Everyday Things and Interesting Posts

Hello Everyone!

I've been so busy lately that I've been having a hard time writing about my thoughts, opinions and beliefs. They often end up unfinished and then I lose my train of thought and all that I'm supposed to write. So, I thought that I should delve on easier topics, something we can easily relate with and something easy and fast to write. And definitely interesting.

Here are some I want to write[as a goal]:

• Top 10 Best Memories 
• Ten Things To Be Happy About 
• 10 Things That Caused You Pain
• 10 Great Things That Go Unnoticed 
• 5 Comforts of a College Student

These are written in a generalized point of view, something that everyone experiences. I think I'll have fun writing them for my blog.

Do you have any more ideas on what I could write? I would really appreciate your suggestions and comments.


 I'll update these as links if I finish writing them one by one. Take Care, everyone! :)

The Moon that Embraces the Sun -- Underdeveloped Characters and Some Pressing Questions

          Characterizations. In the previous article, I mentioned that the drama series really had a great cast. I love the characters, but nothing really made me fall in love with them. In my opinion, the only characters whose life story was emphasized was that of Lee Hwon, Yang Myeong and Yeon U. But overall, the story failed to develop each character accordingly. Most of them were done injustice. 

           


             For a series twenty(20) episodes long(and for the story to begin when they were still  young), the later series showed no significant changes with the characters. It seemed to me that they simply grew up, but did not mature(with the exception of a few), which was really kind of annoying for me. There were a lot of significant characters with their sad and pitiful demise, but this really lacked emphasis. I felt sad for their fates, but in the end, I never really got to know them. The story had such great potential for character development, yet the drama focused on the story so much that the characters had a tendency to feel bland.  


            Woon(or Un), for example, is a close friend of Prince Yang Myeong and the King's personal guard, but little is known about him except his superior fighting and his bond with Prince Yang Myeong. But even their friendship was given little emphasis. For a significant character who appears on every episode, his character proved underdeveloped as the story didn't show the depth of his loyalty to the King and his friendship with the Prince. He had a big role, but we were only shown the surface of his character. I thought he would have been a great pair for Seol(Yeon U's maid who taught herself to fight with a sword). But instead, she died protecting Heo Yeom(Yeon U's brother), the person that she loved but could never have.


Relating to this, allow me to point out some other characters that I felt lacking:





              Princess Min Hwa. She's the younger sister of the King and mostly only knows how to cry and complain. She is also quite carefree, careless, spoiled and selfish. In truth, I disliked her character the 
most(even more than Prime Minister Dae Hyung or the Great Queen Dowager). With her obsession in wanting Heo Yeom, she became one of the people who put a curse in Yeon U. Shortly after, she realized what she had done. But I couldn't see how she could live her life normally after, knowing she killed her 

husband's sister. I couldn't see how she could have a casual relationship with her mother-in-law, knowing that Yeon U's family have long grieved for Yeon U. Still, she got what she wanted by being able to marry Heo Yeom. And by doing so, she destroyed his career and future(Heo Yeom was an excellent literary scholar and would have had a great future by being a political figure serving the King). But by becoming the princess' husband, he would be unable to participate in politics, as mandated by the law. One good point was that she had saved Heo Yeom's family, but I could not sense her repentance for what she had done. She even said that she did not regret the decision she made. She didn't really mature even at the end; she was still a child. She didn't grow to be a whole new person after she served her sentence. In the end, she never proved to be a good match for scholar Heo Yeom. And that was really such a pity for Heo Yeom's part.


Heo Yeom. I had such high hopes for his character. He was the King's teacher and the greatest literary scholar in their time. It was depressing to see him suppressed because of his marriage to Princess Min Hwa(especially to Princess Min Hwa). He felt like a wandering character to me, just appearing in and out of the series, doing nothing but being Princess Min Hwa's husband and grieving for his sister. I would have liked to see him helping the King one way or another, even though he was unable to participate in politics. He also never really loved Princess Min Hwa, he never said so in the series. He remained with her because she had saved his family, and only reunited with her at the end for the sake of their child. *big sigh*



Woon(or Un). He was introduced at the beginning of the story and was given a very big role later on as the King's personal guard. But Woon was a complete mystery. Nothing of his thoughts was revealed. One cannot entirely grasp the depth of friendship he shares with Prince Yang Myeong. His true character remained hidden throughout the series. I had initially thought that the King Lee Hwon, Prince Yang Myeong, Scholar Heo Yeom and Guard Woon would become a team and be given emphasis, knowing that each of them were superior in their own fields of knowledge. Sadly, Woon seemed to be another wandering character for me, and perhaps the lowest of the four.


Seol. She was Yeon U's maid, but was considered family despite her status. The early episodes showed her interest for swords, even practicing late at night by herself. I thought this indicated a bigger role for her, as female swordsman who would protect Yeon U by fighting off assassins. Come to think of it, she didn't once save Yeon U from being kidnapped. It was usually Yeon U looking for her, and Yeon U once got kidnapped because of it. There was never a scene that she protected Yeon U with her sword. Instead, the drama showed her prowess only twice. Once was her encounter with Woon. The second was when we see her in action fighting assassins; but it was Heo Yeom that she protected during this time. It was Prince Yang Myeong who kept saving Yeon U, not Seol. Thus, her character feels empty, something of little significance. She didn't really serve her purpose. One of the many things that I really hoped for was for her to be involved with Woon, since they were both protectors of the main characters. It would have been interesting to see poker-faced Woon softening over a woman. A strong female swordsman, for that matter. I was sorely disappointed.


Head Shaman Jang Nok Young. Ultimately, she had done her task as the fate and Heavens wanted. She knew the future and was meant to kill Yeon U, pity her fate. But she had done as she should, saving her and protecting her. Although there would be no true justification in earth for her crime of killing, she deserved the greatest redemption among all those who truly committed a crime. Even more than Princess Min Hwa. Although, I'm okay with her act of sacrifice(a life for a life, but remember she intended Yeon U to live), I was looking for more. She had the purest of intentions among the sinners, and she paid her crime with all that she went through to fulfill A Ri's request and to protect Yeon U. She was Heaven's servant, and so fate should have also turned to her in great favor in the end. Oh well, tragedy it is. Tsk.


Queen Bo Kyung. There were inconsistencies with her character in this series. I couldn't really understand her. I can't really see her purpose. She first showed her cruel side when she had Seol beaten for supposedly stealing money from her maid. When she became Queen few years later, it was though her character went a little lower and came to a standstill. She was not really shown to be truly cruel to others, except when she wanted Yeon U to be killed a second time to protect the throne. Mostly, she was just a jealous Queen who wanted the King's heart, and a coward when it came to remembering her crime. I could not say that she was downright evil. She was more of a weak, jealous character instead of a strong, cruel one. I thought she would be second to the Great Queen Dowager, but she didn't even compare. I regret that she never had a face-to-face talk with her rival for the King's heart. I found her character annoying sometimes, with her actions having little impact on the story.


Yeon U. She is one of the main character, and her story was clearly laid so I have little to complain. However, since she was a critical character and the ultimate victim, she was missing in some parts where she ought to be present. I only wished that there were personal encounters with her perpetrators, and I thought this would have added depth to the story. And also, for being a very compassionate character who would defend others, she seemed a little indifferent to Prince Yang Myeong. He kept on saving her, and cared for her so much in their childhood days that she wasn't even able to do one big thing for him. She had cried more for Seol than for him. 


King Lee Hwon. I have little to complain about his character too. I understand him, but he didn't really have a big change when he became King. I saw little signs of maturity. I wished it had been clearer as to what his people think of him, and what part of his character makes him so respectable as a King of Joseon. Prince Yang Myeong seemed superior to him in this matter, with him being shown saving Jan Sil and helping out at the infirmary. I couldn't really see his wisdom, and his concern for his people was far too overshadowed by his search for Yeon U. As for Kim Soo Hyun's acting, he was so good with his role, but a little more expression on the face would do him good. He moved me to tears when he cried, but his anger seemed kept feeling the same. I thought that he was so used to raising his voice when he expressed anger that he slightly forgot to work on his facial expression. A little more of that and he would've been perfect. But I still do laud his acting, and he has truly drawn me to him as an actor. He has a lot of potential and I believe he'll be one of the best Korean actors if he keeps this up.


Some characters still lacked, and this(including the characters above) is why character development as an important element of the story went missing. For twenty(20) episodes, it still lacked so many things. 


And the ending(and the series as a whole) left so many questions hanging. Let me state some of mine:


*What happened to the temporay shaman after the failed ritual? She would have guilty of attempted murder.


*What about King Lee Hwon's mother? She should have been an important character, guiding her son as the King. Instead, she seemed to be the least involved among all the mothers.


*Because Yeon U was reunited with King Lee Hwon, why was the subject of the Queen never brought up? Did they not wonder how they would remain together when the Queen was around? Or did the King think of making her a concubine? Or were they too selfish to consider the consequences of their reunion?


*And the most obvious, annoying thing of all. Why did no one bother to strike Prince Yang Myeong's attacker before he released the spear? Oh gosh, that was probably the most annoying and appalling part of all. For soldiers with arrows and Un with his ghost sword, no one struck him first. If this was meant to happen, then this should've been done quickly and quietly, not with a seemingly frozen and dumbstruck audience who paused to see Prince Yang Myeong die.




--A penny for your thoughts about this drama series? :)

The Moon That Embraces The Sun -- A Personal Review

In Dream High, I thought Kim Soo Hyun's acting was so good and had so much potential(considering he won the Newcomer Actor Award for the KBS Drama Awards 2011) that I was looking forward watching another one of his series. I came across 'The Moon that Embraces the Sun'. As I researched, it had high ratings and a high popularity too; a series recommended by others and is said to be worthy drama to watch. So I downloaded the series overnight and got my couch ready to watch it.

The Moon that Embraces the Sun main photo

The Moon that Embraces the Sun is the story of the secret love between Lee Hwon, a fictional king of Joseon, and Wol, a female shaman. Wol was born as Heo Yeon Woo, the daughter of a noble family who won the love of the crown prince, Hwon. Her enemies, jealous of her family's position in court, schemed against her and wrestled away her rightful place as crown princess and nearly takes her life. Years later, an embittered Hwon meets Wol, now a female shaman who has no recollection of her past. [http://wiki.d-addicts.com/The_Moon_That_Embraces_the_Sun]

The younger cast(left to right): young Yang Myeong,
young Lee Hwon, young Heo Yeom and young Woon.

Cast:
Han Ga In as Heo Yeon Woo/Shaman Wol
Kim Soo Hyun as King Lee Hwon
Jung Il Woo as Prince Yang Myeong
Kim Min Seo as Queen Bo Kyung
Song Jae Hee as Scholar Heo Yeom
Song Jae Rim as Guard Woon
Kim Young Ae as the Great Queen Dowager
Kim Eung Soo as Prime Minister Dae Hyung
Jeon Mi Seon as Head Shaman Jang Nok Young
and Nam Bo Ra as Princess Min Hwa.


         I just finished watching the series, I definitely had mixed feelings; especially towards the last few episodes. While watching, I kept making mental assessments and trying to analyze the whole drama. The drama has a lot of good elements in it, but I had my reservations too. I'll try my best to make a review of this drama, based on my own personal assessment. It's up to you what you think of this.

Birth of Yeon U

         The Moon that Embraces the Sun as a popular drama series. The Moon that Embraces the Sun was indeed a drama worth-watching for me. It has a very excellent storyline and a well-written plot. The series was a good twenty(20) episodes, but every episode keeps you glued to your seat and makes you want to watch more for what's to come until the very end. The 'moving' plot keeps the series going forward, so you're never bored with insignificant scenes. I very well understand why it has very popular ratings, as each episodes really makes you look forward and anticipate the next one, but leaves you feeling satisfied with the current one. The impact the whole story had on me left me breathless. 

Yeon U and The Moon that Embraces the Sun Hairpin

           The Moon that Embraces the Sun as a drama worth-watching. It was a series worth-watching for me because I found myself wanting to finish it until the very end. Following the progress of the story was really interesting for me, and there was few cliches. The drama series had such a great cast, and I was so drawn to them as they portrayed their characters. Kim Soo Hyun was again at his element, but I thought he still lacked some things. Nevertheless, I thought he was a good choice for Lee Hwon's character. Han Ga In was a tad bit old(and married in real life) to be Kim Soo Hyun's leading lady, but she did justice to her role. The rest of the characters was well played(from crying Princess Min Hwa to the simply evil Prime Minister), and I really enjoyed this drama till the end. It had the power to make viewers sympathize with the characters, and evoke strong feelings from them. This is a drama I would definitely recommend to others.


               The Moon that Embraces the Sun and its downsides. And so I wasn't really a fan of the ending, as far as I'm concerned. There were still questions hanging, and I thought most of the characters weren't given justice. Some scenes seemed a bit appalling, and makes you want to jump into the TV screen and do something. I am so into the story, but it kind of lacked its depth when it came to the characters.


               I really have a lot to rant about underdeveloped characters as well as questions I had after the series ended. This is my opinion on where the story lacked so much in.


I wrote it all in my next article: http://thediaryofina.blogspot.com/2012/06/moon-that-embraces-sun-underdeveloped.html

Seol dies in Heo Yeom's arms after protecting him
from assassins. *cry*

              And also, its also note-worthy to look through other viewer's opinions in the Dramabeans Website, just after the recap of episode 20:
http://www.dramabeans.com/2012/03/the-moon-that-embraces-the-sun-episode-20-final/

Head Shaman Nok Young releasing the curse
to kill Yeon U

           Essentially, the story had missing parts. This was a story with a whole lot of potential, but somehow failed to make the best use of it. The main characters overshadowed so much of the
other significant characters and left them with little time for development. I had such high hopes for the characters, and I was definitely looking for more of them throughout the entire series. I usually appreciate a drama because I can learn some things, most especially from downright serious dramas like this one. But the only wisdom I can mostly see is those for a King; and there are so few lessons that we can actually relate to. 

The rebellion at Jongmyon -- Episode 20

                 BUT, despite my very long ramblings, I was still content with this drama. I love the story as it is, and I wouldn't replace anything. It just needs some more elements to be added. Same goes for the characters. The overall storyline, plotline and characters were still very good and very engaging. It wasn't a boring series, and I was so surprised that I lasted through this series within three(3) days, always anticipating for the next episode. The music was heart-wrenching for sad moments, and so fun and playful at funny moments. The mix of drama, humor, action and horror(yes, horror) turned out well. This is one of the good dramas I've seen. I can say for sure that this drama series is worth the keep in my files.


Though, I really can't hide some of my disappointment for this series. 

Dream High

           I recently finished this Korean drama series, and I really gotta say that this drama was every bit worth my time. A truly genius, well-written plot, great music, tear-jerking drama, full of laugh-out-loud scenes, lovable characters and lots of blossoming romance. 
Definitely one of the best I've ever watched! I'd recommend this to anyone reading this. :)

Dream High Poster

Yang Jin Man(Park Jin Young)
 and his awesome dance.

The K Pendant passed around the characters.

      

            

          

 Dream High tells the story of six students at Kirin Art High School who work to achieve their dreams of becoming music stars in the Korean music industry. Go Hye Mi is a student who had majored in classical music but has to give up her dream by entering Kirin Art High School to pay off her father's debt. However, she needs to get two other students to also come to the school in order for her to enroll in the school conditionally. These two students are Song Sam Dong, who lives in the countryside, and Jin Guk, whom she accidentally meets while trying to escape from a loan shark. Yoon Baek Hee, formerly Hyemi's sidekick, becomes her rival in school because Hye Mi betrays her during an audition to enter the school. [ http://wiki.d-addicts.com/Dream_High]

           The other two characters are Jason and Kim Pil Sook. Jason enters the school with his natural talent, breezing through showcases and classes without difficulty. He meets Kim Pil Sook and realizes what he's missing. Kim Pil Sook, on the other hand, auditions in Kirin Art High School with her fat body but beautiful voice. She fights to break out of her shell and develops a big transformation.

Cast: Bae Suzy(of Miss A) as Go Hye Mi, TaecYeon(of 2PM) as Jin Gook/Hyun Shi Hyuk, Kim Soo Hyun as Song Sam Dong, Ham Eun Jung(of T-Ara) as Yoon Baek Hee, Wooyoung(of 2PM) as Jason and IU as Kim Pil Sook, Uhm Ki Joon as Kang Oh Hyuk, Park Jin Young as Yang Jin Man

             Here are five(5) reason why Dream High is a must-watch:

Dream High Main Student Cast

Dream High Flash Mob -- Episode 16(FINAL)

 1. Well-written plot. It's one of the things I really appreciated about this series. The story is so life-like, a true-to-life scenario where everyone can relate to in some way. Every member of the cast has their own story to tell, and the series was able to 

present it excellently, giving each character their own emphasis and importance. The change that the characters develop along the way(even with loan shark Ma Doo Shik) is incredible and visible.The story retains so much of its consistency throughout the end. Character changes don't happen so suddenly, unlike some dramas. The twists and turns of the plot keeps the drama going forward, and its 'moving' plot keeps you really hooked onto the series. It balances the ups and downs of each situation, and its truly satisfying to see how the characters were able to overcome their difficulties. The mix of humor, drama(and a bit of action at the beginning) and romance is so good! Genius, indeed!

Jason convincing Pil Sook to
come out for a photoshoot.

 2.  Unforgettable characters. Each character of the series proves vital to the drama. Each of them is so distinct in their own way, because the series presents their story clearly without tending to overlap with the other main stars. It's so interesting to see even how almost-perfect, wonderboy Jason learns that talent does not win over hard work, and that he has to have ambition, and not just be someone who breezes through life with his talent(courtesy of Pil Sook's words to him). Each of the characters have their funny side, and they'll keep you laughing when they show it. One of the cast is JYP Entertainment's CEO and founder, Park Jin Young as Yang Jin Man, the 'dance God'. He earned so much of my respect in this series because of his musical talents(dance, singing and composition) that he shows throughout the show as a choreographer Jin Man. He helped create the theme song of the series and busts his moves in the show(pwahahaha). How awesome is it for a CEO to star in a series show?  Character change is also very notable. From flat-face Hye Mi to emotional Hye Mi. From cool, cocky Jason to awkward, lovey-dovey Jason(his changing facial expression are so fun to watch!). And so much more. Plus the romance! The Jason-Pil Sook pair is ridiculously cute. You'll also find unlikely pairings that surprise us at the last parts. No one can hate a character too long because  they became so loveable in the series. Actually, they are all great characters.

              3. Great music. The theme song is super duper catchy and you'll get hooked the first time you listen to it. Watch how the characters sing their way to the top, while finding yourself adding their songs to your ipod because it's just that GOOD. You'll be recognizing songs from SNSD(Genie), Big Bang(Sunset Glow), 2AM and 2PM. I thought their rendition of Genie was cool and so fun. 

Pil Sook, Hye Mi, Sam Dong and Ji Gook serenading
Ji Gook's friend with 'Genie'

4. A series I can watch over and over again. Usually, you know that a series is so good when you want to watch them over and over again you can't keep count anymore. This is what happened to me. I love replaying particular scenes, but at the same time, I find myself breezing through the entire episode because every bit of the scene is so awesome! I enjoy so much of the funny scenes, making me laugh out loud. Jason and Pil Sook are such adorable characters I'm squirming in my seat while cheering them on. Jin Man's scenes are flat-out funny, while Sam Dong's drama scenes are just as heartbreaking. I have got to note Soo Hyun(Sam Dong)'s acting here. His emotional scenes(especially his crying ones) are so all over the place that I want to sob harder than him. His acts his drama so good that it breaks my heart to a million pieces. Furthermore, Dream High shows a lot of creativity in the series. From dance battles to Flash Mobs, this series gets more awesome with each episode. It's no wonder why I could watch this series for the nth time.

*Hye Mi saying that Jin Man can pose as a student*
Oh Hyuk (disagree): Does this make sense?
Jin Man: That's okay, when I went out for
a drink, they asked for my ID.
Oh Hyuk: That's because you look like a criminal!

 5. Over-all awesomeness. I really can't describe this series, because its too cool for words. There is really a lot of lessons to learn from this episode, real ones that really get to you. [My favorite one was that of Jason's lesson, that talent does not win over hard work. Just because you already have the talent, it doesn't mean you stop aiming higher. You've got to work hard, and still have an ambition to reach.] They've really got a great cast of idols who make the drama truly worthwhile. The acting may be so-so(since they're idols and novice actors), but this is so good for a korean series. I've had so much fun following their journey throughout this series. It's inspiring to see Uhm Ki Joon(Kang Oh Hyuk)'s desire to give his students opportunities to succeed that he ends up giving up so much, including constant loans and almost losing his house as a guarantee for Hye Mi's debt. There are so many interesting elements of a drama mixing together, that it ended in this drama series becoming such a hit. Their top ratings prove it.

Sam Dong breaking down over his damaged hearing.
Me: *heart breaking into gazillion pieces*

Ji Gook and Baek Hee during the showcase.

I'd give Dream High 5 Stars and 10/10 rating. Yes, it's that awesome. ^_^