Limbo Rock

I am going through a limbo brought upon by my own doings. Honestly, I'm not feeling great. And there are people I carefully avoid cos I've got no freaking mood to entertain. I don't need consolations. I just need a breakthrough to make amends.

Coffee Savouring Never Get this Fun

It's official. My number 1 favouritest K-drama, to date, is Coffee Prince Shop Number 1 or 咖啡王子1号店. In an attempt not to over-raise expectations, I shall try my very best in containing my about-to-spill-it-all urge in sharing what I [heart] about this drama.

Instead I present you 10 generic reasons on why you shouldn't miss it, when you decide to embark on a new show:

1) Eye candies

They should add a 's' to Prince. We're talking about at least 5 Coffee Princes here. This is one drama that's crazy about its 'visual appeal' i think.

2) Chemistry

Not only do the leads have great love chemistry, the cast as a whole shone through with brotherly chemistry, sisterly chemistry, brother-sister chemistry, old-folks chemistry... hahaha...

3) Great Houses

'Oppang' (rooftop) houses get redefined here. It's no longer those crampy attic homes which are cute for the first time and boring next. The 2 key houses featured in this drama got great panorama + to-drool-for interiors. So good, you thought you wanna live in Seoul.

4) Men who can Sing

Maybe a female director made the difference; maybe the guys offered to do it, but this drama shows their happy men singing. And they all sing considerably well.

5) No Wily Foxes

Sometimes you really wanna pull the hair of those vixens in some series, wondering how one can be so evil. This drama has got none of such. And you wonder how then does it keep the narrative interest going? I dunno... it works for me somehow.

6) Cliches that Work

This drama has no original plot whatsoever and it didn't make an effort to hide that. I started with sceptism too, wondering how a 'Hana Kimi' theme can be done better than the Taiwanese's adaptation. But the 2 cannot be put on the same scale. The approaches are different.

7) Great Soundtrack

If Coffee Prince doesn't score with you, you can't fault its soundtrack. Superb choice of music, not just typical Korean pop songs that go "sarangheyo sarangheyo". It has muscial depth, truly.

8) The Coffee Prince Shop

Yes, the very cafe where the key story unfolds! It's lovely where it is. The cafe has drawn such huge crowd ever since the drama catches on. I want a Coffee Prince Shop here too :p

9) Gong Yoo and Yoon Eun Hye

Watch it for them. Eun Hye shows her acting range. If you think she's good in Goong, then you don't know much yet. As for Yoo, he doesn't seem like he needs to act at all.

10) Miss It Only to be Left Out

With its humongous popularity, you won't want to be left out once the folks on our shore go into coffee-whiffing mode. This is Korea's highest rated mini-series to date, beating the records set by Goong. And surely, some magic is brewing within?

* Screen caps courtesy of Javabeans.

Fellow CP addicts who drop by, drop me a line too! :D

Why Why Love, why like this?

Sometimes, my own words can be foreboding. The plot development for the last 3 eps of Why Why Love just downslided the way my excitement plunged.

SPOILERS AHEAD

As though a last ditch effort to prove the series' worth as a more serious and in-depth drama, the writers took a turn towards the last few eps to throw in really cliched sob stories. I've got no problem with worn-out ruses but there's always better ways of handling the narratives. Despite closing all the loops that it created right at the start of the drama, the whole effort is contrived and lacking in mastery. Shan't say more but I'm contemplating to auction off my VCDs while pondering over if the first 70% part of the drama makes it worth keeping.

My Cuties List is Taking a Break

Seriously with Coffee Prince filling my head all the time over the last few days, I can't imagine myself gushing over other men for now. It's kinda exciting that I'm catching this super hot Korean drama almost 'real-time' as it airs in Korea. Thank gawd for internet and computer, it's gotta be the greatest invention of all time!!! Thank goodness for fan-subs, they gotta be the most generous people around!!! Thank all those kind souls for uploading as soon as they can, I wonder how they find all the time and bandwidth!!! I can't wait to rewatch the entire series again after I've landed my hands on the VCDs. CP is such great dope that I've neglected my love for Why Why Love - I can't believe I'm not a tad excited that the VCDs are finally all out :S

I'll do a rank and review of my Top 5 Korean dramas after CP ends its run on 28 Aug and I'm crossing my fingers that the last 3 eps live up to expectation so that my love for it thus far comes full circle to a great finale. You know lar, there are a lot of sucky endings these days that spoil it all - especially those TVB dramas. Ask XY, she knows best.

Btw, I'll like to warn all potential antagonisers that I've got a few pet peeves so try not to push the wrong buttons with me these days when I'm not in the best of moods:

1) Don't take me for granted as a walking encyclopedia. Yea, I'm resourceful but dun ask me something as though I should know and expect answers like I should be responsible for knowing. I REPEAT, I'M NOT PIPIPEDIA.

2) Don't ask me anything only to refute what I think or insist on your opinion. When asked, I always try to give my 1/2cent worth. You can take or leave it but you shouldn't doubt the 'quality' of my answers. I normally tell it as how I see it, whatever that falls short is an issue of your own expectation or preference.

3) Lastly, respect my likes and dislikes but I dun need any superfluous 'sucking up' by trying to identify with my likes.

Wun name examples of incidents here. I'm not touchy-feely, just testy over how lacking in consideration some people can be.

My Top 10 Korean TV Leading Men: #7

Korean Cutie #7:

Cha Tae Won

Laughed in-between tears for/at/with him in My Sassy Girl.

Pi's Sizzling Meter:

His Wiki page here.

Sure he's not the best looking lead around but I will not give Tae Won a pass cos he is why I started on Korean movies and dramas. His cutiness is in his way of making you laugh with his effortless honest, sincere (and sometimes 'toot') look. His off-screen persona completes him as one of the best guys you could possibly ask for - dedicated, down-to-earth and endearing. Heard that he had a fine showing in his latest drama despite the poor ratings.

My Top 10 Korean TV Leading Men: #6

Korean Cutie #6:

Jae Hee

Made me grin silly in My Sassy Girl, Chun Hyang.

Pi's Sizzling Meter:

His Wiki page here.

This Kenji Wu lookalike is the reason why I pressed on with the draggy Chun Hyang and he was why the otherwise average drama becomes a little above mediocre. There's so much of him in the show - you get ice-cream for your eyes watching him transform from a high school boy to become a prosecutor, wah, lovely styling ok! He hasn't got much big break since My Sassy Girl but I'm looking forward to see more of him.

My Top 10 Korean TV Leading Men: #5

Korean Cutie #5:

Joo Ji Hoon

Caught my eyes in Goong.

Pi's Sizzling Meter:

His Wiki page here.

Ji Hoon stands tall, very tall in fact at 1.89m! What is this?! Korea has an industry full of NBA-qualified leading men...I wonder what they eat over there. Honestly, Ji Hoon's acting in Goong is not fantastic but he has a well-produced drama to thank for. You'll really grow to love this block of wood who looks wondrously befitting in the entire set. Quiet guys can be quite charming. And you know we gals fall for "oh, how he opens up to you because he so loves you" kinda fluff. I know too well... -_-

Top 10 Korean TV Leading Men: #4

Korean Cutie #4:

Kim Rae Won

Enchanted me in The Attic Cat.

Pi's Sizzling Meter:

His Wiki page here.

Lai Lai (as I fondly call him) is one cutie that XY has stood by despite the emergence of better, cuter and handsomer cuties. I swooned over him in Attic Cat though he was quite a jerk with intelligence being his only redeeming quality. Until he realised that he has fallen in love with the female lead of cos. But somehow, I kept getting attracted to such crappy guys. Oh I'm such a crap @_@. Starting early in the entertainment business has a way of speeding up maturity and Lai Lai is showing signs of 'ajuhsheeness'. I'm just hoping he doesn't beef up further to look like he's taking part in Mr Universe. Look out for his new works in Gourmet. Much anticipated apparently.

Top 10 Korean TV Leading Men: #3

Korean Cutie #3:

Hyun Bin

Went gaga over him in: My Name is Kim Sam Soon

Pi's Sizzling Meter:

His Wiki page here.

Great looking face with lean swimmer's bod, Hyun Bin is to-drool-for. And who can resist that gruff confident charm in Kim Sam Soon, his best drama to date? Then, I sought solace in being a real life Sam Soon who is a little more endowed, a tad untidy and not-too-feminine ~ you know it gave me hope that I could be liked by someone this cute. Apparently the dream went on for more than a year and there's still no sight of someone who's at least 50% near the standard of Bin. Maybe I need to get a life, a reel life.

My Top 10 Korean TV Leading Men: #2

Korean Cutie #2 -
Lee Seon Gyun



Melts me in Coffee Prince.
Pi's Sizzling Meter:


His Wiki Page here.

I proclaim him my (and prolly fellow kopi princess XY's) fave ajuhshee for now! He makes that pair of Paul Smith specs look so sexy and re-asserts how geekiness can be oh-so-cool. Add that whiff of musical talent and SNAGginess from his Han Seong's role in Coffee Prince, he is the man you'll want to hug when you see him lost in his confusion.

My Top 10 Korean TV Leading Men: Intro + Number 1!

After a series of bimbotic posts gushing over dramas and all those fluff (and bluffs yea?), I guess I've sealed my status as a lame tv junkie, most capable of in-depth discussion over shallow subjects such as how 'mud-looking' Mingdao is undeserving of mentions alongside the league of real heart-throbs like say Joe Cheng. My personal bias I know.

Anyway, I'm not about to set justice to my seemingly superficial engagements since serious discussions are best left to the aspiring lifelong-academic. I am continuing my mindless pursuits and shall present you my Top 10 lists of men. The pluralism in the italicised is intentional and not a case of bad grammar. I am the ignitor of the idea to come up with our list of Top 20 cuties. Whatever you see here, and maybe here, were started after conversations with me. However, the varying forms of lists that eventually surface(d) in their blogs were entirely to their own credits.

Now I present you my 1st of the 10, in no order of preference cos I really like them when I was at the height of madness at the point of watching their respective dramas. The degree of liking fluctuates from time-to-time. Such is the caprices of my heart but I take real-life relationships seriously ok!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Korean Cutie #1 - Gong Yoo


Makes my heart throb in Coffee Prince.
Pi's Sizzliing Meter:

His Wiki Page here.

I theorise that most of these Korean cuties have looks that grow on you despite the doubts you might have initially. There are exceptions, of cos, such as Bae Yong Joon. I shan't elaborate.

Gong Yoo has a 'kiam pa' face but it takes a heart made of the strongest alloy not to melt when you see him agonizing over his 'homosexuality' as the drama progressed in Coffee Prince. Such fine showing of emotional nuances and all his little moves that drive you nuts! Like how he bit his lips to savour a kiss, with all that puppish expressions. I guess I would be cheated of all my money if a cutie guy trickster stunted that on me...hahaha... But what really works for me about Gong Yoo, is his portrayal of a man with kidultish ways and conviction to pursue his love(s). OMG, I'm giddy again from reminiscing those scenes.

Oh, and guess what, we're one year apart - me and Gong Yoo! It's a match ok cos a lot of these cuties are irritatingly at least 3 years younger than me.