She Was Pretty Review

Hey guys!!
Did you miss me? Don't answer.

BUUUT I'm back now!!

Now, let's talk.
When I found out Hwang Jung Eum had a new drama I was ridiculously excited cuz I've been such a huge fan of hers since Little Mom Scandal and I thought she was AMAAZZING in Secret, Kill Me Heal Me and Incarnation of Money. When I saw Park Seo Joon's name I was like "OMG Oh Ri On  is the male lead this time and that means he finally gets the girl!!" I also noticed that Hwang Jung Eum loves to work with actors she's already worked with because the actress that played Rara (the wacky and fabulous editor-in-chief) was also in Secret. Now I gotta be honest, I have nothing against Park Seo Joon but when I saw his name, a part of me wanted to see Ji Sung's name instead. I know they've worked together twice now but I'm greedy!
Like honestly I can't help it; his chemistry with Hwang Jung Eum is out of this world like crazy explosive and amazing and wonderful and-- yeah I'm still not over Kill Me Heal Me.

  *plays this whilst crying and eating a ginormous bowl of ice cream*

Okay I apologize that was off topic. 

I really feel like She Was Pretty was a really nice change for Hwang Jung Eum because it was relatively light for the most part. In an interview she said that crying scenes are difficult for her so I'm glad there were like little to no crying scenes in this drama.

To be quite honest, I felt a brother/sister vibe from our two leads (obviously that wasn't intentional) like especially in the beginning; it was hard for me to stop see them as Oh Ri Jin and Oh Ri On and I know we found out that those two (SPOILER ALERT) weren't really siblings but either way I felt like their dynamics were very sibling-y. I even feel like the actors kinda look alike, or is that just me?

Of course as the drama went on I grew to accept and like them as a romantic pairing. Yes, it did take some time and a tiny bit of effort but I began to stop seeing them as their previous characters.

I know a lot of viewers were ITCHING for that dramatic makeover for Hye Jin but honestly it wasn't really as dramatic as I thought it would be. I loved that when Sung Joon saw her, he didn't like get off his seat and start jumping on it (à la tom cruise) and then jump off his seat and start doing the harlem shake just cuz she decided to do something with her hair and put on some blush and some eyeliner. 

And this is a little bit of a sidenote but homegirl was never really ugly in the first. Unattractive maybe, but not like bad looking. Maybe I feel this way because i'm so used to the actor's face and I know what she looks like outside of the drama. 

I'm glad she got the makeover because I think a growth in her self esteem precipitated it and her confidence grew even more after she got it. 

Now, let's talk about everyone's favorite character:

SHIN

PRETTY-FACE-CRAZY-PERSONALITY

HYEOK. 

I think Siwon did an GREAT job with this character because when we were first introduced to him he was kinda like that goofy, overly excited co-worker that EVERYONE has. The one that thinks work is a playground and everyone is their BFF. Ultimately just the comic relief that every kdrama has.

But as the show continued on we saw that Shin Hyeok was hiding something and his hyperactive funnyboy personality was mostly just a facade and I was like "ooooooh now this interesting". 

Clearly I'm biased here (because Siwon has been my Super Junior bias since day 1) but I grew to like Shin Hyeok waaaaaaay more than Sung Joon. I feel like the Sung Joon love wasn't there in the first couple of episodes  because he was a serious asshole and he treated Hye Jin so harshly but then on the other hand, we had Shin Hyeok who teased her mercilessly but was a friend to her. 

So Sung Joon  already had a disadvantage and ON TOP OF THAT we had Siwon from Super Junior playing Shin Hyeok so of course he already has a huge fanbase on his side. I just felt like the writers could have done more to flesh Sung Joon out a little. I'm not saying he had to be goofy and nice but there is a way you can write a likable asshole. it's been done before. 

I also think all the best/memorable lines were given to Shin Hyeok so in the end he was like the breakout star of the show. And another thing, 

I'm not saying his better looking than our main lead but...

^^ that's all I can say.

And there's this thing Siwon does with his voice like that raspy-ness... melts me into a puddle every time. 

I've never had second lead syndrome ever in my life but I felt it this time. I felt it.

 Honestly, I can't even lie, 49% of me wanted Hye Jin to be with Shin Hyeok. let me explain why its only 49%. As much as I loved Hye Jin and Shin Hyeok together (I felt like they had more chemistry) they just weren't on the same wavelength. Shin Hyeok most of the time was being that annoying older brother so it was hard for her to see him as anything other than that. And by the time he was ready to actively pursue her, it was already too late. I think if he had been more real and mature with her instead of joking around all the time,  maybe just maybe, she would have seen him as a potential boyfriend.

And 51% of me shipped Hye Jin and Sung Joon because I mean,  their backstory was so beautiful and touching. and its a soulmate ting. As much as I loved Shin Hyeok I couldn't ignore the fact that Sung Joon really was her soulmate. 

When I saw that  “to my best friend, Jackson” in the last episode, I cried. Like I want someone to call me Jackson now!! 

Anyways, let's flashback to one of Shin Hyeok's best moments:

 I love him so much.

Moving on to Ha Ri.
Now, this was a difficult one because when I saw how awesome her relationship with Hye Jin was, I knew the writers were going to fuck it up. 
At first I was mad at Hye Jin for putting her in that awkward, cringeworthy position but then when Ha Ri started actively going after Sung Joon I was like

I was ready to curse her out, beat her up e.t.c and this was the same for EVERY VIEWER. all the girls in the viki timed comments were like "that ****!" "I HATE HER!!!!" "She can't do that!! that's just like the rules of feminism!"
When she kissed Sung Joon I was like"sis, wyd..."

But honestly, I had to kinda take a step back and look at it from her perspective. She was lonely and felt lost and Sung Joon  always just happened to be there for her at her weakest moments. on top of that, she was dealing with abandonment issues cuz her mom up & left her and her step mother was practically cinderella-ing her (ok, it wasn't THAT bad) AND her father was clearly pussy-whipped cuz he couldn't even muster up three fucks to give about the fact that his wife was antagonizing his daughter.

So yeah she was being greedy and selfish but can you really blame her? can you?. It was a tough situation but they worked it out and I forgive the writers for putting us through that ordeal because it shows that a true bestfriendship can withstand anything.

Honestly I was mad at Hye Jin too when she started avoiding Sung Joon because of Ha Ri but I understand her rationale because if I was her I wouldn't jump into his lap immediately either. like she and Ha Ri were best friends for YEARS they were more like family to each other. They were like fraternal twins so I completely how she felt.

At the end of the day, Hye Jin and Sung Joon still ended up together so it's all good. I'm sure Ha Ri will find someone else now that she know that there's more to life than dating superficial partyboy assholes who only want you for your looks. 

Am I the only one that wanted Shin Hyeok and Ha Ri together!!? This is super shallow but like visually, they would look awesome together and I think their personalities match. they're both caring people who know how to have a good time. okay, now I'm mad at the writers again because they really could've given this to us. I feel robbed. I would gladly pick a Shin Hyeok/Ha Ri side story romance over the office romance between Han Seol and Yoochun's little brother (even though they were kinda cute).

While we're at it,  I would've loved a Yo Na cameo too. I know Ji Sung is busy being a father right now so I'll try not be too salty about it.

Special Shoutout- Kim RaRa 

Gawd, this woman is comedic golden!!! She was so hilarious in every single scene and honestly some of her outfits were on point. this actress has been perfect in all the roles I've seen her in. 

I really liked what Hye Jin said about being a main character vs. a supporting character. I sometimes  feel like I’m a side character in my own life too. I could chalk it up to my insecurities or whatever but either way Its definitely something I’ve felt many times. but like Hye Jin said, its important to breakout of that mindset and not give up on yourself (or your dreams). you might feel less pretty, less smart or less interesting than other people but you always gotta take care of yourself and cherish your own thoughts, feelings, looks, personality e.t.c. 

Whether you feel it or not YOU ARE THE MAIN CHARACTER IN YOUR OWN GODDAMN LIFE STORY  and so its up to you create those experiences or opportunities you want. Yes, there are times where life will like flip the script on you and go in a way that you don’t want it to go but like its imperative that you don’t completely give up the steering wheel to life and just let it fuck shit up. you got every right to be in that driver’s seat, with one hand (or two; some like two) on the steering wheel. 

I would give this drama a solid 7.5/8. I really liked it but I'm not gonna act like it was perfect. There were some things that could've been better but it was funny and enjoyable and heartwarming and cute. My expectations were never high in the first place; the main thing I was weary about was the possibility of it dragging and becoming too makjang. 

And now its over :(

Alas, I'm off to listen to the OST again and this time I might actually not cry! Ayyy!!

Kill Me Heal Me Review

Well, guys we've reached that inevitable point; I could only avoid watching the last episode for so long. 

things i’m mostly likely going to do while writing this review:

*cry

*fangirl over Ji Sung

*talk about the drama

*cry 

*cry some more 

I have to admit, this is quite hard for me. This isn't your ordinary K-drama Withdrawal Syndrome. I'm literally having a hard to letting this drama go.

First of all, lets briefly get into why. And the answer contains only one word:Secret (or Secret Love if you must)

I was OBSESSED with Secret and even more obsessed with the Jisung/Jung Eum pairing and never in a thousand years did I think they would do another drama together. But then one day I found out and in that moment, my life became complete. I wrote about this life changing revelation here 

 So really, I was in love with the drama before I even started watching it. 

So for those who don't know, Heal Me Kill Me is about a guy named Cha Do Hyun who has Multiple Personality Disorder and and a girl named Oh Ri Jin (coolest name ever!!) whose a psychiatrist and basically their paths cross one night and chaos, hilarity and a beautifully complicated romance ensues. That's all i'm going to tell you because I think you'll rather see what happens than read what happens. 

Anyway. back to the drama. During the beginning stages things were pretty funny and relatively light but I was not fooled; I knew that we were going to get hit with the emotional punch sooner or later and when we actually got hit and all that backstory got revealed, I was like 

I tried not to think about it too much but i'm sensitive about certain subjects. 

Either way, I appreciate their writers for doing such a great job of conveying it. 

Now lets discuss Ji Sung

1) I immediately compared this drama to Orpan Black because of the similar challenge of pulling off different characters but I think Ji Sung's job was arguable more challenging because sometimes he was literally shifting from one personality to another in one scene while Tatiana was playing separate people ( that's not to take away from what Tatiana Mislay does because she does it BRILLIANTLY) 

2) this man can act his ASS off!! I noticed this in Secret but I think KMHM reeeally allowed him to demonstrate his range. Each personality was so captivating and unique and oddly 3-dimensional. Like you could actually see them as separate people. 

I need for him to win every single award he possibly can. I don’t want the Korean award shows to to treat him the way the Emmys are treating Tatiana. 

I heard that Lee Seung Gi was originally supposed to play Cha Do Hyun and no offence but I honestly don’t think Lee Seung Gi could’ve pulled this off as well as Sex Personified.  

Ya know what? I've been calling him sex personified for a while now but I think this drama may have earned him an even greater nick name. I haven't found it yet so till then sex personified stays. 

Now lets talk about Hwang Jung Eum. In an interview (can't remember which one) she said she has difficulty doing crying scenes but seriously, for someone who has a hard time crying onscreen she really does a  great job of not showing it. She too deserves some recognition cuz her acting was impeccable! Like I've said this before, but I became an instant fan when I watched Little Mom Scandal. I don't know what it was but there was just something about her. This might sound selfish but I'm glad she doesn't take long hiatuses like some of my other favourite actresses *cough* Yoon Eun Hye *cough*. 

Anyway, back to the drama. One thing I noticed about this drama is that it really relates to the inner battles that people deal with everyday; where you have to have to fight not just outside forces but your very own demons. It really made me think about psychological/emotional traumas and self destruction and the painful experiences that drive us to those points. 

Obviously I personally enjoyed watching this drama a whole lot. Heart warming, sometimes intense but crazy stupid hilarious. MY FAVOURITE COMBINATION. You know what i'm dying to see tho? I'm dying to see a compilation video of all the Ji Sung and Hwang Jung Eum kiss scenes from Secret to this drama; you know, for umm, scientific reasons and such

Dear Kill Me Heal Me,  thank you for bringing my favourite couple together again, I didn't think it would happen and it did, so once again, thank you.

thank you for lengthening the list of dramas that make an effort to destigmatize mental illness. I personally think dramas like this are still needed and yes, we're getting educated through a form of entertainment but that doesn't make their work any less important. And lastly, thank you for giving us sex personified in guy liner. It was truly a gift that just kept on giving. 

So now I must attempt to move on with my life... 

I know all good things must come to an end but…

 I can't wait for their next projects, both separately and together (but lets be honest together sounds more exciting. I mean, THREE DRAMAS TOGETHER!?) 

And now I'm off to watch off to watch Healer. Bye guys!! 

My Top Song Of 2014 Part 3

Hey Guys!!
I know its been a while since I posted part 2 but I have an excuse! School kept me pretty preoccupied and I had tests and projects and presentations and blah blah blah but now I'm (temporarily) FREE cuz its March Break! So i'm going to post as often as I can this week.

K, lets get it going ~

16) GPBasic -  Pika Burnjuck 

I just want to address something really quick. When the video get the released, all the youtube comments were like "they're trying too hard" or "the concept doesn't fit them" e.t.c just some negative stuff. I personally LOVED this song AND the concept and I applaud them for putting in so much effort and presenting a confident and self assured image for preteen/teen girls. Everyone knows that those years are very difficult for young women because that's when every girl starts going through puberty, and then comes the pimples and body image/self esteem issues and that feeling of being unattractive and not fitting the mould of what a pretty girl is supposed to look like and wanting to get attention from boy you like. Its just an all-around challenging time for girls. So thanks GP Basic for showing that young girls can be bad-ass and confident in themselves. 

17) 2PM - Go Crazy

18) Mamamoo - Mr. Ambiguous 

19) 2NE1 - Come Back Home

20) Epik High - Born Hater 

21) Spica - You Don't Love Me

22) JunggiGo x SoYou x Lil Boi - Some 

23) B2ST - Good Luck

24) Apink - Mr. Chu

25)  Urban Zakapa x SoYou - The Space Between 

(I love this song more than life!!)

26) 2NE1 - Happy 

26) TVXQ - Spellbound

Okay guys that's it for 2014!! When I was in the brainstorming stage of creating this list, I was like "wow, kpop 2013 was waay better than 2014" but now that I have gathered all i've looked through all my playlists and compiled all the songs, I've realized that I was wrong so I take it. Kpop 2014 was actually really good, guys!! We got many jams and got introduced to various different groups who are seriously BRINGIN IT! 

One thing i've noticed is that  it seems like my original kpop faves aren't working as hard as they used to. I think that now that they have established a fan base and a reputation they believe that can release whatever they want and fans will still flock to it. I'm not talking about one group in particular; this is more of a general observation. Anyway, I hate it because I want them to work hard for my attention!! 

Its starting to feel like a relationship. Lets look at it this way, when you were dating, everything was great.  He was always affectionate, called you beautiful instead of your name, texted you back almost immediately, wrote long and heartfelt messages on your birthday cards, took you to really cool restaurants,  gushed about you to his friends and once in a while he would would buy you cute little presents and leave them in random places for you to find. Then after you professed your love and undying devotion to each other in front of your families and friends, things changed. He becomes less affectionate, sometimes forgets to ask you how your day was, takes forever to reply to your messages, becomes passive aggressive, the sex is still pleasurable but lacks the intensity it had before, still laughs at your jokes and holds your hand in public but sometimes pretends to listen to you when you're talking and acts like he's doing you a favour when he does chores around the house. 

So its not like things became bad per se, but you start to get that feeling like you're partner has become lazy in the relationship and of course you're going to stick around because you love them but wish they would give you more. That's how I feel towards some groups that I have been a fan of for YEARS. Like, guys I love you and I'll always be a fan but I have certain expectations and you're really not reaching them and you're disappointing me...but I'm still here for you tho. 

Anyway, that was a weird analogy but ya'll get what I mean. I hope that the 2015 list will be even hotter and ALL the songs will make me be like "DAYUM!! THIS is why I'm a Kpop fan!!!"