We Got Married Global Edition Ep. 8- Thoughts

I am going to do a recap of the Key/Arisa segments later, but I’ll just say right now that Episode 8 was great. It had a good pace, it gave us some moments that seemed very genuine and laid-back, and nothing seemed overly engineered.

Puff and Heechul’s relationship especially needed some time for the two to just hang out, and that’s what this episode gave them. There segments were cute and understated (something that I rarely say about that couple) and they really seemed suited for each other. From the beginning the two seemed similar, but Puff was more mature. The idea that Heechul’s bad habits are rubbing off on Puff, instead of her good habits on him, is for some reason utterly adorable.

I personally loved the guest in the Key/Arisa segments. (Trying not to put spoilers here.) She has a very strong personality, but I can’t help observing that Key gets along best with women who are straight-forward and up front; also, she brought out a more talkative, sweet, goofy side of Arisa which I think Key enjoyed. And the noona (ahjumma?) fangirling over Kim Hyun Joong- love, love, loved it, especially Key’s reaction to it. And hey, I’m 32 and engaged, so I relate. When I’m watching certain shows, my fiance just leaves the room.

Anyway, I was getting a little unsure about this season, but this episode has me back on the fanboat.

P.S. Whenever I google Key I see him with brown hair and think he should go back to that. Does anyone agree/disagree? Also, I think Heechul is remarkably young looking but is still getting too old for the typical idol look. (Please don’t kill me.)

Mixed Feelings about “We got Married”

 

Adorbs, right?

I was planning on recapping the Key/Arisa segments of We got Married Global Edition. (Give me Dramas has done a few great recaps of the Heechul/Puff Gao segments, if you’re interested.)

I have been studying Japanese, speak English, and know a tiny bit of Korean, so their conversations combining  all three are heaven to me as a language nerd (especially since they tend to speak slow for each other.) I especially love when I realize they are saying something different from what the sometimes “creative” captions say. It makes me feel accomplished.

Unfortunately, I am now struggling with the fact that I like/hate the show. Here’s why:

(Warning! Minor Spoilers abound for several different seasons of the show.)

My first Impressions

This season was the first I have actually sat down and watched. The scriptedness of this season of We Got Married Global Edition didn’t bother me. Even if everything was 100% unscripted, the couples would still be surrounded by 20 or so cameramen and the like.  It couldn’t be completely “real.”

Still, even though many activities and ideas (such as the sundae list) are clearly planned out before, I felt that the interactions between Key and Arisa were pretty much real. Although Arisa has a job that requires her to receive a lot of attention, she is obviously very shy; as a fellow introverted extrovert, I would recognize that deer-in-the-headlights “I should do something now but I don’t know what” face anywhere. I don’t think she could convincingly fake the comfort she feels with Key. I did get more of a friendship vibe, but that didn’t bother me.

Awkwardness is so cute

As for Heechul and Puff, I was pretty sure a lot of Heechul’s corniness/lechery wasn’t serious, but I know people who are like that constantly in real life. Heechul and Puff’s fake marriage strikes me as a very honest fake marriage, if that makes sense. Neither one of them are proclaiming undying love for each other. The moments where Puff just laughs and ignores Heechul’s nonsense are my favorite. I don’t think that’s the language barrier in play. Heechul’s response to anytime he doesn’t understand what Puff is saying- repeating “Hao” and hoping he isn’t missing anything important- is pretty amusing. I actually could see them dating in real life, although it wouldn’t be a deep relationship.

We know for sure that they really like taking selcas

So, what I enjoy about the show is the couples finding ways to communicate despite language barriers, the moments where despite a manufactured situation the couples are genuine with each other, and of course the fish-out-of-water moments that are just pure funny.

Things that Bother Me

I decided to watch the last season of We got Married Global Edition. Some things started to really rub me the wrong way. Taecyeon was a big part of it, I gotta admit. I know some people feel he was rude and “Americanized.” I just felt he was trying to be honest, for instance when he said things like he didn’t want to be called the Korean equivalent of ‘hubby,” or when he said he didn’t trust that Gui Gui liked him. I think he just isn’t the type of person to express his emotions to others. That’s why, when he said things like “I feel like it’s changing from a like emotion to a love emotion” in a completely emotionless voice, I felt really embarrassed for him. There were good moments in this relationship, and I actually do believe the two had at least a good friendship. When Taecyeon said that he and Gui Gui were all about having fun, that seemed to me to be an actual expression of affection for her. But the show was too busy making the two say incredibly corny stuff to  take note of that.

They do look pretty cute together, don’t they?

Critically Acclaimed Secret Love Affair Ends With A Blast

Frankly, I liked Secret love Affair too much to be able to talk about it coherently. The quality of the acting, writing and directing were out of this world- something you only see every few years. What’s the phrase? The perfect storm? Well, it really touched me. Check out this blog for analysis of everything from the songs used to the set pieces. And can you believe the actors really played the piano?

Yoo Ah In SikSeekLand

Time to say goodbye to the piano man, Rachmaninoff, Brahms, Mozart, Schumann, Schubert, Dvorak, the beauty of classical music, Sun Jae the Angel, and his goddess Hye Won, the former Elegant Slave who gets her freedom at last.

A soulful journey for Hye Won, popular series Secret Love Affair ends its 16 episodes-run with a blast. The curtain calls following the beautiful ending. At the same time, this is not the end, but in fact the beginning of the couple’s journey of true life and love.

Secret Love Affair becomes a critically acclaimed drama of this year, in addition to its phenomenal ratings records achievement. The last four episodes broke their own records consecutively.

Riding the high waves of the upper-class conflict, episode 15 rated 4.56% and 5.3% for the national and metropolitan area viewership respectively, and it peaked to 7.3% based on by-minute-ratings during the broadcast.

Episode 16, which…

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K-drama thoughts this week

Hi everyone! This is Curlynoona here. Nerdnoona has gone from being drowned in finals to visiting an internet-free zone for a week. She’ll be able to put up some great TV/Beauty articles soon. I have a few random thoughts clanking around in my head, so I thought I’d write a quick note.

• Today was a big day for me: the end of an obsession , Secret Love Affair. I’m not lying, this drama had me so attached to the characters that I was terrified to watch 14-16. No spoilers here, but I will encourage you to watch it.
• A Witch’s Romance, my other favorite recently, is making me a bit nervous. It’s actually still engaging and great, but the plot has entered the angsty bit that lowered the quality of the original Taiwanese production My Queen. I’m hopeful A Witch’s Romance can stay romantic, cute and quirky, and not spend the remaining 9-10 episodes rehashing one issue.
• I haven’t seen Hotel King but Roommate has aroused my interest in Lee Dong-wook, so I might check it out. Either that or I’ll go back and watch My Girl, which for some reason I had trouble getting into.
• While watching Sungkyunkwan Scandal for the 80th time, I realized that 2nd leads who sleep in random places is actually a k-drama trope. This, Boys over Flowers, Flower boy Ramen Shop. That’s odd, right?
• A reader asked for info on gay and lesbian characters in Korean dramas, and I’m having a hard time finding any that aren’t super depressing.
• On the non-Korean front, I’m enjoying Fall in Love with Me. It did have a forced kiss this week, though, that didn’t exactly make me smile

Well, that’s about it for now. 🙂

Seo In Guk Would be Cool to Hang Out With

It’s hard to know what celebrities are really like. We don’t actually know them, after all. A celebrity you think is a quiet, humble, family-oriented person could in reality be a huge jerk, or a serial killer. (That hasn’t happened with any stars I can think of, as far as I know. Just saying it’s possible.)

Korean stars seem to be under a much bigger microscope than American celebs (how is the even possible) and so guard their images much more carefully. Still, occasionally I get the feeling that an actor or singer is genuinely a pretty cool dude. Here’s why I think Seo In Guk would be fun to be friends with.

Seo In Guk

I first saw Seo In Guk in Reply 1997, and I have to be honest, my first reaction was “this guy is freaky looking.” After watching for a bit and falling in love with the show, I decided he was a decent actor. I watched Master’s Sun, and really liked his character, and realized he was actually pretty good looking in a nonconventional way. I heard a few of his songs, and was surprised at how good they were. I was completely shocked to learn he was primarily a singer because his acting is so good. So yeah, I thought he was cool, but wasn’t really that interested.

Seeing him on a few variety shows, however, has turned me into a die-hard fan. He just seems like a very real person.

Reason #1.

He used to be chubby.

I’m embarrassed to admit this, but I love when anyone who used to be considered unattractive is suddenly a sex symbol. I wish it would happen without them having to change themselves completely, but still.

I actually read somewhere that Seo In Guk became bulimic to try to lose weight to pass singing auditions, but was rejected because he’d damaged his voice. L Thank goodness the damage wasn’t permanent, and I hope even with all the slimming down and bulking up actors have to do that he eats appropriately and healthily.

Reason #2.

He found out some very personal family information from his mom on a TV show

and it was hilarious.

You’re All Surrounded Photo Sketch 5 – Lee Seung Gi

Wow, didn’t expect those abs

Everything Lee Seung Gi

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Drawing Lee Min Ho again.

I think I’m getting used to using GIMP (with a mouse pad.) I used to be kind of snotty to people who use a photograph as a base, but it is not much easier than drawing freehand. The hardest part of this was the face. I don’t know if this is the final drawing or not. I would love to get some reactions and suggestions on who to draw next. I’m trying to find photos of women actors that aren’t incredibly airbrushed, but I’m having trouble. Anyway, hope you like!

Lee Min Ho

P.S. If you want to use this for anything (I dunno why you would, I’m just saying) I am okay with Non-commercial uses as long as you say where you got the picture.)