Review: The King of Dramas

There are dramas that I love and there are dramas that I LOVE. There are actors who I love and there are actors who I LOVE. Coincidentally those actors who I LOVE are from dramas that I LOVE. This is probably because the biggest part of my love for them is the results of my love for the characters they played in those dramas.

I know Kim Myung Min is big. I know he is one of the best actors out there. When we’re talking about an A List Actors he’s the A of A. But it's not until Beethoven Virus that I finally fell in love with him.

Kim Myung Min doesn't have the blinding looks of the most stars. There are many gorgeous Korean actors who totally surpasss him in the looks department but somehow his Master Kang in Beethoven Virus transforms into the most beautiful man in the world to me.

And now....I'm totally in love with his Anthony Kim!

He still doesn’t have the looks and he’s definitely older but how in the world whenever I see Anthony Kim my heart pounds like it’s about to explode. How come whenever I see him on the screen with the leading actress who by the way was in my ‘I don’t like her’ list I’m becoming giddy with anticipation.

I swear Kim Myung Min is GOD!

The King of Dramas is still airing so I don’t know how it’ll end hence it wouldn’t be fair to give it the highest score or put it as one of my favourite dramas ever. Not with the knowledge that the ending of a drama could ruin a great drama and that most of the last episodes of a drama tend to loose its way. However, everything about this show so far is superb.

It’s not easy to find originality in any drama if one has watched almost every drama there is. But, it’s easy to spot a brilliant writing. It takes only seconds to see something refreshing amidst the same old molds, it takes even less than that to fall for an unusual character.

Kdrama is well known for it’s romantic line, but rarely do they manage to deliver a sizzling chemistry between their leads across the screen without any sizzling scenes. But The King of Dramas manages to make me delirious with expectations and shivering with anticipations whenever the lead couple are on screen doing nothing more than just be in the same room.

The King of Dramas is the best treat to end 2012.

Review: Fairly Legal

Fairly Legal might not be the best portrayal of how the real mediators work or of the traits which are supposed to be had by that profession – if there are even such things – and I’m not one who needs my entertainment to be always based on reality anyway, but Kate Reed who changes her profession from lawyer to mediator is without a doubt the best and the cutest mediator ever graces the small screen.

She has a bubbly personality, endless energy and enough charms to entice flying birds onto ground. But once she finds a cause it’s impossible to steer her off into another direction. Like a little tornado she’ll sweep everything that stands in her path to justice.

I think her success in mediating difficult cases has more to do with her own personality rather than her educational/professional background besides of course having the full support from her ever resourceful assistance, Leo. Plus, she has a direct line to Justin Patrick her very own district attorney.

Although the first season of Fairly Legal doesn’t give me the fever of an addict it is fun to watch. But despite liking it I don’t foresee myself falling in love with the series mainly because the pairing between Kate and Justin doesn’t do it for me.

And I don’t appreciate how certain things are being disclosed while others are simply ignored without proper explanation. It might not bother some people but background story of the main characters are important to me.

Until the end of the first season I am still in the dark as to why Kate and Justin are estranged yet close enough to still enjoy some ‘benefits’ from their almost ended marriage. Neither does the show offer any clues about how these two very different people could marry in the first place.

Don’t get me wrong although Justin Patrick doesn’t talk to the romantic side of me I don’t hate him, I can see how hot he is and totally understand why Kate can’t keep her hands off him. And I’m a sucker for the opposite attract things. It’s just that I can’t bring myself to root for him.

There’s something about Justin that makes me think he doesn’t love Kate enough, at least not enough to accept all her quirks and passions for justice and her distrust for the system as part of her unique charms.

It is clear how he resents the fact that she doesn’t put him as her number one priority no matter what. Never mind that she puts him on hold only when she has clients who need her time and help more than him.

Kate on the other hand still loves him. She even tries to talk him into getting back together while it is obvious that Justin wants to end their marriage without any more delay. Only after learning that Justin cheated on her that she finally signs their divorce paper.

Her utter shock, anger and pains at his betrayal reveal that whatever the cause of their separation she never thinks that Justin who she considers as an angel of justice, who she trusts wholeheartedly doesn’t have enough honor to honor his promise and commitment to her.

Strangely, it’s not until the second season that I finally warm towards Justin despite this is where he finally admits to Kate that he cheated on her during their marriage.

Unlike Kate, I’m not shock at all knowing Justin cheated on her, his admission clears thing up for me. I no longer resent him for not loving Kate enough because now I know for sure that he doesn’t. I no longer wonder why I can’t root for this couple because now I know there’s really nothing to root for.

Finally the show starts to connect with me.

Justin who is at first a less than satisfactory romantic male lead who turns out to be a cheater to boot now turns into a trustworthy lead that I like. He loses my support for winning Kate but gets my vote of confidence to become the best DA for San Francisco.

I couldn’t fall for Justin in the first season but I instantly like Lauren Reed, Kate’s awkwardly sexy supposedly evil gold digger uptight step mother. I find her icy and awkward ways very endearing.

Lauren and Kate are like night and day. Ice and fire. Order and chaos. Their differences are so glaring that it’s hard to see how they could ever get close to one another but that’s the charms. They make you root for them. And I’m loving every scene that brings these two together.

Perhaps, that’s why I fall for Ben Grogan the new male lead who joins Fairly Legal in the second season. He instantly makes me root for him and Kate. Despite the fact that it doesn’t take a genius to notice that he has nothing in common with Kate Reed. Despite the fact that he’s an ass of the first class.

Ben is all about making money and winning. And that’s all he cares about. Kate despises him on sight. I on the other hand love him since the first moment he opens his mouth and tries to pick Kate up at a bar.

On the surface he really has nothing in common with Kate. But it’s easy to see that they are actually not that different. Putting aside their different goals and priorities in lives we’ll find two people who have the same temperament.

Kate talks a mile, so does Ben. Kate is compulsive, so does Ben. Kate will not loose her sleeps if she needs to break some rules while helping her clients, Ben doesn’t even recognize the word if it happens to stand in his way. And surprise surprise they even have the same tastes!

I really love Ben and Kate’s interactions. I love seeing how Ben slowly falls for the good girl Kate. I love seeing how nobody notices how he slowly changes except for Leo, Kate’s personal assistant who’s privy to all her secrets and later Ben’s ex when their path crossed.

The second season is the time when I fall in love with Fairly Legal. This is the season when I finally get the fever of an addict. I want more and more. Can hardly wait for the season 3. Praying that they will not ruin it and deliver.

Snail Pace

My writing of 49 Days (OTP POV) is moving along with undesired speed. Snail pace. It moves but hardly noticeable. I would love to throw a tantrum and rant about its slowness. Unfortunately c’est moi who is responsible for the lack of significant improvement in the length of the story.

I’ve been debating with myself whether I should just post those episodes I’ve finished or wait until the whole thing is completed. By posting some episodes who knows I might be encouraged or driven to finish the rest.

Although to be honest I’d rather wait until I finish the whole thing. The problem is with the rate the story is proceeding the new year might come before I arrive at episode 20!

Do and Don’ts for Brides

I don’t know about other cultures but if we use common sense I think the do and don’ts will not be that different. And if the things portrayed in Kdramas are reflections of their cultures it means their norms and ours are exactly the same.

In here, should the brides stay with her in-laws, she will be expected to help out with the household’s chores if not be the one responsible for it. It’s a big no for a bride to stay in bed watching TV or reading her favourite books and magazines while her in-laws are busy preparing the meal or washing dishes.

In the case where the brides are working and happen to stay with her in-laws once she is at home she is expected to take full responsibility of the caring of her children and not put the burden to her in-laws who already took care of them all day.

It is just about common sense and good manners. I couldn’t imagine there’s a woman who stays with her in-laws and not trying to be a domestic goddess in their eyes.

I couldn’t imagine there’s a woman who expects her in-laws to wait hand and foot for her – particularly not if she’s not the one with a fortune who owns the house and holds the purse strings. But apparently there’s one for I heard a complaint about a bride who does exactly what she shouldn’t do.

Who’s to blame?

Is it the fault of the bride’s family who doesn’t teach their daughter how to conduct herself in her in-laws’ house? Or is it her husband’s fault for not letting her know of his family expectations of her? Or is it the bride’s own fault for being a complete idiot?

I’ll go with the last one. Men are known to marry girl for their beauty and not their brains. But no women are that stupid. Some just don’t have good manners or incurably lazy. She should know that she can’t endear herself to her in-laws by behaving like a pig.

How to solve it? I have no idea. The in-laws won’t say a thing to her face. They’ll just keep on hating her. Her husband should try to address the issue but I don’t see he’ll succeed.

Perhaps she should try watching Kdramas and emulate the heroines who are always hard working and excel at cleaning not to mention being unfailingly polite to her extremely rude and mean in-laws.

To Do List

Things to do in 2012:

1. Finish the writing of 49 Days (Kang Ah and Shin Ji Hyun's story) which is supposed to be done last year.
2. Watch all Kdramas, Tdramas, Doramas (Jdramas) I’ve been planning to watch.
3. Read all those books I bought.
4. Put more efforts to really study those foreign languages I learned.
5. Keep a close watch on my finances and time management.
6. Go to Hajj.
and.....
7. Lose some weight!!