Coffee Prince 7&8

Huge twist in the end of episode 7. To me the argument between Eun Chan and Han Kyuol came awkward. It seemed like there has to be issues for them to fight for in order to bring the next reunion scene. Apparently both Eun Chan nad Han Kyuol started feeling differently through their daily observation. Since both of the has nearly no experiences on relationships, their interaction sometimes seems dumb but cute, just like puppy love. I like how the plot arranged the way they made up through going to a Chinese restaurant and eat since Eun Chan appreciates food so much.

Also, once again the formula proves that even relaxing dramas like "Coffee Prince" can not get rid of the dramatic changes on illness. This is sooooo disappointing =( Han Kyuol's grandma was diagnosed as the last stage of gastric cancer; therefore, Han Kuyol started considering acting like an adult but no foolling around anymore. As Han Kyuol thought about meeting someone his grandmather prefer for marriage, Eun Chan had the impulse to tell him the truth. Such conflict brought the Coffee Prince into more intense storyline. Furthermore, another cliche of mis-blood relationships appeared as well. At first I thought maybe Han Kuyol was adopted from some kind of orphange, but glady it was not. This plot came totally unexpected and I did not understand what does it have to do with the major storyline. Following by the story goes I believe Eun Chan and Han Kyuol will be closer than ever since they want to be with each other with a more "moral" way as brotherwood. The family closeness is indeed an important value that Asian cherish, that we can find the scenes for father-son, mother-son, grandmother-son and even the sisterwood that Eun Chan shared with her sisiter in episode 8. In short I like the drama does not focus on love triangle but brings more Korean family background as well.

Pasta, Ep. 3-6

HEH-GO-YAH, YOU FIRED!”… over, and over again.
So, back to the story where men wear large, irregularly sized scarves and women wear obnoxious, ugly hats! Finally, the storyline is starting to get more interesting, but I still cannot stand, nor understand, why the head chef needs to yell so much? It seems like the farther this drama goes, the more he yells, the louder he yells, and now, other characters are ALSO starting to yell, and it’s starting to get annoying.

Before I go any farther, two questions have that I have about the general drama:
1. Since when do chefs, even head chefs, have the ability and salary to afford/drive a BMW SUV? (his car is more expensive than the mini MINI COOPER the owner of the restaurant drives, and WAY bigger/better than the booger BMW that the TV personality gal that slaughtered his career drives)
2. What kind of ITALIAN restaurant has pineapples in their kitchen/on their menu? (Anyone else notice that?)

It is nice that we finally understand why the head chef is so cold, bitter and mean. The audience can now understand why he has trust issues and why he acts the way he acts. The story is finally starting to unravel, and now the hatred has turned! Now I dislike that TV personality chef gal! She is so conniving! How could she do that to him?! And now she comes back trying to be so nice and friendly!? It’s odd that she keeps smiling and acting like the she didn’t do anything to him, but she basically ruined his career!

The story line involving Chef Totti and the stolen money was kind of weird. I understand the problem it caused, but I am not sure if the drama itself needed the extra drama? I guess I have to wait and see what happens in the next episodes...

Lastly, I feel the need to mention the “shi-shi” factor of these characters. The kitchen now has three new members, and the three new guys are not the frumpy, nerdy, geeky chefs that are already in the kitchen. The new chefs wear fur, have long hair, and one of them looks like he is wearing lipstick?

Also, there is the restaurant owner’s sister? The one with short hair, long legs who likes to take advantage of poor young men? Why are these women playing with these poor guys’ emotions?

My last thought. I regret choosing this drama. It is such a chore to watch. So far, I have not felt the addiction that I want to overcome me. It is not a boring drama, but I just don’t find it largely intriguing. Too bad. Maybe it will get better?

Coffee Prince Ep. 5&6

This week on Coffee Prince, I noticed that there seems to be a theme with all of the women characters with the exception of Eun Chan. That theme is using men for their own selfish reasons. You can see this in both Eun Chan's mother and sister and Han Yoo Joo. As a matter of fact, Han Yoo Joo seems to be playing with both Han Kyul and his cousin, Han Seong. She knows that Han Kyul likes her and she is constantly bringing him around when his cousin, who is supposed to be her boyfriend, is not around. What is admirable about Han Kyul in these situations is the fact that he always asks Han Yoo Joo where Han Seong is or tells her that he expected him to come with her. One of the most obvious examples of the way Han Yoo Joo toys with Han Kyul is when she is sick. He comes over her house, makes her soup and takes care of her. She flirts with him and before things can go any further she tells him to leave. You can tell that she has no attraction to him. Another example of this can be seen when she decides to go see a movie with just him. This entire time, you can tell that she is well aware of what she is doing and feels no shame. Han Yoo Joo seems like she constantly needs attention and keeps Han Kyul around when Han Seong cannot be with her. She rarely spends time with both of them together. I doubt that Han Seong knows how much time she spends with his cousin. However, as previously stated, she is not the only woman like this in the show.

Another female character that has seems to enjoy using men for their own selfish reasons is Eun Chan's sister, Eun Sae. She is very cruel to Min Yeop. She knows that he would do anything for her and she keeps using him by contacting him only when she needs something. Other than that, she treats him like he is not nearly good enough to date. She even goes so far as to list him in her phone as "dumb" so it shows up on the caller ID when he calls. She enjoys being able to walk all over him. An example of just how much he likes her is seen when Eun Chan promises him that if he helps her, she will get Eun Sae to call him. He practically jumps up and down at the thought of her merely calling him. In this week's episodes, you can see who Eun Sae gets her views on how to treat men from.

Which brings me to Eun Chan and Eun Sae's mother. This week you got to see her play around with the owner of the butcher shop. It is completely obvious how much he likes her and she knows it. Of course it is also obvious just how much she is not attracted to him. She seems to use him as just a way to get to out of the house and go see a movie while he thinks of it as more of a date. Similar to the way Han Yoo Joo uses Han Kyul, Eun Chan's mother seems to use this man as a way to get attention. You can see just how cold she is when he attempts to ask her out again and tell her his feelings at the end of the date. She does not want to hear it and simply sends him on his way as she is done playing with him for the moment. All of this, of course makes Eun Chan look like a better woman personality wise.

Pasta ep 5-6

We finally figure out the huge underlying secret behind the strained relationship of the head chef Hyun-wook and Se-young. FINALLY. I've been wondering why he hates her so much for past couple episodes.

The drama flashes back to the time when they are both students in Italy. They plan to enter in a cooking competition and Hyun-wook tells Se-young that he wants to use ginseng in the pasta (eww, why ginseng is so bitter!). Se-young, thinking the same thought as I did, worries about it being too bitter for the pasta but Hyun-wook shows him his secret to add the barolo wine to reduce the bitterness. It shows the competition and the judges try out Hyun-wook's ginseng/wine pasta dish. The judges speaking in reallly funny sounding Italian comments how bad the pasta tastes. They move on to Se-young's dish and praise her "excellento". Hyun-wook wonders why the pasta tastes so bad and he tries the wine realizing that Se-young must have tainted the wine. Their is another flashback and it shows that Se-young did ruin the wine by putting it in a pot of boiling water. She says that she's sorry for doing this but she really wants to go to Rome however, she will never be able to go because Hyun-wook will always win.

So now I understand Hyun-wook's whole distrust and dislike of women. That was such a b*tchy thing that Se-young did. She betrayed her boyfriend so she could win instead of focusing on her abilities and talents. I really dislike her because of that and also the fact that she tries to be near him by moving into his apartment complex. Isn't she already dating Kim San?! Why is she putting herself in all these situations to get herself involved with Hyun-wook again?

I also dislike the use of flashbacks in this drama. I think its hard to tell if its a flashback or not. I was so confused about that flashback showing the story behind Hyun-wook and Se-young relationship. I thought it was just a random scene. I've seen other dramas with a better use of flashbacks than this one.

We also see Hyun-wook's and Yoo-kyung's relationship develop. Yoo-kyung kisses Hyun-wook on the cheek for the first time, which surprises him and Yoo-kyung. I can tell Hyun-wook likes her because in episode six, he gets mad at her for making him look everywhere for her at the port. Which I think is kinda cute, however, he treats her like sh*t and is sooo mean to her which makes me wonder why she likes him. I really don't like their relationship and I think when I watch dramas, the main lead's relationship with each other is very important to me. I have to be emotionally attached to them in order for me to reallly like this drama and become addicted. Unfortunately, it has not happened.

Pasta Ep. 5&6

Well, things are starting to get more interesting starting this point in the drama. Finally we find out who the culprit is behind all the blackmailing and all that good stuff. On this episode the "Customer" Kim San finally makes move on what I consider like a competition or a challenge with Hyun Wook. Also, we start to see a form or relationship or bond developing between Soo Kyung and Hyun Wook, though Hyun Wook still treats her like garbage. There is a part in this scene in which she sits on the stairs of the resturants and she day dreams about Hyun Wook, and then when she was on the bus she remembers the time she and Hyun Wook's first physical encounter in the streets, etc, and she giggles and smiles to herself while one the buss, I find that quite hilarious, I mean who in the world giggles like her? In this scene Hyun Wook fires the chairman of the resturant, and the ironic thing is the fired president later become a food tester/judge, and he goes to the resturant and he and group were eating food from the floor, very humourous, and there is this one women who constantly try to hit on the pretty boy Phillip, yet he cares nothing about her, which I find that what he did is so cool, that lady gets so annoying. While in ep. 6 the relationship starts to change, but it is Hyun Wook that always have to give his sophisicated attitude, and so on. I think the drama so far is fun to watch, but the fashion and haircut on Soo Kyung it drives me crazy, she looks like an adjuma trying to look girly, and the haircut looks bad on her, she can't pull the look off. Meanwhile, Hyun Wook's cloth were fine, and acceptable.

Episodes 5 & 6

In this week episodes, episodes 5 and 6, there has been an increasing activity between the two main characters, Han Kyul and Eun Chan more than just “friends” activity and feeling towards one another. Eun Chan character’s secret is slowly unraveling by different people in the show, they are finding out that that she is actually a female. So slowly Eun Chan secret is starting to come out and the fact I want to know how Han Kyul is going to react when he finds out Eun Chan secret is exciting me. DUN DUNNN!!!! Also now there are even more possible love triangle besides the boring one with Han Kyul, Choi Han Sung and Han Yoo Joo but this new triangle is with Eun Chan, Han Kyul and Min Yeop, which in my opinion is way more interesting than the other triangle because of Eun chan secret is reviled to Min Yeop, so he likes her as a girl and Han Kyul is starting to like Eun Chan, but as a dude.

The relationship between Choi Han Sung and Han Yoo Joo faces a major problem in these two episodes which is the fact that Han Yoo Joo does not want to get married because she is married to her career of being artist and Cho Han Sung does want to get married, so that's another added conflict between those two. I guess in a way that is also an issue that comes up in the Asian American community or any other community when a woman makes the decision on the fact that she doesn't want to get married due to the fact that she enjoys her career or jus the fact that she doesn't want to get married. As odd as it sounds but I get mad every time I see Choi Han Sung still trying to be with Han Yoo Joo even though she left him for years and yet he still accepted her back, COME ON! Really? And now she told him that she doesn't want to get married, why is he still trying to hold on to her! Move on ready!!!

Coffee Prince 5&6

In these two episodes, the triangle relationship between Eun Chan, Han Sung, and Han Kyul develop even further; creating a more complex plot. Throughout the episodes a visible increase of physical contact and interact between the three of them filled out the plot of Eun Chan masquerading as a guy while hiding her feelings for Han Sung and Han Kyul and vice versa. Another theme that I noticed within episode 5 & 6 was the issue of Eun Chan undergoing another make-over, but this time it was to go as an ultra feminine female. Lastly, again the theme of solidarity among the working class emerged as we observe the bonding that occurred in the apple orchard. The three of these issues is what mostly caught my eye while watching these two episodes.

For me due to certain unique circumstances being working class fosters strong bonds among the people who work together. This was seen as Han Kyul and his workers took a day off of work and went to the apple orchard to pick and sell apples. The scene could have been easily any other scene in a typical male bonding film as the guys sweated, bathed, slept, ate, and joked together. What showed me that Han Kyul's original selfish character was beginning to mature and change was when he sold the premium apples for a bargain and the farmer got upset with him. So then his workers stepped in and said that they would help him pick twenty boxes of apples in order to compensate the farmer for Han Kyul's mistake. I felt that this was crucial step for Han Kyul as he could only really develop a crush on Eun Chan, who is a working class person, if he let go some of his upper class pretensions.

Next, this love triangle between Han Kyul, Eun Chan, and Han Sung definitely made the plot more interesting as they both are finding themselves feel fondly for Eun Chan. What is interesting is that the cousins both seem to admire similar qualities Eun Chan exhibits such as; her naiveness, sense of humor, and work ethic. Due to her personality I see that it makes it easier for these guys to like her as these characteristics are gender neutral. Meaning, it would not matter if she were a guy or a lady since both sexes would be attracted to her as a person.

Finally, I thought it was extremely interesting in how in episode six Han Sung took the opportunity to give Eun Chan a feminine make-over in order to accompany him to the gallery opening. Similarly, Han Kyul had given Eun Chan a make-over but his was in male drag. So what intrigues me is how both Eun Chan's love interests make-over her sex and gender as she keeps putting and wearing these different identity masks. I have this gut feeling that someone get seriously emotionally hurt as Eun Chan is lying to both men. As the feminine drag make-over carried out it was a riot for me to watch Eun Chan attempt to walk in the high heels while balancing and coordinating the tight and sexy dress along with the wig. Even for me, it took a long time to feel comfortable in dressing in dresses and walking in heels. So I can sympathize with Eun Chan's struggle with the clothes of women since they do present themselves a challenge for the newcomers. What took the icing on the cake was the scene with her walking in flip flops and carrying her high heel shoes as I have seen a many of ladies doing the same with their four inch heels. I tell you, comfort over style- always. Lastly, it was really cool for me to see Eun Chan sport a Joe Strummer t-shirt while she working at the snack stall. Especially since Joe Strummer is one of my favorite musicians.

Well, it looks like the upcoming episodes will be exciting as Han Kyul has expressed his desire to Eun Chan in that last moment when he ask her to embrace him. I'm eager to see where the story will go and far the writers and producers are willing to take Han Kyul's homosexual desires.