#2018 suits korea drama

[mystiquewanderlust]

CHINESE DRAMAS MUST WATCH

[Part 7]

Okay so I admit I have watched a lot of Chinese dramas from last year but ended up writing about them right now. With my employment here in Makati, I don't know but I just didn't have the energy I guess to post. But now here they are!! New Chinese Dramas must watch!

💍 Battle Through the Heavens

[FIGHTS BREAK SPHERE]

Genre: Wuxia, Adventure, Fantasy

Rating: 10/10

WUXIA RATING: ⭐⭐

No. of Episodes: 45

Date Watched: 2022

Another adventure-packed drama that I surely enjoyed watching. Again, I was taken into another dimension.. lol.. But yeah, with the costumes, the acting and the set.. I didn't get bored at all. Okay so let's talk about the characters and actors who played the role---The Queen! She was like the Cleopatra of Korea and she was killing it! Very much suited for the role and she looks so pretty! But of course let's not forget the main lead.. Leo Wu was still so young here! I was stunned when I saw his latest drama--Love in The Galaxy--with Zhao Lusi. I was like--is that really him now?? And I figured that this was a 2018 drama so of course.. he grew up! This drama gave me a Dulou Continent vibes with all the level up thing in terms of their abilities/powers and the adventure they embarked with as they reach for their goal. And oh I almost forgot.. Xiao Xhan has a participation here!!

THIS IS A CLIFFHANGING SEASON-LACKING Drama tho. I mean the ending of the first season was super cliffhanging that an urgent 2nd season is much needed.. but they did not provided!! Ughhh.. I still can't get over the ending of the first season because the male lead was resurrected after being fooled/betrayed by her lover-supposed-to-be and his clan in a state of chaos. He needed to reclaim his and his clan's glory. But to no avail.. because we don't have a 2nd Season! This is my 3rd Scarlet Heart themed drama.. you know, cliffhanger! ;(

Princess Agents⚔

Genre: Wuxia, Romance

Rating: 10/10

WUXIA RATING: ⭐⭐

No. Of Episodes:

Date Watched: 2022

Wuxia to the max! This girl really takes over wuxia and she's not playing around. First watched her from her own drama The Legend of Fei with my babe Wang Yibo. Now, tho this is an old drama, I was amazed on how she really fits being a martial artist (who is noncholant and kinda boring actually in terms of personality). But slay girl! And the love story here is also to watch out for (but don't expect much). Tho don't ask about the ending of this drama coz you'll only be disappointed.... CLIFFHANGER ALERT!! I mean hello, this is a 2017 drama and what year is it now? 2022?? Really now??? #ScarletHeartOnceAgain My heart is really aching especially of the ending where her real powers was just awoken and she was about to take revenge. Imagine us watchers' frustrations. Strike 2 for cliffhanger dramas. Much to my frustration.

Love Between Fairy and Devil💐

Genre: Xianxia, Romance

Rating: 10/10

XIANXIA RATING: ⭐⭐

No.of Episodes: 36 + 2 Stringers

Date Watched: 2022

This is a cute drama. Dont know if it's because of the female lead but she's really cute haha. And Dylan Wang, his character as a mean and cold person suddenly changed when he fell inlove. The conflicts here isn't that heaft-breaking so yes, that explains my rating. It was good but it wasn't unforgettable. Really love Dylan Wang here tho. I really love how men in xianxia would sacrifice their high ranks and power, not to mention their own kingdom, for the sake of their loved one. How I wish to be.. a Chinese actress. Haha! I am not kidding!!

Her Perfect Husband 💍

Genre: Romance

Rating: 10/10

Episodes: 40

Date Watched: dec 2022-jan 2023

Yes, another Xu Kai drama!! But he's not in a costume drama this time again. He's a---wait, let me first share my initial thoughts while watching the first few episodes. So this is about a fake marriage contract deal between the two leads. Yeah typical story, yadahyadah, but don't underestimate Xu Kai's power!

'She's the man!' The leading lady is a lady boss which I really love about this. She's from Eternal Love btw so I already know her. She's so sophisticated here and my gahd, her chemistry with her *ehem* husband was soooo.. nakakainggit. Their kissing scenes OMG! I mean it's Xu Kai of course the kissing scenes are intense. Haha! Okay, speaking of.. to the husband now. At first I was confused. I mean hello, this is Xu Kai baby, how can he have a role with this kind of life? I mean he's not successful or anything. He's still living with his parents and just doing work at home. But hey, don't judge the character by what you see.. he's a genius stock analyst and he can make money just by staying at home and doing stocks. It's a happy ending tho, he got a real job (thru a billionaire, no big deal) and I got to see the sexy Xu Kai in tuxedo anyways. Haha! If you want a romantic drama, definitely watch this. Now I'm patiently waiting for his costume dramas. I mean he have like just three upcoming---no big deal. No it is!!!

PHOTO WARNING: INTENSE KISSING SCENES OVERLOAD. YOU'VE BEEN WARNED!

[jikooksgirl19]

My Soulmates.prologue

Genre: Soulmate, fluff, angst, future smut

Pairing: Reader x Jimin x Jungkook

Warnings: Maybe a TW with the mention of parents death, a teensy bit of swearing 🤬

All story ideas are mine and I do not give permission to copy. My work is copyrighted and I do not tolerate theft. This is purely fictional and all names, characters and incidents are for entertainment only.

A/N: I will be trying to upload chapters once a week. I write on my IPad so it takes some time. Saving for my laptop so I can be fancier down the road 😘🥰😍

Once upon a time...

Isn’t that how all fairytales start? The princess meets her knight in shining armor, they fall in love and live happily ever after. Aren’t we raised as little girls to believe that we will one day meet Mr. Right and he will take away our fears and trepidation’s? But alas...though my story began with the makings of an enchanted fable it seems as though fate dealt me a twist I never saw coming. Here is the story of how I met my Soulmates.

I had the average childhood. Single child, not much family to speak of. Parents who loved and provided for me. Good grades, acceptance into my college of choice, career in international contract law decided since I was 13. Life was good until one night two months before I was to leave for school police showed up to our door to inform me of an accident that took the lives of both my parents. I was devistated and alone. An orphan at the young age of 18. One minute I was watching some stupid sitcom gorging on popcorn and jelly beans, and the next my world was ripped apart. I was alone with no one to help me along my path to adulthood. Luckily my parents had prepared for any and all emergency situations and the lawyers were able to get me set up for their funeral. After everything including our home was sold I had just enough money to complete my education with a little extra for living expenses to last me the first two years.

I was able to complete my bachelors degree at Columbia University in just 3 years and get a partial scholarship for law school at University of Cambridge in the UK. I worked tirelessly as an intern for a prestigious law firm while competing my degree and they were a huge part in me passing the bar. I could speak over 7 languages and became a top recruit for some well known international law firms across the globe. One in particular was in South Korea and did quite a lot of contract work for entertainment agencies. The K-Pop and K-drama genre were becoming very popular all over the world and many groups and actors were being requested for foreign sponsorships. I decided this would be challenging and exciting so I decided to uproot myself once again to start a new life in Seoul Korea.

Four months after arriving at my new job at Kim, Lee and Song LLC I was called into a meeting by my supervisor to let me know I was going to be one of 5 lawyers that would be helping out the agency BigHit, and sorting through the huge influx of offers their popular K-Pop group BTS were getting. These 7 men had become worldwide sensations in just a few short years. It was explained to me that normally I would not be involved with this team as I was still quite new and young, but I had a rare ability to see market share profibility and business strategies at first sight, and I was able to determine if the offer was indeed beneficial for a client in the long run so I was added to the team. The next day the team headed over to the company to meet with BigHits CEO Bang Si-Hyuk along with several managers and staff. It was nearing the end of the year and several offers were coming in. We were each assigned several contracts to review and it was determined that we would sift through all the offers and bring them the most promising ones to the table the following week for the final decisions. We were provided with a large office suite on site to keep the confidentiality of those involved and lessen the travel needed to complete the sorting of hundreds of offers.

On my third day at the new office it was getting quite late but I was making headway in my stack of offers and decided to go downstairs to get some coffee at the cafe next door. I was in the elevator reading some emails in my IPad when the doors opened. I headed out without looking to see where I was when I walked right into a group of men all very startled to have me barreling right into them. As I realized I wasn’t paying attention I looked up to apologize and gasped. I was staring right at the members of BTS. My sight was on two particular members and they were staring right back, mouths open in shock as well. It felt like time was slowing down and I involuntarily reached out my hand towards them as if to touch them. It was like I had no control over my movements. They were both reaching out towards me as well and when we touched there was nothing but static in my ears. It was like a jolt of electricity ran up my left arm straight to my heart. My knees buckled and I found myself losing focus as my world slid off its axis and became dark.

Five men were yelling trying to grab the three bodies that all fainted right in front of them. As they were trying to call for help Namjoon looked down and saw the three had their hands entwined and watched as a red band appeared on each of the ring fingers on their left hands. It resembled a red string and it traveled up their arms and under their sleeves. If they were to look they would surely see that all three had today’s date now tattooed just above their hearts October 7, 2018. The sign of a soulmate. The Red String of fate only appeared when in the presence of your other half. In the case of multiple mates it would only be triggered when they were all in the same place. The other four caught on to where Namjoon was staring and they all shared one sentiment.

“Oh Shit...”

To be continued...

Tag list: @mrcleanheichou @itsminniekat @dreamescapeswriting @seaoffangirling @4evahevah @sonderkook @bisexualmess007 @chxustuff @aviwasabi21

[thewanderers-world]

Nicaragua vs. South Korea: Which is Better?

By: Lilyan Sanchez Silva

Many just want to explore, some may feel the need to escape their reality. Here, I’ll be breaking down two touristic countries. Comparing and contrasting, while also going in depth with their economic systems. At the end, you will choose which you’d make an escape to and which will remain unchecked on your travel list.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

NICARAGUA

This Central American country, neighboring Honduras and Costa Rica, holds a number of titles, and you can add the largest lake in Central America to the list. With a view to both the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea on opposite ends of the country, it’s no wonder Nicaragua means “here united with the water”. Imagine a nice walk down the beach, doesn’t it sound amazing?!

----------------------------The Culture----------------------------

The merging of different cultures within Nicaragua has caused the dawn of a creative, lively and blissful culture. Rhythmic marimbas and folkloric dances give vibrancy to fiestas across the country and the beautiful works of skilled artists spread an understanding of their history and nature.

The culture of Nicaragua reflects the mixed Ibero-European and Indian ancestry of the majority of its people. Diversity, I love it!

---------------------------The Weather---------------------------

Nicaragua has a tropical climate, hot all year round.

Temperatures are quite stable; however, there is a relatively cool winter from November to January, a hot spring from March to May, and a sultry and rainy summer from May to October. On the west coast, it's hot all year round, but there are the sea breezes. However, you may notice a certain temperature increase in the spring. On the Caribbean coast, there is no real dry month; owing to both the rains and the trade winds, the temperatures are a bit lower than on the west coast, but relative humidity is consistently high.

What’s a little rain to this magnificent view?

----------------------The Economic System-------------------

Nicaragua's economy is very active and has experienced great changes during the past decade or so. Its economy was truly a phoenix emerging from the ashes. The cause behind Nicaragua’s past economic problems stemmed from the earthquake of 1972 as well as the rule of the Sandinista regime. Nicaragua’s economic situation improved dramatically with the 1990 election of Violeta Chamorro and the establishment of a democracy. Nicaragua has a mixed economic system which includes a variety of private freedom, combined with centralized economic planning and government regulation.

Despite the expansive growth in Nicaragua’s economy that took place after the new form of government came in, Nicaragua remains one of the poorest countries in the region and faces issues such as unemployment, low per capita income and great foreign debt. Nicaragua’s economy is working towards improvement in the future, focusing on potential growth in the agricultural sector, energy generation, tourism, export manufacturing, mining and construction, as well as the sale of consumer goods.

With all this budding potential, Nicaragua is the perfect place to invest in, especially in the tourism aspect.

---------------Where to go & What to do---------------

Fun activities to do in Nicaragua include, but are not limited to: Eco-tourism; adventure and sports activities, including surfing, deep-sea fishing, swimming, snorkeling, kayaking, diving, volcano sand-boarding; historical and agricultural sites; cultural activities; agritourism; volunteerism; nightlife. Just enjoying the sun and all the different smells wile walking down the market would be wonderful. Nicaragua has lots to offer.

Towns like San Juan Del Sur on the Pacific Ocean's Emerald Coast near Costa Rica are top places to visit, famous for their colorful architecture and surf scene. Many things to do really lie in the smaller cities, like Leon and Granada, which are known for their colorful architecture and churches, and natural attractions such as Lake Nicaragua. It is the largest freshwater lake in Central America and home to hundreds upon hundreds of islands, including some with amazing ecolodges. Here are the Top 5 places to visit while exploring Nicaragua!

1. Islets of Granada

2. Corn Island

3. Masaya Volcano

4. El Cerro Negro

5. Mombacho Volcano Natural Preserve

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SOUTH KOREA

South Korea is a country in Eastern Asia occupying the southern half of the Korean Peninsula. It borders the Sea of Japan, the Yellow Sea, and North Korea. In the year 1934, Korea was given the title "Chaohsien" which meant morning freshness. The title was well suited to South Korea because of its natural beauty of stunning mountains, clear waters and splendid peacefulness – particularly in the morning. Because of this, Korea was also called "Land of Morning Calm."

In a country filled with city lights and multitudes of people, a little calmness in the morning is just what you need to start the day out right!

------------------------The Culture-------------------------------

Korea is all about education, constantly ranked world-best in terms of education system and the knowledge of students as studies such as the PISA and the World Top 20 Poll suggests. They’re also quite unique when it comes to asking their age. In Korea, everyone is already one year old at birth. And not only that: on New Year’s, everyone simultaneously turns a year older! That means, in turn, that in Korean age, you could already be two years older than you are in an international age. In Korea, people love to have a good time and they also love entertainment. But they are not crossing the line—pun intended. Even in bustling Seoul, you will rarely see non-tourists jaywalking or misbehaving. It’s part of the identity and the culture to not cause too much trouble or problems for others.

The Korean entertainment industry is also becoming one of the biggest in the world. K-pop, k-movies, k-drama, k-beauty… the K’s all around! The catchy beats, colorful soap operas and gripping dramas are invading countries around the world with a massive force, and they are here to stay. No genre of media is excluded: Film, literature, graphic novels, language, food, fashion…you name it. But arguably the genre with the biggest global impact is the new wave of Korean pop music, commonly referred to as K-pop, with its addicting melodies and innovative choreographies. You know BTS?

----------------------------The Weather---------------------

South Korea has a temperate climate with four distinct seasons. Winter, from late November to mid-March, is freezing in the north and in the interior, while it’s milder, but still with night frosts, along the southern coast. Spring, from mid-March to May, is initially cool, and gradually becomes milder, but the rains become more frequent because of the formation of low pressure systems. Summer, from June to August, is hot, humid, and rainy. Autumn, from September to late November, is a pleasant season, especially in the month of October, when it’s not too cold or too hot. 

Serious droughts occur about once every eight years. About two-thirds of the annual precipitation occurs between June and September. South Korea is less vulnerable to typhoons than neighboring countries. Typhoons usually pass over South Korea in late summer, especially in August and bring torrential rains.  

The weather may be crazy, but the sights are worth it, rain or shine!

-------------------The Economic System------------------

South Korea’s economy continues to maintain its ranking among the mostly free countries. It has a mixed economic system in which the economy includes a variety of private freedom, combined with centralized economic planning and government regulation. South Korea has achieved rapid growth in a short period. The country has displayed global competitiveness in various fields such as mobile phones, semiconductors, automobiles, chemicals, and steel making. In recent years, its cultural content, including music, gaming, and webtoons, is emerging as an essential industry in itself, taking the lead in the Korean economy.

South Korea's rigorous education system and the establishment of a highly motivated and educated populace is largely responsible for spurring the country's high technology boom and rapid economic development.

-------------------Where to go & What to do---------------

Travelers will want to indulge in all that South Korea has to offer like: Enjoy delicious Korean food, Explore Seoul on foot, Witness the grandeur of Changdeokgung and Gyeongbokgung Palaces, Learn about traditional Hanok architecture, Be a street artist, Check out free museums, Glide down the ski slopes from the 2018 Winter Olympics, Visit the temples,  Take a trip to Busan, Experience a botanical garden island, and visiting Jeju-Si Island. The different architecture between residential places and the city alone is astonishing!

South Korea offers everything a traveler could want in a destination. It has a long and fascinating history, a wonderful culture, amazing food, friendly people, and an excellent tourism infrastructure. Here are the Top 5 places you must absolutely think back on when planning your trip:

1. Changdeokgung Palace

2.  Gamecheon   

3. Jeonju

4. Seoul Tower 

5. Bukchon Hanok Village

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 So Which One?      

This may be a very biased answer, but being from Nicaragua, I’d say take an off-grid vacation. Although known for its tourism, you don’t loose the quiet peaceful atmosphere. Its rural landscape extends even to the most populated cities, adorning the country in a cloud of green and crystal blue waters everywhere you look. The gates are open, which life-thrilling destination will you choose?                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 

[hanniiesuckle17]

i would like to bless your followers and dash, sooo can you give me a crash course in noir 😊😊

OMG YES OFCCCCCC💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖

OKAY SO HERE IS THE DEAL

NOIR is a nine-member boy group under Luk Factory

(Not really pleased with how they are promoting my boys but imma get over it one day!)

Our fan name is Lumiere (or Lumi) and we don’t have any official colors or a lightstick yet.

Noir debuted on April 9th of 2018. With the mini-album Twenty’s Noir. Their title debut song was Gansta (SUCHA GOOD VIDEO) 

They also had a predebut song called As a Star and it makes me so soft.

Their next comeback is on the 27th (THIS MONDAY!!!!!!) The album is called Up the Sky and the title track is called Lucifer

IM SO FUCKING EXCITED YOU HAVE NO IDEA

MEMBERS 

Shin Seunghoon

Shin Seunghoon is our precious leader!!!! 

(He was what got me into Noir. I saw a video about the best leaders in kpop and I was like)

He is 27 years old. His birthday is May 30th, 1993 (He is a Gemini)

Boy is tallllllllllllllllllllll

like he’s 5′10.

but in pictures by himself he for real looks like he is 6′2

istg he is like 65% legs.

ALSO MAN AS A RIPPED CHEST SORRY BACK TO REGULARLY SCHEDULED NOIRING

He is the leader, main rapper, and also sometimes a vocalist (but the rappers in this group pretty much fo everything)

HE SPITS FIRE when he wants to. 

Really good at freestyling 

He makes mixtapes on youtube on Noir’s channel. (I think he has 5 out now)

He is a college-educated man!!!! (He went to Korean National Open University

He took taekwondo when he was younger

The man trained for 8 years

He and Hoyeon compose and format a lot of their songs with a team of producers from LUK

(I often think he and Chan from skz are really similar.)

Seunghoon is legit a father of 8 soft crackhead kids. istg he is so done with them most of the time

We call him our koala because he looks like one <3

Seunghoon is obsessed with accessories and wearing them to the point where stylists literally have to take them off of him. (I have never not seen picture of him not wearing jewelry. )

he is actually in the military right now and i miss him so fricking much TT

All in all hot boy on screen and soft dad in real life

Kim Yeonkuk

this boy I cant

Kim Yeonkuk. Damn.

he was on Produce 101 season 2

he was eliminated on ep.5 :(

He is the lead dancer and a vocalist

Yeonkuk is 25 years old. His birthday is February 8, 1995 (An Aquarius)

is totally the aegyo king but denies it

he seems cold at first but has a big ass bright personality its so freakin adorable

my personal favorite clip of him is and the boys dancing around on vlive to big bang and him saying fantastic baby (its sounds so cute when he says it)

He is also a 5′10 tall boy

he trained for 3 years

THIS BOY IS SO FREAKING SKINNY SOMEONE PLEASE EGIVE HIM A HAMBURGER OR SOMETHING TAKE HIM TO TACO BELL

not kidding

his waist is so fucking small its scary.

Yeonkuk=stringbean

literally a walking meme.

pause in any interview and he is pretty much gonna give you a memeable face

this boy is so loveable and goofy 

also if this boy doesn't post like 8 photos of him doing something on insta im convinced he thinks that it just didn’t happen

he never posts just one photo its always like 6-8

also I was highkey afraid he was gonna go bald last comeback when they legit turned his hair into smurfs pubes

Lee Junyong

Lee Junyong. When i say i love this man with my whole heart

also 25 years old

his birthday is March 1st 1995 (Pisces)

another 5′10 king

Main vocalist.

he is a former member of INX

his brother is Seungyong from N.CUS

he trained for 4 years

THIS MAN IS TOO ATTRACTIVE FOR THIS EARTH

vocals for days. VOCALS.FOR.DAYS.

Did a cover of BTS’s The Truth Untold with Siha and literally gives me chills.

He has little crooked front teeth so when he sings he has this tiny little breath in some of the words so his voice is even more distinct

BUT LIKE JUNYONG HAS THE CUTEST SMILE EVER (I love his teeth in that's a weird thing to say but i think they are so cute)

he is 1/2 of the Highnote Belting Club

talks. all. the. freaking. time.

he goes live alot

boy is obsessed with Yunsung someone save yunsung from him

total crackhead when not doing real interviews

never fails to make me smile

he is said to be the moodmaker of the group

APPARENTLY HE WAS IN ONE EPISODE OF MY FAVORITE DRAMA AND I HAD NO IDEA

he was in episode 6 of The Liar and His Lover

overall he is just so sweet and funny and its so easy to love him

Nam Yunsung

Yunsung is the Lead vocalist and Visual

24 years old His birthday is August 29, 1996

He is a virgooo

MAN IS 6FT EVEN

lead vocalist and LOOKS IT

he is the king of intense eye contact with the camera 

he looks like legit prince charming

2/2 of Highnote Belting Club

weird af

istg he is the biggest crackhead

very extra. (as you can see in gif)

he calls himself a vampire because of his super pale skin

he trained for 4 years

he raps part time

HE ACTUALLY ENJOYS EXCERCISE

he hides snack between his bed and the wall but apparently daewon and junyong steal them

I think he rooms with junyong? not sure

Someone save him from junyong. boy is going to be smothered to death

ngl their relationship is really cute

he was also in Produce 101 S2 but left bc of health issues.

cutest thing ever and then turns into a devil onstage

a literal puppy

he is big fan of ateez and he and another member actually went to the groups first concert in korea

he is just so precious and weird 

Kim Siheon

oml this smol bean

Kim Siheon god damn

He is 23 years old

Birthday is December 23, 1997 (Capricorn like meeeee)

also 5′10 babyy

Vocalist but also a rapper (he rapped suga’s part in their remix of BTS Fake Love)

LIKES TO BIAS WREKC FREAKING EVERYONE

Beware the Siheon

He has a hot older sister, Hanbit, from a group called Hot Place (Their debut song is called TMI and its pretty good.)

HOTNESS RUNS IN HIS FAMILY

he trained for 5 months

he really likes drawing and does caricatures of his members

he is the eyebrow king

idk his eyesbrows are just.... 

stylists do things to his eyebrows anf it just fucks everyone up

high key has the best fashion sense

others boys willshow up to vlive in like hoodies and he is wearing a freakin casual suit

BOY PLAYS TO WIN’

he is like a boss at every kind of game

claims himself to be sweet like “Heonie”

“Hi! I’m siheon! Heonie Heonie Siheonie!”

he is a litter quieter than the other guys 

BUT he is so funny 

he doesn't like spice on his food for some reason

yeah he's crazy

he trained for 5 years

he's just precious and hot and hot and really hot

Ryu Hoyeon

THIS MAN HAS GIVEN ME SO MANY PROBLEMS

Ryu Hoyeon.

So he is my bias wrecker. Boy climbed up my bias list so freaking fast

He is the main dancer, vocalist, and a rapper (he also composes and arranges with Seunghoon)

He is 22 years old

His birthday is February 6, 1998 (Aquarius)

anontherrrrr 5′10 babbyyyy

cheekkkkkbooonnneeeessss

SHARK BOYY

He says he looks like a shark and i agree

HE HAS A NICE FUCKING TORSO

There was a predebut photo of him half shirtless it was awesome

he was also on Produce 101 S2 

eliminated on ep.5 :(

he trained for 2 years

He, yeonkuk, and seunghoon were in the Japanese tour of the musical Altar Boyz with Teen top’s Niel,2PM’s Chansung, and many others

he has a semi viral video of him

when he was a trainee / on produce 101 he was dancing to nct127 cherry bomb and had an unfortunate but quite hilarious accident (just look it up its funny)

sucks ass at games. every game. ever.

he is a low-key crackhead. he is a calm crackhead lol

VERY ATTRACTIVE

he used to have a youtube channel

you can still see his insta (leaderyoo) its so freaking cute and has predebut stuff of all the boys

he made their entire remix of fake love

he choreographed their song Diamond and also their cover of Taki Taki (which was very hot)

becomes a beast when dancing

he has an original chore to WEight in Gold that is very.......(insert eyebrow wiggle here)

has that dorito torso

(tiny waist and broad shoulders)

also thighs god damn

He is also a HUGE Vixx fanboy

Alter ego is DJ Ironman

He is very close with Siha, Siheon, and Yeonkuk

they turned him into a traffic cone for the Doom Doom comeback

he speaks a little bit of English (just a little bit)

all in all I'm completely in love with this man

Yang Siha 

THIS MAN IS SO FINEEEEEEE (he's my bias btw I have never been so in love with a man other than jisung)

Yang Siha is just uugghghhh god damn

22 year old babyyyy

Birthday is March 9, 1998 (Pisces)

Lil baby is 5′7″ oml i love him

MAIN VOCALIST AND DESERVES IT

he likes watching youtube videos and anime

He trained for 1 year and 1/2

looks good in every freaking hair color

his voice does NOT MATHC HIS FACE 

but not like in a Felix level way

He says his most attractive features are his “feminine features” (he says his unpronounced Adams apple and his small noes and doe eyes

HE HAS SMOL EARSSSS and i lovethem

close with Hoyeon and Siheon

but like his voice though

its so freaking pretty

it gives me chills

everything about him is perfect

he has tiny lips lol

he can play guitar

legit i swear his entire closet is black he rarely wears color

legit EVERYONE LOVES HIM

if someone is hugging anyone in a vlive or something

its siha

its always siha

everyone cuddles siha

i wanna cuddle siha. fuck.

for some reason I've just noticed this

the boy likes to wear long sleeves idk why

he also always seems to wear this one necklace Idk why but its so pretty and i really love that he does idk

he says his favorite song by NOIR is Travel (its also my favorite. its on their debut album and omg his part <3)

he is just so pure oml everything he posts on insta just makes me so soft

he is just so freakin cute and makes me switch lanes so fast

Kim Minhyuk

ooooof this cutie

Kim Minhyuk is something else

i just don't know what he is lol

Lead rapper and lead dancer

22 years old

His birthday is March 18th, 1998 (Pisces)

5′11 boy yes sir

ALSO A COLLEGE EDUCATED MAN

He went to Seoul Arts College

he has an older brother

apparently he cooks in the dorms

he trained for 1 year

he likes to play basketball

he really loves taking photos on his camera

he HATES bugs. its kind of funny ngl

he also is deathly afraid of balloons (i will not apologize for laughing at this one)

He and yunsung loooove ateez. they went to their first concert.

HE SERVES LOOOOKKKSSS

I think he is the most versatile member (look wise) because sometimes its hard to recognize him with each comeback because they change his style

he has these really cute big circle glasses he wear and just uwu

he kinda looks like Simon or Theodore from Alvin in the chipmunks in the best way.

he has a thing about jumping

like whenever he gets excited or happy he just starts jumping

he smiles like sunshineeeeee

even though he is the second youngest a lot of the members say that they go to him for advice 

(probably cause he has permanent hold of one of the 3 braincells noir has)

he looooves girl group dances 

especially twice 

TIKTOK KING 

He owns Noir’s tiktok pretty much. also their insta

he's a precious chipmunk

Kim Daewon

Thhis baby oml

Kim Daewon is the cutest thing since that fluffy little dog whose name i cant remember

20 years old 

Birthday is April 18th, 2000 (Aries)

Lead Dancer, vocalist, maknae

PROTEC THIS BABY BOY

In pictures he looks tall af

actually...

5′7″ but looks like 5′4″

the cutest thing everrrrr

HIS CHEEEKS

the biggest fluffiest cutest cheeks

everything about him is smol except for them thighssss

trained for 1 year

he has one older sister

THE BOY NEEDS MORE LINESSSS LUK FACTORY GIVE HIM MORE LINESSSSSS

he goes off in the chorus of their b-side track “Between” though like fuuuuuuucccckkkk (lowkey one of my favorite songs by them)

literally one of the funniest people you will ever see

extra crackhead energy

makes all the boys laugh

he loves chicken and snacks (gotta keep those cheeks in top shape)

literally the softest boy

he's good at everything i swear

he likes to shimmy.

has a cute butt lol

he talks in tiny

literally the cutest maknae ever oml

I hope this helped guys!!!!! I really hope you can stan noir and support them in their comeback this Monday! I hope this helped @distrikt9 if you need videos or anything feel free to ask! I love sharing my boys. They really are so underrated. I did this so fast ngl. I've never typed so fast

[perqedel]

something in the rain (2018) / ★★✩✩✩

okay

in short: this drama is so? calm

i mean it’s literally So calm that i kept falling asleep while watching. no joke. the plot? not that good that i would praise it for the next few weeks, but also not that bad that i’d put this in the stop-watching-in-the-middle folder. idk man i feel like i’m just watching two people being in love. which i see. everyday. or used to see. because i’m stuck at home for like months now (go, us!).

i Love that it talks about how women, no matter how old, have to live on such difficulties. not because we made our own lives difficult. but solely because we are Women. the life of a 30-going-to-40, yoon jina. though it’s mostly wrapped around her love life, it also necessarily nudges stuff in workplace, in society, in family, even. 

they talk about the discrimination to women in workplace. how even until after years of hard work, it’s still extremely difficult for society to acknowledge women (why?). women tend to stay silent when they’re the victims of any kind of sexual harassment in the workplace, and if you ask why?, because whoever the Predator is, they always have some stupid ass reasons (which definitely don’t excuse their actions) and they make the victims’ lives even worse, as if what they did weren’t enough. AND WHOEVER IS IN CHARGE ALWAYS SIDE WITH THE PREDATOR (???????????). i kept getting angry throughout this part of drama but that was the only time i watched without getting sleepy. 

jung haein, i definitely had a crush on him during while you were sleeping (what’s with me and second lead really) and i adored him in prison playbook. but this one, i dont know, he’s not that interesting to me. he’s this young, hot-blooded man, knows what he wants for, literally focuses on one thing and would destroy a whole country (i think). this is my personal opinion, but, uh, seo junhui with all of his 20s man energy just looks childish and (if i might add) selfish to me. there’s something about his way of thinking that irks me. though, i haven’t dated for like? i don’t know? the last a thousand days, i know i couldn’t survive a relationship with him. the only thing i liked about his character is that with his presence, yoon jina finally learned how to say no. 

i heard this drama was big in korea, though. i didn’t know the facts and details but if it is, i guess because the social life background of this drama is relatable for 30-40s women. i personally prefer older men (not that old though), so maybe this drama just doesn’t suit my palate. i’m gonna ask around about why this drama was known. 

but it’s just... so slow? you know? like some scenes are deadass silent. the music plays but like, it’s silent. no talks. and the music is this kind of sappy, sweet-toned music that puts you to sleep. there are also too many lovey-dovey scenes, in slow motion, that i loved in the beginning. but then it got too much that i was sick of it. i won’t recommend this to my friends or anyone around me. 

also there’s this part of the song that bugs me: “cause after all, he’s just a man”. i might be too sensitive but it just... irks me. 

i can’t review this with more details because really i probably slept through most of the episodes. not my taste and i wouldn’t watch it again.

[kdramalands]

Binge Craze September

This month has been quite busy for me regarding my kdrama addiction, and I thought that a little update on what has been going in my life would be nice... I haven’t had a good sleep in a while, and my health-sleep tracking app is acting accordingly to prepare for my soon-to-take-place funeral.

I’m going to include a rating for the dramas regarding their bingeability according to my fucked up sleep schedule, which is very accurate and just rating system, excuse you.

REM? More like RAM one more episode in the 3 a.m. time slot.

Do not try at home.

Her Private Life (2019) [10/10]

🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁

The source of the paintings and the source of Kim Jae Wook’s handsomeness kept me from closing my eyes till 6 a.m. Dramas that light and effortless will be the death of me. It was a nice romantic drama, but it had some heavy emotional moments as well. My friend who also got around to finally watching this drama actually thought we’re going to enjoy it together for a while and discuss every detail. YOU FOOL. I’m a heartless binger, and once I finished this one, I didn’t even blink before I started watching another.

The Guest (2018) [8/10]

🍂🍂🍂🍂🍂🍂🍂🍂

I had it on my “golden dramas” list for a long while. I noticed I have tendency to leave out the best dramas for later as safe bets. I have no idea what happened, maybe I was worn off after Her Private Life, but I only stayed up till 3 a.m. to watch it. And it kinda wasn’t the best idea to watch it at night... I mean, I guess it has a horror tag for a reason. However, this one was truly a mild one, so no harm done. Whatever was left of my sanity is still intact. And I got my stolen watch time back during the day. I couldn’t possibly be stopped with that little nap, especially when actors did such a great job and the plot was very unique.

Signal (2016) [9/10]

🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁

I really went all the way with treating myself this month with good dramas. I’m sure you can understand why it got rating this high. The secrets in this one are laid in a thick layer, so I was watching it without blinking, not to mention sleeping. I finally got my beauty sleep at 5 a.m. Yay health. The best part of Signal was definitely Lee Jae Han fighting workplace discrimination single-handedly. Woke men are sexy. Signal is also a brilliant commentary on the biggest cold cases in Korea. It is clear the research that went into making this drama was intense, and you can really learn a lot from it.

P.S. Where is the second season?????

Life on Mars (2018) [7/10]

🍂🍂🍂🍂🍂🍂

We didn’t have a good start. Life on Mars isn’t that fast paced at the beginning, and my WiFi connection started acting up at that time. I’m pretty sure it was a serious case of an assassination of my internet provider on the binge status of these series. My mood went down, and honestly, the action at that point didn’t pick up the pace, so we had a hard time. The biggest mystery wasn’t actually a mystery, and the writers put all important cards on the table indicating where the plot is going. But all things worthy sometimes need that effort, and I’m glad I found my pace again. Life on Mars hit me hard, and like the big masochist I am, I really enjoyed the ending.

The Undateables/ Handsome Guy and Jung Eum (2018) [6/10]

🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁

I got hooked within the first 10 minutes of this drama. It was very smooth and easy to watch. I enjoyed these little gestures and facial expressions that appeared here and there, making it 10 times more silly and 10 times more bubbly. It was very addictive and very much appreciated after that row of brilliant, but heavy dramas I went through on my own accord. It’s not a big piece of art, but I searched for some sweet sweet couple moments and I got them, so the winner is probably still me. I took it easy with this one though. It wasn’t action packed or that gripping to pull an all-nighter, but definitely a good way to spend my time.

When The Devil Calls Your Name (2019) [7/10]

🍂🍂🍂🍂🍂🍂🍂

I added this title to the list, but it was actually binged in 75%. Math queen right here! Staying up all night doesn’t fry all of your cells, see? From the day episode 1 was uploaded I did a serious stake out on this title. Observing and calculating. I knew I wanted to binge it all, but it took sooooo long to end. I snapped right before episodes 13 & 14 came out. This drama is a gold mine of really good OST songs. The plot was literally flowing, and I didn’t even notice how I got from episode 1 to episode 12. I agree that it became a little draggy around episode 13, that’s why I lowered the rating a little bit. However, the ending totally got me, and I still can’t get it out of my head, it was so wholesome.

Bring It On, Ghost/ Hey Ghost, Let’s Fight (2016) [5/10]

🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁

This drama could be described as a “classic beauty”. It definitely follows the basic form of a good drama, and it is addictive to the point of no return. It was fun, but took me a while to finish, I have no idea why. I noticed that even though I lost my pace after 5th episode, I picked it up back again when I got neat the end. Bring It On, Ghost is full of action scenes, and it has a very consistent and interesting plot, and supernatural elements in it, so I’m very surprised I didn’t finish it faster. Guess it wasn’t the right time and place.

Queen In Hyun’s Man/ Queen and I (2012) [10/10]

🍂🍂🍂🍂🍂🍂🍂🍂🍂🍂

I went full old-school with this drama, didn’t I? It was overloaded with typical couple drama like amnesia, big inheritance, and politics. Do you smell that? It’s the good stuff. I was smitten with the chemistry of the main couple here, I couldn’t stop myself from smiling. Very thick chemistry, very nice to look at. We can fawn over how good Yoo In Na and Lee Dong Wook look together in Goblin, but Yoo In Na and Ji Hyun Woo were the OG couple back in the day. I just couldn’t wait till Kim Boong Do finally admits that he, in fact, is a player so I barely stopped to drink and eat. I have no idea how long did I stay up, but the morning sun greeted me through the window alongside In Na’s bright smile through my computer screen.

Laughter In Waikiki 2/ Welcome to Waikiki 2 (2018) [6/10]

🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁🍁

It is a tricky one, because one does not simply laugh at 4 a.m. in a house full of sleeping fussy people.The beginning and ending kept the class of the first Waikiki, but I guess the A-class humour got lost in the middle. Don’t get me wrong, it was really funny, but I found myself laugh out loud less than I did during the first one. However, the romantic aspect got me good. If I were to mention one big reason why you should watch it, it’s the Romance in Waikiki. The romantic element of the plot was written well, and it was very neat that they referenced past characters too. The episodic skit format is not perfect to binge, it’s more of a watch two episodes this week, and next two probably next week. At least for me.

Be Melodramatic/ Melo Suits Me (2019) [9/10]

🍂🍂🍂🍂🍂🍂🍂🍂🍂

There was no way for me to stop watching this after I hit a play button. Not only the drama is damn interesting, taking the form of an ultimate meta-drama, it has some nice winks to all kdrama manias like me. You can see them in small things, e.g. when Reply series were mentioned, PDs added the goat sound effect, or when Jin Joo said that Director Son kind of reminds her of Jung Bong from Reply 88, and bigger ones, when a lot of kdrama hits were put as a background music, e.g. ALMOST PAAAAARAAAAADISE from BOF, She is from My name is Kim Sam Soon or Appear from Secret Garden. It took me by surprise that even though the general atmosphere of Be Melo is kind of serious, they easily went over that fourth wall with light steps, and overall this drama keeps a nice balance between humour and sadness. And that song... every time I wash my hair... among the swaying flowers I can smell your shampoo’s scent... Play it at my funeral, I beg you.

It was a fun month of escapism and running away from my responsibilities. I had a little break at the beginning of this year, so I’m glad I caught up with some dramas I’ve been planning on watching for a while now and new ones I couldn’t wait to watch. I feel happy with the outcome. I hope you’re happy with my rating as well. See you in the next one.

[kpoptimeout]

Top 20 Most Underrated K-Pop Songs of the Decade (2010-2019) PART 2

The 2010s has come and gone before we knew it.  

Continuing with the K-Pop Timeout Tradition (see 2018 Ver) of listing the Top 10 Most Underrated K-Pop Songs because all the other sites are just bothered with the Top 10 that pretty much everyone will have heard of/have fan wars over, below we have created a list of the Top 20 Most Underrated K-Pop Songs of the Decade because 10 spots is not enough to cover the amount of talent slept on.

For these reasons, we have listed 10 of them here in PART 1 and will list an additional 10 in here. This is in alphabetic order NOT in the order of awesomeness because all of them are awesome. Also, all MVs are linked in the song titles because Tumblr won’t let me share that many videos in one post.

Rainbow “Sweet Dream” (2011)

The younger sister group of DSP Media’s highly successful 2nd gen girl group KARA, Rainbow never received much attention at all in comparison, never having received any music show wins since their debut in 2009. While this may be a result of DSP’s mismanagement (e.g. changing the girls’ concept from edgy to cute all of a sudden mid-way in their career and chucking them to promote in Japan before they have a solid domestic fanbase), it was never because of the quality of Rainbow’s music. Even K-Pop critics would agree that their 2011 comeback “A” is an all-time K-Pop classic. However, we would like to bring attention to “Sweet Dream”, because it is one of the best Rainbow songs ever and even more underrated than most of the songs in Rainbow’s already highly underrated repertoire. Following powerful poppy tracks like “A” and “Mach”, Rainbow appeared to be developing a style completely unique of their own in “To Me” and it reached fruition in “Sweet Dream”. It was not just poppy and powerful but showed emotional depth and the beautiful harmonies of the girls. While the girls have all left DSP Media, the girls are super close and they have chosen not to disband, thus becoming the only 2nd gen girl group still active with the full original lineup. The members even self-funded their 10th-anniversary comeback this year. If you love to support beautiful music and an even more beautiful friendship, listen to “Sweet Dream”!

RANIA “Just Go” (2013)

Newer K-Pop fans would probably just know RANIA for Alex’s brief stint in the group and making it the only girl group to ever had a Black member on its lineup. But even before Alex joining the group, RANIA had been known for breaking barriers in the conservative K-Pop industry. Their debut song “DR Feel Good”, which was originally written for Lady Gaga, was seen as too sexy by the Korean public when all they did was wear leather, get low and hair flip a lot. Their later songs continue to be powerful and amazing but it appeared that the public just chose to always label them as the “too sexy” group. “Just Go” is an example of their brilliance that the K-Pop industry was just not ready for at the time. “Just Go” is a party track carried by extremely song vocals and creative choreo where the girls interact a lot with the back dancers. The girls also wore lace full-body suits, leather jackets and actual pantsuits in different scenes throughout the MV. The song exudes so much BDE before BDE even existed as a term. If you want a confident girl group power anthem, “Just Go” is the song for you.

The SEE YA “Be With You” ft. SPEED’s Taewoon (2012)

The SEE YA was MBK Entertainment’s (formerly Core Contents Media) first ballad group after the highly successful Davichi. While Davichi is more of a pop ballad group, The SEE YA being technically a reboot of the RnB group SeeYa went for a darker sound. Their typical sound is encapsulated in their debut song “Be With You” ft. SPEED’s Taewoon, which had lovely harmonisation and also piercing high notes. The vibe of the song simply tugs at your heartstrings like a beautiful melodrama OST. Even the MV itself is a melodrama. MBK really should have promoted the group’s own music more instead of doing lots of cross-group collaborations so more people recognised The SEE YA’s own unique sound. While The SEE YA has disbanded in 2015, their music lives on as extremely underrated masterpieces. If you love dramatic ballads and K-Drama OSTS, you should check out “Be With You”!

SPEED “That’s My Fault” ft. Davichi’s Minkyung (2013)

Another talented group that unfortunately disbanded in 2016 due to MBK Entertainment’s poor management, SPEED is an exceptionally talented group that deserved so much better. Some K-Pop fans may know SPEED for their crazy choreography on heelys, but not as many know them for their vocal and rap talent. SPEED’s debut song “That’s My Fault” ft. Davichi’s Kang Minkyung is one of the rare male idol debuts that was super melodramatic and also pays homage to real historical events. The MV depicts teen love that slowly blossoms in the backdrop of the 1980s Gwangju Democratization Movement of South Korea which ended up with 144 civilian deaths, featuring the acting of Ji Changwook, Park Boyoung, A PINK’s Naeun and Ha Seokjin. For a rookie group to have the skill and emotional depth to convey such a song is rare and there are not even that many veterans groups that have made songs honouring historical events and tragedies. These qualities make it one of the most underrated songs of the decade. If you like songs that pay homage to historical events, you should check out SPEED’s “That’s My Fault”!

SPICA “Russian Roulette” (2012)

When discussing extremely talented but underrated K-Pop girl groups, SPICA would definitely be brought up in such a conversation. The members are all amazing and powerful vocalists with a lot of attitude. Even the visual member, Jiwon, was hitting the whistle register. It is unfortunate that the group was consistently slept on and disbanded in 2017 (although member Bohyung has teased at a possible reunion). It is not an overstatement to say powerful vocal girl groups like SPICA walked so groups like MAMAMOO today can run. “Russian Roulette” is their debut song but it is already K-Pop gold - it showcases every member’s vocal skills and different ranges. The whistle loop in the chorus is also super addictive and memorable. So if you love vocal-heavy girl groups and their songs, you would love SPICA’s “Russian Roulette”!

Stellar “Crying” (2016)

Mainly known for their controversial and sexual MVs, Stellar actually was a very talented group whose talent was often overlooked by controversy due to management by a company that just wanted views when their initial cute debut song “Study” did not generate enough attention. When the group disbanded in 2018, members revealed in interviews that they were uncomfortable with the concepts they had to do and would not have been an idol if they knew it would be like this. And really the company should have allowed the girls more opportunities to do concepts they enjoyed and to showcase their abilities. “Crying” is an example of Stellar’s actual stellar talents - it includes beautiful vocals and harmonies as well as some fun laid-back rap. This addictive summer track would have dominated charts if it was sung by less controversial and already established acts like Son Dambi, After School, AOA or SISTAR. If you love a good summer bop, this is the song for you!

Sunnyhill “Midnight Circus” (2011)

How often do you see a K-Pop song critiquing the harsh realities of the K-Pop industry? Rarely. And Sunnyhill’s “Midnight Circus” is one such song. With the co-ed group donning the concept of a being a dark circus troupe, the song compares the K-Pop industry to that of a circus, where people are forced to perform in dangerous conditions often against their will or in ways they are not interested in. Such insights still ring true today with idols being constantly hurt in poor working conditions or suffering immense and often fatal amounts of stress from public scrutiny. The song itself also draws heavily from instrumentals one would associate with a circus - accordion riffs, heavy usage of the fiddle and also brass instruments. The singing is also very experimental and artsy - at times the members sing like they are speaking dramatically on stage, at times they are whispering ominously. The choreography is also creative and often has the members and back dancers moving like puppets controlled by the circus *cough* K-Pop industry *cough*. The fact that the remaining members of Sunnyhill are currently wallowing in obscurity and do not even have a changing room for their group’s music show comeback stage speaks volumes of how underrated they are. If you love insightful and well-executed concepts, you would be obsessed with “Midnight Circus”!

TRAX/TraxX “Escape” (2018)

In the early 2000s, SM wanted to produce the best solo artist, the best boy band, the best boy band and the best rock band. While they achieve the first two through BoA and TVXQ, SM struggled to make CSJH and TRAX as successful. TRAX has gone through multiple concept changes over the years - from glam metal to pop-rock to ballad now in 2018, the group transitioned to EDM with the addition of DJ Ginjo and rebranding themselves as “TraxX”. A possible reason for previous failures to make TRAX succeed is how their previous styles never fully show the abilities of all members. The glam metal aspect may have helped show Jungmo’s guitar playing abilities but its unique way of singing prevents the mainstream from appreciating Jay’s vocal abilities. While pop-rock and ballad allowed more people to hear Jay’s vocal colour and wide range, it also limited Jungmo’s ability to show his guitar skills. This 2018 comeback is phenomenal and SM should have really promoted “Escape” better - finally with EDM Jay’s godly vocals and Jungmo’s rock guitar skills are unleashed in a way never seen before in K-Pop. While there has been an increase in EDM use in K-Pop this decade, no other K-Pop song has incorporated the genre into K-Pop as well as this song, which also throws in rock. If you love an amazing genre-blender, “Escape” is the song for you!

TOPPDOGG “TOPDOG” (2014)

After BLOCK B’s exit from Stardom Entertainment, the label invested heavily in TOPPDOGG, aiming to make it the Super Junior of Hip-Hop. Honestly, the company should have just marketed TOPPDOGG as the group with the hardest and most diverse rap line in K-Pop because up to this day there is still not a group with as many different and talented rappers. The group had 5 amazing rappers. They also did not lack in vocal talent at all. However, the group never took off and members started to leave to pursue careers elsewhere and the 5 remaining members have rebranded themselves as XENO-T in 2018. “TOPDOG” should have been the song that made TOPPDOGG a household name but somehow it did not. The song was powerful but not a regular powerful boy band track. Sampling Mozart's “Symphony No. 25 in G Minor”, which Mozart wrote when he was only 17, the group hoped to portray the abilities of genius youth and they really did by adding their own electronic and hip-hop flair to the orchestra piece. Even the choreography and MV goes hard and would look futuristic even today with the top-notch CGI. It is definitely one of the best K-Pop tracks of this decade that has yet to be replicated. If you are a fan of dramatic boy band bops, “TOPDOG” is the song for you!

ZE:A “Ghost of the Wind” (2013)

ZE:A, like Nine Muses, never reached their full potential under the management of Star Empire Entertainment, a label which only seems to be able to make 1-3 members of a group into superstars while keeping the whole group itself in nugudom. ZE:A had many amazing tracks but “Ghost of the Wind” is arguably the best of ZE:A and also one of the best K-Pop songs of the decade. The orchestral strings provide the song with a grand and classy atmosphere that also has a sense of urgency. This is complemented well by the theatrical choreography that the members all nailed and the belting of high notes by not one but three members. Yet somehow this song charted poorly when it was promoted and the group is now currently in an indefinite hiatus while members are all pursuing solo careers in different industries from music to even mixed martial arts. If you love an orchestral and grand boy band song, check out “Ghost of the Wind”!

Which K-Pop songs do you think were underrated throughout the decade? Leave your thoughts in the comments section below and let the song sharing begin!!!

[absolutebl]

Hi!!! I love your blog so much, especially your weekly summaries-- they are just so helpful! I was wondering if you know of any Bls with the military/policemen/fire fighters? I know military service is mandatory in thailand and south korea so I was wondering if there were any Bls that have one the main characters in the military (or police, firefighters etc.) Thanks so so much!

Hi!!! Thank you!

BL BADGE BUNNIES ACTIVATED!

Sure thing. There are a few, not many. Countries with conscription policies (e.g. Korea & Thailand) usually have a defacto ban on realistic/non-positive representation of military service in their media. In other words, BL by its nature (gay in military) stays away from this setting.

BLs in uniform (featuring military/policemen/fire fighter romances)

A Tale of Thousand Stars Thai 2021 YouTube (ranger) - With great casting and cinematography this drama nods at BL tropes but manages to elevate them (and itself) with a strong mature story concept about a spoiled rich kid who gets a heart transplant and becomes a teacher it order to pay out survivor’s guilt. On the way he falls in love with a local park ranger and contends with his own classism and escapist tendencies. Everyone seemed to perfectly suit their roles and GMMTV made the most out of its stable. Combined with excellent production (and post production) values, 1000 Stars is without question GMMTV’s most mature, charming, and smart BL series. I think it should go down as one of the top BLs of all time. I feel safe recommending this one to friends and non BL watchers. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

HIStory 3: Trapped Taiwan 2019 Viki (cop) - Basically the definition of enemies to lovers from Lin Pei Yu. This is a cop + the mafia man he is chasing but WAIT, they fall in love. Added bonus side couple: assassin and nerd cop ALSO falling in love. It’s great. All the leads are stellar. Its high heat, fun action, and a bit of a mystery drama but pretty about all of it. My only warning is that the main couple doesn’t entirely end up together, it’s implied, but… amorphous ending. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Your Name Engraved Herein Taiwan 2020 Netflix? (army, recent history) - This movie is fantastic but it is also seriously depressing, it’s a self acceptance journey, but if you wanna wallow in high quality acting and serious gay drama, this’ll do it. MIXED REC, NOT FOR SPECIFICALLY BL FANS

S.C.I. AKA SCI Mysteries China/Hong Kong 2018 YouTube? (censored bromance, cops) - This is a police procedural with a censored main couple of police investigators who live together basically as husbands, it’s just not talked about. This is one of the first BLs I ever saw (I found their relationship very confusing). RECOMMENDED

Guardian China 2018 grey (censored bromance, cop) - Episodic urban fantasy meets police procedural, one of the most epic long term pinings in the history of long term pinings. RECOMMENDED

Light Taiwan 2021 Gaga (cop) - Ironically titled movie about a street hustler (incest, rape, abuse survivor - all depicted on screen) who falls in (and in love with) an undercover cop. TRIGGERS

Shorts & Sides

A First Love Story Korea 2021 YouTube & Gaga (military service) - Strongberry are true masters of their craft and yet A First Love Story is still one of the best things they have ever produced. It’s the only microfilm ever to make one of my year end top ten list. It’s two episodes of about 8 minutes each that manage to perfectly portray the sweetest friends-to-lovers confession ever. It’s joyful, and gentle with its characters, and a little hot. How on earth do they manage to leave us yearning for more yet completely satisfied at the same time? It’s like the perfect amuse-bouche, that one finger food at that one cocktail party that you will never forget. You are a ridiculous human if you haven’t spent 16 minutes with these two boys. Go watch it now. Or go watch it again. It’s time VERY well spent. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Just Friends? Korea 2009 Gaga (military service) - Boyfriends, one of whom is on military leave, trying to decide on coming out and the future. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

(also one of Korea's first BLs, they would NOT stick to this style, it's way more Taiwan feeling.)

The Immeasurable Taiwan 2021 Gaga (cop) - Police officer falls in love with a student who turns out to be an anti-establishment activist. MIXED REC

DanYok side couple in Not Me (cop)

I've left out bodyguards and historicals (or both).

I've left out the super dark, unhappy, violent, rapey, and pinks, because... I don't like 'em, and you asked me... so...

Now you know why the BL adaptation I want more than ANYTHING is Decedents of the Sun, soldier+healer but GAY? Come on, it writes itself!

(source)

[englishclassbi]

Week 6 (March 29/ 2020)

Hello everyone!!

¡Hola a todos!

안녕 모두!!

     Guys, I wanted to share another song with you, but I couldn’t wait until the next week. Hahaha. Well, this song is very polemic, because it tries to talk about women empowerment, but the video used for the songs seems to be incoherent with the message. That’s why I wanted to analyze it and show you what I think.      “NO” by CLC, is the song that I will be talking about. It begins, ends and has as a chorus the same phrase “Red lip, No. Earrings, No. High Heel, No. Handbag, No.” The purpose of this is to make clear the point of view on the song, and it is that this girl group is refusing to all these beauty standards that are set over women.  Then, the song continues to make more references about women's stereotypes. “If you don’t like it, go somewhere else that suits your tastes. Pure, sexy, cute. Those words alone can’t describe me.” This is one of the most powerful lines in the song. CLC is talking about how in Korean culture, people expect women to act and be as the man wants, but they shouldn’t because women are not puppets. Also, in Korea, women are commonly described as “pure, sexy or cute,” however, CLC knows that women are more complex beings that can’t be described by just three simple words.      This music video is a way to support the movement called “Escape the Corset.” This movement was created in 2018 in South Korea. The purpose of the movement was to stop following beauty standards, making opposite actions, like destroying makeup, cutting their hair or stop using uncomfortable clothes. Now, there is a contradiction between the video and the song’s message. Throughout the video, all the girls are wearing dresses, high heels, earrings, lipstick, and others. However, there is a scene where one girl has a cube with the word ‘NO’ on it and after the first chorus ends, she puts this cube up-side-down, now saying ‘ON.’ This is also a message because refusing beauty standards doesn’t mean to stop using things that you also like. If a woman likes to use makeup, she can use it, not because of the social pressure, just because she wants to. That’s the meaning of why they are wearing all those accessories, despite the wanted to destroy them.      I hope you liked this analysis as much as I. For today’s recommendation, I want to share a TV drama, because now that we all are in quarantine, time is eternal. “Because this is my first life” is a Korean drama that talks about love and marriage. Not always love and marriage mean the same and each person has the right to choose what they want to do with their lives.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZvhpjERxJlQ

[theliterateape]

The Cinema of 2019: A Literate Ape End-of-Year Review

By Don Hall and Brett Dworski

Editor’s Note:

With projects like Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, Watchmen, The Mandalorian, and pretty much everything produced for the CW, we are smack dab in the epicenter of the Age of Fan Fiction. The films of 2019 have some nods to this trend with Joker, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, and Yesterday playing hard and loose with expanding the existing iconography to tell new stories.

We enjoyed a lot of movies in 2019. While not a banner year like 1968 or 1999, the year certainly had its standouts. Here is our end of the year list of the films that impacted us the most compiled by Don Hall and Brett Dworski, both film fans and people with acceptable vision and hearing.

NOTE: These are not ranked because generally, we believe the practice of ranking films is fucking stupid. However, we do rate them from 1 to 5 Apes. Enjoy.

Apollo 11

4 Apes (DH)

There really was a time when America was great. Sure, there was still segregation and violence, the war overseas, the draft, and the host of problems faced by the country but the men and women who took up Kennedy’s challenge to get a human being on the surface of the moon elevated us all. Apollo 11 is a documentary using entirely archival footage of this historic moment when mankind exceeded itself.

Honey Boy

1 Ape (BD)

The anticipated debut of writer Shia LaBeouf is choppy and disappointing. Newcomer Noah Jupe plays child actor Otis—based on LaBeouf—whose drunken father disrupts his recent success. The film’s inconsistencies stem across the plot, casting and performances. The father, played by LaBeouf, flops between abusive asshole and tender daddy by the minute; neither is compelling. Lucas Hedges, who plays Otis as a drug-abusing teenager, looks nothing like LaBeouf or Jupe. And once things get interesting, Otis forgives his pop and tells him he’s “going to make a movie about him.” Very original, Shia. The fact that Honey Boy is based on LaBeouf’s life is intriguing, but the film is ultimately a huge letdown.

Midsommar

4 Apes (DH)

Ari Astor gives us a twisted break up story wrapped in the bloody flowered crown of a horror film set in blinding sunlight. I loved Hereditary for a million reasons. I loved Midsommar for five: Florence Pugh, the bizarre mating ritual, the fucked up mushroom visuals, old people willingly plunging to their deaths, and a dude being stuffed into the skin of a recently slaughtered bear and burned alive.

Dolemite Is My Name

3 Apes (BD)

Eddie Murphy rewinds the clock to his Raw and Delirious days in this biopic of Rudy Ray Moore, a comedian and musician behind the Blaxploitation movement of the 1970s. While wildly erratic at times, it’s also an affectionate and sobering look at the hustle of show business. It took years for Murphy to ditch his affable family-man routine, but it was worth the wait: Dolemite Is My Name cements the raunchy, cocksure comic as one of the greatest talents of all time.

Yesterday

3 Apes (DH)

I wrote about this here. Loved it.

The Lighthouse

3 Apes (BD)

Robert Pattinson and Willem Dafoe are exhilarating in this delirious indie thriller. They play 19th century lighthouse keepers who struggle to maintain their sanity upon learning they’re stuck on an island off the coast of New England. The stunning black and white landscapes of Nova Scotia are overshadowed by Dafoe’s and Pattinson’s constant bickering, farting, masturbating, and binge drinking. The Lighthouse is bizarre, hilarious, terrifying, peculiar… and quite good. You’ll never view seagulls the same way after watching it.

Endgame

5 Apes (DH)

The culmination of nearly two dozen interconnected films all stemming from my Gen X childhood? I’ve been waiting since I read my first Avengers comic when I was ten years old for this and it did not disappoint. Packed with incredibly satisfying moments (Professor Hulk, Cap gets the Hammer, “...on your left...,” and “I... am... Iron Man”) this was the most fun three hours I could imagine that didn’t involve cheese or sex.

The Art of Self Defense

4 Apes (BD)

This deadpan and absurdist comedy highlights toxic masculinity through a ruthless karate class. Jessie Eisenberg plays Casey, a lonely, frightened accountant who enlists in the course after a mugging leaves him hospitalized. Led by a vain and puzzling instructor, the class soon absorbs Casey’s life and brainwashes him to commit barbaric acts beyond self-protection. Although clearly a blend of Fight Club and The Karate Kid, The Art of Self Defense carries an unusual rhythm that separates it from its predecessors—and displays a refreshing kind of filmmaking from newcomer Riley Streams.

Joker

4 Apes (DH)

The politics that suddenly surrounded this were nothing more than distraction. Was it a response to the humorless Woke culture? An Incel Fantasy? Who gives a fuck. It was a film that did something a lot of movies lately refuse to do—it surprised us. It also included an amazing, painful performance by Joaquin Phoenix and, like Logan before it, used the pop culture iconography of the comic book tropes and deepened them in ways that only a bold approach could.

High Life

4 Apes (BD)

Visually-stunning cinematography and a harrowing storyline carry High Life, one of the most daunting films of the year. Set in a futuristic world where death-row inmates are sent to conduct eerie experiments in outer space, High Life is as morbid as it is alluring. The movie—which was made in 2018 but not released in theaters until 2019—resembles a space version of The Shining with its isolation-leads-to-madness concept. While too edgy for some, High Life is one of the most uniquely made films in years.

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood

5 Apes (DH)

Tarantino’s homage to revisionist history, the plight of growing old and becoming replaceable, 1960s Hollywood, and chock full of snappy dialogue, incredible performances, and both a sense of celebration and melancholy makes this one of the best movies about movies ever made.

John Wick Chapter 3

5 Apes (DH)

With next year’s Keanu-mas when they release both John Wick 4 and the Matrix 4 movies on the same day (yes, I will participate fully) the franchise that spawned the newfound love for all things Reeves is absolutely worth noting. Full of that comic book/video game world-building, odd but sensible rituals and oaths and rules plus plenty of head-shot, bloody violence, I sat in a Las Vegas theater with a crowd and we all gasped, laughed, and applauded at the absolute action-porn that is John Wick. Yes, these films are pornography of comic book violence and Reeves is our big-dicked John Holmes.

The Painted Bird

5 Apes (BD)

Those seeking a feel good shan’t see The Painted Bird, a bloodcurdling Holocaust drama seen through the eyes of a child. Petr Kotlár gives a robust performance as a nameless boy fighting to survive the violent societal breakdown in Eastern Europe. In doing so, he experiences one nightmare after another—each worse than the former—and loses hope in human kindness along the way. The beautifully shot black-and-white landscapes are a mirage for the routine abuse the boy encounters, leaving audiences as numb to it as he is by the film’s end.

The Irishman

4 Apes (DH)

Scorsese caps a triptych of films over decades with this much slower but no less magnificent look into the Italian Mafia from the inside/out. Goodfellas is an Irish kid’s ascent and is an explosive young man’s movie. Casino is a Jewish man’s climb up in the Mob and, while still explosive, is a bit more subdued and a decidedly middle-aged man’s film. The Irishman is an old man’s view, looking back, reliving awful and magnificent moments.

Together, the three films mark a masterwork in a genius director’s canon.

Ad Astra

5 Apes (BD)

Ad Astra takes a different approach than most solar-system journeys by exploring the man behind the suit. Brad Pitt is Roy McBride, an accomplished astronaut whose dedication to space has damaged his marriage. When called upon for secret mission to Neptune, the stoic McBride finds he’s more than a government robot, and his ascent to madness results in one of Pitt’s finest performances. Supported by a wonderfully played asshole in Tommy Lee Jones, Ad Astra is as much a family drama as it is a space adventure.

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker

5 Apes (DH)

Sure, there were unanswered questions leftover and I really didn’t care for that kiss at the end but I loved this film from start to finish. Completing a story as massive and, in many ways, disconnected, was a tall order and I think Abrams and team did about as good a job as anyone could expect. This will be in rotation at least a couple more times in the next few weeks.

Marriage Story

5 Apes (BD)

Oscar-worthy performances from Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson drive Marriage Story, a clever, poignant narrative about divorce. Noah Baumbach’s behind-the-scenes view of the crippling situation separates it from movies alike, exploring factors beyond courtroom troubles and custody battles. Marriage Story empathetically—and even comically—shows both sides of the fight, and its effect will last far beyond the screen. Get your box of tissues ready.

Alita: Battle Angel

3 Apes (DH)

Not a Manga-Boy so the inconsistencies with the story and characters didn’t bother me. I thought this was the closest to watching a dramatic video game with some cool performances and great use of camera and technology. It was also the film I saw first as a resident of Las Vegas so that counts for something at least to me.

Parasite

5 Apes (BD)

Superbly written, shot and performed, Bong Joon-ho’s account of class discrimination in Korea is an electrifying and emotional masterpiece. What begins as a lighthearted story of two families—one rich, one destitute—spirals into shocking sequences of deception. It has every element of an instant classic: witty comedy, sexual tension, thrilling violence, social themes and a stunning finale that mirrors the horrors of reality. Calling it the best movie of 2019 isn’t enough: Parasite is one of the top films of the decade and transcends the arc of modern cinema.

[bodashiri]

2018 Korean Drama/Movie Rewind

1. Bohemian Rhapsody syndrome

Before K-Pop started to emerge in the early 90s, most young Koreans in the 70s and 80s listened to US/British pop music. (For example, K-pop pioneer Lee Soo-Man 이수만, the chairman of SM entertainment, was a radio DJ who introduced Western pop music to the public in the 80s.) 

British rock band Queen's "Love of My Life" was in top 3 of Koreans' all time favorite pop song list, along with Beatles' Yesterday and Bee Gees' Holiday. It is safe to say that Koreans really loved Queen, but ironically Queen has never held a concert in South Korea until 2014 (with Adam Lambert) because so many of their hit songs such as Bohemian Rhapsody, Killer Queen, Another one bites the dust were banned under the military dictatorship in the 70s and 80s. The famous Live Aid concert also got mutilated by the censors. However, Korean fans secretly listened to the prohibited songs via bootleg cassettes.

As South Korea has become democratic in the late 80s, K-pop became popular and slowly replaced Western pop music among younger generations. Millennial generations didn't know who Queen is. However, those fans who loved Queen's music in the 70s and 80s used their songs as an ad music and almost brainwashed the whole country with Queen's music for the past 30 years. As a result, Young Koreans knows the songs through Samsung, LG, and Hyundai commercials but they didn't know that the songs were written and sung by Queen. (LOL)

Queen's songs used in Korean commercials.

The explosive popularity of 2018 music biopic Bohemian Rhapsody is not only because of the older generations' nostalgia about the 70s and 80s but also because of the younger generations' "What? All of these familiar songs were written and sung by the same band? OMG" "I thought I didn't know who Queen is but I found I already know their songs" mentality. So to speak, the younger generations discovered Queen for the first time. 

For that reason, Bohemian Rhapsody became the biggest surprise success at the Korean box office in 2018. Long live the Queen.

2. Successful remakes from western drama/movie

Remakes from Western drama/movie have long failed to appeal to Korean viewers, but Intimate Strangers 완벽한 타인 (2007 Italian movie "Perfect Strangers" remake), Suits 슈츠 (US drama "Suits" remake) and Less Than Evil 나쁜 형사 (BBC drama "Luther" remake) broke the stereotype and gained a decent success in 2018. More and more remakes from Western drama/movie? It remains to be seen.

3. Disappointing Sageuk genre

Only a handful of Sageuk dramas have been made this year, because of the last year's serial failure. And 100 Days My Prince 백일의 낭군님 (tvN) was the only successful one with decent ratings, except for Mr. Sunshine 미스터 션샤인 (tvN) - Well, that is Kim Eun-Sook drama after all.

The overall Sageuk genre seems to fall into mannerism. However, we are going to see far more Sageuk dramas/movies next year because 2019 is the 600 year anniversary of Hangul (Korean alphabet) creation and 100 year anniversary of the Provisional Government of the Republic of Korea established in Shanghai (China) against Japanese colonial rule.

The most anticipated Sageuk :

The Chronicles of Asdal 아스달 연대기 (tvN) starring Song Joong-Ki and written by Six Flying Dragons (2015 SBS) writers

Kingdom 킹덤 (Netflix) written by Signal (2016 tvN) writer.

4. The rising of Occult/Supernatural genre

Partly because of the success of The Priests 검은 사제들 (2015 Korean movie) and The Guest 손 The Guest (2018 OCN drama), more and more occult/supernatural drama/movies will be made in 2019 : 

Item 아이템 (MBC)

Possession  빙의 (OCN)

Svaha : The Sixth Finger 사바하 娑婆訶 (Movie)

The Divine Fury 사자 (Movie)

Closet 클로젯 (Movie)

The peninsula 반도 (Movie).

The most anticipated Occult/Supernatural :

The peninsula 반도 (Movie) directed by Yeon Sang-Ho (Train to Busan)

Svaha : The Sixth Finger 사바하 娑婆訶 (Movie) directed by Jang Jae-Hyun (The Priest)

The Divine Fury 사자 (Movie) directed by Kim Joo-Hwan (Midnight Runners)

5. The Last Empress 황후의 품격 (SBS)

This latest SBS drama is the Makjang version of Princess Hours 궁 (2006 MBC). It is interesting that Jang Na-Ra 장나라, the leading actress of The Last Empress (2018), was the first choice of Princess Hours (2006). At that time, she declined the role and Yoon Eun-Hye 윤은혜 took her place and became a breakout Hallyu star. 

I'm wondering if Jang Na-Ra decided to join The Last Empress to resolve her 12-year-old regret over her choice even though it is a Makjang drama.

Anyways, Makjang genre will never die on TV because viewers absolutely love to hate it. 

[prettywordsyouleft]

50 Questions Tag

Tagged by @g-exo Thank you sweetie! <3

1. What takes too much of your time?

Working and writing. 

2. What makes your day better?

Writing, k-dramas, crafting, bullet journalling, chocolate lol.

3. What’s the best thing that happened to you today?

This is going to sound odd, but we have 3 little kittens (and their mama) who we rescued from our horses’ hay shed a few weeks ago. The kittens started on solids like two days ago and one of them hadn’t pooped and was pretty full. After some assistance from me, she went and pooped. I could have cried with pure happiness. Poor thing was so uncomfortable.

4. What fictional place would you like to go to?

The world of Howl’s Moving Castle. To be able to use the door in Howl’s Castle to go to different realms and places would be truly magical.

5. Are you good at giving advice?

I believe so. Not so good at taking the same said advice though >_<

6. Do you have any mental illness?

Generalised Anxiety.

7. Have you ever experienced sleep paralysis?

Nope and I’m grateful that I haven’t :/ << same.

8. What musician inspired you the most?

SHINee as a group. I was in a hard place when I got into kpop with being unable to walk. I was entirely depressed from my accident and thought I would never get anywhere again. Their music gave me an escapism that I needed at first, and then I found the confidence in myself to get back up and try again. 

9. Have you ever fallen in love?

I don’t think I truly know what love is aside from familial love. I’ve not had the opportunity to fall in love. 

10. What’s your dream date?

I don’t think I have one. Something simple yet fulfilling with a person who is actually engaged in the date happenings and wanting to be in my company would be enough for me!

11. What do others notice about you?

I like to give. Everyone who has come across me - whether in passing or actually get to know me, all say that I have this ability to share with others and make their lives brighter by doing so. 

The ones who know me well complain that I don’t know when to stop and rest because I’m so focused on completing my tasks/ giving to others lol. 

12. What is an annoying habit you have?

I guess the above - being too stubborn to know when I need to rest. I’m pretty bad about it. I overload myself and then get too stressed out. It’s something I’m working on!

13. Do you still talk to your first love?

Not applicable to me.

14. How many ex’s do you have?

Zero.

15. How many songs are in your playlist?

6456 is the amount I have on itunes. I have various playlists that I listen to despite my mood though.

16. What instruments can you play?

None.

17. Who do you have the most pictures of?

Uhhhh on my phone it’s Mark Tuan. Followed by Kyungsoo and both Jung/Park Jinyoung’s.

18. Where would you like to go before you die?

Italian Peninsula is my top pick. Other places would be Greece, Japan, Korea and England.

19. What is your zodiac?

Gemini technically.

20. Do you relate to it?

I fall on the Gemini-Cancer cusp and relate to articles I’ve read of Gemini-Cancer cusp people than pure Gemini traits. I’m definitely not an outgoing, carefree person as Gem’s are describe to be lol.

21. What is happiness to you?

My family, friends and even our pets succeeding in life. Seeing their happiness makes me feel good.

22. Are you going through anything right now?

This whole year has been a “going through” kind of year. Every time I think things are settling, another thing is thrown my way. But I’m optimistic it means I’m getting stronger with this testing period. 

23. What’s the worst decision you’ve ever made?

Not buying VIP tickets when B.A.P came here for their L.O.E tour. I chose Gold tickets because they had seats and as a partially disabled person through my right leg, I didn’t think I could stand for the duration of the concert. It’s something I’ve regretted for years - they were so amazing to everyone, but those in VIP were so darn lucky with all the interactions they had!  

24. What’s your favourite store?

I guess Gordon Harris, the local art store, because I am always there picking up new stationery supplies for bullet journalling. 

25. What’s your opinion on abortion?

It’s a very personal choice. As a person who wants to be a mother one day, it’s an option I could never ever bring myself to do. However, it’s not my place to judge, condemn or preach at those who feel it’s their only choice at the time. 

26. Do you keep a bucket list?

Kind of? In my bullet journal for the past 2 years I’ve done the whole “19/20 things to do before 2019/2020″ but I don’t have an official bucket list or anything.

27. Do you have a favourite album?

Probably Verse 2 - JJ Project because I listen to it all the time. Otherwise, Good Timing - B1A4 is probably another long time favourite.

28. What do you want for your birthday?

Not really sure... my birthday is hard because it’s ten days before my Dad’s death anniversary. So I just try to do something to smile each year. Maybe go out for dinner to celebrate mine and Mum’s birthday (she’s a week exactly after my birthday)

29. What are most people’s first impression of you?

I’ve been told most people think I’m shy and awkward but once I talk, they are surprised with how engaging I can be in conversation. Which makes me laugh because generally on the inside I’m panicking as I have social anxiety issues. 

30. What age do you seem according to most people?

I’m 32 but people never seem to think it. When I was at university, I was older than everyone else as an adult student but they all thought I was around 20-21 when I was 24+ hahah. 

31. Where do you keep your phone while you’re sleeping?

On top of Octavia’s crate which is next to my bed. Or if I need to charge it, I leave it on my desk. I’m a very light sleeper so when my alarm goes off, it doesn’t need to be next to me to wake me up.

32. what word do you say the most?

When I’m talking - “like” (which really annoys me). When I’m writing - “but”.

33. What’s the oldest age you would date?

I try to believe I would date anyone regardless of age. But I’ve been known to have put an age limit of no more than 8 years older when I was feebly using dating websites. I don’t actively search for someone anymore, so if they came into my world and matched me well in a natural way, then I don’t think age would deter me. 

34. What’s the youngest age you would date?

I’m a bit more carefree on this one... I think it comes from being an older kpop fan and liking on younger idols because there’s hardly any idols left that are my age/older lol. Again as above, I wouldn’t let a younger age deter me in the right setting.

35. What job/career do most people say would suit you?

Author. I’ve even done those career quizzes on multiple occasions and the first choice is always Author/Writer. 

The second choice people say is teacher. Which I was training to be until my injury. 

36. What’s your favourite music genre?

K-Pop. 

37. If you could live in any country in the world, where would it be?

I’m happy where I live. I’ve never thought of being able to live elsewhere.

38. What is your current favourite song?

White or Feeling - both by Jeong Sewoon. 

39. How long have you had this blog for?

I started it on July 2nd, 2018.

40. What are you excited for?

Uh, I’m not really excited for anything? 

41. Are you a better talker or listener?

A bit of both.

42. What is the last productive thing you did?

Yesterday I made a new paddock up for our horses, cleaned out my guinea pig’s house, cleaned out the entire bathroom where Byul and her kittens are staying. And then last night I did Chelle Chats which was pretty busy! 

Today I’ve been pretty chill compared so far. 

43. What do you want for Christmas?

I’m not sure. I’m never good at knowing what I want. Better at knowing what to buy others.

44. What class do you get the best grades in?

In high school, it was English and Biology. In university, it was Classics/Ancient History.

45. On a scale of 1-10, how are you feeling right now?

6

46. What can you see yourself doing in 10 years?  

Not sure. I had an image of how I hoped to be a mother, and continuing on with my art business, but with puberty rocking our house with my sister and my finances taking a nose dive, fertility treatment is long gone sadly. I’ll just think I’ll focus on the now and improve/appreciate what I have! 

47. When did you first get your heartbreak?

I’m sure this question is related to dating but for me, when I was 14 my heart broke when my Nana died. And in 2012, when my Dad was killed was when I gained another ball in my box of grief. Last year was tough losing my dog of 15.5 years too. Got three balls in that box now :( 

As for dating, sure, I’ve hurt from limited attempts to confess and being rejected... but I’ve never had real opportunity for heartbreak like that.

48. At what age do you want to get married?

Lmfao. I’ll probably be single for my whole life. Marriage is so far from the cards for me, I can’t imagine it. 

49. What career did you want to have as a child?

I wanted to be a Veterinarian or Teacher.

50. What do you crave right now?

Food cos it’s 1.34pm and I’ve not eaten yet oops.

Tagging: @this-song-thats-only-for-you @mark-tuan-and-namjoon-lover @katdefbeom @listlessmaenads @tuanyiems @peachyparkjinyoung @jinyoungmoans @ahgase55g7 @itsallabigmess and anyone else who wants to do this! 

[thedramafilesblog-blog]

Appearing before The Dramacourt: Suits (Korea) Episodes 1 and 2

***If this is your first time browsing The Drama Files, please read The Rules section first for our reviewing and rating system***

***Disclaimer***: This analysis based on Canadian law. This is also NOT LEGAL ADVICE for anyone and this drama is FICTIONAL.

Issues:

Whether the portrayal of Kang Seok and CEO Ha Yeon managing client expectations is accurate.

Whether interviewing for jobs at law firms are as shown.

Whether corporate lawyers can practice criminal law.

Whether you can get potential clients to sign retainer agreements while they are high out of their minds.

Whether you can blackmail your client into dropping his lawsuit against you.

Whether the bromance is legit.

Are Ji Na and Geon Woo the new Mike and Rachel?

The Rule(s):

Yes. Minus the whole lying to the client part.

Somewhat…

It depends…

No!

Hell No!

Ehhh….We’re not really feeling it

Not really….

Analysis:

RedRosette J: Hi guys! Sorry we’ve been AWOL for a while. We had to do some life things like finish Law School! (YAY!) And just as we graduate we get the opportunity to review Suits (Korea)! (*Cheer*) I have to start off by saying that I was a HUGE fan of the US original and I absolutely LOVED it at first. Then I went to Law School and all I could see was how badly written the law stuff was and I had to stop watching it for awhile (occupational hazard LOL). When I heard there was going to be a Kdrama version starring HYUNGSIK I was beyond sold on it! I am all about Hyungsik and his puppyness!

❤

RedRosette J: What really surprised me was how similar to the US version the first two episodes were. They were almost exactly alike but with a little bit of Kdrama jazz added to it. The cinematography, the script, the OST (right down to that quirky toast food truck) was very similar (out of curiosity I went and re-watched the US version pilot episode to compare). I wasn’t sure if I was going to be a fan of the remake because remakes usually faceplant and don’t end well, but I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised!

#aesthetics

Breaking the law like

Dat sandwich tho

Client meetings on the street like?

This is what drowning in work looks like

When your boss is weird af but you have to act normal and keep a straight face

RedRosette J: I am a huge Hyunsik fan and I think that he makes a good “Mike Ross” (Geon Woo) character. When Hyungsik is up with Jang Dong Gun though his acting can be a little underwhelming but I mean it’s not the end of the world. Hyungsik does manage to give us his sad puppy eyes which made my heart melt for poor Geon Woo.  Jang Dong Gun on the other hand is a pretty good Harvey Specter in his character Choi Kang Seok and I’m buying whatever he’s selling.

RedRosette J: I wish CEO Ha Yeon (Jessica Pearson in this alternate reality) had had more screen time because she seems to be written as a composed bad ass just like her US counterpart. From what little we saw, the actress is doing a good job living up to the role so far. I’m slightly disappointed in the Louis Litt character played by Choi Gwi Hwa because a little bit of Louis’s zany-ness is missing from the character Chae Geun Sik. Sure, he is still married to his dictaphone and talks to his pet goldfish but I wish it would have been a bit funnier. I also wish the remake stuck to the running joke about how Louis hates his ancient secretary Norma (LMAO!). I am also not that ecstatic about the Donna character equivalent Hong Da Ham because while the friendship with Kang Seok exists, its not on the same playful level as between Donna and Harvey. I also accept that certain things can get swept away or underplayed in remakes and that character relationships can change when cultural norms are imported into the new version.

#pantsuitgoals

THE DICTAPHONE

Her fashion is on point

Harvey-Donna vibes

In every alternate reality Louis tries to poach Donna!

RedRosette J: As of now, I’m not a fan of the Rachel character Kim Ji Na. She came off too bitchy and mean and I feel like Go Sung Hee doesn’t have electric chemistry with Hyungsik which makes their banter fall a bit flat for me. The drama needs to work on the two of them. The drama however did stay true to the annoying Trevor and Jenny characters in Cheol Soon and Se Hee which I liked and I can’t wait too watch Geon Woo free himself of those toxic friendships.

Kim Ji Na you need to redeem yourself like asap

Oh look its the Trevor guy who ruins Geon Woo’s life

Please do not make this a thing like in the US version

RedRosette J: This remake had big shoes to fill and for the most part I think it delivered.

Issue 1: Whether the portrayal of Kang Seok and CEO Ha Yeon managing client expectations is accurate.

RedRosette J: You do need to manage your client’s expectations just so that they don’t think that you can get them the sun and moon when they retain your services. While I do think that Ha Yeon and Kang Seok needed to talk to their (obnoxious) client so that he was clear about what their services entailed and what he could expect from them, I don’t think it was appropriate (AT ALL) for Kang Seok to lie to him about getting paid already and that the client should just do what they tell him to do. That’s not really how it works. Lying to the client is a big No-No and breaks like a zillion lawyer ethics and rules. To the drama’s credit though, this was addressed constantly throughout both episodes so kudos to that!

When your client is an ass but you gotta be professional

Issue 2: Whether interviewing for jobs at law firms are as shown.

RedRosette J: I can’t really speak for what interviewing as an associate is like because I am technically still a student but for the most part that is what it is like. Everyone gets crowded into a big hall (typically at some shitty banquet hall or convention center) and there’s a lady at the desk who takes your name and then you wait to be called in and the waiting room is a giant stressball of candidates memorizing their perfectly crafted answers. It’s actually quite terrifying. Unfortunately, in real life, it’s nowhere near as nice as the fancy shmancy hotel the Kang & Ham interviews were held at LOL!

Can you feel the stress? Because I can

Who interviews people like this?

Issue 3: Whether corporate lawyers can practice criminal law.

RedRosette J: There’s a common misconception that having the title “Lawyer” means the person knows everything about “the law” and can practice in any type of law whenever they want. FALSE. Most lawyers work in highly specialized parts of the law and it is not recommended that you retain a lawyer who primarily works in one type of law to represent you in a case that is about a totally different type of law. Case in point: corporate lawyers are not experts in criminal law, so don’t get a corporate lawyer to defend you on a criminal case. It’s not that they can’t, it’s just that your interests will be better served by someone who has specialized knowledge in that area. That’s why there are criminal defense lawyers! I think it’s a bit silly that shows do this.

Specialize in one thing peeps

The worst that could happen is you could go to jail bro. It’s all good.

Getting handed your first case like

Issue 4: Whether you can get potential clients to sign retainer agreements while they are high out of their minds.

RedRosette J: Ummm….NO!!!! This is so beyond unethical I can’t even. You cannot get a client to sign a retainer agreement (an agreement stating that they allow you to be their legal representative) while they are high out of their minds! A person entering into any agreement must have the mental capacity and be of sound mind to make a rational and well thought out decision as to whether to enter into the agreement or not. Someone who is as high as a kite on Molly or whatever Lee Yi Kyung’s character was taking was definitely not of sound mind and he was definitely not able to enter into the agreement rationally. On top of that, he was also coerced by the arrival of the cops and Kang Seok threatening him! Nope. No. No can do.

Nope. Not ok. DO NOT SIGN THAT DUDE!

Issue 5: Whether you can blackmail your client into dropping his lawsuit against you.

RedRosette J: Yo no you cannot! Absolutely not. This violates a whole bunch of lawyer ethics, not to mention it is also breaking the law. So no. No matter how much of a pig your client is, you cannot blackmail them into dropping their lawsuit against you. You’d go to jail or be disbarred or both.

Definitely not ok.

Issue 6: Whether the bromance is legit.

RedRosette J: Unfortunately……(don’t hate me) it fell a bit flat for me. I was expecting a fast talking, movie line quoting bromance like the original, but this one just didn’t quite get there for me. While both actors have merit, there’s just something missing between them that just doesn’t quite make the bromance super awesome and one that you want to root for. As of right now, the only relationship on the show I care about is the one of Geon Woo and his Grandma.

This version of Harvey is a baseball fan!

Sorry not feeling it

Nope

Still nothing

Awww my poor heart can’t take it

Issue 7: Are Ji Na and Geon Woo the new Mike and Rachel?

RedRosette J: Again, this fell a bit flat to me because a) their first (real) meeting didn’t have the psazz like Mike and Rachel’s had, b) there was no indication of Geon Woo being totally smitten by Ji Na when they first meet (unlike Mike Ross who is instantly in total awe of Rachel) and c) they shouldn’t have tried to kdrama trope-fy the first meeting. Also idk whether it has to do with the whole kdrama love-hate trope but Ji Na carried that grudge about the rainwater splashing on her for far too long. Girl. Get over it. That shirt wasn’t even that nice. Also she was a bit too mean to him but what I did like about her was that when she realized that she had been wrong about him, she apologized without hesitation so she redeemed herself in my eyes a bit. The two also need more screen time for us to really get a sense of whether or not they are the new “Mike and Rachel”. But there is potential there and I’m not totally dismissing them at this point.

This first meeting kind of didn’t work for me

What is this weird vibe?

At least she apologized

Friends now?

Conclusion: Appeal Allowed.

Rating: 4 = I’ll Give You A Cookie (Mostly because they stuck very close to the original)

File No: Suits (Korea)-EPS-01-and-02 Appearing before The Dramacourt: Suits (Korea) Episodes 1 and 2 ***If this is your first time browsing The Drama Files, please read…

[sunnie-moved]

🌻fifty questions tag🌻

1. What takes up too much of your time?

— this hellsite....and currently documentaries!! i just watched this one called “Blackfish” i recommend it, but it’s not for the faint of heart. it’s very sad, it’s about SeaWorld

2. What makes your day better?

— the girl i like!! she’s really sweet and talking to her always makesmy day brighter! and also my friends!

3. What’s the best thing to happen to you today?

— the girl i like asked me out on a date !!!

4. What fictional place would you like to go to?

— omg!!!! the spirit world in atla/tlok!!! or just anywhere in that universe tobe honest!!!

5. Are you good at giving advice?

— it depends on the situation, to be honest

6. Do you have a mental illness?

— i have diagnosed depression and anxiety, and my therapist talked abt bpd but we haven’t dived into it yet

7. Have you ever experienced sleep paralysis?

— no, knock on wood!

8. What musician(s) inspired you the most?

—  hozier, declan mckenna, taemin, hayley kiyoko, troye sivan, and jonghyun

9. Have you ever fallen in love?

— yes

10. What’s your dream date?

— i’ve always wanted to go to this one cafe in town thats inspired about this one classical musician and !! i’m going there sometime after the girl i like comes back from florida! i’m so excited like !!

11. What do others notice about you?

— my chest tbh, or my tooth gap. i also have a cute lil mole under my eye/above my cheek

12. What’s an annoying habit you have?

— i tend to leave things lay around, i’ve been working on it but ahhhh . 

13. Do you still talk to your first love?

— yes, she hurt me but she’s still important to me platonically

14. How many exes do you have?

— 3 if u count actual relationships where we saw each other irl (and knew each other irl) 5 if not that

15. How many songs are in you playlist?

— like 3000, i like a lot of insturments

16. What instruments can you play?

— piano and recorder. the girl i like is trying to teach me trumpet tho (i’m bad at it omg)

17. What do you have the most pictures of?

— taemin, probably

18. Where would you like to go before you die?

— all around the world to be honest. i’d love to visit spain, thailand, norway, both koreas, china, and mexico.

19. What’s your zodiac?

— aquarius

20. Do you relate to it?

— yeahhhh

21. What is happiness to you?

— acheiving what i set my mind to, being surrounded by the people i love and the people that support me

22. Are you going through anything right now?

— a major custody battle w my family; a depressive episode; lots of stress and money struggles; friend changes/drama

23. What’s the worst decision you’ve ever made?

— letting people control what i do and how i do things (they aren’t my guardians*); not waiting to have sex

24. What’s your favorite store?

— any  book one, to be honest

25. What’s your opinion on abortions?

— a woman/person born w a vagina can do whatever she wants to her body and i don’t think anyone else should really have a say in it

26. Do you keep a bucket list?

— a mental one of sorts

27. Do you have a favorite album?

— i have many, but one of my All Time faves is Hozier by Hozier

28. What do you want for your birthday?

— money, if not that then: watercolor, bracelet string, journals, cute clothes

29. What are most peoples first impressions of you?

— apparently i’m intimidating?? i don’t try to be!! i try to come off as approachable as possible but ahhahhhhh :/

30. What age do you seem according to most people?

— 18ish

31. Where do you keep your phone when you sleep?

— on the little stand i have beside my bed (plugged in and charging ofc)

32. What word do you say the most?

— valid; mood; estoy cansada; i love you; fuck/damn/shit

33. What’s the oldest age you would date?

— 18

34. What’s the youngest you would date?

— 15

35. What job/career do most people say would suit you?

— something to do with languages or helping people/animals

36. What’s your favorite music genre?

— alternative, rock, indie

37. If you could live in any country in the world, where would it be?

— Canada or Norway

38. What’s your current favorite song?

— i want to hold your hand by the beatles; say say say by paul mcartney and mj; replay 0127 by nct

39. How long have you had this blog?

— since dec30 so 3 months almost 4

40. What are you excited for?

— gonna do volleyball this summer!! i’m excited for that!! and also my date uwu

41. Are you a better talker or listener?

— talker gd i never shut the hell up

42. What is the last productive thing you did?

— cleaned my room, bought things for my health, showered/etc

43. What do you want for Christmas?

— money; if not that then: keyboard, probs taemin’s newest album bc i still don’t own it

44. What class do you get the best grades in?

— spanish

45. On a scale of 1-10 how are you feeling right now?

— if one is best and ten is worst, im a solid 3

46. What can you see yourself doing in ten years?

— something with linguistics; maybe a teacher

47. When did you experience your first heartbreak?

— december 10 2018 if youre talking romance wise

48. What age do you want to get married?

— i don’t really want to get married but maybe like my 30s if i choose to??

49. What career did you want to have as a child?

— lawyer

50. What do you crave right now?

— i really want to cuddle w the girl i like and binge disney movies:(((

thank you @bfjeno​ for tagging me!! i miss you cj ahh ily ☀️

i tag: @haojuns ​ 🌻 @tanniel ​ 🌻 @rebeljae ​ 🌻 @lovwonho ​ 🌻 @sassmastermeg ​ 🌻 @babieken ​ 🌻 @coffeeshopgay ​ || do not feel forced to do it my loves, this was only for funsies! ☀️

[mykpassion]

Highlight’s ‘Outro’ is best K-pop album of 2018

The year 2018 saw new global records posted by Korean pop music, notably the boy group BTS becoming the first K-pop act to have albums reaching No. 1 in the Billboard Artist 100 Chart with “Love Yourself: Tear” in June and “Love Yourself: Answer” in September.

But the best K-pop album of 2018 was arguably “Outro” by Highlight, formerly known as Beast, one of the most dominant of second-generation K-pop acts that saw birth in the last decade such as Super Junior and Big Bang. Highlight is also one of the most acclaimed and dearly admired: BTS has disclosed Highlight has been its role model since it debuted in 2013.

Rebranding successfully as Highlight in 2017, the group has been acclaimed for its motivational songs (“Plz Don’t Be Sad,” “Can Be Better” and “Celebrate”), which seemed to allay the fears of its legions of fans worldwide about the uncertain fate of the group after it didn’t renew its contract with Cube agency in 2016 and forming its own, Around Us Entertainment.

Uncertainty continues to hound the group this year when the absolute age for Korea’s mandatory military enlistment was lowered by law from 30 to 28. (Korean males have to render at least 22 months of national service.) Fans were shocked when group leader Doojoon, who had turned 29 on July 2, was suddenly called to service on July 24, so that TvN had to rewrite the script of his popular foodie drama, “Let’s Eat 3,” and draw it quickly to a close.

Not surprisingly for a group whose members are admired for their closeness, the rest of Highlight later announced they would be enlisting together in 2019 and set their last concerts on Nov. 24 and 25, 2018.

Highlight marked its ninth anniversary in October without the usual fanfare but surprised fans with the release of the audio track, “Take Care,” a touching ballad that seemed addressed to Doojoon. In the run-up to the concerts, they suddenly announced they would be releasing a mini-album, surprising again their fans.

Released on Nov. 20, “Outro” is a farewell album that could help fans tide over the two years they would be missing Highlight. But departing from Highlight’s positive discography, the boys seem to return to their Beast roots, delivering song after song about heartache and separation.

Many fans have chosen to interpret positively the main carrier, “Loved,” but its brooding intensity is unmistakable. Although a dance track, it seems to have come in the tradition of Beast’s “dance ballads” such as “Midnight” (2012), “12:30” (2014) and “Ribbon” (2016).

Although the lyrics, including rapper Junhyung’s, eloquently speak of love’s loss, what distinguishes “Loved” is its nearly wordless chorus; in place of lyrics is a very striking electronic beat drop with piercing violin riffs. The rhythmic but searing strings and EDM recall those of Beast’s early 2014 Japanese track, “Sad Movie.”

Stylish video

Accompanying the single is a very striking music video which show Highlight members serving up the lyrics in various stages of loneliness then breaking into a stylishly choreographed dance routine during the chorus, distinguished by main dancer Gikwang in red hair and suit delivering his well-known sleek, flowing movements.

The second track, “Wind,” is a beautiful duet by main vocalist Yoseob and youngest member Dongwoon. The third track, “Leave It Alone,” is a bouncy duet by Junhyung and Gikwang and the fourth track, “Night Like Tonight,” is a vigorous solo by Doojoon which he recorded before enlistment, showing his very manly vocals. Fifth and last track is “Take Care,” displaying the four remaining members’ sensitive but powerhouse vocals for which Highlight is particularly known for. Very touching here are Gikwang’s and Dongwoon’s plaintive, lyrical vocals. Meanwhile Yoseob serves up effortlessly but dramatically a long piercing cry in the chorus bridge, underscoring again he’s without a doubt the best K-pop main vocalist.

Except for the second track, all of the songs are composed by the Good Life team of rapper-composer Junhyung and frequent collaborator Kim Taejoo. Except for the absent Doojoon, all members contributed to the lyrics, showing again why Highlight has the most consistently outstanding discography among K-pop acts, and why despite its coming enlistment and absence from the music scene for two years, it would remain a dominant creative force in K-pop.

cr: Lito B. Zulueta - Arts and Books Editor