Hwarang: The Poet Warrior Youth

This was supposed to be one of the first PSJ dramas that I should've watched but I couldn't get past Episode 1 because I was OC-ing over their long hair which I was itching to cut. But since Park Hyung-sik was also there, I resolved to get past my irritation and finish it pordalab.

True enough, it's an enjoyable drama in a sense of all the oppas that's in the series. Your eyes will never go tired watching all those boys traipsing around town either wearing their Hwarang robes or their "sports" attires.

The series aired on December 2016 to February 2017 but unlike the other dramas, this was shot before the premier. It starred Park Seo-joon, Go A-ra and Park Hyung-sik.

The series revolved around a group of young men who were recruited by the Queen to join the "Hwarang" during the time of the Silla Kingdom. Though the males were supposedly drafted to promote art and culture but their purpose were somehow blurred to become soldiers to protect the royal family.

Sharing my live tweets while watching the series:

Gwapo ng mga kainuman ko. Geonbae! pic.twitter.com/2VyUSzRzwK

— Shine ☀️ 빛 (@sunshi_fairy) August 4, 2018

WHAT I LIKE ABOUT IT

The Flower Boys

Eye candy everywhere! I was smiling while watching the series. Let's go through them one by one:

• Park Seo-joon - no explanation needed. I love him. Period.
• Park Hyung-sik - both he and PSJ are my number one oppas. I love him. Period.
• Choi Min-ho (from the Kpop group Shinee) - I liked the way he looked here compared to his look whenever he's singing with his band
• Kim Tae-hyung or V(from the wildly popular group, BTS) - I can't understand why he has to change his look while he's singing. I like him better when he's not wearing make-up or coloring his hair
• Do Ji-han - bad boy turned good. He was always angry but when he smiled, he's actually handsome.
• Cho Yoo-woo - he's supposed to be the most beautiful among the flower boys but he's not my type but he does have a certain charm

The Shower Scenes

If I remember it right, they had a couple. This first one was right after their master threw up on them.



The other one was when they were learning the steps for their group dance.



The Group Dance Practice and Actual Group Dance

The practice was hilarious as half of them were graceful while the other half were like bumbling buffoons! A friend noticed that you would know who came from a Kpop group and who did not.



Don't forget the gif!

Hwarang Dance GIF from Hwarang GIFs

Seeing them do the actual dance made me want to stand up and giving them a round of applause!



The Soccer Match

This was very beautiful to watch. They looked so graceful and athletic (of course, most of it was with the help of wires) that you can't help but cheer for them as well.



The OST

There were several songs that I like in this series:

- Wherever You Are by Han Dong Geun



- Our Tears by Hyolyn (as well as Park Seo-joon's version)





- The Divine Move (A Move of God) by Yoseob


- I'll Be Here by Park Hyung-sik

The Korean History and Cultural Lessons

Watching this made me research on the history of Korea. After watching all the Sageuk themed dramas, I somehow had an idea that Korea used to be three kingdoms. Silla, where the drama was set, was one of those three kingdoms.

Their culture, especially the way they dress, is different from Goryo. I was used to seeing the females having their hair up wearing those elaborate pieces, but here, they had their locks down--even the men (which drove me crazy). I already had a hard time determining the men from the women and having them not put up their hair made things more difficult.

The Bromance

I love the bromance between the Hwarang boys--not only with PSJ and PHS but among the boys. Seeing how they supported for each other and grieved for those who died showed their camaraderie and closeness. I also liked how Ban-ryu (Do Ji-han) changed for the better when he realized how better it was to be with his friends.

Lee Kwang-soo

I first saw him while watching Running Man and I never realized that he was an actor. All the while, I thought he was just a crazy comedian because of his wild antics in the reality show. It was a treat seeing him in Hwarang, albeit short. Will watch his other series for sure.

WHAT I DON'T LIKE ABOUT IT

The Story

It started off ok but managed to get iffy towards the end. I wish they focused more on the brotherhood of the Hwarang instead of the love story between Ah-ro (Go A-ra) and Dog-bird (Park Seo-joon). It might have solidified the decision that they made in the end. In fact, I was expecting for Dog-bird to do the opposite as he had more claim to the throne than the Crown Prince.

The Second Lead Syndrome

Like in She Was Pretty, I was not rooting for PSJ to get the girl. PHS' character, the Crown Prince, saw Kim Ah-ro (Go A-ra) first and worked hard to make her love him. But she ended up with Dog-bird instead by some weird twist of fate. Maybe that's why I didn't like the love angle in the end.

RATING

Giving this four tissue boxes because I enjoyed it and received fair warning to not dwell much on the story. All those oppas and PSJ and PHS made this drama so worth it.

Leaving you with the guest appearance of the Hwarang Boys (PSJ, PHS and Choi Min-ho) in 2 Days 1 Night (I never realized that one person could be so unlucky!) as well as the Behind the Story of Hwarang. Both are enjoyable to watch!







Watched: August 3-6, 2018

Because This is My First Life

I'm deviating from my format of posting reviews of series that I've watched chronologically to write this. I just finished this and I'm in awe of this beautifully crafted and written show.

Because This is My First Life aired last October to November 2017 at tvN. The same network that showed my favorites--Goblin and What's Wrong with Secretary Kim, among others. The series starred Lee Min-ki and Jung So-min.

I'm excited to have seen a lot of familiar faces in the drama as its an attestation of how much dramas I've already watched:

• First of, the two leads appeared in cameos as the parents of a young Kim Mi-so in What's Wrong with Secretary Kim (After finishing this, I immediately watched Episode 10 of WWWSK).
• The boss of the male lead also appeared in What's Wrong with Secretary Kim as a blind date of Kim Mi-so.
• The boyfriend of one of the female lead's bestfriends also appeared as a soldier in Descendants of the Sun.
• One of the senior co-writers of the female lead was the flamboyant boss in She Was Pretty.
• The director of the drama that the female lead was writing for appeared as a defendant in Suspicious Partner.

WHAT I LIKE ABOUT IT

The Story

I thought that the plot was something that I've read in my romance novels--both parties entered into a marriage of convenience only to fall in love with each other along the way. However, I liked the way the writer, Yoon Nan-joong, tackled that angle.

You would think that if two people of the opposite sex lived together and suddenly developed a sexual attraction, there would be a lot of sexual innuendos. That was not the case here. There are however, a lot of life learnings and different perspectives.

Nam Se-hee (Lee Min-ki) is an eccentric computer programmer who contracted Yoon Ji-ho (Jung So-min) as a tenant. They married soon after when they realized the advantages that it would bring them. Ji-ho figured later on that she loved him and ended their contract.

This is where I really didn't get it. If she did love him, why did she not just continue the contract and lived as a real husband and wife? Later on, I concluded that she must've wanted to start anew without the complications of marriage (e.g. expectations of in-laws and friends) and that she wanted to "force" Se-hee out of his shell. He has always contained his emotions and she does not want to have a marriage based on that.

There were a lot of references to fiction and non-fiction literature all throughout the series--not surprising considering that Ji-ho is a literature major. My favorite one is pertaining to the book To Room 19 by Doris Lessing. It's about a seemingly perfect married couple with the wife wanting to have space for herself. Initially, the husband put aside a room in the second floor for her but the kids still entered the place. She eventually rented a small motel room and went there several hours a day just to do nothing. She kept this a secret from her husband and family as she treasured her space as it's only there that she can be herself.

Ji ho used Room 19 as an analogy describing their secret space which neither partner can enter. She wanted to find out what was inside Se-hee's Room 19. She ended their marriage because she's scared of what she will find in that room and how it will affect their relationship.

The Two Leads

Lee Min-ki's character needed some getting used to. He was literally a blank slate--like Kim Soo-hyun's character in My Love from the Star. I'm used to watching dramas with me falling in love with the Oppa male lead. But when Se-hee he started to show emotion, he slowly changed to being human and oppa-ble.

I found Jung So-min so beautiful here. She's my other girl crush next to Park Min-young. You would think that she's meek and quiet but she belied that by the strength she showed when she left her job.

I loved their sensitive portrayals and how they gave life to the written characters.

The Lessons and Quotable Quotes

Whenever I watch a Korean drama, I usually pick up something new. This show was no exception.

There was this touching moment between Se-hee and Ji-ho's mother before the wedding ceremony. Ji-ho's mom asked Se-hee to let her daughter continue writing after they get married and not let her live like her mother. Se-hee said that his wife's heart is really strong and she doesn't do anything that will make her unhappy. He will not stand in the way of her happiness and that is all that he will promise her. The mother then said something very poignant--"Just because you're married, it doesn't mean you have to make her happy. What can make anyone else happy?" 

People think that marriage is the one-all and be-all of happiness; that getting married means that they can live happily ever after. It's not usually the case. Marriage is a journey and a relationship that involves numerous complicated elements. It takes years to master these aspects and involves a lot of trial and error.
I initially thought that I will not get married, that I will live my life in the state of single blessedness. I already started making plans on how to live my life with that scenario in mind and decided to be happy about it. Happiness should only come from yourself and not be dependent on anything or anyone. 

"But I don't think marriage is sacred. Love is a sacred thing."
This is a different perspective that I managed to gather from this drama. I come from a culture and religion that considers marriage as holy--what God has joined together let no man put asunder. (Mark 10:9)  Up to now, we are the only country left in the world that considers divorce unlawful. We were taught to save the marriage at all costs and to fight for our husbands and family.
This aspect looks at marriage that should have love in it--and not just something "fortunate". In the olden times, marriage was used for political and monetary reasons. Only a few are lucky enough to be in love with each other when they were joined in matrimony. This has changed over the times with love being the reason for marriage. Throughout the relationship, love then changes over time depending on how each partner handles it. Sometimes it turns to hate but for others, it turns to respect and a deep sense of commitment.
Personally, I'm a believer of divorce as it gives spouses who are victims of abuse a way out. Moreover, if your marriage is healthy and solid, divorce shouldn't scare you. I guess it just takes political will for it to happen.

"What matters is spending time with the person next to you, right this moment, no matter what.
That's why even today we focus on loving each other and to those living this moment with all my sincerity, I wish you the best of luck. Because this is everyone's first life."
Ji-ho narrated this towards the end of the final episode. It somehow espouses the idea of "You Only Live Once" which I'm not comfortable with but I do agree that we only have one life to live so we should make the most out of it.

The Supporting Characters

The story of the supporting characters are also interesting to follow, especially the story of Ji-hee's bestfriends, as they are relatable and familiar.

Yang Ho-rang (Kim Ga-eun) has been in a relationship with her boyfriend, Kim Min-seok (Sim Won-seok) for seven years and has been dropping hints of getting married. Being busy on making his start-up app a success, he did not get the hints which led to them arguing and eventually breaking up.

I've known people who are like Ho-rang and I was almost like that once. I was already past 30 and though my boyfriend and I have only been together for 2 years, I knew that he was the One. But unlike Min-seok and Ho-rang, I've always been transparent and knew of my partner's plans (finish his MBA). My patience paid off and he proposed (albeit unromantically) on July 12 years ago.

There was also the relationship of Woo Su-ji (Esom) and Ma Sang-goo (Park Byung-eun). Su-ji worked for a corporate office and has always maintained casual relationships because she does not want to lose sight of her goal. Sang-goo, the boss of Se-hee, fell in love with Su-ji and fervently did everything to win her affections.

Su-ji's character is interesting because as a person working in the corporate world, I've met people like her--though I'm not saying that they also maintain casual affairs, but females with strong personalities and with a goal in mind. I admire their drive to reach their goals and how they manage their life without a partner.

By the final episode, I was excitedly curious on what their choices will be.

The OST

This song is currently on repeat in my Spotify Kdrama playlist. Definitely my new LSS.



WHAT I DON'T LIKE ABOUT IT

Really depends on other watchers but it's mostly a "talkies" drama meaning not much happening on screen. You have to really pay attention to the subtitles as there are a lot of narrations. But I guess that's part of the technique.

RATING

I give this drama, 5 tissue boxes! So worth the watch!

Watched: August 23-26, 2018

Kill Me, Heal Me

I watched this as part of my PSJ marathon. Though he's second lead here, I've heard great things about the main, Ji Sung. The other main, Hwang Jung-eum starred with Park Seo-joon in She Was Pretty. Although this was the reason why they had that series together because of their chemistry in this drama. This aired from January to March 2015.

The story revolves around the idea of multiple personality disorder and how Cha Do-hyun (Ji Sung) dealt with it.

Oh Ri-jin (Hwang Jung-eum) is a psychiatrist who was hired to treat Do-hyun and in the process, encountered all his other personalities. Oh Ri-on is Ri-jin's twin bother who was actually a blockbuster fiction writer in secret.

WHAT I LIKE ABOUT IT

The Story
The plot and its reveals deserves a standing ovation. The last twist made my jaw drop and I had to point at the screen and shout in astonishment. It was just awesome!
When I watch something, I usually try to guess the outcome and more often than not, I'm right. But this one, I really did not get it at all that's why I was so surprised! I never expected that curve ball! Though I want to discuss it in detail, I don't want somebody reading this who haven't watched it be disappointed.
It's interesting to note that the writer of this series, Jin Soo-wan, was also the writer of my other favorite drama, Moon Embracing the Sun.

Ji Sung
He was just a revelation. Portraying 5 or 6 different characters one after the other can be difficult but he did so with flair. Other actors would opt for a costume change but in his case, it was not necessary (although I think the director did it to not confuse the viewer). He altered his pitch, his mannerisms and his voice to fit the personality of who he was portraying. I am just at awe of him.
I have a crush on one of the personalities of Cha Do-hyun, Shin Se-gi. He's sort of the "bad boy" personality and he appears whenever Do-hyun experiences violence. I used to wonder why these guys wear make-up but the eyeliners are really growing on me. It makes them look more sexy.

Shin Se Gi Killme Healme GIF from Shinsegi GIFs

The Bromance
The scenes of Ji Sung and PSJ together were just hilarious especially when Oh Ri-on met the other personalities of Cha Do-hyun. They really deserve to win the Best Couple Award!



The OST
There are a lot of ear-worm songs in this drama. One of them, Auditory Hallucination is featured in the clip below:



Park Seo-joon also has a song featured in the series. It's one of my favorites:


Quotable Quotes
I found myself pausing in the middle of an episode because I wanted to take down the lines being uttered by the actors.

"My imagination decides the size of my fear. Fear is something created by oneself, and is the fruit of one's imagination. So now, confront your past. Don't waste your imagination on your past that has already been concluded. Imagination should be left over for the future. For the sake of the future what's going to happen ahead." - Mr. X, Episode 20

- The above is my favorite quote, especially the part on imagination being left for the future. There's no use in dwelling in the past because it's already done and we cannot change it. We should spend more of our energy in preparing for the future.

"There is a dark basement in everyone's hearts. If ignored and is only observed, the darkness becomes thicker. You should muster your courage and go downstairs, then turn on the light. If you're scared when alone, someone can hold your hand." Cha Do-hyun, Episode 20

"No matter how scary the nightmare, it will always end sometimes." Cha Do-hyun, Episode 13

"If it folds in one go, then it's thank you. If you open it up again, then it's lingering attachment. If you open it twice, then it's sadness. If you open it three times, it's pain. After unfolding it over and over again and it becomes ragged, that's how the heart gets ripped. And when ripped, just deal with it until you become numb. That's how it is." - Oh Ri-on (Episode 13)

- It took awhile for me to understand what the above quote meant and when I did, it sounded cool, especially the last part. A broken heart can really be painful and one would tend to wallow in that pain. But however painful it is, you really have to deal with it and later on, it will get better.

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE ABOUT IT

Hwang Jung-eum
I cannot unremember her from She Was Pretty and she was again screaming and overacting in the first episode. I had to turn down, again, the volume of my speaker as my ears were hurting. Fortunately, she was more quiet towards the middle and end of the series.

Lover's Resolution
In the dramas I've watched, I always look for the happy ending of the main leads. Though this one ended with them together, I was looking for something else--like if they're getting married or what. I'm too old to still believe in "...they got married and lived happily ever after." but I'm still a child at heart.

RATING
I give this a rating of five tissue boxes. Definitely one of my favorites! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

Watched: July 22-28, 2018

She Was Pretty

Continuing on with my PSJ marathon, I chose to watch this next. Of course, starring Park Seo-joon, Hwang Jung-eum, Go Joon-hee and Choi Si-won. This drama premiered September 2015 and ran until November same year.

PSJ's younger character, Ji Sung-joon, used to be unattractive and was bullied around by other kids, while his friend, Kim Hye-jin played by Jwang Jung-eum, was very pretty and popular among their peers. When Ji Sung-joon moved to the US with his father, they lost track of each other.

When Sung-joon returned to Korea for a work assignment, he found a way to contact Hye-jin and scheduled to meet with her. When she saw how good-looking her childhood friend turned out to be, she asked her bestfriend, Min Ha-ri (Go Joon-hee), to pretend to be her.

As fate would have it, she got a job in the same publication that Sung-joon works and after seeing her, he belittled her appearance and even mistreated her because of her ineptitude. However, Hye-jin was befriended by a senior editor, Kim Shin-hyuk (Choi Si-won) who eventually fell in love with her even before her physical make-over.

WHAT I LIKE ABOUT IT

Park Seo-joon
Yes, it's a given that PSJ is one of the reasons why I like this series and why I watched it. However, unlike his previous dramas, I initially did not like his character here. He was very rude to the girl and was rather curt and abrasive.

Funny Park Seo Joon GIF from Funny GIFs

He did however mellow down throughout the series and like his other dramas, was again blessed with a topless and shower scene.

I couldn't resist NOT taking a screen cap.

Choi Si-won
When I started watching this, I had no idea that Si-won was part of the famous Korean boy band, Super Junior. One of my friends just told me when I was almost halfway through the series. Even if I only started watching K Dramas this year, I've heard of Super Junior since 2012. That's why I laughed when they mentioned this in their conversation.

It was because of Si-won that I experienced for the first time, the Second Lead Syndrome. Though I love PSJ, I really wanted Si-won to get the girl here. He worked hard to get her and even fell in love with Jackson (that's what he called the character of Hye-jin) even before her beauty transformation. I cried more for him that PSJ. Hmph.

I also found his character very entertaining and amusing. It's one of the reasons why I was rooting for him more. Found this clip from Youtube showing his hilarious moments in the series.




The Bromance

The gif says it all. Even if they're after the same girl, Si-won still manages to give him hell. Hehe.

Siwon She Was Pretty GIF from Siwon GIFs

The Blowout
When the truths began to unfold, I liked it that the expected blowout between the bestfriends did not happen. If it was a typical drama (like what we have here locally), there would've been a lot of shouting, hair-pulling and slapping. But their confrontation happened with a quiet grace and the understanding of a real best friend. It was really touching and heartwarming to watch. I'm not sure though, if that could happen in real life.

The Cameos
I did a lot of finger pointing when I rewatched Episode 9 again and saw cameos of some of my other oppas--Park Hyung-sik and Lee Joon-gi! Apparently, the footage was taken from the Seoul Drama Awards red carpet. Nevertheless, it was a little thrill to see them suddenly appear in the middle of the episode.


WHAT I DON'T LIKE ABOUT IT

The Female Lead Character
She was really over the top here. I can't believe that a human being can be that clumsy. Moreover, she was so loud that whenever she screeches, my ears would hurt that I would bring the volume down. I'm not sure if the character was written that way or if the actress portraying her chose to play her that way.

The Lies and Deception
There were too many lies and deceptions happening in the first part of the story that it was painful to watch. I actually skipped most part of an episode because of Ha-ri's lying and Hye-jin's inability to say who she really was.

RATING

Rating this two tissue boxes as it's not one of my favorites. Still giving it a two because of PSJ.

Edit: 8/4/21 Changing the rating to three tissue boxes because PSJ and CSW

Watched: July 8-10, 2018