You Are Beautiful... Another addicting Korean Drama. But how could she continue loving that turkey of a guy episode after episode? Ok he was very cute, but so wrapped up in himself, and with such a wicked mother. But then how could she leave him after he stood on stage talking to her and found her in the crowd of 15 thousand screaming fans? That was a great scene. That was the scene the audience waited for, waded for through 16 episodes. What an awesome scene. So erotic. But then what? After something so terrific as that, what else is there? The mundane day to day life that inevitably follows is too disappointing to think about. So in a way she has to leave, this nun turned boy turned pig-rabbit turned woman. She has to leave otherwise we are left only with an ordinary couple.
What I want to know is why do they use so much english? And why is there so much catholicism?
Well, the long week-end is over. You are Beautiful is over. The morning pushes on, and it's time to go back to work. Forget the glittering world of television. Let go of the lives of all those others who exist only in the dreamworld. Work. Work to forget. Work to make money. Work to pass time. Work to remember you are human, regardless of where you were born, you are human... and existence is enough of a drama, subtitles or not.
PASTA, the Korean Drama about a girl who wants to be a chef and a Chef that hates girls in his kitchen, REAL acting suddenly appears on the screen in episode 10 and knocks you off your feet. Yoo Kyung is one of the most convincing actresses I have ever watched. Her character is awkward, childlike (almost overly so, but not quite), and somewhat plain. She is told over and over by Chef that she is not attractive. Ugly, he says. Her face is full of expression, her body movements are exactly right, and her joy is contagious. Sorry, that is a oh so corny remark but it is true! It is true, you must watch this soap. In episode 10 Hyun Wook, (real name Lee Sun-kyun, the worlds most adorable sensual powerhouse of an actor) tells Yoo Kyung (the worlds most adorable, childlike, strong female lead..her real name is Gong Hyo-Jin) that he likes her. And in these few minutes where she sits on his cutting table and he bends over her, the emotions and facial expressions and acting is absolutely REALITY TV. It could not be more real. In fact, I keep wondering if they are really who they are portraying. These two carry the show, along with the restaurant owner who also acts well, though his role is more quiet and his love unrequited, and Yoo Kyung's father who plays a small but beautifully done part.
What I want to know is why do they use so much english? And why is there so much catholicism?
Well, the long week-end is over. You are Beautiful is over. The morning pushes on, and it's time to go back to work. Forget the glittering world of television. Let go of the lives of all those others who exist only in the dreamworld. Work. Work to forget. Work to make money. Work to pass time. Work to remember you are human, regardless of where you were born, you are human... and existence is enough of a drama, subtitles or not.
PASTA, the Korean Drama about a girl who wants to be a chef and a Chef that hates girls in his kitchen, REAL acting suddenly appears on the screen in episode 10 and knocks you off your feet. Yoo Kyung is one of the most convincing actresses I have ever watched. Her character is awkward, childlike (almost overly so, but not quite), and somewhat plain. She is told over and over by Chef that she is not attractive. Ugly, he says. Her face is full of expression, her body movements are exactly right, and her joy is contagious. Sorry, that is a oh so corny remark but it is true! It is true, you must watch this soap. In episode 10 Hyun Wook, (real name Lee Sun-kyun, the worlds most adorable sensual powerhouse of an actor) tells Yoo Kyung (the worlds most adorable, childlike, strong female lead..her real name is Gong Hyo-Jin) that he likes her. And in these few minutes where she sits on his cutting table and he bends over her, the emotions and facial expressions and acting is absolutely REALITY TV. It could not be more real. In fact, I keep wondering if they are really who they are portraying. These two carry the show, along with the restaurant owner who also acts well, though his role is more quiet and his love unrequited, and Yoo Kyung's father who plays a small but beautifully done part.
Can I gush anymore? Are these people famous? I know they are famous in Korea, but what about in the U.S.?
These shows all use odd real type people. You don't need to hear an actor repeating the same word, or wearing the same shirt to know their character. They stand out and are memorable because they are not perfect to begin with. The leading girl doesn't wear lip gloss in PASTA. The female cook who gets fired kind of has a Roseanne aura, chunky and angry. (She turns up again in Protect the Boss, another FANTASTIC drama I'm in the middle of now.) Sometimes people look disheveled, really look it. In US movies a person might say, "wow you look terrible! what's the matter?" but in truth, the other person doesn't look terrible at all... they look spiffy and perfect but maybe they're frowning. Korean Drama lets you see as well as hear. The story is not in perfection. It is not about perfection. The scenery is refreshingly dumpy at times. The cars aren't all perfect. The imperfections make it. and the fact that you can watch 20 or more hours of one drama without having to see people copulating in order to know they are in love is...well... it's just way sexier. I love how you grow to love each character because you get to see such interesting scenes that may not be directly related to the plot but they add tremendously to the story. It's like listening to a folk tale. It's rich stuff. And grown up people are important. They aren't people to avoid like in this country, they are the center of the family. The grown kids listen to them. They have this respect shown to them. Honorifics. "Yo" at the end of a sentence. Bowing. And a meaningful place in the group. A person watching this yearns for that kind of acceptance and inclusion in the familial group. A person watching these Korean Dramas may feel we have sacrificed too much in our loss of formality and tradition, trading it for independence which teeters on isolation. 
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