Award Season + Secret Garden Review + More

I finally found my first K-drama that I enjoy!  So I went online today so I could do a quick post before I go lock myself in the library, stupid midterms.  I always check my blogroll in case there is any breaking news hitting the blogosphere, and there was a bit of good news.  Wota (in training) has been nominated for two 2010 International Wota Awards.  You can vote here, voting ends March 16th.

Best New Blog: (For the best blog that was new to IW in 2010)
Nights4Blogging
Pure Idol Heart
Wota (in training)

Best Single Entry: (For the best single post of the year)
Absurd (Wota (in training))
Ai Kago: Former Child Star, Entertainment Personality, and … Normal Human Being? (Delicious Cake Project!)
It’s your money, not love, that matters (fly to high)

Yeah Todd!  Todd always posts something amazing.  Here is the full list of nominees and awards.  Okay, now the rest of this post is going to be quick because I am hungry (and haven't eaten anything yet), I have three chapters of boring science textbook to read and take good notes on, and then I have to write a short Japanese composition and the theme is 'letter of complaint'.  The only thing I've been complaining about is how hard the Japanese quizzes (but I have to study like midterms) are.  Plus, I don't know if I can express my feelings if I wrote about that.  Sorry tangent again.

★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆

In case you haven't heard (well technically read), I have had difficulty getting into Korean dramas.  I 'discovered' Secret Garden when my friend mentioned the drama.  I introduced her to LIFE (which I highly recommend if you haven't watched it yet).  When she mentioned Secret Garden, she said it wasn't over-acted.  Another friend of mine who adores Korean men showed me Big Bang's(?) parody of this drama.  I thought it was funny, so I might as well give the series a chance.  I am not looking forward to them switching bodies.  This drama contains some of my favorite things!  Complicated love shapes and more.  I discovered I have a new kink: girls that kick butt and have one medium sized tattoo on their upper-arm.  (This is what I write about after announcing we got nominated, lol. . . I just wrote lol.  I am not expecting to get a best post nomination anytime soon.)  This was only confirmed after I watched Love Exposure for the second time with a large group of friends.  I adore that film. . . stopping myself before I get off on another tangent.  But, when I have some more time I might review Love Exposure and Infinity because i watched both of those recently with friends.

I find that these leads are tons cuter, god I love this movie!

The basic plot line is (sorry I am not going to do names because they confuse me) about a stunt women who is quite beautiful, but still, as you imagine, a bit boyish.  She is independent and surprisingly, considering this is a drama, wants to fight or just apologize how you would expect in real life.  Even if she doesn't deserve to get yelled at at work she takes it and apologizes.  When she encounters a biotch she holds back until it gets to the point where someone needs to be put back in their place.  The first time we see her she is oozes cool; I could see Sae playing this part.  During that part I totally wanted to jump her.  The guys probably enjoy seeing her, with her hot bod, doing some stunts.  Jeez, so much for summarizing in this paragraph, more like introducing the character of the female protagonist.

Anyway, we first learn that her co-worker/ boss has feelings for her, that she has a girly waitress as a friend/ roommate, and that the actress she is a stunt-double for is insecure and therefore hates her. (I'm now looking up her name.)  Kil Ra-Lim ends up getting injured but hides it from everyone one else.

Our main protagonist, Kim Joo-Won (what the hell, sorry not used to Korean) is a rich kid who owns a Department store and has a pop-star cousin, Oska.  (I might be wrong so forgive me.)  Oska begs Joo-Won help him with his lady-trouble, which he is in because he is a womanizer.  Joo-Won goes on set and accidentally grabs the actress' stunt double, Ra-Lim, instead.  After spending some together, including Ra-Lim ending up in the hospital and Joo-Won finding out that she is an Oska fan, Joo-Won is surprised to find that he can't get her out of his mind.  He even starts to think he is going crazy because he keeps seeing her (in his imagination).  She isn't what he thought his type was.  So he decides to find her, but after their first meeting she was under the impression he was working for Oska and is now a jobless-bum.  He ends up auditioning for their stunt school and keeps showing up around her.  Ra-Lim seems confused about her own feelings; her sense of independence, and later their different backgrounds, causes her to continuously reject Joo-Won.

Here is the part I haven't gotten to yet, but there have been clues for (stolen from AsianMedia Wiki):

"Yeun-Sul (Kim Sa-Rang) and Oska are ex-lovers, but they can't seem to forget each other. Because Yeun-Sul had a high-living status, she was arranged to attend a blind date with Joo-Won. Even though Jo-Wan made it clear that he doesn't have interest in her, Yeun-Sul keep pursuing Joo-Won. Yeun-Sul knows Joo-Wan is Oska's cousins and wants to use Joo-Wan to get under Oska's skin. Yeun-Sul then manages to become the director for Oska's next music video. The video shoot takes place on Jeju Island. 

Meanwhile, stunt woman Ra-Lim is a fan of Oska's music and wins a contest to go to Jeju Island with Oska himself. Ra-Lim also wanted to take part in Oska's music video. Joo-Won learns that Ra-Lim won the contest to spend time with Oska and decides to follow them to Jeju Island. 

On Jeju Island, the main participants all gather. While they were mountain biking, Ra-Lim somehow gets separated from Joo-Won and Oska. Joo-oan searched frantically over Ra-Lim's disappearance and went searching for her. Eventually, Joo-Won was able to save Ra-Lim but ended up stranded in a mysterious place called 'Secret Garden'. Mysteriously, the owner of 'Secret Garden' seems to know Joo-Won and Ra-Lim very well. The owner presented two bottles of alcohol to Joo-Wan and Ra-Lim. They manage to get their way back to the hotel before night and went their separate ways. At night, Joo-Won and Ra-Lim face sleeping difficulties and took this time to clear their minds while having sips of their gifted alcohol individually. And a twist of intrigue took place in the plot when both Ra-Lim and Joo-Won switched souls!"

While I am not attracted to any of the male leads, but someone new just turned up who looks cute, I am now a fan of Ha Ji-Won who plays Ra-Lim.  My only complaint about her character is that when we first get a glimpse of her she is a badass, and seems to be a bit more of a tomboy than she behaves the rest of the show.  I like that it shows that tomboys can have a feminine side (cough Sayaka Akimoto cough cough), but I wish they also pushed her boyish side a bit more.

Ra-Lim has the small quirks that dramas like to include, like her tapping her foot when someone is flirting with her or mimicking her text alert, but, like Japanese dramas like Hana Yori Dango, the guys might take the cake in stupid characteristics.  Besides the untalented Oska, Joo-Won's cool is repeatedly stabbed at.  He is afraid of elevators.  When he tries to get Ra-Lim out of his head he always says the same thing.  During conversations he randomly says stuff about Ra-Lim.  His attempts to be cool are hindered by his appearance and body-language.  For example, how I am suppose to take that sit-up scene as seductive when he had his track-suit going over his chin!  His tracksuit is so stupid!  Good thing when he is at work he has to wear a suit, it suits him much better.  (After the jump I am going to include the parody to give you guys a tease, but there are spoilers.)

I keep on thinking of who I would want to see in a Japanese version.  The only issue I've been having is the age difference between some of the male actors and some of the female actors.

Sae Miyazawa - Ra-Im
When I first saw Ra-Im I saw Sae.  Sae is sporty and can be girly.  The only problem with Sae is that she doesn't have much acting experience, and she could be a bit too boyish compared to the Korean version.  I think she has the right look for the personality, but the character is described as really pretty.  (Sayaka Akimoto could probably play this part too.)

Understudy: Hikari Mitsushima
Hikari definitely has enough acting experience under her belt, more than need to play this part.  We know from her performance in Love Exposure than she can play cute and bad-ass.  She would also have less of an age gap between her and the guys I am thinking of.  I am a bit biased because I adore her.  Fun fact she was a member of the idol group Folder5.

Nino - Joo-Won
Nino also has more than enough acting experience to pull off this part.  Besides that, I thought of him because of the character's personality.  He already has the attitude for the role.  

Oguri Shun - (Director) Jong-Soo
This is such a dream cast, even if they were to produce a Japanese version it probably would, if I was lucky, one out of any of these actors/ actresses.  Shun has done action films like the Crows Zero films.  He also has a similar atmosphere as the character.  The guys get even better when you see all of my selections; boy would it be a behind the scenes party.

Acchan - Ah Young
I just picked her because if one AKB48 member was going to be cast another one could be in it too (it has happened before).  She has the acting experience, and pretty much any girl could play this part.  It doesn't really require any distinct qualities; its just the best friends and all.

Fukuda Saki - Yeun-Sul
If you've seen her in LIFE you know she has the capabilities to portray the bad girl.  At first I was thinking the Takei Emi, but she is even younger than I am.  I was trying to avoid the age gap.

Matsujun - Oska
I don't know, I guess if you mixed some of his part characters you'll get something like Oska.  Matsujun isn't the greatest singer, but he has a ton of fans.  He has played stupid and player roles.  He would make a good love interest.  Plus, consider Shun, Nino, and Jun backstage(, Acchan and Sae are close too).

Takahiro Nishijima - Ssun
He has the younger, cute, but sexy look.  He can sing pretty well (lead vocalist of AAA).  He also has acting chops, for example Love Exposure.  I think he would be perfect.