[MR] K-Movie Recommendations

I know there are a lot of K-drama fans out there, but if you have yet to see any Korean movies, then boy are you missing out. If you need some place to start, here’s a list of my favorite Korean movies, most of which I watched years ago and a few that came out recently. [I tried to keep my comments short so I don't spoil anything. And sorry not all the trailers have English subs.]

A Wolf’s Temptation [aka Romance of their Own] [2004]

A sweet romance with your typical love triangle. If you haven’t seen the famous Kang Dong Won umbrella scene, you may have been clueless during some variety show references [although I'm unsure if they do it anymore but I know they used to do it on some shows]. And when you start watching this, you might not believe that the main girl is the same one in Flower Boy Ramyun Shop. This movie will take you through a roller coaster of emotions from it’s funny and cute scenes to violent and tragic scenes. I watched it for the second time just recently and it was still an enjoyable movie.
Warning: You may end up crying by the end of this.

100 Days With Mr. Arrogant [2004]

Another classic features well-known actors Ha Ji Won [Secret Garden] and Kim Jae Won [She Is Nineteen]. The 2004 hit rom-com is still pretty popular today and a must-see. Also, this is where the good old "slave agreements" start. I'd say it's been quite a while since I've seen such a quirky Ha Ji Won. Overall, the ending is quite satisfying.
[Warning: There is one "Dare" scene that just might make you want to throw up.]

He Was Cool [2004]

Another classic features Song Seung Hun [My Princess, Time Slip Dr. Jin] and Jung Da Bin [She Is Nineteen]. A cute love story about an optimistic girl who changes a boy that’s only familiar with violence and is a well-known bully. You will definitely fall in love with their love story. And it is definitely refreshing to see Song Seung Hun play this kind of role. And again, a very satisfying ending.

200 Pounds of Beauty [2006]

Featuring singer Kim Ah Joong and Ju Jin Mo, this movie is bound to get your attention. The story is about an overweight but talented girl who lacks self-confidence. After plastic surgery, will she sky rocket to fame or will people look down on her un-natural beauty? I for one loved this movie for its comedy and romance. And I've had friends who have shown positive responses as well.

Windstruck [2004]

Another sweet love story with Jeon Ji Hyun [My Sassy Girl] and Jang Hyuk [Chuno]. Some believe this to be a prequel to the ever so popular My Sassy Girl. I can't say much except that one event can really change a person's life.
[Warning: This is another one of those movies that might make you tear up.]

A Millionaire’s First Love [2006]

Featuring heart throb Hyun Bin [Secret Garden] and Lee Yeon Hee [Paradise Ranch], this tragic love story is about exactly what the movie is named. This rich heir has to prove that he’s worthy of inheriting his grandfather’s inheritance. [If you're a DBSK fan, I recommend you look up the ost for this movie. DBSK - Insa. Also, listen to Jaejoong's version.]

Antique Bakery [2008]

This movie is completely different from all the other movies I’ve listed so far. It is based off of a manga and the cast includes well-known actors Joo Ji Hoon [Goong], Kim Jae Wook [Coffee Prince], Yoo Ah In [Sung Kyun Kwan Scandal], and Choi Ji Ho. It’s about a guy who sets up a bakery in order to find a woman for himself. He hires Kim Jae Wook’s character who *cough* had a crush on him in the past. A lot of things start to unfold as the group runs the successful bakery.

Fly Daddy Fly [2006]

Starring Lee Junki [My Girl, Illjimae] and Lee Moon Shik [Illjimae, Queen Seon Deuk] and Kim Soeun who plays Lee Moon Shik’s character’s daughter. It is a great story about how a father goes through intense training to punish the boy who sexually assaulted his daughter. And this is where Lee Junki’s character comes into play, by training the dad in fighting.
[Fun Fact: tickets were sold out before the movie even opened]

Sunny [2011]

After a long streak of slightly depressing love stories, this movie is sure to lift your spirits. A sweet comedy about friendship. I actually watched this movie with my friends and we loved it. You will laugh and cry throughout the movie because it is that enjoyable. And you might notice some familiar faces like Kang Sora, Min Hyorin and Shim Eunkyung.

Hmmn. 9 movies is great but I like to end with a better number like 10 so here’s a bonus movie that I recommend to you guys. It’s not Korean but it is definitely worth your time. I hope you guys like it. It has Jay Chou. It might actually remind you of Korean movies Il Mare [American remake The Lake House] and Ditto.

If you go and actually watch any of these, make sure you let me know what you thought in the comments below.

[DR] Drama Cliches

Korean dramas tend to have a lot of cliche story-lines or at least similar events. I’m going to share some of the most typical things in all Korean dramas.

To start off the list, let’s just state the obvious, there’s almost always a second guy who never gets the girls no matter how sweet he is. That saying about how good girls like bad guys applies to Korean dramas as well. Some of the most memorable characters that pertain to this quality would have to be BBF’s Ji Hoo, You’re Beautiful’s Shinwoo [& Jeremy!], My Girl’s Jung Woo, and Goong’s Yul goon. It’s not fair but we can’t do anything about it.

Rich guy poor girl spells out your typical Korean drama. And in a way, I don’t think I could watch it if it was the other way around. The rich guy turns out to be an arrogant jerk and the two main characters don’t get along well but in the end they can’t stay away from each other.

Rich guys lead me to another thing. Their evil mothers. Sometimes, there are evil step-mothers as well. So if it’s not the guys mother paying the girl to stay away from her son, it’s the girl’s evil step-mother making her life miserable. Does this sound like Secret Garden and the forever a classic, Stairway to Heaven. Warning: Evil siblings are also included in this package.

And you thought I would leave her out. -_-

Soju and Karaoke! All dramas have one or the other if not both. Thanks to dramas I think I know what I’ll do if I ever go into depression while in Korea. From Prosecutor Princess, I learned a cool way to drink soju is to mix it with beer. If you do it right, it will create a tornado in your glass [I think it's called sameok]. And noraebang [song room...aka karaoke] is another unavoidable place.

Phobias, illnesses and accidents [that may lead to memory loss...or death]. Protect the Boss’s main character, Ji Heon, had agoraphobia [and ochlophobia]. And those darn sad dramas where the main character girl dies [SPOILER: Stairway to Heaven, Autumn In My Heart, 49 Days, etc.]. And we can’t forget the good old amnesia that always comes into the picture [again Stairway to Heaven, Winter Sonata, Boys Before Flowers, Couple or Trouble, Secret Garden].

And Kdrama foods! Kimchi, Deokbuggi, kimbab, and ramyun. If you’ve seen Boys Before Flowers, then I’m pretty sure you can say all these cliches come from there. On the bright side, we get to learn a lot about Korea’s food just from watching dramas.

Other miscellaneous stuff includes the game go stop. I remember this well from Romance town and Prosecutor Princess [also We Got Married but that doesn't count]. It seems kind of hard though because from what I know, the pictures represent numbers and there’s certain combos you need to get.

And every drama has an important item right, like the baseball in Spy Myung Wol, the Gioberni shoes in Prosecutor Princess, the star/moon necklace in BBF, the tear drop necklace in 49 Days, and the pig rabbit in You’re Beautiful. And who can forget Kim Joo Won’s sequined tracksuit [along with all the memorable kiss scenes: cappuccino kiss, sit-up kiss, etc.]?

[DR] 6 K-Dramas with Animal Costumes

I think animal costumes in dramas have become a trend. Lately, you’ll see dramas with random scenes involving the guy [or sometimes the girl] wearing an animal costume, whatever the purpose. Here’s a list I compiled of the dramas I remember having such scenes.

She Is 19

The tiger suits in here were worn by both the main girl and boy, in other words Yoon Kye Sang and Jung Da Bin. It was actually a side job that Jung Da Bin’s character forced Yoon Kye Sang’s into. However, he was not happy so she hit him and they got into a fight. It was like watching a cartoon since they were basically cartoon characters.

The Last Scandal of My Life

In here, Jaebin uses the costume as a disguise. It works really well when famous people want to have fun I guess.

KPop: The Ultimate Audition

In certain situations, it’s a lot easier conveying your feelings inside an animal costume which is what Yoohwan does.

Rooftop Prince

In Rooftop Prince, Becky teaches our 4 power rangersa cute dance while they’re in animal costumes. And they of course go on to perform in public. I don’t know if it look more cute or funny.

Gentleman’s Dignity

In here, Do Jin [Jang Dong Gun] uses the costume to invite Yi Soo [Kim Ha Neul] to his final presentation because he’s too big a coward to be honest about his feelings when he doesn't have a costume. But, I guess the effort was cute.

To The Beautiful You

Lastly, In Beautiful You the costume is used as a mascot to attract more customers to their Host Club coffee shop. And of course Eun Gyeol, being the nice second guy he is, offers to switch with Jaehee so she can have a break.

Did I miss anybody else “suiting up”?

[♪R] 10 Songs Worth Listening to in 2012

[Bear with me, I wrote this back in July]

What are my top 10 songs for this year so far? They range from songs that were just released in June to songs released back in February. And not all are a part of kpop mainstream music. Some are from solo artists and even drama osts are included. Here’s a couple of songs you should check out.

Seo In Guk - Tease Me

Although I still don’t understand the music video, the song really stuck to me. The acoustic guitar and his sweet vocals meshed together beautifully. Seo In Guk, “I think I’m falling in love with you.” This song was a fresh start to the spring season.


Ye Eun [Wonder Girls] - Hello To Myself [Dream High 2 OST]

Yeeun has started to show her composing and writing abilities lately. And she tends to incorporate her own life experiences into her music, with this song being no exception. I think “Hello To Myself” was really fitting to Kang Sora’s character in Dream High. This song is about believing in yourself and motivating yourself. The soft melody was a great addition to the drama and one of my favorite works by Yeeun.

Daesung [Big Bang] - Wings

This was my personal favorite out of the Alive album. Sometimes, I feel like Daesung’s vocals are overlooked. So when you hear it like this in all its glory, it’s hard to deny his talent. And watching the performance was all the more exhilarating.

Lee Seung Chul - Did You Forget [Feast of the Gods OST]

Another OST. I had a really hard time choosing between this song and all of the OSTs from Feast of the Gods. This song is really addictive and you can’t help but sing along to the chorus. Not to mention Lee Seungchul has the perfect voice for OSTs. If you have time, also check out Kim Tae Woo’s So I Run and Sunye’s Sound Of Love.


Miryo - Party Rock [Feat.Gary of LeeSsang & THE KOXX]

And now it’s time for some party rocking. After a long chain of slow songs, this really uplifts the mood. If Miryo’s raspy voice isn’t enough by itself, then Gary’s rapping really hits the spot. This is the perfect song for a summer party.

Song Jieun [Secret] - It’s Cold [Take Care of Us, Captain OST]

Back to the slow songs now. Take Care of Us, Captain had its own fair share of great OSTs but of course this one stood out the most to me. It really brings back memories of Song Ji Eun’s Going Crazy. Her sweet voice is enough to send chills down your back.

John Park - Falling

I can’t get enough of this song. I remember when I first saw John Park on American Idol. I love how he gives the song an American touch. You really fall into a different world when listening to this song [and watching the mv].

Miss A - Over U

I am so glad they had the chance to promote this song because I personally liked it better than Touch. It showed a touch and confident side instead of a typical “damsel in distress” who can’t forget her ex. This upbeat track is a fun dance number as well.

Big Bang - Blue

I wouldn’t exactly call this anything close to a ballad but it’s definitely not a dance track. This is the total opposite of Miss A’s Over You in that it talks about longing for the person you [actually Big Bang] has loved to death [not literally]. However, it was definitely a refreshing sound from Big Bang’s past hits.

Wonder Girls - Sorry

From their latest album, Wonder Party, Wonder Girls have yet again proven their capabilities as singers. What’s especially commendable is rapper Yoobin’s vocal work in here. Their emotions show through well.

Bonus Song:

2NE1 - I Love You

No comments for this song except that it’s a hit for sure. And I love how 2NE1 manages to capture everyone’s heart with something completely different each time.

What are your favorite songs so far this year?