One Zombie, Sharing Her Love of all Things Hallyu With The World
Welcome lovely readers! The adventures of Ma Te and Bo Tong continued as they try to hustle more socks and “conquer” more women. I love when a plan backfires! Nothing should ever go according to plan in a drama.
Continue reading “HALLYU ZOMBIE’S DRAMA REVIEW: Pretty Man Episdoes 7-8 (1/2)”
Last night brought us the end of one of the most popular K-Dramas of the year, so it’s only fitting that this weekend’s drama to marathon is none other than SBS’s star-studded melodrama, Heirs.
Starring Lee Min Ho, Park Shin Hye, Kim Woo Bin, Kang Min Hyuk, Choi Jin Hyuk, Kang Ha Neul, Krystal Jung, Park Hyung Sik, Choi Won Young, Yoon Son Ha, Im Joo Eun, Kim Ji Won, Kim Sung Ryung, Kim Mi Kyung and Yoon Jin Suh, Heirs follows a group of wealthy, privileged high school kids as they struggle to find themselves and fall in love amidst the pressures and expectations placed on them as inheritors of some of Korea’s biggest companies.
Zombie: So was it just me or were this weeks episodes pretty darn hilarious?
Tanya: I laughed so much it was ridiculous. I think my favorite part was Dae Shik calling Bo Tong and David out. “Are you sure you aren’t just moving in together?” And then Bo Tong flips him, which you can visually see Hoon help UI do because he’s physically larger than she is.
Zombie: Those two are so funny! Seriously though, just about every character in this show is funny. I love that Jang Geun Suk’s facial expressions are out in full force. That was one of the best parts of You’re Beautiful so I’m happy they’re back in Pretty Man.
Continue reading “HALLYU ZOMBIE’S DRAMA REVIEW: Pretty Man Episodes 5-6 (2/2)”
Alright, I know that when Pretty Man began, I was a little concerned about the direction of both the plot and the characters but I’m happy to say that after this week, my fears have been put to rest. Yes, the absurd plot-line is still there, as are the socks, but the development of the characters and their relationships has already exceeded my expectations and I couldn’t be happier.
Continue reading “Hallyu Zombie’s Drama Review: Pretty Man Episodes 5-6 (1/2)”
I wanted to take a break from my opinions of this week’s episodes because Leah and I had a LOT to say this week in our combined post, so let’s talk about the characters and their relationships (that we know so far)!
Continue reading “Hallyu Zombie’s Drama Review: Pretty Man Episodes 3-4 (2/2)”
Last week’s episodes had us a bit worried about the direction of Pretty Man but episodes 3-4 have given us hope as they brought us Ma Te’s first real set of women challenges, a new conquest and a new hairdo!
Tanya: I seriously hope they change his hair with every woman. That would be epic… and hilarious!
Zombie: That would be fantastic!
Tanya: Bo Tong is still trying to sell those damn socks, but I personally think that sock.leg peacock is amazing… Creepy, but amazing. I’m still having trouble with the complete devotion that Bo Tong has for Ma Te even though there has never been any sort of relationship really.
Continue reading “Hallyu Zombie’s Drama Review: Pretty Man Episodes 3-4 (1/2)”
Hey chingus! Welcome to the very first edition of Tanya (of HallyuKnow?) and Zombie’s (of ZombieMamma) drama reviews. We’re very excited to be working together to bring you a weekly review of the latest episodes of KBS2’s newest drama, Pretty Man. The next eight weeks should be fun so let’s get to it, shall we?
Continue reading “HALLYU ZOMBIE’S DRAMA REVIEW: Pretty Man Episodes 1-2 (1/2)”
We all know Friday nights are the perfect time to start a weekend-long drama marathon which is why I’ll be here each and every week, to supply you with all of your weekend marathoning needs. To continue with the flower boy theme from my last post, I’ve chosen Flower Boy Ramen Shop for this week’s drama.
Starring Jung Il Woo and Lee Chung Ah, Flower Boy Ramen Shop is a romantic comedy based on the relationship of Yang Eun Bi, a college student preparing for her civil service exam, and Cha Chi Soo, the arrogant heir of Korea’s largest food conglomerate who just so happens to be a high school student. Naturally, this unexpected age difference between Eun Bi and Chi Soo is the source of a lot of comedy and conflict and provides the set-up for one of my all-time favorite lines in a K-Drama…when Eun Bi innocently asks Chi Soo, “I can call you Oppa, right?”
For those of you who, like me, keep finding the age gap between us and our favorite stars growing ever larger, shows like this do wonders for our aging ego. After all, what could make you feel better about your age faster than a flower boy falling for his noona?
Of course no flower boy drama would be complete without an entire entourage of, well…flower boys and Flower Boy Ramen Shop, is no exception, which means there’s plenty of eye-candy for everyone. *Sweet!* Add to that a handsome 30-something ramen shop owner who insists on calling himself Eun Bi’s “hubby” and you’ve got a recipe for a world-class love-triangle that’s bound to have you laughing and crying before the end. If the blahs of the week have gotten you down, brighten your weekend with a light-hearted, flower boy filled drama and a steaming bowl of ramen. Cheers!
On this (relatively) quiet, cloudy and very fall-ish Friday afternoon, I decided to forgo doing the dishes and actually write a F3 post on Friday *novel idea, I know!* and since I did promise to introduce you to my second favorite J-Rock band and the Granddaddy of all K-Drama’s I better get at it!
This week’s featured artist is the Japanese rock band, MY FIRST STORY. Debuting in April, 2012 with their album My First Story (very original title, I know) the band released their sophomore project The Story Is My Life this past February. I wish I could say these guys’ music was incredibly easy to get your hands on but alas, it’s been quite the chore. 
Maybe it’s because MY FIRST STORY is still a relatively new band, or maybe it’s just because I live on the wrong side of the world (well, at least when it comes to feeding my addiction to Asian music) but I have yet to find a music store (both physical and online) that offers MY FIRST STORY and that’s just sad because these guys are GOOD! If you liked anything I posted in my first 3F blog by ONE OK ROCK, then you’re going to like MY FIRST STORY. MFS has a slightly edgier sound to them (and by slightly I mean, very slightly) so when you’re in that particularly rebellious, “I don’t want to look at you or listen to you anymore” mood (which I find myself in a lot at the moment) these are the boys I turn to, to fuel my rebellious fire. Are these guys actually rebels? I have no idea but the very fact I can blast their music, make myself feel better and annoy the crap out of my in-laws at the same time makes me positively giddy. (And yes, I realizes I now sound like I’m seventeen but I don’t care; it’s just turned into one of those days.) So take a sec to listen and see if these guys really are the bee’s knees.
And now, as promised, I’m going to introduce you to the Granddaddy, the Godfather, if you will, of all K-Dramas…Boys Over Flowers.
Ok, so I don’t really know if I can call BOF the Godfather of all K-Dramas, but it is one of the most talked about and well-known K-Dramas (at least in the world of K-Drama crazies, like myself). I don’t think it’s actually possible to hold any K-Drama conversation (of any substantial length anyway) without making some sort of reference to Boys Over Flowers at some point. *Seriously, it’s just not possible.* Based on the ever-popular manga, Hana Yori Dango, Boys Over Flowers is essentially a modern Cinderella tale, about a spunky poor girl who finds herself caught up in a world of wealth and indulgence so very unlike her own. Starring Gu Hye Sun, Lee Min Ho, Kim Hyun Joon, Kim Bum, and Kim Joon, Boys Over Flowers is one K-Drama, you really don’t want to miss! (Don’t believe me, just read that lineup of actors one more time. Go ahead, I’ll wait…and now that you’ve gotten back up off the floor, I’ll continue. And for those of you who have no idea who any these guys are yet, this is why you need to watch this show…now!)
So that concludes another edition of F3 (I know, I was trying really hard to come up with another “F” word to throw in there just so I could call my Friday posts “F4” but I just didn’t want to go there). Hope you’re enjoying these post as much as I am and are back again next week to see what I come up with next. Until then…happy marathoning! (Oh wait, that’s not what weekends are for???)
Already a crazed K-Drama addict, like myself and walk to talk more? Join me on DramaFever as my fellow Drama Clubbers and I discuss love, fate and time-travel in DramaFever’s Marry Him If You Dare Drama Club. Hope to see you there!
Alright! Alright! I know I missed last week’s 3F post (blame it on a frantic rush to get Halloween costumes finished by Saturday) and for that I’m sorry; so to make it up to you, I’ll treat you to a Monday edition as well as a regular post on Friday. I know, you’re all squealing with delight now but try to keep it down or your boss may notice you’re not actually working right now.
Today’s feature band is the super poppy B1A4, who made their debut in 2011 with their single, “O.K.” (Which, by the way, has to be one of the catchiest songs ever. Seriously! Every time it pops up on my iPod, I have to dance.) 
Since their debut, B1A4 has released a full-length album in both Korea and Japan as well as four mini-albums, their fourth releasing in May of this year. If, like me, your home has been invaded by a tweenage girl and you feel that if you hear one more Justin Bieber or One Direction song you just might throw yourself out a window, I’d recommend introducing her to B1A4. In true Bieber/1D fashion, B1A4‘s albums are full of super catchy tunes that’ll have your tweenage princess dancing around her room as she sings into her hairbrush (well, at least to the lyrics in English) and maybe, just maybe, you won’t spend the rest of your life with the lines “You don’t know you’re beautiful” running through your head. *Hey, it’s worth a shot, right?* (And just in case you’re wondering where all the music videos for B1A4 are, the embedding of their videos on YouTube has been disabled so if you really want to watch one, click on B1A4 anywhere in this post and you’ll be taken straight to a video. Have fun!)
With Halloween fast approaching, I thought it only fitting to highlight a drama full of things that go bump in the night. Enter my favorite K-Drama of 2013 (so far)…The Master’s Sun. Written by my K-Drama writing heroes, the Hong Sisters, and starring Gong Hyo Jin and So Ji Sub, The Master’s Sun is the story of 
a poor, miserable girl, haunted by ghosts no one else can see. Labeled as crazy, she’s spent years alone, trying to hide from the unsettled spirits that refuse to leave her alone, until one stormy night, she happens to meet a man who, with the slightest touch can chase all her ghosts away. It doesn’t take much to imagine where things go from here but let me just say, this is one of the best dramas I’ve seen in a long time. There’s more to this story than ghosts and the seventeen episodes it takes to reach this story’s conclusion are well worth your time. If you only ever watch one drama, I’d recommend this one as its ending is probably one of the most satisfying in the history of K-Dramas and you won’t have to spend the days that follow in some miserable post-K-Drama funk because things weren’t resolved to your liking. Seriously, this was one of the easiest dramas to walk away from at its conclusion because it felt like everything had been really resolved. *If you watch any amount of K-Dramas, you know exactly what that post-drama funk feels like.*
So that’ll do it for this belated edition of Fantastically Foreign Friday. Join me this Friday as I introduce you to my second favorite Japanese rock band and one of the most beloved K-Dramas of all time. See you Friday! Oh…and Happy Halloween!