Magical Mistakes

A Day In The Life and Lives of Drama

2012-01-25T01:36:00.023-06:00

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30,000 miles in search for my son ** (Korean)
21 episodes

Jung Wook as Jo Sung Tae

This drama was quite difficult to locate entirety online.. But once past the ehh translation, the missing scenes, and the choppy editing? I thought that series was quite good. not cheesy bleh like many of the older drama's are. Fav character(s): the playboy, the wushu artist, and little sis.

Girl, while in a relationship with a guy having a serious affair with another girl has her young child stolen.. for which she is blamed and spends the next 5 years looking for her son. One day, the thief responsible in a moment of guilt, tells her the license plate of the car he stashed the baby in and she runs off to learn her boy has been taken in by one of two sons of a business president. It seems, in efforts to remain unmarried with someone he was badly frightened of, he claimed the child was his, and the mother abandoned. desperate to keep the truth hidden, the fellow get her to promise in exchange for letting her become a temporary babysitter for the child. The president is..impressed, and hires her as his errant son's secretary. But her presence causes upheaval all around. and in the middle of it all? hearts are moved, rivals are born, and an old trusted flame reappears and wrecks havoc.

My Tutor Friend 1 ** and 2 * (Korean)
movie

Kim Ha-Neul as Su-Wan

Kind of a fun little movie.. a bit of offhand humor with some light romance. The second movie was far too fragmented to even comment on, that and I couldn't locate a single video source to watch after about the 3rd episode. Fav scene(s): A new father with a shiner and the tutor's revenge.

Girl is forced into tutoring by her mother as a means of paying her tuition and meets her 2 hour a day charge.. a rich guy who is better with his fists then he is at books.. who has been held back two grades in high-school.

She's On Duty ** (Korean)
movie

Gong Yoo as Kang No-Young
Kim Sun-A as Chun Jae-In

Undercover as a high schooler, Ja-in, seeks to gain a friendship with a certain girl in efforts to find her father, a man with damaging information about a dangerous gang.. along the way, she has battles for power with the high school tough girl.. and guy, gets interrupted by another agent on the case, fails a math exam..for cheating, and falls in love with a fellow high school student.

Couple or Trouble/ Fantasy Couple ** (Korean)
16 episodes

Oh Ji Ho as Jang Chul Soo

I guess this drama was sort of a take on an American film called overboard. Well, at least It wasn't a take on an American sit-com. heh. I was oddly pleased to see the girl who was wishing for snow all through the drama, finally get her cool date. lol!
Fav character(s): "Doggy"

Rich, married, snotty, picky, and ill-tempered, the girl get drunk, falls overboard and suffers amnesia. Determined to get his money out of her, for the clock across the skull and several other costs, the handyman tells her she is his live-in gf and takes her home with him to get her to clean and nephew-sit for him, for a month. Meanwhile, the hubby is going through fits to make sure he doesn't wind up in the poorhouse the moment someone realizes she isn't actually dead.

For the Sake of Son ** (Korean)
4 episodes

We Hyun-Tae as Sang-Hwan

Short yet well put together action romance story. Seemed kind of bittersweet that the detective should fall so hopelessly in love only after 10 years of celibacy. Talk about playing the cards you are dealt, eh?

A woman from north Korea, comes to the south to kill her south spy hubby, for the sake of her son's life. A detective and his son hire her as a house-cleaner and the detective falls in love. Ji-Sook's soft heart though, makes something of a fumble of the task, and the detective's son is kidnapped in an effort to make her finish the execution.

Marrying the Mafia 1 ** (Korean)
movie

Kim Jeong-eun as Jang, Jin-kyeong

Jung Joon-ho as Park, Dae-seo

Thus far, as I can tell there are 4 movies by this same title, but the content doesn't involve the same characters...unless the gang names and bosses are the same from 2 to 4.. not sure. The first one was amusing though. fav scene(s) the start, waking up baffled, and the end, the explanation of how they got there.

Educated Guy and the only daughter of a mafia boss wake up in their underwear in the same bed. The guy is then pressured by the girl's brothers to 'do the right thing' even though a doctor's note is hot in hand.

Magic To Win (Chinese)
movie

Wu Chun as Ling Feng

Not a romance or a comedy, but quite a bit of magical fantasy. Fav character(s): the white-haired stage magician

A volleyball player in a school familiar with magic, accidentally receives power from one of the professors at the school and so she sets out to make a little cash from the suddenly powerful ability. Unbeknownst to her, there is a fire mage out to open the portal of time and is waging magical battles on the other 3 masters in an effort to accumulate their powers.

The Dramaticalness of it all

2012-01-06T15:46:00.043-06:00

Me Too, Flower ** (Korean)
15 episodes

Yoon Shi Yoon as Seo Jae Hee

The Lead guy wins for Sweet Lookin!" category While the girl's dad pings the "Totally Lame" category throughout most of the drama. The girl herself came close to the lame side of things... if not for the irresistible pull of true love. There is a wailing sad death scene within the 'flashbacks' of various characters... just sayin. *sad sniff*
Fav Scene(s): The lost and reclaimed curiosity.

A Duper rich guy, undercover as a parking valet, meets a rather depressed female police officer. In spite of the rebuffs, (including yet not limited to, a hard kick to the shin,) the guy doggedly pursues her. Then, as mutual love is being realized between them, The exec lady of the fashion company the guy works with gets in the way. With history, a tragic accident, and a few mental issues to back her up, she jealously aims to break the two lovers up.. and keep the guy beside her as a sort of hubby in misplace of his passed away 'brother'.

That Fool/ The Accidental Couple **\ (Korean)
16 episodes

Baek Sung Hyun as Han Sang Chul

Goofy stumblefooted comedy and sweet romance with a bit of strife from the bad-guys to get emotional favor for the good-guys and lots of trading of teams so you never quite knew which were the schemers and which were just 'caught up' in the trouble caused by the schemers.
fav scene(s): Young brother and the postman caught snoozing on the living room floor after a bit of a (reluctant on the postman's part) 'tough-love' wrestling match...which spoke more of the young brother's care and acceptance of his new brother-in-law.. then it did of his dissatisfaction or hellfire desire for revenge on the congressman.

A postman, fresh from a fan meeting of a female model/actor he admired, is a witness to a car accident said star was involved with, while trying to escape a determined reporter. a quick agreement is made, and the postman takes the place of the girl's lover, a well known congressman, for reporters to see. For compensation, the postman only asks for several autographs, to give to his fellow employees at the post office.. but they don't believe him.. until the lady shows up at his work place to give him help in return.
When damaging rumors begin spreading about her 'secret' relationship with the congressman, whose father was seeking the mayor's office in an upcoming election, she again turns to the postman, and he agrees to enter a 6 month contract marriage with her, hoping the congressman will then be free to wed the woman who loves him. His father, though, has another plan entirely and has several pieces in play to ensure the plan's future success.. none of which include the lady in his son's life.

Prince's First Love ** (Korean)
18 episodes

Lee Ki Young as Kevin

Beautiful scenery! A good storyline and acting. I loved the antics of the temperful younger brother. And felt for the near impossible situation the girl found herself in. Was really glad it ended well.. at least in the sense of the girl no longer being torn between them. Appreciated the girl's father and the island manager the most of all. "Nice scenery" especially of Hokkaido mountain snow, Tahiti's is tropical islands, and Seoul city lights. One sad death involved in this drama. Fav scene(s): the playboy happily frolicking in the water and the underwater kiss.

Girl delivers sandwiches to her favorite stop, A favorite because of the crush she has on the boss... she sometimes gets to look in at him through the office window.
But her dream, is to become a G.O. of a resort like her best friend. And then, she gains a prize-winning ticket to japan, there she meets up with her friend in the snow-country resort and because of a mistaken identity, She masquerades as a local, called Asoko. This gains her the attention of the 'prince' of the resorts owner when she is invited by the prince's friend to a birthday party. They don't exactly see eye-to-eye from the start.. but over time, it becomes his own way of showing love.
To make matters worse, Just as the boss was starting to show interest in her, it seems the resort owner, had a special interest in the boss and his mother, suspicious.. then firmly believing them related. This causes a horrible rift between the two suddenly realized brothers and the poor girl caught between them.

Love You Ten Thousand Years ** (Taiwanese)
movie

Kato Youki as Sakurada
Vic Chou as Wu Qi Feng

Short yet kinda fun romance with comedic scenes sprinkled about. Fav scene(s): abandoned bus trip, the octopus, Judy's issues, and reunited.

A Japanese girl, wishing to be a Cantonese translator goes on a trip to Taiwan, with her friend and by chance, meets the guy rocker at a bar.. after another chance encounter they decide to move in together and set up a 3 month relationship contract.

Birdie Buddy ** (Korean)
24 episodes

Pretty much how the usual description titles it. For some reason I wasn't as terribly impressed with the romance aspect of this drama. There was a giggle or two when, following an embarrassing moment for Mo Soo, there was heard the moo of a cow. Be aware that there was a really sad death and a nasty accident in this drama. Fav character(s): Mi Soo's younger brother and Hae Ryung's Father.

Story of a coach who helped lead two gifted women golfers into the pro's... as well as past several pitfalls concerning illegal gambling, family quarrels, and jealousy.

Country Princess ** (Korean)
17 episodes

Kang Dong Won as Min Ji Hoon

Good tale, even if there was 2 tragic deaths involved. A bit of a comedy, made me feel a bit for the poor Kang pres... a bit. A rather mild romance. lol! Fav char(s): the twin boys, and the twin best "somewhat ditzy" friends. Fav scene(s): Stuck in a midnight snowstorm and "Convince the boss" with hand-sign cues to the help.

An out-of-place woman, near dead in a snowstorm on christmas, is taken in by a local farmer, to give birth with his wife. resulting in 2 girl's and a passed-on mother. Reluctantly the farmers take to the task of raising both girls as their own.
Farmer's daughter and mother are jealous of the 'sister' though, and create problems throughout her life. When she would find her first love, she was unknowingly separated by her sister, when he would have passed along a parting gift of a pager and card to her, her sister attempted to burn it, and instead, burned down the greenhouse. This resulted in the death of their father. Then came the grandfather, but in greed, the mother sent her own daughter with him, instead of the granddaughter he was actually looking for. In that same greed, the daughter had aspirations of gaining the grandfather's willed company and willing to do just about anything to gain it, including once more attempting to take whatever her poor sister had gained in their time apart.... even while mom had gotten ill and debt had become overwhelming for the family she had left.

The Naked Kitchen ** (Korean)
Movie

Joo Ji-Hoon as Park Du-Re

Nice.. Even as short as it was.. good romance. I didn't fully understand the very ending but from a glance at the reviews, very few did. Fav scene(s); An artistic encounter.

On her wedding anniversary, Mo-Rae, has a very-close encounter of the standing-room-only variety with a fellow in back of an art display. Feeling rather guilty, she makes the attempt to tell her spouse, who had his own news to share, he had quit his job and invited a famed chef to teach him the finer points of french cooking, in time for a chef review.. and gave him temporary stay at their place. As it turns out, its the very same fellow from the art gallery... making things a little awkward between them.

Finding Mr. Destiny ** (Korean)
Movie

Gong Yoo as Han Gi-Joon

light romance and comedy. Not much really in the way of character development. The very ending of the film seemed a bit disconnected, even though I watched it twice, I didn't get the connection. *shrug* I was pleased the girl got the opportunity to sing in the stage production though.

Guy seeking a living after leaving a travel agency job, creates his own business as a sort of detective, specializing in finding one's first love. His first client, is a theatre director, looking for her first love, left in India some 10 years before. They set off, with little information, and along the way, fall in love with each-other.

Don't Ask About The Past ** (Korean)
16 episodes

Kim Won Hee as Kwak Sun Young

Comedy, romance and a fair bit of action as well, in a detective style. The separate cases and reasons got quite a bit tangled up together and made for a well moving story. Although... could have done just a bit more with the relationship between the 'detective' and the cop. I did like how it was all wrapped up. There are several deaths involved and implied in this drama. Fav Character(s): The Bartender

Girl gets into a bit of a car accident/trip on her wedding day. that evening, she discovers a special ability to 'smell' a man's love history... and shortly thereafter, divorces and moves on. With her best friend, they open a business together, intent on helping other women (as well as the police) to discover the truth behind spun stories.

Daring Women ** (Korean
105 episodes x.x; !!!

Lee Chang Hoon as Han Kyu Jin
Lee Yoo Ri as Ji Soon Young

A soapy romance with a little bit of comedy tossed in once in awhile to keep some kind of levity. Some bits didn't seem quite connected really. Like, why was there a claim of trying for a baby in the nights but in the day it was a complete seething hate on the faces and demeanor of the involved parties? It's not so easy, in my mind, to hate/be hurt by someone to such a horrific degree without it effecting the nighttime bunny hop. And the girl went on something of a magical quick-change from struggling repressed single Cinderella living on a shoestring, to a high-class benevolent mamma in the span of a night of moving in. Also.. what solid claim did the in-laws have on the child.. enough to give them ability to take her away from the mother who legally adopted her? Where's a restraining order when you need one? One nasty accidental death scene (With very nearly a second one later on with the little girl) with a floating/flying victim in slo-mo.. and one really sad death, and very nearly two) followed by an amazing amount of tears, accusations, and grief. I do rather wish the in-laws father thought to leave his wife earlier, and pulled it off. Certainly he deserved better for himself and his children then the horrid unforgiving biddy he was with.
Fav scene(s): After a second night of drinking, Hwang Mo Ran wakes up in her bedroom with the hunky male hair stylist her mother hired.

A girl's chemist hubby dies in an accident just after they legally adopted a 'related' infant. After several years of playing the slave game for her in-laws, she is asked to move out.. with no resources for survival. She then gets a job at the very company that was involved in the accident on her husband, unknown by all but the son of the company president and the motorcycle dude who hit the husband. Her sis-in-law, ever the advantage-taker, steals the 'son' by taking credit for a life-save she wasn't there for. Eventually, the company boss and the girl fall in love, and against the mighty waves of anger and vengeance they marry, making her the mother-in-law of her old sister-in-law. But lies have a tendency of growing ans over time, they are bound to reveal themselves for what they are, instantly tearing down whatever may have since been built upon them....even family.

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Listening to: "Cry" by MBLAQ, "The Unseen Future" by DGNA
Watching: aDramas via mysojo, dramacrazy, youtube, etc
Playing: not really gaming of late. the occasional facebook game is about it.
Reading: Essential Kanji for everyday use x.x
mood: idle. slightly sad. the usual,.. neutral
Latest Rant: This is both a kudos and a rant for translation efforts of adramas.

Kudos for those translators, taking time out of their day/week to make common sense of the words flowing past their ears in the videos to be be watched. Thankyou!

Rant, for those who use a 'translation program' to toss into the video. Yes, I know, something is better then nothing but... geez!! Translation programs suk! for actual translation of whole sentences. Like what was once quoted in a funny vampire movie, "lets Put a little Heart into it next time!"

After This Dramatic Pause...

2011-12-13T17:02:00.047-06:00

Hello My Teacher ** (Korean)
16 episodes

Kim Da Hyun as Ji Hyun Woo

The art teacher was quite a handsome guy, biscuit had a soft yet occasionally determined personality. Fav scene(s): Tae In following Na Bo Ri into the mountains to visit her dad... and then greeting the priest with a sort of piggy-back ride.

A girl, once kicked out of school decides to return to the same school to teach, so she can be next to her first love, the school's art teacher, In order to do that though, this sorry excuse for a teacher, has to essentially babysit one of the school's trouble-makers, which, as circumstance would have it, happens to be not only the art teacher's nephew, but is the son of the school's president as well... and it isn't long before the senior confesses and battles with his uncle for rights of boyfriend... and their respective 'ex's' are jealous enough to try some underhanded tricks to regain their previous status. One of which, puts the school itself in jeopardy.

Sweet Bun ** (Korean)
26 episodes

A young Ahn Nam Joon

Had its romantic parts, and its comedy. Enjoyed the tomboys spunk and determined stance. and loved the guy's determination to get her to see his love. Wasn't sure quite what to think of the priest really. He seemed alright from his side of things, trying to give all away for his belief.. and yet, I can understand her pain of loss as well. Most of all, I giggled and laughed along with the 'flashback scenes' and the little kids. It didn't even seem to matter if the 'punches' were just fake pats... rather, it just added to the cuteness of it all.

A tomboy grew up in the school area with her friends and became a teacher. Since young, she had had something special for one of her classmates who eventually became a priest, leaving her very hurt. The relationship end had also occurred to a classmate she once picked on.. and he had left town for a time, becoming one of the youngest to pass the bar exam and became a lawyer. After his eventual return, he found work and thought to try restarting with his ex-gf, but instead, he felt sparks with the tomboy and took to pursuing her despite the odds of her refusal and a rival who just happened to be his boss.

The Invincible Lee Pyung Kang/ Taming of the Heir ** (Korean)
16 episodes

Kang Soo Han as Lee Sung Woo

Interesting romantic comedy. she's scrappy, he's a bit crazed and the rival is worthy.. especially after a good 10 years of writing. the step-bro was mean, mom was just as much so, but taken effectively out of the action by a play-acting 'father', trying to test the resolve of his own son by using the stress of warring over inheritance to his own advantage. Not sure just what I think of that really. Although I can rather appreciate the fix the girl found herself in. and the little sister was aaaddoorrribbbblleess!! :D

Girl works at a golf resort that her father had planed the landscape for. She meets the son of the man who owns the resort, who is trying to wrest the control of the resort from the hopeful hands of his step-brother, even though the resort is of no real interest to him. She also meets a man who was her father's corespondent, and later her own, even though at first she was not aware of his business involvement with the step-brother who was hoping to sell the company.

Vampire Prosecutor (Korean)
12 episodes

Park Jae Hoon as the doc/bartender

Not really a romance (although there is tenderness and compassion involved), not really a comedy (even though there were several funny scenes and a disarmingly funny character or two).. but if I could rate it, it'd make an easy 3-star well on its way to 4 for action/suspense/thriller. Wonderfully in-depth characters, great acting, and a smashingly satisfying storyline. Fav scene, Prosecutor Min is standing watching the daytime crowd drift by, and the bartender with his slight smile, passes by. Yes, there are tragic death scenes aplenty, (it is, if nothing else, a police detective show) added to the copious amounts of fake 'blood', vampire teeth, and blue contacts. If another series set of this one is to follow, I plan to be anxiously ready to watch it.

Prosecutor Min Tae Yeon, known to be a vampire by only a select few, is in dogged search for a serial killer responsible for the death of his 'younger sister'.

Love Undercover 1 ** (chinese)
movie

Daniel Wu as Hoi

Cute Romantic comedy of a slightly campy feel. The guy was rather cute the rest were just oddballs.

Unable to shoot a gun and receiving low grades in academy, the girl is put with a dull partner at a lost items desk. Because of her general cluelessness, she is chosen to go undercover as a waitress in order to place a bugged ketchup bottle at the table of the son of a kingpin (retired). Then a girl shows up to break up with the guy and the undercover ditz is hit with the bottle. The guy first offers to help her, she refuses, then meets with her the next evening, obviously attracted... and its mutual.. so she is asked to break-up with the guy and allow a replacement to step in. but its just not as simply done... is it?

Baby-Faced Beauty ** (Korean)
20 episodes

Yoo Yeon-Ji as Park Na-Ra

fun drama. Felt rather sorry for the president really. especially knowing that he never really had a chance in the already rolling relationship of his interest and the younger MC. Fav scene(s): the two assistant designers getting drunk and waking up together. The goofy 'shy' lol expressions of Jin Wook.

So Young loses her job, and rather desperate for another to help keep her mom and sister with a roof over their heads, she fibs her age and name to get a pt(temp) job working as a clothing designer. She gains attention, attraction and jealousy by her time there, as well as a bit of notoriety for being a really talented designer..but how long can her guilty conscience keep the truth hidden and at what cost?

My Little Chef (Japanese)
10 episodes

Abe Hiroshi as Tachibana Kensaku

Another 'not really a romantic comedy', but worthy of note dramas. The storyline was alright, the acting was fine, and the food preparation totally yummy! the girls were pretty and the guys looked good, all dressed in their occupation attire. Not really all that bad all in all. Fav scene: Ending picture-taking... complete with the owner, and the buff vegie deliverer of few uninterrupted words.

Girl, raised by dad-chef until his death and raised by the man's second wife, is encouraged to pursue her dream of also becoming a chef, heads for the city with her little sister and is taken in by an uncle's brother even though the business she hoped to be a part of, had already been sold. Instead, she partners up with the brother to open another business out of his house. Unable to keep with the pressures though, the new 'family' of chefs and help limits themselves to only 3 reservations a day.. which unfortunately, quickly puts them in financial difficulties.

Sophie's Revenge/ Fei Chang Wan Mei ** (Chinese)
Movie

Ziyi Zhang as Sophie

Kinda cute. looved Sophie's sheep costume! Didn't care much for the mask though. The rival's causing her to break a leg was a little too over the top, I thought. Still, having the levelheadedness, even in the face of her own relationship issues, to tell Sophie about Gordon's seriousness, did something toward an apology of sorts.

Sophie, a cartoon artist, plots revenge on her recent ex-boyfriend, in an effort to regain his interest as well as to publish the effort in a new comic series. At a party, she runs into Gordon, who seems just unhappy with the new pairing as she is herself, so she partners with him to implement her revenge plan. But her partner has a secret.

Ice Girl ** (Korean)
16 episodes

Kim Hyo Jin as Kim So Ryung
Kim Nam Jin as Jung Min Jae

A worthy concept/storyline. A little disappointed in the loss of a pivotal episode wherever I attempted to watch it. Fav scene(s): When father and son began to actually get along. Be warned, there are 2 tragic deaths in this drama.

Daughter of a scientist, has a heart problem and suffers a stroke the day before her wedding. Her father, puts her into an experimental cryogenics pod in hopes for a time when he is able to save her life. 25 years later, father convinces a head surgeon friend, to help, and she is revived, but the poor girl is bereft of her memories. then her father dies in car accident and is unable to hide her away. her old fiance, though, is there and is given charge of her safety and secret. Unfortunately, for him, she falls in mutual love with his son, there is a scientist wanting to reopen the ice protect and has hired people to follow them and has managed to recruit the son's ex-gf to take the responsibility... who just happens to be the head surgeon's granddaughter... and then there's the issues of her old fiance's ex-wife and young daughter.. and a movie to be finished... all before her time runs out.

The Grand Chef/La Grande Chef/Gourmet/Trencherman **\ (Korean)
24 episodes

Woo Sang-jeon as a crazy old wise man

Fun comedic moments and the spice of a growing romance added to the topic of yummy food and tradition makes this drama a good watch. I enjoyed the food prep and challenges the characters faced to make it. In particular, I loved the playful banter between Sung-Chan and Jin-Su and the silly interactions and laughter between several of the elders. a couple of tragically sad deaths involved. Fav scene(s): the jar-keeper's worry and the old coot's tantrum.

Two brother's of a famous restaurant owner are given a cook-off challenge in order to win a historical chef's knife, as well as the deed n title as the next president of the restaurant. Plans goes awry with ambition and greed and not only does it cause a showdown, but ends with the younger of the two giving up and running off in frustration. It's only the start of the problems though, as it's discovered that the younger adopted son is the direct descendant of the royal chef that started it all and is the rightful owner of the place. And stuffed in the middle of it all, is an aspiring reporter looking for a scoop.

I Need Romance ** (Korean)
16 episodes

Jo Yeo Jung as Sun Woo In Young
Choi Jin Hyuk as Bae Sung Hyun

Kind of strange to have such a short description for a drama that was quite a bit more involved, isn't it? But that -is- pretty much what this drama is about. fav scene(s): A 'Taking the time to get to know you better' moment with the ping-pong parlor hall owner.

Three good friends, console, encourage, and advise one another through the tribulations and upheaval of their love lives and careers. One discovers her bf of 10 years has cheated on her. another discovers she has been going around with a married man, right before the court summons arrives compliments by the suing pregnant wife. and the third is left, simply because he claims that for as many times as they kissed, he felt nothing... added to the fact that she was still a shy virgin, certainly didn't help matters.

Boy and Girl/ Yellow Ribbon Love **\ (Taiwanese)
23 episodes

Genie Chuo as Hei You Nan

Contrary to one of this drama's titles, and vague description/synopsis.. This drama didn't have anything to do with a boy's dormitory. The girl lived at home with her father and brother and worked on and off in an original clothing shop with her best friend. The comedy was silly, and slappy with nearly over-the-top antics at the start, then, following typical format, lost it's comedic charm for the romance and underhanded antics of the bad-guys. fav scene(s): Fooling Rose into the wedding.

A hard-working girl dresses as a boy to gain a 'temp' job in the company mall holding a large debt tab her father had racked up in an effort to pay it off. There, she meets two men, one is a lawyer working his way up through the corporate ranks.. even as his interest in fashion design was repressed by his mother... and a CEO who had been waiting 3 years for his first love to come back to him.

Why are action, comedy AND romance adramas so very rare?

2011-11-22T07:40:00.053-06:00

....

Can't Lose **\ (Korean)
18 episodes

Kim Jung Tae as Go Ki Chan

This romantic comedy rotated between tears to laughter and back again clear through the series. Although I didn't think the two main actors had the personal chemistry, they did a great job of creating believable characters. Fav scene: the two rivals, who after having butted horns, got drunk, chewed out the girl for preventing their bosom buddyness and wound up cuddled in bed together.

Guy lawyer and girl lawyer marry quickly, then begin to fight as the glamor wears off. the intense fighting separates them and drives their friends batty with the tug-of-war of their divorce.

Kiss Me, Kill Me ** (Korean)
movie

Shin Hyeon-Jun as Hyun-Jun
Kang Hye-Jeong as Jin-Young

Angst to be sure, with these depressingly hopeless lives, but even in the barren wastes, there is life.. and apparently, a bit of quirky romantic fun as well. Fav scene(s): Stretching on a roof edge, earns one a forced exit from the building, and a serious beer bonkng for the other one on the sidewalk.

A girl, wanting to kill herself over a 7year relationship reject, hires an assassin to kill her.. but he refuses and stomps off. Love makes an irresistible attraction though and keeps them moving along to get through the problems they both are facing... together.

Flower Boy Ramyun Shop ***\ (Korean)
16 episodes

Jung Il Woo as Cha Chi Soo

Funny funny! Its a real gem of a comedic romance that just keeps clicking along. Fav Scene(s): Girl is talking to a couple of 'aunties' class leader arrives "Teacher teacher!" girl tries to explain he was the head of the class when she interned. "Sister sister!" She tries to explain that he's kind of like a little brother.. and they all live in the house together. "Wifey wifey!" "ohh I didn't know you were married!" girl is flustered, unable to totally explain.. "honey honey!" Guy explains, that he is the girl's boyfriend. Husband looks over the girl's noggin to the boyfriend, then to the women, grinning. He says, "yeah, but she only sleeps with me." Girl runs away, her reddened face hidden by a large cabbage leaf.

Girl meets guy in a girl's public restroom, girl is moping after being rejected after 2 years from a cheater thought to be in the military, and the guy is trying to dodge his father's bodyguards. He gives a typical playboy near-kiss to get her to hush and stuns her to silence. she quickly and most embarrassingly realizes he is a student at the school she is interning at... but not before 'oppa' laughingly gets some teasing in. Seems he's not only an arrogant high school student, but he is also the son of the man who the school is named for. Meanwhile, the girl's dad dies, and leaves the ramyan store to a perpetually sleepy 'tall as a pole' guy.. oh, and one better then that, seems the girl herself was given in the deal and the guy keeps referring to her as his wife. Little Bro though, isn't terribly pleased with the competition and sudden complication this presents... as onion, chicken, angel feathers, caviar, and rice combine rather amusingly in this romping fun tale.

Spy Girl ** (Korean)
movie

Kim Jung-hwa as Park Hyo-jin

Cute light-hearted romantic comedy. I didn't much care for the skipping back and forth in time, but managed to keep up with it. Fav Scene: The promised lipstick kiss, even if she had to knock him out accomplish it.

A spy from N. Korea crosses the border set to retrieve another spy-gone-wrong, Knowing it might take a little time looking for her target, she gets a job at a local burger joint, unknowingly taking the place of the 'angel'. Top of the heap of pretty girls at the place. A rather shy Choi Ko-bong is instantly smitten, and grabs a camera with thoughts of putting her picture on the internet. Hyo-jin, trying to keep a low profile demands of the web masters to have them removed or the site shut-down. They agree on the condition that she become Ko-Bong's comfort gf. Such a complication she hardly needs.. but being so well recognized isn't going to help her find her target either. What's a spy to do?

Marrying School Girl ** (Korean)
movie

Ji-won Eun as On-dal Park

A bit slapsticky and a bit suggestive.. but rather funny in places. It was a little hard to tell if the guy the girl was chasing, was really the one the fortune-teller spoke of... or if the underdog student who transferred in after the first, was the one spoken of and the girl was simply ignoring that possibility.

A girl, haunted by a princess whose husband had died before her, must marry her fated love by the age of 16 and have a child within the following year, or she will die... then she meets him, as a transfer student in school, and chases after him with everything she has.

Every Dog Has His Date ** (Chinese)
movie

Romantic comedy, humor is a bit rough, but then, so is both the 'dog' and the guy he switches with. Something, however small, to be said for the dog's worthy intentions.

A loyal dog, frightened of the thunder, escapes the car and 'runs' through a props designer's workshop/home... the shopman, incensed at the gifts left on his floor, chases the dog through the rain to the river where timely lightning hits a pole and drops wires into the water, electrocuting both and causing a switch to take place. The unconscious dog is then found on the road and is carried far from home, leaving the guy to learn human life and love while trying to help his former owner.

Poongsan ** (Korean)
movie

Kim Gyu-ri as In-ok

Fair warning, there is torture and death involved.. along with a tragic ending.
There was momentary humor.. and a shared kiss or two. Although I would hesitate to say it truly represented either genre. The acting was good though and a fairly good storyline...so it squeaks by with a 2star.

A mysterious non-chatting sort of fellow, takes on jobs from a be-ribboned memorial and crossing the border between north and south with deliveries to loved ones on both sides. He is hired by the south gov agents to assist in bringing the lover of a defector down, so they might hasten him in finishing his report. The defector becomes enraged with jealousy, believing something might have happened between the two en-route. and the gov agents decide to use his skills with false promises. Then, the North Koreans, intent on making the defector pay with his life, uncaring of who they have to use or kill to get it done, enter the scene.

Scent Of a Woman ** (Korean)
16 episodes

Shin Ji-Su - Yang Hee-Joo

Junsu - You Are So Beautiful

Melodramatic Romance... with one tragically sad death. Bleh, dislike medical tragedies.. but I guess for a romance, it wasn't too bad. I did like the tango dancing. I also liked the bright "Smile to light the gloom" of the hospital roommate. The storyline seems somehow familiar.

A hard worker in a tour company discovers that not only is one of her childhood classmates working as a doctor, but that she has cancer. With somber thoughts, she makes up a bucket list and with some bold moves, works toward fulfilling them. Obtaining a date with the handsome director of the company she had just quit, is a tall order and unfortunately opens the way for a lot of trouble.

Rent a Girlfriend Home For New Years ** (Chinese)
24 episodes

Du Chun as Sun Yi Wei
Xue Jia Ning as Chu Xiao Xiao

A little dragged out, the acting wasn't terribly wow... or perhaps it was the script, and it was also rather predictable.. tp the point of wondering just when the 'one year later' was going to be posted... but not really all that bad for a lightish romance. I say that with an -ish because although the story did have a single nice kiss, and comfort of sleeping 'together'... there wasn't really any chemistry going on. Fav Character(s): Little Uncle's Nephew...who seemed the first to really 'get it'. and grandma...who I think deserves "Most Mischievous Support" for her playing the 'I'm sick so you'll stay' card.

Yi Wei, desperate to appease his family for the holiday, hires a Girlfriend... a girl who is rather desperate for money to help solve her mother's trouble with loan sharks. One fib turns into another as the holiday extends. In being intro'd to the loving 'traditionally-minded' family, she stretches boundaries and not only causes upheaval, but draws open tightly shuttered windows between the family members and draws them closer together. And then, on the day of their engagement, not only does an ex-girlfriend show up, but so do the loan sharks.

Paradise Farm ** (Korean)
16 episodes

Ahn Suk Hwan as Han Tae Man

Some fun some romance. I liked the plucky attitude of Lee Da Ji and her father, even though he seemed sad and so regretful all the time. Fav scene(s): hiding behind the beer casks from the Brew-master... even though he knew it... and under the big hill tree, adding a wishing rock to the pile.

A young girl and guy practically run away in efforts to marry. then divorce in pain 6 months later. 6 years later, the guy is back, working with the family company to build a resort on Jaju-do. With the girl working part-times on a farm which is right in the company's way. Girl hooks up with rival in Australia where she thought to buy a potential race horse for one of her neighbors. Unfortunately, the one she wants, she overreaches for.. but the rival allows her to choose another... which, as it turns out, won't run. The efforts to find a happy medium between the residents and the planned resort mixes couples together and eventually draws in the parents as well in something of an all-out war on both the business and love fronts...all while trying to treat a horse with mental issues.

A few (more) good anime

2011-11-16T18:11:00.003-06:00

Natsuiro no sunadokei ova/ hourglass of summer (Japanese)
movie - 2 episodes

Kotaro Makimura
Ligene

the ova was short and rather sweet. Kotaro has plans to confess to Kaho before summer vacation but after running into a mystery girl, and getting tossed about in time a little bit, learns that the girl of his dreams is in danger. then he meets the time patroller he ran into, who tells him the details of the coming accident and that in order to save kaho, he has to save another girl from his school's swim team... which he does. But somehow it doesn't stop the event from occurring.

Ah finally! changes are a-foot! ..or maybe a wave.

2011-11-09T07:05:00.010-06:00

It's finally cooled down here.. almost overnight really. Like as if the local fall faeries suddenly realized the lingering summer months were overdue for a change.

I managed to catch up on a couple of dramas and updated the blog listing. For those of you hoping I had finally quit the obsession-for-dramas.. sorry, it hasn't totally left me yet!

As for my favorite portal to date.. I am glad they managed to get the new gen out, the trading system is rather cool and I was happy to see the ox event return. .. still.. the company imms have robbed me of my guild leader in a total sense, and I have found myself nearly in a perpetual flummox of frustrated feelings. Yes, I know, not exactly a reason to feel so low about it... not exactly any mutuality... and I was already feeling saddened for the distance I was beginning to feel. The guild itself had gotten so very quiet... and when there was chatting, it felt it was mostly 'continuation sentences' I was not given to understand. But still.. the leaders caused movement in an otherwise still pond. And atop all that, my giant along with several mules, have been abruptly locked out... which, although I'm certain was not intended, is nevertheless as annoying as the strong impression that the imms are likely ignoring tickets all-together.
And then there's this.. slightly annoying guy, who on the one hand, is nice as can be, and on the other, someone I'd like to avoid. Maybe all the hot then sudden freezing temperatures is making me unseasonably grumpy.

In the world of life... There is this island whose people and culture I Greatly admire in so so So many ways, who had some cataclysmic difficulties earlier this year. If I somehow had the monetary means, I would certainly have done what I could to help them out, but really all I could do was shake my head sadly at their plight and pray my mental support... which I continue to do so.. and searching the net in hopes of catching good news that things are possibly improving for them. I feel deeply for those who passed on, of both the 2-legged and 4-legged variety and more-so for those left-behind in this life without them. Such a tragedy really. (and still on-going, as I understand.)
Its horrible that all that beautiful scenery, and affected villages/towns/and cities that, by necessity, had to be abandoned...or simply wiped away as if they never were.
My thoughts to the people there are thus:.. I know, you have been there for so very long... I know, it's hard to have to leave, and it's likely going to be even harder to find a new place to go. but please, if you feel your life is at stake by unseen danger, please -do- take the steps needed to see you and your families, including the 4-footed members, to a safer place in which to live... even if its just to a nearby island or a further-from-danger city.

I had a rather odd dream last night..in which someone who was very important to me had shown up at a planned camping trip. I was trying to accept that the trip was being postponed, when he spoke up, asking if I wanted to go with them and relief
flooded me. his smile was gentle, warm, and evident.. and I wondered if it might be a last gesture of care or favor I was to ever receive from him. I woke up with a sigh.. feeling sadness and a small warm smile fingering inside. There are times.. even now.. when I really miss you. I said I never would lie like that ever again.. and I never have. I bet you know that though. I really am sorry.
Ducky!.. are you still there? are you ok?

Listening to: "Zombie Love song" by Your Favorite Martian.
Watching: Castle, Sanctuary, and Terra Nova
Playing: Mabinogi
Reading: This post, wiki, general surfing the net
mood: neutral, slightly grumpy
Latest Rant: While I realize the Gov on the financial Island were likely intending to keep the public from panic, I do hope they realize their mistake in trying so hard to downplay things... because the result was the people's distrust.

The thing about trust... its fairly easy to have, but once you lose it, Its quite difficult to ever fully retrieve again.

Video Gems from around the virtual globe

2011-10-18T06:47:00.006-05:00

Swiss yodeling.

A Mennonite choir singing in NY 'ground zero'

Chinese bamboo flute (dizi)

African song and hop

Scottish pipes and drums

Didgerido and dance street performance

_______

and a bit of extra credit for amazing talent ..Somewhere in the world.

smooth dubstep

Asian gymnasts synchronized dance

catching up a little more..

2011-09-28T18:33:00.000-05:00

hey there..
Of late, I have been re-watching several drama's I really enjoyed the first time through when I got started on this little obsession. lol! They are still just as wonderful as when I first saw them.
so if your up for the review,.. or perhaps the first time.. take another look at

The 1st Shop of the Coffee Prince
Yoon Eun Hye as Go Eun Chan
Gong Yoo as Choi Han Kyul
Lee Sun Gyun as Choi Han Sung
Chae Jung Ahn as Han Yoo Joo

and The Vineyard Man
Oh Man Suk as Jang Taek Gi
Yoon Eun Hye as Lee Ji Hyun
Kim Ji Suk as Kim Gyung Min
Jung So Young as Kang Su Jin
and the wonderful Lee Soon Jae as Lee Byung Dal

Next up is.. My Girlfriend is a Gumiho!

Studies have been going quite slow.. plodding at best... but at least there's still a bit of interest in the movement eh? Too hot to do much more then a stagger anyway.
Can hardly wait for the winter's cooling temperatures.

Suuch a Drammma Queen!

2011-08-24T03:44:00.032-05:00

.....

Call of the Country ** (S.Korean)
16 episodes

Hyun Woo as Agent Na Joon Min

An enjoyable light-hearted romantic comedy. I loved Ha Na's expressions the most, from drunken belligerence to dismay/surprise as a situation was totally misunderstood. The ending wrapped the whole thing up really nicely for all of the involved characters.

Ha Na wasn't a very good cop nor was she good with piano, or singing or, apparently, at proposing and her mother wasn't very good at saving money either. Both of these factors conspired to bring her and Go Jin Hyuk together. After a suspension for interfering with another investigation, She joins the NIA on temp to help nab a drug ring leader. After this, they hire her again to go undercover as a secretary in efforts to gather connecting evidence. But she is also set up by the NIA to be a sacrificial lamb if things didn't pan out.

Sleeping with the Enemy/ In love and the War ** (S.Korean)
movie

Shin Jeong-Keun as Bong Ki-Reun

A bit of romance, a bit of fun, and a bit of tragedy. sad ending.

A young officer in the north Korean force, returns to a little south Korean village in remembrance of the past and to occupy the place until his commanding officer arrives. After Kim Jung-Woong discovers the girl he has liked secretly for so long, still lives there.. he makes an attempt to walk the line between obeying his orders.. and keeping the village safe... which unfortunately, doesn't entirely work.

The Angel of Death Comes With Purple High Heels ** (S.Korean)
1 episode.

Jung Sung Hwa as Kim Young Woong

A slightly humorous short, in a 'grim' sort of way. fav scene(s): The reaper, on the roof, with a firm hold of a rope, tied to a shaky sign, over the two lovers, wonders how long they were going to stand there.

A struggling graphic artist with an infirm mother, meets a young woman wearing an oddly mismatched outfit and purple heels, who claims to be there to assist him get back into drawing. It's soon found that she has a website up to help people have wishes fulfilled before they die. When the artist registers his mother's wish one evening, that she wants a grandson, she is found passed away that next morning and the girl was gone. His girlfriend, who was to marry another guy, discovers that she is pregnant and fearful that 2 should become 1, the artist runs out to find her.

The King and the Clown ** (S.Korean)
movie

Lee Jun-Ki as Gong-gil

Another historical romance.. with a bit of a twist to the usual and a sad yet 'free' ending... and a few deaths along the way.

Two traveling mistrals travel to Seoul in hopes of finding a minstrel's wage.. they meet and join up with another group and decide the mocking the king is where the money is. This gets them into hot water and are set to amuse the king or lose their lives. fortunately, the king is oddly pleased and makes them his jesters. Unfortunately, he takes a liking to one of the minstrels for a playmate. This tics off and worries his partner. With rumors flying and several royal's lives extinguished by the unstable king things begin to look very grim indeed.

Protect The Boss ** (S.korean)
18 episodes

Kim Young Ok as Mrs. Song

A lovely mix between comedy and romance all the way though. You really learn to love the two guys... ice-cream and Ms Wrestler as well.

A rough n tumble girl having a hard time being hired, is finally given a job as a secretary for one of two cousin's who are director's in a large company. The guy she works for is rather immature in several ways, and has an issue with panic attacks as well, that she has been tasked to help him work through. having both cousin's confess, her heart gets rather unwillingly entangled in the politics of the company family's plans.

Ouran High School Host Club ** (Japanese)
11 Episodes

Kawaguchi Haruna as Fujioka Haruhi

Another live-action take on an anime. Not sure which one makes a better story. Both are rather cute, especially with the drama's 'special effects'. Somehow, I wasn't quite satisfied with the ending where it was put...not sure if it was the lack of substance to the storyline, or if it was simply not quite long enough.

A tomboyish girl, transferring to a rich-kids school, accidentally knocks over an expensive vase and in order to pay off the debt, She becomes a host club member, with the regular members helping to keep her gender a secret.

Myung Wol the Spy *** (S.Korean)
18 episodes

Han Ye Seul as Han Myung Wol
Moon Jeong Hyuk (Eric) as Kang Woo

A romantic comedy of the spy variety. I'm enjoying the interesting quality of this drama.. things just keep moving along.. Fav scene(s): Myung Wol and Kang Woo's 'on film' kiss.. that lasted. Myung Wol gains the prize for 'Best Spy Try'

Failing in making the n.korean secret agency test, Myung Wol is given a babysitting job.. the 'baby' of which tasks her with getting a s. Korean super star's autograph.. which she fails.. so she tries again, going to an upper crust masquerade auction... and fails again. In fact, she winds up defending the guy from rappelling thugs, who desired the folio he had just bought. She finds out too late, that it was her superior that she stabbed in the hand with a pen. After another flub or two, it's decided she should seduce Kang Woo, marry him, and get him to defect to n.korea so they could then claim such a wonderful actor... and get the folio as well.

I Love You You ** (Chinese)
Movie

Eddie Peng as You Lele
Angela Yeung Wing as Xia Mi

All in all it was a good story, and fine acting. Trying to make it all a bit longer by randomly inserting scenes of the two's everyday (to give their relationship solidity, I suppose) made it seem a little lacking in substance to me. I guess when you have only so much time to make the film in.. you need to cut corners somewhere. but I'm not sure the cuts that were made, did the film much credit.

A lip reader wishing to keep her job takes on an investigation to prove the guilt of a young man running an island hotel business. Turns out the guy is trying his best to keep the hotel in business, but not as his brother would have anyone believe.

Love Keeps Going ** (S.Korean)
13 episodes

Cyndi Wang as Zha Mei Le

All of the elements of a romantic (with a bit of argumentative comedy) tangled story. There were elements in Han Yi Lie's life issues that I felt keenly for, which caused a few tears. The near tragedy and sad fate implications were stressing. and the sigh of relief that followed made me most aware of the bitter bite of a purposeful yanked chain... but I'm still pleased it all worked out well for the ending. fav scene(s): The impulsive smooch in the car.

Mei Le, a hard-working well-meaning girlfriend of an artist boyfriend loses said boyfriend in the mistaken hire of a cheating piece of eye-candy. In distress and tears she turns about and runs into the now ex-boyfriend's younger brother, a rising star, who had been ostracized by his mother years before.

Ssaum-ui gisul/ art of fighting (S.Korean)
movie 100mins

Yun-shik Baek as Oh Man-su

The only 'funny' in this film, was lost in irony.. and the only way one might consider this a 'romance' was in the most distantly subjective of terms. Naturally, that is exactly what genres I found it listed under. Other then that, It wasn't a bad tale really.

A school kid, with a policeman father, is, unfortunately, the beaten outsider of the school he's transferred into. Desperately, he tries to find someone willing to teach him how to fight.. a way of defending himself. The one person who seems to know, doesn't really care to teach him. Eventually though, Oh does agree to give him a few pointers. After watching his friend get beat into a hospital stay, Byung Tae goes after the bullies... even while Oh is headed for the train out.

catching up a little..

2011-08-05T11:59:00.007-05:00

Hey there.. just to say I said so...

I fixed the autoplay on the music box thingie to the right of this posting... at last! so now it doesn't automatically play when the page is loaded. yes the music is good, yes its wonderful to hear.. but.. sometimes, I'd rather hear the video's and/or the mp3s I have added to a post instead... and while I could just turn the music box off, it's an extra step I'd rather not have to take... I'm lazy, face it.

Also, got good advice from a friend and picked up an inventive little add-in to obliterate interrupting commercials on the pages of my favorite shows. It works soo well!! even on the one's seemingly 'in' with the show videos. So, in that respect, I am verrry happy right now. :D I guess I didn't overly mind most of them, but some of them wouldn't even mute, they'd just start blasting away in the middle of a show's tense or quiet moment.. worse then an ill-timed phone call or something.

Going extra slow on studies. Feeling a tad overwhelmed by the task... but I'll get there. I'm determined to push through and accomplish the thing! I never have been good at competition.. seems, anytime I am forced to rush, I manage to screw things up. So this time.. hows it go? slow and steady wins the race?

Right now, TX is wilting under a heat wave of triple digits.. and makes the saying a true one, that tx summers -require- a working air conditioner. plehh! so, what in the world, is a cold weather girl, like me, doing in sizzleworth central? even I haven't figured out that particular riddle.

What else.. um.. feeling a tiny bit left out with guild friends of late.. although, perhaps I'm deserving.. I haven't been in mabi a whole bunch of late either. have to keep it in mind to get on a bit more, if for no other reason, to re-connect with my best friends there... especially because said silly friends, are not often on msn, aim, or any of those im types very often.
I miss the ol mr. R .. rather acutely. people change, I know. and I try to not let my missing/saddness show too much for fear it will become annoying to others... but I feel it just the same. Once again, I find myself wondering if the changes are for the improvement or not... even while knowing, once again, there's nothing I can say or do about it either way.
I also miss mr. A.. and all I can really say is.. i'm sorry... if I had it to say over again, I wouldn't respeak the same words.
I am glad mr W and I seem to be getting along again. Found a niice picture to chat about. hehe and he seems to be willing to take on a bit of good-natured teasing about it.

Been playing a bit of eden eternal and dragonnest. eden eternal needs a better.. or better explained crafting system. and dragonnest really needs to fix quest bugs, explain/or add-in their crafting system so maybe we can dispense with the character clone wars going on. And add more quest content for levels 14-16... at least that!

I did re-connect with an old guild leader from runes of magic. So good to hear from her again! wishing we had another game in common though. Seems she had gained the attention of a purrty serious stalker and that led to abandonment.. or purrhaps it was the abandonment that led to the stalker's exposure.. or maybe it all just kinda happened at the same time. either way, the game just stopped feeling right to me, after she left. so I left also.

Did a little reading online and found a possible connection relating to my ear/eye issues.. dunno if that really means anything at all, but its info... and its good to be reminded that a medical practice, really -is- just that. practice. Sometimes, they really just don't have the answers and need to employ what is known best as.. an educated guess. I really need to find my way to a specialist at some point before I fall apart completely or something that's equally disastrous.

Reality has been a bear thus far this season... looking forward and hoping for a bit more escape time soon.

*****
updated: Took a bit of movie advice and watched "The Help". At first I was a little bored.. Much like the start of gone with he wind or somesuch. but after a bit, I started to really like the 'skeeter' character and the women she interviewed for the novel she was writing. Like her mother said.. "Sometimes courage skips a generation. Thanks for bringing it back.." It certainly did take courage, both for the person writing the story, and for those who stepped up to share what they knew to be, even at a possible cost to their lives and those of their families.
*****

Listening to: "what should I do?" by jang geun suk and "Precious one" by Kat-tun
Watching: Haven, Leverage, Warehouse 13, Castle, youtube, and various Drama's online.
Playing: Dragonnest, Eden Eternal, and a little of Mabinogi
Reading: This post, wiki, and facebook.
mood: neutral, slightly amused
Latest Rant: TX heat being waaay too hot for my tastes and how its threatening to kill the yard trees already! It's already killed what little green grass there was.

Oh, for the love of drama!

2011-07-07T05:54:00.089-05:00

I try to keep close to the genre of Romantic Comedy, not always easy to find though. So at times I digress and sometimes I find a hidden gem. Usually, I will state if it is something other then my target genre.
star rating, * = wasn't worth it. ** = it's worth seeing at least once, *** = it was really good, worth seeing several times over, **** = A total Favorite, A must-see!

*******

City Hunter *** (Korean)
20 episodes

Lee Min Ho as Lee Yoon Sung/
John Lee/Poo Chai

Lots of action, a little romance, and a slight chuckle or two. Kind of tasted just a little, of Iris' general storyline.. of a life with forced 'destiny'.. well, at least it had a slightly better ending. Really rather felt for both the city hunter and the prosecutor. One for having to tow the line of his surrogate father's plan of revenge. the other for having to always being one step behind the hunter. Kim Young Joo shares the 'saddest death' prize with Iris.

After a military incident involving a secret operation, 21 deaths and a long survivor, a woman's baby was stolen and a youth raised on a drug plantation in military fashion, in a single-minded plan for revenge. A handsome man with little good to say of anyone, joins the communications crew at the blue house and meets a new financially struggling, yet upbeat, bodyguard and a determined daddy-long-legs.. Then a stately steely-eyed gent shows up and the ugly form of corruption rears as the vengeance 'game' ensues. Who will get the last shot?

Lovely Complex: The Movie/ love*com ** (Japanese)
movie

Teppei Koike as Atsushi Ōtani
Ema Fujisawa as Risa Koizumi

Cute.. rather like a 'shortened' version of the manga, which I really enjoyed. Funny how, with the do and nose, otani kept reminding me of pictures of Rod Stewart or someone.

Otani is short, Koizumi is tall. Both have hang-ups about it at first, but realization comes with the price of a concert attendance and Risa finds the inner strength to confess.

Lie To Me ** (Korean)
16 episodes

Kwon Se In as Park Hoon

Had some good humor to it most of the way though and it was a fairly nice romance. The ending felt a little weak tho, After all the misunderstandings, rivalry, and "finally!" realizations.. it became a... -Just how long is it going to take before the ninny girl 'finds' her lost self and agrees to marry the guy?- kind of ending. Fav character(s): Ki Joon's two assistants, his little brother, as well as Ah Jung's father.

A Ministry of Culture official gets tangled up in a scandal when she lies about being married to a hotel manager from an rich family. In an effort to get back at a friend who had stolen her first love, she made the lie and the rumor spread, then in an effort to help him with a Chinese account possibility, they kept it up together.

Iris *** (Korean)
20 episodes

Kim Tae Hee as Choi Seung Hee
Lee Byung Hun as Kim Hyun Joon

I'm still weeping over this one. (didn't I once mention I detest tragic endings?) and yet.. It was a good story. As epic as it was disturbing. I particularly felt for the Hyun Joon. The poor guy comes to the horrific realization he has been manipulated and used throughout his life and try as he might, he simply could not break free of the grip that held onto him. So, was it that he was punished for loving the wrong girl? (because Sa Woo was warned about her also,) then why was Sa Woo killed? loyalty confusion? likely 'Mr. Night' knew about it, since the director was only jailed and not actually killed.) and what was that final 'alright' Seung Hee gave on the phone in the car, for? she said they wanted her to join them.. and to kill Hyun Joon, and that she had refused. Sa Woo had said he had gone into it because it was either he had to kill his best friend, or she had to kill her love. Was she saying 'alright' to having someone else do it? and what of Vick? He was a good mindless assassin... was it in their plans to see him killed by Hyun Joon? (not that I blame Hyun Joon's thinking after all that Vick had done.) Perhaps it really was -all- about her.. raising another mindless assassin? especially if they considered the possible results of jacking her mind and heart around by making her forbidden fruit to the one guy she really loves. ahh *sigh* so many questions. Not your usual drama fair here. warning: fairly high death count, tragic ending. 'saddest death' Prizes go to Sa Woo and Hyun Joon.. and shared with City Hunter. Action, mystery, thriller, romance, spy/assassin

An ill-fated/tragic love story of sorts, about 2 best friends, an instant love, corruption to the highest and deepest of levels, a secret within many secrets, manipulation, and the threat of both unification, as well as nuclear terrorism.

Drunken To Love You ** (Taiwanese)
18 episodes

Joseph Chang as Song Jie Xiu

Cute. Wonderful to see one of my favorite actresses, Xin Ling, lending her giggly laughter and giving-her-best support to another comedy/romance drama. fav scene(s): suggestive moments and captured kisses.

A guy, and girl, both in sorrow over break-ups, get drunk to commiserate.. and wind up married. When they get back to the paperwork, the guy's 'ex-gf', a fairly famous actress, asks that they remain married for a bit longer so she can side-step a scandal. attraction grows and solid bonds develop between the new husband and wife through the many adversities they then encounter.

The Beast and the Beauty ** (Korean)
Movie 102 mins

Cute and comic story. fav scene(s): the loss of an eyebrow.

A blind girl gets new sight, but her boyfriend is afraid that his real looks will repel her so he contrives to hide until he can 'fix' his looks a bit. Meanwhile, the guy whose handsome description he had given, shows up on the scene to possibly steal her heart.

Once Upon a Time in Saengchori **\ (Korean)
20 episodes.

Lee Young Eun as Yoo Eun Joo

A rather funny yet suspenseful tale about a small and failing brokerage, whose employees are moved to a tiny village out on the middle of nowhere. There they meet and get to know the rather quirky locals. It is also about a math genius working as the boss's right-hand man', who is struck by lightning and loses his comprehension of numbers. In order to buy himself time, he also relocates to the tiny place called Saengchori. But there's a secret in this town... to what lengths will the locals go to, to keep it one?

My Girlfriend Is An Agent ** (Korean)
112 minute movie

Kim Ha-Neul as Ahn Soo-Ji
Kang Ji-hwan as Lee Jae-Joon

Funny! The two main characters had such amusing chemistry, even in the face of such situational seriousness. oh, and before you say it, Yes, it -is- the same smiling actor from coffee house. fav scene(s): the fun-house bean-shooter battle.

Girl is an agent, can't tell her bf and misses seeing him off at the airport. 3 years later, ex-bf is a new agent and runs into ex-gf again. Their fussing nearly exposes them to the enemy who were doing their level best to steal a chemical secret.

Oh! My Girl! ** (Japanese)
9 episodes

Hayami Mokomichi as Yamashita Kotaro

A good story.. not really much, if any, romance but some giggles are to be found, as well as a bit of mental growing. Ohmygosh! that lead guy is tall!!! good to see the absolute boyfriend again though. woohoo Night!:D

A struggling writer receives a visit from the famous step-sis he hates, and before he could give a proper reaction, he is given guardianship of his niece.. and along with her, comes her manager. Before its realized, all the snarling and adjustments have turned to protection, care, and real warmth between them.

Heartstrings/ You've Fallen For Me ** (Korean)
15 episodes.

Jung Yong Hwa as Lee Shin
Park Shin Hye as Lee Kyu Won

You've Fallen For Me
by Jung Yong Hwa

If You have seen You're Beautiful, which was a terrific drama, then you might recognize two of the main actors in this one. Fav character(s): The director and the drummer.

Kyu Won, a traditional music major loses a battle of the 'bands' with Lee Shin, lead vocal for a trendy rock group, and becomes his slave for a month. she also loses her heart to him, but he has a one-sided love of his own with a dance professor.. who is in a 'maybe' relationship with a director. who is set on turning the lot of them upside-down with his stage production.

Keeping with the good (video) times

2011-06-15T09:48:00.028-05:00

Let The Good Times Roll by Shirley & Lee
covered by carlsborgbob

Wake me up when september ends By Green Day
covered by Sungha Jung

No Other
by Super Junior

Qing Hua Ci
by Jay Chou

Jay Chou - Qing hua ci by sushii-viet

Fragrance Of Rice (Dao Xiang)
by Jay Chou

Cry
by MBLAQ

Sharing space with a few good anime

2011-06-13T02:50:00.020-05:00

Summer Wars ** (Japanese)
Movie

Love Machine and King Kazma

A young math genius is chosen by a pretty friend to go with her to celebrate her grandma's 90th birthday. While there, and reluctantly posing as her boyfriend, he receives a midnight math puzzle over his cell, which he solves. the next morning though, its in all the news that the central password on the virtual world called Oz, in which many things in life depended upon, had been compromised, and Kenji was being looked for in connection. As the area goes wonky, Kenji, and the girl's entire family get involved in trying to win back the compromised accounts before the rogue program calls down a nuclear war via satellite.

The Girl Who Leapt Through Time ** (Japanese)
movie

Chiaki Mamiya
Makoto Konno

This is the story about a school girl who discovered the ability to leap through time. At first she is heedless concerning possible branching issues.. rather in spite of her Aunt's advice and goes about passing her tests with winning fore-knowledge and playing matchmaker with her two best friends. Eventually though, trouble is revealed and the girl is hard-pressed to make it right once more before time runs out.

Whisper of the heart ** (Japanese)
movie

Seiji Amasawa
Shizuku

This is the story of school girl who, at first is flustered to discover that every fairly-tale book she has checked out of the library has been first checked out by a guy going to her school. The boy confesses he has had a thing for her for some time, but that just as he was given the opportunity to let her know, he was off to Italy for a chance to become a professional violin maker.
Lacking direction in her own life, the girl vows to write and complete a story in the two months he is gone, using a beautiful yet peculiar cat statue for inspiration.

.....What a handsome fellow, the Baron is ... even through the poor quality of the video.

The Tibetan Dog ** (Chinese)
movie

Doogee

A young boy is sent to his father, a plains doctor, after his mother dies. There he makes the acquaintance of A large golden Tibetan dog he calls Doogee. The dog is accused of killing people in the area, when really it is a demon with glowing red eyes, whom Doogee has been tracking the whole time.

Another spin around the drama wheel..

2011-06-04T06:29:00.070-05:00

Romantic Comedy are the genre of choice here. Not sure just why, But I cannot seem to locate many Japanese Drama's in this category... I'll be sure to keep looking.
________

Jeon Woo chi aka Woochi/ The Taoist Wizard *** (Korean)
Movie

What a wonderful magic-filled adventure. Romance, comedy, action, and fantasy all rolled into one. This could have been made a longer story with an inventive writer, and it wouldn't have hurt it in the slightest. Even as short as it was, it was well worth watching. Favorite scene(s): Woochi's night-crawler styled bamfing about.

An Immortal wizard's apprentice and his faithful? dog meet a girl with the ocean in her eyes. After he is accused of killing his master, he and the dog are sealed away for a lot of years in a painting. Then he is called out into modern day to help subdue several goblins who had gotten away and stolen a piece of a special flute.

Baby And Me/ Baby And I ** (Korean)
Movie

Kim Byeol/Kim Mi Seon as Kim Byeol
Jang Geun-suk as Han Joon-su
Moon Mason as Han Wooram

Not really a romance or a comedy, but an interesting tale about growth and responsibility. Fav character(s): Kim Byeol's unwavering support, care and love.

A teen trouble-maker's parents run away from home and he goes to the store to prepare for a party that evening. He discovers a baby bundled into his cart while he wasn't looking. Along with the tyke is a note asking him to care for the boy, called Woo-Ram. Believing it to be from a girl he had once been with, he does his best to provide for the child on his own.

Celeb to Binbo Taro aka Celeb and poor Taru ** (Japanese)
11 episodes

Kamiji Yusuke as Sato Taro

A light comedy and romance. I did feel for Taru when the house burnt down.. he lost what little he had, including his deceased wife's wedding dress. Fav character(s): Taru and the reporter.

A poor fellow, caring for his three little children takes on a job as driver for a rich young lady and inadvertently, gets involved in trouble when the ex-boyfriend shows up.

Only You ** (Korean)
not to be confused by either Chinese or Taiwanese dramas by the same name.
16 episodes

Han Chae Young as Cha Eun-jae

Nice romance. The story seems to move along rather well.. even giving good reasons for the 3 mos and 6 years time jump near the start... Although there were a few flashback scenes I don't recall seeing. lol! Fav Character(s): Jin Sol the young son of Yi Joon and Eun Jae.

Girl flees study school and home, and heads for Italy to learn pasta making... with her best friend following along. There, when she goes in search for an aunty with a special recipe, she runs into A rich guy in search of the same woman, claiming her to be his mother, who abandoned him at 7. But when they find her, he is devastated to learn she is getting married and will not acknowledge him. The girl comforts him.. one thing leads to another and.. 6 years later, in Korea, the guy is given management of a failing top Italian restaurant and he is reminded of the girl's cooking. He asks someone to find her for him, as he is in need of a chef, just before she stumbles into his life. Quick as a wink, he hires her... and their love is reignited. Eventually, news that she has a young son gets out... and Mom has told no-one, not even her best friend, or her folks, who the dad is.

Manny ** (Korean)
16 episodes

Suh Ji Suk as Kim Yi Han

This one could have had a slightly more decisive ending, i think. instead of petering about and then finally just.. ending.. in its tracks.

Kim Yi Han, a popular manny, having just arrived in Korea from the U.S. finds himself in a rather sudden tight spot, stuck in the area for several needed months, and no finances for his keeping. So he takes on a job living and working as a nanny for a single mom and her two kids, living in their sister's home.

The Greatest Love/The Discovery of Affection/Choegoui Sarang/Best Love *** (Korean)
16 episodes

Lee Seung Ki as himself
Cha Seung Won as Dokko Jin

A fun fun comedy romance... with the lead actor (playing a confident and tenacious actor with heart issues) with most of the lol moments. There are also several notable cameos in this drama. Fav scene(s): the girl, sneaking about in the actor's home fresh from a bottled water run, loses her cell phone in the dark... and gets locked in, with the actor just upstairs.

Ae Jung, an ex-band member, struggles to keep above murky water in the entertainment business by working on variety shows. She gets onto a show called couple making.. with one of her old band-mates.. who's set on further dragging her rep through the mud by getting her eliminated in the first show. Fortunately, she has gained the hearts of both Dokko Jin, a big name actor, and Pil Joo, the 'perfect man' contestant... and both are working 'in their own ways', to prevent her from being hurt.

My Little Bride ** (Korean)
Movie

Kim Rae Won as Sangmin

Cute story.. The romance and comedy were light in this film. But at least the school assembly was kind in the end result. Favorite scene(s): Sungmin helping the unaware Boeun paint the hall mural after hours.

At Granpa's insistence, Boeun and Sangmin were married.. with Boeun being only 15, it was decided they should keep it a secret from friends and school. Boeun, acting as if such a thing had not occurred, starting going with a fellow classmate and felt no issues... until Sangmin was assigned as a student art teacher.

Can You Hear My Heart/ Nae Maeumi Deulrini **\ (Korean)
30 episodes

Go Joon Hee as Kang Min Soo

Engaging drama. romance along with intrigue, an occasional giggle or two... and a whole web of lies. Each episode ending keeps you searching for the next one... very engaging. *warning, There are two very tragic and one very sad deaths involved in this storyline. Favorite scene(s): when a young Woo Ri appears from nowhere, and a young Dong Joo upsets a tablecloth full of party plates and food.

A tangled tale of a man who, because of an accidental fall, loses his hearing, yet pretends to hear with lip-reading.. and a girl who pretends to be dim-witted to protect the dignity of her mentally handicapped father. Also involved is a runaway son, a wife out for revenge for the death of her father and take-over of the company, a mistress wheedling to have her son take the place of the heir, a grandmother troubled over the insecurity of her family and her mind, and an odd new-woman on the scene who looks just like mom.

Holy Pearl/ Nu Wa Chuan Shuo Zhi Ling Zhu ** (Chinese)
32 episodes

This is a drama remake, kinda, of a Japanese anime/manga called Inu Yasha. It was pretty good even with all of the changes. I felt sorry for the king, he was so hopelessly smitten. several sad deaths occur throughout.. and a couple of reflections as well. Favorite character(s): Wu Dao the dragon king.

Two goddess's descend from the heaven's to help the humans keep the peace with the demons of the world. They are sworn not to fall in love, and yet they do. Both the king of the human city, and the king of the demons fall for Xian Yue and are both rejected. Instead, she has fallen for a half-dragon, This rather drives the human king a bit bonkers, and the demon king becomes furious for revenge, Xian Yue has been dead for many years by the time modern era girl, Ding Yao arrives through the wheel, and its her mistake when, confronted, she destroys the anti-demon jar on the flagstones, scattering the magical pearls across the realm. She then embarks on a quest with Wen Tian to gather the needed pearls before Shi You Ming can use them to reconstruct another jar and crown himself emperor of the 3 realms.

Tamra, The Island/ Tamnaneun Doda/ Tempted Again/ Shipwrecked **** (Korean)
16 episodes

Kim Mi Kyung as
Choi Jang Nyeo

Kim Yoo Jung as
Jang Beo Seol

Byun Woo Min as
Jang Won Bin

Iyosara - Jane Park

I normally don't care much for period/historical drama's, but this one was a true exception. I Loved it!! It had romance, comedy, mystery/spy, "Amazing scenery!", an engaging plot/storyline, terrific acting, believable characters, and amazing music.
Fav scene(s): William playing the part of a masked goblin.

I young Englishman and his friend are castaway on the shore of what becomes Jeju island at a time when foreigners were not allowed in a life threatening sort of way... and they become acquainted with a young diver. At about the same time. A scholar, accused of womanizing, is exiled to the island and takes up residence with the girl and her family. It becomes apparent to the locals soon after, that they have thieves stealing their tithe to the royal crown, creating all sorts of hardship for the village... as the trouble escalates, the castaways, hidden and fed by the girl, realize they might be exposed and reported if they stay much longer, but how to get away?

Portalness

2011-05-20T12:57:00.006-05:00

I have heard about the possibility of a new portal (Dragonnest) opening up sometime this summer.. Which, I am told, should be quite exciting. Since portal hopping is still considered free (to play) I might just have to go take a look when I get the chance.

A friend of mine once told me about another such portal leading to a place called the Gates of Andaron which, although a fairly small world, is graphically well made up. might be worth the look-see, eh?

Something about drama.. thats funny!! XD

2011-05-13T16:27:00.040-05:00

Must have.. Romantic Comedy!!!

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

Runaway Plan B/ Fugitive Plan B/ Do Mang Ja: Plan B **** (Korean)
20 episodes

Bi (Rain) as Ji Woo
Lee Jung Jin as Chief Detective Do Soo

Great Drama! This one had laugh-out-loud comedic moments and the unsureness and sacrifice of romance all wound around a great deal of action. I loved it! Warning, this involves the tragic loss of two characters.
Fav character(s): Ji-Woo, the PI of course. :) Takes just a little bit of crazy to move in groove with this guy's job... and his interaction with Do-Soo, the police detective.
Fav scene(s): the Run-away from the yakuza and the reunite at the concert, resulting in quite an on-stage 'dance' with an affectionate ending.

Jin-Yi hires Ji-Woo to help her find the person who killed her grandparents, parents and adoptive parents... because she feels she might be the next target. This leads them into battle.... involving a presidential candidate, the all-consuming greed of an old man, a well-connected business man seeking to protect what he values most, old bank notes from the Korean war, a greedy 'Tiger' and 'Hyena' hoping to cash-in, police corruption, and a hidden stack of gold.

Calling Love ** (Taiwanese)
27 episodes

Hong Xiao Ling as Tiffany

Should have been like a single episode longer. Seriously. at first watching, I was a bit flustered with the ending of this one... but now that I have had a bit of time to let it filter.. it wasn't all that bad really. It kinda went from romance to a touch of the supernatural.
Other then the abrupt stop at the end, I liked this romance. it had a few funny scenes as well,... like when Tiffany set herself up for a massive pile of housework. Lol! It also had several recurring referencing going on.. like the artificial blooms the guy had in his house.
Warning: a sad death and a horrible hit-n-run is involved in this drama so, prepare thyself if you are not that into the tragedy feel, like me.

A runaway bride picks up a head-bopping cell phone to speak with a mysterious guy, 'Steven', and at his urging, she quickly goes undercover as a hotel maid in efforts to locate a kidnapped star. Sometime after, the girl takes on a job working for an arrogant wealthy young man in crisis management.. who is also the secret boyfriend of the star she had helped to save.

Mary Stayed Out All Night/ Marry Me, Mary!/ Maerineun Oebakjoong ** (Korean)
16 episodes

Kim Jae Wook as Byun Jung In

Hello Hello
by Jang Geun Suk

It was rather nice to see the male lead from another drama I love, once again (Jang Geun Seok from You're beautiful). Fav scene(s): When Mae Ri walks in on the two rivals dressed in bedroom gear and having a rather misleading conversion. ..and how could she -Not- have misunderstood? lol!

Mae-ri's dad, while on the run from debt collectors, runs into an old friend, who has a determined plan to see his son, Jung In, hitched with Mae-ri, and convinces 'dad' to help him see it through by paying off his debts.
Mae-ri though, balks at the very idea, and announces and she has married a new friend, a musical artist, Moo Kyul. It's to no avail though, as dad thief's her id card and registers her as married to Jung In.
Jung-in agrees with Mae-ri but.. his father threatens to remove needed financial support from his entertainment business, which at that moment was in the middle a drama project. They are then given 100 days to court, at the end of which, Mae-ri had to make a decision as to which she would marry.

Too Beautiful To Lie ** (Korean)
movie 115 mins

Shorter then I am used to seeing in movies.. but not a bad storyline. Fav scene(s): Left hanging while Gma tells a long tale to a bit of rope.

A con artist manages to bluff her way into an early parole and boards a train with her sister's wooden wedding gift. A country guy, on his way to propose to his gf, drops his ring, and makes the acquaintance of the girl's slapping hands. When she sees a pick-pocket lift the ring box, she goes after him and steals it back but loses her bag in the process.
So she pays a visit to the guy's family in hopes that he would bring the bag with him, everyone misunderstands her attempts at honesty though.. and by the time the poor fellow returns, everyone believes that not only is she his intended, but she is pregnant as well.

It's OK Daddy's Girl ** (Korean)
17 episodes

Jun Tae Soo as Park Jong Suk

It was alright... not much comedy and a little romance.. but it was good to see the eldest sister work through her marital issues, as well as to see the tenacity and integrity of the two brothers. Also, to give the actor his due kudo's... the character, Park Jong Suk, was a really good obsessive bad guy. :)

Chae Ryung's father is accused of murder soon after he attempts to protect her from an accoster, and the guy later turns up dead. After Ki Hwan's stroke lands him in the hospital, The victim's two brothers and Chae Ryung work to try to find the real killer and evidence to prove it.

Seducing Mr. Perfect/Seducing Mr. Robin ** (Korean)
Short Movie

Uhm Jung-hwa as Min-joon
Daniel Henney as Robin Heiden

It was cute. Not a whole lot to it though.

A woman, tired of her relationship failures, asks her new boss for advice and help. After finally getting a bit of her self-respect back from her last boyfriend the woman realizes that she and her boss may just have feelings for one another.

My Queen/ Pai Chuan Nu Wang/ Defeated Queen ** (Taiwanese)
21 episodes

Cheryl Yang as Shan Wu Shuang

This was good drama But the video availability and translation efforts were terrible after about the 8th episode.,, just enough to get me interested in seeing the whole thing too. Result was.. unfulfilled, I didn't get to see any of the ending episodes.
Fav character(s): Lucas

A single woman in her 30's makes acquaintance with a guy 8 years her junior and through trials and hardship.. including a past death, work, family, and a polar bear's run-away, the two irrevocably fall in love.

Summer x Summer *** (Taiwanese)
12 episodes + special

Wu Xiong as Xia Ya

A light-hearted romance comedy. I enjoyed it, even if it didn't look so fun for the habitually sulky-faced male lead. Xia Ya Was fairly precious in her upbeat and tenacious personality. Favorite scene(s): the fairy and elf take to the catwalk.

A girl suffers a bit of bad luck over the price of a dollar coin. first, its a bad hair day, then its an issue with dog doo.. and then, it's a run-by purse snatching with a thief.
When she felt at her lowest, an angel showed up and give her a dollar to call home.. but was it really an angel, or the devilish ways of a reluctant model student who had transferred into her school?

Successful Story Of A Bright Girl ** (Korean)
16 episodes

Jang Na Ra as Cha Yang Soon
Jang Hyuk as Han Gi Tae

A Riches to Rags kind of story. Yang Soon and Gi Tae pull off wonderful chemistry with all of their their games, bantering, daydreams, and shared laughter... and wow! Gi Tae can do the crazed screaming bit really well!

A country girl make the acquaintance of a cosmetic company man when he crashes her bath time one day. Taking on responsibility for her swindling parent's debt, she takes on the job of a housekeeper,..which just happens to be a family in which the bath-crasher is a part of. The annoyance between them is nothing compared to the secret bomb the guy's bro is about to set off, though.

Another time around the clockface of drama

2011-04-17T03:08:00.041-05:00

Still trying to stay true to the genre of comedy romance here.

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One Mom and Three Dads/ Three Dads and a Mother **\ (Korean)
16 episodes

Jo Hyun Jae as Han Soo Hyun
Jae Hee as Choi Kwang Hee
Shin Sung Rok as Na Hwang Kyung Tae

Highly comedic, lots of Lols! and some rather nice and somewhat complicated romance throughout the whole drama. There is a tragedy close to the beginning of the series. Fav Character(s): Choi Kwang Hee, the artist.

Song Na Young wants a child, but her husband is unable to provide, in spite of many visits to the clinic. One evening, while deep in drink, the husband hatches a plan involving his three best friends.. a promise made, a contract filled, and before anyone truly realized it, the wife is with child. Dad though, gets into a fatal accident one evening, leaving behind a video tape and a sense of responsibility for the three uncles. Even after they finally adjust to having a young one around, and attachments form, there still remains the question as to who is the real father.

I Am Sam ** (Korean)
16 episodes

Park Min-Young as Yoo Eun byul
Yang Dong Geun as Jang Isan

Had some fun laughs.. the teach seemed quite a timid push-over really, and being fairly clumsy didn't seem to help the image much either. lol! A bit of romance.. not much where you might expect it though. Still, there was a good connection between The sam and student. Fav character(s): Chae Moo Shin

A tenacious high-school teacher is 'hired' by a mob boss to tutor his daughter so she can pass graduation... and to watch after her while he's at it. The new living situation wrecks havoc with his love life, as well as his relations with his students. Somehow he hangs on through the chaos, even managing to help several of his students through life-changing rough spots.

Mr Goodbye * (Korean)
16 episodes

Huh Jung Min as Ronnie

In spite of its listing, this romance isn't much of a comedy.. although I suppose there were a few chuckles to be had at the beginning. Take care... This has a tragic ending to it... and is fairly 'tragically' sad from about a forth of the way in. Not one of my favorites.

Girl discovers bf with another girl and goes on 'vacation' to Las Vegas alone. On the airplane, she meets a guy and his bf with plans to break the news to his brother.
Because she is with them when they disembark, the brother at first mistakes her as his brother's intended bride. On her flight back home again, she once again runs into the brother, who booked the seat next to hers... following his work to Korea. His heart issues have them in a U'turn and after a medical check-up and another flight, they finally make it in to Seoul.
Owing her for the close call, the guy has her hired at the hotel he is the new president of. He is a company head-chopper and is out to restructure the place.. well liked.. or not.

Oh! Phil Seung And Bong Soon Young/ Oh! Feel Young, Feel so young ** (Korean)
16 episodes

Park Sun Young as Noh Yoo-jung

comedy romance. funny scenes... still.. i felt the fem lead character was wishy-washy to the point I might have happily thumped some sense though her thick noggin. personally, I was rooting for the assistant most of the way through... and was disappointed by her inaction.. although i'm sure the disapproval by the rival did have some truth.. I thought she was a better match for the male lead character. at the -very- least she was a whole lot more dedicated, loyal, selfless, and tenacious then were any of the other choices. The ending was a little weak and disappointing to me. Least fav character(s): Soon-young

Oh Pil-seung meets a drunken Bong Soon-young in the train station.. she promptly tries to strangle him and sends them both to the police station. He fairly quickly falls for the argumentative grocery worker... but she falls for a muckity-muck playboy, Yoon Jae-woong, who becomes Pil-seung's rival in both love and work... since he is 're-acquired' by the president of a large company... who insists that he is her grandson, and is to become heir to the company, if he can prove his worth.

Merry Mary/ Me Ri, Dae Gu's Attack and Defense Battle ** (Korean)
16 episodes

Ji Hyun Woo as Kang Dae Gu

Cute comedy/romance, very cute, adorable meow's and temple rubs included. >^..^
Kim Jung Hwa as Ma Young Hee

Comedy romance... as per the usual.. starts out funny as anything, goes downhill into serious agony romance.. tosses in a final huge cataclysm scene, then a (1 year later) before the ending. By the time I reached the huge ugh scene, I was only continuing to watch just to see who she ended up with. Fav scene(s): A very drunk girl spends the night using a stranger's arm for a pillow.

Ma Young Hee suffered a bad case of unrequited love for her best bud, Jin Woo, for 8 years. Somehow he failed to see the hearts in her eyes nor her inability to say 'no' to any request and held plans of his own with others.
During a trip to Japan, she tries to drown her sorrows and wakes up next to a young man and unable to recall how she got there!
Quickly she returns home only to encounter her best friend, who asks her to take in his younger bro.... who just happens to be the fellow she woke up with while in Japan! Reluctantly she agrees and so begins the story.

Exhibition of Firework ** (Korean)
17 episodes

More of a romance and less of a comedy.. still, there were a few scenes worth chuckling over. Took me a bit to find a working last episode. Fav character(s): In-Jae... man in the middle.

Shin Na Ra meets up with her boyfriend of several years, after he has been abroad. He tells her bad and worse news.. he has cheated and fallen in love with someone else. She drowns her sorrows in soju and tries to drown the ring, signifying their failed relationship, into the cup. By accident, someone drinks it and ends up in the hospital. The unfortunate ring bearer, In Jae, has just started work at a large cosmetics company, and Na Ra, posing as her younger sister, also gains work there. Unfortunately, This gallery also happens to be the work place of the woman Na Ra's ex-boyfriend left her for... who is also the same woman In Jae secretly has been in love with for many years, his intended sister-in-law.

My Princess ** (Korean)
16 episodes

Kim Tae Hee as Lee Seol
Song Seung Hun as Park Hae Young

Comedy romance following what seems to be a typical pattern. funny at first.. then gives way to serious romance/heartache kind of stuff. Be aware, there are two deaths in this one. One senseless and thankfully brief and the other sad. *half-staff for the character of my favorite 'grandpa'. Best scene(s): ending kiss.

College student learns she is a princess and moves into a 'new' palace in anticipation f an imperial resurrection...and moving along beside her, the ever-present, argumentative teacher of etiquette... who is going to lose everything if the monarchy is restored. and whats worse, he finds himself undeniably and mutually drawn into closeness.

Delightful Girl Choon-Hyang/ Sassy girl/ Kwae-geol Choon-hyang ** (Korean)
17 episodes

Han Chae Young as Sung Chun-Hyang
Jae Hee as Lee Mong-ryong

Comedic especially at the start.. then it get embroiled in the drama of seeing others, which gets out of hand and becomes bogged down in a lot of heartbreaking.
Least favorite character(s): Sung Choon Hyang... I realize she was trying to protect her love, but there are ways of showing her displeasure to the guy who forced them apart.. except for a little hissing at the guy, she did nothing. directly conflicting to what she showed Mong Ryong,.. even before the problem existed, she was always rejecting him.

Sung Choon Hyang stomps on Lee Mong Ryong's cell phone when, after a leap and collision, he accidentally snaps a pic of her panties. After a lake accident, she gets sicks, and her friends (plus Mong Ryong) come over to visit. He gets drunk and winds up spending the night in her room with her. This leads to a forced marriage between the two to see them through school and into collage. When enters Mong Ryong's first love.. and Byun Hak Do, CEO of an entertainment company. Each of which have plans to tear the two apart, no matter what it takes.

Lunch Queen/ Lunch no Joou ** (Japanese)
12 episodes

Yuko Takeuchi as Natsumi Mugita

Warm-hearted light comedy/romance. Made me hungry to watch them making all the yummy food. a sad death scene in involved. In spite of all the goings;-on, the ending had no satisfaction really. Fav Scene(s): The grab-n-kiss with a solid kick in follow-up.

Girl agrees to pretend to be an 'eldest brother's' bride to be so he could get in to speak with his family, who run a small western-style cafe. After the 'groom' runs off with the money, the girl tries hard to stay on. Eventually, home is found, truth comes out, runaways return home, and a past is resolved.

The Relation of Face, Mind, and Love/ Love is Blind ** (Korean & Japanese)
episode 5 telecinema "shorts"

Lee Ji-A - Wang So-Jung

Cute and funny... and so was the story XD. Loved the play on features. Going to have to watch more of these. Fav scene(s): when she, suffering from the same eye issues, repels from first sight of him.

Guy gets into accident that temporarily makes him see beautiful girls as ugly and ugly girls as beautiful... he then meets a reeling drunk ugly girl and instantly falls in love. After several days though, the condition with his eyes wears off.

Easy Fortune Happy Life/ Fu Qi You An Kang ** (Taiwanese)
17 episodes

Roy Qiu as Han Dong Jie

li Kai Bei shang "Leaving Sadness"
by Van Fan

A rather nice comedy/romance.. and a sad tragic event to help fuel its last expected dip in the storyline. Favorite character(s): Han Dong Jie and Yan Yang

Country herbalist girl encounters a family squabble while visiting the hospital over a needed surgery for the grandfather. Thinking them all vultures, waiting for the old fellow to die, she sneaks into the room, and gives the fellow a herbal cure to wake him up. the old guy sees in her a long lost love... which happens to be the girl's grandmother. Wanting to pass on his medicine company to either of his two grandsons.. he makes an announcement at his 80s anniversary that which-ever of the two finds and weds this girl, will receive the whole of the company, worth quite a sum on money. so the race is on.

in the meanwhile... Real Life makes a mess of my Fantasy Life.. again.

2011-04-08T19:31:00.009-05:00

Welcome to 'this' time of year!

Life is, as ever, full of ups and downs in a never ending loop rather like a nonstop roller-coaster. Atm I am coasting in a kind of low flat area.. hoping to keep my nose, at least, out of the water. A rather dull time.

I developed a nerve kink or something about a week ago, somewhere around my right shoulderblade. This has put the whole of my right arm on a constant conniption alert.
It blinkin hurts ala time!.. but especially when I bend over or put pressure on just about any part of my arm... which includes simple leaning. Meanwhile, on the other side, one of my fingers has been half numbed for weeks... why, im not sure. prolly another pinched nerve?

Then to add to the physical issues.. I need to see another doc about my hearing etc and maybe get disability straightened out... and unemployment hoops to jump through.. and...

I have a good friend feeling so low with life he's attempted to end it early.. which i consider a serious cop-out. so fighting between feelings of anger, and concern/support over this. i do wish there was an easier answer for the friend. I really do. and...

Personal feeling s of inadequacy and unrequited-ness. Just not sure why really. Maybe just influence from the changing weather patterns or maybe its just ".. a bit of undigested beef a blot of mustard, a crumb of moldy cheese, a fragment of an underdone potato" perhaps? (Scrooge in A Christmas Carol) and...

The weather has been mostly beastly of late, welcome to the southern sizzle of summer. ugh!

In portal news though.. Found one leading to a Final Fantasy styled world the other day (rather in spite of the video on the page, which looks more like Vindictus). It's kinda neat... except for the limit on the number of kills in a given area.. and the gajillian questions I have concerning crafting. Is there no help for this?
Its called Atlantica oh, and for those interested.. its a new part of the nexon 'free-to-play' games list.

The talented voice.. in Video

2011-03-24T17:43:00.037-05:00

Sulic Hauser- Smooth Criminal
by Michael Jackson

Cello magic by Stjepan Hauser and Luka Sulic

Stjepan Hauser & Luka Sulic - Smooth Criminal by Suchablog

Welcome to the Jungle by Gunz n Roses
covers by 2cellos

Flight of the bumblebee
piano magic by Maksim

One Man Disney Movie

by Nick Pitera

Somewhere Over the Rainbow
by Harold Arlen and lyrics by E.Y. Harburg

Rendition by Israel "IZ" Kamakawiwo'ole

Torture
by 183 Club

Mine
by Taylor Swift

Cover by AHMIR

King of Anything
by Sara Bareilles

(Ahemm.. I'd personally like to dedicate this song -king of anything- to a person who shall forever remain Tail-o'n'-fire locked away somewhere in a dark corner of my heart. Finally done with it. Yeah!)

plotting another dramafest

2011-03-20T14:59:00.063-05:00

I Love Romantic Comedies the best.. but have been known to break off into romance and adventure styled dramas as well. This is a listing of those Asian dramas I have watched and a short of what I thought about them, as well as a quick description. As I have no Tv to watch them on, All of these dramas can be found somewhere on the net. (I have located many on youtube, my sojo, AZNV, and places such as Dramacrazy and Tudou.)

Also, if you found this quick self-indulgent dramafix to be helpful, please leave a comment to let me know. what did you like/dislike about a drama? suggestions for improvement to the review, perhaps? Enjoy!

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The Magicians of Love *** (Taiwanese)
22 episodes

Tan Ai Zhen as Li Lian Nai Nai

Enticing Trick
by 183 club

Cute comedy and romantic entanglements galore. The Lead guy "Artz" gets the Most adorable smile/laugh. and is one of my favorite characters... the other being his grandmother. Although rather mettlesome, Grandma was a trooper... often falling and quickly coming back up swinging with best intention for her remaining grandson.

Xiao Bei, who's dream is to be a famous hair-stylist, is introduced to the principle rivals for her dad's barber shop, The Neo-Image, and it's 3 top stylists (Artz, Ricky, and Fernando) via an interrupted contest.. in which she is completely passed up and stepped over for. Upset and out for a little revenge on the leader, she gains the his attention and he decides to recruit her for his shop as a potential talent. She starts out under the tutorship of Ricky, and through several troubles, they develop a relationship. Even though just about everyone, but Xiao Bei and Artz, can see that the bickering between them is the heart's signs of true love.

Bad Family/ Gangster Family *** (Korean)
16 episodes

Lee Young Yoo as Baek Na Rim
Kim Hee Chul as Gong Min

Fun comedy, fun romance. There's even a fair bit of intrigue to keep the story moving along. Fav character: The "Alien" he had good rapport with the little girl from the very start. I also rather liked the feisty "sister".

A little girl is the only survivor of a car crash and the only one who would know just who caused it to happen... but she has developed amnesia. As the only living relative, her uncle hires a 'surrogate' family in hopes to gently allow her memory to return. The man in charge, -uncle-, is an ex-gangster with a heavy debt, ...several people who owe him, -father- mother- gpa- n gma-, a homeless guy he found -brother-, and a girl he owes for the destruction of a boat -sister-... and gets them all sign a contract... to be a family for the little girl.. and keep her safe.

P.S.Man ** (Taiwanese)
21 episodes

Zhong Xin Ling as Mary

Funny Drama with lots of romance throughout. Mary was specially fun, I thought. I loved her whole personality. The whole of it all, dragged in places but seemed worth the ending scenes. Least Favorite characters: grandmother's noseyness, Father's total lack of open compassion, especially for his own son... and Amanda's idiocy in asking far too much of Xiao Qian. Favorite scene(s): Xiao Qian and He Jie, posing as her boyfriend, gets caught in the shower by her grandmother... and a sweet 'almost' kiss early the next morning.

Playboy author, crashes a press review of a popular top model and finds himself ordered by the court to pull 158 hours of community service at a kindergarten. the teacher there, having recognized him as a neighbor who bullied her in grade school, seeks a bit of revenge on him and gives him dirty jobs. He then makes a bet that he will make Amanda fall in love with him before his service time is up.. but when the model's security and in special, her manager, prove a tough advisory to his plans of getting close to her, he makes moves on 'her friend', the teacher... and quickly becomes rivals with a rich 'hotshot' company son.

Dream High *** (Korean)
16 episodes + special concert

Bae Yong Joon as Jung Ha Myung

Almost as if it were based off of Fame. (or perhaps vice-verse?) It had quite a few crack-me-up-laughing scenes especially those, I thought, involving the country 'bumpkin' and teacher Kang. Fav character(s): Song Sam Dong, Kang Oh Hyuk, and Kim Pil Sook.

Hye Mi fails the audition to get into an arts school, but is given a 'second chance' when the school's director scouts her for a conditional entry. She just has to get a certain two others to go with her. With her new shepherding Teacher Kang helping as much as he's able, she runs off to the countryside to find Sam Dong, while the teacher locates and convinces Jin Gook to join them. But the school is in essence against them, and they are shunted into a 'prep class' where they are not allowed to use the schools performing practice rooms. Its just the start for the group though, As they quickly take their practice times (and a secret new preforming arts teacher helping out.) to a clubhouse, sauna, nightclub, and other such places en-route for a determined depute.

Egao no Hosoku ** (Japanese)
12 episodes

Takeuchi Yuko as Kurasawa Yumi

Cute. Several light-hearted comedy scenes and a little romantic interest, mainly with the side characters. Favorite scene: When Sakurai goes in search for and finds the lost and hurt Yumi on the mountain hiking trail.

Yumi is fired from her job, and because she was at a friend's wedding, she is late for an interview. She quickly pauses in her dash to ask a delivery man for directions and gets her outfit caught in the van door. Sakurai, a popular comic artist happens to walk by and helps to free her. As it happens, she is headed for the same place he is.

A bit lost, she walks into the room where he is discussing a matter of his hiding away somewhere for 3 months to work on the newest series. Intrigued, by the 'red and white goldfish' he agrees.. only if she would go as his assistant. Learning this, Yumi agrees to the part-time work, if it is to be the same place as where her brother works.
Once there, she attempts to encourage the artist, as well as to make friends with the old-fashioned mistress and the others who work at the inn.

Heaven's Wedding Gown *\ (Taiwanese)
19 episodes

Cyndi Wang as Tao Ai Qing (Ivy)

Wasn't too wild about this one. no real chemistry between the main characters.. but for the playful one with the girl and the motorbike racer. Zi Hao this wonderful mix between the drama's main language and English... and peppered his speech with it clear through the drama. For some reason, I didn't care much for Ai Qing. perhaps just a tiny bit too little-girlish/giggly/air-headed to think she could attract someone as grown and 'successful' as Zi Hao... never-mind Hai Nuo... (even giving his more playful side) to the degree she did.
Fav character(s): Hai Nuo (I'm sorry you had to be the 'other' guy in this one, Ming Dao) and the fashion designer's mom.. for her plucky sense of determination to look after her son's well-being and happiness... even in the face of her irritated (and irritating) husband.

A fashion designer, while in Paris, has a bit of a run-by with an old woman, claiming his soulmate would soon be there..and gave him a large coin. He scoffs and tosses the coin away, only to be picked up by a countryfied girl who takes it for a goodluck charm.Once back home again, the girl discovers her brother, in efforts to pay off a debt, has sold their farm to the fashion designer, who plans to use the place for his design shop for a new line of clothing. In efforts to no have to leave their home, the girl and her grandfather hire on to caretake the place. A mistake by a motorcycle racer has him through the fence and meeting with the angel of his dreams and he desires, then and there, to pursue her. the designer though, comes to a realization that he is not in love with his long-time model girlfriend and breaks it off with her, much to the dismay of his father, who hoped to use the marriage to give their company better stability. The designer though, in a low moment, is given back the coin and believes the girl is his intended soulmate. So he also decides to pursue her. All while people around them scheme to pull them apart.

Prince turns to Frog ** (Taiwanese)
30 episodes

Chen Qiao En as Ye Tian Yu
Ming Dao as Shan Jun Hao

The 'sproings' and other comic sounds in this were a tiny bit overdone but the scenes didn't seem to be harmed by them. The lead actors were familiar and quite good. Favorite character: Shan Jun Hao for his sweetness when finally recognizing his own true love. (and also for his great close-ups:)

Rich guy gets into an accident and loses his memory. Girl and her family take him in for a time, hiding him away due to involvement. He seeks and wins the heart of the girl before becoming involved in another accident.. due to someone hoping he would stay missing... and forgets the girl. Returning to his company the rich guy finds the place is in upheaval.. His girlfriend and mother push for his wedding, his best friend, goes after the girl, and a company rival seeks control.

ToGetHer/ Superstar Express ** (Taiwanese)
12 episodes

Jiro Wang as Zhuang Jun Nan (Mars)

Acting was so-so.. storyline was predictable.. I liked it anyway. Light romance with a bit of mild comedy. Favorite scene: The rather nice timing for the guy to kiss the girl, before getting knocked over by the rival and wailed on.

Idol is suffering a horrid case of unpopularity and isn't getting the jobs.. so is forced to move into a much smaller place, A rented a room in the house of a fellow classmate and her sister. Sis gets taken in a bf scam and the resultant debt has loan sharks out looking for the girls.

Secret Garden **** (Korean)
20 episodes

Ha Ji Won as Gil Ra Im
Hyun Bin as Kim Joo Won

This comedy/romance hits a 4 star with me as best of the best I have so far seen.
I laughed along with the silly fumbling antics of a staunch man helpless in the bonds of love before he even truly understood what hit him (or kicked him in the shin for that matter). I cried with all the tension this caused, the concern for the people around them and the complication of the magical changes of rainfall. I gasped and snarled at the 'bad' people in the story who couldn't seem to see just what they were doing to the people they cared so much for... and probably never would. and I sighed in sadness and yet, with a nod of acceptance, for the last scenes. It wasn't a fairytale ending after all... (like alice in wonderland or... the little mermaid) and yet, it was satisfying that the results were well done... even for the young 'producer' whose heart's direction was fairly one-sided.. and yet, caring was still received.. and given.
Favorite scene: a dancing kiss and a warm confession, thanks in part to the girl's fairy godmother...erm fairy godbrother (temp duty).

The CEO 'president' of a large hotel meets and instantly falls for a stunt-woman, whose visage haunts him into clinging to her determinedly in spite of her many rebuffs. His mom is seriously unhappy about all of this and swears to put a stop to her son's relationship with such a low nobody...no matter the cost.
Then one day, while in a contest bike race to the finish line, he loses her to a wrong turn. They reconnect near a shabby diner in the woods, and when they ask why the woman there made homemade brew, she said only that 'it's to save my daughter', before giving the girl two bottles to take home.
When the girl tries to give one to the Ceo's famous singer cousin, whom she admires.. The CEO intercepts it. By drinking the stuff that evening, the two find themselves having swapped bodies by morning's light. This causes quite a bit of confusion between them and a fair number of quizzical looks from others as they try to cope with one another's job and duties... along with a deeper forgotten secret.. at least until the next big rain.

My Sweet Seoul/ My Sweet City ** (Korean)
16 episodes

Choi Kang Hee as Oh Eun Soo

If I could sum this drama up into a single word, it might be melancholic. There were a couple of giggles and a fair bit of sad and slightly depressing romance in this drama, as the girl kind of drifted back and forth between her partners, just like her friends and parents did in their own relationships. Fav character(s): Tae Woo, whose bright personality didn't deserve to be closeted.

A 31 year old single lady meets and falls for a younger man. Their relationship is passionate but she is afraid that his age will make her best friends and parents wonder, so she attempts to 'hide' him. It proves too much and eventually there is a parting. Then she meets another man, quiet and thoughtful but with a hidden secret.

Dal Ja's Spring ** (Korean)
22 episodes

Kim Sung Kyum as Tae Bong's grandfather

Had some nice music.. some funny scenes... relatively few 'shouting-at-the-idiot-program..damnit!!' scenes.. which I generally take for a good thing. I was rooting for Tae Bong from the first moment to the last. The videos were a little difficult to locate on the web.

30something old Oh Dal Ja, single, and working within a home shopping channel company.. meets a younger Kang Tae Bong who offers to be a fake boyfriend if she has the bucks and need for him. After getting dumped by the playboy co-worker, she gets drunk, vows revenge, and hires the 'fake' boyfriend for a month. Then, when she meets another guy, she thinks is 'her destiny' Tae Bong becomes more of a dating coach. when the months time is done. she considers reinstating the contract.. but he instead chooses to hire her to be his girlfriend and moves in.

Listening to: same stuff as before
Current Show: dramas... still.
Feeling: alright.
Internet Tabs: Mabinogi, Youtube
Obsessing Over: nada
Current Rant: hmm. none atm

Relief and Concern

2011-03-13T18:59:00.007-05:00

Hey there..

After a short pause of held breath, finally i can breath a sigh of relief again. Got a visit from my sis, bro and his gf and weathered it alright, i suppose. had some laughs. it was really good hearing bro's voice more then anything.. not sure why that is. I just really liked listening to him. maybe it was because he was sober.. or somehow clearer.. or maybe it was just a reaffirmation. not sure.
It was, as always, great to hear my sister's laughter. and the gf fit in so well, I nearly forgot that she wasn't already family several times. is that somehow wrong? hmm. 'mom' didn't show up.. I was wondering in the back of my mind if I should have called her, but then, after hearing how my sis's thoughts about her were not that great, i guess it was good that i rethought it. Although, i kinda didn't want to leave her out... and still feel a bit badly about it. Maan, I miss them already!

And I am a little bit worried about distantly admired neighbors.. I heard they are having a really rough time with the shaky weather and results of a fire that wasn't put out by the torrent of water that followed. I heard all the noise and shoving was so bad, it moved their whole house by what was it?..about 8 feet?! Thats hard for me to imagine! I guess their place was prepared for such events really.. but still, it was worse then encountered before.. and I hope the fire is able to be safely put out before too many more suffer from it.

I hope our cicadas sing again this year like they did once in the past. somehow it made the heat of summer bearable... and I have missed their sound.

I remember...

2011-02-17T16:24:00.014-06:00

I suppose I am one who has led something of an interesting life.. (just like the curse eh?) I have been told several times, that I could fill the pages of a book with it all... don't know that it'd be worth much for reading but... lol XD
Anyway, I mentioned an iceberg tip to a friend, and she seemed quite entertained.. so I said I would post more here... in the occasional 'I remember' segments of my life. Bear in mind.. I colorize a bit to protect the guilty.. as well as the otherwise innocent. I don't much like the idea of family anger over one person's remembrance vs another... since people remember things differently, even if they are of the same event.

The beginnings of my life are apparently shrouded in a bit of a mystery. and although I certainly don't recall any of it, others claim to.. and everyone seems to have a different story to tell... from the wild, to the complete norm. Now, personally.. I consider it all a great and colorful story.. to the point that I don't really care if it is true or not... but somehow the stories continue to entertain.

When I was really little, still in my first set of training wands, There is a story I remember told to me by the great and grand poobah mugwump.. father of the great mugwump who raised me. Great and grand mugwump had a lot to say really.. he was a big guy, i remember.. and although he occasionally gave me a fright by magically sticking my little feet to the ceiling, I considered him to be someone I admired. One of the things he insisted upon, was that there was no such thing as a dark greenman in our family-line. (dark greenmen were.. like a cross between a neighboring islander and one from far away in the dark lands to the south.)
..and also, that there were enemies of our family, that were seeking to rewrite our family history from the books... making us drift into obscurity of untruth.

He said, there was a time when our family had possession of a large island off the coast of a yet larger island. and the name of it was attached to our own family name. but because our family was related to other more well-known families, who were embroiled in a sort of clan war with others... and lost an important battle, we had to leave our island.. and it was given into the hands of others.
He told me a tale of how, under pressure from our enemies, there was an idea hatched, that we would flee that land and send our people to 'the land of better opportunity'. (I wish only that I had been old enough or simply with-it enough to ask for details on this subject.. like dates and relation names!)
Somewhere in the middle of this.. a relative, fairly drunk in a pub, got into a tangled issue of 'cheating at cards' after a horse had traded hands. So the drunkard, fleeing possible death, took the horse and fled with it into the woods. Which is how my family came to live in that backwards wooded area that I remember growing into. (To a man who was old when I was there, to remember even 16 years.. can be a really long time!)
So.. the end result, so said he, was that I was one who was brought over in secret from our enemies, into the place I was to be 'born' into. which would make me like either 1st or 2nd generation.. depending on just when (or where?) I was born.

To continue in thought from this story, I attempted once, to look into it.. wondering if there was truth.. an odd thing how many people have, at least a copy of their birth papers... I have a copy of an old file paper which only lists name and occupation. not time.. and I have had trouble in even requesting a copy of this from my home.. they have refused me, and considered sending police after me just for asking. they even sent me n old copy that was unstamped and I had to re request a stamped one because a paper without the stamp is just a paper and not considered legit by anyone in any place else.
So, using this paper as a query, i attempted to locate and speak with the listed doctor. I did find someone by the name, well retired... (he apparently was already an old man at the time I was first there) He said, that he often came to work to find children already born and waiting.. so he simply signed the papers and let them off with their families. He wasn't actually there for the birth... which might explain why I do not have a birth certif as such.. and the copy of the file I do have, doesn't list a time.

I also went to a small 'reading room' for those looking into their family past... and with a bit of help, I discovered my original family name was listed in an old book. this name being the name mentioned in great and grand poobah mugwump's story. I was soo excited! the book was ordered from some far away place.. and I waited for a time with bated breath. the day arrived, and there I sat, in that cluttered little room, and old book in my hands. I carefully opened it and leafed through a page or three.. my eyes seeking the name i so wanted to see at last and..
Suddenly a pair of huge meaty hands thrust into my view, grabbed my hands and hauled me out of my seat. I was quickly pushed out the door of the shop, hearing words to the effect that I was meddling in things i best not. I hit the roadside in a plop.. and heard the doorbells ring as the door shut.. and the click of a lock. You can imagine my surprise, eh? Although for a time, I looked, I never found another listing with that particular family name again.

The enchantress of the east wind, closely related to me, laughs this whole story off, saying that nono.. I was merely born under a bridge somewhere...(like a troll?) and since she is older, she would know best. right?

Asking the grand mugwump, son of the great and grand.. was a bit like pulling hen's teeth on a moonless night. He would only say, with a chuckle.. I was born on the way.

Then there is the story told by yet another relative, not so closely related really, who claimed to have visited the island and looked for relatives" over there.. she seems to think we are a part of the dark greenmen in a really way-back loong history. which, if true, would make me a very old generation indeed... likely dating further back then that of the revolution! Has my family really been here for so long?

and to think.. all this from just one little happening. XD
So when people ask where I started out.. in order to remain truthful (I am a horrible liar) I am forced to say.. it depends on which version of the story you believe the most. All of them have gaps.. some very obvious holes which, if i still had the chance to gain answers from, I would certainly ask.

Listening to: Classical
Current Show: dramas... still.
Feeling: a little under the weather *sniff*
Internet Tabs: AZNV.TV, MySoju, Mabinogi
Obsessing Over: Fragmented Memory pictures
Current Rant: one-sided love... *sigh*
very nearly as bad as a crush... only a little less stupid.

moremore drama shtuffs

2011-02-06T02:41:00.065-06:00

hey, is this thing on? *bapbap* hellooo?! I know yer out there! leave a comment already!

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Vampire Host/ The Vampire Gigolo ** (Japanese)
6 episodes

Matsuda Satoshi as Suou

Quite fun for a bit of a change. I enjoyed the subject and although a bit cheesey, the acting was good and expected. I thought Rion kicking poor Suou was funny for his response "Ow ow ow! You kicked me again!" like he simply couldn't quite believe she would kick an actual vampire. The ending lacked though... It left too many important questions unresolved. Not quite a comedy, although it was rather funny to me, and not quite a romance, although there was a bit of caring between the two.

Girl's friend goes missing.. leaving nothing but a message on Rion's phone to say she had run into a 'real' vampire and a card from a local Host club. Rion goes to the host club, demanding to know where her friend had gone to, and when she was rebuffed, she broke an expensive bottle of wine. Having to take on part-time clean-up, she becomes acquainted with the 'real' vampire host of the club.. a youth called Suou.. who quickly becomes obligated to trail after the school girl in efforts to keep her from serious trouble in her quest to free her friend.

What's Up Fox? ** (Korean)
16 episodes

Chun Jung Myung as Park Chul Su

I liked it. The ending wasn't totally wonderful, no 'they lived happily ever-after' story here, but then, it wasn't too bad either. Fav character: Chul Su, for his passion, determination, tenacity and a deep abiding love. Kind of funny, in a sad sort of way, the mom and sis couldn't see the connection between their own dating issues and that of Byeong Hee and Chul Su. Nor could the best friend seem to see that, in her determination to keep hold of her younger bro and not being alone, she was pushing him away causing her to, once more, be alone.

Byeong Hee got royally drunk one evening.. and seduced her best friend's younger brother. The next day, totally embarrassed and unable to remember details, she demanded Chul Su forget it occurred. and yet, it soon becomes apparent that the event just further stoked the flame of a years long love in the 9 years younger man.
When a doctor steps into the courting picture the families are only too happy...but for poor Chul Su, it causes nothing but friction.

Oh! My Lady! ** (Korean)
16 episodes

Choi Si Won as Sung Min Woo
Chae Rim as Yoon Gae Hwa

Nice romance with a fun bit of comedy clear through. I loved how.. through all of the tight spots and hijinx.. Min Woo grows in his acting, in maturity, and in love with Gae Hwa. Fav character: Ye Eun, young daughter of Sung Min Woo.

A single mother, in financial desperation, leaves her daughter with her ex-husband and attempts to land a stable job. She temp works for a rising star and gains employment with a stage production company...if she can get the star to sign a contract with them. And then suddenly a young girl is thrown into the star's lap. So he agrees to sign on with the production, in return for housekeeping and to also care for his daughter and keep the secret between them until the real mother could be found.

Down with Love *** (Taiwanese)
16 episodes

Ella Chen as Yang Guo

It started well, ran well and ended well. Favorite scene(s); the full-on kiss to exchange a life-shortener in a desperate moment
Quite the Best Unintended French Kiss I think I have ever seen in an Asian drama.. and the comical way how personal (love) changes caused the poor lawyer a loss in work-related concentration. (yep, I was rooting for the lawyer the whole way through. :D) I even liked the theme song.

Light-hearted comedy involving a lawyer, an architect, two sisters, and an actress, along with two devilish kids out to ruin their nanny in rival for the attention of their uncle.

Creating Destiny ** (Korean)
31 episodes

Even as I could understand yoon hee's desire to see her child know her real father.. and also his own desire to know his child, in wanting to be the father he nearly lost out on experiencing.. I really felt for Kyu Han.. who had done so much for so long for the two of them. This was a tad too tangled and long enough to prove slightly bothersome to even my rather tenacious attention-span. It was nice to see the actor who played the 'ghost dad' in Who are you? again. Least favorite character(s): the mother of Yeo Joon and her oh so 'good friend'...far too waspy and meddlesome.

A Korean girl is set to marry in Australia.. but dad and grandfather quickly come up with another idea.. and she is whisked off 'back home' to Korea to meet her betrothed. They clash instantly.. each having their own idea of who to marry.. when the folks insist, they take to pretending.. hoping it will give them both time to talk the elders out of it. The situation draws the rest of the girl's family to Korea where her father is happily reunited with his best friend.. the father of the girl's intended. and right behind them, the girl's Australian boyfriend.

Last Scandal *** (Korean)
16 episodes

Lee In Sung as Jang Hoon

Good story. comedy and romance intertwined from beginning to end. The acting all around was superb. The storyline was a good one with a pleasant wrapped up ending.
Loved how Dong Chul refused to give up his pursuit of Sun Hee even after total rejection...consistently, It seemed like..
I really enjoyed the lead actress.. Sorry to know, belatedly, she has gone.

A housekeeper with a dead-beat husband and a daughter re-meets her first love, A very popular actor, his manager brother, and his son... when in an effort to gain enough needed money to bail out her husband, she takes on a job as housekeeper.

Smile, you/Smile, Honey ** (Korean)
45 episodes

Jung Kyung Ho as Kang Hyeon-soo
Choi Bool Am as Kang Man-bok
Lee Min Jeong as Seo Jeong-in

A little longer then the usual, there are some fairly rough scenes including a near tragedy. This drama is as much romance as it is about family. I really liked the eyes of both the grandfather (could hardly tell if he had his eyes closed or was peering out of them) and the son of the rich family. (so handsomely slanted! so much so, that I agreed with the comments that he looked nothing like the other members of his family.) ^ ^
Favorite scene; When Hyun Su develops 'morning sickness' instead of his pregnant wife.

A rich family of 5 suffers sudden bankruptcy, ruining the youngest daughter's wedding day. Finding themselves with nowhere to go, they move in with the old driver and his family of 4 (+1 or two). From there, its a great deal of pushing, shoving, learning, and growth. The son of grandfather's family, and the youngest girl from the rich family fall in love, causing more issues and strife when the others find out.. and grandpa becomes sick. Will the family elder ever get his wish for a complete and happy family before time runs out?

Bad Couple ** (Korean)
16 episodes

Ryu Soo Young as Choi Gi Chan

Had some sad moments, had quite a few comedic moments, and overall, a rather sweet romance. funniest moments; when the girl plans accidental meetings with her target.
sweetest moments; when the guy goes all-out to show his support and caring to the woman he truly loves the most.

This one had two plots, equally strong as one another. The main plot concerned a woman who having heard her biological clock tickling away, decides to seduce the 'perfect' man and raise the child, who looks just like her, by herself. and in the other, a husband, who has been having an affair for 2 years past, seeks to divorce his wife. In an effort to make him jealous and reflect, she finds a 'fake' boyfriend to help her out.

I Really Really Like You *** (Korean)
34 episodes

Kim Chang Wan as Kang San

I liked this one.. I really felt for Joon-Won, husband to a sick lady, and father to a little girl... for several reasons. (Dang, he's tall!) I think the ending could have wrapped up a few rather loose endings as well. but all in all, I was pleased with the sudden bursts of comedy bits all the way through. and although there were a few parts that seemed to drag in the main storyline (it could have been a little shorter..or perhaps finished a bit better), the support/side characters filled in things fairly nice imo. Fav character: the head chef of the blue house kitchen, Kang San.

A country girl rescues a fellow who had fallen down a hill in back of the dwelling she shared with her grandmother. Turned out the guy was a doctor, when gma dies, the girl packs up and heads for Seoul. The money she has intended to pay to the doctor for her gma's hospital care is snitched fairly quickly but as luck would have it, she meets a kindred spirit in an older fellow, who lets her stay at his place, along with his son and an uncle, who are blue house bodyguards. Gma had given her a task before passing away, and she had a couple of pictures to help her locate her real parents...but this task proves difficult straight away, as the picture of her father looks just like that of the president, and there aren't many who can get close to him without risk to life and limb.

King of Baking, Kim Tak Goo *** (Korean)
30 episodes

Oh Jae Moo as Kim Tak Goo

Rather long romance series but the adventure and complication keeps rolling right along. Even the time transitions were smoothly felt, without having to put in the annoying '2 years later' message. I really enjoyed the involving and evolving storyline and the part each of the characters played in it. Fav character(s): Grandfather/Teacher and the Windmill tattoo guy. Fav scene(s): working together for the competition, and the ending happiness.

A well-to-do Baker looking for an heir, receives two sons, one from his wife, (with the baker's best friend) and one from a mistress. The wife becomes enraged and tries to do in the mistress and her child... which results in failure. 12 years later, the mistress gives her son into the keeping of the baker.. but the hateful jealousy of his family, gives the poor boy a lot of grief... and then there is the mysterious death of the grandmother.
After hearing of his mother's kidnapping, the boy runs off in search of her.
Years again pass and the boy, now grown, makes his way to a small bakery, where he has heard the man who kidnapped his mom, might be hiding out. After meeting the owner/master baker, he joins the bakery.. and is quickly issued a challenge to gain the title of approval from the master baker.

Summer Scent * (Korean)
20 episodes

Jo Eun Sook as Oh Jang Mi

This Romance has an interesting plot idea anyway.. But it certainly mires in sadness and total denseness a lot. Only drama I have seen to date where I have found myself yelling at the characters for utter stupidity. The ending was rather vague, I thought. I guess it was nice to know the feelings were still there after all the lies and away time of 3 years. I totally feared this was going to turn into another Romeo n Juliet story. nooooo!!
I seriously felt for the guy who lost his first love. No matter what good intentions there were to start with, they were usually spoiled and turned upside-down by someone elses vengeful plan. At the forefront of the knock-em-upside-the-head for vengeance dept, was the girl's boyfriend and his sister. with Hye-won playing back-up for sheer cluelessness. Just how dense and unreasonable can this girl get anyway? The only good characters who, although they made a fair share of mistakes, really did try their best in support.. were the lost love's father, and the two best friends. This drama could have been a whole lot better imo... perhaps if they did a bit more with the mystery of what was going on with the heart... and how it tied with their closeness and the destiny that kept pulling them together.

Girl dies in auto accident, her heart is donated to Hye-won, a transplant patient... who discovers a cheerful new life. One day, this engaged florist girl gets lost in a mountainous area while taking pictures of pretty flowers. Her cries for help are heard by a hiker and he rescues and stays with her for the evening before seeing her back to the roadside and her friends that next day. The guy is a real heart-thumper to the girl and the girl is so familiar to the guy... this confuses both of them mightily.
They meet again when the guy, who is an architect, and his partner has been given the bid for a renovation project.. On the same team as are the florists, they all stay at the resort for a time, to work out the details for the renovation and this gives destiny/fate plenty of time to throw the two together several times and eventually they fall deeply in love with each other.
This of course doesn't sit well at all for the girl's boyfriend and his sister.. who has taken a great liking to the architect... and jealousy, secrets, cussed stubbornness, and vengeance are quick to follow...along with several scary trips to the hospital.

When It's At Night ** (Korean)
17 episodes

Lee Dong Gun as Kim Bum Sang
Kim Sun Ah as Heo Cho Hwi

Not a bad story really. the romance and comedy was a bit on the 'mild' side but I enjoyed the adventure. I recognize both lead actors in this one from other dramas. very talented. Fav scene: a smooth and well-done confession directly following a rival's confession. fav character(s): Cho Hwi's younger brother. and Chief Noh

An Inspector at Korea’s Cultural Theft Division, Heo Cho Hwi, goes undercover in Japan in an effort to regain a certain bowl/vase that was in the hands of a yakuza leader there.
At the same time, An expert in restoration, Kim Bum Sang, was asked to buy the piece at any cost. and because his name is the same as that of a thief, Mr Kim, that happened to be there.. the two accidentally meet and tangle at the leaders home. The end result was that the restorer was given the item as a gift for his help. (and the price worth of a treasured cat.)
Cho Hwi asks him to donate the piece to the Korean culture museum, but he thought it was a terrible idea.. so Cho Hwi meets him at the airport with a busload of his fans, cheering on his wonderfully selfless donation, and he is forced to give it up.

When Bum Sang is first asked to join the division as a consultant, he turns it down, but after hearing how high the pay was to be, he quickly reconsiders and finds himself teamed up once again with Cho Hwi... who is the daughter of a famous thief, disappeared some 7 years ago and whose ghost of misdeeds may just have resurfaced once more in the form of donated pieces that were stolen once before.

Portal-style chitchatter..

2011-01-26T06:29:00.014-06:00

Hey there.. been a bit since I last spoke about portal(game) life. Here's something I have wondered a bit about.. How do you go about expressing yourself in a world or realm? especially if the place doesn't give you socials fit for the occasion you are searching for?

In the realm I have been spending the most of my time of late, I have two 'expressions' that cannot quite be governed by socials.
one, when I am happy, or especially pleased to see someone... I will often run around them in a circle. If the person is just as happy to see me, they will often join me and it will become a circle chase around a room.
and
two, If I am displeased with someone.. I will often *thump* the one I am unhappy with, as a sort of expressive warning. (like in the case of jealousy) and Yes, I have been known to occasionally *thump self* as well...usually when I just realized I am being especially dense about something.

I often wonder though, what others use to express themselves, when the world's socials just aren't fitting for the expression? (And no, I'm not speaking of expressions that are best left between two people in a private setting.)

also..

I wonder how people separate the difference between the portal life and that of rl?
To me, the online worlds are much like a sub-world in itself.. one is here, and the other, there. The only 'grey' areas being within the realm of feelings, which are real, no matter what world they happen to be in. Sometimes, this works out and I have a lot of fun,... and sometimes I get entangled in which direction I should 'really' go with what I feel. I try hard to show the difference in realms by the use of the names I was intro'd with.. even if I know their other-world names.

introspection.. (don't expect it to make a whole lot of sense.)
Recently, I have been given to leave a ring behind, and have been invited to pick up another. I'm a little sad to have to leave the ring.. it was no longer fun for the person dropping it.. But his feelings were more expecting then mine were... likely expecting a reaction I didn't give. Part of me, wants to simply be done with rings altogether.. so tired of expectations I can't/won't fulfill. and stymieing my wish to be happy with a partner.. who is happy with me. Even as I rage about how my partners knew how it was from the start.. and yet, each time, there was a step too far and a ring was dropped... causing unhappiness and even agony. (shades of a rl ghost.. an agreement for a simple relation.. that went overboard in a bad way. to the tune of 'Jim' I believe. *shiver*)
The one inviting me to pick up a ring, is a puzzle to me a lot of times. A puzzle in a different form then the one who recently dropped one.
The previous puzzle was mostly a simple why. I couldn't understand why such an opposite would wish to be aligned. I tried to allow for the possibility.. but perhaps it was my fault that it simply wasn't there for me. I am relieved to think that perhaps we can still be friends. (shades of a saying... guys cannot be just friends with girls.. still dunno what to think of that.)

this new invite though.. is a puzzle in the form of seemingly out-of-nowhere bursts. the bursts being not necessarily annoyed... Although It sometimes feels like it. Sometimes its just saying something unexpected.. not knowing just how i should reply... or if I should. I do like this one though. rather in spite of this, or maybe because of this, I'm not sure. ..very interesting to my sense of curiosity though... very tempting. and I would, if I'm not watching it, try to follow behind him like a waggy-tailed puppy on a leash. (and to think he has the tendency to dash off a lot and of a sudden too. lol!)(I am soo not a canine!) I value this a great deal.. I sometimes wonder at the depth... and if it's worth the effort and risk to even consider... especially as I'm fairly certain the expression would not be returned... and even in that, why I might wish it to. Must I have a cut-n-dried cold-faced limit imposed? Isn't that too much to expect though? Is it even possible? ..even to that of myself? hmm..

so I pause. would this just be inviting a change I'd rather not experience again? I'm really tempted.. wanting to be with.. and yet, not caring for the possible burst of negativity that has come several times before,.. in spite of whatever efforts to keep the situation from developing. I really don't wish to lose.. or risk losing this friendship. I know there's a chance.. a possibility that it will prove the magic combo and be fun again for both of us.. but what are the odds vs the result I am so afraid of?

I -will- prevent myself from becoming a 'Jim'. the very thought scares me into instant back-peddle... and shivering hesitation. ugh!

soo many questions!.. and no real confidence to ask them. :(

Listening to: KAT-TUN...and varied jpop/kpop/tpop
Current Show: dramas... as yet.
Feeling: A little confused and sad, but alright.
Internet Tabs: AZNV.TV, Mabinogi
Obsessing Over: Still trying to escape from reality
Current Rant: jealousy? I know it happens. I know
it shows insecurity.. that it can be both bad and good,
really. but... why does it have to happen?

Watch this space.. for more drama

2011-01-01T22:26:00.099-06:00

Beethoven Virus ** (Korean)
18 episodes

Kim Young Min as Jung Myung Hwan

Some very nice classical pieces, with a bit, however unresolved (was it one-sided?), romance to fill in the cracks of this story. I enjoyed how each of the characters got to tell a bit of their own stories within context of all the goings-on milling around the main plot. oh and Grampa is in it too!! (wish I had a grandfather like this guy.. even when he's playing a bad-guy.. he's really good! XD)

A lady/violinist, trying not to lose her job, organizes a concert.. but then almost immediately, disaster strikes and she finds herself scrambling for members before the conductor arrives. Its just the beginning of trouble though, for the conductor is none-other then the 'orchestra killer' a man infamous for his poisonous ill-tempered demeanor... and he isn't terribly pleased to discover he's responsible for such a hodge-podge group of players from common everyday life.

Fated To Love You ** (Taiwanese)
24 episodes

Ethan Ruan as Ji Cun Xi
Chen Qiao En as Chen Xin Yi

Song: My Happiness

There were laughs and tears pretty much all the way through this one. Great acting too by the entire cast! It might seem a little odd to say it but my fav scene, was probably the 'Best Bed Scene' on the cruise. Not often do you see such depth of 'simple' kissing in an Asian drama... I also really enjoyed the 'electric gaze' between the guy's personal assistant and one of the girl's sisters ..until momma swats the current down. ...several times. and the waltz/tango dance between 'Z' and the girl was really good as well. It does bog down a bit when he takes to spending time anywhere but with her and she is left 'alone' in his mother's home. oh yeah.. in-context tragedy alert!

There was a cruise... girl took her boyfriend, hoping to rekindle a mutual love that didn't exist. Guy hoped his girlfriend would join him, but unknown to him, she chose to dance the clouds en-route to a famous stage. girl loses the idiot boyfriend and gets sick.. having doped herself with medication and intending to turn in early, she gets the wrong room.
The poor guy gets drugged with 'dragon in bed' by island folks who want their plight heard by the company head who bought out their livelihood, even if they have to resort to blackmail. Magic happens between the guy and girl and a child is conceived.
To be responsible, they are forced to marry and the misunderstandings.. enough to last through several years,.. gets underway.

My Lovely Sam Soon ** (Korean)
16 episodes

Mainly Romance, (mostly unrequited) I thought... although there were a few humorous parts. The ending was fairly so-so.. I guess I should say, fairly realistic.. Still, I wonder what became of the 2nd sister and her bf?. Fav characters: the Main male lead, Hyun Jin-heon. and the english-speaking doctor. Heon, because even though he weebled a lot.. (especially through arrogance)... once he made up his mind about something, reasonable or otherwise, he persevered. and the doc, because of his support, and the interaction he had with 'Sophie' and the others.. even though he had difficulties understanding the language. "You are so cute." POW! "You're cute too." lol!

An argumentative pastry chef gets dumped on christmas eve, and gains a job at a classy restaurant. She then reluctantly agrees to a contract relationship with the owner. Her, to help pay off a debt and save their house, and him, to fool his mother into laying off with the blind dates. Unfortunately, with the arrival of the guy's ex-gf... things quickly unravel.

Lovers in Paris ** (Korean)
20 episodes

The lead actress in this one is fast becoming a favorite of mine. I was fairly disappointed with what I thought was to be the ending..some '2 years later' (why is it always 2 years later, anyway?) and was delighted to realize it wasn't 'the' ending, but rather 'her' chosen ending... which was really just the beginning... do you think either of them actually realized that? Dang! I -really- want to throw a coin into that wishing fountain too! An interesting and nicely wrapped up drama.

A girl is studying film in Paris, meets the president of a large car company, for which, she incidentally works as a maid for. He then asks her to portray as his girlfriend for an evening or two, to hopefully gain an important business contract. After they are discovered, they part ways, only to be brought back together again after a plane ride home. There she learns that her uncle is deep in debt and her father's camera is taken away.. that the drummer she also met in Paris is the 'nephew' of her employer.. and that their family carries some fairly potent secrets. Because of these things and a growing love, she gets rather hurtfully entangled in it all.

Coffee House *\ (Korean)
18 episodes

Kang Ji-hwan
as Lee Jin-soo

Romance/comedy... It was good i suppose, I couldn't help but feel for the secretary though. Even as I realize how much history the president and Sir had together.. I didn't much care for the president. Sir and the secretary had a better connection imo... The manager had a rather loose-fit story that wasn't very convincing to me. Writer's fault, if anyone.. certainly not the actor's.
all-in-all, I wasn't personally very pleased with the ending.. felt sad to me.. like several people were settling for 'second-best'. Still, it was nice to see my fav kdrama 'grampa'. lol!
Sir takes the prize for the Most Mischievous Smile! That killer smile and the occasional comedic moments was probably the only things that saved this drama from a single star fate.

A famous author, on the run from responsibility, makes the acquaintance of a young barrister.. and hires her for his secretary. The girl then witnesses, and at times becomes party to, a love triangle between the author, the president of the publication/coffee cafe company he works for, and the lady's ex.

Corner With Love ** (Taiwanese)
16 episodes

A rather fun romance with lots of funny bickering and stumbling cheerfulness. If I had to pick a fav character.. hmm.. difficult.. I suppose it might be the oyster omelet king. Even though he was rough and tumble, he managed to be there for the princess, family, and friends when he was really needed. Fav scene: getting drunk, smooching in the hall, and breaking house rules by passing out together in the doorway to her room... then not being able to truthfully say 'nothing happened' to grandma when they got caught in the morning.

Rich girl and an omelet king meet by accident.. and then again when she is looking for help in learning how to make a Taiwanese snack to impress her in-laws to be. Then again, after he goes back home and she loses her family and comfortable life .. she heads for the 'resort' her mother left for her, and it turns out to be the very home he lives in.
In order to protect her and knowing she had no-where else to go, the guy claims to be her boyfriend so that his grandmother would allow her to stay.
Life is not at all like she is used to, but with his helping hands beside her, she rises to the challenge of starting over.

Hotaru No Hikari 1 and 2 ** (Japanese)
16 episodes

Ayase Haruka as Amemiya Hotaru
Fujiki Naohito as Takano Seiichi

Cute with sudden bursts of comedy. I think the rather idiotic Hotaru was extremely fortunate to be surrounded by such good friends as she had. Even the rivals were good to her and her relationship with the manager. All the aside, I could certainly identify with her desire for a lazy personal life. :D

Hotaru is amazingly dedicated to her work for the interior design company... but once she gets home, the career clothing is traded for jerseys, beer, snacks, and maybe a roll on the porch floor in relaxation. One day, the son of the owner of the house arrives, looking for refuge and solitude, and is surprised to find the place occupied.. but not nearly so much as she is to discover her boss refusing to leave again.

Sweet Relationship ** (Taiwanese)
20 episodes

? and Vic Zhou as Fang Zi Tian

A bit of a romance.. (unrequited until the ending episode.) not much in the way of comedy. (Unless you count the funny way granny would surprisingly show up to beat on the guys with her umbrella. XD) fav character; hands-down.. granny has it. Something of a hard exterior but once you get to know her a bit, she's a very wise lady... with unbelievable connections! It wasn't that big of a wonder that her apprentices showed up on commend.. even long after they were on their own.
The girl with the mother issues was certainly the most pitiful and spiteful character in the bunch... and was one I didn't like in the slightest. I felt I was wading slowly and painfully through the scenes with her in them. If indeed that was the actress's aim to convey, then she certainly did a bang-up job with me.

A girl with a particular palate loses her father, a famous food critic, and gets a job in a small family restaurant called The Little Bear. There she meets the irritable, french trained, head chef and his new apprentice and decides to become a chef under his tutelage as well.

Marmalade Boy * (Taiwanese)
30 episodes

Ken Zhu as Yuu

Song: Wen Shi De Hua
Sung by: Stella Huang

To me, this romance dragged a bit more then I expected it would. The video quality of the ones I watched were crappy and the music was worse... although I liked the opening song. The ending came out of nowhere and didn't seem attached to the rest of the goings-on. Seemed much like the writer was just shoving yet another 'oh-no' into the storyline and then slapping in an ending to tie up the loose strings. Well, I guess it could have been worse... the writer could have left the strings to dangle.. or driven the story further into the ground.

Guy and girl meet when their parents swap partners with each other and all move into a big house. Eventually the girl and guy become a couple at school.. and the guy opens up with his confused feelings concerning his real father. Meanwhile, school friends go through their own relationship issues. One of which has fallen into forbidden love with her teacher.

Who Are You? ** (Korean)
17 episodes

Jin Yi Han as Shim Jae Ha
Go Ah Ra as Son Young In
Yoon Kye Sang as Cha Seung Hyo

Romance action. Slow moving in spots. Good plot. Good acting.. especially the changes of the CEO/ghost personalities. Funny in places, especially when the ghost first takes over the CEO's body.

A poor artist dies under mysterious circumstances, leaving his only daughter in an awful fix with debt collectors. The poor guy is so desperate to get back to his daughter that the grim reaper makes him something of a deal and returns him to the hospital. A cold, fastidious and lonely CEO businessman, in a coma due to an auto accident is given another chance by the ghost, who is given possession of his body for 3 hours a day for 49 days... and the company he works for worries for his mental stability. A contract for a hidden stash of valuable paintings and a convict father n stepbrother, adds quite a bit of complication and action to the tale.

Lovers ** (Korean)
20 episodes

Lee Ki Young as Uhm Sang Taek

Lots of action with romance woven into the storyline. The lost sheep proved himself a serious idiot when he regained freedom though. and it cheapened the ending hug by quite a degree. Should have named this 'kissfish agony' or something. Still.. the intrigue of who knew what about who and how that could help, was fairly in-depth. Fav character, the be-speckled fighting assistant of Kang Jae. warning; two tragic deaths.

A plastic surgeon, Mi Joo, is set on a blind date by a wealthy client, to meet her son, Sae-yeon. But she falls, instead, for his main rival, Kang Jae.. and the feeling is mutual, even though he's engaged to marry his pregs gf.. Mi Joo's next-door neighbor, Yoo Jin. and, to top it off, Kang Jae, is a gangster, who's father is struggling for a legit future...which, unfortunately, results in a all-or-nothing power struggle with Mi Joo caught in the headlights.

catching up

2011-01-01T22:26:00.006-06:00

Hey there.. just thought to catch up a little... so far I'm still in the same spot. its a good thing. I finally managed to get starcraft 2... which I am -really- happy about. Yay!

Also touched bases with a good friend on mabi, who I have missed in all my 'away' time. Maybe knowing there is someone still out there will give me a bit of encouragement to give a little interest in my internet home once again.

Sis is talkin about a long ride out here with my bro in the early months of the new year. kind of foreboding.. I always seem to feel that way when there's talk of visiting family. its a bit like a sick-to-my-stomachache kind of nervousness. Not a very good feeling at all.

star ratings?

2010-12-20T19:37:00.103-06:00

For those somehow not aware by now, I really enjoy romantic comedies...especially those with happy endings. I'm a huge movie/video buff... Although Atm I am really into Asian dramas, and fortunately for me, there are quite a few romantic comedies for me to see. Although I may be mixing in the occasional anime or movie as well... I'll try to remember to state if its anything other then a drama. These are in no particular order, mind you, but mixed up and random as I watch and place them. Most are really quite good, and often I like them for different reasons, which I will hopefully state in my comments under each picture.
oh yeah, and the ( )'s next to the stars in the titles, stands for the version, if there was more then one, that I watched.
I do have favorites and 'the worst' lists though. Here's some of the best imo. Star ratings as follows... be sure to keep it in mind when you read the descriptions.

* one star = I didn't like it, I don't recommend it.

*\ One and 1/2 star = I didn't really like it, but something about it nearly made it worth seeing.

** two stars = I did like it. it's worth seeing (at least?) once.

**\ two and 1/2 stars = I did like it, very nearly worth seeing more then once.

*** three stars = I really liked it. Its worth seeing at least once, maybe several times.

**** four stars = I loved it! Its well worth watching... even quite a few times. A total favorite!

***** five stars = I absolutely loved it and highly recommend it! Likely I have seen it several times already and will likely see it several more times before the month(week?) is out. Epicness! One for the record books!

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

**\ The 1st Shop of the Coffee Prince - I liked the chemistry between the main characters in this drama. The poor guy was so mentally torn between attraction and morals. the rest of it, unfortunately, I found fairly boring. I watched it twice and found myself skipping over most of the stuff that didn't really involve the main subjects.

*** Kimi wa Petto - Again, the two main characters had a wonderful chemistry. They worked quite well together, I thought. scenes with them were funny, and dramatic in turn. They could have easily made a wonderful drama out of just the two of them.

**** Hana Kimi (Japanese version) - One of my all-time favorites. Unlike some plots that ask for a girl to dress as a guy (or vice verse) This one got a bit into some of the nuances, such as how to stand and sit, types of speech, and what the risks of being discovered can really be.

**** You're Beautiful - Another of my favorites. I loved the music, enjoyed the character development, and the plot was wonderful as well. I even enjoyed the comic little cartooning and noises added in.. like the sparkling stars, the fireworks, and little explosions when someone got hit. It felt like all of the characters got their chance to shine as well.

*** Nobuta wo Produce - A slight exception in school dramas. I liked this one mainly due to the tight plot. Everything just moved right along... even the dramatic 'gotta-talk' moments were given needed space for balance. It's main value was the overall message it gave.

**** Runaway Plan B - One Of the rare Asian series that was at once a Romance, Comedy, and lots of Action to keep everything moving along at runaway speed. The Main characters were totally engaging (especially so the male lead) and the storyline was solid.

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

Drama list.. all are romance comedy genre unless stated otherwise.

1% of Anything **
A Game About Love ***
Baby and Me ** (not romance or comedy)
Bad Couple **
Bad Family ***
Beethoven Virus **
Busu no Hitomi ni Koishiteru/In Love with Eyes of an Ugly Girl **
Calling Love **
Call Of The Country **
Can You Hear My Heart **\
Celeb to Binbo Taro **
City Hunter ***
Coffee House *\
Corner With Love **
Creating Destiny **
Dal Ja's Spring **
Delightful Girl Choon-Hyang **
Devil beside you **
Down with Love ***
Dream High ***
Drunken To Love you **
Easy Fortune Happy Life **
Egao no Hosoku/Living Today for Tomorrow **
Exhibition of Firework **
Fated To Love You **
Flower Boy Ramyun ***
Full House **
Ghost Friends *\ (no romance or comedy)
Hana Yori Dango/Boys Before Flowers **
Hanazakari no Kimitachi e/Hana Kimi ***\
Haruka17 **
Heartstrings **
Heaven's Wedding Gown *\
Hello! Miss ***
Hi, My Sweetheart **
Himitsu no Hanazono/Hanazono's Secret **
Holy Pearl **
Hotaru no Hikari/Glow of Fireflies **
I Am Sam **
I Love You You **
I Really Really Like You ***
IRIS ***
It's OK Daddy's Girl ** (not a comedy)
It Started With A Kiss **
Itazura Na Kiss *
Jeon Woo chi aka Woochi ***
Kimi wa Petto ***\
King of Baking, Kim Tak Goo ***
Kiss Me, Kill Me **
Koishite Akuma/The Loving Demon *
Koizora \ (tear-jerk Romance, no comedy)
Last Scandal ***
Lie To Me **
Lovely Complex, The Movie **
Love Keeps Going **
Lovers (not really a comedy) *
Lovers in Paris **
Lunch Queen **
Manny **
Marmalade Boy *
Marrying School Girl **
Mary Stayed Out All Night/ Marry Me, Mary! **
Mei-chan no Shitsuji/Mei-chan's Butler (very little actual romance) **
Merry Mary **
Miss No Good **
Mr. Goodbye * (not a comedy)
My Boss, my Hero **
My Girl **
My Girlfriend Is An Agent **
My Girlfriend is a Gumiho **
My Little Bride **
My Love Patzzi ***
My Lovely Sam Soon **
My Queen/Defeated Queen **
My Princess **
My Sweet Seoul **
Myung Wol the Spy ***
Natsu no Koi wa Nijiiro ni Kagayaku/Summer Romance Shines in Rainbow Color **
Nobuta wo Produce *** (not a romance)
Nodame Cantabile ***
Oh! My Girl ** (not a romance)
Oh! My Lady **
Oh! Phil Seung And Bong Soon Young **
Oishii Proposal **
Once Upon a Time in Saengchori **\
One Mom Three Dads **\
Only You ** (not a comedy)
Ouran High School Host Club **
Personal Preference **
Poonsan **
Princess Lulu **
Prince Turns To Frog **
Protect The Boss **
P.S. Man **
Romantic Princess **
Runaway Plan B/ Fugitive Plan B ****
Save the Last Dance for me **
Secret Garden ****
Seducing Mr. Perfect **
Sleeping With The Enemy **
Smile, you/Smile, Honey **
Smiling Pasta ***
Snow White **
Ssaum-ui gisul/ art of fighting (not a romance or comedy)
Successful Story Of A Bright Girl **
Summer Scent *
Summer x Summer ***
Sweet 18 **
Sweet Relationship **
Take care of the young lady **
Tamra, The Island ****
Tatta Hitotsu no Koi/Just One Love *
The 1st Shop of Coffee Prince **\
The Angel of Death Comes With Purple High Heels **
The Beast and the Beauty **
The Greatest Love ***
The Imperial Household/Goong **
The King and the Clown **
The Magicians of Love ***
The Relation of Face, Mind, and Love **
ToGetHer **
Too Beautiful To Lie **
Vampire Host (Not a romance) **
Vineyard Man ***
Virgin Road **
What's Up Fox? **
When It's At Night **
Who Are You? **
Why Why love **
Witch Yoo hee **\
Wonderful Life **
Yamada Taro Monogatari/The Story of Yamada Taro **\ (not a Romance)
Yamato Nadeshiko Shichi Henge/Perfect Girl Evolution **
Yankee-kun to Megane-chan ** (not really a romance)
Yasuko to Kenji **
You're Beautiful ****

Yet more of the drama thing..

2010-12-20T19:37:00.098-06:00

Yasuko to Kenji ** (Japanese)
10 episodes

Okura Tadayoshi as Tsubaki Jun

Fun Drama. I enjoyed the laughs. Jun was so cute!

Ex-biker Kenji, has given his all for his little sister, Yasuko. He gave up his rebel ways, or tried to, and became a soujo manga artist under a female pen name, so he could stay close by to protect her. Then one day, an ex- girl biker by the name of Erika, along with her brother, Jun, move into the area and set up a flower shop. Kenji's protectiveness prevents Yasuko from getting close to Jun, her heart's desire. Turns out though, Kenji himself has a past with the lovely Erika... and she struggles in efforts to make sure he didn't miss the obvious before its too late.

My Boss, my Hero ** (Japanese version)
10 episodes

Wakaba Ryuya as Hoshino Rikuo

The comedy and soulful moments were quite good in this one. I enjoyed the connection between the main character, Makky, and Sakura-something. I thought the whole could have had tighter or better defined character relations,... like between makky and his real brother... or his father with the school nurse. but I guess it was alright for what it was. The music of the version I watched warbled badly, which was a sad distraction for me.

One of two sons of a Yakuza boss, had a rather dim moment when negotiating and as a result, His father demanded he go back to school, hiding who he was, in order to successfully bring home a diploma. Through-out the school year, he managed to learn a great many things, become good friends, experience his first love, and the togetherness of his classmates.

Himitsu no Hanazono ** (Japanese)
11 episodes

Hongo Kanata as Kataoka Hinata

A female worker for a fashion magazine is nearly laid off when the dept. closes down. He boss gets her an opportunity working as an editor with the manga dept and they hand her a rather famous artist to start her off. She quickly learns though, there's a whole lot hidden behind the name, one of which, is the four brothers creating the manga, and the secrets they guard in family protection.

Romantic Princess ** (Taiwanese)
13 episodes

Calvin Chen as Nan Feng Cai

The dream skits were quite funny, the actors must have had a serious blast with them. Cai and Lin took the 'cutest smile' and 'sweetest personality' award categories with me. ^.^

Poor girl dreams of being a rich princess.. and one day, it comes true.. only it all isn't quite what she dreamed it would be. Grandpa has a game plan to get her married to one of his successors.. and none of the 4 dukes really want to take on the head-o-the-company job. Especially not the guy gramps has in mind, who is a rather walled-off fellow, with dreams of leaving the mansion to start afresh on his own.

Hello! Miss (Korean) ***
18 episodes

Lee Da Hae as Lee Soo Ha
Lee Ji Hoon as Hwang Dong Gyu

Kind of dragged a bit.. loved the scenes where... Grandpa, determined to keep an eye on his grandson, ropes poor Hwang Dong Gyu to his wrist. of how that 'poor guy', after receiving a rather drunken proposal for help, sneaks around the royal household for a few days, determined to stop his cousin and grandfather from taking Lee Soo Ha's beloved home away from her. and when he got seriously drunk and passed out on the couch with her in his arms. The next morning they awakened with smiles and light banter then got caught in a tender kiss by Gpa. 'sweetest romantic moment' Oh the shock! XD

The president of a large company with a secret past of servitude and thievery, desires the land holdings of an old ancestral household with financial issues. So he instructs his two grandsons that whoever can win the household's granddaughter, and therefor the deed to the household, first, will be the one to inherent his company. But as innocent as she might be, she's no easy mark for the cousins.

My Love Patzzi *** (Korean)
10 episodes

Kim Rae Won as Kim Hyun Sung
Jang Na Ra as Yang Song Yi
Kim Jae Won as Kang Seung Joon

Enjoyable drama imo. I really liked this romantic comedy.. even if there was a near traumatic moment with the childhood friend's heart issues. Even the events with the side characters was interesting and rather funny at times. Fav character: The rich son.. he was so smart, giving, and forgiving... even to his own rival. Fav Scene: The 'Best Ending' was funny and wonderful.

A Young lady, picked on since grade school by a fellow 'roomy' ("the horrid witch!")... now working at a stable carnival/faire as a costumed meeter/greeter... tries to get a bit of revenge on the witch by disabling a parade train.
Unfortunately, the train, being given a practice run that evening by the company owner's son, catches fire. The girl risks her hands on the hot glass to rescue the guy and runs off before the police could catch her. She then tells her childhood friend, and he tries to cover for her by saying she was helping him with cleaning the seal stage.
The rich guy, having caught sight of her and believing her to be his angel, finds her after a bit of searching and is smitten. This begins a 'friendly' rivalry between the rich guy and the childhood friend.
The witch though, eager to seize the opportunity, makes a mountain out of the molehill and very nearly gets the girl fired, if not jailed for the offense.

Haruka17 ** (Japanese)
10 episodes

Hirayama Aya as Miyamae Haruka

Hysterical comedy. Rather pleased the girl managed to give the 'romantic actor' a bit of a well-deserved goodbye for all he put her through. The ending just kind of... well, ended.. (with a black-out no less) It felt a little unsatisfying.. having such a funny story end so abruptly. Will there be a follow-up? or a spin-off perhaps?

Do you know what it feels like to fail repeatedly at passing a job interview more then thrice in a run? 10 times maybe? well, Haruka (age 22) failed it 55 times! When things are really getting desperate, she finally lands a job at a hole-in-the-wall talent agency. But instead of being hired as a manager, as she thought, she was given a quick make-over, and a picture taken as the agency's new 17 year old talent.

Hi, My Sweetheart ** (Taiwanese)
14 episodes

Rainie Yang as Chen Bao Zhu
Show Lo as Xue Hai

Sweet indeed. Still, I liked his 'improved look' best of all. This drama has a lot of the typical romance and comedy one might expect, plus a bit of action.. a fire, amnesia, kidnapping and rescue. Best scene: waking up in the morning wound around together, not remembering any of the drunk soulful chatting they'd had that last evening, with the rival banging on the door... stuck in the bathroom together, and the ride home, blowing bubbles... ahh so funny! XD

A sheltered rich young man goes to college some ways away from home.. trying to 'grow-up' independently of the rules of his elder sisters and experience new things.
there he meets a rebel girl and begins a rocky love relationship that spans 3 years. then they are torn apart by an accident which spins them 3 years of lost sorrow.
Then.. after a familiar voice is heard on a radio program called sweethearts, the changed guy, with secrets of their past hidden under a mask of revenge, once more begins pursuit of his one true love.

Why Why love ** (Taiwanese)
15 episodes

Mike He as Huo Da

It has the same leads as Devil Beside You and vaguely reminds me of the ending of Virgin Road. Like in Devil Beside You... the 'Devil' is a rebel sort. and like in Virgin Road, The ending of this drama is a tragedy turned (wait for it...until the verrrry ending!) nearly surreal happy ending. Good story, glad it ended well, but all the sobbing of pain and agony beforehand wasn't really up to my liking. Still it did clear things up between the brothers and brought them close together... so I guess that's good.

Girl is nearly run over by a motorcycle at a festival. The guy, it seems, doesn't get along well with his father, the mall company head, ...and with his half-brother, the general manager, even less so. The girl, along with her best friend, are selling exchange tickets, and both guys wind up buying one. The rebel (nicknamed Devil,) gets a week's worth of maid servitude, and the GM (nicknamed the 10th guy,) gets a 'love' coupon. This is the catalyst to further entanglement between the brothers and the girl. Then just when life is smoothing out for everyone... the rebel gets sick... and things get very grim indeed.

Miss No Good ** (Taiwanese)
14 episodes

Jay Shih as Dou Zi
Rainie Yang as Jiang Xiao Hua
Xiao Call as JoJo

This one has the same lead actress as in Why why love and Devil beside you.
Fav character: The girl's dad. A good support and very patient.
The whole issue with the girl's mom could have easily been solved if the father of the girl and the mother got together to bring the girl into the guy's family. That way, the mother can be a mother to the girl without telling her she was already.. and the guy wouldn't have to lose her from his side... and since she'd then be in his family, this would leave her free to be with the stylist. But of course no-one thought of that.

A girl is intro'd to a famous stylist via an accidental cab pairing and a lost pair of Italian scissors. when an old 'rich' returning classmate throws a party, she asks the stylist to give her lessons on becoming a fashionable lady, so she could catch the chunk-turned-hunk. It isn't long when its discovered that the rich guy is the best friend of the stylist and the misunderstandings begin. The favored girl of the rich guy's family, hatches a plan to regain the rich guy's attention and gets the stylist to help... but although the rich guy is totally serious about the girl.. she only has eyes for the stylist.. and the stylist, rather in spite of his waspy tongue and demeanor.. finds himself falling the girl as well. to add further complication, it seems the girl has a secret relation to the rich guy's family... and when the rich guy might finally get a chance to propose to the girl, he gets into a car accident and drifts into a coma...

Save the Last Dance for me ** (korean)
20 episodes

Ji Sung as Kang Hyun Woo

The ending of this romance seemed.. a little weak.. dunno just why though. Maybe I wanted to see a happier 'ending' for the people who had both suffered so much. Maybe it was the lameness of "1 year later, here and 2 years later there" slight case of overuse maybe? Granted, it wasn't as if the tutor didn't deserve what he got, but I did feel a little sorry for the ending of his part the way that it did. Strikingly handsome features on the lead actor. wow!

The Tutor of the son of a company prez/owner hires a 'hitman' to take out the son. The hitman stabs him and rolls him off a roadside cliff. He is nearly run over by a girl and her father, owners of a 'bed n breakfast' inn.. who take him in after his amnesia is discovered. He spends a year with them, engaging the girl before the father dies of cancer. Then one day, the tutor discovers the son is alive but with a lack of memory.. he get a 'friend' to do the poor guy in again... the hitman acts as his brother, insisting his mother was sick to get him to go with him to a nearby seaside town, and there tried to lock him in a boat cabin bound for open sea. the son escapes and regains the lost memory of his family but loses the last year with the girl. So he heads back to the city to regain his life there.
The girl, trying to forget him, bunks with a city friend for a time, and discovers her lost love once again. Unfortunately, he has no memory of her.. so she attempts to get a job in his company..fails, but is hired by the tutor.. acting president in the son's absence. What other tricks are up the bad-guy's sleeves?

Princess Lulu ** (Korean)
20 episodes

Kim Jung Eun as Go Hee-soo

Sweet comedic romance. Fav Character: Woo-jin the player...for his stability and assurance... once he was aware of his having found the one who could claim and keep him.

Company family to company family. Each with their own problems. The girl, Hee-soo's, family has a grandfather who refuses to see the worries right in front of him, a brother who absolutely hates her, a mother who loves only her son, and another brother who no longer wishes to be seen as a brother. Chan-ho is in love with her, and his best friend, Woo-jin, falls for her as well. This causes rifts of trouble felt through the two large companies and big hateful bro, is up to something that may just topple the whole complex deal.

Wonderful Life ** (Korean)
16 episodes

Jung Da Bin as Han Shin Bi

Yet another one of those near-tragedy drama's.. well at least this one's ending evens out a little before it is done. Fav characters: the little girl, Han Shin Bi, and the rival boyfriend, Do-Hyuk.

Girl meets guy by literally running into him at the airport. Passports accidentally get exchanged. Girl travels to hotel of guy's gf in hopes of re-trading their passports.. and meets the boyfriend the guy's gf is two-timing with. after she finally regains her property at the police station.. (guy got arrested for hanging in a spidey costume outside the window, hoping to surprise the gf).. girl goes on a 'tour' with guy around Singapore hoping (and not), to run into his gf. They then proceed to get rousing drunk, in hopes to drown their mutual sorrow of lost love, and wind up sharing the sheets by morning light. They all return home, where she discovers her is pregnant. Unable to tell anyone other then her sister, she goes abroad for a time and has the baby.
Then one day, the sister shows up at the grandfather's bday celebration, and hands over the baby to the guy. Chaos ensues.. and they are quickly married, despite the objections.
From there its mostly the ups and downs of living a loveless married life with a secret pre-nup and a young child. The gf is determined to get him back, the guy is sorely tested. the bf breaks it off with the gf and falls for the girl.. but cannot speak of it. Then, the child gets sick and the gut-wrenching tears really get underway.

Oishii Proposal ** (Japanese)
10 episodes

Koide Keisuke as Katsuragi Haruki

Cute drama.. perhaps a little too short? All the yummy food made me hungry. lol!

Son of a rich co, takes on ownership of a small 3star restaurant, hoping to use it to launch a chain of high-class Italian eateries. With the depressing thought of having the place close down and all staff fired, they gain a lawyer and make objection. Rather at the for-front of it all, is the chef, a woman with a rather loud voice and good talent in cuisine. Contrary to the son's past record with the ladies, his dislike of loud women, and his parent's determination, he falls in love with the chef. But there are those in his life who have already carved out his future for him and the pressure is on.

_____

Listening to: KAT-TUN...still
Current Show: dramas... when possible.
Feeling: Holiday blues... I suppose
Internet Tabs: mysoju, AZNV.TV, Mabinogi
Obsessing Over: Trying to escape from reality
Current Rant: Why do these Christmas cookies lack any real taste to them?!.
....is it just me? ....

it's the holiday season..

2010-12-19T03:15:00.006-06:00

so yeah.. happy whichever holiday you might be celebrating this season. For me, it happens to be mainly Christmas. I don't think I care too much for Christmas anymore.. not because of what it stands for, or for the thought that its a great time of the year to celebrate... but because of its hassle for me... seems like bad news just waits for this time o year to roll through before dropping a massive ball of horror around my ears. There is never enough of anything to go around, and no time in which to deal with it all.
Well, as usual, I'll try to make the best of what I do have, and hope to survive for another year's entry in hopes of 'maybe' breaking even... and standing in the same place come the new year. really, I think it's about all I -really- want for a gift... just to still be standing in the same place. At least there will be a pseudo-tree this year. just no spirit of the season for it... again. I'm not bored, honest.. but don't understand why my life has to be so chock-full of uproar ala time.

Stability is one of those yearned for things in my life I seem destined to consistently be without.

------
Listening to: KAT-TUN: Real Face
Current Show: dramas... when possible.
Feeling: Holiday blues... I suppose
Internet Tabs: mysoju, AZNV.TV
Obsessing Over: Escaping reality
Current Rant: none.

A (cont) flair for the dramatic

2010-11-29T11:28:00.067-06:00

Sweet 18 ** (Korean)
16 episodes

Lee Soon Jae as Hyuk-Joon’s grandfather

This had quite a few ups and downs in it. It was a rather 'looking up' ending, in spite of the sadness just before. fav character: the grandfather; who seemed to have an idea of what was the best course to follow.
An arranged wedding for the heir to a traditional family, and how love eventually followed in spite of different age, backgrounds, and the numbers of those determined to pull them apart.

Ghost Friends *\ (Japanese)
10 episodes

Fukuda Saki as Kamiya Asuka
Nishijima Takahiro as Hayami Kaito

Romance of a supernatural sort with a rather bittersweet ending. not the best.. not terrible either.

A girl, the only survivor of a bus accident, can see ghosts. She attempts to help them out, as best she can, even after being cautioned by a certain guy ghost in a physical body - on a short time limit. He is chasing after his beloved, who broke ghostly rules and is refusing to go back with him.

Yamada Taro Monogatari/ The Story of Yamada Taro **\ (Japanese)
10 episodes

Sakurai Sho as Mimura Takuya

Not much in the way of romance, but some rather comedic moments and a good story worth seeing.
Fav scene: probably the ones with a classmate who falls for the poor guy and gives lots of fluttery expressions, ...and even a public confession of love. lol! Or possibly the one where the two guys do a bit of honest bonding.

A poor guy is mistaken for a rich guy by his classmates. It attracts the attention of a rich guy who finds him very interesting from the usual mill because of his determination to help provide for his mother, and 6 siblings. Along with a girl who likes the poor guy (rather in spite of her dreams of marrying a rich guy), they become friends and work to help each other make ends meet, patch up family issues, and see them to college.

Busu no Hitomi ni Koishiteru/ In Love with Eyes of an Ugly Girl/ BusuKoi ** (Japanese)
12 + special

Kato Shigeaki as Shimizu Kota

Rather funny drama. there were the occasional hard-to-believe parts.. like the slow 3-5 spins to the floor with feathers floating through the air the whole way, .. or the super speedy way he goes from not caring to proposal, scenes.
By and large though, it was rather amusing. I thought the actors did well enough as well... believe me, I've seen worse. a fav scene: while having a bit of a party with friends and roommates, the writer gave the rookie girl comic advice. The girl then caused laughter by trying to fart, and being unsuccessful. (the expressions and comments of the girl were hilarious.)

A girl of a natural 'funny' face.. and an aspiring/failing actress, meets a comic writer for variety shows.. who tries scouting her for one of his shows. she refuses repeatedly because, as she tells him, she doesn't want people to laugh at her. she falls in love while he is involved with someone(s) else.. eventually though, he comes to realize that he needs her brand of laughter and smiles in his life.

Smiling Pasta *** (Taiwanese)
17 episodes

Nicholas Teo as He Qun
Cyndi Wang as Cheng Xiao Shi

Song: Happiness Express Delivery

A bit of a hidden jem. I really enjoyed the humor and romance of this one. the downs were fairly mild and the ups were clumsy sappy fun. I loved the Turtle Girl's family! and Jinx's smile was amazing in how it seemed to light up his whole face. This one was very worth sharing for the laughs alone.

A girl suffering a curse of not having a boyfriend last over 3 months, has a bit of a run-in kissing accident with a disguised idol singer fleeing the paparazzi. In efforts to quell evil rumors popping up from damaging photos and make their own delightful sensation, the idol's manager convinces them to pretend to be engaged.

Nobuta wo Produce *** (Japanese)
10 episodes

Yamashita Tomohisa as Kusano Akira
Kamenashi Kazuya as Kiritani Shuji

Not really a romance, although there were pairings and realized feelings. There were also some rather comedic scenes to it... especially the use of finger-pantomime complete with silly sounds and phrases the three start to use. It was more about lasting friendship then anything else. They really did become the best of friends with never a dull moment.
Fav character: Akira 'Best all-around Support'... He supported his friends even though he was furiously jealous of their secret closeness. He helped out even when the odds were stacked against them, he persevered to gain and keep their friendship together... to the point of friendly threats. and he believed in Shuji, even without knowing the reasons why he had done wrong.

'Mr perfect', and the 'class clown' meet a new 'outsider' student in school with a horrible lack of self confidence. After witnessing her involved in several run-ins with bullies, the guys strike up a friendship and start a game of 'producing' a more popular girl so she wouldn't be so terribly picked on by the others.

Full House ** (Korean)
16 episodes

Bi(Rain) as Lee Young Jae

More in the romance side of things then comedy, but there were a couple of scenes that had me outright laughing. I actually rather enjoyed the mother character in this one. very supportive really.

A couple of 'best' friends dupe a writer into taking a flight so they have the time to sell her house and furnishings and well as emptying her bank account. (all in the need for finances for a pregnancy.. which I didn't see any real showing evidence until the last scenes where the guy is holding a youngster.)
On the flight, the writer's seatmate turns out to be a rather sour-tempered actor... which she kind of cons into financing her hotel stay and flight back. Its something of a surprise that the actor had bought her home, and after a bit of pushing and shoving, they make an agreement that she would work as a maid for the actor in efforts to pay him back. When a clash at a party has him giving her a passionate kiss,.. and rumors fly, they make up a contract to marry and divorce 6 mos later to save public face for the actor, and for the writer, to regain her home... if they can keep it together for the duration and not get caught.

Virgin Road ** (Japanese)
11 episodes

Sorimachi Takashi as Yoshimi Kaoru

Funny and really sad in parts. Be aware there is, for several months there, where they thought he was dead... and his reappearance certainly seemed dream-like enough after all the crying, dreaming and sniffling going on. Sure glad as anything It had a happy ending. This drama gets the "most surreal ending" category.

Girl goes abroad and struggles for a time.. meets a married man, who ditches her before she could tell him she was pregnant. On the way home again, she meets(re-meets) a freelance journalist on the plane. Having heard that her father was in critical.. in the hospital, and that she had mentioned bringing home her intended, she hires the guy to accompany her. Only to discover that her father was in fine health.. and the two are unable to reveal the truth, especially after the 'with-child' news breaks.

Vineyard Man *** (Korean)
16 episodes

Oh Man Suk as Jang Taek Gi
Yoon Eun Hye as Lee Ji Hyun

So what is -your- motivation for doing the things you do? Fav scenes were probably the ending ones... the 'farmer' is full of sappy smiles and highjinx. Grampa gets the 'best win-over' category. Yay!

Grandpa has a plan afoot, and has suggested to his city-girl granddaughter, that if she works on the farm for a year, he will give it to her. when she arrives, her tutoring is given over to the lead farm guy, who lives at the same place as grandpa.. and where she is also to stay. She has a lot to learn and live through!

The Imperial Household/Goong ** (Korean)
24 episodes

Joo Ji Hoon as Lee Shin
Yoon Eun Hye as Shin Chae Kyung

Well put together drama, they managed the passing of time fairly smoothly. Fav characters were the girl cousin back from Africa... as well as the grandmother. Although I'm glad "the brave got the bride", I felt sorry for the princely rival... after all he went through, with such a fierce one-sided attraction.. what does he end up with? .. ugh.

An imperial king's friendship and promise to his best friend hitches a common girl and a crown prince together. then, before the dust has a chance to settle, there is the arrival of 'the original crown prince' and cousin to the current and newly married one.... and he not only want his place back, ..he wants the crown princess as well.

dramas cont

2010-11-15T20:26:00.053-06:00

Devil beside you ** (Taiwanese)
14 episodes

Mike He as Jiang Meng and Rainie Yang as Qi Yue

The ending was.. a little weak, they jumpt a year in the last little bit of the story to try to make up for all the tears in the episodes before... but at least things -do- manage to work themselves out for all concerned.
My favorite character in this story, was probably the father. He's is, all at once, fun-loving, caring, and deeply forgiving... even in the face of such cataclysmic adversity.. like facing grandmother's frustration, supporting and believing in his son.. even without proof, accepting with joy the sudden presence of the younger brother, helping to calm the rough waves of a difficult and hidden relationship, and being willing to 'let go'.. to let his son do as he would... even though it ment the end of the dream for them all to be a happy family living in one place.

Girl writes a confession letter, intending to hand it to the guy she admires, but winds up gaining the attention of the school tough-guy instead. It's the start of a winding love story full of trials.

My Girl ** (Korean) -SBS broadcast
16 episodes

Lee Jun Ki as Seo Jung Woo
Lee Da Hae as Joo Yoo Rin

They were right, at the final... it ended too quickly and rather cheezilly.. and right in the middle of an epic kiss too. At the last, it seemed all had found happiness but for the cute ex-playboy, which was really sad. oh, and 'grandfather' was in it also! huzahh!

A down-n-near desperate, yet thick-skinned daughter of a swindler happens across the son of a large hotel chain... the guy's grandfather is near death's door, and his last wish is to see his missing granddaughter. Unable to find any real trace of her, the son elects to hire the girl to pose as the granddaughter.. remarkably, (and speedily) grandfather's health greatly improves, requiring yet more lies, which are sure to overwhelm them eventually.

Witch Yoo hee **\ (Korean)
16 episodes

Dennis Oh as Johnny Kruger

Nice one! Lots of underhanded surprises by the 'first love' and 'grandfather' (yes, its him again, yay!) Loved the 'chef' especially, for his constant support of his good friends. The last was too quick of an ending, I really think she should have caught up to him on the plane.
A guy, while delivering noodles from his parents shop, runs into a rich girl's car and its decided he would pay off the debt by becoming her housekeeper and love coach for a month.

Yamato Nadeshiko Shichi Henge ** (Japanese)
10 episodes

Oomasa Aya as Nakahara Sunako

KAT-TUN - Love Yourself

A rather fun drama with a wonderful opening dance/song, about how 4 good-looking university students attempt to transform the landlady's 'horror' niece into a 'proper lady' in exchange for the continuation of their comfortable home. Each person has to somehow over-come their personal complexes and hang-ups to be truthful in the effort... none more-so then the brashly handsome outsider who can't seem to hold down a job due to his 'cursed' good looks.

Tatta Hitotsu no Koi * (Japanese)
10 episodes

Ayase Haruka as Tsukioka Nao

Poor guy meets rich girl. Love is enduring, life is not, and then there's the absolute worthiness of true friendship.. which kept it all together even to the seeming end and beyond.

You're Beautiful **** (Korean)
16 episodes

Jang Geun Suk as Hwang Tae Kyung

Park Shin Hye as Go Mi Nam

A.N.Jell - Promise.

Great acting all around. huzah! It had a good plot... it even had a nice ending. totally in line with the character personalities and story mood. (and they even managed to keep the 'twin brother' mostly from being 'found out' by the camera. lol!) Some beautiful music in this one as well as high comedic scenes. *examples: battle of the bidet, and nun on the run.. through a busy airport.*

A rather clumsy to-be nun is asked to take over in secret for her famous singer twin brother while he went for eye surgery. She expected it to be just for the signing of a desperately needed contract... a dream come true. but the 'lie' kept growing and the manager kept begging, thereby making it a struggle to keep her identity from being discovered. All while she hung on and attempted to continue her brother's task to find their mother, During the month of trial, she endears herself to the band members and they to her.

Take care of the young lady ** (Korean)
16 episodes

Yoon Sang Hyun as Seo Dong Chan

Yoon Eun Hye as Kang Hye Na

It was fairly difficult to find all of the episodes in the many places I searched.. so I missed several parts after the 10th episode. which was too bad, since it was such a good drama.
A flower deliverer is given a bit of a jolt when a rich lady cuts in front of his truck. he pursues her for justice, she tries to get him back for the embarrassing community service she is forced to undergo by claiming he attempted to kidnap her.. This causes something of an avalanche of happenings which eventually lands the fellow a job and duty as the lady's chief butler.

Yankee-kun to Megane-chan ** (Japanese)
10 episodes

Naka Riisa as Adachi Hana

Narimiya Hiroki as Shinagawa Daichi

A tale of a trouble-maker(yankee) trying to re-make her image in school... and those she she gains the friendship of with her kindness and persistence.

Nodame Cantabile *** (Japanese)
11 episodes

Tamaki Hiroshi as Chiaki Shinichi

This romance for classical music lovers is a beautiful tale, with several goofy laughs along the way. Well worth watching.
A talented pianist/violinist with an issue concerning flight.. and yet with dreams of traveling to Europe to study conducting under his old patron, meets his rather messy pianist neighbor... with a serious talent for picking up and memorizing tunes by ear, and an old master conductor/letch.. with a rather odd style of approach to things, who helps guide them further into in the world of music.

------
Listening to: the buzz of a desk fan.
Current Show: a bunch of dramas.
Feeling: is it possible to feel totally neutral?
Internet Tabs: Mabi, mysoju, and Vindictus
Obsessing Over: nada
Current Rant: none.. just breathing a bit of 'fresh' internet air.

More romantical drama..

2010-11-06T21:40:00.039-05:00

Hanazakari no Kimitachi e/For You in Full Blossom ***\ (Japanese)
(also found in Taiwanese)
12 episodes + special

Horikita Maki as Ashiya Mizuki(center)

Both a rollicking laugh a moment and some seriously sad goodbyes. I loved this one!

A girl, feeling acutely responsible for the destruction of a high-jumper's joy, cuts her hair, dons a suit and tie, and enrolls in an all boy's school.. in an all-or-nothing effort to help rectify the issue.

Natsu no Koi wa Nijiiro ni Kagayaku/Summer Romance Shines in Rainbow Color ** (Japanese)
10 episodes

Takeuchi Yuko as Kitamura Shiori
Kobayashi Seiran as Kitamura Umi

Rather nice, for a romance.

Arrogant actor (who can't really act?) skydives into a tree and falls for his rescuer... a single mom.

Koishite Akuma/The Loving Demon * (Japanese)
10 episodes

Kato Rosa as Natsukawa Makoto
Nakayama Yuma as Kuromiya Luka

A young vampire, looking for his one true victim for a first bite, comes to realize she's an old true love. lame sad ending.

Kimi wa Petto ***\ (Japanese)
10 episodes

Matsumoto Jun as "Momo" Goda Takeshi
Koyuki as Iwaya Sumire

The office scenes and 'other guy' was a bit of a bore really, but all in all, I liked this one. watched it several times. the guy made a wonderful and rather loyal pet. lol!

A lady in need of a understanding companion and a young man in need of an accepting place to belong... even if he has to play the part of a pet to get it.

Mei-chan no Shitsuji/Mei-chan's Butler ** (Japanese)
10 episodes

Mizushima Hiro as Shibata Rihito

Rather humorous.. lots of drama and a bit of mystery thrown in.

After the deaths of her parents, a girl discovers that not only is she the possible heir to a fortune, but she has been given her own personal butler to help her through several years of schooling at an elite girls school. ...if she can make it safely through the first year.

Personal Preference/Kaeinui Chwihyang ** (Korean)
16 episodes

Son Ye Jin as Park Kae In
Lee Min Ho as Jeon Jin Ho

Had a few funny scenes, lots of drama and soapy tangled webs all over the place. Ending turned out not so bad for all concerned.

A architect rents out a room in a very secretive place and pretends to be gay in efforts to learn more about it for a new upcoming project.. and finds the love of a rather clumsy girl who creates whimsical furniture, a whole bunch of trouble, and misunderstanding.

Itazura Na Kiss * (Japanese) 9 episodes
It Started With A Kiss/O Tso Chu Chih Wen ** (Taiwanese) 20 episodes + 20 episode sequel

Sato Aiko as Aihara Kotoko
Kashiwabara Takashi as Irie Naoki

Joe Cheng as Jiang Zhi Shu
Ariel Lin as Yuan Xiang Qin

I was starting to stress there toward the end, worried if it was going to have a happy ending or not. especially when things kept going on for the worse until the very last episode.
The Taiwanese version of this story is more interesting, and shows better progression of the storyline.. 'Funnest Wedding Scene' and then goes on to a second season.. Which is a great spot to find the 'Best Necking Scene!'

An over-the-top girl falls hard for a top student when they accidentally meet lips as they collide in the school hallway. when a fire leaves the girl's father and her homeless, they move in with the father's childhood chums, which, as it turns out, just happens to be the home of the top student. chaos ensues.

Koizora \ (Japanese)
6 episodes

Seto Koji as Sakurai Hiroki (Hiro)
Mizusawa Elena as Tahara Mika

Nothing comic about this one. Serious tear-jerker, not sure why I got started on this one. *sniff* :(

Boy meets girl, breaks up with old gf.. get girl pregs. tries to do the right thing, girl loses baby due to a fall while in an argument with ex-gf..
Boy gets sick... its fatal.

Music covers

2010-11-05T10:23:00.013-05:00

Real Face
by KAT-TUN

Don't you ever stop
by KAT-TUN

Rescue
by KAT-TUN

Just a dream (cover)
by Jason Chen & Joseph Vincent

Nice combo.

Romeo and Juliet
by Jason Chen & Wendi Lee

Another sweet-sounding combo... in Chinese.

I'm Yours (cover)
by Jason Mraz

A different kind of drama

2010-10-31T06:52:00.048-05:00

Hey there... I haven't seen any new portals of late that are worth mentioning. So have been filling a bit of sick time watching romantic dramas. Thought I would share a few with you all.

Listening to: faint bird song from outside.
Current Show: Sanctuary, no ordinary family, and a bunch of dramas.
Feeling: rather under the weather
Internet Tabs: Mabi, Facebook(somewhat), and Vindictus
Obsessing Over: nada
Current Rant: umm.. just general changes I'm not real happy with... nothing specific that I'd care to share right now.

____

The 1st Shop of Coffee Prince **\ (Korean)
17 episodes

Yoon Eun Hye as Go Eun Chan
Gong Yoo as Choi Han Kyul

Nice story rather in spite of a dragging plot... which was due mostly to minor character conversations and relations which I didn't really identify with. I don't think they did a very good job letting the audience get to know the side characters very well at all. Still, This one is probably my favorite story/plot to date. Favorite scene(s): The lame excuse, the awkward hug, and the bafflement that followed. A tomboy, mistaken for a guy, and strapped for family finances, gains a job working as discouragement for match-making... and then is hired on for help at a failing coffee shop. The guy who hires her falls in love, but cannot cope with the idea that he's fallen for another guy and she lacks the courage to tell him the truth.

1% of Anything/1% eh uh ddun gut ** (Korean)
26 episodes

Kim Jung Hwa as Kim Da Hyun and Kang Dong Won as Lee Jae In

Long yet a rather nice romance drama.. even the minor character relationships had something to them. the male lead and his 'cousin' did a good job changing the beat of their attitudes to signify the changes in the character personalities. A sweet girl gives her seat on the bus to an old man, who is grateful to see such a giving spirit. Not long afterward, she receives a visit from a lawyer and an ill-tempered young man, who tells her that she is mentioned in the old man's will... that she could inherit a major portion of a large famous company if she marries the young man... who is the old man's grandson and an unhappy participant.

Hana Yori Dango/Boys Before Flowers ** (Japanese)
9 episodes + 11 episodes/season 2

Inoue Mao as Makino Tsukushi
Oguri Shun as Hanazawa Rui

Boys before flowers. Another romantic tangle between a school student and 2 of a 4man team, called the flowers four. the feisty female lead does express Ehh?! and huh?!! really well. lol! I rather liked the different personalities of the male lead and the fair-haired rival/friend. hot tempered, to cool reserve. A girl, of the poor variety joins a school of a richer variety and runs afoul of a group/gang of rich guys known throughout the school as the F4. tempers flair from all sides as two of the guys take a liking to her... through reactions and resistance to their picking.

A Game About Love/Jian Dao Shi Tou Bu *** (Taiwanese)
27 episodes

Michael Zhang as Chen Ke Luo
Sam Wang as Wei Qi Xiang

This one just about had it all. Really liked this one.. with engaging characters and an involved plot. If I could have had the hours, I would have sat riveted to my seat through the entire thing tearfully giggling. A story of best friends, love, betrayal, money, a torn past, family, and forgiveness.

My Girlfriend is a Nine-tailed Fox/ Nae Yeojachinguneun Gumiho ** (Korean)
16 episodes

Lee Seung Ki as Cha Dae Woong

Fox Rain
by Lee Sun Hee

Nice plot, i thought. I seem to recall watching a tiny bit of this one before. not sure just how far I got that first time... glad I watched the whole thing this time though. *yeass this is all lily's fault. lol! >.>

Girl escapes a painting and pursues the guy who freed her, in spite of mounting interference from hunter and humans alike.

Random Gaga

2010-09-27T00:40:00.011-05:00

Personally, I love the musical tunfulness of the lady's music.. somehow she can make even the blehist of words seem like a hoppin dance step. I don't care for many of her vids... so I resort to listening to parodies and covers of her music... and I have found several of real talents. Check it out.

Bad Romance parody - A men's chorus?

Muffintop - missesmuffintop

Lady Gaga Melody - Sam Tsui and Kurt Schneider

Greyson Chance singing Paparazzi

______

Listening to: A ringing sound from a deaf ear.
Current Show: Warehouse 13, and Haven
Feeling: A little concern for the possible loss of a good friend..
...hoping its just paranoia ... concern also for my sis.. I havent heard from her since some months before my birthday.. it doesnt seem much like her.
Internet Tabs: Mabi, Facebook(somewhat), Vindictus, )and InfiniteAion
Obsessing Over: (see feeling, above)
Current Rant: Why do some girls seek to make their boyfriends toss all of their friends to the gutter in order to be with them? If the guy's friends are willing to accept you, why can't you accept them? doesn't mean you have to like all of them, just as they aren't all required to like you either. but they -are- his friends. After all, isn't it often the case, where they were friends months if not years before you were even in the possibility of the picture?
and please don't think you are going to change that guy of yours.. it never seems turn out well at all. He is who he is and if you don't like how he is, best not even get started in a relationship with him. if the guy changes, it's because its something he wants to do... not just because its what you want him to do. Really, aren't we all basically the same way about that? In the immortal words of Popeye, "I yam what I yam, and that's all that I yam! We are just who we are. you either accept that soon, or you move on... for better or worse.

gamely (gamey?) musings... euw!

2010-09-05T19:57:00.006-05:00

Sitting here thinking about the things I like, and those I do not about the world this new portal led to... which is called Aion.

One of the best things about it is.. the graphics are completely stunning in its complexity!
Even the classic good vs evil theme isn't too badly represented.
The crafting is fairly unique.. if a tiny bit difficult to get started with.
And this is a game that is actively being improved upon all the time, as I understand it. Soon there will be pets, mounts?, swimming, player housing, expanded areas etc..

On the Ehh side of things.. All Roads lead to the abyss, which is esentially pvp-land. Call me a carebear, if you like, even though I never much cared for the toon. I'm not big into pvp.. I have seen, far too often what it can do to friendships. It isn't pretty. Please oh please give us more quests that don't lead to the open battlefield!

Another ehh thing, I have found is.. on the crafting side of things, there is gathering on both land and air.. which isn't an issue.. but.. some of it is on the mobs, now while this might be fine if you are in level range of said mobs... but you know what happens when you grow beyond the mob's level? they stop dropping. So if you are needing a crafting item that just happens to be on, say a crab, but you have grown beyond its level.. you will never again see the item you need to have for the crafting.

update... I ended up leaving this world.. as the rifting got to be a great opportunity for overpowered pvp'rs to enter the area and kill who-so-ever should stray outside one of the towns.. any-one of the towns, and there was no place left for a non-pker, such as me, to level in somewhat safety.

An old yet new world

2010-08-25T16:37:00.004-05:00

A familiar portal opened up a couple of days ago. I, being fairly wizened by now, to the possibilities.. left a marker so I could find my way back, and hopped through the portal. Happy surprises met me at first sight of the jungle trees and craggy hills.. with the sweet sound of surf and the whoosh of wind preceding a coming storm. I was in Timorous Deep! This was one of the first portals I ever got swept through!
This is the homeland of Rata! *I quickly looked around for him, but as usual, the sneaky critter was nowhere to be innocently found. Quite likely, he was holed up in his tree city of fairies. I quickly made a mental note to pay that area a visit soon.

The portal that brought me here was small really. much smaller then I remember. there were soo many limits! limits on race, on class, on bag space even! I couldn't chat out, couldn't send a mail, nor even buy something off the broker... and from the whispers around me, I suspect I might just have a problem concerning limits in magic power level as well. Not to mention, and yet I am, Crafting ~still~ sucks in this place)

One of the big upsides though, for me anyway.. is the straight-on ability to see this place once again! I can still travel around.. to see all of the other places as well.
(Means I can still twirl and sing down the streets of Quenos.. and slink and pray I don't get caught in the perpetual crampt and winding alleys of Freeport.)

Apparently this portal hasn't been in function for very long... maybe as early as last month. So hopefully the powers are still tweaking the do's and don't's... and not just hangin out in the item market. Go check it out!

Everquest 2 extended
http://launch.soe.com/eq2x/?sessionId=W9j4.o5EbJyCrvSw

food for thought.. or maybe... a thought for food?

2010-08-10T06:35:00.018-05:00

There is this story about these hard-working fishers.. who got up very early every morning to work hard at their nets and provide for their family.. living day by day like this for.. generations.
One day, along comes this.. wandering prophet... who tells them to get up, leave everything behind and wander away with him... to become like.. his outreach. which they did do.
On another day, the group sat on a hill, hungry.. and the prophet asked if there was any food to be had. Strangely, there was.. a little. certainly not enough for the whole group. But somehow, it stretched out, filled them all up, and there were even leftovers.
---------

That must have taken a lot of faith, for the fishers to do something like that. To just up, and leave everything they had worked so hard for. Trusting in some unseen unknown to provide for them? ..or simply choosing not to worry about it, perhaps.

And what about the one who offered up his meager lunch for the group? What could he/she have been thinking? "well, I don't actually need this food... just because its the day and age where you have to work really hard for whatever scraps you can manage to get hold of"? or maybe.. "Here I am, being soo selfless..in giving up what is likely to be my only meal for the day, if not for the next several days, to these guys.... and what will I get in return, huh? you think they are going to pay me?"
and even after.. when he got the leftovers back... was he thankful and surprised? was he maybe a little bitter that all his nice food had been handled by a whole group of dirty smelly guys?

How many people in today's world, would even consider doing such things?
-----

Take Me to Tomorrow
by John Denver

Hey everybody, tell me how do you feel? Are you satisfied with your life, do you think it's real?
Tell me.. how is your head, what are your dreams?
Do you have any plans, do you have any schemes?
Do you care about, about anybody? I'd like to know, is the answer "no"?

Hey everybody, tell me, what's on your mind?
Do you think there's nowhere else to go, that there's nothing left to find?
Are you happy where you are, do you have anything to share?
Do you think you're gonna waste your life.. spending it there?
Would you like to find a way out, do you think it's worth a try?
I'd like to know, is the answer "no"? Well maybe so....

Comeon..Take me to tomorrow, take me there today, I've had my fill of sorrow and living this way.
Take me to tomorrow, that's where I'd like to be, the day after tomorrow is waiting for me.
-----

Listening to: A rattling fan
Current Show: Leverage, Psych, warehouse 13, and Haven
Feeling: ehh kinda crappy atm
Internet Tabs: Mabi, Facebook(somewhat)
Obsessing Over: inexplicable things
Current Rant: injustice and lack of understanding

Worries for a Foundation

2010-07-19T12:40:00.026-05:00

Once again, it seems, our wondrous leader appears to be dangerously close to stomping on the rules of our forefathers.. rules that were the founding strength of everything that makes us who we are today. and before you scoff.. rules and thoughts that, yes... still prove true today. I worry for our future.

Yes, I said 'again' Ok, I put a {Link here} for a blog entry concerning this subject.

Now we have in issue with the internet. There should already be in place, the thought that the head of our great land should, if emergency arises, be able to gain some control of the net in our area... after all, he already does with the rest of our communication abilities, right? The problem is... if the control were given without the 'emergency' specifications and details thereof.. it will give the 'king' a tad more power then he should have. History already gives us a clue as to what happens after that. Now you might think I'm going on about issues that are not yet come.. worrying over nothing, essentially. but we have already seen evidence of the unconstitutional munching this will cause. Messages are popping up all over the net, seized and closed down by the government... movie pirates, music pirates, and whole blogging servers (need proof?.. here's a {link} to a fairly well-known blog site.).

While I don't, as your average citizen, have much to say concerning the shut-down of internet pirating.. that last little "blog" detail is a problem. As the anti-war howlers (and the pro-war howlers as well...)love to point out.. Freedom of speech, baby! That's the 1st amendment. It's another one of those rules there were created as a foundation for this great nation of ours. Is this the start of something bigger and badder? Are you worried as well, that it just might be?

Consider this: If you have one bad apple in a whole bushel of good apples, do you throw out the whole bushel? Our gov seems to think so and our leader is pushing the new laws into place, in spite of the protesting of the people he governs.

From all I have witnessed thus far, I'd say...

-----

Listening to: Alexander Rybak
Current Show: Leverage, Psych, Heroes
Feeling: ehh
Internet Tabs: Mabi, Facebook
Obsessing Over: -.-
Current Rant: The heat, politics. government,
history, and the general craze of living.

A slight history lesson

2010-07-15T09:26:00.009-05:00

There was this guy born in Austria.. died in Sweden... whose name was Josef Frank.
He was an architect, engineer, and a textile designer. He worked with Oskar Strnad, a man in common with his work. in 1965, he received the Grand Austrian state Prize for his architecture, which showed his love of space, function, and comfort. He was probably best known, though, for his whimsical texture styles.

for more reading refs...
Wiki.
Faces of Design
meublepeint

It was a Mugwump, Professor, honest!

2010-07-01T08:44:00.008-05:00

I remember.. a time when I was out on the apprenticeship trail. It felt like a long never ending line to me. Arch-wizard mugwump, said that this was the best thing for me... just before zooming off to the south desert-land and all the sun iced tea he could possibly guzzle. I felt a little abandoned.. even as I faced my fears of unknown situations coming up. Ol Mugwump had given my name out to willing ears without my knowledge...not a new situation, really.
With a great deal of trepidation. I finally arrived at my destination in one piece and met the 'family' which was fairly large. They were dour strangers tho.. and their smiles and welcome were quite temporary. The head wizard was indeed the ruler of the roost and he seemed rather unkempt and none-to-agreeable, although polite enough, I suppose. I was there long enough to wonder again at the fix I may have gotten myself into.. and an episode with several large twisting disasters.
Fortunately, none were hurt that I was then aware of. One evening, as I sat listening to music in my cluttered 'new' bedroom, there came a knock at the door. The local constabulary was there along with some ill-tempered long-nosed female who gruffly insisted I pack my bags immediately. (At least.. I think she was female.)
Having no choice in the matter, I repacked what I could and followed my carried things to the door. It seems the wizard was not fit for mastering.. and had gotten into a fair bit of trouble. and so by my presence there, I was in trouble as well.
I was quickly stuffed aboard a coach, told never to return to the area, and given escort clear to the border like some dangerous unwanted criminal. It was quite the event really. One I don't care to repeat.

Listening to: Hell yeah
by Montgomery Gentry
Reading: this blog?
Current Show: Leverage and Psych
Feeling:somewhere between
peaceful and slightly depressed.
Internet Tabs: Mabi, Facebook
Obsessing Over: movie cgi. wow!
Current Rant: The heat, the bugs, the annoyances!

oahh its a fairytale!

2010-06-15T08:32:00.017-05:00

~Fairytale~
by Alexander Rybak

~Oah~
by Alexander Rybak

------

Listening to: See vids above.
Reading: not much
Current Show: Leverage and Psych
Feeling: ehh
Internet Tabs: Mabi, Facebook
Obsessing Over: whys
Current Rant: Just how much I detest being bit! Meekin Chiggers!

The Drama bus stops here & the King just disembarked

2010-05-22T06:52:00.011-05:00

Before you say I toja-so.. I'll say, you probably right. Seems my heart is quite good at getting me into trouble, intended, conscience or otherwise. Everyone warned me.. they all said it was done with when he first dropped it all onto my head. I know. I cried and agonized and cried some more over it all, then thought... maybe, just maybe.. we could still be friends... if i work harder at guarding myself.. to distance myself should I feel trouble in the making... and just when I started to relax, thinking it could maybe work, and I was fairly happy... it all happened again. Somehow he turned everything around, twisted it, and threw it into my face. So yeah.. ok.. I know it for real now. the boy has mental issues, 'broken' and victimized by his own warped will. and while I can handle a great deal, simply for the sake of friendship... I can't handle this one anymore. He has gone and torn us apart once again..and this time.. I don't think there's any hope of retrieval... even as I can still feel my tendency to support him.. hoping it was just a tantrum. He can be a loving fun personality, but his mood-shifts are out of control, he is volatile, with a whiplash temper at the most unexpected of times. I can do without his sudden verbal abuse.
I -am- greatly saddened by the whole mess... and by the loss of, what I considered, a precious friendship. All of this was due to my attempting to apologize for thinking I stung with my words.(I responded in kind when he said he thought I was the moodiest person he had ever met.)

In words of those whose sage advice I hear with a bit more clarity today.. "You got to know when to hold em, know when to fold em. Know when to walk away, and know when to run." -The Gambler

This is me... walking away... at last.

Listening to: the soft purring of a cat
Reading: not much..makes my eyes really hurt.
Current Show: none
Feeling: sad
Internet Tabs: Facebook
Obsessing Over: none
Current Concern: wondering how much longer I will be staying with Facebook (and Mabi?), and where I should go next. Thinking I might be needing an indefinite break.

urghishness!

2010-05-20T21:05:00.004-05:00

Make the World go away
by Hank Cochran.. sung by Elvis :P

Make the world go away
Get it off my shoulder
Say the things we used to say
And make the world, make it go away

Do you remember when you loved me
Before the world took you away
Well if you do, then forgive me
And make the world, make it go away

Make the world go away
Get it off my shoulder
Say the things we used to say
And make the world, make it go away

Now I’m sorry if I hurt you
Let me make it up to you day by day
And if you will please forgive me
And make the world, make it go away

Make the world go away
Get it off my shoulder
Say the things we used to say
And make the world, make it go away

Please?
------------

Been another drama day for me. After all the hubub and dust settles once again, I am left feeling. oddly down. Not.. bored and depressed exactly. just... down. Not sure just what to do about it yet. Maybe the feeling will just go away on its own, do you think? A person can always hope, I suppose.

Touhou - Bad Apple

2010-05-17T16:25:00.006-05:00

What wonderfully talented shadow art!

Touhou Project - Bad Apple
feat. Nomico

another damp day in the heat of the moment

2010-05-09T09:12:00.006-05:00

Happy Mothers day to all you moms out there!

The weather where I am, is going on summer steam. Somehow it still feels like its early for such a thing. Maybe it's just the typical dread of the summer months getting to me. I hear it's still snowing in places in the north. Wish I was there already. well, maybe it will rain and cool things down a little. A person can always hope, I suppose.

Don't you just hate it when a company or group, makes for a mandatory password change, then changes the 'secret' question to requiring some other bits of information that you cannot hope to remember.. all without saying a word? This has happened to me just recently. and for the life of me, I cannot figure on just how to rectify the problems this has created.

In other thoughts, I was speaking to a friend of mine last evening, who was lamenting about the past and how things have changed.. wishing and missing.
She added that it's kind of funny how you run to a game or something, hoping to get away from reality's drama... and before you know it, drama is created within the game. now, the whole deep thoughts concerning drama aside, I can agree with her. It's almost hard to believe that so much time has passed, that things should change enough to make me miss how things were. (Pardon the muddled thoughts getting in the way of my trying-to-be-clear sentences.)
I do miss a few things even within the world of my current online home.

I miss how things seemed so fresh and new.. with new people/friends/experiences around every corner. The fun I had running all over the place. Its almost...like.. cant quite put my finger on just what in particular has changed.. something I didn't notice until it was gone, I guess... or is it just me?

I used to love any excuse for a celebration.. the otter was my totem..
anymore though, I'm starting to wonder if it has changed to the badger. Just want to be left alone in my grumbling misery. What changed? Why? How might I get that spark of life back again?

ehhh my eyes hurt.

Listening to: Ace of Base
Reading: not much
Current Show: Star Trek Voyager
Feeling: grumblish
Internet Tabs: Mabi
Obsessing Over: whys
Current Rant: ...

In the company of Boober..

2010-04-25T15:52:00.003-05:00

When I was really little, my big sis had this rabbit. It had to have been the biggest rabbit ever seen... and for some reason, it thought it was a dog. Boober wasn't the rabbits original name, I don't believe... but my mother caused a change after a neighbor thought she was yelling out that she was in love with him.. as she was trying to call in the rabbit. (I did mention he thought he was a dog, right?) anyway, so boober was his name. It was something of a nasty-tempered rabbit to most.. except to me. boober and I were like the best of friends.. I'd tow him around in typical little kid fashion, lay on him, maul and bowl him over and he didn't seem to mind in the slightest. my brother couldn't even get close to him though, or boober would chase him... all teeth and claws. I am to this day, thankful that he was such a big rabbit, better able to withstand the abuse of little kidlett attention. He was, for a 4-footed sort, my bestest buddy for a time there. his demise came at the paws of a surprise dog pack ambush. I still miss him.

lol quote

2010-04-21T02:27:00.004-05:00

Captain Janeway to Lt Kim... "Mr Kim. we are Starfleet officers, Weird is part of the job." Star Trek: Voyager Season 2, Episode 21

---

Health care.. Whatever is he thinking?!

2010-04-06T12:53:00.008-05:00

I have been hearing a lot of pro's and con's of the new health idea of our wondrously elected leader of late. Now, on the one hand, I can see the value of overhauling the whole health deal... it's a needed time for it.

On the other hand though.. Forcing people to pay for insurance or suffer a yearly fine.. is this really the way to go? Its not very constitutional, is it?
(9th and in particular, the 10th amendment.. "The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people." *link here* and "The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.")*link here*

It certainly doesn't give a single benefit for those of the "lower class" system... think homeless here... or self-styled or even those self-employed. if you are living hand to mouth.. you cannot afford insurance.. not even on a 'reasonable' sliding scale.. how are you supposed to afford the fees for not having it? what becomes of those country folk that cannot handle anything more then keeping themselves fed and relatively warm and dry? how does this 'new health' idea plan to deal with the needfully non-payers? and what of those here 'illegally'? yes, I know.. it is a good way to discourage those sorts, but what if there's an emergency? what if said illegal or homeless gets run-over and is bleeding on the sidewalk? I'm told that under this new 'mandatory' insurance idea, none would be turned aside for health care... but what of those without it? Will they be turned-aside because they don't have the bucks for the insurance?

The idea of making someone pay for possible life injury (car insurance to cover possible accidents)is one thing, after all, some of us do not drive, and therefor don't have to have the insurance to cover a possible accident. But making someone pay simply for being alive is totally something else, especially if it is a requirement to pay a private company such as what health insurance is.

All in all, this seems to be taking the future down a considerably darker road then many might realize. This idea is so chok-full of holes it is bound to sink at the first sign of real rain. I have never before seen such a sloppy idea get pushed into law.. and hope I never do again.. but then, I suppose its a sign of things to come, isn't it?

Listening to: Basshunter
Reading: News
Current Show: Star Trek Enterprise
Feeling: a bit worn out
Internet Tabs: Blogs in general
Obsessing Over: Finding scam-less online work
Current Rant: You just read it.

More on the drama life

2010-03-27T13:14:00.000-05:00

It seems Kt did get the idea.. of sorts, but 'couldn't help himself' in understanding just what the glaring 'Hands-off' sign was trying to convey and he frightened me off. Then, as a bonus... he got a threatening note from mr K. I guess that's the end of that friendship. Maybe just as well. I may not be easily frightened by such idiotsy, but that guy creeped me out in a major way.

It was really nice to hear mr K say that although he knew he couldn't tell me who to or not to speak with, he would protect me. I took that as a reflection on the past issues I had with mr Tf.. who couldn't seem to figure out just why I would want to be friends with someone he didn't get along with. And for that, I was rather flattered.

Speaking of mr Tf... He as done a lot of tacking of late. first going this way, then that in the general breeze of our friendship. and to think, I was just starting to get a bit more comfortable in the way things are too. One moment he's all happy and sweet ripples.. and the next he snaps as sharp as an accusing ice flow... then, while I'm still swamped from that... over the last several days of silence... he goes on to being the overboard confessing kind. I'm starting to feel rather water-logged from all the choppy surf here.

I have been feeling rather restless, bored and depressed of late.. not sure just why that is. I do hope I can shake it off soon. Maybe it's the 'sidewalk-stomping' woes.

Listening to: Smile.dk
Reading: not much atm
Current Show: Star Trek tng/Enterprise
Feeling: blehhish
Internet Tabs: facebook, youtube
Obsessing Over: how low I feel, I guess
Current Rant: nothing in particular

Btw...

Happy Easter!

more of the drama life... and a new land, perhaps

2010-03-20T06:39:00.007-05:00

been kind of a low odd week for me, glad the week is over, hope the weekend plays host to better plan for the weeks ahead.

Happy to see that mr. Tf has returned to things.. even as I was also happy to see him head for the dreamingtime a bit early. grouchy. sheesh! Hope he's feeling more rested tomorrow. He can be a lot of fun to be around when he's feeling good.

Finally got around, somehow, to telling mr Kt pointedly, the thing he apparently missed on the first several times through. at which point he stopped speaking with me. I felt badly for the loss of a friendship... I do hope it was for the best for all concerned tho. Something about him seriously bugged me. he made me sooo uncomfortable to be around.

mr. K got a bit... upset by the news.. but hopefully he got over it quickly and completely with all the convo that ensued.

So glad I had my sis's support. hehe it really causes smiles to think I can call someone so very cool such a thing. Very Valuable friends to me... both she and her rl sis. I feel pretty fortunate. I had a total blast this evening jumping on the new event teeter-totters with her. I Was really amazed we jumped all the way to the moon to see the huge moon bunnies and the chick-sized cows. Unfortunately, poor sis forgot to speak with the head honcho of town first. we tried a restart, but by then, I was lagging so badly, and was so sleepy.. we didn't get very far. but! we shall endeavor to try again! After all, we got there once. so we know its possible.

Ran into an old 'gf' while visiting the moon. I'm glad she is still about the general area. She seemed in lots better spirits then when last I saw her. somehow I think she has a connection to bro.. maybe an ex? well, i don't think it was the one I met her with that time next to the hay pile north of town. she said she left that one. that he was abusive to her.

I know I said I would give mr. Tf a hand tomorrow.. if i'm around when he wants my help.. still, I am thinking of sneaking in for some spam runs of the clover dungeon tomorrow.. and work my fingers off with potions. I keep meaning too.. and keep getting interrupted/sidetracked/derailed. not that I minded the friendly intervention really. love to do things with friends.. but sometimes.. there just isn't enough time to do all of that with others, and do for me too.

Other side of that moonpie..
I slipped through another portal one day not too long ago. and it took me to a rather odd world... like old tyme tech. lol! I landed on my two feet (yay! not a pooch this time!) and looked around me. great clouds of steam rose overhead and the metallic clanging was almost too much to bear. It took quite a bit for me to get my bearings. there really wernt any helpful people or signs apart from a few souls who seemed mostly interested in my killing several large bunnies for them. I was eventually pointed to a 'garden' and it was suggested I run around in there for the experience I needed. I didn't like it though. there was a strip of relatively 'safe' land all around a barren center, within which people could be seen pursuing others like highway banshees. Most of the people, save a few, were either highly-aggressive opportunists or/and outright rude.

So I found a strange water-traveling contraption and quickly left the area. Amazingly enough, as it turned out, that place was actually the spit of a small island 'hunter' resort. with a little trepidation and a great deal of jubilation, I zipped from town to town, fulfilling quest after quest.. there's a great deal to this place! only a small note of caution.. be careful when dealing with a landwhale's heart. there are some naaasty Mous's in there! (mosquitoes of unusual sizes!) and even if you are thinking you can handle the surrounding walkers n chomper's, these things will drain yer courage dry just by looking at them for the first.. and even the second time!

nother one..

2010-03-09T10:57:00.003-06:00

Bulbous Bouffant

Written by The Vestibules.

some more good vids

2010-02-09T02:38:00.003-06:00

Domo Domo Domo
by Smile.dk

Hibi no neiro "Tone of Everyday"
by Sour

new years blues?

2010-01-04T19:17:00.007-06:00

aww crap. I think I still love him. *headdesk**headdesk*

randomish quote from thee one and only King Otthawk, "No peace lies in the future which is not hidden in this present little instant. Take peace! The gloom of the world is but a shadow. Behind it, yet within our reach, is joy. There is radiance and glory in darkness, could we but see. And to see, we have only to look."

"Here's some simple advice: Always be yourself. Never take yourself too seriously. And beware of advice from experts, pigs, and members of Parliament." -Kermit

"I like living. I have sometimes been wildly, despairingly, acutely miserable, racked with sorrow, but through it all I still know quite certainly that just to be alive is a grand thing." -Agatha Christie

"Good friends, good books and a sleepy conscience: this is the ideal life." -Mark Twain

Listening to: Basshunter
Reading: Its not easy being green...and other things to consider.
Current Show: nothing
Feeling: sad, chilly(its cold out), and reflective.
Internet Tabs: BrightShadow
Obsessing Over: heartbreak grumbles and moving woes.
Current Rant: see above.

Nother anime/manga ...

2009-12-30T21:20:00.010-06:00

Skip Beat

Ren Tsuruga

A shōujo manga with a first season listed in anime.
Story of a rather idealistic young girl being given a rude awakening by a childhood friend with his sights set on topping the music charts. In an effort to gain revenge, she gets signed up with a rival agency to become an actress.

__________

Toradora

Ryūji and Tiaga

The plot is a bit like Lovely Complex, which I saw first. its another "highschool" shōujo story about two mismatched students who decide to help one another gain their respective love interest's attention... only to discover they loved eachother best.
__________

Code Geass

Lelouch

Great series.. with a rather sad ending. This one is about a group of school students caught up in the struggle of superpowers and self-identity.. as well as those who possess the power of Kings and its widespread influence upon people.
All in all, its a bit like the tale of V. I'd watch this one again. Zero FTW!

bah!

2009-12-19T12:26:00.005-06:00

"So this is Christmas, and what have you done
Another year over, and a new one just begun
And so this is Christmas, I hope you have fun
The near and the dear one, the old and the young"
-John Lennon

The Christmas season is upon us all once again, and I feel none of its glow. not even a glimmer really of supposedly happy anticipation for opening gifts on Christmas day (or eve, if that's how you do it) for seeing relatives you haven't seen in a long time, over great feasts, joyful chatting and game playing. I feel not a single iota and I wonder to myself just how long things have been thus for me, to struggle to find so much as a smile and having to 'fake joy' for others to see so they don't demand to know what could be wrong. I guess I can rather identify with scrooge's state of mind this year. I'm sure its all of this dreading and waiting getting to me.

"What's Christmas time to you but a time for paying bills without money; a time for finding yourself a year older, but not an hour richer; a time for balancing your books and having every item in 'em through a round dozen of months presented dead against you?" -A Christmas carol

well here it is... and then some.

2009-12-09T04:30:00.004-06:00

just for informations sake.. the guy I mentioned battling with a few posts back or so.. has ended. I felt forced into making a decision really. I feel I was given an ultimatum. and as we -all- know, those -never- go well. I could either be happy with his continued treatment of me... or I could walk away. I honestly didn't want to do it... nor could I continue with the way things were. And even after it was done.. he still had opportunity to get in touch with me.. to work it out.. if he cared enough to give it a try... even for friendships sake. Obviously I wasn't worth the effort to him any longer. A part of me hopes he enjoys his new love.. and part of me hopes she is smart enough to realize he is trying to pull her away from her own bf with his charm... and kicks him to the floor of realization.

My own life has gotten hectic. I am due to have moved in another week or so. I still don't want to have to.. and I still have no other recourse. So if I become.. well.. really scarce online over the next.. ohh idunno year?! sorry.. at least youl know where I got to. For those of my friends who perhaps consider me worthy enough to continue to know, email me once in awhile. k? I will find the time and space for at least that.

oh.. and Merry Christmas.

another update

2009-12-04T15:57:00.003-06:00

My apologize for being fairly uncharacteristic of late. My life is going through a bit of turmoil this holiday season. Funny how this kind of thing seems to happen around this time every year...hmm.. sensing a pattern here. Well, in spite of such insanity, I still am most thankful for my friends, for without such valuable friends, it all would seem so much more overwhelming and devastating to me.

Tars, krunch, wolf, green, mesh, mousey, darks, hina, fram, kori, molly, mork, dawn, Ros, masu, and a ton of new friends on fbook lol! Thanks you all for being such wonderful friends of mine!

Merry Christmas Yall!

Giving Thanks

2009-11-27T14:36:00.003-06:00

Things I am thankful for.

God, the great spirit that created all of this.
hot running water and the clouds in the sky.
the caring of a good solid friendship.
being able to see mountain vistas as well as the high-rises of big cities and the expanse of working farmlands of the country.
being able to hear bird song as well as all the different styles and expressions of music in the world!
fuzzy kitties and graceful strong horses.
family, both the good and the not-so-good.
Being able to learn from mistakes.

Couldn't hope to be able to post everything.

Hope you have a wonderful thanksgiving weekend!

How Far

2009-11-21T03:09:00.002-06:00

How Far
by Martina Mcbride

There's a boat, I could sail away
There's the sky, I could catch a plane
There's a train, there's the tracks
I could leave and I could choose to not come back
Oh never come back

There you are, giving up the fight
Here I am begging you to try
Talk to me, let me in
But you just put your wall back up again
Oh when's it gonna end

[Chorus:]
How far do I have to go to make you understand
I wanna make this work so much it hurts, but I just can't
Keep on giving, go on living with the way things are
So I'm gonna walk away
And it's up to you to say ..how far

There's a chance I could change my mind
But I won't, not till you decide
What you want, what you need
Do you even care if I stay or leave
Oh, what's it gonna be

[Chorus]

Out of this chair, or just across the room
Halfway down the block or halfway to the moon

How far do I have to go to make you understand
I wanna make this work so much it hurts, but I just can't
Keep on giving, go on living with the way things are
So I'm gonna walk away
And it's up to you to say
YeahI'm gonna walk away
And it's up to you to say ..how far

Pomplawha?

2009-11-15T17:44:00.014-06:00

Hail Mary
by Pomplamoose

Mister Sandman
by The Chordettes
Sung by Pomplamoose
--------------

'So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.'
Matthew 7:12

What I'd like to know is, what happens should they do unto you in ways you would rather they not, even after all you have done unto them? Does karma eventually run over their dog or something?
--------------

Listening to:
see above
Reading: A Christmas Carol
Current Show: 'Vampire Diaries' and 'The Guild'
Feeling: sorrowful and pissed
Internet Tabs: Runes of Magic
Obsessing Over: realization of heartbreak and moving woes.
Current Rant: too many to want to type them all out.

A Carol of Advice

2009-11-15T17:25:00.005-06:00

""Our contract is an old one. It was made when we were both poor and content to be so, until, in good season, we could improve our worldly fortune by our patient industry. You are changed. When it was made, you were another man."

"I was a boy," he said impatiently.

"Your own feeling tells you that you were not what you are," she returned. "I am. That which promised happiness when we were one in heart, is fraught with misery now that we are two. How often and how keenly I have thought of this, I will not say. It is enough that I have thought of it, and can release you."

"Have I ever sought release?"

"In words? No. Never."

"In what, then?"

"In a changed nature; in an altered spirit; in another atmosphere of life; another Hope as its great end. In everything that made my love of any worth or value in your sight. If this had never been between us," said the girl, looking mildly, but with steadiness, upon him; "tell me, would you seek me out and try to win me now? Ah, no!"

He seemed to yield to the justice of this supposition, in spite of himself. But he said with a struggle," You think not?"

"I would gladly think otherwise if I could," she answered, "Heaven knows. When I have learned a Truth like this, I know how strong and irresistible it must be. But if you were free to-day, to-morrow, yesterday, can even I believe that you would choose a dowerless girl -- you who, in your very confidence with her, weigh everything by Gain: or, choosing her, if for a moment you were false enough to your one guiding principle to do so, do I not know that your repentance and regret would surely follow? I do; and I release you. With a full heart, for the love of him you once were."

He was about to speak; but with her head turned from him, she resumed.

"You may -- the memory of what is past half makes me hope you will -- have pain in this. A very, very brief time, and you will dismiss the recollection of it, gladly, as an unprofitable dream, from which it happened well that you awoke. May you be happy in the life you have chosen.""

A Christmas Carol
by Charles Dickens
------------------

""...you must take the time to see your partner's soul and feel safe enough to reveal your own soul. For this feeling of safety to occur, you must trust your partner's integrity. Take the time to find out if your partner values embracing empathy, listening, direct communication, honesty, loyalty and growth. After all, a guy's character will always be the determinant behind his choosing to be naughty or nice — thereby making you feel sad or happy.

Think about all those fabulous Prince Charmings in fairy tales. What makes a Prince Charming truly "Princely"? Prince Charmings are made of good strong character. They're noble, kind and generous with good deeds. Plus, they support a Princess in becoming liberated, so she can venture forth to become her fullest royal potential.

Meanwhile, evil Prince Harmings are just as good-looking, rich and charismatic as Prince Charmings. A Prince Harming's huge difference is the one spotted within his spotty character. Prince Harmings suffer from major character defects which create scenarios to torture and imprison a Princess.

Meaning? Although you might feel as if you're experiencing love at first sight with a Prince Harming, what you're really experiencing is infatuation at first sight — because all you're simply crushing on is this man's superficial self, not his superinsidehim self.

All of this leads me to a very important question: Do you really prefer to place a higher value on a guy's superficial aspects (his sexiness, funniness, smartness, wealthiness) more than you value his superinsidehim self (his character, his soul)?

If so, then there is a big danger you will wind up involved with a guy who's rude, angry, dishonest, disloyal, hurtful, non-communicative, unempathic and selfish! As a result, all of his inner bad qualities will make you feel unhappy, insecure, unsafe, frazzled, neurotic and totally crazy. Your love life should not be your suffering life. The number one reason to spend time with a guy is that he makes you feel happier and he is improving your life.""

The Number One Thing to Look for in a Partner
By Karen Salmansohn

oo.. do I hear strains of oldguy dance music for 6flags? How fun!

2009-11-06T09:21:00.014-06:00

I miss you
by Basshunter

Angel in the Night
by Basshunter

Boten Anna
by Basshunter
-------------

Life goes ever onward. This week so far has been one of waiting. much like the feeling a little kid gets when his mom says "Just you wait until your father gets home!" Its like a foreboding feeling that sends shivers of agony racing up and down my spine all day long.

Still, I have learned a little something about myself over the last day or so.

People really need to stop reading into my 'just curious' questions. Honestly, they are just as I say they are, curiosity. Thats it. I'm not trying to convey anything hidden deeper... no supreme moodiness or dark intent. k? It's one of the main reasons my sense of curiosity gets me into trouble a lot.

And to go with that... when you say something to me, and I reply with a 'huh?'.. I am not asking you to repeat that very same thing over again. I said 'huh' because I either didn't hear you correctly, or I didn't get what you just said. Try explaining using different words. Just use a little of that English you know and restructure your sentence a bit. If you think on it a little.. there are several ways of saying the very same thing. Try a few.

Blastoff!

2009-10-29T12:29:00.010-05:00

Ok, for those of you maybe interested in a nice portal space.. that gives room for yer news and vids etc.. plus has nice opportunities for online shopping... plus, and this is the best part... its totally free! Check it out *here*
oh.. it says those 13yrs and older can sign-up.. but I think it's actually 18.

****

Have you ever made one of those really bad.. and rather obvious puns in a conversation.. and it isn't something that can really be explained... and the person you said it to, gets angry? no.. not groaning, roll the eyes, kind of thing, but huffy, pissy, ticced-off! Just because you really are not in the mood to try explaining just why it's a pun. I mean.. even after you make some lame attempt at it, then try to dismiss it because the pun wasn't even worth the trying for. I just had one of those experiences.. and the person not only got huffy, but stomped off. What a horribly lame reason to pick a fight/tantrum over. I just don't get that.

The definition of a pun is:
A play on words, either on different senses of the same word or on the similar sense or sound of different words.
A pun is a play on words, often humorous, that uses words that have similar or identical sounds but very different meanings.
The use of a word, or of words which are formed or sounded alike, in such a way as to juxtapose, connect, or bring out two or more of the possible applications of the word or words, usually in a humorous way; a play on words

Kind of like, if someone should ask you "what is up?".. and you reply with your height, the ceiling, clouds etc. because all of those things are 'up' from your perspective. using the same question, you could also say you are not, if you are sitting down.

****

Which is the most feared of the forest inhabitants?
A hawk claimed that, because he had the ability to fly, he could attack anything from above, and his prey wouldn't have a prayer.
"Due to my strength, no one would challenge me!" said the lion, pride fully.
The skunk, incensed, said, "I need neither flight nor might to frighten off any creature!"
The trio were debating the issue, when a grizzly bear came along and swallowed all,
HAWK, LION, and STINKER.

-----

Why I flunked English

Let's face it: English is a crazy language.
There is no egg in eggplant or ham in hamburger; neither apple nor pine in pineapple. English muffins were not invented in England nor french fries in France. Sweetmeats are candies, while sweetbreads, which aren't sweet, are meat. We take English for granted. But if we explore its paradoxes, we find that quicksand can work slowly, boxing rings are square, and a guinea pig is neither from Guinea nor is it a pig. And why is it that writers write, but fingers don't fing, grocers don't groce, and hammers don't ham? If the plural of tooth is teeth, why isn't the plural of booth beeth? One goose, 2 geese. So, one moose, 2 meese? One index, two indices? Is cheese the plural of choose? If teachers taught, why didn't preachers praught? If a vegetarian eats vegetables, what does a humanitarian eat? =20

In what language do people recite at a play, and play at a recital? Ship by truck and send cargo by ship? Have noses that run and feet that smell? Park on driveways and drive on parkways? How can a slim chance and a fat chance be the same, while a wise man and a wise guy are opposites? How can the weather be hot as hell one day and cold as hell another? When a house burns up, it burns down. You fill in a form by filling it out and an alarm clock goes off by going on. When the stars are out, they are visible, but when the lights are out, they are invisible.

And why, when I wind up my watch, I start it, but when I wind up this essay, I end it? Now I know why I flunked English. It's not my fault-the silly language doesn't quite know whether it's coming or going.

2009-10-28T11:11:00.013-05:00

I'm only me when I'm with you
--Taylor Swift

Video found Here

I had read Taylor Swift's little self-blurb on the video site linked above. In it she says she still believes Prince Charming is out there somewhere. It kind of reminded me of something someone said to me one time.. it went something along the lines of wondering if I liked the idea of princes and princess maybe I would like a tiara. I replied that I didn't know as I had never tried one on before. It's a rather interesting thought tho. no, I'm not into tiara's and royalty trappings. (but for maybe the royal purple color, which I love!) Still.. I do like the many 'happy ever-after' type stories. You might say I even prefer them over the the many disaster and horror fliks gracing the big screen of late. so.. maybe in a way.. I do hold hope of a 'prince charming' somewhere in the world. Even after all of the pain and hurt of love and loss which seems to plague my life.

Oh and seriously, if you have not seen the Princess Bride. you really really should. Look for a link to it *here* to see if its working on youtube. It's an epic fantasy story.

blargh!

2009-10-21T18:49:00.002-05:00

It'd almost make a good book if i wasn't so wrapped up in it. 2 people meet online, get to know one another a little. Really enjoy eachothers company. then seemingly out of no-where... there is a battle... it's been taken too far, too quickly... they bounce off of one another in a bad way.. things are said.. hurt is delivered... cant go back. can't take it back. and its done. Now scarcely friends.

Maybe it doesn't matter anymore.. but it still hurts. Maybe I should just forget the pain.. But I don't think I can. Maybe we can't rewind the time.. but I want to.

White Horse

2009-10-21T09:27:00.011-05:00

You Belong With Me
by Taylor Swift

White Horse
by Taylor Swift

ok

2009-10-17T07:01:00.010-05:00

a confession and a story...

ok, see, there's this guy I like.. and he seems to like me too, only of late.. one day he heard a rumor.. about me, and it just wigged him out in a really bad way.. I got all defensive, he got defensive back.. and it kinda yanked us both off a cliff. then, in efforts to save what we still might have, I tried apologizing, hoping to open us up for more then 'idle chitchat' anymore.. We used to be able to talk so comfortably. and he said he had forgotten the hurt.. that there was nothing to really talk about.. and maybe I should forget the pain as well. I could no longer talk to him about any of it or risk 'misunderstanding' and his yelling fiercely at me before stomping off.
It has reminded me of a cat I once knew.. yeahh I hear you going wtf? but I think it relates..

There was this place I was staying at .. and this girl there had gotten a kitten one day. It was a cute little black thing with big ol eyes.. a very small puffball and cute as anything. But her bf, who was also staying there was anti-catbox. So they put the kitten outside.
Now, you have to understand the area this takes place in. It was rather countryish. At night, we had 4-footed visitors from all over the place. big marauding dogs, huge ol grumpy racoons, slinky and dangerous bobcats, aromatic skunk, and mountain lion that would come sniffing around for tasty midnight snacks.
so.. the girl put the cat up on a balcony of a shed near the house. she gave it food and water and left it there. I felt so badly for that poor little kitty... all alone in the dark and hostile area. It cried and cried and cried. all night long, each and every night that I would stay there.
As I didn't get along with the girl, her bf, and the other friends of theirs staying there, I often found excuse to sleep over at a friend of mine's place. Eventually, the friends of those two, (the girl and her bf) had made the news and the place was closed up for a time. After a few days, another friend came to take the animals away with them in a cross-country move.
I had opportunity to follow them to the new area a bit later and here is that kitty. looking skrawny and unkempt. It was fed, and eventually gained a little weight but.. idunno.. something was amiss with its mental state. We took to calling it skittykitty because it would be all purring and friendly one moment but it with turn faster then a rattlesnake and take to biting and hissing horribly if you got too close. Oh, you could reach out to touch it, pet, love and comfort.. and be nothing but as sensitive as possible, but something would quirk it.. some unseen, or unknown inside of it would put its tail in a twist. You'd pet it once, twice maybe.. and it would purrrrr. then stop and be chewing on your hand in a quarter second. What had caused it to go all wonky like that, I'm not sure. but it was most certainly not a comfortable type of cat to be around. Not if you valued your hands.

So now.. it feels there is this distance between this guy and me, that wasn't there before. I feel I am trying to pet the skittykitty in trying to talk to him... shivering inside, and thinking "any wrong move, no matter how small, and he's going to bite at me." and he has. Why is this happening? Why is he driving us apart with his sudden rattlesnake temper? Why can't he seem to see what its doing to us? Why can't we talk like we once did? Why has he become so.. impatient. distant. intolerant? Why has he become such a skittykitty to me? I don't know.
but I think my tears are about done now. My back is against the wall. Its time to put my raw feelings back into a box in a single-minded effort to cope. Maybe things can be salvaged, maybe not. We need to be able to talk.. to open our communication again and resolve the starting issues. but until he gains some patience.. and stops yowling and gnashing his teeth on my being.. we will go further and further toward the edge. I can see it. I don't know if that's what he truly wants or not. Its certainly not making me feel like being so close to him with my heart anytime soon though.

On another note... It seems my brother has had a 'visit' from my mom and bonbon... Ahh! that hurts! Why doesn't the pain at least lessen.. why does it have to reduce me to sobbing every single freaking time?! :( ....damn it! =.=;
Why does all of this have to happen now? why all at once? Why does it even have to happen at all?!!?! ugh! what a life! anyone care to trade? please?!

what is love?

2009-10-15T02:25:00.003-05:00

Consider this....
(not in any particular order.)

1. Love is.. feeling like laughing with joy when you are around your partner.
2. love is.. supporting them when they could really use it.
3. love is.. never wanting to give up on them.
4. love is.. communication.
5. love is.. understanding.
6. love is.. saying your sorry for arguing... even if you aren't sorry for your side in it.
7. love is.. learning to put up with/overlook/tolerate some of their not so wonderful traits and habits.
8. love is.. caring.
9. love is.. a test of time and endurance.
10. love is.. forgiving.

True friendship is.. communication.
true friendship is.. saying your sorry for arguing, even if you aren't sorry for your side in it.
true friendship is.. supporting them when they really could use it.
true friendship is.. understanding.
true friendship is.. a test of time and endurance.
true friendship is.. learning to put up with/overlook/tolerate some of their.. not so wonderful traits and habits.
true friendship is.. caring.
true friendship is.. feeling like laughing with joy when you are around them.
true friendship is.. forgiving
true friendship is.. never wanting to give up on them.

Sorrow

2009-10-15T01:08:00.005-05:00

Every Time I Hear Your Name
by Keith Anderson

Finally got over that song of ours; stopped chasin' little red sports cars,
To check the license plates and I quit drivin' by your place.
Back makin' the rounds at our old haunts: Honky Tonks, restaurants.
And seein' some of our old friends: it feels good to dance again.
And I can finally smell your perfume and not look around the room for you.
And I can walk right by your picture in a frame and not feel a thing.

But when I hear your name,
I feel rain fallin' right out of the blue sky.
And it's the fifth of May, and I'm right there starin' in your eyes.
And nothin's changed, and we're still same.
And I get lost in the innocence of a first kiss,
And I'm hangin' on to every word rollin' off of your lips:
And that's all it takes, and I'm in that place,
Every time I hear your name.

Got someone special in my life; everyone thinks she'll make a great wife.
Dad says he thinks she's the one; reminds him of Mom when she was young.
But it's way too soon to be talkin' 'bout rings; don't wanna rush into anything.
She's getting over someone too, kinda like me and you.
And she talks about him every once in a while, and I just nod my head and smile,
'cause I know exactly what she's goin' through; yeah, I've been there too.

And when the conversation turns to you,
I get caught in a "you were the only one for me",
Kinda thought, and your face is all that I see.
I know I can't go back but I still go back.
And there we are, parked down by the riverside,
And I'm in your arms about to make love for the first time,
And that's all it takes, and I'm in that place,
Every time I hear your name.

I stop thinkin' 'bout the words I left unsaid.
(Every time I hear your name.)
I stop tryin' the change the things I can't change.
(Every time I hear your name.)
In my heart I know you're gone, but in my head,

I feel rain fallin' right out of the blue sky.
And it's the fifth of May, and I'm right there starin' in your eyes.
That's all it takes, and I'm in that place.
And there we are, parked down by the riverside,
And I'm in your arms about to make love for the first time.
And I can't explain, but I'm in that place,
Every time I hear your name.

*******
This song seems to reflect my mood of late... A feeling I have lost something of vast importance to me.. that I wasnt sure I had in the first place.

Another vid

2009-10-13T10:59:00.007-05:00

this one was well put together, I thought... even if it was a little flickery.

movie: Disney etc
song: Just Dance by Lady GaGa

and another one by the same author based on the movie Anastasia.

movie: Anastasia
song: Love Story by Taylor Swift

ok.. so...

2009-10-13T02:02:00.003-05:00

Whattowrite-whattowrite?

My week.. weeks.. month.. months? have been rollercoasting me into something of a depression. So I'm not really sure what to think, much less to say. Rather like something I once heard someone gripe about, I have repeatedly found my feelings tied up in a complete knot over someone else's words and actions.. seemingly without my full knowledge. I feel like such an idiot! I have repeatedly found myself considering knocking myself utterly brainless against the nearest hard surface because of it. I try -so- hard to do and say the right thing and it always seems to go awry... It all winds up complicating matters and driving people into a shouting snarling match, with myself placed on one side. soo, here I sit, grumbling and hissing to myself.. AT myself for even getting me into this mess in the first place and really, there's nothing for it. the first moment of weakness and I go and do it all over again. -sigh- does it -have- to end as a disaster?

To top that off, it feels like my rl situation is degrading.. bugs and all. and I've no place to flee to if it all goes down the wash. soo many things going wrong.. all seemingly at the same time. Truly, bad news -Does- travel in packs. Really Big ones too!

Beyond all that.. um...
well...
I really liked that pink vid. you might say, I know the feeling well. lol!
I have liked the series True Blood and Vampire Diaries too.. I even liked Blood Ties. too bad it was killed.
and I enjoyed Code Geass even if it did kinda end on a sad note. I also like the series of The Guild. You probably saw the vid below already.

umm... oh!

I got a visit from my sister, who I haven't seen in awhile now. We poured over dad's old photo albums, snickered at all of the cows and spoke a bit about brotherly tales, of which seems to have been swept low and and then picked up again rather unexpectedly by a welcome Samaritan. It was good to catch up a little.

Listening to:
P!nk and The guild.
Reading: nothing
Current Show: Vampire diaries.
Feeling: ughish!
Internet Tabs: fbook.. kinda
Obsessing Over: some guy who lives in another country.
Current Rant: too many to want to type them all out.

P!nk -So What!

2009-10-01T22:45:00.004-05:00

nice scene and song

2009-09-29T00:55:00.008-05:00

I'll make a man, out of you.

-Mulan

sarcastic and funny.

2009-08-22T07:47:00.002-05:00

Do You Want To Date My Avatar
-The Guild

idleness..

2009-07-26T16:58:00.008-05:00

* If you could be any person in the world, who would you be, and why?
An alien. Because they have a method of getting around that's rather unique to the common world... and there are far away places I can't seem to get to.

* Describe a place you remember from your childhood.
Playing navigator for my dad as we traveled across country. I got the map, he got the wheel, partly because he was the only driver, partly because he wanted to give me something useful to do, and partly because I knew my way around maps pretty well.

* How did you meet your closest friend?
Who said I have a closest friend? ok ok.. hm.. I first met my closest friend when I was invited on a lark to an SCA gathering in Oregon.

* Write a list of 25 (or just 5!) things you want to do in your life.
1. To see a real live whale in the ocean. 2. To travel off the continent and see places like Europe and Japan. 3. To see Alaska. 4. To write/illustrate a book and get published. 5. To find my niche in the world.

* What is something you do well?
I tell stories well.

* What would have happened if you didn't leave the house this morning?
Who said I have left the house today? umm.. probably nothing special.

* If you could visit anywhere in the world, where would you go?
Japan, Europe, Scotland, Australia, Canada, Alaska.. need I go on?

* What are your hobbies? Why do you like them?
Writing, because it's expressive. Drawing, because it's freeform, Playing online games, because it is something freeform and expressive for others as well.

* What sets you apart from the crowd?
hmm.. is there anything to set me apart from the crowd? well.. I like all sorts of music genres.. I guess that's a little unusual.

* What do you want to be remembered for?
My sense of kindness and love of laughter.. pass it on! :D

* What is the nicest thing you have done for someone? I have done a lot of nice things for people. might need to ask them.

* What is the greatest lesson you've learned so far in your life?
hm.. the greatest lesson.. so far... hmm.. greatest thing to me personally, through the hardship of figuring it out.. I'd say.. God answers prayer, even if the answer is 'No'. all around though, it'd be "Do unto others, as you would have them do unto you." in other words.. treat people like you would want to be treated.

* If you could invent anything new, what would it be?
A teleportation device.

* If you could have three wishes, what would they be?
1. To invent that teleportation device I just mentioned...unlimited distance.(or at least world-wide.) 2. To be a shape-shifter(controlled). 3. financial (and legal) security.

* How would you spend a found $20 bill? I'd save it for a time, until finding something I just 'had' to get.

* What is the most exciting thing that ever happened to you?
exciting as in how? horrific exciting? suddenly finding myself stranded alone on a quiet country road somewhere in the usa.. at night. surprising exciting? Someone throwing an actual surprise birthday for me, for the first time.. ever.

* What is your favorite day of the week? Saurday! (does that classify as 'week'?.. if not then Friday!!)

* Name some things you are thankful for.
Hot running water. Sight. Sound. warmth/coolness, dry areas/shade, Friends. Family. (not necessarily in that order)

* What was your favorite childhood toy? A stuffed cat I called 'hot stuff'

another cool video

2009-07-20T14:28:00.001-05:00

Her Morning Elegance
by Oren Lavie

thoughts and musings

2009-07-17T14:23:00.014-05:00

I'm rather analytical and introspective person by general nature. Recently I have come to musing about the expressions of love vs crush and a soulmate vs a life mate.

Have you ever developed a crush on someone? It feels a bit like a heart-stopping thrill-a-second coaster that you just can't seem to get off of until the ride is over and the cart has come to a complete dead-stop. ..and my-oh-my do people do some of the stupidest things when crushing! we are talking true to classic noggin-thwapping stuff here. but it usually ends. and often-times, it is a rather abrupt stop too. fights, anger, tears, agony...and sometimes.. it is easily forgotten as well.

but now love, as ever I have seen it.. is a constant thing, with certainty that the object of your attention will be a part of your heart for the rest of your life. That it doesn't matter how many years, or what horrible things have been done or will be done.. you will always love them in a deeper sense then your average infatuation case.

Then there is the differences between what people consider a soulmate and a lifemate... which touches upon the whole subject of old souls and reincarnation or destiny.

A lifemate, to me, is someone you spend your life with. pure and simple, compared to the complexity of a soul mate. You can love, be in love and even crush on a lifemate.
A soulmate, is someone, whose very being and essence draws you together like nothing or no-one else in the scope of the universe can. Sometimes, it can even be against one's will.
These two ..elements? are not always found in the same person.

I saw an episode of a recent tv series, in which this pi was approached by and 'old soul' looking for his wife of a previous incarnation. but, as it turned out, she had married and was happy with her choice. So it would seem, that the old soul and she were soul-mates.. and the girl had taken a lifemate. (which kind of knocked their combined death-for-love-and-rebirth thing rather askew.) Needless to say the old soul was rather resistant to the idea of her having chosen anyone but him.
So then, does this mean, that these two soul-mates will drift further and further apart, never to come together again? or..does it mean, that they will go their way for this lifetime.. and come together in another? and what of the life-mate then? he is married to the girl, and yet knows, (or does he?,) that while he is her spouse and love for this lifetime.. she has a deeper and older connection to another guy. or does the lifemate then become another soulmate? perhaps replacing or adding to the number she has? either way, it seems they knew eachother to be soulmates, destined to be drawn to one another like bonded recognition.

Now, how might this apply to rl? look around you, walk of life, school, church, gathering spots. you ever wonder, will 'she' stay with him, past the event.. or when the heady crush wears off? will 'he' find that 'his' heart will truely always be 'hers' even after years have gone by? how about the two married people there, they love eachother sure, but why is 'she' murmuring that,..perhaps there might be something yet missing from her heart? why, if 'he' is so in love, is 'he' still looking around him, even in knowing 'he' cannot touch, nor would 'he' really want to? is there a difference between soul and life mates? and if there is..

Its easy to see that there can be many lifemates in a single lifetime. divorce being an option in this world has shown us this,.. to some, quite a number of times too! So then, what about this soul mate business? can a single person have a true soul-mate somewhere in the whole of the world? The world is quite a big place really.. in spite of the saying of its being small. There are a lot of people.. a lot of cultures.. and a lot of different time-lines going on. I would imagine how much easier it would be to choose a life mate then it would be to find that one person with whom you are 'drawn' to. Perhaps then, many people never actually find their soul mate.. and instead settle comfortably with the lifemate potentials they can see right around them.
what then, should happen, if, after having gotten comfy in their happy life with someone, the soulmate shows up on the radar?

sighs

2009-07-11T01:09:00.004-05:00

I'm a bit worried about mr Tf. He claims to be returning more often, and yet the opposite has proven true thus far. He claims that he cares, that he wouldn't leave.. and yet.. it seems that he has. I am.. not quite sure how to take it really. oh, he has his excuses.. I'm sure they are perfectly valid one's too. or perhaps they were. So now in my pining.. I need to carry on... not knowing which way to turn.. feeling lost... and I mean more then just 'in a crowd'. So pardon my randomness for a little while longer... I'm trying to patch up.. trying to find a safe attitude to take. something I can do to seal away the wounds once again.

ok so.. watch those oxhorn's vids. they are pretty funny, I think. and good for a reality break... and if you have ever played wow, they are hilarious!

Listening to:
nothing.
Reading: random blogs.
Current Show: blood ties.
Feeling: ehh.
Internet Tabs: rainy days, fbook.
Obsessing Over: guild politics and affairs of the heart.
Current Rant: my own instability.

Oxhorn's Short shorts. Prof Evil kills All Gold Farmers.

Oxhorn tells off Xfire

Inventing Swear words 5

ehh? wow!

2009-07-08T08:55:00.007-05:00

Ok, who let that horrible thing out again?! Back! Back! Back into your cage! back I say! *skreee! Crash! shutter.. click* there we go. Enough about my monsters,.. On to better things!

First of all. I really want to thank my friends. Without you, this whole lousey time o the year thing would have been a lot worse then it was. Grateful hardly even touches the depth of my feeling here. thank you. sincerely. :)

Once upon a time, in the land of Iria, there was this kitty. she wasn't very remarkable really, at least she didn't think so. but when it comes to friends, she had some of the very best. Last night, the kitty was facing having to go through a dungeon that was in just about every way superior to her meager skills. So friends gathered to help protect her along the way. Leading the pack in general, was mr Dl and his guild leader. beside him, for the most part, was the punch-packer mr Gw. (don't mess with this guy. seriously.) also gamely zooming along was the uber mr Rs and the windmilling mr Am. Kitty couldn't have been in safer hands. In fact, she didn't do much more then lift her healing wand a few times and race along in the group's wake in efforts to somehow keep up. She honestly couldn't have been more impressed/blown away by the efficiency and speed with which they dispatched the monsters. added to the realization that they did this just for her caused her to gush her thanks afterward. kitty sure is lucky to have such remarkable friends.

personally, I wish she had somehow managed pictures. :)

Just ignore it.

2009-07-02T08:13:00.014-05:00

This ...ya know, sometimes, i really think life sucks. just when you start to notice a rise in well-feeling.. like maybe -this- year will be a little brighter then the others have been around this time.. like maybe theres a bit of hope after all... and suddenly, with no real warning.. nosedive.. straight off the cliff and into the smog, swirling like some unseen witch's greenish concoction, far below.

Once again the heart has taken the reins.. and -once again- I experience the pain of such horrible tearing sadness and a futile sense of flailing about... getting no-where at all, except back into the mire of depression, which as it seems, I am forever seeking a way out from...but it just keeps sucking me irresistibly back in.

I'm not sure if any of this makes sense to those of you that might be reading this. not 100% sure I care at the moment so youl have to forgive me. I guess this too, is a part of who I am. A part of me that I can never seem shake get free of.. no matter how hard or often that I try.

oh sure, sure.. there's a reason why this happens every stinking year around this time. sure. the fact being, I miss my mom a great deal. Its like some kind of morbid death-day or something. always seems to happen right around this time, and the veneer of my happiness portrayed, fails me.. horribly, I am left exposed and crying.

So what is there to do about it? nothing that I have ever found. All I can suggest is.. smile along when I do, don't dig too deeply, forgive my random bouts of tears and growls, and hope to heaven I get over it quickly.

And for those that run up against my raw nerves and pet peeves, you -know- I'm going to howl objections and throw dark looks around the room. How I HATE when that happens! Why does it have to keep happening?!

Its nothing. I'm fine.. or.. I'm sure I will be. I -need- the comforting friendship.. and yet, in my more cool reasoning mind I know that I have no real -need- for much of anything... or anyone. Its like I seek it out though, with a kind of fevered desire, only to rail against it uselessly when I come up against it. What a totally un-reasonable, idiotic pattern!

So once again, here I sit, commiserating myself with no-one or thing to talk to.. to thump my fists uselessly against a wall and bawl like some spoilt little child who has just learned that her whole world has turned itself inside-out to face a sickly shade of puce green and life will never ..ever.. go back to the sweet comfortable way it was. no more time to even wonder if maybe there was any real or true appreciation. It's done.

The snitched candy has hit the floor and shattered into a zillion microscopic shards with no way to -ever- see its original form ...ever again. it's gone. there's no way to do more then watch and wallow now, I guess... so yeah, a reason for sure.. a need, most certainly.. and know that should I snarl, ~"Leave me alone!"~ it's not forever. I'm just being crap poor company is all.

Slam your doors if you think you must, push the button to turn it all off if you have to... knowing that each sharp noise is sending its splinters deep into my being, there to stay... even as I snarl and scream in agony.. MoM! ahh mom.. I sorely miss you! ...even now. ...forgive me for being so pathetic.

Listening to:
nothing.
Reading: nothing.
Current Show: none.
Feeling: guess.
Internet Tabs: not bothering atm.
Obsessing Over: who cares.
Current Rant: my own ineptness.