Thoughts on "Kurosagi","Pride","My girl", "Winter Sonata" + "things I find interesting in doramas"

[alexandral]

Note: Cross-posted to dorama_chat , Here

This is where things go wrong – I am watching more then 4 Asian dramas at once!!!!

Kurosagi

I am almost at the end of this Japanese drama about a young Robin-Hood in the world of swindlers. I could have finished watching the end episode a hundred times already, but I keep hesitating. "Kurosagi" is just so good, I don’t want for it to finish. I definitely give it more then 8/10 (and I need to update my dorama ratings list).

What do I like so much about it:

-- Yamapi. I love love the expression Yamapi is constantly wearing as Kurosagi. That one of hidden pain and concrete protective walls for his soul. I am a little worried Yamapi will get a tension headache from doing this, though :). Yes, my feelings are sort of maternal. :)

-- Tsurara. Tsurara is strong, resilient, ready to stand up for her beliefs. But at the same time she is gentle, quiet, feminine sort of girl. Take me right, sometimes I like my loud-mouth eccentric heroines too, but it is so nice that ones I a while we get a real “young lady” of a heroine who at the same time is not at all wimpy or anything like that.

-- Yamapi/Tsurara is the alpha and omega of all OTP.

- Interesting psychological issues. Fathers and children, predestination and making of one’s own destiny. Are things in our life all black-and-white or are they different shades of grey?

-- Devious Katsuragi. He is definitely a spider if this big web of swindlers, but at the same time one can’t help but notice the warm (almost paternal) feelings he has for Kurosagi and Tsurara. It seems like these feelings are against his will and he is trying to hide them.

And all this is a good excuse to indulge in Kurosagi/Yamapi pic spam:





Pride

--I have watched 4 episodes of this ice hockey drama with inimitable Takuya Kimura. I am not sure hpw much I like it yet (but it is a drama with Takuya). Halu is awesome, reminds me an older version of Shinkai from "Good luck". The coach Hyodo Yuichiro is fascinating, and his relationship with Halu has much depth too, but again he reminds me so much of captain Kouda from "Good luck" (though Kouda is way more attractive :).

--Aki is lovely as a last-century type of girl (and I love love this in fiction, when a heroine is a lady-like type rather then a most prevalent tomboyish type), BUT – I do not know yet.

Winter Sonata

--I have watched few of the episodes of this drama about childhood love and lost parents, largely assisted by "skip forward" button. I must say that it is way too long, and even boring for me. Too much crying as well. I think I am going to give it a miss for now.

My Girl

--EEEE! I have watched 3 episodes. It is totally delightful and funny, I like it very much , but not to death yet. The main heroine Joo Yoo-rin reminds me of Ji Eun in “Full House” and the main hero Gong-chan reminds me of Min Hyuk from “Full House”. Though this is a very welcome thing for me because it means that re-incarnated version of Min Hyuk did win the girl at the end!!! YAY! I think I will have hours and hours of fun with this one!!



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Things I find interesting in Asian dramas

One gets a feel of the world’s continuing globalization. It seems that our surroundings and the way we behave could be just the same in any part of the world. But recently, in Asian dramas, certain things have caught my eye:

-- The things producing steam in the hospitals/near the beds of sick people in Korean dramas. What are they for? Steam is good for the sick????

--Certain gestures: like “Bang” gesture is often used in Japanese dramas, and finger “Victory” gesture in Korean dramas. I am wondering if these things are common in the society too.

-- This actually fascinates me very much – wherever somebody says "farewell" in Korean dramas, their last worlds often are "Eat well, sleep well, etc." This constantly reminds me of the Chinese way to say “drink more water” when someone is sick (koalathebear)

-- And I wonder where from "aja –aja fighting" expression comes from??

-- I wonder if anyone can think of more examples, or possibly explanations??

Comments

[endlessdeep.livejournal.com]

The screencaps are gorgeous.

I have a cousin who has been living in Japan for about the past 5 years. Her husbands job took them over there. Anyway, she will be home for Christmas and I will ask her about the jestures. She usually has lots of stories to tell, so if there is anything interesting culturally I will pass it on. :)

[alexandral.livejournal.com]

The screencaps are gorgeous.

I was just commenting to queenofthorns "Guily pleasure" post that though I seem to be getting older, I seem to have a recent penchant for the young Asian fictional characters. :D. Purely fictional attractions, though! Guilty ones too! I am so not like this in RL.

And thank you very much for the offer - I am getting to be very interested in Japan and Korea.

[endlessdeep.livejournal.com]

That's what fandom is all about...guilty pleasures. It's fun. :)

Someone at 100x100_brushes posted some Japanese writing brushes with the English word included. They would probably look good on some of your icons.

[alexandral.livejournal.com]

That's what fandom is all about...guilty pleasures. It's fun. :)

** sigh of relief **.

They would probably look good on some of your icons.

Thank you so much for the rec! I have already uploaded them - they are beautiful as well as interesting!

[koalathebear.livejournal.com]

In looking a the images, I'm not into JE but I think I agree with you that Yamapi is cute - maybe it's his larger eyes and expressive face. The other one - Kame, he is much more feminine-looking and often looks as though he's wearing cosmetics so although he's a very good-looking man, he's a little too girlish for my fancy. Yamapi looks a bit like Kimura - he manages to be very good-looking without quite being girlish.

I'm not sure about the steam in Korea but even in the west, people do suggest putting vapour rub/eucalyptus oil in boiling water and then inhaling :D

[alexandral.livejournal.com]

In looking a the images, I'm not into JE but I think I agree with you that Yamapi is cute - maybe it's his larger eyes and expressive face. The other one - Kame, he is much more feminine-looking and often looks as though he's wearing cosmetics so although he's a very good-looking man, he's a little too girlish for my fancy. Yamapi looks a bit like Kimura - he manages to be very good-looking without quite being girlish.

YAY! Yamapi is my favourite actor in JE at the moment. I know what you say about Kame - I was quite unsure at fisrt (I am as you know quite an old lady and have some old-fashioned standards of beauty :D). I think what "got me" is his ability to act. He is really very heart-breaking on the screen. If fact it was the same for me with Takyua, I never felt "OMPH, he is such a gorgeous man" at first ; I "learned" to adore him through his acting, his cute facial expressions, etc.

I'm not sure about the steam in Korea but even in the west, people do suggest putting vapour rub/eucalyptus oil in boiling water and then inhaling :D

Oh, thank you! miss_dian told me that the steaming machines one sees in the dorama hospitals are also common in Japan, to humidify the air.

I watched a little more of "Pride" and it gets to be really nice!!! ( I gues you must have seen everything with Takyua :D)