CIX Comeback Soon & a Little Seo Kang-Joon

 I haven't accomplished much for fun since yesterday's post, if I'm honest. Well, not in the way of pure entertainment. I'm up to episode 3 of Watcher. And I watched some misc. kpop compilations and an EXO dance practice. Looking forward to the CIX comeback on February 2!

CIX -What You Wanted (Revisited)

I wrote about the CIX comeback and immediately decided to go watch an older performance just because. I watched "What You Wanted" on The Show a few days ago.

Someone randomly attached it to a tweet about something totally unrelated, but I found myself watching the entire thing. I'd forgotten how much I enjoyed this choreo. 

So when I started fiending for CIX, I decided to go find another "What You Wanted" performance. I seemed to recall one in which they wore white flowy clothes that made the dance look ethereal. Found it very easily:

Somehow, the 'fits make this look so much cooler. The dance moves are pretty powerful in the chorus, so the juxtaposition of soft, flowy fabric with strong, aggressive moves is interesting. This is particularly true for Hyunsuk, since he is in the most ethereal outfit (and is the best dancer, sorry not sorry).

Watcher Episode 2

As mentioned yesterday, I started Watcher, though it was sort of a slow start for me. All I had gotten out of it to that point was... Seo Kang-Joon is insanely handsome. Like, I don't focus much on looks in real life or in my entertainment, but he is one hell of an exception. 

So yesterday's blog post was sort of just "look at this dude" and not much more? Well, not much more on the kdrama topic. I did, however, get involved in the plot since then.

Surprise! The case that I thought was the entire plot was solved in episode 2. I love when that happens. Clearly, they didn't nail the main dude that they're trying to catch, so it will be something of an ongoing process while solving other corruption cases. I am super happy about that. It keeps things from getting stale.

Actually, it was one of the things I liked about Bring It on Ghost. Flawed as that show may have been, the fact that they hunted lots of different ghosts from one episode to the next helped keep it from being boring. 

Well, there were a few other key details that kept things interesting as well. Some of those are described in these blog posts: 

Kwang Ki-Young: Underrated King of Side Characters

David Lee & Itaewon Class & Bullying

Diving into 2PM: Junho & Taecyeon Dramas

Back to the Not-Really-Ending Watcher Plot

But I digress. I appreciated how fast they wrapped things up. Minor SPOILER alert! They found this kid (pictured above). Two of the bad guys died. All wrapped up, right? On a side note, I do love the actual framing of the below shot of one of the dead dudes. It's just... a beautiful shot from a cinematography perspective.

I mean, really. It's a very nicely lit shot, right? I guess it's sort of sad in its way, but I don't really care. I mean, the dude isn't like, an amazing character that I had time to love or anything. 

The whole wrap up even included the stereotypical exhausted, chilling, male-bonding-after-a-job-well-done-scene. The "unlikely partners" having a casual debriefing? It's a bit of a cliché even for the end of a drama, but it's only just beginning!

Seo Kang-Joon: Impressive as Always

Seo Kang-Joon got a chance to really act in these opening episodes too. The most obvious was the scene in which he was triggered af. He froze and just... cried and watched. Poor character! I do love a damaged male lead, especially if there is no perky female lead trying to "fix" him. Man, I love this actor!

Korean Studying

Today, I did lots of studying actually. First, I refreshed myself on about 80 or so vocab words and learned maybe 15 new ones. Then, I went through a refresher grammar lesson.

I listened to a podcast of two lessons in the shower (both were short). And after that, I did a long lesson on time. As always, 김근영씨 helped me with some fine points too. I wanted to know some extra things that weren't included but seemed basic to me. Like:

Do you differentiate am/pm or use military-style time maybe? 

Answer: Yes. They say 오전 (morning) or 오후 (afternoon) for am/pm. And they also use something like our version of military time with hours 1 through 24.

Do you write out 2:30, or do you only write it out as 2시 30분? 

Answer: They do just write it out numerically like we do. I assumed that much, to be honest. Obviously, the goal is to learn how to say it... but I still needed to know, right?

파이팅!

Seo Kang-Joon & Ink Paintings (수목화)

 Today, I went through most of the first chapter of my new Korean textbook. It was helpful for testing my listening skills, but I'm still not awesome at listening. Hmmm... some might say that's true in English as well, but that's not quite the same thing!

Watcher

I planned to start watching this drama a very long time ago (September or earlier, according to my blog post indicating that I wanted to see it). Why? Obvious... Seo Kang-Joon is my absolute favorite. His performances are always subtle and well done. He is also stunningly handsome. Like, really outrageous. 

I kept getting distracted all day by other things (cleaning, practicing Korean, GOT7 videos on YouTube, etc), so I haven't gotten very far. I took my very last break just now to write this blog post.

All I've got to say: Seo Kang-Joon models by accident pretty much continuously. Like, he makes any random outfit look like he's on the runway, and I feel like he could sell anything to anyone. It's not hard to see why he's a model too. Am I right?

So far, Watcher has been really good. But then, I just made it through episode one and it took all day. I can only handle small doses of Kang-Joon, I guess. He's too good.

Ink Paintings (수목화)

Today, while clarifying a few things with 김근영씨, I asked him what a whole set of random words meant. They were part of pronunciation/listening exercises, so the definitions weren't included. 

One of the words was 벼루, which he told me was an inkstone. Well, they were all weird random words (wild goose, roe deer, walnut... just misc. stuff). Of course, I knew roughly what all the things were... except an inkstone.

Apparently, they are used to mix dry ink and water for Chinese, Korean, and/or Japanese calligraphy. Some of them have super ornate designs carved into the stone too. Lovely. But here is a basic one:

So 근영 told me all about 수목화 too, and how kids in Korea learn how to do ink paintings in elementary school, just like we do with watercolor here. They're beautiful. 

The one below is by Minja Lee, and I just want to give an example that's really pretty (I will 100% remove it if asked--I'm not trying to make money with it or do anything wild, just share some pretty art).

I think it's beautiful. 김근영 thinks I should try it. I might have to, to be honest. I'm sure I'd be terrible at it, since it seems like it would require the same dilution and negative space as watercolors, which I'm terrible at using. But still... I might try it.

파이팅!

Robot Kisses & More Seventeen

 Today, I listened to a Talk to Me in Korean podcast to refresh myself on a past lesson and also practice my listening skills. I went through maybe 30 vocab words and went over the last 3 lessons again... just making sure I've got it down.

Robot Kisses

I watched several more episodes of I Am Not a Robot last night before I went to bed. There was quite a bit of focus on kissing. Surprisingly, this wasn't as sweet as some of the previous episodes. The male MC had never been kissed, as he had been in seclusion since childhood because of his "allergy" to people.

There has been several mentions of the "prevertedness" of this guy wanting to 'do things' with a robot. I wonder if that is culturally just not a think in Korea? Or is this like... PC family-safe TV talk?

Surely they are aware of Real Dolls and the like? Is a sex doll even considered kinky in the U.S.? I'd say not really. I don't see the appeal myself. However, I think it is only really weird when they treat it like an actual girlfriend and whatnot. That's... a bit extra. But maybe I also have a super high tolerance for kinks. Pretty sure it's just fairly normal though.

That said, he sort of learned how to prepare for a kiss with his robot, though they never actually kissed. But of course, plans fell through and then the robot-not-robot decided to kiss him. He was outraged that she "stole" his first kiss (fair enough I guess), but at the same time super into it.

What followed though? One or more full episodes of him being petty because he can't handle his feelings. Like, bruh... just calm down. No? A bit of a drama queen there. There are other robot love stories (as referenced in the title of my previous post, Another Robot Love Story) . Pretty sure these two didn't minded kissing robot lips:

Or I guess maybe it's precious male ego that couldn't handle 1. the woman making the first move and 2. that the first wasn't his "perfect" woman, hmmm? For those who don't know, the above dramas are Absolute Boyfriend (not, I repeat NOT, a fun little rompy rom-com) and Are You Human Too? 

On a side note: Seo Kang-Joon. That is all.

Seventeen - Guide #2

I decided to watch the same long ass guide to Seventeen again. This time to help put names with faces. I'm skipping through a little bit, but I think I've got some of them down. On sight, I know:

S Coups, Woozi, Jeonghan, Seungkwan, Wonwoo, Dino, Vernon, Jun... and of course, this guy:

DK is a unique dude in looks, character, and vocals. He isn't the one I'm leaning toward as my bias (still The8, as mentioned in my last post), but he is something else.

I seem to get Minkyu mixed up with Wonwoo until I see Wonwoo... then I'm like, "Oh, that one was Minkyu". This time through, it reconfirmed that he has such great flow too. Man. So good.

I 100% have The8 down too, but I sometimes also think Joshua is The8 from certain angles. With this many members, it would be surprising if a few didn't look like they could be actual brothers.

Hoshi seems to be the absolute hardest. I swear he sometimes looks like Seungkwan and sometimes looks like Woozi? Sorta cutesy, round-faced, but I swear he looks totally different from like EVERY angle. Still trying to nail that down. I know him when I see him dance though. Damn. This guy!

파이팅!

I Am Not a Robot: Surprisingly Sweet

 Just a quick blog post today. Yesterday was a very difficult day at work. I didn't have a chance to study at all, and I was too exhausted to blog as well. Today, I worked all day, was too busy to study, and also didn't feel well at all. I hope tomorrow is better.

Beautiful People

I'm still watching I Am Not a Robot, which I blogged about two days ago: Another Robot Love Story. I'm up to episode 10 (about 5 hours in), and I have some more thoughts on it.

First, Chae Soo-Bin is beautiful. She is the first Korean actress so far that I've found to be a real beauty. Her performance is pretty hammy but cute. 

Second, Yoo Seung-Ho has grown on me. I love a deep voice, so he has a soothing quality to him just from that. But he is also really good at creating sympathy in the viewer. He seems like a sweet guy and has a cuteness to him.

Third, their chemistry is super on point! This is a very light drama, but what little depth it has, they are really milking. You feel bad for him and want their relationship to succeed simply because he can now really live for the first time since childhood. It's a nice story.

Kwang Ki-Young (Again & Again)

I've written at length about Kwang Ki-Young (see: King of the Side Characters). I have seen him in many, many dramas at this point, and he does hammy, over-the-top comedy well.

I had no idea he was in I Am Not a Robot until he popped up. You know... he does that. This time, he is playing a dramatic role. So far, he is supposed to be the "bad guy" but mostly just as an extension of his father. 

His father tricked the MC as a child into signing away control of the company. The father also used the childhood version of Kwang's character to convince the boy to sign. Years later, it seems that he still wants to be friends, like when they were little. Or at least not be enemies.

At any rate, the relationship is interesting. Yoo Seung-Ho's character so far has more stock in the company, more power as chairman, seems to have more business acumen, and also has the girl he wants.

The above is Kwang's reaction to being rejected by the girl when his ex-friend called... and then immediately finding out that the guy had one-upped him in business as well. This is a very subtle performance compared to the likes of this:

The above is from Bring It on Ghost. That was far from the best drama I've seen in recent memory, but he was super enjoyable in the role. In both, he is acting out displeasure, and they are as different as night and day... hammy comedy vs realistic drama. He nails it.

파이팅!

Seventeen: Dance Masters of the Universe

 I've been watching Seventeen dance practices and whatnot since ummm... probably as long as they've been around or nearly. Before I delved into the music, I was well aware of kpop dancers, as mentioned. They are amazing dancers.

I'm not obsessed with any of their songs at this point. There are some I like. I have maybe 5-6 in my playlist, but I don't have any that I think, "Oh man I LOVE this song" when it comes on. You know? Still need to go through the discography.

But since I've spent many collective hours of my life watching these guys... I decided it was time to learn who all the members are. And I jotted down first impressions (and in some case, third/fourth/fifth impressions after digging more into an individual)... it might help me remember.

Major standouts the first time around: The8 and DK

Dance Line

It goes without saying that these guys are amazing! The dancers... in the arguably best dance group in kpop. The best dancers out of 13 people who are crazy good dancers? Yeah. It's a given. To date, they are the only subunit that I have watched.

Hoshi - Choreographer... not sure that anything else needs to be said? His vocals are fine and all, but the dancing + choreo is plenty for me. *Gag duo member-- didn't see much of that either.

Jun - Wooooo... the moves on this boy! He is crisp af! Super pretty, delicate voice too. 

Dino - Again, seems like a really good dancer. He seems to have a bit more power and strength in his movements that the others, at least from what I've seen so far. Given, I have seen these 4 a whole lot, but I had no idea who was who.

The8 - Interesting name...? His rap voice is pretty awesome. Deep. Gives some nice bass. His singing voice is really pretty too. It goes without saying that the dude's dancing is crazy good. Stunningly good. Like, already pretty much assured to be my favorite. I mean:

He also seems like the actually funniest member to me. I love a dry, deadpan type of humor, and he seems super chill. I also saw a clip of him asking what difference it makes that a member had darker skin, called him handsome, and said it doesn't matter at all. I was just saying that in a recent post. I love a king with a positive message.

Vocal Line

DK - What!? Even before finishing the vocal line part of the guide, I assumed his voice was probably going to be my favorite. It's lethal when he goes into his gritty tone then hits those crazy high runs. I love a voice that can be pretty or raspy, depending on what's needed. 

He seems pretty loud and extroverted too--cool with me, since I am too. I can already 100% tell that I love this dude. *Gag trio--funniest of the bunch from what I saw.

Seungkwan - Next favorite vocals for sure. Dude has more soul than the other guys. Killin' it with those runs and the feeling. *Gag trio member--seemed mildly funny.

Woozi - The vocals aren't really my favorite tone, but he kills it! But the fact that he writes/produces most of the group's songs is impressive. Love multi-talented people.

Jeonghan - Seems like a diva in a pretty amusing way. Nice vocal tone. Also the first one that I though was clearly an attractive dude. In an obvious way. Usually, that doesn't end up being who is most attractive to me personally, but it's... there.

Joshua - Ummm... nothing really stood out? I didn't get much of a vibe on him. Seemed slightly awkward off stage, and he can clearly sing, but it didn't stand out much. I'll need to see more.

Rap Line

I'm gonna keep this part short and sweet, since I always love the entire rap line and give tons of attention to a group's rappers. I'm sure these dudes will shine.

I watched the guide and then checked out a rap line track I hadn't heard. I dig it lots, though the autotune is not my favorite. I don't think this is as good as they get, to be honest. None of them really destroyed this track like I'd expect for a rap line song.

S Coups - Sickest rapper from the clips I heard, though I will need to watch the MVs for all the songs I know to double check. His tone is gruff, which I dig, and his flow is slick.

Also really liked the entire rap line's flow (except Vernon, who seems fun but I didn't hear much from him in the guide-- recs?). I liked Wonwoo's vibe too. Not sure what it is, but he's got something.

Mingyu seems like a goofy but loveable type of guy off stage... endearing. Vernon just seems like he'll be funny in all their videos, and he has a nice deep voice. I just didn't hear him do anything impressive with it yet.

Korean

I listened to my first podcast lesson tonight. I've been using Talk to Me in Korean for the quick lessons, but I don't listen to the podcasts. I thought for some of the more in-depth or important lessons, it might help.

So, I listened in the shower to the lesson from yesterday. It clarified one thing, but mostly, it just gave me a chance to listen and repeat. 

I also went through some vocabulary. Mostly, it was vocab for the textbook I got so that I'd be prepared to do the activities in it. Some of the simple words that I hadn't learned yet were shocking, to be honest. That's about it though for today. I was busy at work, after all.

파이팅!

Another Robot Love Story

 There was much debate tonight over what to watch. I finished Mad Dog yesterday. That is an underrated masterpiece in my view. Very well written espionage and whatnot. I moved on to Secret Love Affair, but to be honest, I almost fell asleep watching it last night because it was so boring.

I Am Not a Robot

I was looking for something light and cute, since I've been watching more serious dramas recently. So I played the opening of I Am Not a Robot, and I thought it was definitely light and cute. But... I wanted to watch something serious.

So I started Watcher, which is super high on my agenda. Seo Kang-Joon is still my 100% favorite at this point. If there are kdrama biases, he is my bias for sure. But I got distracted by my grammar convo with 김근용 and looking for the audio/vocab lists for my new book that it was a while before I actually got around to playing it.

By then? Was more in the mood for something light and silly like... I Am a Robot. So, that's what I'm watching. Hey, I go where my mood takes me! I still fully intend to start the Watcher when I want a serious drama. It looks SO good.

Thoughts Thus Far

I like the general vibe. The production quality is pretty high. From the pictures I'd seen, neither Yoo Seung-Ho or Chae Soo-Bin seemed very cute, but in action, both of them are pretty adorable. I haven't seen either before, but both are on my watchlist for other dramas (A Piece of Your Mind with Jung Hae-In comes to mind).

I have barely started the drama yet, but I think this might turn out to be a pretty definitive take on the show. It's got a tiny bit of the "drama" and a whole lot of the cutesy romance. The above pictures are, essentially, the reality (fully clothes and floating alone in a pool trying to convince himself that he is fine being alone)... and the way she sees him for the first time, glowing and starry and framed by the sun.

Korean Practice

Today, I went through another new lesson. I went over the last two lessons as well. And I asked 김근용 about something that had been bothering me for a few days. I couldn't quite figure it out and he helped me.

He literally had to draw me a diagram. But he helped me! 

I also got my very first Korean textbook. I expected it to be a bit thicker, but it is a good 150 pages or so. It is light on "lesson" and heavy on practice. I want to practice! There is also audio sections to practice listening skills, which I need. I've already covered a whole lot of this book... but that's okay. I will get to practice, right?

It came with a CD, so at first, I was slightly annoyed that I'd have to rip a CD, something I haven't had to do since the early 2000's. But someone already did that and threw it on YouTube. So, that will be easy enough. The vocab for the book is also on Memrise thanks to some user or other. That will be helpful too.

Kdramas: When Orphans Find a Home

 I went through two lessons today. One was a quick review for me. The other was new info that I found pretty easy, so I think I've got it already. I also practiced in the shower... it's a surprisingly nice and quiet place to practice speaking.

Found a Home

Quite some time ago, I wrote about the loneliness theme concerning Mad Dog. I found it interesting that the two male MCs both had no family left, but one is cared for and loved while the other is genuinely alone. I said in the post that it would be nice watching them become one team.

I was correct. It is very satisfying to see. First, Pentium screamed "hyung!" and literally walked in front of a blade to save Woo Do-Hwan's character, Dr. Kim Min Joon. That had me crying. He lived with the other male MC (Mad Dog) for a time, and they bonded quite a bit.

There have been some brief comments about how Dr. Kim is like family to Mad Dog now. That includes when Dr. Kim asked him to stop assaulting someone, and Mad Dog said that it was as though his wife and son were asking.

The rest of the team teases him quite a bit now. He can't hold his liquor (as seen above). He has a weak punch. He is so good with the ladies. Him and Jang flirting... they tease for all of it, and it is clear he is part of the team.

Sweet Scene

I think this scene brought it all together though. Pentium is spending the night because, though Dr. Kim doesn't know it, there is someone out to kill him. So 'Tium is protecting him.

Before they fall asleep, Pentium warns Dr. Kim that if he hurts Player Jang, he will die by their hands. Sure, Kim is rich and pale and handsome... but he is untrustworthy and seems like he would cheat on his women.

Dr. Kim Min Joon denies that their relationship is that way, insists that he never wants to see her cry either, and hears another threat: "Just remember, the three of us (rest of the team) will kill you if you make her cry".

Kim rolls over to sleep and mutters that it must be nice for Jang to have three dependable oppas looking out for her. "I'm jealous".

Pentium's response was simple: "You have three too. You have two dependable hyungs and a dongsang who will take care of anyone who makes you cry too."

Do-Hwan played the scene well. He rolled over, looking emotional. But he smiled when Pentium said, "Goodnight" with a long pause before "Hyung".

So, Kim Min Joon is not alone anymore. He smiles and jokes more... and has found a new family. It is much more heartwarming than just another dull romance. 

파이팅!

Return to Woo Do-Hwan & Studying with 김근용

As much as I want to get back to watching Secret Love Affair, which is a slick little kdrama that has been enjoyable so far, I felt like watching Woo Do-Hwan. 

Mad Dog - Again!

So I'm getting back to Mad Dog after a bit of an absence. I got sucked into He Is Psychometric. And then Bring It on Ghost was a fast watch since I skipped a whole lot of boring and obvious bits. 

But I was in the mood for something more serious. To be honest, I was also missing a really handsome star. Like, Jinyoung is super cute. Taecyeon is a decent looking guy too. But Woo Do-Hwan is in a whole difference category.

He pretty much lives in that category all alone... but for very few. Seo Kang-Joon is in there with him. Some others come to visit.

I imagine that he might be an acquired taste... but I acquired the taste, I guess. He is stunning to look at, and with that deep voice, I just really enjoy watching and listening to him.

Of course, it also helps immensely that he can act. Not gonna lie, he has had me crying multiple times over the course of the show. Funny how I'm pretty much dead inside in reality... but give me a handsome man crying about a fictional problem, and I cry along with him.

I made two quick videos today too. Above is just... the least serious scene with the Kim Min Joon character. He doesn't have much to smile about usually, so I thought the scene was cute. And below, Woo Do-Hwan speaking English for a minute because I always think that's interesting to hear. Enjoy!

Lots of Korean

Putting this at the end today because I have lots to say. I was super productive! 

Today, I got lots accomplished! I finished a "new" lesson, which was more of a review from other materials I've used. This time, I have it down!

I also looked through Korean textbooks. Up to now, I have been using free internet resources ONLY. But I think it is time to have a book with some examples and samples to practice with. I chose Active Korean 1, since it was developed by Seoul National University Language Institute. Seemed like a good choice, especially for just $28. Should arrive Wednesday.

I also downloaded Soundcloud and added Talk to Me in Korean to my library. I never really listened to the podcasts. I played one early on and didn't find it helpful. Now though, I think it WILL be helpful. So I intend to listen to the lessons after I go over them myself. It will help with pronunciation.

한극 친구, 한극어 연습

(Korean Friend, Korean Language Practice)

I practiced my Korean with 김근용 (romanized as Kim Keun-Yong, maybe?), my favorite language partner. His speaking/listening skills in English are only slightly better than mine in Korean, so we agreed to send voice texts in both to each other to practice speaking and listening. 

Why is he my favorite? He is a really sweet guy. Always concerned about whether I'm sleeping and eating and taking care of my health. Politically, we tend to agree on things. We can talk about work and music and life in general. He explains lots of things to me... like the 11/11 holiday, for instance. 

He is a few years younger than me I believe... 2 or 3 years. That's no big deal here but might be a big enough gap to be a big deal there. I guess maybe if we keep talking for years, I might become a 누나 (Noona) to someone? He is the only language partner who is younger than me.

I might as well add too that he's handsome. That's neither here nor there, but he has a kind smile. It's nice when people's personalities match their faces.

파이팅!

Sexual Freedom & Power for Women

I finished translating a conversation in Korean. It wasn't much. Three people got together for someone's birthday, went to a restaurant together, and ordered food. They didn't make it easy. There were some things that needed to be inferred because I hadn't learned it. But it went well.

I also went through some vocabulary. All in all, I'd say it was a fairly successful day of studying Korean.

Secret Love Affair

Since I finished Bring It on Ghost last night, I decided to start another drama. I'm still watching Mad Dog too, but I'm taking my time with it. I wanted another light and/or romance type of drama, and why not have a little noona romance, right?

Well, this is actually much more serious and heavy in tone than expected. It's more like a melodrama. Several things pushed me to watch it though. 

First, it seems more adult than teen, and the last two I watched seemed sort of teen/YA. Second, I adore piano (I took lessons for three years but just really appreciate the sound).

Third, I think Yoo Ah-In looks a bit like Shownu from certain angles.

Sexual Freedom for Women

The women run the show. Early on, it was talking about directors and CEOs and etc. Turns out, they're women. The female lead told her boss, "Hide him in a closet if you don't want to be embarrassed. I'm coming in!" So I thought her boss was gay or at least banging dudes behind his wife's back or something. 

Surprise! The slutty boss wasn't a man. It was a woman. All the women seem to be interested in sex and not afraid to get their needs taken care of... or at least, I believe that will be a theme.

The boss didn't seem embarrassed a bit and slapped the hell out of her subordinate for trying to shame her about having sex with random models and such. Yes.

No Man-on-Woman Violence Yet

The violence so far has been woman-on-woman too. One woman dared to imply that the other was a "Madame". The lady grabbed her by the hair and in the next scene, she was shoving the head of that "bitch" into a toilet. 

Mind you, these are classy women who run an arts and culture institute! I was 100% unprepared for that scene. She got totally gangster with it too, telling the next person to "close the door" so she could flush this bitch. I died!

The I-Hate-Customers Moment

The male lead had a customer service moment that is super relatable. He made a delivery, and the dude was about to just leave. So MC was like, 'yo, you need to pay the delivery fee'.

Old boy said he was 2000 won short and asked for a discount. The MC literally stared at him without a word until the man found the money to pay, took it, and walked away. Never said anything. Just gave this shitty "curl into a ball and die" face.

The audacity! I'm a sales manager. This face sums up how I feel multiple times per day. Especially during covid. Sometimes, even the most nonviolent people just want to stab a client/customer in the face. It happens.

파이팅!

David Lee & Itaewon Class & Bullying

 I went through a Korean transcript today, a conversation between three people. I feel like I was doing well before I got pulled away. I also forgot it at work when I left. It did highlight a few things that I want to clarify with Soo-Yeong and/or Keun-Yong (my two best language exchange partners). So, it was productive if short.

Hey Ghost, Let's Fight

When I can finally write very brief blog entries in Korean, I will be looking forward to using Korean titles. Right now, even if I know the words, I have to look at the spelling and switch my keyboard back and forth. A pain. 

The version I'm watching is called Bring It on Ghost. Most places, it's called Hey Ghost, Let's Fight. Both are fitting... and stupid. Which one is preferred? No idea.

David Lee

In yesterday's blog post, I delved into a bit of 2PM's music because I finally connected some dots thanks to Bring It on Ghost and Taecyeon. Today, I was bothered by the fact that David Lee just... looked familiar.

And I discovered why. He was in Itaewon Class. I often forget about the drama, though I really enjoyed it. Mostly because it is the only drama I've ever watched on Netflix to date... it is just tucked away in another random corner of the internet for me.

That said, I found his character on the show amusing and touching. The horribly bullied kid who grew up to be rich and powerful. Yet he continued to have issues and low self-esteem, seemingly, because of the bullying. 

This is super clear in the above gif. He thinks that his bully is in jail. Then, he is just crossing a street, looks up, and is confronted with the man who tormented him. Look at that face. He doesn't look like a grown up, let alone a rich or powerful one. I found him more memorable and touching than almost any other character.

David Lee is clearly a solid actor. He did a very delicate job with his role in Itaewon Class. Who knew that he had comedic timing? He was so over the top and goofy in Bring It on Ghost! It's amazing. And playing half of the comedic duo with Kwang Ki-Young is just too perfect!

Off-Topic: Skin Color

David Lee seems so much paler now than he did then. If that was a purposeful change for beauty standards, that's a real shame. The natural tan skin color is beautiful on everybody.

It's interesting that the "western" white skin is considered beautiful there, while in the U.S., I've been called Casper, Elvira, Morticia, and a slew of other nicknames because I'm "pale as a corpse". I've even been asked many many times if I'm albino, despite having color in my hair and eyes.

People tried to talk me into going to tanning salons my whole life. No thanks. I believe in embracing whatever color we came with. 

My color just happens to be almost translucent white with every vein clearly visible. I have blue streaks everywhere... and I'm okay with that. If the sun shining on my bare skin gives people snow blindness, they can stop looking. Judge all you want. Don't care.

파이팅!

Diving into 2PM: Junho & Taecyeon Dramas

Today, I mostly practiced yesterday's lesson from memory. I've got it down and will start a new one soon. I also spent a good 30-40 minutes speaking both sides of a conversation in Korean. I think it went pretty well. 

Bring It on Ghost

So, as mentioned in a previous post, I've been watching Bring It on Ghost. I should mention that I've been skipping some parts. Like, say, the police officers investigating the bad guy. It's pretty obvious stuff. Also some bit with the monk's gross-out humor (that actor does it well though).

I had never seen Ok Taecyeon before, but I had head his name. So far, he has been pretty engaging, and he is a decent looking guy for this type of action/romance. He is built like an action star for sure. He makes shots like this look good:

I looked him up a few days ago when I recognized his name. He was a member of the kpop group 2PM, which suddenly made sense. I've looked them up several times because of kdramas.

First was Chansung because he was in What's Wrong with Secretary Kim. I didn't really like his character at all in it, but I thought he did an okay job considering. I also didn't see what was so swoon-worthy about him (as the characters in the drama fawned over him). So I looked him up out of curiosity.

Second was Junho because of Rain or Shine. This was totally different. I loved his character in Rain or Shine, and I couldn't believe what a stellar performance he gave. I was shocked when I found out he was a pop idol because he was clearly a talented actor.

He is also an attractive guy who was fun to watch in dance clips and whatnot. I found it fascinating how funny and goofy he is in reality vs the seriousness of his character in Rain or Shine. Super impressed!

Time to Check 2PM Out

Tonight, I thought maybe I should give their songs a chance, since I know 3 members at this point. So I went to their wiki. Surprise! I know 4 of them!

I knew nothing about Jay Park except for his music and some music from his label. Dude is in my playlist. I knew he was influential (and deserved to be). That was it.

So, now we have Taecyeon, Chansung, my dear talented Junho, and Jay Park. Four of the maximum 7 member group. Interesting, hmmm? You know a group is pretty legendary when you accidentally know who the members are! 

I decided to watch a guide and learn more about them. It's a guide filled with music too. So... win-win. I'm about halfway through it now, and Taecyeon's rapping in a clip of the above song, "My House", made it the first in my playlist. We will see where the journey leads.

파이팅!

GOT7: Member-Written & More Jinyoung

 I did study quite a bit today. Went over a few older lessons, did some really old vocab, and covered a new lesson too. I feel super accomplished.

GOT7: Diving In

In honor of the big will-they won't-they (likely won't-they) right now concerning GOT7's contract with JYPE, I figured that I would check out some more GOT7. I've mentioned before that I really like them as a group of fun guys. I only have two songs in my playlist.

I added "Hard Carry" a long time ago. The dance practice was really good, and it's catchy. So, I added it before checking out GOT7 really. No surprise there. I like the track and the dance, so... no brainer. Of course, I've still never seen the MV. I will at some point.

The other is, strangely, "Not by the Moon". This is not my type of song generally... very mellow pop. But somehow, I really love the vibe. The video was beautiful also. It was also the song that made me really fall in love with Jinyoung's vocals. Very pure.

So why only two songs? I've checked out a handful of songs, but most just haven't struck me as things I'd listen to in my free time? I have 3 or 4 Jackson Wang solo songs... much more my vibe. I also got into him without even knowing he was in GOT7.

The other reason: I haven't heard the vast majority of their songs. 

I've been trying to go through their MVs in order from debut. And give myself a preview of all the albums too. I just want to see what they've got going on.

Member-Written Songs

I'd only heard "My Youth" by Jinyoung previously. And to be honest, it did my my more... R&B chill playlist that I don't listen to often. His voice is just so nice! The video was beautiful too. My plan tonight is to check out more of the member-written songs.

I know that JB and several others write lots, but I'm starting with Jinyoung. Why? He's my favorite. I won't say bias yet, but... favorite. I watched He Is Psychometric because I already liked him and that performance [blogged about here (great actor), here (NOT gay), and here (final thoughts)] sold me for good. Big fan!

Plus... I seriously do love his voice. It's lovely.

First up tonight was "Mayday". It is an interesting track. The almost off-beat percussion is particularly interesting to me. I'll have to listen to it a few more times. It has a nice balance of soft and pretty vs EDM, but I'm not 100% sold on it.

Why Now?

Anyway, here starts my real journey into GOT7. I figured that if they leave their label (and I honestly think that if it means more artistic freedom for them, they should), I should have some idea what I'm in for, right?

Also, I guess I've found some of their songs just... not quite what I want to hear? They can sing, rap, and dance... but the tracks themselves haven't excited me. 

I'm wondering if perhaps that's because they were just handed random "hits" that just weren't special enough. In short, I'm wondering if they do better on their own. Worth thinking about since they might be solo soon, huh?

This is not meant as an insult at all. More of an acknowledgement that kpop (like most pop) is a feat of grooming and training and often little input from the "artist". I love to see talented people express themselves freely.

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Kwang Ki-Young: Underrated King of the Side Characters

 I didn't get much time to study today. But I have studied over previous days and just practiced without any notes at all too... having mini conversations with myself and whatnot. I think I've got some of the conversational stuff down completely.

Practiced tons of vocab too. So, I don't feel bad for missing a day. Plus, yesterday, I even gave someone a mini Korean language lesson on Twitter. If you can teach it, you know you've got it figured out. 

Kwang Ki-Young Is Awesome

Full disclosure: The first time I saw Kwang Ki-Young, I thought he was super annoying. For the first few episodes anyway. After that, he began to grow on me.

Now, I've seen him in countless dramas, and I've gotta say... I kinda love him. Funny how I had a total reversal, but sometimes, a persons charm takes a while to become evident. In this case, his annoying ways are actually endearing after a while.

Super Expressive

What prompted the blog post though? I started watching Bring It on Ghost. I was pleasantly surprised when he first popped up. I was instantly immersed in his goofball performance. And I've been loving every minute of it.

To be fair, the annoyance factor is real. Above, you see his character's subservient best friend in the world raging out on him. Let's just say it was deserved. I love how he looks around like, "Can someone help me with this crazy person here?"

Just look at that face! He legit cannot have a single scene without being extra af. It's so damn good. Below, he was explaining that the lack of jobs shouldn't be concerning because even frogs need to warm up before jumping... and this is what he was doing while explaining:

No reason for it... except he is hyperactive and it is what a frog does. Like, big time little kid energy going on. He always looks like he's about to get caught too and seems so innocent when people yell at him. Another shot after pranking his friend and scaring him to death:

Another one... just caught in the act of being a big kid. He doesn't seem to care though most of the time. Super endearing:

Below, he's trying to convince the guy to join his club. The scene cuts to him walking out from behind a projector as Steve Jobs. The entire pitch is about how "innovative" the approach is. I died laughing.

To top it off, I have seen him in countless other roles. I've seen him do dramatic scenes with crying and subtlety. And I've seen him do the wacky living-cartoon-character nonsense too. He is talented and underrated. That's all I'm saying.

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He Is Psychometric: Final Thoughts

Today, I went through a bunch more vocab and also conjugated all the verbs/adjectives as I went. It seemed to go pretty smoothly. Nothing new today, but I've been neglecting my vocab so long that it will take a while to go through it.

To be honest, waiting for a month before looking through it helped some. It's a real test of how well I know the words. It has helped narrow down the actually difficult ones that will require extra effort too.

Psychometric & Sad AF

I just finished He Is Psychometric, and I've got to say that it is one of the best kdramas I've seen in many ways. First, the pacing was tight from beginning to end. There were no dull episodes, and it felt like all of the time was well used.

Second, the acting was nicely done for pretty much the entire staff, though the female lead wasn't as good as the female side roles. All of the other actresses outshined her. The male cast is talented as well.

Third, I was only slightly bummed about the ending. The most tragic and sympathetic character in the drama was definitely Kang Sung-Mo. I kept hoping that he would just get a slap on the wrist. Also hoping that maybe Lee Ahn (MC played by Park Jinyoung) would forgive him or at least call him "hyung" as an indication that he might forgive the guy one day.

That might be an unpopular opinion. Not sure. I don't want to spoiler anything, but if there was ever a full situation in which someone did a bad thing but should be pretty guiltless, it is this one. The real "crime" was just not knowing when to stop, since the "game" seemed a bit long.

Fourth, the lead killed it! Who knew that a kpop star (Jinyoung is in GOT7, clearly), could pull out such a touching performance? He ran through just about every emotion I can think of: rage, hopelessness, joy, contentment, love, hate, desperation, sorrow... and he really did a more believable job than lots of actors I've seen. Impressive. 

I was a fan anyway. Now though, I'm really looking forward to his future roles. His singing is beautiful, and his dancing is nice if not brilliant. But I think he's a better actor than idol. Talented guy.

Hands-Down Best Part

For me though, even with lovely cinematography, unintrusive OST and sound effects, nice acting by a large cast, a well-written script, and characters I came to care about... the best part were Lee Ahn's male relationships.

I was incredibly touched by the backstory of how he became best friends with Dae-Bong, a poor abused rich boy who is loyal to a fault and latched onto him. The friendship was cemented when Dae-Bong took a beating but still managed to talk his father into letting Ahn off the hook for taking a bat to the dad's car. 

Not only did he show up to get Ahn from jail... but he was beat to hell and still smiling. Love the character, who shows up any time Ahn needs him. No Jong-Hyun, the actor who played Dae-Bong, did a great job with a surprisingly deep character: happy, loving, sensitive, vulnerable, but with pain just below the surface.

Obviously though, the relationship between Ahn and his hyung was the most touching in many ways. Sung-Mo was a super damaged character who, I think, was just trying to do his best to be responsible for Ahn and not hurt him more than he'd already been hurt. I genuinely feel bad for him more than any other character in the drama.

While it was sort of a stiff, one-sided brotherly love... there were moments between the two that seemed like the most "normal" thing either of them ever had. This was particularly true because Ahn could touch his hyung without visions. It must have been a relief to have one person in his life that he could touch without worry.

In the end, the biggest disappointment for me was that this relationship changed. It seemed incredibly unfair for both of them... and the weak romance did not replace it at all. A real shame.

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