[BEDA] Blog Every Day In April: Days 22 through 26

I am not sure how I managed to miss five days worth of posts but I am enjoying BEDA and will complete it.

Day 22: Most Precious Idol – UKISS’ Dongho

Look at this baby-faced cutiepie. So precious.

Want to pinch those cheeks!

Day 23: Most Likely to Become a Frat-boy – SHINee’s Minho

Minho is very attractive and is athletic. That’s pretty much it.

 

Back from the kegger.

Day 24: Most Likely to Be Regina George

One of the Jung sisters. Both of the Jung sisters. It’s genetic.

Day 25: Biggest Flirt- BIGBANG’s Taeyang

When he’s not busy teaching us how to dougie, he’s kissing IU and making the moves on Go Hyun Jung.

Day 26: The Head Bitch on Campus – SHINee’s Resident Diva, Key

I don’t even know why Mir tried to go up against Diba.

Key dances better than my unnis.

[BEDA] Blog Every Day In April: Day 21 – Idol Most Likely to Go Solo

Many idols have done side projects or have produced solo albums but today I want to talk about one particular idol who   should go solo because I think that they could produce better music than they do in their idol group.

That idol would be Sistar’s Hyorin, whose voice I believe does not necessarily suit Sistar’s sound, and would like to see her explore different genres on her own. I was pretty much blown away by her appearance on Immortal Song 2 and became an instant fan:

She has the pipes, moves, versatility and stage charisma to pull it off successfully.

Runner up: BIGBANG’s T.O.P.  The only time he looked genuinely interested in anything was during GD&TOP promotions.

[BEDA] Blog Every Day In April: Day 20 – Biggest Troll

Trolling is something all idols do at some point in their careers. Some are unaware of it, but most do it to elicit psychotic reactions from fans and to cultivate sexual frustration for their own amusement. Then there is Yang Hyun Suk, CEO of YG Entertainment, father of BIGBANG and 2NE1, troll king. YG and KBS were not on good terms because KBS was not willing to give BIGBANG time to promote as many songs as they requested during promotions for their fourth ep album.

Good old YG laid the troll on thick by basically saying that KBS could not produce a stage suitable for BIGBANG’s comeback. Ouch. YG’s trolling knows no bounds as he tells his artists that they’re ugly with no reservations.

Like his boss, Seungri likes to troll his fans:

Noona Troll.

DAMN YOU, MAKNAE!!!

Then there’s the sexual frustration troll, who aims to service his fans with the best of what I deem the sex troll face, and cause the ovaries (and testes) of unsuspecting fans to implode:

Really now Maknae? Is this necessary?

I didn’t watch that video but it was enthralling wasn’t it? And now you hate him because he gave you so many feelings that you don’t know what to do with yourself, right?

Well played Maknae, well played.

(Maknaes know how to play with the minds of fans)

Right back at ya, Sex Face Troll-dol.

[BEDA] Blog Every Day In April: Day 19 – Idol most likely to win a poetry slam competition

With thoughtful lyrics such as:

I’m John Galliano, Dior, Louis Vuitton,
Van Assche, YSL, Dolce & Gabbana
Givenchy, Alexander McQueen, Tuxedo and shoes
Always Dom Perignon Pink
A massive head, cursed physique
I’m a completely different level from youse
I’ll repay you tenfold in a matter of time
If you’re jealous, come at me
But careful, Parterre of your dreams

Sweet stuff, no joke
You won’t be able to sleep because of your fluttering heart
Lalala I’m To-To-TOP
Hey hey, Everybody’s man TOP

I’m always generous, even when my fists are clenched (ie. even when I’m in a fight)
I’m mild, neither greasy nor frothy at all
I’m confident
(Ready or not) No Bingu here

TOP’s most likely to win a poetry slam competition up in the ROK.

[BEDA] Blog Every Day In April: Day 18 – Cutest OTP

Fame is a fleeting thing in the world of kpop where new groups debut every week. Established groups release several mini albums to stay relevant and promotional material and appearances can prove ruinous if not executed properly. The one thing that appears to remain constant are the bonds formed between group members over the years of poverty, rigorous training, and once successful, crammed schedules. For some the lack of social life and constant interaction in close quarters with group members may cause misunderstandings and confrontations while others become a surrogate family.

And for some their one true pairing, their soulmate, comes in the most comforting of forms:

MBLAQ’s Seungho even goes about his pizza consumption in a methodical manner:

Seungho lovers, bring the boy a pizza and he might be willing to entertain your fantasies.

My OTP involves myself, pizza and those lips.

Idols and fast food are the ultimate pairing. Just as Lee Jin Ki:

Jinki Lickin' Good.

Honourable mention goes to Yunjae who, while no longer together, will forever be together in our hearts.

True love lasts forever. *wipes a tear*

 

(credit to owners)

[BEDA] Blog Every Day In April: Day 17 – Occupation, Booty Popper

Hot damn!

There is a lot of booty poppin’ going on in the ROK. There must be something in the water or the rigorous idol-training system that churns out talented dancers like there is no tomorrow.  Today’s winner is none other than the King of Kkap, Queen of Drag himself, 2AM’s Jo Kwon! Once the music goes on, he puts all the ladies to shame. Ms. Bubble Pop herself ain’t got nothing on this boy:

What really sells it are those accompanying facial expressions.

I could watch this shit all day. Honourable mention goes to Kikwang’s “American dance”.

[BEDA] Blog Every Day In April: Day 16 – Most Likely to Cast the Avada Kedavra Incantation

The idol most likely to cast the avada kedavra incantation on her group members and possibly her management is T-ara’s Jiyeon so that she can finally pursue her acting career full time. She doesn’t look too enthused about being a pop star so it’s only a matter of time before she turns her group mates into dust. So long suckers!!

She's preparing the incantation there.

 

Her contribution to this drama’s soundtrack is half decent. Good luck!

[Korean Film Review] Chilling Romance, 오싹한 연애 (2011)

Our ghoul was a little more sinister than depicted here.

***contains spoilers***

Direction and screenplay by : Hwang In-ho
Main Cast: Son Ye-jin, Lee Min-ki, Park Cheol-min, Kim Hyeon-sook

Street magician Ma Jo-gu (Lee Min-ki) happens upon a sullen young woman in the crowd while performing tricks one night. Compelled by her sombre aura he follows her as she walks away, when it appears that she has some supernatural energy following her. Thinking that he will be able to use her to reinvent his act and make money through an exorcism magic act he employs her. Unbeknownst to him, she is a medium for the dead.

This medium is our protagonist Kang Yeo-ri (Son Ye-jin) who is forced to live a solitary life due to a particular spirit terrorizing her and those in her life.  Yeo-ri’s been forced to live this life since her teenage years after an accident made her heart stop and was given the ability to perceive dead souls after she was revived and so is awkward around her colleagues and refuses to join workplace socials. Jo-gu imposes himself on her and their relationship grows as does his experiences with her ghoulish companions.  Some are benign, seeking her out to solve their murders or save the lives of their loved ones. The ghost terrorizing her, Joo-hee, has a particular relationship with Yeo-ri and is hellbent on driving potential suitors away (a surprise cameo by the attractive Lee Hyun Jin which I very much appreciated). Jo-gu however cannot seem to stay away from Yeo-ri as his attraction to her grows even when continuously confronted by an increasingly menacing Joo-hee.

A romantic-comedy at its core with the compulsory airport confrontation, the horror element offers a fresh premise to the saturated genre. Son Ye Jin and Lee Min Ki bring enough talent and comedic timing to ground this film in reality- as realistic as love budding amongst a haunting can be.  In lesser hands this premise could have been a train wreck. Son brings innocence to Yeo-ri that makes her endearing and Lee shows great comedic timing throughout the film.  There are some genuinely hilarious moments- Jo-gu’s daydream during a coffee date drew big laughs. There are also some frightening and suspenseful scenes reminding us that Chilling Romance is more than just a romance film. The ending credits was hilarious, be sure to watch it. If there’s anything negative to say about the film it is its length. At an hour and 53 minutes, the film seems to reach its climax at an earlier point in the film, only to have the film resolve its issues much later. I’m not sure if it was intentional or the way the film was edited but there was a break in continuity and tone that was unnecessary in the film but managed to produce a laugh.

TtoT Rating: 8.25/10

[BEDA] Blog Every Day In April: Day 15 – Best Live Singer, Female

Bear with me as today’s post is youtube video-heavy with three female singers. Today’s post is another easy one as this singer has blown the competition out of the water in her short time in the Korean pop industry.  That she is Wheesung’s protege pretty much sums it up:

Ailee is a revelation! Honourable mention to my other two favourite singers with immense talent- Younha who is criminally underrated:

And Hyorin who received the attention she deserved after her appearance on Immortal Song 2:

My favourite performance of hers. So beautiful:

[Korean Drama Review] Twelve Men in a Year, 일년에 열두 남자 (2012)

Director: Oh Jong-Rok

Writer: Hwang Jo-Yoon

Network: tvN

Episodes: 16

Main Cast: Yoon Jin Seo, Go Jun Hui, On Joo Wan

**contains spoilers**

Our protagonist Na Mi Roo, writer and editor of a women’s magazine, is forced to take on a sex column  in order to keep her job when the original writer whom she is responsible for goes rogue. Fresh from her breakup from her only boyfriend Cha Jin Oh, Mi Roo uses this new opportunity to meet men and in the process learn about her own sexuality, much to the dismay of Jin Oh. Guided by best friend Park Tanya, Mi Roo dates men according to their zodiac signs in order to write the column each month while keeping her identity a secret for the column under the pseudonym Sophia.

Some serious eye candy in this drama. Was much appreciated.

What started off as a smart and sexy drama veered off into familiar kdrama territory when jealous girlfriends and violent ex-girlfriends were thrown into the mix. When the ex-girlfriend of the Aries man threatens to and nearly assaults Mi Roo in order to keep her away from him, she later claims that she did it in order to protect Mi Roo from the sleazeball’s ways which made no sense and was thrown into the plot to create tension where it wasn’t needed as Mi Roo was already uncomfortable with Aries’ advances and was working her way up to a confrontation with him on her own.

I also had an issue with the way the series ended with the main characters ending up with people they didn’t really care about, with our protagonist ending up with a man who she could not stand in the first half of the last episode. Had they explored this pairing throughout the series, it would have made more sense, but the series focused her feelings for her ex-boyfriend and so seeing that story arc end abruptly in the last episode made no sense. The only thing that seemed to be rooted in any logic in this drama were Jin Oh’s lingering feelings for Mi Roo and his confusion between holding on to a past that may have a future, or a future prospect that involved more than love. On Joo Wan portrays Jin Oh in a way that caused  me to empathize with him, even when he seemed to choose his best interests over the feelings of the women in his life.

Cha Jin Oh (On Joo Wan)

A redeeming factor was the friendship between Mi Roo and Tanya who teach each other to examine their misconceptions about love, romance and sexuality. We see some great moments between the two, as Tanya manages to have Mi Roo’s back, and call shenanigans when needed.

There is nothing like the love from a great friend.

What attracted me to this drama initially besides the premise was that the main actress had a look that was unconventional as producers seem to love the long-haired, doe-eyed look. I did enjoy watching this drama, loved it in the beginning, but with Jin Oh’s new love interest added to the mix it all went downhill from there. Twelve Men in a Year, I lament at the thought of what you could have been.

TtoT Rating: 6 / 10

Writer Hwang Jo Yoon must be a MBLAQ fan boy: two main characters are named after the boys!