Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Boys Over Flowers - Korean vs. Japanese plot

Both the plots were well written it's just that there was the obvious difference of where the story was occurring and the slightly different stances taken on the characters/plot. I can't base any of this comparison on the differences between the manga's story and what was kept in the dramas and not since I have read it >__< But yeah, moving on.

In my opinion, the Japanese version was able to keep the story as they had originally stated for the most part as a romantic comedy because no matter how tense the situation became, there were always elements of comedy added whether it was through dialogue or just something quirky added like the main characters facial expression or exaggerated actions. This is where the Korean version, though extremely close and much more lavishly created than its Japanese counterpart, didn't do so well. In the tough situations, the show became a melodrama of EPIC proportions, with the slow motion falling of tears or fainting. *sigh* see the pics below for what I mean.

Another thing that really bothered me about the Korean version was the fact that the character development was really, REALLY SLOOOWWWW. Ugh and I mean double UGH. It took forever to let the characters develop, which includes stuff like understanding their problems and getting over them and their relationships with each other. I mean it took Goo Jun Pyo about 6 episodes to figure that he was going to fight for and stay with Geum Jan Di, whereas the Japanese version shows this particular conflict come to an end in about 2 and half to three episodes max and moved on to the next conflict. It showed the overall growth of the characters and their conclusion as well as how each resolution impacted the characters. In the Korean version, in my opinion the biggest hurdle that Geum Jan Di overcame was her initial infatuation with Ji Hoo and but other than that, she's shown as the perfect girl with a golden character who doesn't need to change too much. Goo Jun Pyo's character does change very slowly but there is not as much development when compared to Doumiyouji. Doumiyouji's character changes drastically from the beginning to the end of the series which includes him having softer facial expressions and less fights with Makino. The other characters like Ji Hoo and Woo Bin are the most static with very minor changes and not to mention the super clinginess of Ji Hoo is more than just an eyesore (don't get me wrong, my heart aches breaks and cracks for the poor dimwitted guy but MAN UP and freaking MOVE ON) he's just ugh...

Neeways, the only character whose development I enjoyed watching was Ji Young. The Korean version did a great job of showing how his character broke out of it's playboy mold to take charge of his own life and not fall victim to his father's legacy of sleeping around with women. This guy learned from his mistakes and Ga Eul helped him fight his demons. I was thrilled to see them accept each other at the end of the drama when he comes straight to her from the airport. The Japanese version showed that the relationship for Yuki didn't go so well because it was doomed to fail as a one-sided love with no interest on Sojiro's part. They did show an initial attraction but no conclusion except for Sojiro constantly running away from her.

The ending for the Japanese version was my FAVORITE I mean talk about the excellent conclusion to an amazing story considering all the hardships that the characters had been through to get there and there was a sense of accomplishment to it. The wedding was gorgeous and Matsumoto Jun looked great with Inoue Mao. I wish that the Korean version could have brought a more clear ending other than the awkwardness at the beach with Goo Jun Pyo proposing and Ji Hoo with the other two showing up to object at the marriage. Not to mention the lack appropriate emotional expression on Geum Jan Di's face. That was my face plant moment because after all the tears and depression, not to mention the constant breaking up and hooking back up together, all I could get out of me after finishing the series was a sigh. It was more of a "Thank God it's over" rather than "That was such a beautiful ending!" moment.

So for me JAPANESE VERSION wins by a LANDSLIDE :)

Friday, September 16, 2011

WHAT do I miss?!

I can't believe that I'm actually blogging about this...but I mean saying this kind of mushy stuff out loud is near impossible for me. Its hard enough to fathom that I'm admitting to this much less writing about it but its true and it really is important enough for me to share this. I miss my little sister.... *dramatic pause* "WHAT??!!!!" Yes, I know. I thought the same thing. Aren't little sisters supposed to be super annoying, certified to get you in trouble before they learn how to walk, and typically make a laughing stock of you in front of your friends by telling them embarrassing facts that they'd be better off not knowing? Yes they are. Mine does all of the above. But here are a few more perks added to the wonderful bond of sisterhood that we share.

Ever since she was a toddler, and God only knows why, but she learned how to speak very clearly at a very young age [so tattling was never a problem] and every time she'd see something weird or out of the ordinary she would point in that direction and mention the abnormality at the top of her lungs [she still does that I mean I've told her this a bazillion times that most people are neither deaf nor are they incapable of understanding English]. This can get really embarrassing if it occurs in a mall setting and someone with a mohawk and tattoos walks past us....The first time it happened I really didn't know what to do but hide her behind me and run for it. *sigh* Unfortunately, this is one of those habits that will not leave her with age, although I hope it does or I'm in a lot of trouble cuz I can't hide her behind me anymore [she's 5 inches taller than me].

Another wonderful habit is the daily news. She's like a news channel for her school. As soon as she sits in the car when we pick her up, till after dinner is finished [this process is typically around 3 hours if not more], she will tell us every detail of everything she has done in school that day including who she did what with, what their reaction was, what her teachers' response was and on and on and on and on..... After she's gotten everything out of her system she goes and lies on her bed and shuts herself off in a mental sanctuary where she does her homework for the next few hours. On Fridays she breaks from the routine and tries to drag everybody to the mall, Walmart or just to rent a movie from Redbox. Even if it means forcibly getting everybody to sit down and watch a movie that they probably have no interest in.

Everyone has crazy sleeping habits right? Well here's hers. She hates it when people turn on the light when she's asleep. Yeah, I know, most people probably don't like that. But here's the kicker, she's like Godzilla. She's going to get open up one eye then the other, both bloodshot and she's gonna let out this roar that will most likely make you wet your pants if your not careful. And then the insults begin. She'll make you feel like the worst human being on the planet for disturbing her sleep because you don't have the decency to be quiet and let the poor girl sleep. I understand, that's the least I can do for the child right? WRONG!! Because when she needs to do her homework and doesn't want to walk aaallll the way to rec room, the lamp right beside my head WILL stay on.

NOW let me tell you what the really weird part is....I'm missing all of these things right now. I miss seeing her just splayed across her bed doing homework, or yelling at the top of her lungs as soon as she sees me and crushing me in a bear hug without a single care for my ear drums or rib cage. I have nobody yelling at me for having the lights on as I type this post in the middle of the night. I found myself wondering many times during the day: "What's she doing right now?" "Is she going to be okay on this camping trip or whatever it is?" "She's never done any crazy outside group exercise building before?" "Cabins?? This girl is scared of ANTS and LADYBUGS for pete's sake!!!!""How is going to sleep by herself when she can't sleep when I'm doing my homework in the rec room on the same floor?" "Is she going to get along well with the other kids?" UGGHHH....I sound like a crazy parent...not just any parent either but like a super clingy one. Right now I don't even know if I'll be able to sleep properly because she isn't sleeping on her bed. God help me get some sleep tonight and keep her safe.

PS. For those of you who wish that they could get rid of your siblings, you may want to think again. Only after they leave you or you leave them will you realize how much their craziest, stupidest and most inconsiderate things actually mean to you. They are so precious exactly the way they are. I'm not saying that there can't be room for improvement though LOL.

Thursday, September 15, 2011

1st Drama Review EVER :) - Boys Over Flowers 꽃보다 남자

Ok, so I can't be like Javabeans and be consistent about recaps or reviews but when I've dedicated several hours of my life to a singular drama, I think I may have the right to critique it LOL :) By the way just in case those of you who don't know who Javabeans is, she and her friend girlfriday are both ummm how do it put this...? Asian drama critics? enthusiasts? not sure about the exact term but yeah I love reading their reviews and keeping up with my favorite shows so just in case you're curious here's their link: http://www.dramabeans.com/ They will make you fall in love with the stuff they're talking about! Well that's how it is for me anyway and I find their reviews extremely entertaining ^___^

Aight so on to main topic of review for today! I've currently spent 25 hours of my life watching a very famous drama by the name of Boys over Flowers or Hana Yori Dango which was originally a manga in Japan written by Yoko Kamio. It is a story about a poor girl who struggles to get by in a school created for the super rich children of 1% of families that own the economies of their respective country [I say this because the storyline did so well that there were 4 drama versions aside from the animated series created in Japan, Korea, Taiwan and China]. So why is this girl having a hard problem in such as amazing school? Well as you may have guessed at this point, if you've watched 2 to 3 Korean shows, that the girl is poor [this isn't your poor where you're getting by on meal tickets but close enough and of course there's always the added loan sharks coupled with the dad's bad gambling and spending habits] and she got into the school because she worked her butt off to get in with a scholarship. The bad part about this is not only the fact that she stands out but the school has a dark side that most of the super rich, super snobby parents might never have imagined. The school is controlled by 4 handsome heirs who are lovingly called the Flower Four (or F4) by their avid and often rabid fan girls. But looks are not the only things they possess. They are richer than all the other kids in their schools combined for various reasons. In the Japanese version, all 4 were heirs of major corporations but in the Korean version one was a mob boss' son and the other was the son of a famous potter. So their occupation might change but that fact remains that they have enormous amounts of dough and influence, they love it, bask in its light and flaunt it. But there is one within the F4 that holds the most influence and of course he is our main lead. His character is that of a child, spoiled rotten and a bully who doesn't see anyone but his friends as human beings worth wasting his time on, in fact he spends most of the beginning of the series trampling his way through his 'fellow classmates' like insects or pawns whichever you prefer. He is the ringleader of the school because his family helped establish it and he punishes those who dare to cross him or annoy him in the least. Anyone who gets a red card with the sign of F4 or a skull is bullied and beaten by the entire school until they leave if they ever have the unfortunate luck of coming across this guy the wrong way.

Annnnndddd here's where it gets interesting....or typical...but this is exactly what happens to our main female lead. She ends up ticking our guy off at the wrong point, which in both series was different but related to food being spilled or dropped on his very expensive, custom made shoes, which he decides to settle by humiliating the person who dropped it on him by telling her to lick his shoes clean. When our female lead refuses to do so, all hell breaks loose around her BUTTTT....she doesn't give into his bullying and instead kicks his butt in front of the entire school and then some. At which point the guy falls in love with this mad beauty who not only dares to defy him but sends him flying head over heels....LITERALLY.

So yeah in my next post I'll start by comparing the two story lines and then the individual characters in the Japanese and Korean series and what I like and disliked about them ;p Stay tuned for more! I promise you'll like the next few posts cuz I'll be including some really good looking pics from the best looking guys in the series LOL!!

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

The Love of Languages

I'm sitting at IHOP right now and am amazed at the fact that no one knows that just between the two of us there was an exchange of three different languages. My mom and I spent nearly two hours catching up over delicious coffee. We switched back and forth between English and Urdu (well most of the switching was done by me) and then in between when my mom's friend called she switched into Arabic. I just sat there and thought about how many people in the world get to experience situations like this first hand on a daily basis. Around the world there might be quite a few who have experience in bilingual households but three or more might be just baffling. Unless your parents are diplomats (^_−)−☆ it's my dream to be able to pass on and learn Korean, Chinese, Japanese, and Urdu to my children. Of course English will also be part of it as well as any other language that they want to learn v(^_^v)♪

Monday, September 12, 2011

Babysitting and Babies

I like babies but only till they don't know how to talk. The moment they gain the capacity to argue and say the word NO I consider them alien beings. This alien form continues for girls until they're 20 and for guys it takes an entire decade longer to be considered human again in their 30s. I hate tantrums and I can't stand babies that cry for absolutely no reason other than to flex their vocal cords and drive you insane. Sigh. So yes, as I was saying, I tend to like children that are relatively calm, easily entertained and well chubby. Kids with their cheeks hanging over their face and arms and feet like miniature Twinkie rolls are my ideal. In fact I am blessed to be taking care of two such children for the next few months and I plan on enjoying them till I'm ready to depart.

Sunday, September 11, 2011

The Curse of the Desi diet

Losing weight is so frigging difficult I don't know where to start. Desi foods of course are absolutely no help whatsoever because they only help you gain weight. Of course everything has to be cooked or fried in oil and the amount of meat we eat could make cows, chickens and whatever else we cab get our hands on extinct. Don't get me wrong, I'm not bashing my people. Im admitting that I'm one of them.... I'm a total carnivore and I can't have a single meal without meat with the possible exception of breakfast. So how do I go from eating chat pate foods to bland celery, digestives, and carrots? Ahhhhhhh I don't know (T_T) I don't have a clue and being able to stick to that god awful diet is a whole other problem entirely.

Hello blogging world!

I can't say that today is my first time blogging ever but this might be the one that works out for me :p hopefully that is LOL. I dunno I never could keep up with this consistently in fact I haven't touched some of my first blogs for over 3 years but after graduating from college I have so much free time I thought I might as well put it to some good use (^_−)−☆ Not only that but I have recently noticed that I don't have a life...zero, zip, nada... What have I been doing for the past 6 years..? No idea hopefully accomplished something or the other that will help me decide what I want to do when I grow up... Wait hasn't that already happened though?