Playful Kiss ep 7+8 : A glimmer of hope ...

Just when I was all but ready to raise my white flag and give up on Playful Kiss, the last two episodes 7+8 has given me a glimpse of hope that all is not lost!

I know it may not a widespread notion that this drama is not exactly great, but I was really ready to just give up on the series after ep 6. However, the last airing of ep 8 renewed my interest again, largely due to a more display of scenes more in line with the manga, and rapid decline of silly stupid nonsensical nonwitty comical scene that fail to tickle my sense of humor. I actually did have a few scene i could snicker at.

I must fessed up that I had actually enjoyed the "uni life" of the couple than the senior high life. At least they are acting more like realistic interaction between people. KHJ in tennis scenes were my fav...esp when he was coaching Oh Hani.. He wasnt the monstrous coach, but a rather decent young chap. I like the cooking scene where the secret was out that he was the secret chef, and KHJ had to look like he was stewing in his seat:) And when he was desperately yelling "to the right to the right" to a stony slow witted reflexes Oh Hani, i couldnt help but chuckle.

I agree with some comments that Oh Hani's charcater in K-version is much better than the Taiwanese female lead. The taiwanese version is alittle too stupid that makes my blood boil at times too, bordering at the impossible at times. At least Oh Hani has some pride, like in the cinema where she refuses to tag behind KHJ and the 2nd female lead because she too had some pride...etc. That was a good scene, something I can relate to when she thinks it truly is time to give up if her crush has his eyes on another prize. However, in terms of character development, I still like the Taiwanese Male version lead better...

I dun really like the looks of the 2nd female lead. Her features are not strange but I just felt she comes acros a little too mature and old for this role. She looks more like KHJ older sister than someone who is the same year. And she looks so fake..canx describe it..just something about her is off. I still havent decide if its the character or her. She is trying to express through her eyes but its not doing it for me.

KHJ's charcater;s mum is growing on me. I really like her. Heee heee.

Ok, now I am actually curious enuff to want to see ep 9 in their flight of escape from the mafia.

Has anyone else noticed yet that KHJ has not a scene where he doesnt wear short sleeves. He is constantly in looser tops with long sleeves. I guess they are trying to hide his muscular arms that is hard to associate with first year uni student?

I was rewatching "WGM" which is screening on cable tv here. Watching him there with his long feminine hair, and him here in P.K with his shorter perm crop. I have to say he seems to have come a long way from being a cute boy, to a somewhat cute guy. Our KHJ has come a long way somehow over the passage of time and I didnt realise it till I compare his onscreen looks from then and now. Despite what people still say about KHJ, he def is better on camera screen now, the seemingly higher level of confidence, not as screen shy. Maybe that's why we think he is better as he seem more confortable with his own skin on screen.

Did I stray again.? Ooopss.

Review on Playful Kiss (up to ep 6) and still shaking my head

It's me *cough cough* *sniff sniff*..

Still battling the nasty cold but I manage to catch up on Playful Kiss + My gf is Gumiho and finished Baker King.

Maybe I am sick, so my patience is a little low but Playful Kiss barely got my excitement level up any notch. I was hoping to see some sparks, get my heart thumping rapidly but alas...perhaps I am too demanding, I didnt really enjoy Playful Kiss at all up to ep 6. There are of course a few scene that got me smiling, like Ohani sneaking into KHJ's room and he started guffawing when she said it was better to start a relationship on healthy ground. When KHJ smiled there, I swear he took my breath away. Much of the episodes zoom past because I couldnt stand the stupid part, esp those involving Hani's friends esp the loser punk hair guy who harbours unrequited love for Hani. I have no patience for sorry ass who cannot even make me laugh except to frown at their stupid clowning around. Seriously, do senior high kids really act like that? I must have gone to a super serious school because no one I know is that lame.

Plus as the series progress, is it just me (it prob is) but I felt the whole drama was more focused on Hani than BSJ aka KHJ. It's really all about her. They might as well as renamed it as "Oh Hani's fantasy with BSJ." They had so much "internal emotional moments" for her and barely any for KHJ.

I felt the drama execution was atrocious because it meanders along without a moment of insight, skim thru superficial struggles and some of the scenes simply loses or did not have any attached meaning, thus losing the impact that was supposedly to consolidate the feeling between KHJ and Oh Hani character. Take for example.

- Oh Hani had her class over and forces KHJ to teach them Physics. The ep just dances ard the thought and then disappear with no further elaboration. It doesnt relate any thing or any feeling that KHJ had and the impact it had on him when the "loser class" supposedly score well thank to him
- And Oh Hani went to work to buy him an expensive present. He overheard and that was it? The Taiwan version expresses the change of the guy way better in the sense that he begun to appreciate the girl's effort and shows it thru taking photo with her.

This drama bashing has nothing to do with whether KHJ can act, he simply wasnt given the chance to act proper. They simply want to capitalize on his looks and try to smoke screen their way out of a lousy written script that makes no head nor tail. Then again, he need to do better than have that dead fish eye look half the time when he isnt smiling or supposedly angry. I dunno if it was the director who wanted him to act cool, or he just hasnt got it yet about displaying emotions.

There are many more scene that I can find fault with but its not worth my time. As I had stated way earlier before the drama aired that I was watching mainly for KHJ's smiles and look, and at least i did get a few moments that I get to go Ooooooo...

The drama is too rushed. They tried to condensed 2 seasons of the Taiwan version into one season. No wonder they couldnt adequately bring foth the human connection and interaction. If KHJ wasnt the star, I honestly swear I wont be wasting my time on this lame series.

Did I mention that I dont really like the curly perm perm hair that KHJ has in ep 6 where he started Uni?
Reminds me of my grandma who use to proudly come home to showcase her neighborhood perm job...
Am I being mean? Must be the cold tablets talking....

"sighing" out...

Playful Kiss Episode 1 Review (or better put..thrashings)

Just finished the first episode of Playful Kiss and my verdict of episode 1 is that it stinks sky high. I couldnt believe HOW INCREDIBLY BORING the first 30mins was. The remaining mins were not any better, but just more in tune with the manga. On the whole, it was so nonsense, unoriginal, waste of time and film and repeat - boring.

To tear it down simply, they overdid the "romanticising" portion to a point it was irritating. How old do they think the TV audience tuning in are? 6years old? White horse, garden of eden, pony tails and elves? What the hell???!!! Give me a break. Secondly, I hate the amount of makeup they put on KHJ. Are they trying to turn him into a pretty GIRL?!!! He is fine as he is, we like him as a guy, not some bloody doll up Barbie-Ken version. Just stop decking him in tons of eyeshadow and lip gloss for heaven sake. It's showing up soooo badly on Tv. Plus the script of him correctin the love letter is sooooooo WAY OUT OF CONTEXT. A bright guy as brillant as him, and looking at everyone else with disdain will never ever bother to take the time to read the letter. He will most prob dump it into the trash in real life. So what will trigger him to read the letter? It's so out of character. Plus, the main character is sort of antisocial but he is not mean nor arrogantly obnoxious, so the manga character will never humiliate Oh Hani so publicly with her bad results either. He may say it to her in private but not in front of the student body and teacher. Which is why I am still in favor of the Taiwanese version where he just cast the letter aside and not bother with it till later when he actually develop feelings for the girl. Everything the korean version has done just borders on disbelief and illogical.

Thirdly, during the vending machine scene and classroom scene, I felt as if I was watching a bad remake of Goong (Princess Hours). The rolling down of the leggings, the bunch of not so bright art student gathering together, the sterotyping of fat people = daughter of some pork shop. And I was even more horrified to see the ending with the bears. it IS EXACTLY the same as Princess Hours as I had earlier suspected. Where is the fresh ideas? Why are the shadows of a previous successful drama sneaking in all over? Why must it be piggy pack on something else? Doesnt the director has anymore new tricks up his sleeves? It really grinds my nerves to see how a very good manga got remake into such a lousy first episode. It's almost shameful to say.

I am hoping hope against hope that the following epsiodes will be better and only episode one is a MAJOR LET DOWN. I think it is grossly unfair that the heat is on KHJ now to carry the show, rather than a good script. I couldnt shake off the feeling that the Taiwanese script is way way much better and more realistic just for the starting episode. I was hoping Korean version could come up with something matching or better but I am fairly disappointed by what I have seen today.

I know I sound very critical and dismayal but because I am since this is such a highly anticipated drama by many. How can they ruin it so badly for the premier airing? If they cannot do a better job than the Taiwanese version which was done rather well, then they should leave the manga alone and attempt something else if all they want to do is copy the "quality" and "vision" of Goong. Plus I am harsh because I would hate it when someone ruin my manga for me. Dont adapt the manga if you cannot stick to the story development. There is no white horse in there stupid, and no one at that age still dreams of prince charming as a white horse in general.

All said and ranted, I am still rooting for KHJ. If the drama dropped its viewer rating, I can only blame it on the productor, the script writers. I think the cast are trying their best to protray what was dish out to them....

I am crossing my fingers for better sequel episodes but hey, at least I know I have one less drama weighing on my mind as I wander around Scandinavia next 2 weeks.

Playful Kiss OST

A present before I head off to my trip.... LOL!

For those who are as excited as me, here's the OST track for Playful Kiss (Mischievous Kiss)! I dont care, call me shallow or a sucker for eye candy....I canx wait to watch Playful Kiss!!!!!!!!

Will You Kiss Me - G.NA. Dwnload

Playful kiss Teaser 2

I am sooo anticipating for Playful kiss to air! I think (well its a secret wish) that KHJ will do well here to win over critics of his last performance. I dont think he is a bad actor in flower boys, I just think the role wasnt a good role in there. They made him too princely....so hopefully in here, he can have more expressions like being annoyed, being pissed, being amused with a dash of romantic dreaminess etc etc....essentially being more "realistic" a character.

I am definitely looking forward to being entertained. Afterall it is adapted from a a manga and so I am preparing to be indulge myself like I would reading a comic. I love this 2nd teaser more than the first because it showed a wider range of KHJ's expressions. How can he still be sooooooo charming even if he is yelling at Hani? LOL...


Source Credit: Abstract from Hancinema

About the question regarding his somewhat delayed comeback to acting after "Boys over Flowers", Kim answered, "I had performed very hard as a singer so far by releasing an album". He added, "Before taking this role, I was worried about how I can play a high school student because I am already 25 years old. But I had been informed that the production director Hwang In-roi would direct this drama, so I applied to have an audition and earned the role of a high school student. While acting, I am trying to speak as aggressively as possible. I sometimes have to shout and show a disheveled appearance in the drama, so I might be able to present more interesting acting than I did in 'Boys over Flowers'."

Kim Hyun-joong, who belongs to the group SS501, had been caught up in controversy over his acting ability due to his rather inaccurate pronunciation. He said, "I am practicing speaking while biting a cork stopper to create more accurate pronunciation. I still feel ashamed when people call me an actor. I am acting as an actor, but it is still more natural for me to stand on the stage as a singer. As I am trying very hard to acquire qualifications to become a real actor, I think that I might be able to say confidently that I am an actor someday in the future. I will be happy if I can hear people's evaluation saying, 'He put more effort on acting in this drama than when he appeared in 'Boys over Flowers'."

Playful Kiss teaser...Kisss ME kiss ME!!!

Did I just flood the city with my uncontrollable drool???? OMG when he smile that million dollar watts smile, he just stole my soul away. If he is ever the reaper, he prob will take away half a million souls in one nite with that smile of his!!!!!!!! He is way too cooooooool!!!

While I am dying for Playful Kiss to air, I cannot say I like the look of the girl very much. I didnt watch the other drama she was in which had alot of people raving about her potential but she looks abit too old for sunbae. Then again, not many girls can look good with KHJ when he had that idol teen gorgeous look.

(I hope someone sub this!!)

Still.....For a typical Korean actress, she is rather chubby as compared to many others. Ok ok..i know I will get stoned for saying she is big but to me she is. I have seen so many slim (Note, NOT skinny) girls in Seoul when I was there, so she is rather unusual. I dont need her to starve because I think she just have a set of big bones looking at her legs. I love admiring long slender legs, she def does not fall into my category of good looker....Plus Even though she looks young, she has that overly mature look when I was anticipating someone more cutesy. Maybe the Japanese and Taiwanese version has set too strong a precedent so she has a mountain of pre expectation to overcome. No matter, I hope she turns out well and this drama will help her more than kill her career.

She better not ruin the show. Ahhh..sunbae can do no wrong if he keep smiling like that which will not be possible since he prob will have more looks of disdain by the character of manga. As I was watching the video above, her portrayal of the character (yelling at Sunbae) seems more spoilt than naive...I honestly truly truly hope she doesnt spoil it for me.

I can replay 0:27-29 over and over again just to see Sunbae smile over and over and over again....*dreamy*