30 days is a long time in kdrama

[piecesofalice]

firthgal has been doing her own 30 Days of KDrama Challenge over at her lovely journal, so I thought I'd join in the structured fun and attempt to do the same.

30 Day KDrama Challenge
1. Your Favourite KDrama

ARE YOU MAKING ME CHOOSE BETWEEN MY CHILDREN ALREADY, MEME?!

This is seriously a hard one to start with, as there is no way I have just one. But, as I sort of kept thinking about this through the week, I realised that there is one that stands above the others. Actually, three.





There are many ways I could approach and answer this question:

1. Dramas that mark something significant (first watched, bought, viewed at the same time as it aired etc)
2. Dramas that ticked all the boxes in my Favourite Tropes (sharing a room, banter 'n' bickering)
3. Dramas that were compulsive viewing - as in, four eps a night sort of deal
4. Dramas that made me want to punch/kiss them in anger/joy
5. Dramas that star Cha Seung-won and/or Kim So-yeon

None fit in to every single one of the above categories, but there are three - and one in particular - that fill most of them. So, I guess by that theory and by basic mathematical principle - I present your winner.

Ladies and gentlemen:



Capital Scandal



No spoilers, as six (six!) of my favourite people are currently watching it

What can I say? I loved it from the top of its head to the tips of its toes - I've never laughed, cried, clapped, gasped, squee'd or just plain adored a drama like this one. The characters - Wan, Yeo Kyung, Song Joo, Whatshisface, Geun Duk (most underrated character of all), The Chirashi Goons, the courtesans, Kang Gu - all of them.




They're all well-rounded, personable and fun to watch - it's one of the few dramas where everyone grows throughout the course of the story, as a direct result of what's happening around them and the inevitable future that's screaming towards them. I'd be lying if I said the writing treats the subject matter - Korea's time under Japanese rule - with Oscar-winning aplomb. But you know what? That's the best part about it in the end. In the end, there's the LOLZ, but there's also the plain fact that this happened, and everyone was trying their hardest to get by in the best way they knew how.

The Playboy, The Baby Nationalist, The Courtesan, The Japanese Sympathising Police Guy Who's Not All Black & White - it's not preachy or accurate (no, really, it's not) - but there's a resonance to it, that gets you right under your ribcage and in to your heart, thanks to these characters and their separate journeys, together.




Two of my favourite female characters ever - Song Joo (SONG. FUCKING. JOO.) and Yeo Kyung - a courtesan and a militant wannabe freedom fighter - whose relationship is broad and not painted with that whole fighting-over-the-main-dude brush. My favourite besties - Song Joo (SONG. JOO.) and Wan, who never actually want to bang each other except they do, but know they're meant to be each other's BFF soulmate and that's enough. And my favourite Sidekick/Bad Ass - Song Joo (you're sensing a theme, right) and Geun Duk - two totally different people who weren't happy being just The Pimp and His Meal Ticket, so they did something about it. Because it's a story of people who shouldn't mesh together doing just that, in a time where your best friend could be your enemy and your house wasn't your home anymore.



And the OTPs. Oh, the OTPs. Off the charts. The pacing, the little moments, the chemistry - yes. A thousand times yes, teach me how to fight and I'll teach you what love is. And if you can handle that line enough for it to be used for actual laughs - then, yep. This show is for you.



It's about anachronistic clothing, BAMF'n, swing dancing, hanboks from the pages of Awesome Traditional Korean Clothing Monthly, the best mugging this side of a Jerry Lewis movie, meta upon meta ("there's always a one-room shack in these stories"), this face, heartbreak and heart-filling gross joy, the finest man tears this side of Cha Seung-won crying into porridge, thinly-veiled sexual references, raised pinkies while drinking tea, breaking that muthafuckin' fourth wall (and all before breakfast), legit "HOLY SHIT" moments, sexy people with guns, even sexier people with guns, Kang Ji-hwan's ass, denying sex because of the revolution, awkward double-dating, Song Joo being Song Joo, HEADBUTTING, the best finale this side of...I can't even, little white sock'd toes curling, the worst. Singing. Put. To. Film. Ever., beautiful and when you see the end in sight, the beginning may arrive storytelling, "let's go get iced drinks", acting that swings between "WAT" and "oh shit I'm bawling into my Doritos it's so good" and so much more.

Okay, you're not that surprised, are you? OBLIG:



HONOURABLE MENTIONS:

City Hall



Because it was Baby's First and still retains some of my favourite kdrama moments. And Cha Seung-won. In a suit. For like, twenty hours. Come on. Watch this space - Best Love? Kind of challenging City Hall in a tete a tete for the ages (not really).

IRIS



We've covered this before, non? omg NK's Greatest Warrior/The Jerk Who Brought Her Flowers forever





Day 01: Your Favorite Kdrama
Day 02: Your Favorite Male Lead Character
Day 03: Your Favorite Female Lead Character
Day 04: Your Favorite Male Third Wheel Character
Day 05: Your Favorite Female Third Wheel Character
Day 06: Your Favorite Song from a Kdrama OST
Day 07: Your Favorite Line/s by a Male Lead Character
Day 08: Your Favorite Line/s by a Female Lead Character
Day 09: Your Favorite Line/s by a Male Third Wheel
Day 10: Your Favorite Line/s by a Female Third Wheel
Day 11; Your Favorite Dialogue
Day 12: Your Favorite Story
Day 13: Your Favorite “I Love You”
Day 14: Your Favorite Kiss
Day 15: Your Favorite Ending
Day 16: A Kdrama you started but can’t finish
Day 17: A Kdrama you’ve watched more than once
Day 18: The Worst Kdrama that you’ve watched until the end
Day 19: Your Best Actor
Day 20: Your Best Actress
Day 21: Your Worst Actor
Day 22: Your Worst Actress
Day 23: Your Best Couple
Day 24: Your Worst Couple
Day 25: Your First Kdrama
Day 26: Your Recently Finished Kdrama
Day 27: A Kdrama loved by many but you don’t seem to like
Day 28: A Kdrama not loved by many but you seem to like
Day 29: A Kdrama which made you so happy
Day 30: A Kdrama which made you so sad
Day 31: A Kdrama you plan on watching next

Comments

[cutselvage.livejournal.com]

BLESS THIS POST

<3

[piecesofalice.livejournal.com]

WHAT EPISODE ARE YOU UP TO

EVEN IF IT'S STILL THE 3RD, TALK TO ME ABOUT IT ANYWAY

[cutselvage.livejournal.com]

I have watched episode 4, and while I was enjoying it up til then, I think it's safe to say that SHIT OFFICIALLY GOT REAL in ep 4. I am planning to watch another couple of episodes tonight, hopefully.

Can I just say, one of my favourite things is the interaction between Jo Ma Ja and Cha Song Woo! THEY'RE LADIES WHO DON'T (CURRENTLY) HATE EACH OTHER AND TALK POLITELY AND HELP EACH OTHER AND HAVE GOALS AND SHIT IT'S AWESOME.

ALSO THE COSTUMING IS SO GREAT AND I LOVE ALL THE CHARACTERS FOREVER AND EVER AGH SO GOOD.

/cough

[piecesofalice.livejournal.com]

The women's relationships in this show are just the best. I'm yet to see a kdrama where the lead/second lead actually interact like this, and it's fan-frickin'-tastic. And even Song Joo and Wan's relationship is rare - I think, if you got down to it, would be one of the big reasons why I love it so much.

AND IT JUST GETS BETTER. I KNOW RIGHT!??!!?fdfsjkdsfjkeyboardsmash

THE COSTUMING. I have written 3/4s of an epic costume post, which is half LOLZ and half serious study from someone who apparently knows about this shit but OH THE COSTUMING <3

[lizbee.livejournal.com]

REH-SPONSE

[piecesofalice.livejournal.com]

[firthgal.livejournal.com]

I am so happy that you're doing this! But, as you can see, I suck at filling it out every day. But it's super fun! Oh, Cha Seung Won cries so prettily. ♥ Also, I attempted to watch Capital Scandal last week, but I just couldn't get into it. I'll try again on my next day off (six day work week, bleh). I think I was just too distracted with all of the Kim Myung Min movies waiting for me to watch on my hard drive. But they are now all watched, so, I can focus on CS.

[piecesofalice.livejournal.com]

I'm honestly stuck on number two. I have stacks of favourite ladies, but the guys? Yeah. I'm sure it'll be mostly about IRIS and Capital Scandal by the end. And the North Koreans, natch.

Sit down and give Capital Scandal a go - it may not be for you, but I just loved it. And it's one of the few dramas that people who don't watch them respond to, if for the difference in dynamics between the characters. And if you can't get into it, I'll edit you a package of clips you should watch JUST BECAUSE. Mostly swing dancing and gun swagger, but y'know.

Rec me some of his movies! I'd like to see him doing something other than Being A Jerk To Ahjummas, such is his character in Beethoven Virus.

[firthgal.livejournal.com]

Hmm, you know, his movies aren't anywhere near as good as his dramas, but I think you'd probably appreciate the crackiness of Detective K. Don't even ask me about the plot, because I seriously have no clue what it was, but the film itself is utterly hilarious and it has a kickass lady kicking asses, and it's a sort of fusion saeguk bromantic buddy cop film. AND THERE'S A GIANT MUSTACHE. So, you know, it's a must see.

If you want to see him showing off his superior acting skills, check out Closer to Heaven (which also stars the girl from Secret Garden). Just know that this one is a tearjerker. But his character is very sweet and lovable in this one (until he gets angry at his situation, but even then he's still pretty lovable)

Open City was really enjoyable. KMM got to have a few seriously kickass fight scenes, there's a badass lady that sexes him up (because he is just that hot), and he prettily broods a lot. But he's still mean to ahjummas. *sigh*

And if you can get past the first half hour, Man of Vendetta is a pretty good suspense film (or psychological thriller? I don't know, I don't know).

But I still think his best performances are from White Tower and Beethoven Virus. And Closer to Heaven (but seriously, this movie kills me, so I was only able to watch it once)