Hey ya’ll! How’s it going?? Me? A lot actually, both in life and in drama-land actually. Initially, I was planning to do a post solely about a particular drama I’m currently watching, but then I had realised that I was taking too long to do it. If I feel like it, maybe I’ll do recaps about it or something however for now, I think you all deserve an explanation for what has been happening in my life so far, and why have I gone MIA for the last 2 weeks or so.
Moving sucks. The end.
So firstly, as I may have stated in another post previously, I am currently moving out of my current home (with the family) to a new one. The main issue was the fact that we didn’t choose to move out; we’ve been forced out of our current place in order for the house to be redone and resold to someone else. Since that happened, my family and I have been house hunting for weeks, and doing nothing else but. Just a couple of days ago, we had finally settled ourselves with a place, and are currently in the process of selling furniture, packing things up and organising the house in order to make sure that nothing is left behind. It’s been fun to actually discover things that I never knew existed (or find things that I never knew I had). I’m sure many of you probably understands that feeling but for me, it is foreign yet refreshing.
So, for the past two weeks or so, my house has transformed to a place piled with boxes left, right and centre containing my entire life that I had grown up knowing and loving. My life has been entirely turned upside down, and my mind has been just frazzled and unable to think and write anything. Hence the lack of posts and motivation to do anything but just pack and make sure that I get ready for university which starts in the next two weeks or so. I do apologise that I haven’t been posting anything; hopefully once I move into my new place, and get under way with uni, I will be more organised and consistent with my posts. It sucks that I haven’t been able to write anything lately however, I wish to provide you with the best that I can do, rather than just anything that comes to mind just for the sack of posting something.
Anyway, the purpose of this post (apart from the obvious) was to actually inform you as to what I have been watching, what I’ve been checking out and finally what I have been following about to the point of pure madness…let’s start, shall we??
What I’ve been watching lately:
There has been a couple of dramas that I’ve been following lately in order to ease the stress of reality and to occupy myself when I feel that I’m too caught up in life itself. Below is a list of what I’ve been watching lately:
1. Empress Ki
My favourite poster out of the bunch *0*
Now, I was a little bit naughty and didn’t start watching this drama until recently – about a week ago to be exact. It took me roughly 3 days to catch up to the recent episode (which was episode 28 at the time) and boy, I wasn’t too sure afterwards whether that was the smartest thing I could have done, or the worst. I mean, I sincerely have no regrets about starting the drama however, geez those 3 days killed me…But hey, no regrets people, no regrets.
Empress Ki is a historical drama loosely based on the story of Empress Gi, who was from Goryeo but later ends up marrying the Emperor of the Yuan Dynasty. The drama stars Ha Ji-Won (Secret Garden, The King 2 Hearts, Hwang Jin Yi) as Ki Seung-Nyang, who later on becomes the future Empress Ki. Her other leading co-stars are Joo Jin-Mo (A Frozen Flower, 200 Pound Beauty, Dream) as Wang Yoo (aka future King of Goryeo) and Ji Chang-Wook (Warrior Baek Dong Soo, Smile Donghae, Bachelor’s Vegetable Store) as Ta Hwan (aka future Emperor Huizong). What I absolutely love about these 3 leads (and the entire cast overall) is that they all have had some sort of experience with the genre, which interests the dedicated fans (such as myself) and also ensures pro-acting! I like guarantees, don’t you?
The three main leads, future-obvious love triangle and gorgeous photogenic models *drool*
I highly recommend this drama to those who have a undying passion for Sageuks such as myself, and for those who don’t mind the long journey ahead. The Sageuk isn’t like most others ones; despite the expected length of the drama (50 episodes to be exact), this drama does not best arond the bush when it comes to the actual plot. The pacing of this drama is definitely a factor that makes this drama a potential classic for the Kdrama history books (haha get it? History hehe…not that funny huh? Thought so…*sigh*) Not only that, the entire cast is fantastic and great at what they do. You love and hate the characters for who and how they are acting as, rather than whether or not the actor/actress is creditable or not.
I will plan on making a separate post solely about Empress Ki, and the theories I have as to what is possibly going to happen in the coming future. Recaps is still in the air; I just don’t know if I should join the bandwagon when it is already past the halfway mark.
2. Emergency Couple
Why do they still look so gorgeous when they’re glaring at each other??
Honestly, I rarely ever watch any medical dramas because hospitals provide me with some pretty bad memories. Due to this, I always avoid watching them. However, what got me quite interested in wanting to check out this drama was due to two reasons:
1. Choi Jin Hyuk
2. Song Ji Hyo
Honestly, need I say more??
Emergency Couple is a medical workplace rom-com starring the lovely Song Ji-Hyo (The Fugitive of Joseon, Gye-Baek, Princess Hours) as Oh Jin-Hee and Choi Jin-Hyuk (The heirs, Gu Family Book and It’s Okay, Daddy’s Girl) as Oh Chang-Min, who both end up marrying each other despite their family’s wishes. Eventually, after much pressure from Chang-Min’s family and the constant stress between them both, they divorce and go their separate ways. Six years later, they both find themselves being interns at the same hospital within the ER department.
It has been a long time coming to see Jin-Hyuk oppa finally as the lead of a drama *fireworks everywhere!* I’ve been following him ever since I saw him in Pasta (2010 drama) and I have absolutely no regrets. I knew right from the start that he would succeed (no matter how cliqued and cheesy that sounds, it’s true) and I am so happy for him that he has finally obtained the leading role of a drama ^_^~ And with Ji-Hyo unni as well! Nothing can beat that yo!
I have been following this drama ever since it started airing and I have to say I’ve got some mixed feelings about it. At times, the drama is clutching-my-stomach-while-laughing-to-death funny (Gary’s cameo FTW!); other times it just drags on and on. On the medical side of things, there is definitely a let-down since most of the situations that occur don’t seem realistic enough in order for the viewer to become fully immersed into the issue at hand. But hey, that’s my own personal opinion; you might think differently. Regardless, the main cast are a joy to watch, and so I will still be following the drama very closely.
3. My Love From Another Star
Initially, I had started watching the drama from when it first started broadcasting (I needed something to recover myself from the previous roller-coaster ride I encountered) but I put it on hold since I knew that I would be MIA due to the hiatus trip to the Gold Coast. Once we got back, my little sister actually did jump the bandwagon and has followed it till the current episodes.
As for me? Still stuck right at the beginning.
Why? Let me give you a rough idea of how our conversation went a couple of days ago:
Roughly 4-5 days ago
Little Sis: Hey unni, have you actually started watching “My Love From Another Star” yet?
Me: Yeah~~
Little Sis: Where are you up to?
Me: Episode 2 (To be more specific, 20 minutes into episode 2)
Little Sis: ONLY?! Listen to me unni, stop right now while you still can…
Me: …Is it getting that bad?
Little Sis: *nods head furiously* I swear, wait until it finishes broadcasting; the wait for the next episode is KILLING ME!!!
And so yeah, I have been sworn off the drama since. Can’t wait till it finishes next week so that I can start it officially~~ If you wanna know what the drama is roughly about, click on the blog post I made ages ago about its previews 🙂
4. Nine: Nine Time Travels
Just finished downloading the whole drama sooooo once I finish up “My Love From Another Star”, this will probably be next on the agenda ^_~ I haven’t really read much about what it is about since I want to enter the drama without any influence. All that I know is that people love the time-travel aspect of the drama, and that it is really well-done. I want to avoid high expectations, but with that sort of knowledge in my mind, how could I resist a drama that seems to continuously gain positive reviews from bloggers worldwide??
Also, this official promo got me a wee-bit excited >//<
Am I getting too addicted to these type of pics? Honestly, something must be wrong with me ><
What I’ve been listening to lately:
Unlike the dramas, I have been following the music industry a lot more closely, simply because I get news feeds about it every day, and it is really easier to follow a new album, rather than a new drama (sorry guys, I guess commitment will be an issue in future relationships LOLOLOL)
1. Empress Ki OST
Alright, can I just say that I love every single song that has been released in this drama so far?! Seriously, Sageuks usually have impressive OSTs but this one, this one is exceptional. My highlights from the bunch have got to be Xiah Junsu’s I Love You (사랑합니다) and Park Wan-Kyu’s The Wind (바람결). Junsu’s voice in “I Love You” is just pure perfection, while Wan-Kyu’s husky vocals in “The Wind” just sends some epic vibes through your body. The other OST songs (with one from Wax unni TOO~~) are just as great; it’s just that the two mentioned above just left a mark on my brain and heart, and has continued doing every time I play both songs.
Even the instrumental pieces are impressive – I can’t wait to get my hands on the entire OST. MBC, I will be waiting patiently!
2. SM The Ballad Vol. 2 Album
Alright, this album is awesome. Simple as that.
All of the songs (even including the open piece “Dear…”) are just perfect, and the whole idea that you are meant to listen to all of the songs as if it were telling a story is a really interesting concept and surprisingly, it actually works. Each song is sung with endless passion, and each singer is simply able to capture your attention with just their voice alone. My absolute favs from the album is the Chinese version of “Breath” by Chen (EXO) and Zhang Li-Yin, Zhou Mi’s “太贪心 (Blind)” and “하루 (A Day Without You)” by Chen (EXO) and JongHyun (SHINee). The other songs are just as great, but these three seem to be able to take my breath away~
3. Sunmi’s “Full Moon”
Yes yes, it is the return of the ‘vampire’ phase again however, Sunmi rocks this concept as if she were actually born to be one. Hte song at first doesn’t seem to be anything special but once you start listening through it the second time round, everything about it seems super special awesome and it’s just…catchy! The “eh eh eh eh” bit (as everyone else keeps stating as well) is truthfully just contagious, and the dance move at that bit is also inevitable. Sure, it’s not the most mind-blowing song of the universe however in the end, it all comes down to how the listener enjoys the song and I really really like it ^^~
4. Park Ji Yoon’s album “Inner Space”
The hype leading up to the release of “Beep” was just madness! With tons of teasers (featuring numerous cameos) released beforehand, I believe that many had their expectations to achieve. And honestly, this song just hit every single one of them. With a catchy soul vibe, a 70’s rocking beat and a voice of pure uniqueness makes this my confirmed jam for at least the next fortnight or so, guaranteed.
But it isn’t just “Beep” that is amaze-balls, as “Inner Space (나의 뇌구조)” is just as good. A big change from the previous track, but still retains the unique awesomeness of Ji Yoon’s voice and flair. She is just simply awesome, okay?
What I’ve been following lately:
So, a lot has been happening in the world of Asia however, the one thing that has been keeping me quite excited for the past couple of weeks or so is the headline below:
RUNNING MAN IS COMING TO AUSTRALIA!
Yes, that is actually what’s happening.
And guess what? It’s happening TOMORROW!!! AND WILL GO ON FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS!
To top it all off, the guests have been confirmed to be both the Rain and…KIM WOO BIN!
*collapses, dies and revives again*
Oh Jesus, when I first heard the news, I literally squealed like a little girl for a minute straight.
Absolutely mind-blown.
Here’s the news articles I checked it out from:
http://24-7kpop.com/2014/02/18/rain-kim-woo-bin-appearance-confirmed-running-man-australia/
http://www.sbs.com.au/popasia/blog/2014/02/11/all-you-need-know-about-running-man-australia
So yeah, apart from that, nothing much has been going on – that was probably the main piece of news that has got me spazzing.
Oh, and yes, the shocking news about the ridiculous number of people who may be enlisted for compulsory military service this year. Though rumours, the hard cold facts cannot be ignored: http://www.dramafever.com/news/9-k-drama-stars-who-may-be-leaving-for-military-service-this-year/
Alright, so that’s about it for me today. I will be back real soon with a review or a first impressions, whichever seems to come first I guess. Once again, I do apologise for the lack of activity on this site! Please understand that my life is in a situation where my head is just pushed inside out, upside down, making my blogging an impossible task to do.
Thank you guys for the constant support, and I will catch up with you all very soon~~
❤ Yami Hyunnie ^^~
Asia Reviewer Maniac 