Alexandra Leaving

Like almost everyone else, it seems, I am in love with "Dream High", this season’s high-school drama that gets it right. The drama has it all: young fresh actors, musics numbers and even Taecyon. One and only possible minus is the fact that Bae Yong Joon is only in the first 4 episodes: even my 11-year old daughter thinks that he is awesome beyond belief as enigmatic director, scene-stealer, Jung Ha Myung .

For the record, after episode 6 my predictions for the ending of Dream High are:

1) I am quite sure HyeMi is going to end up with Jin Gook, after much angst and many misunderstandings.
2) I think that mysterious K is Song Sam Dong, but I am not as sure about this as I am about the pairing prediction.


Sign


As much as I like “Dream High”, the current drama episodes of which I await the most is CSI-like "Sign". I don’t even like CSI all that much, but it seems that dramas written by Kim Eun Hee ("When it's at night", "The Winter Queen", "Winter Sonata") often hit the right spot with me. It is all in the balance between dark human story, police story and love story. I tend to get a little distracted when watching dramas that are romance only. Also, this writer tends to create powerful female characters, which is always a big plus with me. Sign is no exception, and especially if you are a fan of whodunit or serial killer stories, I would really recommend to try “Sign” as well-written drama with good acting.

As far as acting goes: I think both female leads, Kim Ah Joong and Uhm Ji Won are all shades of great, and to my huge relief, the secondary lady is not "traditional Korean secondary lady full of evil bile", but an interesting multi-dimensional individual. She is my favourite so far: Uhm Ji Won, playing a prickly prosecutor Jung Woo Jin. But Kim Ah Joong is also really good as rookie pathologist Go Da Kyung.

I have always been the Park Shin Yang’s (Sign’s male lead) fan, and he hasn’t disappointed me in "Sign" , as mad professor of pathology Yoon Ji Hoon. BUT! I must confess that I am much more interested in the second lead, police investigator Choi Yi Han, played by hunky Jung Gyu Woon.

My predictions:
I think this drama is going to go the way of two separate OTPS, Go Da Kyung/ Yoon Ji Hoon and Jung Woo Jin/ Yoon Ji Hoon, at least I hope so. In the episode 4, we had both couples performing the act that spells OTP like nothing else in Korean drama: namely, piggy-backing. YAY! I love two separate OTP stories in general, and it will be particular nice to see the gorgeous Choi Yi Han getting the lady!

( Non-spoilery promo pictures, a little too heavy on Jung Gyu Woon )

The subtitles for the first 10 episodes of this 20-episode historical fusion drama are finally out. I have watched 13 episodes so far and the drama is most excellent. I must share the love!!!! "The Painter of the Wind" isn't doing exceptionally well in the Korean ratings (stays usually around the 5th place) but, as it was with "Mawang", I can understand why. Even with all it's winning historical gorgeousness and fast-moving complex plot this is quite an unusual and outstanding drama.



What is so great about "The painter of the wind" (with illustrations)?

1. This is a drama about a girl: stubborn, talented, loyal, unconventional, living way before the time is ready for the girls like her. Korean painter Shin Yoon Bok is apparently a real historical figure of much controversy. In the drama, she pretends to be a boy so that she can be allowed to study painting. She is AWESOME (and played by the lovely Moon Geun Young). dangermousie posted once that Korean dramas are often woman-centric, but "Painter of the Wind" is by far (with the exception of Hwang Jin Yi) is the most women-centric drama I have seen.

2. Shin Yoon Bok makes women-centric paintings (which was a no-no of that era) and some of them can be described as pr0n of her days. I am so glad that "The Painter of the Wind" gave me a chance to find more about the Korean style of painting, so intricate , light and detail-loving.

( Some of the real paintings of the artist )

3. Shin Yoon Bok has a meaningful and beautiful relationship with another girl, a young courtesan Jeong Hyang (Moon Chae Won). I am not sure if Jeong Hyang knows that Shin Yoon Bok is not a boy, but I think she does.

( OTP Number 1: Shin Yoon Bok/Jeong Hyang )

4. There is a teacher/pupil relationship of much greatness between Shin Yoon Bok and her teacher Kim Hong Do (Park Shin Yang). When I first started watching "The Painter.." I thought that the love story between them is the main hub of the drama. After 13 episodes I don't think it is as much about love as about friendship and teaching/learning but I still adore them together. Shin Yoon Bok has a major crush on eccentric Kim Hong Do and Kim Hong Do's feelings can be describes as "I love this boy. For me to do anything about it is totally badwrong and instead I'll just sacrifice myself for him".

( OTP Number 2: Shin Yoon Bok and her teacher Kim Hong Do: )

( The rest of the reasons, no spoilers )

Friday! So far my week has been spent in organising meetings for the Epic Project and leading them. It all seems to be a roaring success so far but - Do any of you spend much time leading meetings and such? I think you are awesome.

Also today is a day of a sleepover for Sasha's friend which should culminate in swimming pool visit tomorrow. Wish me luck! Other people's child + swimming pool = I am panicking about "What if something happens?" . Fortunately the child in question can swim very well.

Bae Yong Joon pictures
But considering all of the above today is definitely a day to post a collection of pictures of Bae Yong Joon!!

( Some of the new photos of Bae Yong Joon )

( In a case you are thinking if you should watch Hotelier or not )

( In a case you are thinking if you should watch The Legend or not )

( Who has the best profile of ever? (No, this is not a question) )

( Bae Yong Joon in a teddy-bear form )

Park Shin Yang

I don't want to make my latest favourite Park Shin Yang (fabulous "Money's Warfare") upset so I post about him a bit too. I have been sneakily checking posts about my favourite actors on Rather snarky blog pop-seul after dangermousie's rec. I am very relieved they seem to think very highly of Park Shin Yang and "Money's Warfare" (Here:why-korea-cant-stop-yapping-about-money-warfare). He is called to be a top-class actor and "Money's Warfare" (my latest favourite drama) is named to be the latest "thing" in Korea.

( Pictures of Park Shin Yang with a teddy-bear. Because he deserved his own teddy-bear too )