Netizens :: Why They Suck Part II

In this post I want to share my love/hate relationship with the netizens of Korea (speaking figuratively of course, since technically netizens could live anywhere in the world.) You can read about my frustration with US netizens [here].

In Korea...

...netizens generally have standards. Shocking, right?

It might have to do with cultural differences or maybe just industry differences but their is no denying that the netizens of Korea hold their idols & celebrities to some insane standards. Some of these standards are good in my opinion while others are bizarre, borderline crazy.

Looking at Korea right off the bat there isn't "standard" controversies like there is in America. If someone has a sex tape, drug problem, or disrespects it generally signals the end of their career. 

Point blank.

The droves of people who signed up at your fan meet or sent you fan letters are gone. Once you shame yourself it can be extremely hard to win over your fans again and even others in the industry. 

First off. This is kind of a good thing. It can help remind idols/celebrities not to take what they have for granted and keeps them focused.  Those who do create scandal, while I understand that everyone is human and makes mistakes, I will admit that its nice to hear them apologize and actually face some consequences instead of just getting a slap on the wrist [if that] like they do here in America.

Out of all these celebrities - only G-Dragon faced serious backlash for smoking marijuana (via DailyBeast, NYTimes, & AllKPop)

On the other hand, netizens can use their so called power - for evil. Case and point  Block B & the Thailand debacle. 

I don't know why but the way they are being treated by netizens bothers me soooo much and I'm not even a Block B fan. I mean up until this point I had no clue who they were...yet despite me being unfamiliar with them what they're going through really resonated with me. 

Yes, they screwed up. Yes, they shouldn't have made such careless comments. Yes, they were wrong. 

But can anyone seriously watch that apology video and not feel the massive amount of guilt and sadness these boys are bearing? The 90 degree bow? The heart felt words of apology? I mean Zico (their leader) even shaved his head.

Yet the shade they are suffering from netizens is so distorted from what it out to be. These guys have shown such humility and grace in a situation that should have never been amplified to this level. I think its so sad that despite Block B's actions to rectify the situation they have only been received with anger & hatred. I really can't even get into the suicide petitions because its just so awful it doesn't merit any extra attention. But I really don't understand what more can these guys do to actually receive netizens forgiveness? At this point I wish they could just brush this off but its beyond that now.


So if I had one thing I could say to these guys it would be a Bible verse brought to my attention by Jeremy Lin, (haha - hey! who doesn't read up about that guy?!)

 "Not only so, but we rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us." - Roman 5:3-5

 

Fat Cat's New MV

Have you guys checked out Fat Cat's new single "Is Being Pretty Everything?" [thanks to @Dramafever for sharing!]

When I saw the teaser I thought the MV would be along the lines of Gwen Stefani's "What You Waiting For" but it actually wasn't which was kinda a nice surprise. Along with being very visual appealing the song actually has message that I think most girls can relate to.

So who is Fat Cat? 

I asked myself the same thing after I checked out the video. I really hadn't heard about her until earlier this week when I saw the teasers.  She is still a relatively new artist having only debuted in September (2011) yet has a commanding stage presence that has people talking. 

These days there aren't many artists (KPOP) who debut without a group. While there are many idols who choose to go solo after working with group, I think the fact that Fat Cat is able to generate such interest in her solo act is something in itself.

BTW I tried to access her Official site today but couldn't because it crashed, but you can check out her twitter account :: FatCat0_0

**Pictures are all from Fat Cat's Twitter Account**

We Got Married :: The Basics

I recently started watching We Got Married. Since the show is so big and is currently in its third season I will be writing several posts about the series labeled 

"We Got Married :: ______"

If you visit almost any Korean entertainment site or blog its almost certain you will find some mention of the MBC variety show We Got Married. Currently in its third season, We Got Married is not a show that you can easily ignore. WGM not only has a tremendous following, but has also become the show that many idols/celebrities want to be on!

I started watching We Got Married based on the fact that I simply couldn't escape it any longer. I was getting tired of reading articles the constantly mentioned the show. [Don't get me wrong not this is not an every day occurrence but definitely something that happens almost weekly.] Thus I set out to watch this very popular variety show.

So where should should you start watching? Start from the beginning? Watch only the episodes that your favorite celebrities are in?

Where did I start? Right at the beginning with episode 1. The show is a sweet mixture of laughs & sweet moments. I don't regret starting at the beginning (first episode aired in 2008), but I probably wouldn't recommend it. I think at this point in show if you are a fan of a certain idol/celebrity I would start at the episode where they are introduced. Otherwise you might find yourself not really into whats going on and constantly wondering how many episodes are left till they are on.

Worth the hype?

Yes and No. Korean celebrities' privacy is respected more in Korea. Because of that you won't find quite the amount of candid pictures as you would in the United States. While this is a great thing for the celebrities it can leave the fans always wanting more and this is why I think WGM is quite the hit. Its almost as if you've been invited to see what they are like on a day to day basis.

There also the fact that you are seeing them in a relationship and how the act towards that person. You'd think that fact that you're watching your favorite celebrity in relationship would be such a downer (especially since fans can become rather upset when celebrities are in a real relationship) but its actually really endearing! One of my favorite examples of this is Kim Hyun Joong. Don't get me wrong, he was still Mr. Cool the entire time he's on but you also get to see his human side [like when he didn't catch fish when they spent the whole afternoon fishing or he is asking the cameraman to kill a bug for him!].

No because there are so many episodes. I mean how many times do we need to watch them try to cook or "almost kiss." Plus some of the couples are just kinda boring.

Where can I watch?

MySoju & Veoh.com both have WGM subbed. MySoju is great because since each episode of WGM is in several parts, it has the link on the right hand side of the next video you're supposed to watch. Veoh, on the other hand is somewhat of a pain because after you finish watching one video you have to search again for the next part of the episode. I will admit that lately I have been watching more on Veoh.com because MySoju has been taking forever to load and I'm not sure why.


Final Thoughts.

I am no where near being done with this series as I am currently only on Episode 20 of Season 1. I am bummed that I waited so long to jump on the WGM bandwagon though. Out of the original couples I think the only person I knew was Andy (from Shinhwa) but because  I started watching at the beginning I now love CrownJ, Solbi, Saori, and Hwangbo. 

While Kim Hyun Joong is still super cute, I'm looking forward to seeing Kangin (Super Junior), Taeyeon (SNSD), Jung Yonghwa, UEE, and Leeteuk (Super Junior).

So if you're not wanting to watch the 38493483 episodes that have aired I would definitely recommend at least checking out the episodes with your favorite celebrities. You'll probably love them even more than you already do and maybe even fall in love with a new one!

*********** Don't forget I'm having a giveaway that's still open!!! Check it out!! **************

TheKoreanTourist

TheKoreanTourist is such a cute YouTube channel that I just had to share.

Basically TheKoreanTourist, aka Alyse (not sure how she spells it), shares different things in her daily life as a university student in Korea. Her videos vary from displaying & talking about what she received in the month's glossybox to visiting Seoul Tower.

One of the things that makes her so likeable is that she is just a normal everyday girl! She currently has 34 videos posted to her YouTube page so I hope you take a moment to browse and watch a few! You won't be disappointed.

Where I Watch Kdramas

When it comes to watching kdrama there are only two sites that I go to Viki.com or DramaFever.  I used to watch dramas only on Viki.com because it was simply the only place I knew I could find a big selection of kdramas subtitled in English [though they have kdramas subtitled in a TON of languages on Viki.com, not just English] but I have since discovered another site, Dramafever.

 Another bonus of Viki.com is that you can choose to have commentary subtitles on while you watch the drama. (you can turn this feature off if you want)

While initially this might seem like an overwhelming amount of text, its actually rather nice since it gives you the feeling that you're watching the drama with a friend who is saying the very things your thinking!

Whats more is that Viki has an app where you can watch some of your favorite kdramas on the go! [click here to see it in the App Store]

Lately though Viki has been freezing up quite a bit and the commercials that they run can be as long as 1 min 30 seconds [it might not seem long but when something juicy is happening it can seem like a lifetime!] This is why I have been migrating over to Dramafever.

Just like with Viki, the have an amazing selection and even an option to upgrade your membership (basic membership is free) to premium in order to watch your favorite kdramas commercial free! While the basic membership still requires you to watch commercials, its much less frustrating because they only last 30 seconds and you know when one is coming up.

While Dramafever doesn't yet have an app out yet it looks like they are in the process of getting one out but they do have a widget! I just posted it on my blog, feel free to check it out!

**Revision 12/9/11**

I totally forgot to the mention two other places you can watch Kdramas! Netflix & Hulu!! Netflix doesn't really have a huge selection but they do have some [BOF, City Hunter, Lie to Me etc.] Hulu, also streams Kdramas yet they get their videos from Dramafever so its kinda the same thing as watching on Dramafever. 

So hopefully there won't come a day when you find yourself at a loss for finding a site to watch good kdramas =] Happy watching!

New Love :: Jang Geun Suk 장근석

He has been dominating both my kdrama playlist and my iTunes music library so it was imperative that I shared my love. While I am slowly graduating from Kdrama newbie to novice I am starting to become more familiar with some of famous actors & actresses.

 

Lee Minho ::sigh::

 Up until this point my favorite leading man has been Lee Minho [duh right? who DOESNT like him?!] One of things I love about Lee Minho, especially in City Hunter, is that his characters are always so "manly" yet totally fashionable. So what happened to cause me to fall for another Hallyu star??! A friend recommended I watch "You're Beautiful" because I'm a sucker for the romantic comedy, love triangles. So I did and I loved it! Jang Geun Suk was such cute and likable lead despite him acting totally spoiled and arrogant. What was even better is he sings in it!! :::faints::::

The only thing that kinda threw me was the aweful wardrobe he wore, though to be fair that entire series had the worst fashion of any kdrama I have seen thus far.

uh nice clothes?

Anyways, I decided to watch another one of Jang Geun Suk's dramas "Marry Me Mary."  This drama is tied with BOF as my favorite kdrama! Jang Geun Suk plays an indie artist named Mu-Gyul, a womanizer and somewhat of a hippie ,who meets a girl who makes him pretend to be her husband. Scandalous right?! Trust me, two episodes in and the drama is unbelievable! So good.

Again, another bonus to this series is he sings in it. I must admit, at first, I thought the soundtrack/OST was super corny, but as time goes on and the songs play over and over (and over and over) throughout the series you being to really love them & Jang Geun Suk's deep voice. Its pretty crazy because even when I wasn't that familiar with the songs I could still pick out his voice even when listening on my iPhone since is voice it so deep! I love it.

So now I'm officially hooked. I am now proactively looking for his other dramas and movies to watch.

So there you have it. My new love Jang keun Suk. <3

***All pictures taken from actor's Facebook accounts

Sweet and Tasty

Since I've been watching so many KDramas I thought I would look up a few Korean Language videos on Youtube and I came across SweetandTasty. 

Check it out! Her series are not only super cute but also pretty helpful.

Currently Watching :: City Hunter

Lately I have been watching the Korean drama City Hunter... I love it. Its the first Korean drama that I have watched that wasn't solely a romance/comedy (they are my weak spot!).  City Hunter is about this guy, Lee Yoon Sung, who is out to take revenge upon the men who wronged his father by plotting to destroy them and bring justice to the Korean people.  Even though I was a little hesitant at first about watching but in the end I am glad I took a chance.  My main reason for watching I must admit, other than the fact that it is getting rave reviews, is because of Lee Min Ho.... ::sigh::

too cute right?!


You can watch this entire drama online @ http://www.viki.com/ ::: so check it out! Not to worry though, I will definitely be writing a review about this drama.

KDrama

When it comes to watching movies, me and my husband mostly watch whatever is on Netflix.  Its actually my brother's account but since we have a Wii we use his watch instantly account.  There's not always the greatest selection on there so often times I find myself watching things I wouldn't normally pick up at the rental store.

So the other day I saw Playful Kiss as recommend for me, so I decided to watch. (The sorta ironic thing about it was, almost a year ago when I did a post on Dorama, I actually used to Playful Kiss banner in my post!)

The first several minutes of the show was super corny in my opinion, and I wasn't sure if I was into watching a show where I had to keep reading subtitles.  Regardless I stuck it out through the first episode and by the end of that first show I was hooked!  The colors where really bright and the storyline was fun and in the end it was a good find.

I'll probably still do a post reviewing the actually the show but I just wanted to take a moment to share what a good find this was.  I have now watched several other Korean dramas and I must say that I am officially a fan.  Its interesting to see television from another country but I think any girl or even guy can appreciate a good show with good/attractive actors & actresses no matter where its from.

Girls Generation

This post is not necessarily “Japanese” but I really like this group.  In August they are supposed to be starting to promote their music in Japan (they’re a South Korean group) so it should be interesting to see if they will be well received.

 Girls Generation <--- their website

SNSD (Girls' Generation) - Run Devil Run from supiya on Vimeo.

I am definately a fan tho!  Each are so cute and pretty its hard not to like them.

In August they will make their debut at the Tokyo Ariake Coliseum, so we shall see if Japan feels the same way.