Wait… what? Scandal? Don’t get the wrong idea please. Sungkyunkwan Scandal is not porn or anything lewd. It’s one of the famous Korean dramas in 2010, and after four years, I have finally finished watching it. I started watching it two years ago, but my copy only has the first 16 episodes.

When Nadja and I went to one of our fellow ELF (and ka-towtie Doodles)’s place to cook Bacon Cheese Kimchi Fried Rice, I finally got the remaining four episodes of this drama. Thus, the marathon began once again. Of course I had to re-watch the first 16 episodes since I already forgot how the story goes. And I had to swoon over Yoo Ah-In ♥ once again. Ow my gas.

 Plot. Uhmm, yeah, it’s another gender-bender drama. But what makes it unique is that the story is set during the Joseon dynasty. During that time, women are not given equal rights as men. That’s why it was really difficult on the side of Kim Yoon-hee. She might would definitely face death once her real identity is revealed. Besides, she entered Sungkyunkwan which is considered as a “sanctuary” for scholars studying Confucianism. So the education and knowledge that she seek, also has death as its shadow.

Uhmm, yeah, it also has another F4-thinggy. BUT, the diversity of Joseon F4 is what makes it unique. Unlike the modern F4 that we know today (which is primarily composed of gorgeous-looking and super duper rich flower boys), the Jalgeum Quartet is composed of a Noron, a Soron, a Namin, and a merchant's son pretending to be an elite [I forgot the term, sareeh.] And what I also like most about this quartet is that they never really liked each other in the beginning (except, of course, with Moon Jae-shin and Gu Yong-ha which are childhood friends). 

Also, I would’ve appreciated it if we were given the idea of what happened with the Minister of War. Was justice served? I would also love to know what happened to the other characters as well. Like for example, Cheo Sun and Ha In-soo? Hmmm… ***END OF SPOILER*** [I’m not even sure if these can be considered as spoilers since what really happened was somehow unclear. Tsk.] 

Setting.  I personally like the setting of the story. To be honest, I like love watching historical dramas, for it makes me wonder what it feels like living a much simpler and somehow satisfying life. And as to what I have mentioned earlier, what makes SKKS unique from other gender-bender dramas is the setting. There’s one thing I’m curious though. How did Kim Yoon-shik handled her monthly period? Haha.

Cast and Characters.

Kim Yoon-hee, a.k.a. daemul, Kim Yoon-shik. I L O V E Kim Yoon-hee’s character. She’s smart, fun, a dedicated daughter and sister, and very hard-working. No offense to Go “Mi-nam”’s character in You’re Beautiful, but compared to this clumsy and dim-witted gender-bending twin sister, I find Kim Yoon-hee much better. Yeah, Mi-nam’s cute, but Yoon-shik’s coooooooooool.

Park Min-young’s portrayal of Kim Yoon-hee is close to perfect; it just somehow lacks during crying scenes. I have to say that she still has to improve on that. Her crying scenes are not the type to get the audience carried away or feel her pain.   

Lee Soon-joon, a.k.a. Garang. Uhm… I also have to admit that I didn’t like Lee Sun-joon’s personality at all. It somehow changed during the kilig moments with Yoon-hee (when he’s slipping love notes on the books at the Library, and trying to kiss but their hats got in the way, teehee~), but still not to the extent of totally liking him. 

He’s too righteous (although it’s a good thing) and full of composure and has a very cold demeanor, ugh. But I had to say that he’s truly remarkable. He’s very trustworthy because you can be sure that he will always do the right thing, even if it means forsaking his own father. He even isolated himself because he thought he’s gay. Tsktsktsk.

I think Park Yoochun’s portrayal of Lee Sun-joon is perfect. Here’s the evidence: I like Yoochun. But even if I do like him, that didn’t affect my views on Lee Sun-joon’s character. For example, you have a favorite actor, let’s say Kim Soo-hyun. Even if Kim Soo-hyun got a very detestable role/character in a drama, you will still like him because he’s Kim Soo-hyun. Kim Soo-hyun is Kim Soo-hyun, right? But in this case, no matter how much I like Yoochun, I still didn’t manage to like Lee Sun-joon. MEANING, he portrayed the character perfectly since my personal bias towards the actor didn’t affect my views on the character he’s playing. To make it simple, I like Yoochun but I don’t like Lee Sun-joon.          

Moon Jae-shin, a.k.a. Geol Oh. HIHIHIHIHIHIHIHIHIHI~~~~~ Maybe another culprit on why I didn’t like the Yoon-hee—Sun-joon OTP was because of this crazy horse. He’s so cute. Behind that I-don’t-care-about-life and drunkard disguise, he’s actually very smart and also good with martial arts. Haaay sooo macho *drools*.  He also gets hiccups whenever there’s a girl around, which is soooooo soooo cuuuttteee, especially when he smiles. He’s good in shooting arrows as the Hong Byuk Seo, but I never imagined that he could also shoot my heart with his killer smile. OMOOOO.

So this is the famous Yoo Ah-In. I always hear him being mentioned in Showbiz Korea or other entertainment news, but this is actually his first drama that I’ve seen. I can’t think of any other actor that may play the role of Moon Jae-shin except him. He’s got the perfect combination of that dirty-and-bearded-crazy-drunkard slash the-masked-fast-shooting Hong Byuk Seo slash the neat-looking-SKK scholar. OMOOO. I just realized how biased I am. Did I already mention that he’s cute? Well, Moon Jae-shin’s cute. And. Hot. *Faints*

Gu Yong-ha, a.k.a. Yeorim. The playboy. At first I wondered why he befriended Yoon-shik and Soon-joon considering the fact that he already belongs to the President’s circle. At first I find him annoying and think of him as a troublemaker. But then, during the initiation rights, he already seemed like the only person who’s got sense in their circle. Oh well. 

Source: nycticoraxnycticoraxnycticorax.tumblr.com

***SPOILER ALERT*** I also never imagined that he wasn’t from a noble family. I like how his character developed in the story. From being a fashionable pretentious-money-wasting “elite,” he finally learned how to unveil his mask and finally embrace who he truly is. In the end, he was able to use that learning when he needed to stop the scholars from attending the meeting held by the king (the scene with his uncle, lol.)***END SPOILER***

I think Song Joong-ki is also perfect for the role of Gu Yong Ha. He has this "womanizer" charisma that perfectly fits the nickname yeorim. His portrayal of the character is also effortless. Clap clap clap. 

Overall Production.  SKKS is another evidence of how rich Korea’s culture is. I like the overall cinematography, and I also have to commend the outstanding action scenes. The whole production team did a very great job in this drama. 

Final verdict: ♥♥♥♡♡ [3/5]  

Lately, I’ve been having trouble keeping myself from insanity and I can only suspect one culprit: DO-MIN-JOON. Ayiiiiii~

I first heard about this drama from my thesismate in college who is also a drama-buff like me. She gave me three dramas to watch, one of which is My Love From Another Star.

Let me make this clear, I didn’t create this post to spazz about Do Min Joon or anything. I’ll try my best to at least keep my heart calm while typing. So please bear with it… Hihi.

Plot. My Love From Another Star offers us a very unique theme:  from space travel to alien-human romance. I find the space travel concept very interesting since it’s very different from the time travel concept as shown in various KDramas. MLFAS also portrays the theme of unrequited love [Hee Kyung’s love for Song Yi]; fame vs. family; success and downfall; as well as friendship and betrayal.

***SPOILER ALERT*** I have to admit that the ending left me hanging. It didn’t really give me the happy ending that I wanted, but it somehow satisfied me in the sense that they were never separated forever. I was honestly expecting hoping that Do Min Joon [DMJ] would become human. But then I realized that maybe it was better that way since it gives us the idea that love is still possible despite their differences.

The ending shows the book about the rabbit finding its way back home. We can be sure that even though DMJ appears and disappears from time to time, he will always manage to find his way back home… in Song Yi’s arms. ♥ ***END SPOILER***  

Cast and Characters.

Do Min Joon. Let’s start first with the alien protagonist of the drama. Never did it occur in my wildest imagination that aliens could be so damn *please excuse the term*hot. His “hot” looks directly oppose his cold demeanor. But underneath that outer shell of composure and sophistication lie the bubbly and cute Do Min Joon. I had to say that he’s lucky in some aspects. His 400 years of existence gave him the opportunity to witness significant historical events, as well as master different kinds of fields: law, astronomy, medicine, etc.  The only thing that I didn’t personally like about his character is his carefree attitude [although what made him that way is quite reasonable and he also somehow changed after meeting Song Yi naman, so… sigh~]

I have to give Kim Soo-hyun double thumbs up for his performance. To be honest, he’s the reason why I decided to watch MLFAS. I’ve been his fan since I first saw him in Dream High, and I loved him even more in Moon Embracing the Sun. As expected, he made my heart tremble once again with his character Do Min Joon. His acting prowess, aside from his killer good looks, surely captivated me.

Seeing him cry also breaks my heart and makes me want to hug him. <//3

Cheon Song Yi. I really love this character. Despite her reputation of being an airhead, she’s still full of guts and overflowing with confidence. Her character may seem strong in front of the camera and her colleagues, but behind the flashing cameras and fake smile lies the soft and fragile Cheon Song Yi. She’s also very wacky and has a lot of crazy ways to relieve her stress.

Frankly, I was hesitant about their team up at first. Why? I’m not really a fan of May—December couples, and we are all aware of the age gap between Jun Ji-hyun and Kim Soo-hyun. NEVER did I expect that I would love their chemistry so much. This was her comeback on the small screen, if I’m not mistaken, and I really have to say that Jun Ji-hyun is Jun Ji-hyun. I first saw her at Windstruck and loved her since then. For me, she’s the perfect actress to portray the character of Cheon Song Yi. While watching her, it seems so natural. I also never expected that she can do aegyo. OMG. I really enjoyed watching her.       

Lee Hee Kyung. Does a guy like this really exist in real life? Tell me. I didn’t really understand why CSY never fell for this dude. I know that she already has her first love [which is DMJ, of course] but still… He can both be your prince charming and knight in shining armor. He’s rich, good-looking, supportive, and most of all he’s crazy about CSY. He even waited 15 years just for her. Oh well. I like the way Hee Kyung unselfishly loves Song Yi. He’s not the type of guy who would do negative things just to separate her from his rival.

Yoo Se Mi. Se Mi’s character is the perfect icon of betrayal in this drama. Although President Ahn betrayed CSY after abandoning her during crisis, I believe pretending to be someone’s friend is much worse. There’s this “you know you want to hate her, but you just can’t”—thing on her. You can’t blame her though. You can feel her struggle for having one-sided love for 15 years and for always being in the shadow of your “best friend.” Envy is one crazy bitch. ***SPOILER ALERT*** But then, I love how the two former “best friends” “reconciled.” Their reconciliation was not really direct, but you can see it at the latter parts. [Hey, it was Se Mi who recorded Song Yi’s wedding proposal, which is sooooo cute ♥] ***END SPOILER***

source: onetvasia.com

I like how she silently loved Hee Kyung. If it were other dramas, this character would’ve probably done everything just to steal the love of her life. If you’ll come to think of it, she has lots of advantage: she’s the best friend, she has money and fame, and her rival is actually not considered as rival since CSY’s not in-love with Hee Kyung. But then, she remained silent and kept her feelings to herself and still managed to support Hee Kyung. I have to say that she, together with Hee Kyung and Mr. Jang, provided the best support for this drama.        

 Mr. Jang. No man is an island. This is the perfect cliché to describe his relationship with DMJ. We are all aware of how much DMJ wanted to live his life in secrecy. However, he still engaged himself with Mr. Jang, his only friend. There’s no doubt that he played a big part in DMJ’s life. It was really heart-breaking when they bid their goodbyes. Ajooojooojoo.

Overall Production. It is evident since episode 1 that this drama was financially supported: from the luxurious clothes and lifestyles of the characters up to the special effects. [BTW, I was surprised to see Dara at the red carpet on the last episode. Hihi.] I have to commend the computer graphics, especially when DMJ stops the time. It seems so realistic. The use of flashbacks is also greatly appreciated in this drama. It helped me understand the whys and it also gives us a glimpse of DMJ’s journey through time.  

Aside from counting the days left before 2013 ends and instead of grumbling about the typical Pinoy teleserye, I decided to blog about KDramas. Maiba naman, hehe.

This blog is about boyfriend-material KDrama fictional characters that almost stole my heart away.

Disclaimer: this post may be biased since we all have different tastes when it comes to our ‘ideal man’~

                7. Goo Jun-pyo, Boys Over Flowers

He can be stubborn and irritable to other people, but he can be sweet, loveable, and child-like to the person he loves. He has a totally different personality between other people and Jan Di. He will make you feel special every single day. He also has a very weird sense of humor, which I think is adorable. He is also child-like and always wants to get the attention of the girl he likes. He wants to be loved, and if you’re the girl, it’s good to know that someone needs you. That you are the one who can fill the emptiness in his heart, and that you are the only one who can tame him.

       
6. Yeo Joon-hee Heartstrings

He’s the type of guy who will make you feel beautiful. He appreciates your talents and is very supportive to the things that you do. He can also take care of you, by feeding you, even if you’re on a diet. He’s a band member and you can’t do anything but be proud of him. Even though you have a lot of competitors, you can be assured that you’re the only one in his heart.

       





            5. Tae-hwa, Stairway to Heaven

       

Tae-hwa is an artist. And it’s good to have an artist-boyfriend. Artists see things differently: they have a different perspective and they have a different way of handling things. He might be considered selfish by keeping Jung suh’s real identity from her, but what can he do? He wants to protect her from his mom and sister, and he loves her [in a way, he also did it to protect his sister from the crime she committed]. Later on, he decided to set Jung suh free so that she can be happy with another man. He even sacrificed his own life so that he can donate his eyes to her. HUHUHU.

  4. Kang Shin Woo, You're Beautiful

               

He’s the guy who will secretly help, protect, and love you without asking for anything in return. And sometimes, being beside you is already enough. He will make your heart tremble by serenading you. Aside from being a boyfriend, he can also be a bestfriend who is always there in times of trouble. You can talk about anything and share secrets with each other. You can even ask him to go shopping with you. He knows the perfect place to shop and has very good taste in fashion. You will feel like a princess, especially like Cinderella, if you have a boyfriend like Kang Shin Woo. Hihihi~

        





            3.  Prince Yang Myung, Moon Embracing The Sun

               

It was a really sad ending for Prince Yang Myung’s lovelife [on my perspective, okay?]. If he didn’t die, I’m sure there would be one less lonely girl [not really a Bieber fan, but I want to quote this line, hihi^^] on his era. He’s not difficult to love. He can be mischievous at times, but he’s really a very loving and wise person. Yeon-u’s smile is already considered as a treasure for him. It’s a good thing to have a boyfriend who also treasures your happiness, right?  

Even though he’s a very sincere person, there are downsides on his situation. First, one of his bestfriends is the brother of the girl he likes. I’m in doubt if Heo Yeom would want him for his sister though. And of course, another disadvantage is his own brother. Tsktsk. 

               

   2. Han Tae-seok, Autumn Tale

The Casanova. Oh yeah. That was before he met the greatest love of his life. He can be a heartbreaker, a player, a selfish spoiled brat, or whatsoever, but he proved how falling in love can change a person. He became selfless when he offered to help Eun-suh even after she chose his bestfriend over him. He gave her the strength and comfort that she needs, and stayed beside her on her most difficult journey. He was the one who’s always there for her, and he never left her side.