Temptation Episodes 9-10

Temptation Episodes 9-10

Welcome back Tempters to another controversial week of Temptation Talkfest, where me and my partners gab about the lunacy that is marriage resignation and characters that find it impossible to own their own dirt. What do you think?

 Well, they certainly owned up to much more than they had been. I felt like throwing my hands up in praise to the drama gods when Seok Hoon admitted that their divorce was not just brought on by Se Young or anyone/anything else for that matter. They had issues long before which is generally the case. The same applies to Min Woo and Ji Sun’s marriage which was doomed to fail as it was a business transaction from the very beginning. After all that growing apart, I think that the two divorces and the two time skips were simply ways to get the question of said dirt’s legality out of the way. Well, at least we got to see Seok Hoon getting all romantic(ish) again.

Watching Seok Hoon with Se Young not only gave us a glimpse of who he was before we were thrown into his and Hong Joo’s crumbling marriage, but it also reminded me why I love Kwon Sang Woo so much. He’s not all hot bod and steamy showers. Although that certainly helps.Was that romantic?  'Cause it felt more like death ray seduction stares. But all in all, I am glad he's back and ready to move forward. However, I do admit I'm concerned about Se Young entrusting too much of her business responsibility to him. I think he's good at his job and with him, she's better (someone who takes risks and views multiple perspectives) but I have a suspicion, relying on him or at least seeming to, may have negative repercussions. The one advantage Seok Hoon has (other than his death ray seduction stares) is that he forces her to escape her cold business tactics. She’s a woman in a business mainly dominated by men, so I understand why she has the persona she does, but Seok Hoon reminds her that sometimes tapping into her (and other’s) humanity can be important in business as well. Seok Hoon is smart; I’ll give him that. I do also think that he may be getting too much from her. Se Young is also an intelligent woman, but her emotions (well, emotion, since her “first love” has come around) are starting to set the stage for those repercussions. There’s nothing wrong with having emotions, of course. Her love is a sign of character growth on Se Young’s part. However...I have a feeling that dinner party’s getting a little too heated as a result of past weeks’ events…

Watch the next episode Temptation

Temptation Episodes 13

Temptation 11-12

Temptation 11-12

That's right, it's time for another tantalizing week of Temptation, with my amazing partners in persuasion, Drama Debussie and Pamela! Got any thoughts about Hong Gyu finding out the "truth" and ending his relationship with Se Jin? Are our main couples moving too fast? Tell us your temptation, because you know we're definitely not going to keep quiet about ours.

DD: Welcome to another week of Temptation and, I’ll be honest, I don’t know where to begin.

Pamela: How about with Cha Seok Hoon’s face next to yours first thing in the morning?

Unnichan: I think that's a delightful place to start dongsaeng! Why didn't the creators think to do that way back in episode one?

DD: That got my raging hormones going for sure. I’m frankly shocked that Se Young and Seok Hoon are progressing so quickly in their new found relationship. Most shows would do the “will-they-or-won’t-they” after a character gets divorced if only to silence the critics that would protest that no one would move on that quickly after a divorce. 

Pamela: In a way, the drama is still playing that game. Se Young even hinted at it when she asked Seok Hoon about if their relationship would last if she had nothing. When he had nothing, it certainly didn’t work out for Seok Hoon and Hong Joo. Now that he’s taken off with Se Young (slight pun intended?), we have to wait and see how close to the breaking-up point the couple will go between Se Young’s medical...fun, Se Young’s father, and Hong Joo’s revenge.

Unnichan: I'm pretty convinced Se Young and Seok Hoon will end some time down road. But not necessarily due to money. I've always believed their relationship would run its course, no matter how quickly it began. However, now that she's lost a piece of what made she and Seok Hoon incompatible, who knows?

DD: Which begs the question, does money always win out when pitted against love? Seok Hoon and Hong Joo claim they don’t care about the money their new interests have, but it’s easy to say that when they still have the wealth. Of course it seems Hong Joo is more concerned with her revenge than anything else.

Unnichan: People love to lie to themselves. Money is a factor whether you have it or you don't and from thick awkwardness and quick a few side-eyes in these episodes, our characters are fully aware of the elephant. And honestly, wasn't it money that catapulted everyone into each other's sphere? As for Hong Joo, every episode is a testament in the unassuming novella humbly entitled“The Girl Called Na Hong Joo: A Journey Devoid of Self Love.”

Watch the next episode Temptation

Temptation episode 14

Roommate Episode 11

Roommate Episode 11 

This week’s episode of Roommate featured a lot of funny moments, but also raised some serious issues that were heavily criticized by viewers both in Korea and internationally. Min Woo’s driving adventure, however, just seems like the last spark in a long line of viewer complaints about the nature of this “reality” program. Join the Drama Club as we discuss what happened and why we think the show is hitting on some peoples’ nerves.

Lore: Roommate has been a controversial show since shortly after it premiered. From Nana speaking Banmal to her elders, to Min Woo’s sleepy driving, the “forced” love lines, poor ratings, Park Bom’s recent “drug” scandal, and the announcement that Exo’s Baekhyun will guest star amidst a less than well received dating revelation, this program has not had an easy time. And to think we are only 11 episodes in. 

I think that a portion of the negative buzz, at least the buzz internally generated by the program and not originating externally (Bom’s scandal, Baekhyun’s scandal), is being driven by a chase after ratings. Which sounds like simple common sense for any television viewer. The producers tease viewers with previews of tears and disagreements and high emotions to get us to tune in. We tune in and instead we find people crying because they were pranked (much like the viewers) instead of due to a horrible emotional event like the previews promised. This is nothing new in television, but it doesn’t really help in winning this show fans when it is already on shaky ground.

I can’t fault the producers for executing a strategy that has worked well for other shows, but I honestly think they need to really consider their game plan in the face of such negative press. I am not asking them to change the concept of Roommates- heck I honestly love the idea of this show- but I do think they need to be sensitive on what element they edit their episodes to revolve around. Episode 11 was largely focused on pushing a “Bad stuff is about to happen. What could it be?!” – In my mind a better approach would have been to focus less on one event (Min Woo’s driving) and more on the overall journey.

Watch the next episode Roommate 

Roommate Episode 17

Fuyo no Hito

Fuyo no Hito

Detail

• Title: 芙蓉の人　～富士山頂の妻
• Title (romaji): Fuyou no hito ~fujisanchou no tsuma
• Also known as: People of Fuyou ~Wife of Mt Fuji
• Format: Renzoku
• Genre:
• Episodes: 6
• Broadcast network: NHK
• Broadcast period: 2014-Jul-26 start
• Air time: Saturday 21:00

Synopsis

This drama is based on a real life story.

120 years ago a man was in charge of performing an exclusive daily weather report on Mt. Fuji for the weather station. Meanwhile, his wife lived in fear for his life.

Cast

• Sato Ryuta as Nonaka Itaru
• Matsushita Nao as Nonaka Chiyoko
• Hirata Mitsuru as Nonaka Katsuyoshi , Itaru's father
• Yo Kimiko as Nonaka Tomiko, Itaru's mother
• Miura Takahiro as Nonaka Sei, Itaru's brother
• Furukawa Rin (古川凛) as Nonaka Sonoko, Chiyoko's daughter
• Hayashi Rinka (林凛果) as Nonaka Kotoko, Itaru's 2yr old sister

Watch the next episode Fuyo no Hito

Fuyo no Hito Episode 2

Say Again Yes I Do 

Details:

Title: 再說一次我願意 / Zàishuō yīcì wǒ yuànyì
English title: Say Again Yes I Do
Genre: Drama, Romance
Episodes: 22
Broadcast Date: August 24, 2014 - January 28, 2015

Broadcast Days: Sundays

Replacing: Fall in Love With Me 愛上兩個我 

Cast:

Lin You Wei

Wei Mandy

Zhang Michael

Lee Vivi

Yao Jack

Huang Jenny

Synopsis:

Lin Yo Wei will be playing Xiang Zheng Yang, a heir to Donghua Hotel while Mandy Wei will be playing Shun Xin Kui, a foolish woman with a disorderly life. The two walked down the altar after having only dated for two months and that also lead to a quickie divorce. But they run into each other once again and fall for each other yet again. 

Watch the next episode Say Again Yes I Do

Say Again Yes I Do Episode 1

Reset

Reset

Actors Chun Jung Myung and Kim So Hyun have been confirmed for the new OCN drama “Reset.” The drama is a melodramatic noir thriller, drawing the story of the heated battle between a prosecutor and an unknown antagonist. In the film, Chun Jung Myung will play Cha Woo Jin, a prosecutor who lost his first love.

Actors Chun Jung Myung and Kim So Hyun have been confirmed for the new OCN drama “Reset.” The drama is a melodramatic noir thriller, drawing the story of the heated battle between a prosecutor and an unknown antagonist.

In the film, Chun Jung Myung will play Cha Woo Jin, a prosecutor who lost his first love as a result of a crime 15 years ago, and now focuses solely on serious criminal cases in the hopes of finding a lead for the old case. In the role of Jo Eun Bi, a high school student who gets caught up in the case, is actress Kim So Hyun, who was a child actress in the dramas “Moon That Embraces the Sun” and “I Can Hear Your Voice.”

This will be Chun Jung Myung’s first comeback to the small screen in three years. He said, “After just seeing the synopsis, I fell in love with the character of Cha Woo Jin, and immediately agreed to do the drama. With the opportunity to work in a great drama, I’m really looking forward to acting again.”

“Reset” will soon be wrapping up with the casting process, after which filming will begin. The drama will air after the end of “God’s Quiz 4” on August 10.

See also: Actor Chun Jung Myung Breaks Up with Girlfriend

Tags Chun Jung MyungKim So Hyun reset

Watch the next episode Reset

Reset Episode 1

Hirugao

Hirugao

Country: Japan

Status: Ongoing

Released: 2014

Genre: romance

 

Description

Sasamoto Sawa is a happily married housewife of 5 years, who works part-time as a cashier at a supermarket. Takigawa Rikako is also a housewife who had recently moved into the neighborhood. Rikako is the wife of the editor of a huge publishing company, and together with their 2 daughters, they live in a newly constructed home. Even though they seemed like a nice happy family, Rikako is actually having affairs in the afternoon, while her husband is at work and her kids are at school.One day, Rikako is with one of her numerous lovers, a young man by the name of Hagiwara Tomoya, but while in the supermarket's carpark, a high school student, Kentaro, tries to rob them. The police shows up and Rikako needs to cover up the fact that she was having an illicit rendezvous with Tomoya. Spying Sawa leaving the supermarket for home, Rikako quickly pulls Sawa to her side and claims that she was actually at the supermarket with Tomoya to meet up with Sawa, as the three of them had pre-arranged to have coffee together. Sensing Rikako's desperation, Sawa decided to fall in with the act, and backs up Rikako's story. While sorting out the case with the police, Kentaro's form teacher, Kitano Yuichi, shows up to bail his student out. After this chance meeting with Kentaro, Sawa finds herself unable to forget Yuichi, and soon, the two of them become lovers.

Watch the next episode Hirugao

Hirugao Episode 6