Flower Boy Ramyun Shop

Hey Everyone!

So, I finally finished another drama today. It was called Flower Boy Ramyun Shop. It was mainly about a rich boy named Cha Chi Soo and an athletic girl named Yang Eun Bi. The two met by coincidence in a girl's washroom stall after CS was trying to escape his father's men. CS was known to be very flirtatious, and did the same with the naive and easy EB. Eventually, EB starts teaching at the school that CS is a student at, and realizes that not only is he 6 years younger than her, but he is also the son of a famous chaebol. She then realized she should steer clear of him to avoid any other complications. In the meantime, EB's father passed away and Choi Kang Hyuk arrived to take care of her and her father's ramyun shop. KH started falling for EB right away and even lived with her at the ramyun shop with two other boys from the school. Also, since EB was irritated with CS and hit him with a volleyball, she was fired from her job. At that point, the "flower boys" and EB re-opened the ramyun shop as the "Flower Boy Ramyun Shop". Soon, CS started falling for EB's eccentric personality. The rest of the drama follows with a lot of comedic acts and slightly dramatic scenes between the various characters. EB, CS, and KH eventually ended up in a love triangle amongst other things. I really liked this drama because of the light hearted nature of it. There was very minimal dramatic scenes, as well, there was a lot of comedy. I was very amused by the extremely dramatic scenes ending in comic relief. I give this drama a 4.5 out of 5 stars. It was definitely an entertaining drama that kept me amused. I would recommend this drama to everyone that is craving something light and fun. Let me know your thoughts!

Some comments about the drama (SPOILERS):

- KH started off very weird
- The drama reminded me of the Japanese Gokusen often
- Wow, lots of promotion for Dr. Dre Beats
- KH looked really cute during movie date... more his age... but poor him!
- Love how there is always a dramatic moment and then comic relief suddenly
- Love the black hair on CS!
- Hilarious scenes: train/poop, guy putting on face cream, when she tried to seduce the two, break raw egg on head, the skits, "new generation house", the revelation of the brothers to the house, church scene, plunger/protest
- Cried: father died/when she left home, coach with notepad at wedding, when HK leaving

That's it for now.

I'm off,

- B

Man of Honor

Hey Everyone!

It has been a little while since I last posted, considering this drama was not that long (well, 24 episodes). But regardless, I have been busy preparing for medical school and working. Otherwise, in my spare time, I finally got to finish this drama, called Man of Honor. It was the first drama in a while, that I really liked a lot. It was mainly about Yoon Jae In and her struggles in life after her father dies. She was sent to an orphanage at a young age because Seo Jae Myung (her father's best friend and company partner) did not want her to claim her 50% of company shares. When JI's father died in a car accident, the driver, Kim In Bae was saved instead of JI's father, and since JM saved him, IB sent JI to the orphanage so that he could receive some money to open up a noodle shop. In the meantime, JI's mother was in a coma after getting into an accident after hearing about JI's father's accident. IB's son (Kim Young Kwang) and JM's son (Seo In Woo) both knew JI in the past through their fathers. 17 years later, YK and IW had encounters with the now 26 year old JI. Initially, YK did not recognize JI, but IW did. IW tried to protect JI from his father by trying to persuade her to stay away from GeoDae (the company run by JM). In the meantime, JI assumed YK's father was her father because IB kept sending money and letters to her during her stay at the orphanage. This made things very complicated for IB's family, because his wife and family assumed he had an affair. Due to this misunderstanding, the family disliked JI a lot and she went through more hardships to gain acceptance in that family. However, the misunderstandings continued once IB died, leaving behind many unanswered questions. Only YK and his grandmother were kind to JI during her stay with them. It was around this time that IW was realizing who JI really was (since she was his private nurse). The rest of the drama revolved around JI, IW, and YK entering the GeoDae as employees, and trying to solve all the mysteries left behind about JI. The drama was mainly about inheritances and struggles in life. There was a minor supernatural aspect to the drama, but it was nothing too extreme. I really liked this drama because it was not over dramatic, and the plot was really good. Not only that, the wit and thought-provoking jokes (e.g. monkey one), were really intriguing. I gave this drama a 4.75 out of 5 stars because it was great, but the supernatural aspect was not really necessary in my opinion. Regardless, it was one of the better dramas I have seen in a while. I would definitely recommend it to everyone. Let me know your thoughts on it.

Some comments about the drama (SPOILERS):

- I feel bad for IW... no love from father (initially), always trying to impress him yet fears him as well...
- I feel bad for In Cheol, since he got too greedy instead of appreciating his love
- many characters really had bad anger management!
- Funny scenes: when all 3 found each other at the interview, two running around and he is singing karaoke, first breakfast at IW's, his debt collector version
- IW would have been a great Domioji from HYD and PMY would have been a great female lead
- Elevator scene was so cute!
- First drama in a while that kept me at the edge of my seat for more... could not wait for the next day to watch the next ep...
- All the idioms and witty comments were interesting... plus lie joke
- Cried: when she had to leave, when begging for bb back, when he built the tent, return of the land deed, when mom and daughter meet, when he saw her kissing IW, when the culprit found, when grandma was lost, wiping JI's tears, when forgave JM

That's it for now.

I'm off,

- B

New Heart

Hey Everyone!

So, I just finished another drama after awhile, called New Heart. It was mainly about thoracic surgeons and their struggles in their department. Indeed, in the Western world, thoracic surgeons are more popular, and the department is very difficult to get into. However, this drama showed that in Korea, it is not such a popular field because of all the losses and stress that comes from heart surgeries. The drama started with an interaction between Choi Kang Gook, a well known thoracic surgeon and Lee Eun Sung, an intern at a countryside hospital. After a heart incident with a patient, ES decided to go to Kwang Hee Hospital in Seoul to enter the thoracic department. Meanwhile, KG was requested to return to Kwang Hee since they were going to open up a new Cardiac Center soon. This was when ES and Nam Hye Suk were chosen as first year residents in the department. Initially, HS was very cold and only cared about getting the job done, but after witnessing ES's caring nature and passion towards the patients, she became a much kinder person. She also started falling for ES, but he did not want to start a relationship with a co-worker, since it may not end well and then it would become awkward since they had to remain colleagues. The rest of the drama revolved around ES and HS becoming closer, hospital politics, and various medical cases. It was an interesting drama because though there was not too much romance, the medical field interests me, so I found this to be a really good drama. It had plenty of dramatic scenes and lots of laughs as well. I would definitely recommend this drama to anyone looking for a good medical drama. I give this drama a 4.5 out of 5 stars.

A few comments about the dramas (SPOILERS):

- I really liked ES's jolly personality/optimisim
- The catheter insertion was hilarious (for the secretary of the state person)
- His first time in the hotel was hilarious
- HS cries too much!
- Not sure if they should be running around the hospital so much... hmm...
- MM was sooo annoying!
- Hospital politics is too much! *sigh*
- Hug from behind made my heart beat from a scene after a long time!
- Way she stopped talking to him to get his mind off the pantient was cute
- I love all the idol dances... Wonder Girls/Big Bang
- Aww nerve damage... luckily ambidextrous
- When KG had to go back... it was so sad
- 4th year resident and MM make an odd couple

That's it for now.

I'm off,

- B

Patisserie Coin de rue

Hey Everyone!

So, I just finished a movie that I had downloaded a few weeks ago, called Patisserie Coin de rue. It was mainly about a girl named Natsume, that visits Tokyo because her ex-boyfriend moved there. However, she ended up realizing her love of baking while there, and decided to train under the chef at the store her boyfriend left; Coin de rue. There, she learned many new techniques, and also met Tomura. He was a well known Patisserie, but had stopped baking because his daughter died while he was baking one day (he forgot to pick her up from school). Natsume somehow brought him back to baking because her boss was in the hospital. The rest of the movie just showed Natsume and Tomura, working together to prepare for a banquet. Most of the movie showed Natsume maturing and realizing her own dreams. It also showed many pastries and delicious looking desserts! I love cooking dramas and movies, so I really enjoyed this one. I love to bake myself, so it was nice seeing all the customers and their smiles after eating the desserts that were displayed in the drama. It was a relatively light hearted movie, and worth a watch. I would give this movie a 4 out of 5 stars. Let me know if any of you have watched this movie, and what you thought about it. That's it for now.

I'm off,

- B

Soulmate

Hey Everyone!

So, I just finished another drama, this time a romantic comedy called Soulmate. It was quite an interesting drama because it was about the "game of love". The drama revolved around Shin Dong Wook and Lee Soo Kyung. In the first half of the drama, both of their perspectives were shown, including them realizing what "love" is. DW had never fell in love before, but finally found a girl, Hong Yu Jin, who was very innocent and naive. He began to realize that he could be with her, since she was so simple and different, however he never really "loved" her. There was no passion for her, rather, just fulfilling the qualities he searched for in the game he was playing. SK on the other hand, was with the same guy, Phillip, for 5 years and even got engaged to him, but he started falling for someone else. Due to that, he realized that he fell out of love with SK. It was really hard for SK, but that was how she found DW. Finally, the two main characters met halfway into the drama, as if by destiny. They kept being drawn to each other. But, DW kept pushing the thoughts aside, and SK, being friends with YJ, tried not to realize her feelings as well. The rest of the drama involved different encounters between DW and SK, and their love developing for each other. It was a cute drama, but the ending left me longing to know what happens next. I guess that is also a reason to like the drama right? Personally, I dislike being left hanging, so I would have to rate this drama a bit lower than perhaps it deserves. But, otherwise, it was definitely a worthwhile drama to watch. There were a lot of laughs, and a few tears now and then. But, it was nice seeing all the characters learn what "love" is, to them, as individuals. I also found the dating games really amusing. If you have time, give this drama a shot! I give this drama a 4 out of 5 stars.


Some notes about the drama (SPOILERS):

- damn DW had a great body!
- the instructor was such a trouble maker!
- the [OST](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2wiCTMZoBtg) was interesting... very sensual...
- interesting perspectives by showing both sides
- the games were twisted
- outfit YJ picked out for DW was hilarious!
- the manager & brother were hilarious!
- YJ's way of speaking was so irritating at times!
- the phone call/crying/music scene was so sweet/touching (tear)
- so much better without the headband!
- sexual tension between DW and SK was nice
- family orchestra... hahaha
- cried: break up, when main prentends to be her bf, when DW left
- end left me hanging

That's it for now.

I'm off,

- B

Warrior Baek Dong Soo

Hey Everyone!

Wow, it feels like it has been a while since I last posted on here. A few things in my life have changed in the past few days, so I thought I would share them with you before mentioning the drama I just finished. First, I got a job in a clinic (YAY) and second, I got re-admitted into Med school and decided to go afterall. I was really confused these past few months, but I finally decided on which path I want to take in life, so I just had to share the good news with all of my readers too.

Anyways, I just finished another drama after a long time called Warrior Baek Dong Soo. It is the second Era drama that I have watched (SKK Scandal being the first). This was not light hearted, but it was definitely exciting (especially the hot guys and sword fighting)! I loved the bromance aspect of it, as well as the cute side love stories too. But the main thing I liked about it, was the fact that it showed true friendships and great character developments.

The drama was mainly about Baek Dong Soo, and his hardships as he grew up. Before he was even born, his father was killed because he took the fall for the (at that time) Crown Prince. DS was born without the ability to properly move his arms and legs. The Sword Saint saved DS's life by giving up one of his arms. Later, the Sword Saint thought he had lost DS, and went on a spiritual/training journey. 12 years later, Yeo Un arrived in the camp where DS stayed (his father's old friend's son). The rest of the drama revolved around the friendship that Un and DS developed through various interactions. The major twist was that, prior to even going to live with DS, Un was selected to be the next heir in Heuksa Chorong (the assassain group), whereas DS was from a warrior family. The two grew up together, witnessing many deaths and meeting many people - including DS saving the Crown Prince's life once. One person they encountered was Yoo Ji Sun - the love interest of both DS and Un (though, I did not really get why - because damsel in distress?). However, she was already betrothed to the Crown Prince (at the time). She had a twisted fate because upon her father's death bed, he tatooed a map on her back that many people sought after. She had to live with that burden for 8 years. After 8 years, it was shown that DS and Un were much closer, and they once again met with JS. DS was a naive young adult, and he just lived life to the fullest, still trying to beat Un in sword fighting. It was then, that the Sword Saint returned. It was also the time when the Crown Prince was killed and Un's cover was blown, so he had to join Heuksa Chorong as the Human Lord. After that, DS went into depression, and finally was brought out of it by his childhood friend - Hwang Jin Joo; I really liked her! DS then went on a training journey with the Sword Saint for 3 years. During the time DS was away, Un helped JS with her merchant duties. He always protected her and his old friends. Eventually, DS and all the others realized Un's real intentions, but with many misunderstandings in between. Either ways, there were many other aspects of the drama that I did not mention, but the this was the basic jist of the drama. It was light hearted at times, but I would say it was more dramatic. To be honest, I did not watch this drama due to romantic developments, rather due to the relationship between DS and Un and the character developments. I will not say anything about the end either, but it was predictable from the beginning. Either ways, it was a really good drama, and worth a watch! I will leave you all to watch the drama for yourselves, and let me know what you thought. I give this drama a 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Here are some notes about the drama (includes SPOILERS):

- The kid versions were really funny "male prostitute" haha
- I like the rivalry between DS and Un from childhood
- I like Un's determination/competitiveness & compassion towards DS
- Lee Jun Ki would have been a good addition to this drama
- Such tragic love stories (eg. Sword Saint and Ga Ok)
- DS always had great timing to save the day!
- Bromance was so hot!
- I felt so bad for Un... though he chose that path... (thank goodness first mission wasn't Sa Mo)
- Sexual tension between Sword and Ga Ok... wow... really well made!
- Un's betrayal.. ouch! (betryal from someone you trust is worse than benig a villian from before)
- I think Un looks better than the female leads haha
- DS and Un remind me of Naruto and Sasuke from the anime Naruto
- Shock: paternity revealed!
- When Jap guy turned the bow around
- Human Lord just would not die!
- Disappointing: Battle with Jap guy was too short... but we always knew Un was stronger than the Jap guy and since DS was stronger than Un... quick fight?
- Loved it when Un and DS fought together again!
- Times I cried: Sa Mo almost died, Un's attempt to kill friends, GO leaving SS, the betrayal+girl choosing the Prince, second fire, when she found out her birth past, when GO was hit, when Sky Lord nurtured JJ, when find out not real daughter, when GO dies/funeral, when DS and Un reunite, when Sky Lord gets hit, when real dad leaves/dies, when Sky Lord dies, order to kill Un, misunderstandings between Un and others, first half of last episode

Anyways, that's it for now. Let me know if any of you watched it, and what your opinions were. If you have not watched it, then definitely give it a shot!

I'm off,

- B

God of Study

Hey Everyone!

So, prior to talking about my most recent drama, I just wanted to share a bit of good news. First, I finally found a job, and second, I got re-admitted into Medical school. I know that I rejected med. school once, but it is nice to still have that option. Either ways, I am really happy to be working at a medical clinic and it is close to home as well. Anyways, enough about me, I will talk about the drama now. So, I finally finished another drama. To be honest, it took me a while this time to even find one that I like. Majority of the dramas that I want to watch, are still in the process of finishing production, so I figured that I would watch an older one. I attempted to watch Winter Sonata (both drama and anime), but I just knew it was going to get really depressing, so I stopped. I ended up reading the review for it instead. There are some really good ones out there. Anyways, after a few days, I finally started God of Study. It was an excellent drama, and worth a watch definitely. It did not have the typical lovey dovey stuff, but it had cute little romantic encounters here and there. However, the main plot did not revolve around love, rather about some delinquent kids that have a goal, to get into the best school in S. Korea (remind anyone of Gokusen a bit?). The story mainly started with Kang Suk Ho entering his former high school to help the school train 5 students to enter Chun-Ha-Dae University. SH had troubled teenage years but one teacher really looked after him. Due to that teacher, he was able to go to University and even become a lawyer. So, he decided that he would enter the his former high school, and change things, so that the troubled kids could have a proper education. He entered the school initially because he was trying to prevent the school from being sold to a company, and having to send the students away. However, in order to do that, he had to make an agreement with the Director of the school (awesome fashion sense!) to teach 5 students and send them to Chun-Ha-Dae University (one of the best/perhaps the best school in S. Korea). Most of the teachers laughed it off, but SH believed in the students, so he signed the contract. His conditions were to find the 5 students within 3 days and to make sure those students are in the 70th percentile by the pratice exam time. So, the drama took off, as SH searched for the 5 students. He had approached Kil Pul Ip, Oh Bong Goo, Hwang Baek Hyun (so good looking!), Hong Chan Doo (very cute), and Na Hyun Jung (Ji Yeon from T-ara). After he finally enlisted them, he brought in a few teachers of his for the vigorous training; Cha Ki Bong (if any of you watch animes, doesn't he look like Jiraya from Naruto?), Anthony Yang (hilarious), Lee Eun Yoo (really intruiging character), and Jang Young Shik for math, English, Korean literature, and science respectively. Each teacher taught not only their subject, but life lessons as well. Throughout the drama, there were several training camps and obstacles for the teachers and children. It was a well-made plot since it showed great character development for both teachers and their students.

What I liked mainly were each individual character's story and how they overcame their individual struggles. All of the kids had some sort of family issue. PI, had a bar-hostess mother that fell in love with a married man. BG came from loving parents, but always told him that he did not need to study since he probably did not inherit good brains from them (lacked motivation). BH lived with his elderly grandmother, since his parents passed away when he was very young, and so living expenses were difficult to come by (so he had to work to make some income). CD, though he came from a rich family, they had too many expectations from him, and he just was not interested in studying (rather dance). Finally, HJ, came from a relatively rich family, but lived on her own because of her ill-relationship with her parents (they kept their distance, but sent her money). Throughout the drama, each character matured, by learning that studying and going to school would help them overcome many obstacles in life. It was a great "slice of life" drama because it showed the struggles of many types of kids, not just one. There were also little side-love-stories involving HJ, BH, CD, and PI, as well as SH, Han Soo Jung (the assistant teacher to the special class), and the Director. The love triangles were never really resolved, but it was nice to see that the focus of the drama was more on their studies and futures, rather than just finding love. These were high school kids, and they needed guidance in life, rather than finding their soul mate. So, all-in-all, I gave this drama a 4.5 out of 5 stars because I really liked the plot. I only took off a 0.5 because of a few unresolved issues. Otherwise, I thoroughly enjoyed this drama. I would definitely recommend it because it was relatively light hearted and enjoyable.

A few side notes were (may include spoilers):

- HJ originally started as an annoying character, but I loved how she became dark (I hope Ji Yeon plays a dark character in Dream High 2 as opposed to a cutesy one)
- I loved the OST "Because I'm Weary"
- Does anyone know the songs that were playing in Ep. 12 (MVs)?
- Does anyone know the type of puppy that was shown on Ep. 12?
- It was nice to see SH's emotional side at the funeral
- LoL at the goofy smile at the end from SH
- the unresolved issues: Who ended up with who?, Did PI's mom return?, Does HJ still remain alone at the end or did the teacher stay with her?

That's it for now.

I'm off,

- B

2011 M.A.M.A. Awards

Hey Everyone!

So, I just finished watching another awards show. I figured if any of you are interested, the performances can be found here: http://www.koreaboo.com/index.html/_/music-shows/watch-the-performances-from-the-2011-mnet-asian-r11815. Just a basic review of the performances. I found the opening to be nice, since I really like Moonlight Sonata. The performance from JS and HyunA was really sexy, because I loved the chemistry between them! I am looking foward to when Troublemaker's (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=irfFOxYloSw) video comes out! I also really found miss A's performance really good, though a minor fan dropping mishap. Suzy's random appearance in during Kim Hyun Joong's performance was also a cute addition. It was also nice to see performances by Black Eyed Peas with CL and Snoop Dog with Dr. Dre, really interesting to see some Western presence! The only performance I was disappointed in was Girl's Generation's opening. There were a few mishaps including choreography flaws. I guess I just expected better from them. Anyways, here is a list of the winners:

Song of the Year - 2ne1 for "I am the Best"
Album of the Year - Super Junior for "Mr. Simple"
Artist of the Year - Girl's Generation (I disagree with this one. Just my opinion.)
Best New Male Artist - Huh Gak (once again, nice!)
Best New Female Artist - A Pink
Male Group Award - Super Junior
Female Group Award - Girl's Generation (meh...)
Male Singer Award - Kim Hyun Joong
Best Female Singer Award (solo) - Baek Ji Young
Best (solo) Dance Performance - HyunA for "Bubblepop!"
Best Male Dance Performance - B2ST for "Fiction"
Best Female Dance Performance - miss A for "Goodbye Baby" (about time!)
Best Vocal Performance (solo) - IU for "Good Day"
Best Vocal Performance (group) - 2ne1 for "Lonely"
Best Band Performance - CN Blue for "Intuition" (Yay!!)
Best Rap Performance - Leessang for "Turn Off the TV"
Best O.S.T. - Baek Ji Young for "That Woman" from Secret Garden (finally got that right!)
Best Music Video - Big Bang for "Love Song"
Best Artist (China) - Jane Zhang
Hottest Asian Artist - Koda Kumi
Best Asian Artist - Aziatix
Best Asian Artist (solo) - Wei Chen
Singapore's Choice (most popular kpop artist) - Super Junior
Best Style in Music - Seo In Young
Mnet Specialized Award - YB

I was relatively pleased with the winners this time around (compared to the Melon Music Awards). Let me know what you guys thought/think of the winners and performances. That's it from me for now.

I'm off,

- B

My Love by My Side

Hey Everyone!

I finally finished another drama! It took longer than usual because this one was one of those family dramas that are 50 episodes long. I even skimmed through a few episodes, but it still took me a while to finish. I will be honest, I did check out the last episode before I continued watching, because I wanted a certain couple to end up together. Anyways, the drama My Love by My Side, was mainly about three families: Do Mi Sol's family, Go Suk Bin's family, and Lee So Ryong's family, and the connections each has with one other. The drama started with a girl named Do Mi Sol and her journey after realizing she is pregnant (teen mother). She was impregnated by Go Suk Bin, a fellow classmate and childhood friend. SB's mother could not stand the thought of her smart and wonderful son, being involved in a teenage pregnancy, so she sent him away abroad. In the meantime, MS had to go through social scrutiny and even had to withdraw from high school to give birth. She and her (single parent) mother, had to move away from everyone they knew. 7 years later, SB returns to Korea with his wife, and has no idea about the child's birth. Meanwhile, MS had completed college and was studying to be in the broadcasting business (ideally a news anchor). By coincidence, MS meets Lee So Ryong due to some odd circumstances (really funny encounter!). Initially, the two start off as friends, but eventually SR falls for MS. In the meantime, SB realized his son's existence, and tried to get closer to MS. All the while, SB's wife was getting suspicious. The drama then proceeds into more serious matters. I won't go into any more detail than this, but the drama involved all sorts of issues such as teenage pregnancy, greed, and inheritance. I really liked it because the villian character actually made my blood boil (similar to how I felt with Shining Inheritance, yet funny enough, that same actress was in this drama as well, but as a good guy!). I liked this drama because it showed a topic that may even be taboo in Korea because no matter what, teenage pregnancy is not well-taken by society. It was nice seeing that MS did not just give up school, rather finished college and even went into a difficult field. I hope you will check this drama out because it is definitely worth a watch! I give this drama a 5 out of 5 stars.

Here are some hi-lights from the drama (SPOILER ALERT):

- SR was a very forward person especially when he confessed to MS (so cute!)
- the good luck watch necklace was sweet...
- kiss under the umbrella after being saved from a big splash was so romantic!
- 10 dates was such a good idea! (love it)... and double sided coin... classic!
- the uncle couple is too cute = comic relief
- SB's mother was pure evil... total denial!
- predictable plot (e.g. wife's revenge plot, giving up love since adopted)
- I understood wife's point of view too.. there were no explanations so obviously she assumed the worse!
- everyone kept spraying everyone with water when irritated... common theme =S
- wife with affair and sterile was predicatable
- SR's proposal was sooo sweet!
- Times I cried: car almost hitting SR, the break ups, when SR realized he celebrated his birthday with his mother, seeing SB after the accident
- SB's mother made my blood boil!!!

Well, that's it for now.

I'm off,

- B

Melon Music Awards

Hey Everyone!

So, I just finished watching the Melon Music Awards, and if you wish to watch it too, the link is here (no subs though and really long!): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8LY_0FC2n4M. I just thought I would mention a few hi-lights from the show. For the performances: The opening performance was really hot! It showed Park Shin Hye dancing to a Beyonce song. It was pretty cool. Then, there was IU's performance, which was cute and adorable as usual. f(x) had a pretty neat performance because they each performed one of their older songs, then performed one together. Huh Gak's performance of "Hello" was very touching. The Sistar vs. Secret battle was interesting as well, but at the same time, their music was totally different, so how can that be considered a battle? Sistar with more clubby, fast-paced music, whereas Secret had more quiet and cutesy songs. Though, I think Sistar won in the end. But, it was an odd battle. Baek Ji Young sang "That Man" so well. It brought back memories of Secret Garden again (goosebumps!).

Awards:

Artist of the Year - BEAST
Album of the Year - 2ne1 (well-deserved!)
Song of the Year - IU for "Good Day"
Global Artist Award - Girls Generation (SNSD)
Netizen Popularity Award - Super Junior (SuJu)
Top 10 Artists - BEAST, IU, Leessang, f(x), Lena Park, Secret, SISTAR, Big Bang, Super Junior and 2NE1 (though I feel C.N. Blue should have made the list!).
Must Style Best Rap/Hip-Hop award - G-Dragon and TOP’s “Oh Yeah” featuring 2NE1 member Park Bom
Best New Artist - Huh Gak
Music Style R&B Ballad Song - Kim Bumsoo for "Last Love"
MBC Music Star Award - Baek Jiyoung
Best Music Video Award - T-ara for "Roly Poly" directed by Cha Eun Taek
Music Style Best Rock Award – CNBlue for “Intuition” (YAY!)
2011 Hot Trend Award - Infinity Challenge
Performing Arts Award - Lee Seunghwan
Music Style Best OST Song – Sunny Hill for “Pit-A-Pat”, which was used in the official soundtrack of the drama The Greatest Love
Best Songwriter - Jeon Haesung

I liked that Huh Gak won the "Best New Artist" award, he was definitely deserving. He has a great voice for ballad type songs and the audience loved him! I am also glad that IU won, but poor girl, fell while trying to receive her award. Luckily she is really cute, so she just got back up and laughed it off. As for best music video (MV), I personally thought miss A should have won for "Goodbye baby Goodbye", but instead T-ara won for "Roly Poly", which I did not think was right. But, that is just my opinion. The rest of the awards were given as expected, though I think CN Blue deserved to be in the Top 10, but that is just my opinion because they are my fave K-pop band! Anyways, the show was good, but really long. After half of the second part, I kind of scanned through the rest of the show. Overall, it was a good awards show, and worth watching the performances at least. Anyways, that's it for now for me.

I'm off,

- B

Can You Hear My Heart

Hey Everyone!

So, I just finished another drama called Can You Hear My Heart. I have been putting this drama off for a while because I knew it would be a tear fest! Indeed it was, but the summary on dramawiki does not give it justice! This drama had everything in one - familial problems, disabilities, inheritance issues, sibling rivalry, manipulation, etc. I watched every minute of every episode this time. It is a bit longer than the usual drama that I mention, but it was worth every minute! So, before I get too excited and analyze the drama too much, here goes the plot. The drama mainly revolves around two families; the Bong family and the Cha family. The two interrelate through offspring I suppose. In the Bong family, originally existed the grandma, Bong Young Kyu, and Bong Ma Ru. YK is a mentally disabled person and is called a "fool" a lot in the drama. Yet, he was the most charismatic and lovable character in the drama! He fell in love with Mi Suk who was deaf and had a daughter named Bong Woo Ri (little Mi Suk at that time). MR always loathed being in that family because he could not understand why his father was such a "fool" and why he had to suffer so much. One day, MR met the Cha family because they were giving out scholarships. There he met Tae Yeon Suk, Choi Jin Chul, and their son, Cha Dong Joo. MR instantly fell for YS because she was such a loving mother to DJ. However, instantly disliked JC because he was such a jerk to him (disregarded MR because he was poor and "ill-bred"). That same day, DJ met WR and the two became instant friends. However, soon later, MR's mother came back, and it turned out that MR was not actually YK's son, rather his sister's (Kim Shin Ae) son. She had abandoned him when he was a baby so that she could go to America to make something of herself. But, she had returned for her son, and to make him the next inheritor of the Cha inheritance (that's right, MR is JC's biological son). Anyways, one night JC murdered DJ's grandfather and DJ witnessed the murder and fell off of a ladder and lost his hearing. Meanwhile, MS was working at one of the plants that JC owned, and died in a fire (because she was protecting something she bought for MR - to get his approval for the marriage). Somehow, JC instead framed YK and his family for causing the fire (when it was JC's fault), and forced MR to go to DJ's mother for help. At that time, YS already knew about MR's birth parents, and so, she took MR with her to get her revenge on JC in the future. 16 years later, DJ, MR, and YS returned to Korea from Saipan, and made everyone believe that DJ could hear (he could read lips really well). DJ and MR had become really close brothers, and MR was now a doctor (his childhood dream). Eitherways, YS showed MR off to JC without him even realizing that she had adopted his son (very dramatic!). Soon later, DJ comes into contact with WR again through company related business. The two did not hit it off initially, but eventually they did rekindle their old flame. WR was the only one (other than her father) that realized that DJ could not hear (well obviously, her mother was also deaf!). Anyways, all the drama began once MR realized who his real birth parents were and what YS had done (used him all these years). All the abandonment issues began, and all sorts of evil thoughts entered his head. Anyways, I will not spoil the ending, nor all the dramatic events that occur in the last third of the drama, but it is a relatively good ending.

I felt that this drama really showed a lot of important issues like, "be grateful for what you have", "listen to the people you love", and mainly "blood is not necessarily thicker than water". I really felt that this drama did justice to its title Can You Hear My Heart, because it was not only the people that could not hear, but really, the people that could hear, that were not listening! Also, it seemed that, sometimes you need tragedy to actually bring people together again (sigh).

I also really loved the character portrayals through the actors. They really did justice to their characters! I especially was fond of MR and YK. MR, mainly because he went through so much, but still managed to keep his cool. He was able to protect everyone he loved (or at least tried to). I felt that this drama emphasized his character to what was required. I did like the chemistry between DJ and WR, but I felt that romance was not the main theme, rather one's love for their family. WR and her family waited 16 years for MR, and sometimes you just need to open your eyes to see what you are missing out on. MR always wanted a family, but he did not realize till near the end, that he always had a great family, he just needed to open his eyes and see it! Regardless, it was an excellent drama, with a great plot and great characters! I would definitely recommend this to anyone looking for a meaningful drama. Definitely not light-hearted, but worth a watch. I am pretty sure you all can figure out that I give this drama a 5 out of 5 stars. It was just that good! Let me know if any of you watch it, and how you found it. That's it for now (and it is late, almost 2AM, need to sleep!).

I'm off,

- B

Cain and Abel

Hey Everyone!

So, I just finished watching another drama, called Cain and Abel. It is derived from the biblical story about Cain and Abel, the first sons of Adam and Eve. The story is well known for its introduction of jealousy and murder in the world. In the biblical story, Cain is the older brother, who is jealous of Abel, and so decides to kill him. In the end though, he takes in all the punishment for his sins. This drama, has a very similar story line, but of course not as simple. The main characters in this drama were Lee Cho In (Abel) and Lee Seon Woo (Cain). SW returned to Korea after being away for 7 years, whereas CI stayed and began his residency at their family hospital. CI was adopted by SW's father because CI's parents were good friends of SW's father. However, SW's father gave CI all the attention, ever since they were very young. Likewise, SW's mother only showed affection for SW and never for CI. Regardless of all this, the two brothers were always very close. This was shown by their reaction to SW returning from his long trip. But, when Kim Seo Yeon (SW and CI's childhood friend) confesses her love for CI, things become more complicated. Not only that, but it turned out that SW's father was in a coma and had left CI the rights to a new center being created. Initially, SW realizes it was him that left everyone, so he had to accept what had happened in his absence, but soon, SW's mother sends CI to China to do research on a surgery for their father, yet really hired hitmen to keep him there until the board meeting passed. While there, CI met Oh Young Ji, a North Korean defect, that was trying to get passports to smuggle her family and herself into South Korea. So, while working as a tour guide, the people that were going to kidnap CI, hired YJ to be his guide, and offerred her a lot of money. At first, YJ thought CI was a playboy and a scammer, but soon realized he was a kind doctor, that helped the poor (took hospital drugs to help a small village in China). While there, YJ had her appendix removed by CI. At that time, YJ started having feelings for CI, but realized that he had a life in S. Korea, and someday would go visit him when she got the chance. In the meantime, one of the people working for SW's mother, ordered to have CI killed because SW's father left the center to CI. The hitmen then took CI to the desert and shot him and left him to die. Miraculously, some North Korean defects found him and saved him. But, at that time, he had amnesia and did not know who he was or how he got there. During the time with the N. Korean defects, he started talking again, and met YJ's brother. The two became really close, and eventually were going to meet YJ in S. Korea, but one of the members decided to backstab them, and killed YJ's brother for the money. At that time, CI wanted to still take YJ's brother, but he shot himself so that he would not be a burden. But, before his last breath, he asked CI to take care of his sister. While CI was lost, SY searched everywhere for him. One time, they even went to the jail where CI and YJ's brother were, but SY fell ill (heart problems) and when SW saw CI, he pretended not to recognize him. Later, another man's ashes were sent with CI's couple ring with SY, and so everyone thought he was dead. At that point, a few months later, SW finally confessed to SY, and all the truths about his past were revealed. It turned out that SW had a tumour in his brain, and that is why he left, but he did not want to worry anyone about his relapse. The two then started dating. Meanwhile, when CI finally returned to S. Korea, he and YJ started to live together. But, the traitor returned and tried to hurt YJ, so the two left Seoul. During their time together, they became really close, but YJ felt guilty about lying to CI. She knew who he really was, but did not tell the truth because she wanted to escape loneliness and because she wanted to protect him from his killers. However, soon, CI started regaining his memories, and eventually YJ told him the truth. At that point, he was going to return to Seoul but got hit by a car since SW sent the hitmen to kill CI this time. But, since YJ came to intervene, the two faced less damage together. At that point, CI left, and went to the Seoul hospital. Everyone was shocked to see him alive. He was pretending to have lost his memories for the 6 months he was away. YJ thought it was best not to bother him since he was finally back to his loved ones (or so she thought!). At that point, CI found out about SW and SY. Not only that, but he was remembering more about his time away, and started creating a timeline. Soon, he realized his brother was in on the murder plots against him, and he was shocked. YJ started working at the hospital since CI wanted to protect her against the traitor. As well, as he uncovered more and more about the past, SY found out about SW's plots (saw the timeline CI created). Eventually, it was all out war between the brothers, for the two centers. In the end though, SW required surgery, and asked only CI to perform it. If he had to die, then that would be fine, but he wanted CI to perform it, so that he can receive his punishment. In the end, he became in a similar state as his father, where he was in an internal prison, awake yet unable to move. It was a painful way to live the rest of his life, but he did not mind making up for his sins. Finally, CI went to get YJ (since she left after the everything went down), and the two went to visit SW and SY. CI finally told SW to get out of his prison, and to enjoy the rest of his days. The drama ended with a scene of the four standing near a lake, smiling. It was a nice dialogue in the end too, where CI talked about how everyone has at least one really great memory, and the only way to get past bad ones, is by a fellow man (like how YJ helped CI). Well, that was long, but it was definitely a great watch! I missed a ton of little details, but it was one of the better dramas. The plot was excellent, and there was great character development. A definite must-see! I give this drama a 5 out of 5 stars for sure! That's it for now.

I'm off,

- B

Protect the Boss

Hey Everyone!

So, I just finished another cute romantic comedy drama. I have been watching this one for over a week because I have been a bit busier lately. Either ways, it was called Protect the Boss. It was mainly about No Eun Seol, an ex-Player (like Yankee in Japan), who wanted to turn a new leaf, by working as an office Secretary. She gets a job, but only to find out the boss is a pervert, so she gets into a fight with his gangsters and ends up coming into contact with Cha Ji Heon. JH is basically a Chaebol's son, but does not care about being the next in line for the family business. He also had a panic disorder during public speaking. Soon, JH's cousin, Cha Moo Won hires ES to spy on JH as his secretary. But, in the end, she was loyal to JH and always protected him. Not only that, but JH and MW both fell for ES. ES only cared about work and money, so she did not initially fall for either of the boys. However, eventually, she did fall for JH. There were a few obstacles in their way, like MW, and JH's ex (Seo Na Yoon). But, they still ended up together. Everyone was happy, but then, JH's father decided to do some dirty business, and ES happened to find out. Then, MW and NY's mothers decided to frame ES about coming out as an informant on the information. At that time, ES and JH were both transferred to different locations. Not only that, but once JH and ES finally met up again, JH's father became ill. JH then asked ES to wait for him, and after a few months, the two finally got back together again. In the end, the two got married, and JH finally got the courage to leave the company and because a professor (ironic due to his previous struggles with public speaking). ES decided to go back to school. NY and MW finally got together for real, with real feelings (before it was more about the name). It was a cute drama, and not as dramatic as most, which made me happy to have a light hearted one again. I give this drama a 5 out of 5 stars. That's it for now.

I'm off,

- B

Save the Last Dance for Me

Hey Everyone!

So, I just finished another drama. This one I kind of zoomed through because I did not really feel like watching the whole thing. Not sure why, but it was a bit predictable. It was called Save the Last Dance for Me. It was actually Eugene's first drama and only drama I have not seen by her. Even though it was her first, I now see why she was the lead in so many dramas after this. It was a really good drama and worth a watch if you want a more classic drama. The plot is relatively predictable, and the tale is quite sad, but it is worth a watch if you like Eugene as much as me! Anyways, the drama was mainly about Kang Hyun Woo, and how he gets into an accident and loses his memory. That's when Ji Eun Soo finds him with her father. The two live together for 1 year and fall for each other. But after getting engaged, ES's father passes away and soon after HW disappears because he regained his memory (forgot the 1 year though!). ES lives on for 1 year waiting for him, till she finally finds him in his old life in Seoul. She decides to work with her friend at HW's company and try to help him regain his memory. But at that time he was with his ex-girlfriend, and so she left him be. But, HW still fell for her. After many struggles and family obstacles, the two finally ended up together. Of course you cannot forget near the end, when she gets run over by a car and loses her ability to walk. At that time she left him so she wouldn't burden him. But, he eventually finds her and the two live together finally, while she gets therapy for walking again. I was going to give this a 4.5 out of 5 stars, but then after seeing that she can regain her walking, I was happy. I know it may be more realistic if she was left in a wheel chair, but after all the obstacles they went through, it would not be fair if she lost so much and went through that many hardships only to lose one of her motor skills. Anyways, I give this drama a 5 out of 5 stars. It was definitely a sweet and sad drama. That's it for now.

I'm off,

- B