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My Three Shows
As many of you know, I've been watching Asian dramas for a couple years now. More like mini-series, most dramas have a set number of episodes and a full story arc. As it so happens, the three dramas I've been following all ended within a week of each other. So I thought I would share my thoughts.
*Warning* This post is very image heavy!!! I can talk about these dramas forever, but sometimes pictures can convey why I liked a specific show better than if I go into detail about the plot. (Note: I didn't create the screen caps myself. I've picked the images up from a variety of places, but mostly Dramabeans. (Well, at least in the case of the Korean dramas and the .gif at the very end.) I would love to post clips too since a lot of my enjoyment came from the delivery and expressions as it did from the plot, but clips have a sad way of disappearing from their hosting sites. So still images it is!)
I talked about this drama before when it first aired. Even though I had pretty major misgivings, I'm happy to say that it exceeded my expectations! Truthfully, I'm impressed that they pulled it off since the manga was a combination of this:
and this:
And, instead, the series had a lot more of this:
Now, I'm not complaining! It's been apparent since the first few chapters of the manga that Kyohei and Sunako belonged together and yet, in the manga, they still aren't together... after almost 100 chapters! So it's nice to see the two characters make it work. Even if they did trade in most of Sunako's misanthrope tenancies and made her more maternal, I suppose to conform to more mainstream Japanese gender roles. But then they also softened Kyohei up too. It was sweet watching this rather gruff guy take care of the girl that he couldn't quite let himself admit that he liked.
And even if they did soften her edges, I love how they let Sunako stay her goth-self. Even in this scene, where all the characters are dressed in traditional Japanese clothing, Sunako has a cute skull covered scarf.
I like how in the end Kyohei admited that he didn't want her to change. He liked the goth girl for who she was.
At 45 episodes, Smile, You is by far the longest Asian drama I've watched (so far). It was a sweet family drama, but, contrary to what you'd expect, the series had trouble after it was extended from its original 32 episode run. The plot started dragging, the characters started angsting and I started getting bored. But it picked itself back up and ended on a high.
The plot is about how am upper class family (the Seos), after facing financial ruin, moves in with the family of their former chauffeur (the Kangs), but mostly it's to watch everyone's personalities bounce off each other. Sometimes literally!
But the real reason I was addicted to this show was to watch the unfolding romance between the spoiled, immature youngest child of the Seo family and the sweet, dorky son of the Kang family.
There are so many reasons why you'd think these two would have nothing in common, but they brought out the best in each other. Hyun-soo is a classic beta male, but Jung-in brings out his protective side and he learns how to be aggressive and to stand up for what (and who) he believes in, without even meaning to.
Jung-in, on the other hand, was always somebody that you would want in a crisis. She strong, kind and good-humored... even if she can be bratty at times. But being head-strong got her through a lot during the course of the show.
But she didn't believe that she could be more than a pampered princess, until she has a future with Hyun-soo to fight for.
But what was really refreshing about this couple was how rather than manufacturing drama and misunderstandings, the writers just let them be happy as a couple together which never happens no matter what country the show is from and it was so much fun to watch!
More importantly, they trusted each other, so there wasn't any of that stupid melodrama that could have easily been avoided if the romantic couple just talked to each other.
It helps that they started out as friends who liked to bicker. They each liked who the other was a person and the relationship was built out of respect and admiration.
They were cute when they were just friends and almost sickeningly sweet after the got together.
Seriously, they'll give you tooth decay if you aren't careful!
I'm actually going to save Wish Upon A Star for its own separate post, since that drama turned out to be my favorite and therefore and I have an unreasonably high number of images. But as as a little teaser, here is something completely adorable from the show...
*Warning* This post is very image heavy!!! I can talk about these dramas forever, but sometimes pictures can convey why I liked a specific show better than if I go into detail about the plot. (Note: I didn't create the screen caps myself. I've picked the images up from a variety of places, but mostly Dramabeans. (Well, at least in the case of the Korean dramas and the .gif at the very end.) I would love to post clips too since a lot of my enjoyment came from the delivery and expressions as it did from the plot, but clips have a sad way of disappearing from their hosting sites. So still images it is!)
Yamato Nadeshiko Shichi Henge
I talked about this drama before when it first aired. Even though I had pretty major misgivings, I'm happy to say that it exceeded my expectations! Truthfully, I'm impressed that they pulled it off since the manga was a combination of this:
and this:
And, instead, the series had a lot more of this:
Now, I'm not complaining! It's been apparent since the first few chapters of the manga that Kyohei and Sunako belonged together and yet, in the manga, they still aren't together... after almost 100 chapters! So it's nice to see the two characters make it work. Even if they did trade in most of Sunako's misanthrope tenancies and made her more maternal, I suppose to conform to more mainstream Japanese gender roles. But then they also softened Kyohei up too. It was sweet watching this rather gruff guy take care of the girl that he couldn't quite let himself admit that he liked.
<
And even if they did soften her edges, I love how they let Sunako stay her goth-self. Even in this scene, where all the characters are dressed in traditional Japanese clothing, Sunako has a cute skull covered scarf.
I like how in the end Kyohei admited that he didn't want her to change. He liked the goth girl for who she was.
Smile, You
At 45 episodes, Smile, You is by far the longest Asian drama I've watched (so far). It was a sweet family drama, but, contrary to what you'd expect, the series had trouble after it was extended from its original 32 episode run. The plot started dragging, the characters started angsting and I started getting bored. But it picked itself back up and ended on a high.
The plot is about how am upper class family (the Seos), after facing financial ruin, moves in with the family of their former chauffeur (the Kangs), but mostly it's to watch everyone's personalities bounce off each other. Sometimes literally!
But the real reason I was addicted to this show was to watch the unfolding romance between the spoiled, immature youngest child of the Seo family and the sweet, dorky son of the Kang family.
There are so many reasons why you'd think these two would have nothing in common, but they brought out the best in each other. Hyun-soo is a classic beta male, but Jung-in brings out his protective side and he learns how to be aggressive and to stand up for what (and who) he believes in, without even meaning to.
Jung-in, on the other hand, was always somebody that you would want in a crisis. She strong, kind and good-humored... even if she can be bratty at times. But being head-strong got her through a lot during the course of the show.
But she didn't believe that she could be more than a pampered princess, until she has a future with Hyun-soo to fight for.
But what was really refreshing about this couple was how rather than manufacturing drama and misunderstandings, the writers just let them be happy as a couple together which never happens no matter what country the show is from and it was so much fun to watch!
More importantly, they trusted each other, so there wasn't any of that stupid melodrama that could have easily been avoided if the romantic couple just talked to each other.
It helps that they started out as friends who liked to bicker. They each liked who the other was a person and the relationship was built out of respect and admiration.
They were cute when they were just friends and almost sickeningly sweet after the got together.
Seriously, they'll give you tooth decay if you aren't careful!
Wish Upon A Star
I'm actually going to save Wish Upon A Star for its own separate post, since that drama turned out to be my favorite and therefore and I have an unreasonably high number of images. But as as a little teaser, here is something completely adorable from the show...
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If you're interested in checking things out, this is the first episode. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O5WjfbUHcvE) And if you want to check out the manga that it's based on that's here.
Smile, You is actually pretty long, so you might want to make sure you like the plot before you sign on. (You can find recaps here or though it might be easier if you go here and scroll down until you hit Smile. That said, I think you might like it, if only because the gender reversed Casey/Derek vibe from Hyng-soo/Jung-in. :-)
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That said, I think you might like it, if only because the gender reversed Casey/Derek vibe from Hyng-soo/Jung-in. :-)
Yup. Definitely checking it out :)
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But... if you like those, then you should check out the Korean drama Bottom of the Ninth With 2 Outs (or more commonly 9 End 2 Outs). It's about two life long best friends moving in together... which is something you can easily imagine happen to Derek & Casey.
Either way, let me know what you think of Smile, You & YNSH!