Rants and Weekly Raves #39 (RAWR)
I am drowning in puppies. There will be men, soon, right? I need at least ONE fantasy that doesn't make me feel like I should make a confession.
I just watched Gangnam Blues a couple nights ago and saw a whoooooooooole lotta Kim Rae Won. Like all of him, minus a key 6" square piece of prime real estate, and that only because it was buried elsewhere. In action, from just about every angle that you would care to see. I did not rewind more than once, though. Just the one time, plus the one rewind, with maybe a little pause. It was more than I would have asked for but you know, he worked so hard in that scene, it felt wrong not to show proper appreciation.
Oh yes. K-movies are ... dangerous. Cause they really don't hold back on the sexery. Hence, I know: Joo Sang-wook has a great ass. And he plays assholes really well, too!
Is this scene from a movie?Yup, a bad one. It's called "90 Minutes". Don't watch it.
I like a puppy, in theory. I do. I never did back when they would have been age appropriate, that's the odd part for me. No, then I wanted their older brothers, or perhaps their fairly young uncles. Okay, sometimes their fathers. Perhaps now that I'm older I just have more appreciation for the beauty evidenced by a truly finely sequenced section of DNA? I take comfort in the knowledge that a puppy standing in front of me would draw no more than a sidelong glance, as they are generally idiots who should not attempt conversation beyond 'Would you like that latte with whole or skim milk, ma'am?' If they smile, I will give them a good tip.... but nothing else. But this knowledge does not comfort me very much when I realize I'm hoping the camera pans down just a bit further while someone's 17-year-old son takes a shower on screen, nor when I realize I'm ogling someone about whom I would tell my own child 'he's too young for you.'
Yep. And I think, if the roles were reversed, and it was a man my age ogling a teenage girl, I'd be icked out to no end, so I can't play double-standards. The other thing is, I think as we grow older, we realize older men or men our age aren't necessarily much better, and they're looking for younger women, and the younger men are so attractive now, that it's more fun to look for younger ones.
In other words, I'm looking forward to Prince Shin and Vampire Prosecutor. And Joo Sang Wook, even as an overdressed Mexican wrestler. Why can't we have a Liar Game Two? Where's THOSE guys?
Yes, where are you, Shinichi and Kim Ji-hoon? Come back to me! And Jo In-sung! And Jang Hyuk, even though we just had him.
Ahh, but you can have Jang Hyuk over and over again without tiring. There's no such thing as too much Hyuk.
No, you're right, we can't have too much Jang Hyuk. Come back to us, Jang Hyuk!
I haven't seen the end yet ... I know I should make some gifs for you! But I'm just enjoying this blog-less life too much...
Hwajung
I'm very much still stuck on Hwajung and on
Producer. I'll be visiting family next week, so I think I'll only watch
those two shows if I'm able to. Hwajung, so far, is going well. I
don't like cross-dressing, but Lee Yeonhee isn't so womanly as most
other cross-dressing women in kdrama; her figure is very straight and
flat like a runway model's. So, although she's feminine, it's
believable someone clueless like the hero won't see her as a woman and
that she can pass as a boy at first glance. What I don't get is, why
not just say she is a eunuch when people do question her? Or would that
be more dangerous?
I enjoy it, especially the 'behind the scenes' stuff. Maybe it's because we've got a solid history of those 'peek behind the curtain' stories on American TV?
I enjoy it - they've downplayed the food a bit this time around, which is good because I found the table manners really atrocious last time around. I know, I know, different strokes. But for the sound of slurping and chewing, and watching people struggle to manage the enormous mouthfuls they've taken - not enjoyable. I loved the people last year, all of them. This year I'm not as invested in everyone but I TOTALLY love the slow fall for Dae Young and Writer Baek. I feel kinda bad for what's his face, he's not a bad guy, but hey, everyone can't win.
Somehow, just not as interested... I do like the weird guy, and I want to know what happened with everyone, but I'm not all that interested in a screeching fight each week and that's kind of holding me back.
In a weird way, this makes you sympathetic to the "weaker" party. Which, god help me, is Boyd Crowder. Damn, how did they manage to make me like him?! I feel like I need to go confess to a priest about this! But by giving him an honest dream and giving him a soft (do I want to even call it cuddly?!) side when he is with Ava, this show turns him into the lesser evil among all the evil evils that populate the Justified universe. Give the man his peace! Give him a happy life as a family man. Please! No, he hasn't earned it. But he is so earnest about things. And he has the best lines (In Nick "Nicky" Augustine's words: "I love the way you talk ... using 40 words where 4 will do" or "I'm gonna need Google translator on my phone if I'm gonna keep talking to you".). I think I have a little crush. DAMN.
Of course, the show does something else by making him (at least partially) vulnerable. They introduce a certain fear in the viewer that it will all fall apart. Cause damn, Raylan also appears vulnerable! He has nothing to hold onto anymore now that Winona is gone and keeps lying about being fine, when he clearly is NOT (that said, I love how they go to the bitter end in this father-son relationship. It's brutal, but refreshingly honest. Any kind of forgiveness or growing closer would have been against character. I love it, even though it hurts to see). This whole season is full of this creeping unease, this fear that everything will go to hell. There is no safe territory for any of the characters anymore. Whatever they gain for themselves one moment, they could lose the next. So: I keep waiting for Boyd to be shot dead. I keep waiting for Ava to go to prison. I keep waiting for cousin Johnny to be found out. I keep waiting for one of the bad guys to find out Raylan has a kid on the way. And I keep waiting for Raylan to severely misstep - cause he is toeing that thin red line between right and wrong with increasing carelessness.
Okay, this weekend I catch up to you.
I'll be starting Season 5 this weekend :))
Then I better get cracking! *Update: cracking, I have not been.
OOOOoookay, gawd, this show is so awesome, OMFG, they get each and every tiny little side character right too! Can we get a standing ovation for little Constable Bob?! And the major side characters, I LOVE THEM! Art Mullen! Tim Gutterson! Rachel Brooks! And now, Season 5.
And now, done with 5. I haven't got to say too much about it... only that my heart bleeds for Ava and Boyd Crowder. Dammit, show.
You're describing my current problem with KDrama, JoAnne! Puppies just don't do it for me. Not one of them. I need them above 30 and post-army. Where are my guys?! And come on, Joo Sang-wook as weird-masked prosecutor doesn't count. DAMN, I want him in TEN goddamitcantheymakeithappenalready?!
Jaehyus (formerly S@ki6): TEN was that good, eh?
It's complicated.
It's complicated.
Oh yes. K-movies are ... dangerous. Cause they really don't hold back on the sexery. Hence, I know: Joo Sang-wook has a great ass. And he plays assholes really well, too!
Is this scene from a movie?Yup, a bad one. It's called "90 Minutes". Don't watch it.
Yep. And I think, if the roles were reversed, and it was a man my age ogling a teenage girl, I'd be icked out to no end, so I can't play double-standards. The other thing is, I think as we grow older, we realize older men or men our age aren't necessarily much better, and they're looking for younger women, and the younger men are so attractive now, that it's more fun to look for younger ones.
Yes, where are you, Shinichi and Kim Ji-hoon? Come back to me! And Jo In-sung! And Jang Hyuk, even though we just had him.
Ahh, but you can have Jang Hyuk over and over again without tiring. There's no such thing as too much Hyuk.
No, you're right, we can't have too much Jang Hyuk. Come back to us, Jang Hyuk!
Masked Prosecutor
Damn, Joo Sang-wook is SO HOT. But not in that stupid mask. And not in this stupid drama.
Falling for Innocence
Loved the end of Falling for Innocence because Min Ho didn't die and because Joon Hee got screwed by Gold Company, even though it was full of ENORMOUS plot holes. Tell us he has a suspended sentence (Min Ho) then tell us he got two years prison and 3 years suspended, have him collapse from complete rejection of his donor heart and then 3 months later he's coming back from the US where he's working on company expansion. Sorry, fail. But who freaking cares, really, when he was SO CUTE with his adorable self with Soon Jung? They weren't Healer level hot, but they were cute, cute, cute.I haven't seen the end yet ... I know I should make some gifs for you! But I'm just enjoying this blog-less life too much...
Hwajung
I'm very much still stuck on Hwajung and on
Producer. I'll be visiting family next week, so I think I'll only watch
those two shows if I'm able to. Hwajung, so far, is going well. I
don't like cross-dressing, but Lee Yeonhee isn't so womanly as most
other cross-dressing women in kdrama; her figure is very straight and
flat like a runway model's. So, although she's feminine, it's
believable someone clueless like the hero won't see her as a woman and
that she can pass as a boy at first glance. What I don't get is, why
not just say she is a eunuch when people do question her? Or would that
be more dangerous?
Producer
Producer has a dry sense of humour I love. Gong HyoJin's character is getting pretty desperate, though. I'm not totally comfortable with that, though I see it's realistic. I think I like the idea of her dating the younger guy for a while and then marrying Cha Tae Hyun later, although his mother is already looking annoying with her insistence he should marry a girl in her twenties. IU's character is amusing, and I empathize with her, but, first, I don't like IU much, and second, I don't necessarily want her dating anyone. She's complained about her former band members getting to go to graduate school while she worked, so I'd like her character to do that, take over her own agency, and train up people with more humanity, since she's shown that to younger trainees.I enjoy it, especially the 'behind the scenes' stuff. Maybe it's because we've got a solid history of those 'peek behind the curtain' stories on American TV?
Let's Eat 2
Still good. Still wondering what the deal is with the rooftop guy. I believe that ends this week, so I hope subs are on time for a change.I enjoy it - they've downplayed the food a bit this time around, which is good because I found the table manners really atrocious last time around. I know, I know, different strokes. But for the sound of slurping and chewing, and watching people struggle to manage the enormous mouthfuls they've taken - not enjoyable. I loved the people last year, all of them. This year I'm not as invested in everyone but I TOTALLY love the slow fall for Dae Young and Writer Baek. I feel kinda bad for what's his face, he's not a bad guy, but hey, everyone can't win.
Ex-Girlfriend Club
Why am I watching this? Probably for everyone else except the two male leads and Song JiHyo. Although, I think Song Jihyo is mesmerizingly beautiful despite her rough styling, and she, plus Ryu Hwayoung, who plays the fox, drew me in. But now, I want to see how all the ex-girlfriend storylines are resolved and I don't care about the main couple or that annoying guy who makes movies for a hobby.Somehow, just not as interested... I do like the weird guy, and I want to know what happened with everyone, but I'm not all that interested in a screeching fight each week and that's kind of holding me back.
Orange Marmalade
Way to piss me off. One episode a week, after an opening week with two? Screw you. (Not really, I have to watch this, but I'm irritated.) (Because I like this world.)School 2015 - Who Are You?
We aren't at Oppa/Chilbongie level shipping wars, but it's getting there. Not for me... I love both boys and I want Eun Byul not to be dead and each boy gets his right girl. And if that can't happen, as of yet, I don't care which boy she chooses. They're both muffins.
Justified
Yes, I just gave this its own section. Sue me! DAMN, Raylan Givens is a cool but thoroughly messed-up character. Okay, he is extremely cool. No wonder all the women immediately fall for him. I actually ordered one of Elmore Leonard's books now, too. Anyway, I wanted to write about Season 4, which is disturbing me (and not only because it seems more brutal than the previous ones). The tone changed this season. I guess it's mainly because there is a bigger cause to reunite or rather, devide everyone. The "grand mystery"-arc in the form of "Waldo Truth/Drew Thompson" differs quite fundamentally from the previous ways of telling the story. In Seasons 1-3, the characters fought for their influence over Harlan County (and hence with each other). Interference from the outside was there, but it was only the catalyst for those internal struggles. Now, the outside forces have become much more than a catalyst - they threaten our main characters and force them into a war if they don't want to be swallowed up (or killed by) the organized crime groups.
I'll be starting Season 5 this weekend :))
Then I better get cracking! *Update: cracking, I have not been.
