The fifth episode brings more of Eun Chan’s caring personality as well. It has already been the second time she voluntarily helped out Hwang Min Yeop, which he helps her back with covering her true identity in the coffee house. Together they share the secret and the whole staffs enjoyed team work involvement pretty well. I especially like it when call her “My Chan”, and Hwang Min Yeop calls Eun Shin’s sister “Angel” in every conversation. It gives a vivid expression towards the characteristics in the drama.
Apparently the business in the coffee shop wasn’t going so well, that Han Kyul came up with an innovative marketing strategy on start serving for take out service for coffee. I have never heard that the theory that coffee will taste differently on paper cup compared to the china utensils though. Another phenomenon I found out is the popularity through Internet spread. I believe Eun Sae posted the video to youtube or some other network to increase the fame of coffee shop.
Also marriage is brought up between Han Seoul and Yoo Joo. It seems to me that still Han Seoul loves Yoo Joo more, and Yoo Joo acted as a successful single career woman who does not need marriage as a burden. Since they were back together all of a sudden, it is not awkward neither of them really discussed about this question. Besides, the broken-up lover TK kept showing up between their relationships, which made this love triangle even more complicated. Meanwhile Eun Chan’s complex feelings for both Han Kual and Han Seong are exciting, too. I still can’t understand since when Eun Chan had the feelings for Han Seong? The scene that she confessed her feelings to Han Seong still seemed awkward to me. On the other hand, in the end of episode six comes with the first high peak since episode one, that Han Kyul asked if he could hug Eun Chan. I questioned myself as “Huh? Only a hug?” when I saw this because usually there should be a kiss instead of only hugging, and that will be really exaggerating to bring the plot to the twist.
p.s. The first girl look Eun Chan is incredibly astonishing, never thought she would look so feminine in dress since she’s always be like a girl next door.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Pasta EP 5&6
The pickle dilemma ensues. Yoo Kyung tries to make a substitute pickle that wont use sugar by making it with fruit. In Korea and Japan fruit is very expensive so I can imagine why the manager was so angry with her. We also see Oh Sae Young move into the apartment with Yoo Kyung. She seems so clingy to me, trying to be as close as possible to Chef by moving into the apartment right across from his. Hierarchy in the kitchen is seen as Eunsoo the maknae is beginning to understand what it means to be at the bottom of the foodchain, a spot that Yoo Kyung had been in for 3 years. I also noticed that this episode had more shots of the actual making of the food and what part each cook is responsible for. We finally find out how the Chef and Oh Sae Young are connected. They were lovers while studying abroad and they were also rivals. They're relationship was cut short when she decided to sabotage his wine by boiling it in water when they had a big cooking competition. She did something that a chef should never do. She should have stuck to her instincts and used her own skill to win instead of weakening the competition. She decides to enter the competition with the rest of the cooks of La Sfera. She wants to beat Chef fair and square now. She is trying to prove to herself and others that she is a great chef and she doesnt need to resort to cheating this time around. She wants Chef's respect back and she also wants him back. When Alex and Chef were arguing in the parking lot alex said "The customer is King". I always hear this in Korean dramas. There is more reaction between the two main characters in this weeks episodes. We find Yoo Kyung has taken a liking to Chef, mainly because he's been so good to her. He lets her make pickles, lets her make the Vongole for the special guest, and also saves her good name when he finds out the truth about the money that Chef Totti gave back to the manager. Alex also finds his spot in the restraunt and we realize that he may be the one who has been leaving those cactus photos on Yoo Kyungs locker this whole time.
Saturday, February 27, 2010
coffee prince EpS 5/6
What is up with the blowing in the face? lol. She really did look like a boy doing that. I think there are parodies on youtube of that scene. If you have the time, you should watch them. The milk carton was cute but cheesy. So I guess Han Keol is falling for Go Eun Chan. I feel sorry for the guy, he seems so confused. =) I must say, it was a great way showing the blend and connection of American influence as well when Han Keol and his friend at the movies. They were watching Shrek with subtitles! But then again Han Keol daydreams about Go Eun Chan even while watching the movie. He surely is losing his playboy status for Go Eun Chan. This would be the issue that breaks the tradition into the new generation as they imply homosexual relationships in the scenes. But why would Han Keol keep messing with Go Eun CHan. Man, I know he's playing around but I would have hit this dude with broom instead of blowing my bangs! On another note, you have the other couple who is still trying to keep their relationship. Marriage also becomes an important issue as the female is stepping away from the idea of marriage and focusing more on her career. But does she really want to? I guess we need to see more of Go Eun CHan playing the thrid wheel to spark up this lady's love life.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Pasta ep 3-4
Whoops late post :x
I always seem to remember watching the drama but forgetting to blog about it >_<. fail!
Anywho, I thought Pasta would show more cooking since the title is a food and the setting is mainly at the restaurant but the interactions between the characters are more important. They don't really cook as much in this drama, like Brigitte said, they do a lot of pan shaking. I don't know why its such of huge importance to shake the pans while cooking the pasta but the chef makes a big deal of it.
I'm starting to like the main girl lead a bit more, because I really thought she would just give up after losing to the chef but you see her come back the next day. She is pretty gutsy because the chef because the chef really wants her out. She's a woman anyways and the chef doesn't like woman cooks so going back to la sfera in the first place really shows her courage and love for the restaurant. The drama also shows a flashback of how she got into la sfera in the first place, by ordering a lot of food and not being able to pay for the order. I would like that to happen right now in America, because its so hard to find a job now >_>. Unfortunately, they won't be as nice over here.
Also, we find out that the chef's ex, Se-young was the one who recommended the president to hire Hyun-wook. I wonder why she is doing all of this, giving Hyun-wook the job and buying Yoo-kyung's apartment that is coincidently in the same building as Hyun-wook's place.
I also want to make a comment about the pickled cucumbers and pasta. Do Koreans really eat pasta with pickled cucumbers? The taste of something sweet/tangy from the pickles and the salty taste from the pasta doesn't seem so tasty to me. However, I might be wrong. Gotta go make some pasta and get pickled cucumbers now to try it out!
I'm also confused why the chef hugged her in the end of the fourth episode, I thought he didn't like her but I guess not? I might have missed something though.
So far, Pasta hasn't really gotten much of my attention. I think Coffee Prince grasped my attention a lot better in the beginning episodes compared to this drama.
Monday, February 22, 2010
Coffee Prince ep. 1-4
First off I'd like to say that it has be a couple of years since I've actually sat down and watched soap operas, let alone soap operas other than Philippine ones. It was interesting to sit and listen in on peoples reactions to Coffee Prince, since I haven't seen an episode and had no idea what everyone was talking about. But needless to say, just hearing what people had to say about the show made me curious about the storyline and the execution on screen.
With that said, although I found the Tagalog version easier to follow since I didn't have to read subtitles, I am going to stick to the English subtitled version so that I am not lost in the translation from Korean to Tagalog. Overall, I found the show easy to follow and the plot entertaining.
After googling one site after another, I finally found the sites where to watch Coffee Prince and youtube. I know what you are all thinking, "Duh. . .youtube!" But I chose youtube also because they have Tagalog (Philippine dialect) dubbed episodes. In all, I've watched each episode twice, once with English subtitles and second dubbed in Tagalog. I find it interesting that although both versions parallel the plot about Eun Chon being Han Kyul's pseudo queer love interest, the two versions have cultural differences. With that said, now I'm wondering what is really going on in the original version because in the Tagalog dubbed version, some parts of the script is catered to the Pilipino audience. For example, when Han Kyul refers to his grandmother in the Tagalog version, he refers to her as, "Mamita", which is a term for grandmother that has been growing in other "Telenovelas" in the Philippines. Also, another difference I noticed is the difference in names. In the Tagalog version, the cast is given American names, while in the English subtitled version, they keep the Korean names. Even the song choice was changed in the Tagalog version.
Coffee Prince eps. 3 & 4
So for this week episodes, I truly did enjoyed it because now I was able to see the development of the story line and also the characters growth within the drama. What I also liked about this week was how funny the characters were with one another especially Han Kyul and Eun chan. the awkward touching and questions that were asked by Han Kyul, I kind of started to feel for Eun Chan awkward situation, like how is she going to react to it and what if Han Kyul finds out, what would happen between them, but I guess I can wait for that whole situation to come up eventually in the later episodes. What I thought was cute was how Eun Chan slowly starting to fall for Han Kyul.
What I am not enjoying is the whole situation with Choi Han Seong and Han Yoo Joo, their relationship, its just getting really annoying, first she likes him, then he hates her, but they come back together, sooner or later they are going to be at it again, BORINGG! .
What was a shocking in this week episodes was that Han Kyul’s brother showed up in a very quick scene and how his grandma was telling to respect his older brother just the fact that he is the younger brother. That whole situation is a very Asian Society type of thing because you are always to respect your elders because they “ know better”
What I am not enjoying is the whole situation with Choi Han Seong and Han Yoo Joo, their relationship, its just getting really annoying, first she likes him, then he hates her, but they come back together, sooner or later they are going to be at it again, BORINGG! .
What was a shocking in this week episodes was that Han Kyul’s brother showed up in a very quick scene and how his grandma was telling to respect his older brother just the fact that he is the younger brother. That whole situation is a very Asian Society type of thing because you are always to respect your elders because they “ know better”
Coffee Prince 3&4
These two episodes I decided to focus on the family and class dynamics. For instance we see several times the relationship between mother-daughter in both Eun-chan and Han-Kyul's families. At first we see Eun-Chin go from having this mother who appears to be self-absorbed and into consuming items even though she does not have the money to support this shopping habit, yet when Eun-Chin is crying her mother comforts her and they exchange a real sincere moment together. Another family dynamic within the Eun-Chin's family was when her mother, sister, and her were doing yoga in their living room. This reminded me of my own mother and sisters and whenever we get together to try some new activity. It was just a smart example of how women within families get together and bond in comparison to maybe men who might go participate in another sport or activity to establish family bonds. These two examples provided us another perspective of Eun-Chin's family life, especially since in the first two episodes we only saw that she worked for them and saw her mother and younger sister not appreciate her as much as perhaps we'd like them to.
Another example was the power structure in which see Han-Kyul's grandmother and mother engage in within one another and then with Han-Kyul. The grandmother is obviously the matriarch which is refreshing as I would suspect its functioning within a patriarchy society. The role of the grandmother in scolding her daughter's parental skills in raising Han-Kyul was very realistic as the criticism sets in in how his mother did not raise him properly.
The next issue was class. This stood out to me whenever Eun-Chin eats her meals. If one notices she more inhales her food which to me I took as an example of being part of the working class. The prime example was when they were eating together and they described Eun-Chin as someone who would eat anything- even if the food fell on the floor.
The upcoming episodes should be interesting as we are left in suspense with Episode four.
Pasta Ep 3&4
This weeks two episodes were fun to watch. We find out how Yoo kyung gets into la sfera. She goes to great lengths to get a job in the restraunt which holds great meaning to her. It turns out she even attended the culinary school nearby just so she could be close to la sfera. In the case that you dont have enough money to pay the bill, I think that koreans usually make them do dishes and other chores to pay off you dept, while in America..that s***ain't gonna fly. You'll probably be arrested for not paying your bill. You can see just how far she went to get to her dream job. I found Alex (the owner behind the curtains)a little annoying. Dude got her fired all because he couldnt wait till after they re-opened. In most korean dramas, I notice that there is always some people scheming in the back to get what they want. The annoying owner with the curly hair promises one of the chef a higher position if they can get their goal in getting the head chef fired. The two teams of chefs start to really get into little fights in this episode. In korea, status is everything and the chefs from italy have way better background with italian cooking which makes the original chefs angry. Also, i hadn't noticed it before but the italian chef with the long hair is actually Rose or Noh Min Woo who was an ex member of rock band TRAX. Its kind of weird seeing him with this hair style since he used to be blond with crazy hair. The part that was most interesting for me this week was the no pickle rule + the limited sauce on the pasta. Now, the sauce didnt confuse me since I normally dont like sauce on my pasta anyway but the pickles confused me. I noticed that koreans thing pasta is neukk ki hae (i dont know the american translation -_-) so they always need pickles. When I went to pasta restaurants in korea, I always thought it was weird when they gave me a side of pickles. I have yet to experience an american restaurant giving me a side of pickles for pasta so I'm pretty sure its just a korean thing.
Pasta Ep.3 and 4
Last week, when we were discussing about episode 1 and 2 of Pasta, we are introduced to the characters of Pasta, and we learned that the main male and female character really hates each other. Choi Hyun Wook's stuck up attitude seems to have gotten Seo Yoo Kyung to hate him and see him as a rival, and she now will stop at nothing to be way better than him. At the end of episode 2 she made a dish of pasta that finally made a dish of pasta that shows her skills and allowed her to be hired into the team. In episode 3 this is when things gets interesting, we now have Choi Hyun Wook protecting Seo Yoo Kyung, which I find very amusing, he is nice to her at one time and then mean another. Seo Yoo Kyung nontheless always gets into trouble, which is really hilarious, though the way Hyun Wook treats her is kind of mean.
Coffee Prince 1 &2
I guess I should state that Coffee Prince is my first Korean TV novela and I thoroughly enjoyed the first two episodes. At first, I was a bit skeptical, but by mid-way of the first episode I began to see that it was becoming a complex TV show with issues that touched on gender-roles, family relationships, power structures, love interests, and class. The two main characters, Eun Chan and Han Kyul are both modeled after what I would consider polarized stereotypes, with Eun Chan playing the working-class-rough-around-the-edges naive female juxtaposed to Han Kyul's character is is the typical playboy with no responsibilities who comes from a wealthy background.
As these two contrasting characters develop, we as an audience begin to see that Eun Chan is the pillar holding her single-parent family together by working a string of part-time jobs and therefore makes the situation of her willing to do anything that would help her pay her family's bills- even pose as a gay lover to a rich man like Han Kyul. In comparison we have Han Kyul who is enjoying his family's money by playing the role of the ruthless womanizer who does not want to settle down and get married as his family all wishes he would. However, we do begin to see Han Kyul lower his pretentious persona when he begins to observe Eun Chan's responsibilities and all that he (she) does for her family. Also, we begin to see Eun Chan's free-spirit breakdown Kyul's walls which allow him to laugh and this is the beginning of Kyul questioning his sexuality.
Another detail that I was not expecting was the sensual side of the novela. I guess after reading the article, "Love of Korean Soaps Spreads in the U.S." when Song mentioned that one of the reasons why Korean soaps where catching popularity was due to the more conservative angel they took on sexuality. Yet, there were a number of close ups and heated moments where characters were clearly expressing some sort of sexual desire. Personally, I think it made the show a bit more modern and that might help get the younger generations attention as sexuality is being acknowledged rather than ignored or stifled.
Lastly, I could not help in which the women were being portrayed in these two episodes. For me, many times the female characters were being depicted as annoying, loud, dependent, naive or too assertive, and nagging. This is problematic because instead of depicting women in numerous personalities we have the usual stereotype of women playing out the humorous role through her nagging or clinging role. This is a challenge I find TV shows and media face as they often rely on simple roles for women that either play the victim or predator.
Overall, I am looking forward to the rest of the season as the plot continues to thicken and I want to see what happens with the role of Choi Han as he to me is the character I am most drawn to with his Hamlet like sensitivity towards his ex-girlfriend. Oh and I guess the scene that touched me the most was when Eun Chan was on the city bus and she was looking at her book worrying how much money she had in the bank and what she had to pay off, for me this tugged at my heart as Eun Chan takes on the financial burden of supporting her family. It was a scene that was easily believable as I can relate to Eun Chan's frustration and anxieties concerning money. Finally, I thought this series would remind me of the movie, Yentl but its more along the lines of Pretty Women with Eun Chan being Julia Roberts role . Very interesting tv show and I can't wait to the next episode.
Pasta Episode 3-4
Alright, my entry last week probably made Professor Kim think nobody was enjoying Pasta, so I will try to blog more positively.
While the first two episodes of Pasta were used to establish basic setting and characters, episodes 3 and 4 fill in the gaps and answer a lot of questions I had. First, we get a few flashbacks that explain a few things for us. We learn how Yoo-Kyung initially got her job at La Sfera with some clever scheming, and we also find out how Yoo-Kyung and San are connected. We also learn a little bit about Yoo-Kyung's past and why she is so obsessed with working at La Sfera - and throughout the episodes we see her persevere and return to work everyday even though she was technically fired... which turns out for the better for her, at the end of these episodes.
We get some insight into Hyun-Wook and Sae-Young's past relationship as well. We see that in episode 3, Hyun-Wook does not look at Sae-Young pleasantly when he encounters her at San's office. He kind of looks at her like he hates her. In episode 4, her filming crew come in and film at La Sfera, which enrages Hyun-Wook. From the first two episodes, I thought that she might have been the victim in the two's relationship, with Hyun-Wook now feeling guilty for leaving her (or something like that), but now my impression has changed. It's a little weird for someone like Sae-Young, who is portrayed as a quite sophisticated, successful woman, to be scheming and wiggling her way into Hyun-Wook's world... Now she sounds like a typical, Korean drama bitter ex-girlfriend to me. As I watch the episodes, I can hear myself thinking, "just go away" every time Sae-Young smirks when things work out in her way. Perhaps the character will be redeemed in further episodes.
It's interesting that the cool, supreme chefs from Italy (fondly referred to as Team Italy) are a trio of pretty boys, and the original chefs are, for the most part, goofy looking. At first these two teams are pretty much at each other's throats all day, but then they finally get through a working day together and share a drink. It's nice to see that both Team Italy and the original chefs are supportive of Yoo-Kyung as well.
We see the cast go through difficulties at the restaurant - sales are dropping and changes must be made! However, some of these changes throw me off. Foie gras is the first item to go - except, wait. I understand that these days, most restaurants are fusion restaurants and cross cultural boundaries, but what are they doing selling foie gras in an Italian restaurant? It's interesting that a French specialty is their number one selling dish (and also interesting that Hyun-Wook decides to cut out the bestselling dish). Something else to go is spoons, as well as pickles. Now, I've never really had pickles when I've eaten in an Italian restaurant... but I guess it's a must for an Italian restaurant in Korea? Or maybe I'm just not eating at the right restaurants. Anyways, Yoo-Kyung is blackmailed into continuing to make the pickles, by the President... who apparently got the egg money back from Chef Totti, but kept it himself?
At the end of episode 4, we see that Hyun-Wook has figured out about the egg money and Yoo-Kyung's being blackmailed, and he is holding Yoo-Kyung at the end of the episode. This isn't that big of a cliffhanger, but it leaves us to guess what will happen next.
I'd like to take back what I said about Yoo-Kyung's fashion sense. I guess the first two episodes were frumpier than the rest. I still find it interesting that the more important, better chefs tend to be played by prettier and better dressed actors. Other than that, I don't really have many questions for these episodes. The plot isn't that complicated so it's a relaxing one to watch... so far. I wonder if there will be any tear-jerking or heart-wrenching scenes to come? It also feels like we saw a lot more food, but yes, the cooking still consists of shaking pans. And all that pasta that Yoo-Kyung wasted while practicing!
Entry # 3 Coffee Prince 3 & 4
Still enjoying it! Ep. 3 and 4 were really funny. We also see that Han-kyul and Eun-chan are starting to like each other, which is interesting because he still thinks she is a guy. I really like the relationship between Han-kyul and his grandmother. He is always trying to sweet talk her and it doesn't work. I found it really funny when she called him a retard. Eventually Han-kyung opens the coffee shop because Eun-chan convinces him to and not because of his grandma taking away his car. In the third ep. we also find out that her tomboyish-ness isn't really a result of being poor and working many jobs, because the flashback with her, her sister, and her dad, we see that she was tomboyish back then as well. We also see her true feelings concerning her mistaken identity as a boy. She tells Mr. Hong (who is really disgusting by the way) that she doesn't like pretending to be a boy, but she has to for money.
Other funny parts also include Han-kyul going to pee while Eun-chan is brushing her teeth and then smacks her butt, wondering why its so small, or when Ha-rim throws the meat and she grabs it quick and eat it. Also, the way she eats is very boy like so that kind of reinforces their perception of Eun-chan as a male, but I have to agree with Han-sung that it is kind of obvious that she is not a guy.
Overall it was a good episode, although I felt bad for Eun-chan when she was getting screamed at by Han-kyul. From these two eps., I think Ha-rim will be one of my favorite characters.
Some things I noticed that reflects an Asian society is when the grandmother is scolding Han-kyul's mom for Han-kyul's bad behavior which shows the relationship between the mother-in-law and the daughter-in-law. Also, news travels fast with Asians as the grandmother already knew about the coffee bean mistake. And of course, they have microwavable rice!
Other funny parts also include Han-kyul going to pee while Eun-chan is brushing her teeth and then smacks her butt, wondering why its so small, or when Ha-rim throws the meat and she grabs it quick and eat it. Also, the way she eats is very boy like so that kind of reinforces their perception of Eun-chan as a male, but I have to agree with Han-sung that it is kind of obvious that she is not a guy.
Overall it was a good episode, although I felt bad for Eun-chan when she was getting screamed at by Han-kyul. From these two eps., I think Ha-rim will be one of my favorite characters.
Some things I noticed that reflects an Asian society is when the grandmother is scolding Han-kyul's mom for Han-kyul's bad behavior which shows the relationship between the mother-in-law and the daughter-in-law. Also, news travels fast with Asians as the grandmother already knew about the coffee bean mistake. And of course, they have microwavable rice!
Coffee Prince Ep. 3 & 4
I love the growing relationship between Hankyul and Eunchan. He starts to help her more and more such as getting her out of the rain, letting her spend the night at his house, and giving her a job at the Coffee Prince café. He also starts to open up to her in conversations such as telling her how he feels about Yuju and Eunchan also tells him about her dad. I like the cute meaningful little things about their relationship such as Eunchan cutting out footprints for Hankyul to follow to the doll that he made. She tells him to keep it because he sewed the eyes crooked. Eunchan’s feelings for Hankyul are starting to show when Eunchan arrived at the Coffee prince shop and saw Hankyul’s car there, she excitedly ran in hoping to see Hankyul but instead sees Yuju. Eunchan judges from cake and wine lying around that Yuju and Hankyul spent the night together which causes Eunchan to be a little jealous and air kicks in frustration at Yuju’s painting. I totally get mad every time Yuju gets in the way of Eunchan and Hankyul epecially when Hankyul was about to give a ride home to Eunchan until he got a phone call from Yuju.
I really don’t like Hansung’s and Yuju’s relationship. I have no idea why they are suddenly back together when Hansung did not want to take her back in the last episode. I feel like she keeps toying with him and Hankyul when she knows how they both feel about her. When I watch their parts I just want to skip it!
Hansung’s and Eunchan’s relationship is also growing. He seems to be in better spirits every time he sees her. Hankyul’s father is also introduced in episode three and the story suggests something must have happened between them in the past for them to be in bad terms and not even acknowledge each other.
When Hankyul punished all of his employees by having them stay in an uncomfortable upside down position for an hour, it could be seen as a portrayal of Asian/Korean society because I often see in other Korean dramas how students get punished for being to late to school.
I really don’t like Hansung’s and Yuju’s relationship. I have no idea why they are suddenly back together when Hansung did not want to take her back in the last episode. I feel like she keeps toying with him and Hankyul when she knows how they both feel about her. When I watch their parts I just want to skip it!
Hansung’s and Eunchan’s relationship is also growing. He seems to be in better spirits every time he sees her. Hankyul’s father is also introduced in episode three and the story suggests something must have happened between them in the past for them to be in bad terms and not even acknowledge each other.
When Hankyul punished all of his employees by having them stay in an uncomfortable upside down position for an hour, it could be seen as a portrayal of Asian/Korean society because I often see in other Korean dramas how students get punished for being to late to school.
Coffee Prince Ep. 3-4
In these episodes of Coffee Prince, you can clearly see just how powerful Han Kyul's grandmother is and how powerless Han Kyul is. She controls all of the money and even threatens to take away Han Kyul's car and apartment if he does not take over management of the coffee house that she owns. He does not take her serious until she has his car towed and has a real estate agent with prospective buyers come to his apartment. This dynamic is interesting considering the fact that Korea, like many east Asian countries, is a patriarchal society. Even Han Kyul's parents cannot do anything without the grandmother's approval. No one dares to challenge her authority except for Han Kyul.
Han Kyul's mother and grandmother are two very different types of women. While his mother is usually quiet and and stays at home, his grandmother is very outspoken and remains very active within the family business. The grandmother also does not hesitate to hit Han Kyul or scold his mother for his behavior.
When it comes to the men in this drama, Han Kyul and Hwang Min Yeop appear tough until they are around the women whom they are attracted to. They instantly become silly. Furthermore, what is interesting about Min Yeop's character is the fact that he is physically the biggest character, but he is also the dumbest and mentally weakest character. He barely stood up and took the blame for making the mistake on the order for coffee beans. He was willing to let Eun Chan take all the blame. He is also wierd when he gets drunk. He seems to have a slight attraction to the new guy that is in charge of the menu due to his somewhat feminine appearance. The point is: so far, more strong women are shown on this drama than strong men. I am sure that this will lead to some interesting views on gender roles in regard to South Korean society.
Han Kyul's mother and grandmother are two very different types of women. While his mother is usually quiet and and stays at home, his grandmother is very outspoken and remains very active within the family business. The grandmother also does not hesitate to hit Han Kyul or scold his mother for his behavior.
When it comes to the men in this drama, Han Kyul and Hwang Min Yeop appear tough until they are around the women whom they are attracted to. They instantly become silly. Furthermore, what is interesting about Min Yeop's character is the fact that he is physically the biggest character, but he is also the dumbest and mentally weakest character. He barely stood up and took the blame for making the mistake on the order for coffee beans. He was willing to let Eun Chan take all the blame. He is also wierd when he gets drunk. He seems to have a slight attraction to the new guy that is in charge of the menu due to his somewhat feminine appearance. The point is: so far, more strong women are shown on this drama than strong men. I am sure that this will lead to some interesting views on gender roles in regard to South Korean society.
Coffee Prince Episode 3 & 4
Episode 3 was interesting as most of Coffee Prince is. I thought in the beginning that it was cute how Han Gyul tried to sweet talk his grandmother. It doesn’t work and he still has to try to get the coffee place running and make a profit? I liked it when Han Gyul and Eun Chan were sowing the dolls with the eyes. I don’t think that Han Gyul does this kind of thing often so it was nice to see him doing something more down to earth. The bathroom scene, seriously could the guy be any more dense that she’s a girl, even the cousin knows… I think I will always be a Han Sung and Eun Chan couple liking, they get along pretty well and it’s more relaxing to see them together, that’s just me. So the “guys” that are going to work at Coffee Prince seem pretty cool. The guy likes Eun Chan’s sister is funny. I miss him. And I thought that it was nice of Eun Chan to take the hit for what he mistakenly did. Episode 4 continues on with the mistake being blown up into proportion. Min Yub fees up so this makes Han Gyul feel bad. Hahaha. Another scene with Eun Chan and Han Sung talk, I think this becomes a regular thing whenever one of them are in the dumps they talk to each other, which I like. Sun Ki now works at Coffee Prince. I thought what Eun Chan said to Min Yub was hysterical. Hahaha. That made the day better. Ending off in my head the opening of Coffee Prince was cool. People coming in and drinking the coffee and Eun Chan (Hahaha) warning Han Sung about the fact that Han Gyul thinks that she’s a guy when she’s not. Hahaha. Coffee Prince always makes me.
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Coffee Prince EpS 3-4
Wow. okay so what is up with this beat up coffee shop. They really had to make it that bad? Seriously, I've never see a run-down place like that. But then again I think it's showing the portrayal of older Asian generation who likes to keep everything. The older generation of adults wanting to keep things the same because they are used to and have comfort in their ritual. Which in turn, leads to the scene of Han Kyul and his partner fighting between the style of the new coffee shop (what stays, what goes). I must say, the old man is really lucky to have his place renovated! Meanwhile I would have to say that Eun Chan is displaying a lot of the asian-ness in her work by having to sew all of those dolls. Sewing and toys seem to be an asian work in Asia and here in the U.S. I'm really surprised she isn't tired form all of that. I would have been asking for Han Kyol to massage my neck! The opening of the coffee shop shows the different types of men being hired for the job. This really shows a diversity even between the male roles and portrayal of Asian men. Good job on that!
Coffee Prince Episode 3&4
Maybe it’s just me but I get tired of watching stuff on the computer. However, I do enjoy watching Coffee Prince. I have noticed and it always get my attention when En Chan eats because whatever she eats, she makes it seem so good, which then of course makes me want to eat. I don’t have how such a small girl can eat so much especially since she eats way more than the guys do in the drama. I see how Han Kyul doesn’t know that she is a girl because of the way she acts and she wear some baggy clothes to hide it too. But really though, how can he not see it? She is way smaller than the average guy and im pretty sure her feet is small and have girly hands, right? Then again, she really can pass for a guy with her personality. The only Asianess I see in this drama is the respect for elders since Han Kyul respects his grandmother’s wishes. Another thing I have noticed in these episodes is that it is just about opening up the coffee shop and really seeing how each character’s role is in this drama. I can see through this episode who is the serious one, playful one and just always happy one. So far the good seem to be really interesting, but it hasn’t made me want to finish the drama even though I am ahead by like 3 episodes. I thought it was sweet and funny how the guy Hwang Min Yeop help En chan finish loading the stuff onto the truck just so they could start fighting. So far his character has made me laugh!
Coffee Prince 3 & 4
Still having good watching experiences this week. From these two episodes, I tried to focus on the "Asianess" or the "Koreaness" in the drama. I think Coffee Prince was trying to break some typical gender issue as the scene when the couple were having fight in the rain, the girlfriend changed from obedient to the type of girl similar to the movie "My Sassy Girl." Also, usually boys eat more than the girls do, but En Chan really eats A LOT! I wonder where did the food go. I also found out Eun Chan did have many food scenes in this drama, making the impression that she eats as much as a man does, so Han Kyul has never doubted her identity. I have to confess that everytime when I saw her eating something I become hungry soon and start stuffing my mouth with snacks. I guess this can be anotherr negative effect.
Also in the third episode, new characters began to show up. I want to know more about the waffle maker becuase he sounds Japanese to me when he speaks Japanese, and there is no background information of him. Meanwhile, the drama brought in the steps of coffee making. I rewind three times when it showed the latte art. I think it is also the by-product of watching Coffee Prince, that audience can learn some background knowledge of coffee. I don't know by now how much or how detail the drama will show about the coffee industry, but I will definitely want to know more for sure. I think mainly from this two episodes the focus was on the opening of The First Shop of Coffee Prince. I like the part when the mistake of giving order to wrong amount of raw coffee beans, what Han Kyul thought of is the strategy of crisis management, which surprised me since I thought this drama is only a relaxing one, nothing serious. But it indeed gives a good example on telling people how to solve problems when it occured.
p.s. the stuffy toy that Eun Chan trying to sell is "Keroro Gunso," the next fad after Picachu.
Also in the third episode, new characters began to show up. I want to know more about the waffle maker becuase he sounds Japanese to me when he speaks Japanese, and there is no background information of him. Meanwhile, the drama brought in the steps of coffee making. I rewind three times when it showed the latte art. I think it is also the by-product of watching Coffee Prince, that audience can learn some background knowledge of coffee. I don't know by now how much or how detail the drama will show about the coffee industry, but I will definitely want to know more for sure. I think mainly from this two episodes the focus was on the opening of The First Shop of Coffee Prince. I like the part when the mistake of giving order to wrong amount of raw coffee beans, what Han Kyul thought of is the strategy of crisis management, which surprised me since I thought this drama is only a relaxing one, nothing serious. But it indeed gives a good example on telling people how to solve problems when it occured.
p.s. the stuffy toy that Eun Chan trying to sell is "Keroro Gunso," the next fad after Picachu.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Entry #1 - intro
1. How were you introduced to Asian popular culture?
- I was introduced to Asian popular culture at the age of 4 or 5 during a visit to the Philippines. At the time, my cousins were into Japanese Anime and Manga. From there, I was introduced to the Sanrio Gift Store.
2. What aspects of Asian popular culture do you enjoy? For example, what are some of your favorite films, dramas, groups, etc., etc.?
3. What happens to you in the process of watching/listening/engaging in (different types of) Asian popular culture? How is it different from watching/listening/engaging in American popular culture?
- When watching/listening/engaging in different types of Asian popular culture, I find myself having to play catch up when reading subtitles and analyzing the cinematography in music videos to get the gist of what is going on.
4.What are some Asian popular culture blogs and sites you have found fun, helpful, or informative? Please provide links if possible.
Youku.com is a good site to find reruns of different Asian Soaps and music videos.
2. What aspects of Asian popular culture do you enjoy? For example, what are some of your favorite films, dramas, groups, etc., etc.?
- I enjoy Asian films like "My Sassy Girl", Korean music videos who's title eludes me at the moment, and even though I am now an adult, I still enjoy Sanrio.
3. What happens to you in the process of watching/listening/engaging in (different types of) Asian popular culture? How is it different from watching/listening/engaging in American popular culture?
- When watching/listening/engaging in different types of Asian popular culture, I find myself having to play catch up when reading subtitles and analyzing the cinematography in music videos to get the gist of what is going on.
4.What are some Asian popular culture blogs and sites you have found fun, helpful, or informative? Please provide links if possible.
Youku.com is a good site to find reruns of different Asian Soaps and music videos.
Self-Introduction Response
1. How were you introduced to Asian popular culture?
I know this will sound cliche but it's also my honest response. I am not quite sure if I have been thoroughly "introduced" to Asian popular culture but as a young kid I use to watch this 1990s Japanese animation show, "Sailor Moon." I would say that this was my first time realizing another cultural perspective towards cartoons. What caught my attention was the sharp contrast of how Japanese animation presented their visuals in comparison to American animation, which I was more familiar with. All of a sudden I felt that American animation of the 1990s was bland and flat while "Sailor Moon" provided a more dimensional illustration. The show specifically brought me in contact with Japanese youth culture via the characters personal interests and dislikes. However, as an adult, my friends who have more interaction with Asian popular culture have taken on the role of educating and engaging me with the numerous aspects of Asian popular culture, beyond Japanese animation.
2. What aspects of Asian popular culture do you enjoy? For example, what are some of your favorite films, dramas, groups, etc., etc.?
Again, it appears that majority of my Asian popular culture exposure has been through the perspective of the American lens. Even the Asian popular culture that I might be exposed to is usually tied with the Asian-American hybrid background rather than coming directly from Asia. For instance, I became interested in how American 1950s rock'n'roll music was interpreted by non-Americans as I watched Jim Jarmusch's "Mystery Train" and then with the revival of the 1960s girl groups mixed with punk, produced the "5,6,7,8s," which intrigued me even further. I suppose my interest with music has led me to be curious in how certain ideas and styles travel the world and are interpreted differently. Also as a film enthusiasts, I am drawn to films and have noticed that I am intrigued by the independent films that have emerged from the Asian film industries.
3. What happens to you in the process of watching/listening/engaging in (different types of) Asian popular culture? How is it different from watching/listening/engaging in American popular culture?
For me, watching, listening, and engaging in Asian popular culture truly depends on the medium. For instance, I might not know the language that the specific cultural event is but depending on my own personal connection, language does not exist as a barrier. The major difference though that I will state is that I might have more of a background reference on an American popular culture than Asian popular culture, however, this does not act as an hindrance to me wanting to participate in the new experience. Personally, I am always looking for how individuals and groups of people create and utilize culture as a means of defining an aspect of who they are, so it is interesting to venture in a culture that I am not familiar with. Finally, the true difference is the crowd. When experiencing Asian popular culture the crowd and audience will be one that is already familiar with the culture or like me, trying out something new. For me this provides a different experience than when I attend American cultural events as I usually go with knowing some type of information and already have a hand on the context of the situation while in contrast, experiencing a new cultural event like Asian popular culture I end up wanting to be more of an observer.
4.What are some Asian popular culture blogs and sites you have found fun, helpful, or informative? Please provide links if possible.
At this moment, I have not explored other cultural blogs or online sources but know that through this course that will all change.
I know this will sound cliche but it's also my honest response. I am not quite sure if I have been thoroughly "introduced" to Asian popular culture but as a young kid I use to watch this 1990s Japanese animation show, "Sailor Moon." I would say that this was my first time realizing another cultural perspective towards cartoons. What caught my attention was the sharp contrast of how Japanese animation presented their visuals in comparison to American animation, which I was more familiar with. All of a sudden I felt that American animation of the 1990s was bland and flat while "Sailor Moon" provided a more dimensional illustration. The show specifically brought me in contact with Japanese youth culture via the characters personal interests and dislikes. However, as an adult, my friends who have more interaction with Asian popular culture have taken on the role of educating and engaging me with the numerous aspects of Asian popular culture, beyond Japanese animation.
2. What aspects of Asian popular culture do you enjoy? For example, what are some of your favorite films, dramas, groups, etc., etc.?
Again, it appears that majority of my Asian popular culture exposure has been through the perspective of the American lens. Even the Asian popular culture that I might be exposed to is usually tied with the Asian-American hybrid background rather than coming directly from Asia. For instance, I became interested in how American 1950s rock'n'roll music was interpreted by non-Americans as I watched Jim Jarmusch's "Mystery Train" and then with the revival of the 1960s girl groups mixed with punk, produced the "5,6,7,8s," which intrigued me even further. I suppose my interest with music has led me to be curious in how certain ideas and styles travel the world and are interpreted differently. Also as a film enthusiasts, I am drawn to films and have noticed that I am intrigued by the independent films that have emerged from the Asian film industries.
3. What happens to you in the process of watching/listening/engaging in (different types of) Asian popular culture? How is it different from watching/listening/engaging in American popular culture?
For me, watching, listening, and engaging in Asian popular culture truly depends on the medium. For instance, I might not know the language that the specific cultural event is but depending on my own personal connection, language does not exist as a barrier. The major difference though that I will state is that I might have more of a background reference on an American popular culture than Asian popular culture, however, this does not act as an hindrance to me wanting to participate in the new experience. Personally, I am always looking for how individuals and groups of people create and utilize culture as a means of defining an aspect of who they are, so it is interesting to venture in a culture that I am not familiar with. Finally, the true difference is the crowd. When experiencing Asian popular culture the crowd and audience will be one that is already familiar with the culture or like me, trying out something new. For me this provides a different experience than when I attend American cultural events as I usually go with knowing some type of information and already have a hand on the context of the situation while in contrast, experiencing a new cultural event like Asian popular culture I end up wanting to be more of an observer.
4.What are some Asian popular culture blogs and sites you have found fun, helpful, or informative? Please provide links if possible.
At this moment, I have not explored other cultural blogs or online sources but know that through this course that will all change.
Pasta ep 1-2
Having already watched Coffee Prince and not wanting to watch it again, I’ve started this week watching two episodes of Pasta. I also wanted to watch this drama because I love pasta and food and also for alex chu who is a character in this drama. So far I like it even though it was a bit slow in the first episode for my taste. I’m surprised I’m even caring about this drama because I tend to love dramas with more “eye candy” like boys before flowers, the Korean version however the plot and characters themselves make up for it. For instance, alex chu’s character, Kim San, who I didn’t know the name of until I wiki the drama, is not even introduced thoroughly in the drama. Unless I totally missed out on a part of the two episodes, I believe they don’t even talk about his character that much and how he is related to the main girl, yu-keyong. I kinda like that even though it bothers me not knowing who he is but as the story unfolds, I think it will be surprising to find out how they all connect.
By the end of the second episode, we see that the girl who is “friends” or girlfriend of Kim San (I’m uncertain of her character and alex’s character relationship) which I assume that she might be the girl who used to the chef’s girlfriend. If you remember her fastbacks when she runs in the health club, she thinks about the chef and when they trained together to become chefs. Also, the expression of the chef’s face once he saw her was a total giveaway. From then, Korean drama veterans can sense that there might be the 4 way love triangle or some other complicated love triangle soon in the drama. These love triangles are so typical but I don’t know why I never get tired of watching how they work out in the end.
I would also like to agree with Brigitte that the main girl’s hair is sooo outdated. I was watching and became horrified after seeing her bangs when she was out shopping at the fish market. However, this is an indication of her character who is kinda plain in looks but is strong and cares more about her love of pasta than how she looks like. The total opposite is the other actress, the television chef, who is more put together and more modern.
Also, the chef always says there will be no women in my kitchen, obviously an after effect from his relationship with his previous girlfriend. Though, what happened between them? How did their relationship end?
I can’t wait to start watching ep 3 and 4 after I finish some of my other homework @_@!
Coffee Prince Episodes 1-2
Upon first viewing these first two episodes of Coffee Prince, I felt that it was an interesting show. There were some things that stood out to me. For example, the main female character, Eun Chan, is tomboy and as a result, always seems to get confused for a boy. Although she considers herself to be a woman, she does not fit the stereotypical image of how a woman should look and conduct themselves. Compared to all the other female characters in the show, she is a very tough woman. She also seems to have no manners when it comes to eating and is also a pervert. You can see this when she blatantly stares at Han Kyul's crotch the first two times they meet. A great example of the contrast between her and the other female characters can be seen with her and her sister, Eun Sae. Her sister wears her hair long and she always wears skirts or dresses. Eun Chan always wears pants, except for the time she worked as a temporary waitress at a wine bar. Even then, she did not feel comfortable in those clothes and she did not know how to walk in high heels. As a matter of fact, one of the funniest moments was when she was working at the wine bar and she picked up the drunk customer and carried him outside. Both of the male characters, Han Kyul and Choi Han Seong, were sitting there and saw this. They simply responded, "where are all the women like that?"
The character Han Kyul, seemed to me to be a rich spoiled, pretty boy brat. At first, I did not like this character. However, as soon as it was revealed that he was trying to get out of being set up by his grandmother with several women as potential wives and the lengths to which he was willing to go to, I began to like him more. It is his attitude and good looks that seem to attract women, but he does not seem to be interested in any of them. He seems to still not be sure whether or not Eun Chan is a man or a woman and seems to be strangely attracted to her. What I find interesting about his attraction to her is the fact that he, unlike most of the other people who meet her (with the exception of Choi Han Seong), can see her feminine features and that is why he is still confused as to her gender.
Just like Eun Chan's sister is her polar opposite, Han Kyul's cousin, Choi Han Seong is his polar opposite. Choi Han Seong is kind and caring and as a result is deeply hurt by his ex-girlfriend, Han Yoo Joo, who left him for another man. When they meet for the first time after three years, you can tell that there are still some feelings between the two of them. When I saw them kiss, I thought that meant that he had taken her back. I felt upset at that point of the show and thought he was weak. However, he proved me wrong when he revealed to her the next morning that he slept with her out of revenge. I actually smiled and laughed at that. Even though he is still a nice guy, he appears not to be a fool.
The one thing that I found to be a little disturbing is how easily Han Kyul was willing to pretend to be gay. Even Eun Chan was startled by this. He seemed a little too comfortable with the idea of kissing another man. Although that was the most disturbing part of the episodes for me, I thought is was hilarious when each woman he was supposed to be on a date with found out about Eun Chan. It was at those moments that these women who seemed to be upper class, started to let down their "ladylike" facade and get physically tough with the both of them. All in all, I am looking forward to seeing what happens next.
The character Han Kyul, seemed to me to be a rich spoiled, pretty boy brat. At first, I did not like this character. However, as soon as it was revealed that he was trying to get out of being set up by his grandmother with several women as potential wives and the lengths to which he was willing to go to, I began to like him more. It is his attitude and good looks that seem to attract women, but he does not seem to be interested in any of them. He seems to still not be sure whether or not Eun Chan is a man or a woman and seems to be strangely attracted to her. What I find interesting about his attraction to her is the fact that he, unlike most of the other people who meet her (with the exception of Choi Han Seong), can see her feminine features and that is why he is still confused as to her gender.
Just like Eun Chan's sister is her polar opposite, Han Kyul's cousin, Choi Han Seong is his polar opposite. Choi Han Seong is kind and caring and as a result is deeply hurt by his ex-girlfriend, Han Yoo Joo, who left him for another man. When they meet for the first time after three years, you can tell that there are still some feelings between the two of them. When I saw them kiss, I thought that meant that he had taken her back. I felt upset at that point of the show and thought he was weak. However, he proved me wrong when he revealed to her the next morning that he slept with her out of revenge. I actually smiled and laughed at that. Even though he is still a nice guy, he appears not to be a fool.
The one thing that I found to be a little disturbing is how easily Han Kyul was willing to pretend to be gay. Even Eun Chan was startled by this. He seemed a little too comfortable with the idea of kissing another man. Although that was the most disturbing part of the episodes for me, I thought is was hilarious when each woman he was supposed to be on a date with found out about Eun Chan. It was at those moments that these women who seemed to be upper class, started to let down their "ladylike" facade and get physically tough with the both of them. All in all, I am looking forward to seeing what happens next.
Monday, February 15, 2010
Pasta Episode 1-2
Having already seen Coffee Prince, I decided to watch Pasta. I recently have watched another food drama, Gourmet, which I enjoyed very much, so I am looking forward to watching Pasta (and getting hungry late at night...).
I was pleased to see that Lee Sun Gyun, from Coffee Prince, is the main actor in Pasta, as Choi Hyun Wook. His character is quite interesting - at first he is introduced as a slick gentleman, and then we get to see his nasty temper as a head chef. His character, though interesting, is quite typical in Korean dramas (and even more so in Japanese comics...) - the cold, harsh male character that probably has some heartbreaking past relationship that made him this way. We see a bit of this in episode 2, when the famous television chef Oh Sae Young (portrayed by Lee Ha Nui) is working out at the gym and having a few flashbacks of her relationship with Choi Hyun Wook, when they were apparently younger chefs in training.
The fashion sense of the main female lead Seo Yoo Kyung (played by Gong Hyo Jin) is quite.... I don't have the right words for it. Her hairstyle is outdated, she's in a rush in the morning so she looks even more unpresentable, and she kind of dresses like a teenager or child, rather than a young adult. I guess this is to show that she's a more innocent character that is more concentrated on her work and love of food rather than on her looks.
Already in the first two episodes, we see the main character Yoo Kyung faced with a few dilemmas. First off, the egg supplyman paid off Yoo Kyung for keeping his secret and keeping him as their restaurant's supplier... which Yoo Kyung thought she had resolved, but unknowingly didn't do so when she handed the money to her just-fired boss, Chef Tutti. Then, she gets fired, but stubbornly forces her way back into the kitchen. Some other questions arise throughout the episode. What is up with those photos of cacti in Yoo Kyung's locker? Who exactly Kim San (the rich guy that eats at La Sfera, played by Alex of Clazziquai) and why exactly does he pick on our heroine? Why did the relationship between Sae Young and Hyun Wook end? Was the gym Sae Young was working out at the same gym that Hyun Wook enters? Will the other female chefs work their way back into the kitchen as well? And why does Hyun Wook not want women in his kitchen? All these questions just keep teasing me to watch the next episode, but I will wait patiently.
On a less formal note... I cannot stand the couple that makes out in the kitchen and freezer. I'm wondering if all the female chefs live together - an interesting living situation, especially if a few of them get rehired and some of them don't. La Sfera means "the Sphere" - so we can look out for some symbolism. We should also keep an eye out for things like goldfish, which seem to represent our main character.
And now, I am craving actual pasta...
Pasta Ep. 1 & 2
Oh My. So, typical introduction of the characters and the introduction of the love story, of course. There are many twists within the first episode, which is always interesting to watch. The main character chef girl is, as usual, in this type of comedic drama, the lonely, "sorta" dumb/slow, girl who wants to make something of her life, so sentimental, right?! The two other main male characters (so far), which I assume are the new Head Chef and the "Number Two" Sous Chef, are as usual, the most "Non-Asian" looking of all the characters. It is interesting to see where the Head Chef and the main Chef girl will do with their "relationship"...
I think clothing is a large part of this drama, like most dramas. Typical asian...where there is a lot of fashion in what the characters are wearing...the main Chef girl is frumpy, to accentuate...well, her "frumpyness". The Head Chef wears his trendy trench coat. (I want that HUGE scarf that he's wearing!)
Along with the love story plot, there is also some other branches to the drama, something about the egg supplier and the huge amount fo cash? The idea of having no women in the kitchen...Also, the side couple, the lady who is the TV personality and that one man who keeps bothering the Chef girl, and ALSO! the cactus flower polaroids?
These dramas are starting to make me think about the way the new American TV dramas are being plotted out, like Desperate Housewives, Grey's Anatomy, where there are a lot of characters, that all interconnect through a simple, yet complicated story line...
I think clothing is a large part of this drama, like most dramas. Typical asian...where there is a lot of fashion in what the characters are wearing...the main Chef girl is frumpy, to accentuate...well, her "frumpyness". The Head Chef wears his trendy trench coat. (I want that HUGE scarf that he's wearing!)
Along with the love story plot, there is also some other branches to the drama, something about the egg supplier and the huge amount fo cash? The idea of having no women in the kitchen...Also, the side couple, the lady who is the TV personality and that one man who keeps bothering the Chef girl, and ALSO! the cactus flower polaroids?
These dramas are starting to make me think about the way the new American TV dramas are being plotted out, like Desperate Housewives, Grey's Anatomy, where there are a lot of characters, that all interconnect through a simple, yet complicated story line...
Coffee Prince eps. 1 & 2
In the first two episode of the drama, The Coffee Prince, we are introduced to the core characters of this drama; Go Eun Chan is the tomboy looking female whom often mistaken for a male. We are able to see that she come off sort of goofy but a very hard-worker because she is taking care of her family (her mom and sister) by taking odd jobs such as food delivery person and teaching martial arts to young kids. Choi Han Kyul is the main male character, he comes from a rich family and they want him to get married and stop living as a bachelor, but he is not ready to settle down but his family still sets him up with various girls that he might have an interest in. but after meeting a few of the girls, he got restless and was not interested in any of them. There was an incident that happened and the two main characters are joined together and are working together to get out their current situation; Eun Chan with the financial situation and Han Kyul wanting his family to butt out of dating life, so he decided to fool his family members and the girls he was assigned to meet by "dating" Eun Chan who looks like a male, so now it would seems like he was gay and into males and Eun Chan was being paid to play the " boyfriend"
What I enjoyed about this week episodes was that even though it was like the introduction but it set the tone for the whole drama, which was that it was going to be very comedic and also it makes me want to find out what will happen if and when Han Kyul finds out that Eun Chan is a female and if he will fall for her. But also I want to know about the possible relationship that might develop between Han Kyul, Choi Han Seong and Han Yoo Joo because there appears to be some type of a triangular love relationship and if some how Eun Chan will also be involved.
I cant wait to watch next weeks assigned episodes, I am trying really hard not to zoom ahead because I want to know how the plot will thicken as the numbers of episodes increases. .
What I enjoyed about this week episodes was that even though it was like the introduction but it set the tone for the whole drama, which was that it was going to be very comedic and also it makes me want to find out what will happen if and when Han Kyul finds out that Eun Chan is a female and if he will fall for her. But also I want to know about the possible relationship that might develop between Han Kyul, Choi Han Seong and Han Yoo Joo because there appears to be some type of a triangular love relationship and if some how Eun Chan will also be involved.
I cant wait to watch next weeks assigned episodes, I am trying really hard not to zoom ahead because I want to know how the plot will thicken as the numbers of episodes increases. .
Pasta Ep. 1 and 2
Pasta is a very interesting drama, not to say it has a "pabo" like female character, that is what makes the drama amusing. I too decided to watch this drama like one of my fellow classmate, since I saw Coffee Prince before for about like 5 times [1st time Korean, 2nd time Mandarin, 3rd Cantonese, 4th time in Chinese Hunan dialect, and 5th time in Chinese Shanghai dialect], and if I watch it again it will be the 6th time, which will make the drama boring, and from a recomendation from a Korean friend she said watch Pasta so here I am doing so. Anywho, back to Pasta, in the first episode the main male character Choi Hyun Wook protrayed by Lee Sun Gyun, his character seem like a stuck up twit, and when he encounters the main female character Soo Yeo Kyung portrayed by Gong Hyo Jin, her looniness and his stuck upness totally spir up a hilarious comedy. When Choi fires the worker to get the ladies to date him it was really funny, well this is all I can summarize about the 1st two episodes, if anyone wishes to know more they will have to watch themselves. I think the drama is enjoyable anyways I am continuing to episode 11, enjoy those of you who haven't seen the drama.
CP EPS 1-2
The beginning of coffee prince takes place in the busy city streets where the center is based on trade. As we can see with the fast-moving population, it is better to be riding in motorcycles than automobiles. The beginning of where we meet Go EUn Chan, the female lead role. Her role in this drama depicts that of a hard-working female having to take on many duties and tasks to support her family. Her style is vey tomboyish as many of the people clearly can distinguish her from being a boy or girl. On the other hand, the male leading role is quite the opposite form her. He is known to be the "playboy" in the drama which leads to the foreshadowing of many girls wanting him. Yet, showing him on the plane depicts the ideal of the American culture coming into Korea. With that said the male character seems to be the danger and conflict of the story. His nature as the confident free spirited rich boy who is spoiled by his grandmother will be a clash between the female character. But we'lll have to see about that. Probably,the saying opposites will attract is the main concept for this drama.
Also, if the characters are not in school or haven't finished school, they're forced to find jobs just like Go Eun Chan who has to support her family. She is stuck taking on many job including the task to change her identity to get paid. Money becomes the center of family lifestyle and survival in Asia. This can be said for other countries as well including America. Haivng lost her father, the male role is left to her to become the authoritative figure, even her mother can't do the job because she is so used to shopping and taking care of herself. So far this drama is funny and good with the ideas to breaking old tradition. I guess the challenge will be for the male character to find someone that will make his grandmother change her mind and if Go Eun Chan will be stuck being the boy. I wonder how mad they will get when they find out she is actually a girl.
Also, if the characters are not in school or haven't finished school, they're forced to find jobs just like Go Eun Chan who has to support her family. She is stuck taking on many job including the task to change her identity to get paid. Money becomes the center of family lifestyle and survival in Asia. This can be said for other countries as well including America. Haivng lost her father, the male role is left to her to become the authoritative figure, even her mother can't do the job because she is so used to shopping and taking care of herself. So far this drama is funny and good with the ideas to breaking old tradition. I guess the challenge will be for the male character to find someone that will make his grandmother change her mind and if Go Eun Chan will be stuck being the boy. I wonder how mad they will get when they find out she is actually a girl.
Blog Entry #2 (Coffee Prince 1 & 2)
The first two episodes of Coffee Prince was overall a really nice setup. Normally, the first episode can come off as very boring, but Coffee Prince was interesting to start off with, maybe because of the "queerness" of it. Right away, you can see the cliche-ness of Coffee Prince. The cliches include things such as a rich male lead, a poor female lead, lead male is a playboy type of character, lead female works hard and has multiple jobs, the two leads have a misunderstanding in the beginning when he thinks she is a robber (and that he thinks she is a he), and of course the whole "pretend to be my lover" segment. Despte all the cliches, it is still a refreshing drama because of certain element such as "gender bending," non-existence of evil second leads, the characters are just really likeable, and the whole think seems really funny.
The main female lead, Eun Chan, has a naive, innocent charm to her. This is really apparent for me during the car ride with the main male lead, Han Kyul. She is messing around in his car, but this charm gets to him and you see him smile. It is also apparent when he kisses her for real and she overreacts, claiming it to be her first kiss. Eun Chan is very likeable, so the pairing of the two main leads is very interesting and funny so far. On the other hand, the second lead couple isn't interesting at all so far, it just seems really sappy. Overall, it was really funny. Parts that I found funny was when Han Kyul was on a blind date and the girl had a harry armpit, or when Eun Chan goes toe the woman's locker room at the sauna to deliver food and they all thought she was a boy.
Things I noticed about Korea is that they have a ID number and the number it ends with depends if you're a boy or a girl. Also, with their names, I noticed, the two cousins both have Han in their names and the sisters both have Eun in their names. That caught my attention because some Chinese families do that with their children's name as well.
The main female lead, Eun Chan, has a naive, innocent charm to her. This is really apparent for me during the car ride with the main male lead, Han Kyul. She is messing around in his car, but this charm gets to him and you see him smile. It is also apparent when he kisses her for real and she overreacts, claiming it to be her first kiss. Eun Chan is very likeable, so the pairing of the two main leads is very interesting and funny so far. On the other hand, the second lead couple isn't interesting at all so far, it just seems really sappy. Overall, it was really funny. Parts that I found funny was when Han Kyul was on a blind date and the girl had a harry armpit, or when Eun Chan goes toe the woman's locker room at the sauna to deliver food and they all thought she was a boy.
Things I noticed about Korea is that they have a ID number and the number it ends with depends if you're a boy or a girl. Also, with their names, I noticed, the two cousins both have Han in their names and the sisters both have Eun in their names. That caught my attention because some Chinese families do that with their children's name as well.
Pasta 1 & 2
I chose to watch pasta because I already watched most episodes of 1st Shop of Coffee Price except couple episodes. I really enjoyed 1st Shop of Coffee Prince too because the story was very unique and something new which most Korean dramas haven't featured yet. In the story, one girl (Yun, Eunhye) disguises herself as a boy, and she falls in love with a guy who was the owner of the coffee shop (Gong, Yu). I finished this drama until the end because I wondered how they were going to develop the whole love story between two characters.
Another reason why I chose to watch Pasta was because I like pasta and pizza and taste all the different foods from other countries. Also, I like dramas or mangas which deal with food or some maniac things such as Beethoven Virus, The Queen of Lunch (ランチの女王) or Mr. Sushi..etc. The story of pasta begins with Yukyung(Gong, Hyojin) looking for a job. she's finally ended at one Italian restaurant "La Sfera" and meet Chef Hyunwook (Lee Sunkun). He's very picky and dominated person in his kitchen. He fires all female chefs and brings three men who have studied in Italy. I wonder how Yukyung enters the kitchen and survive as an assistant under chef Hyunwook's picky taste.
When I watched Pasta, it made me feel like I wanted to eat pasta too. When I cook pasta, I always use sauce from a jar, but I felt that I wanted to make something Yukyung or chef Hyunwook make. Cooking is always challenging for me, and it always turned out something wrong at the end when I cook. I hope this drama will be a good guide for me how to cook pasta.
Another reason why I chose to watch Pasta was because I like pasta and pizza and taste all the different foods from other countries. Also, I like dramas or mangas which deal with food or some maniac things such as Beethoven Virus, The Queen of Lunch (ランチの女王) or Mr. Sushi..etc. The story of pasta begins with Yukyung(Gong, Hyojin) looking for a job. she's finally ended at one Italian restaurant "La Sfera" and meet Chef Hyunwook (Lee Sunkun). He's very picky and dominated person in his kitchen. He fires all female chefs and brings three men who have studied in Italy. I wonder how Yukyung enters the kitchen and survive as an assistant under chef Hyunwook's picky taste.
When I watched Pasta, it made me feel like I wanted to eat pasta too. When I cook pasta, I always use sauce from a jar, but I felt that I wanted to make something Yukyung or chef Hyunwook make. Cooking is always challenging for me, and it always turned out something wrong at the end when I cook. I hope this drama will be a good guide for me how to cook pasta.
coffee prince episode 1 and 2
In the beginning of the episode the main characters are introduced yet the common relationship between the two is not love at first sight. We see this commonly found in most current asian dramas. I guess the funny part is how the male role assumes that the food delivery is all guys. THis also brings up to the roles of jobs given to male and females in society. People are built on the constructs of society that they assume is given to a certain gender. In this drama breaking gender roles is the main objective as the female character portrays herself as taking on the male role. She is strong, tomboyish, and is responsible for duties as the head of the household. SHe also takes on the role to protect her sister. And as we can see from the beginning, education is also important to the asian society.
Yet what is also interesting about this drama is the old versus new concept. The grandmother trying to make her grandson fall in love with a pretty girl with a good family line and money. It still brings up the idea of the traditional stereotype of asian families trying to force their child into marriage. And of course, the main girl that the audience is suppose to side with is the complete opposite. Sometimes I wonder if she was going to choke eating all of that food!
The male role seems to always be linked to America. If the child of a rich family comes back from America then the society will praise and honor him. But as we can see from the character himself, he is rebellious against the family's business and feels more like a free spirit rather than a responsible man who will take on the family duties. So in comparing with the ideas betweent he two countries and the roles of the genders, responsibilites, duties, and ideas also change with location and cultures.
Yet what is also interesting about this drama is the old versus new concept. The grandmother trying to make her grandson fall in love with a pretty girl with a good family line and money. It still brings up the idea of the traditional stereotype of asian families trying to force their child into marriage. And of course, the main girl that the audience is suppose to side with is the complete opposite. Sometimes I wonder if she was going to choke eating all of that food!
The male role seems to always be linked to America. If the child of a rich family comes back from America then the society will praise and honor him. But as we can see from the character himself, he is rebellious against the family's business and feels more like a free spirit rather than a responsible man who will take on the family duties. So in comparing with the ideas betweent he two countries and the roles of the genders, responsibilites, duties, and ideas also change with location and cultures.
Coffee Prince Ep. 1 & 2
This drama has the typical drama formula where the girl is poor and works many jobs for her family and ends up meeting an egotistical rich guy and falls in love but there is also a second male lead who is nicer to her and forms a love triangle. Although what makes this drama different is the male leads thinks the female lead is a man.It reminds me a lot of the Taiwanese and Japanese drama Hana Kimi.
One of my favorite parts in episode one are when Eunchan challenged Minyup, who is in love with her sister, to eat five bowls of jajangmyun. It’s crazy how much Eunchan can easily eat. Another scene I found funny were the crazy women that were on Hankyul’s matchmaking dates while Eunchan is pestering Hankyul from behind to apologize to her for insulting her parents. In episode two, I liked the part where after Eunchan has changed into the clothes Hankyul has bought for her, they both walk in sync down the road and everything and everyone seems to focus on them and blows out of the way for them to walk. Another part I liked was when Hankyul and Eunchan kept pretending to kiss to fool the other women and Hankyul was so happy after each successful attempt that he accidently kissed Eunchan out of happiness.
EunChan’s manners are like a boy’s which is why many people tend to mistake her as one. She does not show any femininity and does care much about her appearance. Her personality is very free and she says things straight from her mind which is very different from other Korean girls who are attentive to what they say.
Hankyul has developed much from the first episode from the point of where he did not trust Eunchan to now where he is starting to have a soft spot for her. For example, in the part where Eunchan was messing with Hankyul’s radio and car, she caused him to be annoyed but then he saw how she was having so much fun and he starts to smile to himself. Also when Eunchan and Hankyul went to eat after the matchmaking dates, Eunchan wanted to keep the watch that Hankyul had bought for her as part of the disguise as his lover but Hankyul, being the arrogant guy that he is, took it back. After Eunchan had taken drunk passed out Hankyul to rest overnight at the Taekwondo studio, he saw how hard she works and leaves her the watch, payment for being his lover, and lends her money for rent. It shows how much he is starting to grow closer to her.
Eunchan’s home and the coffee prince shop where she hangs out are very run down which suggests she lives in a low class environment and her family is lacking money. In the beginning of episode one, it shows her driving a bike delivering food which reveals she is working hard to provide money for her family. The settings for Hankyul, Hansung, and Yuju, are much high-class. Their homes are more spacious. The places they visit and hang out are classy such as the wine bar. Hankyul gets food delivered to him from Eunchan in the first episode which shows he is rich enough to afford the delivery. The clothes Hankyul buys for Eunchan are formal expensive clothes.
The storyline made Hansung very mysterious. It suggests something happened to him and Yuju in the past but we do not know the whole story. We can assume she left him and he is reflecting over the memories of her in his mind. His character developed more in episode two where he took her back in a moment of weakness but then decided he did not wanted to be played around by her anymore. The storyline also suggests Hansung may be falling for Eunchan in the way he smiles when he talks to her and finds her refreshing and outgoing.
Coffee Prince #1 & 2
To be more specific, this is the second time I watched a Korean drama from the very beginning.
The last Korean drama I watched is "Full House" with Rain in it. It was huge at that time, like all Taiwan has been surrounded under the "Rainism." However, I didn't really start watching until my friend gave me a bunch of VCDs she burnt with full episodes. I kept them for quite a time, and watched it in a nite when a huge typhoon came and I couldn't leave the house. I couldn't even leave my computer at all, but just kept watching episodes after one another. I stayed up until dawn, went to sleep for couple of hours, then started watching again. It was definitely one of my craziest watching experiences ever.
This time, the coffee prince started with a intereting beginning. The storyline itself was smooth. So far during the two episodes there was no crazy mean characters yet, simply a romance comody type. I heard the reason for Coffee Prince to be this popular because it touched the topic of queerness, which was a controvertial issue in Korea before. I know there was a drama that both Taiwan and Japan made it into a drama base on a Japanese manga "Hanazakari no Kimitachie." This too, has its leading girl character disguised as a boy and lived in the dorm with the male leading character. I'm looking forward to the next episodes.
Meanwhile, when I was searching for news about Coffee Prince, I heard its going to be a movie. Not to spoil the fun, but one of the main characters in this drama passed away of car accident in 2008. I found this website http://www.imbc.com/broad/tv/drama/coffeeprince/ (in Korean) that introduce all shooting locations about this drama. Also, the latest news about this drama is that Phillipines purchased the copyright and would reshoot the drama into Phillipino version. http://nownews.seoul.co.kr/news/newsView.php?id=20090407601008
The last Korean drama I watched is "Full House" with Rain in it. It was huge at that time, like all Taiwan has been surrounded under the "Rainism." However, I didn't really start watching until my friend gave me a bunch of VCDs she burnt with full episodes. I kept them for quite a time, and watched it in a nite when a huge typhoon came and I couldn't leave the house. I couldn't even leave my computer at all, but just kept watching episodes after one another. I stayed up until dawn, went to sleep for couple of hours, then started watching again. It was definitely one of my craziest watching experiences ever.
This time, the coffee prince started with a intereting beginning. The storyline itself was smooth. So far during the two episodes there was no crazy mean characters yet, simply a romance comody type. I heard the reason for Coffee Prince to be this popular because it touched the topic of queerness, which was a controvertial issue in Korea before. I know there was a drama that both Taiwan and Japan made it into a drama base on a Japanese manga "Hanazakari no Kimitachie." This too, has its leading girl character disguised as a boy and lived in the dorm with the male leading character. I'm looking forward to the next episodes.
Meanwhile, when I was searching for news about Coffee Prince, I heard its going to be a movie. Not to spoil the fun, but one of the main characters in this drama passed away of car accident in 2008. I found this website http://www.imbc.com/broad/tv/drama/coffeeprince/ (in Korean) that introduce all shooting locations about this drama. Also, the latest news about this drama is that Phillipines purchased the copyright and would reshoot the drama into Phillipino version. http://nownews.seoul.co.kr/news/newsView.php?id=20090407601008
Pasta Ep 1&2
I decided to watch Pasta since I already watched Coffee Prince when it first came out. I wasn't really expecting much from this drama but I have to say I'm hooked (I'm already caught up with korea..ep 13 -_-) I noticed right from the start that Lee Sun Gyun was in this drama as well (He plays a character from Coffee Prince). That was a plus since I think he's a great actor...dont forget that sexy voice of his ^_^. For the first 10 minutes of watching episode one, I thought it was just going to be a remake of the japanese drama BAMBINO but I quickly understood that the two dramas are quite different.
Pasta is about a girl named Yoo Kyung who works at a italian restraunt called La Sfera. She's been doing the underling jobs for 3 years now and she finally gets to hold a pan when a new chef comes in and threatens her dream. The new chef, Hyun wook, seems kind at first but he soon reveals to everyone his true personality and fires all the female pasta cooks, including Yoo Kyung.
When Hyun Wook fired all the female employees, I realized that there was a back story : he got burned real bad by a past girlfriend. Korean dramas usually play this card. The ex turns out to be played by Honey Lee, former Miss Korea and 3rd runner up for Miss Universe. Another actor cast into the role as the owner of La Sfera is Alex, singer and now actor. I noticed he plays a role that somewhat resembles himself, a kind gentlemen. The extended cast also includes some big names. I noticed another cultural aspect in this drama when Yoo Kyungs dad seemed to favor his doctor son over his cook daughter. Sons are seen as favored in korean culture over daughters.
Another funny thing I noticed was the fashion. Apart from the uniforms that the cooks wear, Yoo Kyung (played by Gong Hyo Jin) seems to have very good fashion sense when she's off the clock. In the story, she doesnt seem to be getting payed a great sum of money but yet she's seen wearing high end brand clothing like a knit from sonia rykiel that costs more than 1,000 dollars and a marc jacobs and chloe bag costing about 4,000 and up.
I guess my favorite part of this weeks episodes was the part when the two main characters meet . I felt the whole goldfish storyline was unique and original compared to the other korean dramas.
Coffee Prince Episode 1 & 2
I love watching Coffee Prince; it’s a relief to watch in the beginning. It’s light hearted and funny. Funny in the beginning when she’s thought of as a guy when she’s really a girl but the way that she reacts to it seems like she’s use to it. I thought that the eating of the jjajangmyeon was gross. I mean with the yogurt and all the things added to it, dang but it was funny the way that Eun Chan does all of these things to psych out Min Yup. *On a side note, it was sad to know he died in real life. Sad times.* Eun Chan does so much work to try to help out the family while the mother spends the money like it’s nothing. I like how Eun Chan when she does her milk routine in the morning she’s made friends with the dog and even has her own nickname for it. It’s cute to watch and hints that the owner is going to be involved somehow. It’s cool how when Eun Chan and Han Sung meet they hit it off better than Han Gyul did with Eun Chan. Going on to when Eun Chan wants an apology from Han Gyul the whole thing is funny.
The beginning of episode 2 showed me something I didn’t know. I guess in Korea they have their own number and the first couple of numbers tells if you’re a girl or a guy. I know in the states we have our social security number but I don’t know if it identifies if we’re a girl or guy in the first couple of numbers too. Again it’s nice to see the interaction between Eun Chan and Han Sung, there both on even levels since he knows she’s a girl and Han Gyul I think still doesn’t know she’s a girl. Another thing that was really cool when Eun Chan and Han Gyul were eating Eun Chan has that incredible sense of smell. Man, if I had that kind of smell I think I might go crazy. Going to the last part of the episode was sad when the place where Eun Chan works is abandoned.
Coffee prince has drama for sure to come but there is funny parts included which makes it more fun to watch since in a sense balances everything out.
The beginning of episode 2 showed me something I didn’t know. I guess in Korea they have their own number and the first couple of numbers tells if you’re a girl or a guy. I know in the states we have our social security number but I don’t know if it identifies if we’re a girl or guy in the first couple of numbers too. Again it’s nice to see the interaction between Eun Chan and Han Sung, there both on even levels since he knows she’s a girl and Han Gyul I think still doesn’t know she’s a girl. Another thing that was really cool when Eun Chan and Han Gyul were eating Eun Chan has that incredible sense of smell. Man, if I had that kind of smell I think I might go crazy. Going to the last part of the episode was sad when the place where Eun Chan works is abandoned.
Coffee prince has drama for sure to come but there is funny parts included which makes it more fun to watch since in a sense balances everything out.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
pasta episodes
Hi,
I just wanted to throw out a site where you can watch Pasta episodes with english subtitles since Pasta is relatively new, its harder to find. Check out http://www.dramacrazy.net/korean-drama/pasta/
I just wanted to throw out a site where you can watch Pasta episodes with english subtitles since Pasta is relatively new, its harder to find. Check out http://www.dramacrazy.net/korean-drama/pasta/
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Blog Entry 1
1. How were you introduced to Asian popular culture?
3. What happens to you in the process of watching/listening/engaging in (different types of) Asian popular culture? How is it different from watching/listening/engaging in American popular culture?
During late elementary school, my mom began watching subtitled Korean dramas on channel LA-18. The dramas would start before my bedtime (8:30) and the only way she would ever let me stay up past my bedtime was if I watched Korean dramas with her.
In high school, I began watching Korean and Japanese dramas on the same channel as a way of relaxing after coming home late from sports or clubs. It was a nice way to pass time and I preferred watching these instead of reality TV. I wasn't entirely hooked or obsessed, and since then I usually just watch what is recommended to me.
I started to listen to Japanese music because I had a lot of Japanese friends in elementary school, and in high school many of my friends were obsessed with Korean music. I generally leech music from my friends, so whatever they had, I would listen to.
2. What aspects of Asian popular culture do you enjoy? For example, what are some of your favorite films, dramas, groups, etc., etc.?
2. What aspects of Asian popular culture do you enjoy? For example, what are some of your favorite films, dramas, groups, etc., etc.?
My favorites are usually mystery thrillers or culinary dramas, but I'll watch anything if someone has told me that it's worth watching. My current all time favorite Korean dramas are Gourmet and H.I.T (Homicide Investigation Team). I haven't watched Japanese dramas for a long time, but I really enjoyed Galileo, which they have also produced a film of.
Recently I haven't listened to very much Asian popular music, but I enjoy listening to Japanese groups like Perfume and Capsule and Korean groups like Epik High and Clazziquai Project the most.
3. What happens to you in the process of watching/listening/engaging in (different types of) Asian popular culture? How is it different from watching/listening/engaging in American popular culture?
Well, with music, I sometimes prefer Asian music over American music because I can't understand the lyrics. Therefore, while I am working diligently on a task, I won't become distracted and start singing along. At least, that was my original logic. After listening to so much Korean and Japanese music, I started picking up phrases and strings of the lyrics. I still like to listen to Asian music while I am working (painting or drawing).
Dramas are refreshing - most things I see on television these days are reality TV, which, I'll have to admit is somewhat of a guilty pleasure of mine sometimes. Dramas offer a variety to what I watch, and I really enjoy how they have a storyline. Most of the dramas I watch are miniseries - so they have an ending! Most American shows that I have watched mainly focus on a set of characters sleeping around and finding out secrets about each other, and sometimes the bigger storyline is lost. Producers keep drawing out the story to sell more episodes. MTV is hardly even about music anymore.
4. What are some Asian popular culture blogs and sites you have found fun, helpful, or informative? Please provide links if possible.
4. What are some Asian popular culture blogs and sites you have found fun, helpful, or informative? Please provide links if possible.
I really like watching culinary dramas and enjoy cooking, so naturally I am drawn to Asian food. I like reading some blogs on making bentos, which has become very popular recently. I read JustBento and CookingKorean.
Since I was a youngster, I've enjoyed reading manga - and I like to draw it too. The website that I read my manga from is OneManga. My all-time favorite is called MONSTER, by Naoki Urasawa.
I watch dramas on DramaFever, which requires membership, but is well worth it.
Blog #1
1. How were you introduced to Asian popular culture?
Well when I was in high school there was a friend of mine that would listen to Korean music, which artist in particular Se7en, she loved listening to him so I asked her to make me a copy of his album and I’ve been addicted ever since. I would also watch on Channel 18 at the time a Taiwanese drama named Mars and I just fell in love with watching dramas too. Also when I was younger I would watch those cartoons on Saturday mornings and they would be the dubbed English Japanese ones and there really enjoyable to watch then and even now when I get stressed out. Then my Eastern Asian Club in high school let us watch Windstruck and there continued on my obsession of all things Asian.
2. What aspects of Asian popular culture do you enjoy? For example, what are some of your favorite films, dramas, groups, etc., etc.?
I would say I love watching My Sassy Girl and Windstruck and The Lake House (which pissed me off when they made an American version of it) movies. There are too many dramas for me to name that I love. I enjoy watching my favorite drama of all time Save the last dance for me (마지막 춤은 나와 함께), it’s an oldie but I love it. I was complaining to my friend at the time that when I was watching sad dramas that they’re always sad and the ending pissed me off since it wasn’t that happy and I watched this and it’s still sort of the same but I loved it anyway. Groups as in like Korean groups like the boy/girl bands there are so many name that I listen to. Anh listed a couple of them and I’ll continue on with the same list-ish, I listen to Kara, SS501, Rainbow, A’st1, 2PM, 2AM, Wondergirls (so sad on what happened, same with 2PM), Big Bang, MBLAQ, YounHa and so on (too many to name). I love listening to other languages, I like listening to some Thai stuff too.
3. What happens to you in the process of watching/listening/engaging in (different types of) Asian popular culture? How is it different from watching/listening/engaging in American popular culture?
Funny this question is asked, I actually was talking to Anh about this in class. In Korea they usually have performances from each group when they’re promoting a song to come on and sing. Fridays usually air Music Bank, Saturdays are usually Music Core and Sunday is Inkigayo (sorry if I mixed them up, I tend to forget a lot). So every week we get about 3 new performances from a group and it’s really different from American culture besides the music videos and radio I can’t just tune in regularly every week to see the artist perform again. So that’s one of things that I like the best about when watching and engaging Korean music because it gives us a chance to see how tired they are (if the company is letting them rest and so on), it also gives us a chance how they improve (especially if it’s from a rookie group to someone who’s been in the industry for a while) and so on. For watching dramas and what not they difference and the thing that I like the most would be that a drama stops eventually and it’s just like an after thought later on. In America so many seasons can be in one show. It’s nice to have a change once in a while.
4. What are some Asian popular culture blogs and sites you have found fun, helpful, or informative? Please provide links if possible.
As Anh and Dennis discussed I go to Dramabeans.com for dramas and any updates with actors and so on. I usually go to soompi.com/forums for music and when I can’t find any links to dramas I go here too. Music is public viewed so you don’t need to register for that. I will have to agree with Anh and somewhat disagree with Dennis; Allkpop.com is a good source as Dennis mentioned but as Anh mentioned they biased comments (which kills me and I want to yell someone about them sometimes). I don’t know if this was posted earlier but also a good place to go too for Kpop updates would be http://sookyeong.wordpress.com/, K bites as everyone knows by too. She usually has the stuff Allkpop.com post but usually with no bias added. There are a couple of more sites I know but too much bias and I’ve stopped going there. As for watching dramas I too go to mysoju.com, viikii.net and my usually place that encourages my addiction would be YouTube, one would be so shocked if you can find the links (since they usually get suspended off YouTube).
Sorry for the long post. I hope I didn’t offend anyone. ^_^
Well when I was in high school there was a friend of mine that would listen to Korean music, which artist in particular Se7en, she loved listening to him so I asked her to make me a copy of his album and I’ve been addicted ever since. I would also watch on Channel 18 at the time a Taiwanese drama named Mars and I just fell in love with watching dramas too. Also when I was younger I would watch those cartoons on Saturday mornings and they would be the dubbed English Japanese ones and there really enjoyable to watch then and even now when I get stressed out. Then my Eastern Asian Club in high school let us watch Windstruck and there continued on my obsession of all things Asian.
2. What aspects of Asian popular culture do you enjoy? For example, what are some of your favorite films, dramas, groups, etc., etc.?
I would say I love watching My Sassy Girl and Windstruck and The Lake House (which pissed me off when they made an American version of it) movies. There are too many dramas for me to name that I love. I enjoy watching my favorite drama of all time Save the last dance for me (마지막 춤은 나와 함께), it’s an oldie but I love it. I was complaining to my friend at the time that when I was watching sad dramas that they’re always sad and the ending pissed me off since it wasn’t that happy and I watched this and it’s still sort of the same but I loved it anyway. Groups as in like Korean groups like the boy/girl bands there are so many name that I listen to. Anh listed a couple of them and I’ll continue on with the same list-ish, I listen to Kara, SS501, Rainbow, A’st1, 2PM, 2AM, Wondergirls (so sad on what happened, same with 2PM), Big Bang, MBLAQ, YounHa and so on (too many to name). I love listening to other languages, I like listening to some Thai stuff too.
3. What happens to you in the process of watching/listening/engaging in (different types of) Asian popular culture? How is it different from watching/listening/engaging in American popular culture?
Funny this question is asked, I actually was talking to Anh about this in class. In Korea they usually have performances from each group when they’re promoting a song to come on and sing. Fridays usually air Music Bank, Saturdays are usually Music Core and Sunday is Inkigayo (sorry if I mixed them up, I tend to forget a lot). So every week we get about 3 new performances from a group and it’s really different from American culture besides the music videos and radio I can’t just tune in regularly every week to see the artist perform again. So that’s one of things that I like the best about when watching and engaging Korean music because it gives us a chance to see how tired they are (if the company is letting them rest and so on), it also gives us a chance how they improve (especially if it’s from a rookie group to someone who’s been in the industry for a while) and so on. For watching dramas and what not they difference and the thing that I like the most would be that a drama stops eventually and it’s just like an after thought later on. In America so many seasons can be in one show. It’s nice to have a change once in a while.
4. What are some Asian popular culture blogs and sites you have found fun, helpful, or informative? Please provide links if possible.
As Anh and Dennis discussed I go to Dramabeans.com for dramas and any updates with actors and so on. I usually go to soompi.com/forums for music and when I can’t find any links to dramas I go here too. Music is public viewed so you don’t need to register for that. I will have to agree with Anh and somewhat disagree with Dennis; Allkpop.com is a good source as Dennis mentioned but as Anh mentioned they biased comments (which kills me and I want to yell someone about them sometimes). I don’t know if this was posted earlier but also a good place to go too for Kpop updates would be http://sookyeong.wordpress.com/, K bites as everyone knows by too. She usually has the stuff Allkpop.com post but usually with no bias added. There are a couple of more sites I know but too much bias and I’ve stopped going there. As for watching dramas I too go to mysoju.com, viikii.net and my usually place that encourages my addiction would be YouTube, one would be so shocked if you can find the links (since they usually get suspended off YouTube).
Sorry for the long post. I hope I didn’t offend anyone. ^_^
Monday, February 8, 2010
Blog entry #1
How were you introduced to Asian popular culture?
I don’t actually remember how I was introduced to Asian popular culture. I guess it was my mom who first got me into watching Hong Kong dramas because she would always put them on tv to watch and then from then on, I started finding my own dramas to watch. I was a huge fan of Taiwanese dramas and Chinese pop at first and then I moved onto Korean dramas and Korean pop.
What aspects of Asian popular culture do you enjoy? For example, what are some of your favorite films, dramas, groups, etc., etc.?
Aspects of Asian popular culture I enjoy are mainly Taiwanese, Korean, some Japanese dramas. Some favorite Taiwanese dramas include It Started with a Kiss both 1 and 2, Devil beside You, and love contract. My favorite Korean dramas have to be Shining Inheritance, Queen of Housewives, and Coffee Prince. I rarely watch Japanese dramas but my favorites are Hanazakari no Kimitachi e and Boys before Flowers. I also like Korean pop music but not so much of Chinese pop as much anymore. I listen to groups like 2pm, 4 minute, Epik High, Super Junior, After School, and 2NE1. I also love watching Korean television such as Infinity Challenge and Family Outing.
What happens to you in the process of watching/listening/engaging in (different types of) Asian popular culture? How is it different from watching/listening/engaging in American popular culture?
I don’t actually remember how I was introduced to Asian popular culture. I guess it was my mom who first got me into watching Hong Kong dramas because she would always put them on tv to watch and then from then on, I started finding my own dramas to watch. I was a huge fan of Taiwanese dramas and Chinese pop at first and then I moved onto Korean dramas and Korean pop.
What aspects of Asian popular culture do you enjoy? For example, what are some of your favorite films, dramas, groups, etc., etc.?
Aspects of Asian popular culture I enjoy are mainly Taiwanese, Korean, some Japanese dramas. Some favorite Taiwanese dramas include It Started with a Kiss both 1 and 2, Devil beside You, and love contract. My favorite Korean dramas have to be Shining Inheritance, Queen of Housewives, and Coffee Prince. I rarely watch Japanese dramas but my favorites are Hanazakari no Kimitachi e and Boys before Flowers. I also like Korean pop music but not so much of Chinese pop as much anymore. I listen to groups like 2pm, 4 minute, Epik High, Super Junior, After School, and 2NE1. I also love watching Korean television such as Infinity Challenge and Family Outing.
What happens to you in the process of watching/listening/engaging in (different types of) Asian popular culture? How is it different from watching/listening/engaging in American popular culture?
I get really excited and get emotionally attached to the characters when I watch Asian dramas. Sometimes if the series is really good, I’ll get really addicted and never stop watching. I remember staying up till 4am in the morning watching the last episodes of the Taiwanese drama Devil Beside You. Most people I know cry when they watch dramas and I really don’t but that drama was probably one of the only few I actually teared up after watching. I am more in tune with Korean pop culture than American pop culture because I find American pop culture to be too focused on sex for my taste. For instance, when you watch Korean dramas and American Daytime soaps, Korean dramas are much cuter and the relationships are much more meaningful than the trashy daytime soaps where the characters have sex with almost everyone. Because Asians have a much more conservative perspective, many mainstream forms of media try to stay pretty clean. At times, there may be scandalous parts but it is not really as bad if you compare it to media shown in the US.
What are some Asian popular culture blogs and sites you have found fun, helpful, or informative? Please provide links if possible.
An asian popular culture site I have found fun, helpful, or informative would be allkpop for its almost up to date entertainment gossip on Korean pop culture.
Blog #1
1. How were you introduced to Asian popular culture?
I was introduced to Asian popular culture through an Arab friend of mine. When I was in junior college, he showed me some Japanese pop music videos he had on his laptop. At first, I didn't like them, but when I started to find out about other Japanese singers, I started to like some Japanese music.
2. What aspects of Asian popular culture do you enjoy? For example, what are some of your favorite films, dramas, groups, etc., etc.?
The aspect that I enjoy the most is Japanese rap and R&B music. Some of the artists that I like to listen to are AI (Japanese "Queen of Hip Hop Soul"), Lisa Yamaguchi, Sakura, Juju, Jay'ed, Ai Ozaki, and Seeda. I have also watched some Japanese dramas such as Bloody Monday and Love Shuffle. The only Korean music that I have really heard and liked was a singer/rapper named Tasha. I have to thank my friend Alia for introducing me to her music.
3. What happens to you in the process of watching/listening/engaging in (different types of) Asian popular culture? How is it different from watching/listening/engaging in American popular culture?
When I am listening to music, I hear the music first. Then, I try to listen to the words and figure out what the song is about. It really helps me with my Japanese listening ablilities sometimes. If I can't figure it out, I usually ask my Japanese friends. They ask me to explain American songs to them sometimes as well. I would say that the difference in language is the main difference between Asian popular culture and American popular culture. By this I mean that since I have been born and raised in American culture, it doesn't take much for me to listen to an American song and figure out what it means and whether or not I like it. When it comes to musical genres such as R&B and Rap, they are primarily seen as forms of American music since their origins are American and are usually done in English. Due to this fact, I find it interesting to listen to Asian artists doing these genres of music and fitting them to their native languages and cultures. I also like the way some artists are able to mix English in with their native language and still make sense.
4. What are some Asian popular culture blogs and sites you have found fun, helpful, or informative? Please provide links if possible.
The only Asian popular culture blog and sites that I usually go to are used to download music so I can't share them with you on here, but if you want to know about those sites, please talk to me in class. I will be happy to share them with you. However, when I want to look at music videos, I usually just go to youtube.com or dailymotion.com. As a matter of fact, here are some videos of some of the artists that I talked about earlier. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.
AI: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NbpCS8Unl6g
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVSvnbeQ0_8
Tasha: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VD3r5C1h0gw
Ai Ozaki: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=quI0WTTpX6c
Seeda: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_0X5Smw1RI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vVpdkEO_-Ds
I was introduced to Asian popular culture through an Arab friend of mine. When I was in junior college, he showed me some Japanese pop music videos he had on his laptop. At first, I didn't like them, but when I started to find out about other Japanese singers, I started to like some Japanese music.
2. What aspects of Asian popular culture do you enjoy? For example, what are some of your favorite films, dramas, groups, etc., etc.?
The aspect that I enjoy the most is Japanese rap and R&B music. Some of the artists that I like to listen to are AI (Japanese "Queen of Hip Hop Soul"), Lisa Yamaguchi, Sakura, Juju, Jay'ed, Ai Ozaki, and Seeda. I have also watched some Japanese dramas such as Bloody Monday and Love Shuffle. The only Korean music that I have really heard and liked was a singer/rapper named Tasha. I have to thank my friend Alia for introducing me to her music.
3. What happens to you in the process of watching/listening/engaging in (different types of) Asian popular culture? How is it different from watching/listening/engaging in American popular culture?
When I am listening to music, I hear the music first. Then, I try to listen to the words and figure out what the song is about. It really helps me with my Japanese listening ablilities sometimes. If I can't figure it out, I usually ask my Japanese friends. They ask me to explain American songs to them sometimes as well. I would say that the difference in language is the main difference between Asian popular culture and American popular culture. By this I mean that since I have been born and raised in American culture, it doesn't take much for me to listen to an American song and figure out what it means and whether or not I like it. When it comes to musical genres such as R&B and Rap, they are primarily seen as forms of American music since their origins are American and are usually done in English. Due to this fact, I find it interesting to listen to Asian artists doing these genres of music and fitting them to their native languages and cultures. I also like the way some artists are able to mix English in with their native language and still make sense.
4. What are some Asian popular culture blogs and sites you have found fun, helpful, or informative? Please provide links if possible.
The only Asian popular culture blog and sites that I usually go to are used to download music so I can't share them with you on here, but if you want to know about those sites, please talk to me in class. I will be happy to share them with you. However, when I want to look at music videos, I usually just go to youtube.com or dailymotion.com. As a matter of fact, here are some videos of some of the artists that I talked about earlier. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.
AI: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NbpCS8Unl6g
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVSvnbeQ0_8
Tasha: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VD3r5C1h0gw
Ai Ozaki: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=quI0WTTpX6c
Seeda: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_0X5Smw1RI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vVpdkEO_-Ds
Post #1
1. How were you introduced to Asian popular culture?
How was I introduced to Asian popular culture, well I never remembered being introduced, but I was born into a household with Asian popular culture. As far as I remember in my childhood, I was watching TVB [a Hong Kong Channel] dramas, variety shows, and films everyday. I remember, that my mother and aunt loved to listen to music by Andy Lau, Sammi Cheng, Leslie Cheung [etc.] I remember one of my favourite film in my childhood was "Once Upon a Time in China"/"Wong Fei Hong"
2. What aspects of Asian popular culture do you enjoy? For example, what are some of your favorite films, dramas, groups, etc., etc.?
Well, I enjoy a lot of East Asian pop cultures. Starting 1995-2005 I enjoyed Hong Kong pop culture, I like artist like Nicholas Tse, and Twins, however my liking for Cantonese Pop culture died, when I started getting interested in Mando-pop from Taiwan and Mainland China in the periods between 2006-2008. Groups such as Fareinheit, and F.I.R was in my list of liking. In 2008, I became interested in Japanese popular culture, bands like Arashi and the drama like Hana Yori Dango had attracted me, then I learned of TVXQ from the J-pop sector, which drew me into getting interested in Korean Popular culture. In other words I like all East Asian pop culture for example, some bands I like is TVXQ, Super Junior, T-iara, SNSD, SHINee [Korea] Fareinheit, S.H.E, F.I.R [Taiwan], Arashi, KAT-TUN, News [Japan], and Top Combine [China]
3. What happens to you in the process of watching/listening/engaging in (different types of) Asian popular culture? How is it different from watching/listening/engaging in American popular culture?
It may sound wierd, but when I watch sad dramas, I get emotional, and when I watch historicals I have a Pan-Asian feeling growing, and so on, but when I watch American programs I tend to make fun of it or I fall asleep or I migh just turn off my television. When I listen to Asian pop music I have a connection that I can relate to, but when I listen American pop music I always say this "why are American music so savage like? all they talk about is sex, and killing, and so on, is this society and civilisation?", I hate American music. Asian Fashion style that suits me, instead of the nasty Californian style has also errupted recently, and with the availbility of Asian online fashion stores it has been so much easier to feel like an Asian.
4. What are some Asian popular culture blogs and sites you have found fun, helpful, or informative? Please provide links if possible.
Most of the sites I use to view Asian things are in Chinese since I am fluent and know the language, but one english website I use for Korean Pop news is www.allkpop.com, and sites like www.yesasia.com sells asian media products, sites like www.yesstyle.com , and www.kshopper.com allow to see what the fashion is like in Asian and it allows me to order clothes online. I also visit home sites of bands and artist for example www.smtown.com of S.M. Entertainment allows me to see what my favourite artists like Super Junior and TVXq has in store.
How was I introduced to Asian popular culture, well I never remembered being introduced, but I was born into a household with Asian popular culture. As far as I remember in my childhood, I was watching TVB [a Hong Kong Channel] dramas, variety shows, and films everyday. I remember, that my mother and aunt loved to listen to music by Andy Lau, Sammi Cheng, Leslie Cheung [etc.] I remember one of my favourite film in my childhood was "Once Upon a Time in China"/"Wong Fei Hong"
2. What aspects of Asian popular culture do you enjoy? For example, what are some of your favorite films, dramas, groups, etc., etc.?
Well, I enjoy a lot of East Asian pop cultures. Starting 1995-2005 I enjoyed Hong Kong pop culture, I like artist like Nicholas Tse, and Twins, however my liking for Cantonese Pop culture died, when I started getting interested in Mando-pop from Taiwan and Mainland China in the periods between 2006-2008. Groups such as Fareinheit, and F.I.R was in my list of liking. In 2008, I became interested in Japanese popular culture, bands like Arashi and the drama like Hana Yori Dango had attracted me, then I learned of TVXQ from the J-pop sector, which drew me into getting interested in Korean Popular culture. In other words I like all East Asian pop culture for example, some bands I like is TVXQ, Super Junior, T-iara, SNSD, SHINee [Korea] Fareinheit, S.H.E, F.I.R [Taiwan], Arashi, KAT-TUN, News [Japan], and Top Combine [China]
3. What happens to you in the process of watching/listening/engaging in (different types of) Asian popular culture? How is it different from watching/listening/engaging in American popular culture?
It may sound wierd, but when I watch sad dramas, I get emotional, and when I watch historicals I have a Pan-Asian feeling growing, and so on, but when I watch American programs I tend to make fun of it or I fall asleep or I migh just turn off my television. When I listen to Asian pop music I have a connection that I can relate to, but when I listen American pop music I always say this "why are American music so savage like? all they talk about is sex, and killing, and so on, is this society and civilisation?", I hate American music. Asian Fashion style that suits me, instead of the nasty Californian style has also errupted recently, and with the availbility of Asian online fashion stores it has been so much easier to feel like an Asian.
4. What are some Asian popular culture blogs and sites you have found fun, helpful, or informative? Please provide links if possible.
Most of the sites I use to view Asian things are in Chinese since I am fluent and know the language, but one english website I use for Korean Pop news is www.allkpop.com, and sites like www.yesasia.com sells asian media products, sites like www.yesstyle.com , and www.kshopper.com allow to see what the fashion is like in Asian and it allows me to order clothes online. I also visit home sites of bands and artist for example www.smtown.com of S.M. Entertainment allows me to see what my favourite artists like Super Junior and TVXq has in store.
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