Do you have any questions or requests for Blue or Bella? Whether you’re curious about an aspect of a Korean culture or history that you observed in a drama, have questions about the Korean language, have a translation request that you’re dying to find out (but please, no request to sub an entire show, unless that show is *ahem* titled Sungkyunkwan Scandal – applies to Blue only), or have a request that we dedicate a post to any particular subject, please ask away! The only restriction is that your questions or requests must in some way or form be connected to the Korean entertainment culture/industry (dramas, movies, music, celebrities, etc), but this connection is loosely defined. We’ll try to answer them as best as we can!
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Blue is Currently Watching:
• Protect the Boss (OMG, I love Ji Sung. Like seriously very very much --> OMG, love this drama seriously very, very much! I'm ALMOST itching to recap it.)
• You've Fallen for Me (there's something about this drama that really tugs at my heart and gets to me --> such a cute drama!)
• Hooray for Love (this drama keeps me curious enough on what'll happen next)
• Scent of a Woman (it bores me and then it doesn't and then bores me again, but very pretty)Bella is Currently Watching:
• City Hunter (so behind and still behind ... )
• You've Fallen for Me (Gahh it is majorly distracting when jailbait boy toy is emoting in which he looks constipated, just me? There is a multitude of faults with the drama but the OST is LOVE! Also, before Blue turns into a greedy monster, I officially declare Song Chang Eui as MINE--> on the verge of being dropped--> utterly endearing drama and still hanging on--> being raped by the sugar but seriously endearing, makes sense?)
• I Need Romance- (not bad, sort of a Sex in the City knock-off thing going on but promising enough-->hmm...-->pfft for reality!)
• Scent of a Woman- (promising start, the cinematography and direction are amazing, can't help but be distracted how thin Kim Sun Ah is and holy moly the army has made my Wookie so bloody gorgeous!-->teetering and then I'm back on board again...)
• Protect the Boss- (Bloody hilarious, smartly written, utterly endearing)
• Princess' Man- (Ambivalent...)Upcoming Posts
• Geumdeungjisa – The fact and the fiction • Chinese zodiac signs, fortune tellers, and other superstitions in Korean dramas • Writers' series: a series of writers, their works and quirks • Gangnam, Gangbuk, and Chaebols • Damo vs. SKKS • Movie Reviews: Magic, Duelist, The Classic • El Amor: Trilogy of love stories- Que Sera Sera- I Need Romance- Alone in Love • Book Reviews-
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bella012
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electric ground 
‘…unless that show is *ahem* titled Sungkyunkwan Scandal…’ , LOL.
“…or have a request that I dedicate a post to any particular subject, please ask away!”
A Sandglass and Eyes of Dawn review, pretty please. *runs*
‘Sungkyunkwan Scandal’ …*ahem*
^___^
Since participating in Thundie’s epic review, I’m not sure I have anything more to add to what I’ve already said about SKKS.
But a review (probably more like a commentary) is definitely on my to-do list for Sandglass and Eyes of Dawn!
yes yes i have a question about Korean language.
How many ways do people address self and second person when they’re a couple?
English has “I” and “you”. So, when you read a conversation for example, you won’t be able to tell who’s the man, who’s the girl.
In French, you won’t be able to spot the difference from the subject either, but verb/adjective conjugations help you almost right away.
I’m asking this as I’m always wondering if Sunjoon and Yoonhee address/talk to each other differently after Sunjoon knows Yoonhee’s a girl? How are they different after they become a couple?
One of my favorite “after” scenes is SJ-YHee talking in the valley, when YH asks SJ to go back to their secret hideout, “because the seniors (Jaeshin and Yongha) might be waiting”. YH’s voice becomes very soft in that particular sentence, and that’s one of the very few occasions she talks to SJ in a girl’s voice. Usually, she sounds Yoonhee-the-man. As I don’t understand Korean, I can’t see their word choice, so have to rely on voice tone instead to feel the moment.
When some people say that they don’t feel the chemistry between our OTP, I can see where they come from, because in most of the drama SJ-YH sound like two buddies. Their lovey dovey scenes are scarce, and many emotion-loaded scenes silent. I still adore this OPT anyway, because they connect in different ways, which I heart. But as far as affectionate moments between a man and his girl, SKKS doesn’t give much (or as much as I want LOL). Since you speak Korean, do you see the OTP chemistry differently from me?
The Korean language doesn’t distinguish gender when using “I” and “you.”
However, as you may have already noticed from watching other dramas, the Korean language has different levels of speech to distinguish between casual (banmal) and respective (jondaemal) speech. But if you break this down further, did you know that there are actually seven different speech levels? Many of them are not used in modern day Korea, but they are used in sageuk (historical) dramas.
In fact, the characters switch back and forth between the different speech levels based on the situation they’re in. More details to come in a separate blog entry!
EDIT: Here’s the post on honorifics in case you’d be interested.
ooh and yay to Sandglass review!!
it’s the only drama with unhappy ending that i watched more than once (Lee Jung Jae’s the pull, but the OTP, other characters and the story itself are also great!)
Q: What is the GDJS for the Korean history? I mean is it something of pride or something most never want to talk about.
At first, I thought this was going to have a quick answer. However, upon closer research, which landed me on the National Institute of Korean History website and made me read through the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty, I found something VERY eye-opening. I’m just drooling thinking about it. This deserves a separate blog entry. Please look forward to it! The entry might take a few days to write though.
Thanks Blue, I felt sorry for troubling you. However, I’m delighted ^^ and really looking forward to it!. After watching dramas which brought up the GDJS, I had felt the ambiguous behind it and the writers seemed to give out only certain details and dare not touching the rest. So please bring it on!
Didn’t you see the new viikii makeover? Here ‘http://www.viki.com/’.
And if you click the ‘video channels’ you will find the upcoming section. Andddddd ‘Dream High’ is there, it says broadcast starting Jan 3, 2011 Mon-Tue(16eps) on KBS! Wahhh, I’m really excited for this one, I know may be it’s the producer BYJ and KeyEast, but most of all it’s Kim Hyun Soo (is he the young Go Soo in Will it snow for Christmas?) to be the lead! What a way to begin my New Year, Gahhhhhhhh….
Yes I have a question, how in the world do we edit the “upcoming posts” section?
Either airplane air is sucking out my brain cells or I’m blind as a bat?
I’m back in the swing of things, finally! I say we do a “writers’ series?”
Go to the “widgets” tab under “Appearance”. To the right should be the “Primary Widget Area.” Edit “Text: Upcoming Posts” as you wish!
I’ve been thinking of doing the “writers’ series” too. (Noh Hee Kyung, Kim Soo Hyun, Lee Kyung Hee, Kim Jung Soo, Kim Eun Sook, Hong sisters, etc…) Talking about their writing style, repeated motifs, and perhaps writers to avoid. I have so many ideas, just can’t get to all of them fast enough. You’re welcome to start off the series with the author of your choice!
What do you think of MSOAN finale and the drama itself? Feel free to spoil me away….
I’m afraid I can’t answer that because unfortunately (or perhaps, fortunately?) I haven’t gone past episode 2 in MSOAN. Despite the premise of the show being totally cute (and not to mention those actors!), I found the dialogues to be dry and boring. In a story about two potential fake marriages, I would have expected and wanted more crazy to go around, but instead, the whole show fell flat. Out of curiosity, I did tune into episode 12 just to see how the new scriptwriter changed things up. Her writing style was more engaging, but I felt like nothing of substance was happening during the entire episode. Of course, I did not watch episodes 3 to 11 so perhaps I might have failed to pick up some important details that would later be found to be significant for the story, but once again, it wasn’t enough to keep me tuning in. =(
^^
Unfortunately I lost interest at episode 7 so I can’t add to any more than what Blue has said above. But I felt that right towards the end of 6 that the main cast also lost interest in the material and were just going along with the motions which reflected in their acting.
Thanks B & B (although I keep thinking of Bed & Breakfast ^^).
I’m back on my laptop and checked the last ep, oh boy what a mess! but the last moment of the leads was cute.
When I heard about this drama, I thought Mary would be a weirdo but adorable like that US movie ‘There’s something about Mary’ or that ‘Shopalcoholic’ girl — instead Mae-ri turned out to be a sweet little thing and I was like oh ok but when she kept being sweet …that’s the word.. FLAT. And my dear JGS ,sorry for the fans, he was tooo beautiful and his guitar kept bugging me, he carried it like wearing a piece of accessories for his fashion! I love cheese but when MR made kimchi for MG’s mom for the second time, I lose my interest. This drama had wasted all these young talented actors with bad scripts, didn’t you see JGS’s face when he heard the announcement of his netizen award? He ‘d learned his lesson bitterly.
Sorry, forgot to click the reply button under Bella.
I need to make this request to you gals, would you pls do regular on drama currently on air? I think readers might be wondering what you are watching these days and love to hear your opinions. It doesn’t have to be a recap (although I wouldn’t mind), may be sth like comments on the episode for ppl who already seen it? Of course, you may drop it anytime you wish. Or at the least ‘Dream High’, ‘Princess’ episode 1 and its potential pls pls! *hug hug*
Fabulous suggestion and now you have my word that I will! It’s under the 2011- roundup for reference.
Thank you!
Helloooooooooooo! Blue-Bell. Hehe.
I suppost Blue’s on SIGN and Bell’s on MY PRINCESS?
Anyway, did you check Dream High? What do you thing of BYJ’s acting?
Helloooooooo, kcomments! 😀
I’m actually watching all three dramas right now. (I’m over-drama’ed out!) If only I can get my act straight and finish up the first-impression review that I started two weeks ago.
Okay, I went through my BYJ crush days (briefly!) back in the mid-1990s, and I never thought he was a very good actor to start out with. But Dream High showed that whatever ability he had regressed during his long absence from acting. His acting was no different from any of the idol singers taking up acting for the first time. I was pretty shocked.
I loved him in ‘Legend’ so I was anticipating his come back.
My reactions:
Dream High episode 1 : Wahhh! happy to see him again. ^^ Episode 2: Huh? Ok, may be it’s the character -_-.
Episode 3: I couldn’t relate to his character at all. >_<!
Episode 4: Yay, he's out! So long President Jung, I never felt your kind or hope or actually anything towards your students (or school) at all. O_O!!!
Phew! That out, what a surprise for me too!
Hey k-comments!
I’m not getting the hoopla over Dream High, maybe it’s me? And BYJ is just a fine example of being so overrated. However, let’s not bust on him in Winter Sonata because I thought at the time he was the finest thing since dark chocolate…
Also, since I am slowly recovering from Secret Garden I have something in the works in terms of a review Lots of logistical maneuvering…
Skip to episodes 5 & 6 of Dream High. If you decide that you still don’t like it, you should skip the show altogether. It’s definitely not a must-watch show, but I find it entertaining enough, and dare I say, charming? So give those two episodes a chance.
No comment about BYJ! 😉
Agree, loved BYJ in Winter Sonata at that time too!
Q: Should I dive into Gumiho: Tales Of The Fox Child? I heard they spent one episode screaming and running around. But they got awards right?
Can’t help you there b/c I only watched the first episode and a portion of one of the later episodes. =) But from my understanding, the awards received by Gumiho were really for the acting, and not reflective of the drama (popularity or quality-wise) at all. The two child actors turned in an impressive performance, and the drama turned out to be a breakthrough role for Han Eun Jung. She used to have a reputation for lacking in the acting department, but through the drama, she was finally able to be accepted as a true “actor.” That’s always exciting.
However, as for the drama itself, unless you have a particular interest in gumiho stories, I do question why you would choose to go back and watch this specific drama when there are many other seemingly better options (past or present) available. Since I didn’t really watch the show, someone who actually watched it would be better qualified to give their opinion though. Anyone here who can help?
Thanks Blue, I first tried this one because it gained lots of attention from overseas as a Saguek horror drama ( I guess not many are out there). First episode I was impressed, it gave me variety on Gumiho’s story ( I was on MGIG at that time), then I got stuck at episode two then SKKS came. The official DVD came out recently and I was contemplating of buying, reading yours here I think will put it on hold for now.
Because my radar just perks up for ‘Paradise Ranch’, I know… idol (again) …but I’m in love with this female lead(couldn’t remember her name) and the second male lead is hawwwwttt! Rom-com is my genre — a Happily Ever After freak.^^
Change of heart; Paradise Ranch bleh.
Hola hola K-comments,
For some reason or another, I am just uninspired by all the new dramas out right now and “no” I am still not obsessed (partially so?) to Secret Garden but I think a review of movies is in order so if anything, I will do a poll.
I’ve been meaning to ask you for quite sometime about this but got carried away by DH. There is a song ‘Maybe’ in Dream High, here’s the vid;
At around 0.17-0.18 mark, there were versions of translations at this particular phrase, some translated ‘when you came into my life’ , but some said ‘you’re back’ or from this vid ‘when you come to me’ which give quite different feels. So what do you think it says? Really love to hear your translations.
Gotta say I loved the ending, it’s a bit tricky, you could smile like crazy at the last scene thinking it’s a happy ending then an hour later when things start to sync in..wait THAT was eight years ago, it was in my mind for days trying to figure what they are now, LOL. Overall this drama is for keep to me^^
I like this song too! And actually the translation on the video clip you posted wasn’t bad either and I could see why there are several different interpretations, but this is the literal translation of the song:
차가운 가슴이 어느새 조금씩
My cold heart, gradually little by little,
녹아 내렸나 봐 니가 들어와서
must have melted… because you came inside.
그리고 나도 몰래 내 가슴을 채웠어
And then without me knowing, filled my heart.
Although it doesn’t explicitly say it, I would have interpreted the “inside” here to refer to the heart. So he’s saying that his cold heart melted when the girl came into it and filled it.
Hope that helps!
Thanks, all this while I thought he melt her cold heart, LOL. Translating is one thing but putting it as subtitle is another, I can picture those subbers scratching their heads when it comes to lyrics of a song. Layers of languages are different I suppose.
Checked on Crime Squad ep3 tonight, not sure how I feel but the tone seemed dark and what the..?.all the leads have their own questioning past. Beating up people is not my cup of tea, decidedly I’m out for now. ^^ Heard from Viki, SM Entertainment will be producing the J-manga adaptation ‘Hana Kimi’ (my fav freaking hilarious all boy boarding school J-drama of all time) *sign* I’m kind of idol-out, hope they will cast real actors.
Why is iphone worthless at a time like this?
I recommend you watch Resurrection. ill send you the DVD.
What drama/movie is featured in your current header?
Hi!
It’s JaeJoongWon (Blue has been quite obsessed and justifiably so!)
Thanks for the reply!
This is such a great blog! I’ve been lurking for awhile…found this blog via Thundie’s and I’ve really enjoyed reading both of your posts and thoughts on dramas. Love your translation of the “All that Music” section from 10Asia (KSH <3) and especially your translation of interviews (Loved the Giant PD-nim one!). Also I'm totally looking forward to the writer's series if you do one! Thanks for all your work!
Glad you’re enjoying the blog! Please stop by often!
Thank you so much for the lovely comment, please do stop by often and come out of ‘lurking mode’ as well to post your thoughts, questions, etc.
thanks for sharing your knowledge B&B
Excuse me if I’m off topic but I am curious about how Ju won address Raim in Secret Garden…ok basically after Ju Won got together with Ra Im he starts to call her “wuri Raim-i” . I am familiar with the addition of ‘ah’ after someone’s name to show their closeness from previous kdramas but I am not too sure with this particular address. Is it suppose to be more intimate that way?
Shortened explanation is that the usage of “wuri Raim-i” conveys possessiveness. “Wuri” can be interpreted as “our” or “my” depending on the context and in this case, he is saying, “my Raim.”
It does convey a close intimacy between lovers in this context. However, another equivalent is “neh.”
Thanks I got it now….it is just like Ju won to be that possessive of Raim and the scene I remember the most is when Raim silenced Juwon when he called her ‘wuri Raimi’ in front of her action school sunbaenim
My posts are literally disappearing!
To explain the “-i” after “Raim-i,” there is no special significance, it’s an affectation to make her name sound cute in this case.
@Bella,
This time it was my fault. I was replying to your message, and accidentally deleted both mine and yours.
But my original message was that “-i” is technically not an affectation here, but a particle and thus is needed after a name to be grammatically correct. So it does have a “function”, although there is no significance/meaning to the use.
Hehe, I had been reading up on grammar rules to prepare for the Eun Jo-yah post.
@Sara,
Yup, yup to everything Bella said above. Also, I’m currently in the middle of doing a series on the use of “ah” after a name (you’re only partially correct in the statement that “ah” signifies closeness), and since both “-i” and “-ah” serve a similar function (they’re both particles needed to make the phrase grammatically correct), hopefully that’ll help clarify things further.
Blue ….looking forward to the series and thanks for the explanation
My first exposure to the different address and level /status of relationship is through Winter Sonata
– when Min Hyung/ Yoo Jin as work collegues, she called him Lee Min Hyungssi
– after they become closer, she just call him Min Hyungssi without the Lee
and lastly after she’d know he was her classmate, she added the ‘ah’ Min Hyung/Joon Sang-ah
I was puzzled by something in Biscuit Teacher and Star Candy/Hello My Teacher. When Na Bo Ri tells one of her students that her father is a monk, the student replies “Aren’t you ashamed?” What is it that would cause shame in that situation? I realize that family is ultra important in Korean society, so is it that, as she says in a later episode, he has withdrawn from the world and is no longer her father?
I’m enjoying your language & culture notes, hope you can clarify this for me.
Hi isabelh,
Glad you’re enjoying the language & culture series!
As for your question, it’s really not a cultural one. Instead, imagine that you’re a woman in your teens or 20s living with your parents and one day, your father declares that he’s going to move to the mountains and away from the rest of society to become a monk. You’re not going to be able to see him often anymore. In fact, typically you wouldn’t even be able to address him as “dad,” but as “seunim” (a title for a Buddhist monk) because by being a monk, he’s declaring that he chooses to be free from what used to tie him down to the world. (Actually, in this case, I don’t remember what Na Bo Ri called her father in the drama, although I do remember that she did call him dad when introducing Gong Yoo to him.)
It’s not necessarily that it would be shameful from society’s viewpoint, but I’d imagine you too might get hurt by such a huge change. (Well, at least I think I would.) I think this idea is closer to what her student meant, as opposed to the conventional meaning of “ashamed.”
Bella, would you agree with me or do you have another take on it?
In contrast, being a mudang/shaman (as in the case of Lee Da Hae’s character in Lotus Flower Fairy) would be cause for shame because it would literally mean that you’re possessed and no longer a “normal” person.
Thank you.
I agree with Bluesy for the explanation above. I don’t remember the exact word they used for “shame” since there are different versions of it. That could change the meaning of it as well.
And this also reminds me I have the post regarding shamans to be completed and finalized.
Oooh… I so second a Sandglass and Eyes of Dawn Review!
Doesn’t even have to be a long-haul review just a testimony or a bit of an opinion or something. They’re such classics. *tear*
OK, Korean lessons — I got a question:
I’m ok with nouns, I can navigate around the language when I know the nouns (well, some of) and the present tense, but where I struggle is with past tense and future tense.
E.g. Erm, bogoship-da: I miss you. (Or literal: I want to see you.) How will I put into other tenses like: I missed you or I will miss you.
Or like Mogo: Eat — what is ‘I have eaten’, or ‘I will eat’?
Hope I’m making sense, but here’s where I usually struggle to hold a conversation.
@Supah- actually your question brings out a whole host of other factors as well since there are different levels of formality when speaking to other people. As a consequence, the usage of the nouns and the verbs change as well.
Do you mean by the first person?
As Bella said, because of the many different levels of honorifics, verbs are slightly complicated. For instance, in the case of “mug da” (to eat), it would change to “shik sa ha da” (to eat) when speaking respectively. (You’re going to open up a whole new can of worms.)
Ignoring all the different levels and just using the simplest example of “sarang-hada” (to love), used informally/neutrally (the haeche level):
Present: Sarang-hae
Past: Sarang-haetsuh
Future: Sarang-halgguhya
To switch to the next level up (informal/polite=haeyoche level), just add the “-yo” at the end. In the case of the future, drop the “-ya” and add “-eh yo”.
Thank you so much, blue!
I’ll keep in mind honorifics/sans honorifics but I get the general gist now and hopefully won’t sound like a complete idiot when trying to converse in Korean.
You’re both great, cheers girls.
i was wondering if u cud enlighten me what is the meaning of makjang and other terms used in differentiating a k-drama, as of now i am only familiar with sageuk (historical) and does chaebol and yangban the same?
thanks for all the hard work, i enjoy reading ur blogs B&B
I did a separate entry on “makjang” because I figured many others might also be curious as to what it means.
https://blue1004.wordpress.com/2011/04/11/makjang/
Chaebol and yangban are two different things. Yangban refers to the nobility class during the Joseon era of Korean history. A yangban doesn’t necessarily have to be rich, although they usually are as the member of the ruling class.
Any extremely rich people are sometimes (mistakenly) called chaebol, but in actuality, it specifically refers to large family-controlled corporations/conglomerates. And by default, these families are of course extremely wealthy because by definition, they own or control (by owning majority of the shares) these large corporations.
ok, now i know, thanks…
are u both korean b&b?
and do u also do eng trans of every eps in a certain drama,
like The Duo?
@lei,
Yup, both Bella and I are Koreans living in the States. You can read our brief bios here: https://blue1004.wordpress.com/about/
Sorry, but we don’t sub shows or take requests. As far as I know, a WithS2 team is subbing The Duo, but you’d have to pay a one-time donation of $5 to access the subs.
The no-cost option is to use the subs from DarkSmurf, the computer-generated translations. You can try them out here: http://mehanata.net/?p=3887
If you search around, there should be streaming sites with subs available as well.
Hey, Blue, does the drama Feelings have a happy ending, im still dl the 2nd eps, i can’t wait to finish it, wonder who will Yuri ends up with the 3 bro? thnks for telling me this drama, i find it refreshing if a little outdated with their fashion sense
It depends on which of the three brothers you’re rooting for. She doesn’t end up with the brother that I personally wanted her to end up with.
well, if that’s the case, then, I don’t want to root for anyone… although i’d like it to be with Hyun, (want to know how he fares up if he falls in-love considering that his character appears to be serious and matured) eh!!!
bleh I hated the ending of the drama but that is just me.
Don’t laugh, I bought kimchi, how long can I keep it in the refrigerator before they become rotten? The ajumma didn’t tell me the expiry date except kept repeating it’s delicious LOL
I wouldn’t say it would go rotton but it generally lasts me a month in the fridge. This said, if I am sick of the kimchee another alternative is to make kimchee stew OR kimchee fried rice.
Thanks, then to be on the safe side, I would keep it no later than one month. And yes! stew or fried rice, good idea! ^^ Now we are getting into the Korean cuisine aww…don’t let me start on that!!
But wait! Kimchi never goes “bad” or rotten, per se. It’s a fermented food, like pickles. It could last for months. Bella means that it usually lasts about a month in the fridge before becoming ripe (i.e. turn sour), but actually, many people (myself included) prefer using ripe/sour kimchi when making kimchi stew or kimchi fried rice. (Some people even store their kimchi away for a year until it becomes really, really ripe and sour.)
You can try eating kimchi on its own the first month, and when it starts becoming ripe, you can try making fried rice or stew with it, and then decide what you prefer. No need to toss it after the first month!
But be forewarned! Like I always tell others, kimchi is an acquired taste. First timers usually end up not liking the taste or the smell. Good luck!
^^and this is why I have a doppelanger(sp?)
@Bella & Blue, thanks.
Don’t worry I finished it all, didn’t throw it away just tasted sourer and felt a little funny in my stomach. And no no I love kimchi just that it’s the first time I put it in the fringe (forgot since when^^) so I decided to resort to you gals that it’s still eatable ^^
B&B pls help me, I dl the HJSplit & FFSJ in AM to dl CinC eps 2, but I don’t know why its not joining at all. I was able to JOIN the 1st ep w/o prob but the 2nd ep, it won’t do! I tried using the HJSplit and from the file size i cud say that it didn’t join then tried the FFSJ, still the same. I can only open the 1st half of ep2 from the file I dl then I don’t know the 2nd half, pls let me know what I did wrong, thanks…
p.s. i dl the non premium acct in megaupload.
I had the exact same problem as you for episode 2. I don’t think it’s because you’re doing anything wrong, but there just might be a problem with the file.
can u please translate the meaning of “gga ggong” i’ve heard this in the drama TWWSWTM but I have no idea if its something funny or what.. thanks
“Gga-ggoong” (까꿍) is gibberish that people say to amuse little babies and make them giggle. English equivalent is “peek-a-boo.”
Beep! beep! not a question just an alert!
New HOT ‘Manny’ in town, shirtless men, shower scene, jaw dropped guaranteed ^^ not clear on the story, just drool huhu….
Hey bella and blue – just wanted to add some info about the manny guy for kcomments.You should watch the strong heart obgyn special he was on – he spoke about his accident – he got hit by a motorist as he stepped off the bus. Was hospitalized for a long time – his career lagged – then he got hired on obgyn and made so many NGs cuz he couldn’t get his lines out he almost got fired – the man struggled but you could see how it humbled him. He seems down to earth now – guess coming back from death gave the guy some perspective
Omo thanks softy for the story, aww that was really sad and to think now he has this lead role, hope Manny will do well.
I finished 2eps, gotta say loved him with the little boy,and the way he stood strong for his profession. Couldn’t imagine he had an accident at all, his body looked perfect…minor complaint: didn’t like the color of lipstick used on him, too dark for my liking but oh well how would I argue with the make up artist *roll eyes*!
i began to like STRONG HEART after I watched the drama MGIAG becoz of LSG and i was wondering if u also do transcap of this variety show, i’m really wondering what made their stories so funny or heartwarming. you don’t have to do prev one’s but the latest would be absolutely enjoyable… thanks
I’ve watched the first 2 episodes of Manny! So far, was a cute drama, and on my “will check out the upcoming episodes” list! =)
@softy,
As for Seo Ji Suk, he reminds me of a “manlier” version of Kim Hyun Joong. If you’re interested, he was on the March 7th episode of Night After Night. You might want to check it out!
http://www.tudou.com/programs/view/g_dDcF0M5A8/
@softy
That’s amazing. I watched Ji-suk for the first time in OB-GYN and he’s kind of considered a second-lead legend of sorts in my circles… Seriously, he’s the greatest second-lead EVER written.
I had heard of his accident, but never knew he struggled so much on set. He seemed so at ease in front of the camera and strutting like a gangster and… all Benicio Del Toro-like. ❤
I feel like sharing with you, got SKK DVDs(Eng subs) in my mail today, soo happy. I couldn’t possibly explain how I felt when seeing the opening credits on a big tv screen for the first time, it brought back memories of good old days on Soompi. Since it’s the D-cut, I was looking for something added, particularly the revelation scene,but nop, it’s the same. I didn’t see the whole set only checking ep16-20, scenes that I’ve found added and I thought it’s good;
–when In Soo’s dad told SJ’dad that Kim Yoon Shik is a girl, (this is where it’s added, I think) SJ’s dad answered ‘That… is true?’ then the pic showed he walked out alone with In Soo’s dad voice-over ‘This is our secret until that day. We cannot give any opportunity for the king to maneuver.’ Then SJ’s dad recalled(in flashback) SJ was tying his rope wearing a couple ring on his finger; YS was sipping tea with a ring on her finger. After the flashback, SJ’s dad closed his eyes like he was feeling really sad for his son, clutching his jaws, then he opened his eyes with determination. —
It’s kind of give us more why he went and tell the king that YS is a girl.
Now the part that I want to talk about is the English subtitles, I went gu gu ga ga, cuz they are high quality subs, I’m impressed, what I will say below not intend to compare/judge our SKK subs, this is just to show you a different version(also I forgot the wordings of our sub team, please disregard if they were the same).
Only selected scenes (from ep16-20);
–after the creek accident, SJ and YS stayed together that night, she searched for a book to read and found the red book, she said ‘Is this LSJ preferred genre of literature?’ (aww neat)
–When Yeo Rim was with those men dressed in white, he identified himself as ‘the second son of the commissioner of law’ then Yeo Rim wrote Chinese characters in the air, he said ‘Learning makes no class distinctions. That is, learning is open to everyone according to Master Confucius.’ Then he wrote again saying ‘The gift of teaching is having a talented student. That is, being able to teach an intelligent individual is one of the three greatest sources of happiness for a gentleman scholar according to Master Mencius.’ More arguing then he said to the men, ‘If you’re here to pass judgment on whether or not someone’s fit for Sungkyunkwan, you and I should be the first to be punished, uncle.’ Outside Professor Jung said ‘You’ve finally decided to join the game. You pass Gu Yongha.’
–When SJ’s dad told the king YS is a girl, he said ‘In your quest to find ‘Geumdeungjisa’ you violated the eight key principles of Confucianism and have become a failed leader’ (aww harsh words but neat)
–when SJ’s dad talked with YS in private. He said ‘Did you say you were going to look to me as a negative example to keep yourself from losing your sense of direction in life? …It won’t be easy. Oftentimes, you stray even if you know exactly where you ought to be headed. It’s even harder if you’re alone. So, would you stay by my son’s side? Am I being too greedy?’ (I went wow, beautiful proposal from a father)
;
–when SJ told her he would visit her home,
YS: ‘My home?’
SJ: ‘Do you spend your days off somewhere else?’
YS: ‘No, it’s not that. But your visit would mean….’
SJ: ‘A man of marrying age is visiting his lover’s home.
Need I say more?’
(me *squeals*)
–The ultimate ending scene.
(I’m telling you, I think this is a different version, Micky smiled so much here when she blew the candle light off, and then smiled even more when pushing her down, really cracked me up) Now, the conversations (I love yours ‘inexperienced’ more ^^ –Blue’s famous translation lines ever).
SJ pushed YS down on the bedding.
YS: ‘What’s up with you today’
SJ: ‘Hold on.’ (SJ grabbed the red book) ‘I still have much to learn.’
YS: ‘This book is lasted for….’
(he moved a bit)
SJ: ‘This is it.’ (he moved again)
‘Huh? Is this not?’
‘Hurrah!’
(me *LMAO* I sweeeear that was the last line of the official subs on the official DVDs!!!)
Now whatever ‘Hurrah!’ means, what do you think? (of the subs, I mean^^)
Ah, the good old SKKS days! How much I miss thee!
Yay, so happy for you about the dvd! Please let me know if there are any other major changes!
The subs look awesome! As long as the original meaning is intact, if they still manage to make the translation flow better, I’m all up for it. Because really, the original script in Korean was very beautiful and I always felt bad that the same feeling was not always captured in the fan translations. Ooh, I like how the translator here added “Master” to Confucius and Mencius’s names. A very nice touch!
Update: ep1-2, bleh. Our SKK team subs are better! You’re right about the flow, I mean they(official subs) are grammatically right, with formal words, which really work on hard line scenes(i.e. the king’s speech) , however, don’t do well with informal day-to-day conversations. And Blue, no no pls don’t feel bad, no use, cuz you will never be able to capture the whole feelings from the original scripts into English, ever. It’s in the natures of English language itself!
When rewatched the scene where freshmen of SKK all gathered for the first night, one senior threw YS’s pan cakes(or sth) to the floor yelling it’s not real food, and (my) scholar Lee picked them up and said ‘You’re right. This isn’t food, it’s the sweat and blood of the people you will eventually serve.’ Aww…now I remember why I lurveeee him(scholar Lee) so, yep..my man!!!
Since we are on SKKS, I read on SKKS soompi thread weeks ago, that MC gave an interview about (if) season2 that he’s willing to do it and interested in MJS’s role. That had me thinking whether or not I would love him in that role and suppose (my thinking) we have Ah-in (*cough softy cough*) as LSJ, what do you think? Awesome? no? ^^ Seriously pls do tell.
Hmm, Micky did a dark knight/ninja/masked man type of a role in an older banjun drama, and honestly, I didn’t think it suit him at all. You should be able to find it on YT if you search “Micky banjun.”
Same thing with YAI. I much prefer him looking a little messy, than clean and proper.
Of course, this is strictly based on appearance! 🙂
I should wrap up about the SKKS DVDs here, all in all, I still couldn’t see what’s worth calling the Director’s Cut (@Cecilia thanks for your effort), I mean no major changes, some added animations may be. Oh the audio was great tho, specially the fighting scenes (MJS jumped and jumped). Please let me put the last translation part that I feel they contribute(from the writer) to the ‘Scandal’ part of the drama title. As I went thru subs, I had a feeling the writer herself might have been involved cuz some parts should not be able to translate/interpret that way without help.
The scene where LSJ helped YS and JS during the student council meeting: homosexual case.
SJ: I ask the student council officers.
(he turned to the Soron leader)
SJ: Is homosexuality scandalous?
Soron: Sure. Especially since we’re Confucian scholars.
SJ: Confucianism considers humanity to be one the most greatest virtues, and humanity includes loving and caring for a friend. Am I wrong?
(Chinese characters appeared on screen)
SJ: Humanity, righteousness, ritual, knowledge, and integrity.
If you are a scholar who upholds the teachings of Mencius, you must abide by these principles. To see not the truth but only see what you want to see and what you want to believe is foolishness. It goes against wisdom.
If your irresponsible curiosity has put someone else in trouble and yet you do not know that what you’ve done is wrong, you’re neither righteous, nor do you have integrity. And if you don’t trust your friends, you cannot be called a scholar of Confucianism…. No one has the right to point fingers at one person caring for another and call it a scandal based on twisted standards of propriety. If this is the path a student of Neo-Confucianism must follow, I’d rather choose the path of homosexuality.
————–
Phew! Wanted to share these with you, don’t know why^^ If my friend talks like that, I will doze off right in front of her face. Seriously.
If you think some part is not as correct, please suggest cuz this is also part of my learning too. ^_^
i’m just wondering who are those korean actors who are expected to come back after they served in the military service?
Here you go!
hi! blue, here am i again, asking for a fvor, its the new drama CYHMH, in ep7 there were so many lines w/o eng translation can u pls help out with it, this is the site where i get the subtitle, http://en.viki.com/channels/2994-can-you-hear-my-heart.
i hope u can fill in the lines w/o translation…
thanks…
Hi lei,
I’m really sorry, but just for fairness and also so that we don’t get bombarded with subbing requests in the future, we don’t take any subbing help requests for dramas. Sorry!
But check out Rebel Souls blog! Softy is recapping CYHMH.
http://soulsrebel.wordpress.com/
oh! its alright i understand, softy’s transcap helps a lot, i read it too coz she’s fast and i was able to fully understand what’s going on… i just hope she will not abandon the drama when a new one spark her interest more than CYHMH…
I’m a second generation Korean living in the States, and I am really interested in learning more Korean. Do you have any books you would recommend for learning grammar, spelling, etc?
Thanks,
Emily
Hi Emily,
Since I’ve never used books to learn Korean, I can’t make any personal recommendations. But this site (http://www.learnkoreanlanguage.com/Korean-Books.html) reviews some of the more widely used books for learning Korean. You might want to check it out!
Am I correct that you already speak the language, and you’re interested in learning/improving the written form? Although those books may be good if you are trying to learn basic Korean, if you already have the basic knowledge of Hangeul (the Korean alphabet and writing), my personal recommendation would be to just read as many Korean books and newspapers as possible. Just by reading many different expressions, and how certain words are written and spelled, I think you’ll learn a lot more and also find it to be much more fun because you can choose to read in the areas you’re already interested in.
Good luck!
Hi Emily!
I highly recommend newspapers as a way to improve your Korean if you can read it on a basic level since you have some understanding of it. Also watch the Korean news. It helps on so many levels and gives you a better and overall understanding of the language.
I didn’t attend church which I know has been one way to learn/retain the language (some of my friends learned this way) but since I was a brat and went sporadically I went the hard route and learned it via newspapers.
hi blue & bella, would you ladies consider doing a post on romanisation of korean names? for example, im soo jung can also be romanised as lim soo jung or im su jeong. the surname 주 is both “joo” and “ju”. i’m just curious because news sites seem to employ a variety of romanisations and none of them are consistent. would appreciate you shedding light on this!
Answered here: https://blue1004.wordpress.com/2011/06/06/korean-language-and-culture-series-korean-names-part-1/
thanks, blue! loving the k-culture series. great stuff!
Hi Blue, I have been visiting your blog several times, and it’s nice to read your article and your thought about particular drama.
Just want to know, Do you ever live in korea? Do you know about procedure crime in korea? Do you at least know website which disscuss about this topic? Thanks if u answer my question.
Best regards..,
Glad that you’re enjoying the blog!
I was born and briefly spent my childhood in Korea, but I’m not familiar with criminal procedure there. But what better place to gather this info than the prosecutor office of Republic of Korea, right?
Here’s the english website:
http://www.spo.go.kr/eng/procedure/cp.jsp
thanks for your response, blue. I though you will ignore me. haha
that link help me alot, so thanks…
about “ask a korean” website. I have send an email for them, have you ever send an email for them to ask something? Will they response our email? and how long?
@cintanegrikekasih,
No, I’ve never asked him any questions before and have no idea how long he usually takes to respond. I think on his blog he said his waiting list is a couple of months? Not sure… Sorry!
Blue, are you ever going to get a twitter? XD
Hi Dodo!
It was a big step for me to start blogging, and with the amount of time I already spend on this blog, I think it is for the best that I stay away from twitter. So as of this time, I have no plans to join. But then again, my actions often go against my better judgment, so…
Haha alright. I was just acting my part as an evil enabler. 🙂
[But we’ll welcome you into open arms when you reconsider and get one! Kekeke]
Hi Blue and Bella!
I wanted to ask something. Could you if possible explain from here comes this korean fixation of thinking people who commits many sins must die at the end of kdramas, or this fixation of siblings forbidden love?
Or is this a fixation of kdramas writters?
I know this is something silly to ask. But I wonder, must have some kind of story behind it, no? Why korean enjoy these things so much?
Thank you.
Hi Julie!
Haha, I wouldn’t call it a fixation, but Kdramas sure have earned the reputation for having stories of forbidden siblings love, didn’t they? Actually, not true siblings love because that would be incest, but dramas that toy with the idea of “are they or are they not siblings.”
But if you think about it, it’s only a handful of dramas (among thousands of Kdramas produced so far) that featured such stories. The problem is that this handful of dramas, such as “Autumn Fairytale” and “Winter Sonata”, ended up gaining huge popularity overseas and led the “Hallyu” wave. And thus, they were the dramas that introduced many international fans to Kdramas and became representative Kdramas, when in fact, they constitute just a small percentage of the total number of Kdramas.
Hmm, I’m not sure which dramas you’re referring to when you say people who commit many sins must die at the end, but isn’t that just the idea of “just dessert,” “good triumphs over evil,” and redemption? At least in the fictional world of dramas and films, we want the bad guys to get what they deserve in the end… whether that be death or jail sentence. Bu I think that’s true of Hollywood films as well.
I don’t think either of them is specific to Koreans or the Korean culture. Hope that helped answer your question!
I just wanted to thank you for the Alone in Love banner! I love that show and was just reminiscing about it today 🙂
Dear B&B,
Title: 내 마음이 들리니 / Nae Maeumi Deulrini
This title WITHS2 translated into Listen to My Heart,
it’s also known as: Do You Hear My Heart?, Can you hear my heart?
It perks my attention, which one you gals think is the closet to the Korean title?
Thanks!
Sorry, I mean closest. ^^
Hey kcomments!
“Listen to My Heart” is definitely inaccurate because the Korean title is in a question format.
Actually, the way the Korean title is phrased, “Do You Hear My Heart?” and “Can You Hear My Heart?” are both correct. But if you want to be technical about it, the literal translation is closer to “Do You Hear My Heart?”
So JB in DB is right then (she wrote “Do You Hear My Heart?”) , she’s always right, isn’t she?
I’m quite surprised with WITHS2 though. Actually, I prefer ‘Can You Hear My Heart?’, it gives out a softer tone of a question, but both are beautiful for the story so far. Thanks Blue!
If you translate the Korean phrase literally, word by word, it is closer to “Do You Hear My Heart?” But I think the idea implied by it is actually closer to “Can You Hear My Heart?” Because if you were to translate “Can You Hear My Heart?” into Korean, it would turn into something like “Are You Able to Hear My Heart?” which I don’t think is what the title implies. Hence, this is why I say both “Can You Hear My Heart?” and “Do You Hear My Heart?” are correct.
Dear B&B,
Here is the video on YouTube, ‘how to embed audio in WordPress’. I’m quite surprised how easy this is. Hope it helps. ^^
Woohoo- thank you Kcomments!
Ouch! I’m so sorry this video didn’t really work, may be it’s the old version of WordPress. Now what you can do , first you have to find the URL for the particular song you want to add in your post, I only used .mp3 (so not sure about others). Then in your post (in HTML view), you type
[audio ...URL.mp3 of your song....]
Then you try preview, in should show the music player. You can upload the music yourself on WordPress but you have to buy space upgrade (on Dashboard) to be able to do that. Sorry, took so long to realize that this video didn’t really help ^_^
Eeep! I need help from our dear Sageuk hardcore around here, I’m starting on WBDS, so in episode 1, the king is Yi San (sorry can’t remember his title)’s grandpa, right? And the one who destroyed the monument was Yi San’s dad? And BDS’s dad, is he a royal blood? or is BDS a royal blood? Thanks ^^
Haha, I’m not sure if I’m the sageuk hardcore you’re looking for, but I can help answer your questions!
1. The current king in WBDS is King Yeongjo. And yup, you’re correct that he’s Yi San’s grandpa.
2. The one who destroyed the monument (played by Oh Man Seok) is Crown Prince Sado. And yes, you’re correct once again that he’s Yi San’s dad.
(Btw, I think you know this already, but Yi San=King Jeongjo. And yup, that would be the kind king from SKKS. Oh, how I miss thee!)
So far, there’s no indication that BDS is a royal blood, and I don’t think he’s supposed to be. BDS’s dad was just a loyal subject of Crown Prince Sado, but he was unfairly charged with high treason. (Likely framed by the Norons.)
Ah ha…thanks Blue, me too, when they mentioned the Norons aww…SKKS. But the Prince had controversial history (so I heard) and if BDS means to protect him, then it’s going to be a sad story, may be that’s why BDS’s crying the the teaser, humm……..
Dialogs in this drama were like a whole new Korean to me, haha! *run for subs*
Sorry Blue, have to ask again, in WBDS ep2, the Prince had a half coin, said it’s a clue to get The Book of War (from subs). Is it the real book in history or a fictional one? Did the subs call it by the right name? Thanks.
According to the drama, they called the book “Bukbul Jigye.” The best translation of the book title that I can come up with is “The Book of the Northern Expansion.” The drama included an explanation that the book was one about war strategies for a northern expansion, so the subs is not completely wrong. It was indeed a book of wars.
I’m actually not sure whether there really was such a book in history, but it is true that King Hyojung had aspirations/dreams of expanding Joseon to the north. (King Hyojung is the king who the drama said left the clues with the half coin to find that book.)
Okay, and here’s a MAJOR SPOILER, so approach with caution. According to the drama synopsis, the “book” is actually not a book, but it is the drawings/writings tattooed in the back of one of the female characters.
Wahh………thank you so much, I knew I could come here ^^. Actually, the subs called The book of war of North Exp…sth sth. I was totally O_O! and aww..thanks, I LOVE spoiler hehe. Now that makes sense, but oh poor girl, she has to take her cloth off every time then, guess she must be the richer one. The preview showed, it’s actually a book but the man got it painted on her body while she’s sleeping, then later burned the book. Seriously, this drama has problem with scene transition editing (specially ep3), considering the big budget, the PD should fix that asap!
Blue and Bella:
I can’t find the right place for this, so I’ll have to put it here. I was looking at your upcoming posts and saw Damo vs. SKKS. Please, please, please warn a girl before you go recommending something like Damo. First addiction, then utter despair and weeping. It made my postpatum k-drama crying seem tame. And because of that I can’t bring myself to finish Jejoongwon. It was just getting too sad, and the end pictures look happy, but I will just have to enjoy the pictures. I can’t lose that much sleep and tears over a drama when I’m not on maternity leave. But I’m still looking forward to the post. Thanks for all your hard work.
“Damo vs. SKKS” will be Bella’s project, but we’ll definitely keep your advice in mind in the future! 🙂
But don’t give up on Jejoongwon! Despite some of the tragedies that the characters face, Jejoongwon is ultimately a happy/warm drama.
Oh Lee Ann, welcome to the Damo club! But I will try to coordinate the post right around your maternity leave if you give us a time frame =D?
It was one year ago. My baby just turned one, and I started watching Korean dramas just before he was born. I’ve seen 25 or so dramas in the last year. And SKKS was so great. Just makes you feel good most of the time to watch people fall in love. And it is nice to have a happy ending instead of crying through hours of television. Thank you for being thoughtful about it.
I just found your blog through You’ve fallen for me and like it a lot. I have my own blog about kdramas, but in German. May I link your blog, please?
Of course. Go right ahead! ^^
hi there! i enjoyed reading your blog especially this one. i am addicted to korean dramas. i’d like to ask what does “hallyu” means? thanks! hope you reply…
“Hallyu” is actually a Sino-Korean word, and it literally means “Korean wave.” It refers to the spread of the Korean culture outside of Korea. Although it can refer to other cultural aspects, such as food and language, people generally understand it as the popularity of Korean dramas and pop music in those foreign countries. For instance, you mentioned you’re addicted to Korean dramas. If you’re not Korean and was recently (within the last 10 years or so) introduced to K-dramas, then that is another effect of the Hallyu wave in your part of the country (or perhaps just within your social circle).
Hope that helps answer your question!
thank you for your answer. it is much appreciated. i love reading your blog and i just hope you continue in the future. God Bless to both of you!!!
Yup yup to Blue’s response below. In addition, it’s a term that is used arbitrarily nowadays to anyone who is popular outside of Korea.
I was re-watching Bright Girl Success Story and I came across a interesting translation. In the story there is a character who is acting like a mole, spy or a double agent. It’s a light hearted corporate competition scenario. In the english subtitle the other characters refered to him as a “bat” a couple of times. I was wondering if they intended to use RAT as that would have made sense given the context. I asked my friend who speaks Korean and she confirmed that they are actually saying the word “bat” although she didn’t have a clue why. I was wondering if it’s a Korean Idiom or just a youthful slang (I think the drama is like 9 years old).
Thanks for your help!!!
It’s been many years since I last saw that drama, but I remember exactly what you’re referring to! And indeed, your friend is right. Jung Min was called “bat” in that show. Koreans describe someone who is disloyal and sticks from one person to another depending on his own convenience as a “bat.”
Thanks for your quick reply. I’ll make sure to pass that along to my friend.
~Smi
Dear B&B, did you see the last episode of CYHMH? The proposal scene where DJ signed to WR then there was the meaning in Korean written on screen, was it “Do you want to be by my side? So that you can hear my voice.” or “Do you want to be by my side? So that I can hear your voice”….? I got two different subs, Thanks.
I stopped watching the series somewhere in the middle of it, but I checked out the final episode! DJ signs, “Will you be by my side? So that I can hear your voice.”
Thanks for taking your time, hehe. ^_^
Hey B and B,
fanderay had a question for you two – either one of you know the answer? Thanks in advance 🙂
At the start of every kdrama episode, the episode number comes up on screen. The usual format is…
Je (number) hoe
Is hoe a counter? And do episodes use sino or native korean numbers? *shakes fist at Korea and its dual-number system*
In YFFM, instead of “hoe” it says “bu”. Wae?
It drives me crazy every single time I watch a kdrama, so I finally decided to ask. Thaaank yoooou ^___^
Having “je” before a number is actually like saying “number something” or making the number ordinal.
“Bu” is similar to “volume” or “part.” When there are multiple volumes to a book, you usually use “bu.”
“Hoe” is used in the same manner as “inning” or “installment.” If there are multiple rounds or innings in a sport (boxing, baseball, etc), you usually use “hoe.” (ex. “je 2 hoe jeon” in a boxing match is the “2nd round.”)
When talking about the episodes of a tv series, “bu” and “hoe” serve the same purpose and just basically indicates the part/episode. No difference between them, and you can use them interchangeably.
When you read it, you’d use the Sino-Korean numbers. So “je 1 bu” or “je 1 hoe” would read “je il bu” or “je il hoe,” and not “je hana bu” or “je hana hoe.” Correct translation can be any of the following: “first part/inning/round” or “Part 1” (or “Round 1”), depending on what we’re talking about. But since we’re referring to the episode number when talking about tv series, the best translation would be “the first episode,” “Episode number 1,” or quite simply, “Episode 1.”
Yeah, Korean and its dual number system gets some using to, especially since there really aren’t any clear-cut rules. You just know what is right or wrong as you get a feel for how everyone else uses it.
holy moses 🙂 I thought it was going to be something simple like one or two words-wow blue that is some answer -you sound like a professor of linguistics -will pass along this info. I was already lost during the question part. she is going to be blown away by this 🙂
thank you so much blue!
Thank you so much Blue! You certainly didn’t leave anything out! You probably answered TOO well because now I’m going to feel compelled to ask you everything!! I tried looking this all up using naver and google (to no avail) so you are officially better than the internet.
Just to clarify, would I be able to interchange 부 if I was talking about a sports match, or does it only work in the case of episodes since it usually refers to volumes?
Thanks again 🙂 You are amazingly awesome.
Feel free to ask away anytime, and we’ll try to answer them as best as we can as long as we know the answer. That’s why this is here. 🙂
As for your question, I’ve only seen 부 (bu) used when referring to books, tv shows, and movies, and never in sports. So my guess would be no, but don’t quote me on this as I’m not 100% certain.
I’m glad I came upon this site recently cause I love your girls’ posts. Keep up the good work! I was wondering what your closing thoughts on “Best Love” was and if you ever crossed over to D-line? LOL. I am missing that drama so much for some reason. 😦
I thought Best Love was a smartly-written romcom. I’m not sure whether it tops my first Hong sisters drama (My Girl), as it has a special place in my heart and I loved its freshness back then. But there’s no question in my mind that Best Love is definitely the best written drama coming from the Hong sisters (and just in overall quality as well).
I was crushing pretty bad and suffering from the 2nd lead syndrome throughout the series, but I still loved Dokgo Jin and Cha Seung Won in Best Love. So I felt pretty conflicted. I was happy with the ultimate ending and the final pairing, so does that mean I crossed over to the D-line? 🙂
Great Love- stupid title, great script, and the actors/actresses made that drama. But my all time favorite Hong sisters’ drama is Delightful Girl ChoonYang- probbaly because it was just a clever and fresh take on an old tale.
Oye ve- I had the wicked case of the 2nd lead syndrome but the man child- Dokko Jin just stole my heart. This said, does this mean I crossed over as well?
Hi! Just want to let you know that I enjoyed reading your blog 😀 Keep up the good work! 😀 Btw, I hope you could help me. I’m really interested in Korean language that’s why I studied the Korean alphabet. So far, I can read Korean words but only understands a few words/expressions. Do you have any advice on how can I further improve my learning? Thank you very much and more power to your blog 😀
Glad you’re enjoying the blog!
You know, others have asked us the same question before, but we’re probably the worst people to answer that question because we never had to “learn” Korean as it was our native language. In fact, I learned Korean first, and did not learn English until I entered school later.
I suppose you can pick up on learning words and expressions the same way you would learn any languages- read books, newspapers, and converse with native speakers. And of course, watch tons of dramas. 🙂
Sorry I couldn’t be of better help.
That’s ok… I will follow your suggestions (watch tons of dramas :D). Thank you very much 😀
hi there b&b, i have observed in the dramas i watched that (and have realized this) divorce is like a “taboo” in korea ( i mean if you’re a woman divorcee) why is that? And I’m wondering why abortion is legal in korea. I hope you could give light to my wanderings… thanks a lot! God Bless!!!
Wherever you may be from, the attitude towards divorce has evolved greatly over the last 100 years. For example, even in the U.S., no-fault divorce (which allows divorce without any breach of the marital contract, such as adultery) was only introduced in 1969. Ireland legalized divorce as late as 1995. Divorce is still prohibited in the Philippines and the Vatican, although even as recently as June 2011, Philippines has been in discussion about a bill that would legalize divorce. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-13611795
Historical record shows that divorce was allowed in Korea during the Goryeo Dynasty (918-1392). But as Confucian values of family and patriarchy took deep root during the Joseon Dynasty after 1392, people formed strong prejudice against divorce. The only “divorce” allowed was for reasons unfair to women, such as if she was unable to bear a child for her husband, for not taking good care of her in-laws, and even for talking too much.
The divorce law was changed during the late Joseon period for women to instigate a divorce (I’m not sure what the valid reasons for cause of divorce had to be), but it was not until the 1970s that Koreans actually started divorcing in considerable numbers. Nevertheless, people still held onto their strong prejudice against divorce and divorcees. But due to the sharp increase in divorce numbers in the 1990s as more and more women started working outside of home and were able to support themselves after a divorce, people couldn’t just turn blind eye to the fact that divorce is very much a reality in Korea. People had to start changing their attitudes. However, older Koreans (parents and grandparents) who stuck through difficult marriages may still hold the attitude that divorcees are irresponsible and didn’t work hard enough at working out their marriage.
Even if not holding a strong prejudice against getting a divorce, parents may still oppose when their never-been-married child brings a divorcee as their future spouse. The attitude is that the never-been-married person is getting the short end of the stick. It would be the same attitude had the child brought home someone much less-educated, much lower in socioeconomic status, much older or younger, etc.
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First, abortion is illegal in Korea. On paper, the woman who gets the abortion and the doctor who performs it can be punishable by up to a year in prison. The reality is that the law is just not enforced.
Why abortion is legal or illegal in Korea brings up a moral debate that is beyond the scope of this blog. (For example, why do conservative Americans still fight to illegalize abortion to this day, whereas feminists argue that it is the woman’s right to decide?) To answer that would open a whole new can of worms.
But as to why abortion laws were not enforced, well, that I can answer. In the past decades (1970s-1980s), the Korean government encouraged having few children as they considered a high birthrate as an “impediment to economic growth.” Thus, they turned the other way to people illegally getting abortions. Here’s a good NYTimes article on it if you want to read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/06/world/asia/06korea.html?pagewanted=all
WOW! I’m speechless… I mean you really did research that! I’m grateful and thankful for the information and for your effort. Yes, I’m from the Philippines and divorce has been discussed lately though we have annulment, and of course abortion is definitely illegal. I have watched k dramas where abortion was done as if you’re just having a check up and you’re done with it, that’s why I thought it was legally done in korea. Anyway thank you for your hardwork. I appreciate it so much!!! Many many thanks!!!
In addition to Blue’s response above despite divorce still being “taboo” it’s almost brushed off as not being a big deal since it is so commonplace in Korea amongst the younger set (not of our parents’ generation). At least this is what I hear from friends in Korea.
Hi, maybe be a weird question… but why the graves in Korea are like that? (Round and high?) I always wondered it…. 🙂 or have no meaning? They are just like that…?
Sorry for asking it… lol
Ah, you totally stumped me! I have no idea what is the answer to that! Sorry!
They remind me of the Indian mounds that I’ve seen in Mississippi along the Natchez Trace.
ask away!
There is no particular meaning to the shape of the graves. Like here in the US- the dirt is flattened, Korea just has it where they pile it on top like a hilll. There is no particular distinction in terms of the shape that distinguishes the graves from one another of the deceased from when they were alive e.g. rich guy vs. poor guy/ young or old.
Dear B&B, in Hooray for Love ep5, her jerk hubby sang a song at the airport with a little guitar, do you know the name of the song and the singer? I heard KRW sang this song in a karaoke in movie ‘Little Bride’ too (if I’m not mistaken). Thanks.
Oh wow, you have good ears! It’s indeed the same song that KRW sang in Little Bride! The song is called “Nul Sarang Ha Get Suh” (널 사랑하겠어/I Will Love You) and it is a 1995 song by Dongmulwon. It’s one of my favorite songs ever! And my gosh, Jin Yi Han (the actor playing the jerk hubby) has such amazing voice, does he not?!
I know several other singers have also done a remake of it, including Seo Young Eun and Yurisangja. There’s also a famous scene from the drama Delightful Girl Choonhyang where the characters sing it.
Oh wow, I didn’t know it was sung in this drama too, thanks! Now what have you done? I miss JH *sob sob* Yes, JYH sang at the airport, I loved his voice, didn’t know he could sing like that.
I miss KRW too.
Thanks for the name woo hoo! *run for mp3*
Blue! You have an important decision to make! I was going to do that episode 17 SKKS scene today, but there’s lots of cute frames and it’s hard to choose. There’s both of them eating candy looking into each others eyes, both laughing, one laughing with the other eating, etc etc etc etc.
Which is the best? Scrubbing though that episode all I could feel was broken-hearted for MJS, so I feel like I’m not qualified to decide. Therefore, I’m making you do the hard part!
Ooh, yay for the upcoming painting! Umm, I’d like any of the three, but I guess the one where one is laughing while the other is eating would be the best of both worlds? Thanks, Fanderay!
roger that! should be tomorrow 🙂
Were I can find de serie school. The entire serie. Sense 1999…. please send me a link