have of the Korean language. And a second time once the episodes have been properly subbed.

The relationships between the Lee sisters and their respective love interests have taken curious turns. Eldest sister Hye-shin, while still completely oblivious to Bread Man Jin-wook's interest, has at least come clean to the whole family about her divorce. That's a step forward. Now it's all up to the baker to get a hold of himself and man up to his attraction. That man needs to learn how to tamp down his nerves around her though. While his awkwardness makes for comedy gold, and we all love him for it, it will take more than that to win the lady over. And maybe buttering up to Woo-joo is not a bad idea.

Second sister Yoo-shin, who has been steadfast in her principles and beliefs since the beginning of the drama, has tried her hand at slight reinvention to gain the favor of Chan-woo's mom (chicken ahjumma) to no avail. While it's funny seeing the two stubborn ladies butt heads, I just really want more cute banter from the lovebirds. And maybe we can cut Yi-jung out of this particular arc altogether, no?

And, of course, with maknae Soon-shin finding out about the bet between Jun-ho and Yeon-ah, she's back in the good graces of her mom but Jun-ho is now being ignored. Which, on one hand, is sad after the adorable development of their relationship in episode 19. But if this pushes Jun-ho to realizing his attraction to Soon-shin, all the better. I mean, the boy is imagining her in places where she is not. He's flipping through his phone, staring at selcas she's previously sent him. He even goes as far as being a mildly creepy stalker peeping over walls and following her around that Young-hoon has him banned from the restaurant. Yet he denies his crush. 

Also, at this point in the drama, we're pretty much just waiting for shit to hit the fan regarding the birth secret. More people are finding out the truth, including grandma and Hye-shin. And it seems like bio-mom Song Mi-ryung is starting to come to terms with the fact that Soon-shin is her daughter, and this drives her to the brink of sanity extreme drunkenness a date with the emergency room. 

All this set-up makes me look forward to next week's episodes because, hot damn, they showed in the preview Mi-ryung asking for Soon-shin back. Like, woah. Out come mom's claws. After having to go through hell in order to accept the fact that her husband lied to her about Soon-shin's parentage, and letting go of her anger in order to properly love her daughter as she ought to, she sure as hell ain't letting her go. At least not without a fight.

Most of all, though, the main thing about the preview was this:

I am beyond happy that they’re back to putting in sneak peeks for episodes to come because Jun-ho’s newfound hotness excites me. Look at that hair! Bangs not flat against his forehead?! I love it. Is the new do a result of him realizing he's in luuurve? 

Looks like I will, indeed, be sticking around to watch this show till the end. A couple times over, too.

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Current Addiction: You're The Best Lee Soon Shin

I've never stayed committed to a long-running family drama ever in my life, no matter my conviction in the early stages. Awhile back, I had sworn to watch Ojagkyo Brothers to the end but halfway through I ended up dropping the series in exchange for reading its recaps online, my love for Joo Won be damned.

About a month ago though, I had made a similar promise to stick to the new KBS family drama You're The Best Lee Soon Shin, which stars Jo Jung-suk (The King 2 Hearts, What's Up) and idol singer IU (Dream High) as the main couple. I'm a huge fan of Jo (who coincidentally starred alongside Joowon in the Korean production of Spring Awakening) and, to a lesser degree, IU. While IU's character in Dream High was one of my favorites, this is the first time I'm seeing her in a legit acting vehicle. Jo, on the other hand, had me floored in his portrayal of steadfast soldier and loyal best friend to Lee Seung-gi in The King 2 Hearts.

So far, we're only 10 episodes in (this drama is slated to have 50 episodes) and of which I've only seen the first 8, but I'm loving it. It's got genuine heart, cute budding romances, and awesome acting all around - what's not to like? IU is definitely exceeding expectations and has pulled many a tears from me and Jo is so perfect in his role of the arrogant but spazztastically dorky male lead.

I've actually never been this excited over a drama since School 2013, and just the feeling of being able to look forward to a couple of episodes every week is making me a happy camper. I hope this one sticks to me like glue, and here's to hoping I get to finish my first ever family drama. Hwaiting!

You're The Best Lee Soon Shin airs every Saturday and Sunday on KBS.

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