in a nutshell aka why I'm picking splinters out of my skin
I am kind of depressed and very FEELINGS! WHY DO I HAVE FEELINGS about an old/new development in my life and I think it's only been exacerbated by the colder weather - fall has arrived in California! I should be more excited about it because cinnamon and pumpkin spice and apple spice and basically I want to shove my face into a pile of sweaters and marvel about how the leaves on the trees here don't actually change color.
Sigh.
I aged, went up in a balloon, went to Catalina Island, rode a bike after...a long time not riding a bike, realized how disgustingly unfit I am and have been trying to do things about that.
I'm still determined to get Korea, year 2 off the ground, but it is looking grim. I'm going to give it another month or so, while applying for temporary holiday work at home. This will mean I will finally need to learn how public transportation works at home, something I'm not looking forward to, but lots of people do it so I can learn it too.
I have no problem with public transportation abroad, but in a state like California, where car culture is ingrained in the bloodstream, it's difficult. But then I think about not having to pay car insurance or worrying about parking or car accidents, and it makes it a little better.
SO, television!
I revisited Parks and Recreation and now I get it. The first season was fine, just okay. I thought it was amusing, but I wasn't understanding the devotion to it. And I saw parts of season three while it was airing. I thought - funny, and hey, these characters really work well with one another.
I don't remember how I started reading recaps, but I stumbled on the one for Tammy 2, and it sounded just the right kind of ridiculous and I downloaded it and - yeah, I was in.
I watched all of season two earlier this week and the season 4 premiere and I'm on board.
Also, does anyone else get that weird Andrew Garfield vibe off of Jean Ralphio?
Ringer! I am watching it admittedly because I love the smidge and because of my Buffy allegiance, but I wasn't expecting it to be very good, and you know what, I was right. It isn't. But it is terrible in a fantastic way.
It is everything Megan says and then some. Bring on the ridiculously great hair and the incomprehensible double crossing! It's the most fun I've had watching English-language television in a while.
And for my asian dramas - Protect the Boss is good. Surprisingly, get under your skin, wrap your heart good. I think City Hunter had the romance and the flash and awe tactics down to a slick science, but I only really enjoyed the first fourteen episodes. The last six could have been any other drama, IMO.
Where PtB succeeds for me where CH didn't is the development of all of the characters and relationships, not just the romantic ones. Romance is probably the least of the show's strengths - or in the traditional heart throbbing, air crackling sexual chemistry kind of romance that kdrama(okay, ALL DRAMA) has been peddling for a while. PtB is a gentle show, a drama that cares that all the characters have flaws and need to grow and change - and that in the lead romance, the male half has the more growing up to do than the female half does.
But when they do find each other? Oh, it's so good. And Jaejoong is in it and he is glorious to look at, and luckily his character is great too. I worried that he'd be unwillingly Hanazawa Rui'd, but you know what? This show takes that trope, that tired out chaebol plucky girl romance cliche and turns it on its head. PtB does a Domyouji/Makinoesque storyline and it does it better because they really grow up. There's a second lead who isn't evil, but is hilariously vulnerable and sweet even when she's trying to be cunning. There are female friendships. An epic bromance. Even the older generation is funny and great - and the best drama dad in Asian dramaland I've seen in a while.
Of the recent kdramas I've seen recently, I would rank Protect the Boss over City Hunter and Secret Garden.
I've watched parts of The Princess' Man but there's been so much stabbing and near deaths and dying and palace machinations going on that I'm kind of over it. Frankly I don't think I can spare the attention that the melodrama demands I do.
Arakawa under the Bridge needs to be subbed, yesterday - because I feel like it might be the only J-drama of the summer season that could salvage the ruts I'm feeling about Jdrama lately.
Jiu - a big old bore, which is so disappointing on so many levels. I'll write about it later.
You think a show that got Meisa Kuroki and Yu Shirota in horizontal UST crimefighting times would be more exciting, and you would be sadly mistaken. SERIOUSLY WTF JAPAN.
Of all the danshi adaptations - eh, actually I don't care one way or the other.
I'm trying to cut back on my television watching and focus more on reading and language learning. I need to get back to Korean and Japanese.
Oh and I'm thinking of joining the Peace Corps.
Sigh.
I aged, went up in a balloon, went to Catalina Island, rode a bike after...a long time not riding a bike, realized how disgustingly unfit I am and have been trying to do things about that.
I'm still determined to get Korea, year 2 off the ground, but it is looking grim. I'm going to give it another month or so, while applying for temporary holiday work at home. This will mean I will finally need to learn how public transportation works at home, something I'm not looking forward to, but lots of people do it so I can learn it too.
I have no problem with public transportation abroad, but in a state like California, where car culture is ingrained in the bloodstream, it's difficult. But then I think about not having to pay car insurance or worrying about parking or car accidents, and it makes it a little better.
SO, television!
I revisited Parks and Recreation and now I get it. The first season was fine, just okay. I thought it was amusing, but I wasn't understanding the devotion to it. And I saw parts of season three while it was airing. I thought - funny, and hey, these characters really work well with one another.
I don't remember how I started reading recaps, but I stumbled on the one for Tammy 2, and it sounded just the right kind of ridiculous and I downloaded it and - yeah, I was in.
I watched all of season two earlier this week and the season 4 premiere and I'm on board.
Also, does anyone else get that weird Andrew Garfield vibe off of Jean Ralphio?
Ringer! I am watching it admittedly because I love the smidge and because of my Buffy allegiance, but I wasn't expecting it to be very good, and you know what, I was right. It isn't. But it is terrible in a fantastic way.
It is everything Megan says and then some. Bring on the ridiculously great hair and the incomprehensible double crossing! It's the most fun I've had watching English-language television in a while.
And for my asian dramas - Protect the Boss is good. Surprisingly, get under your skin, wrap your heart good. I think City Hunter had the romance and the flash and awe tactics down to a slick science, but I only really enjoyed the first fourteen episodes. The last six could have been any other drama, IMO.
Where PtB succeeds for me where CH didn't is the development of all of the characters and relationships, not just the romantic ones. Romance is probably the least of the show's strengths - or in the traditional heart throbbing, air crackling sexual chemistry kind of romance that kdrama(okay, ALL DRAMA) has been peddling for a while. PtB is a gentle show, a drama that cares that all the characters have flaws and need to grow and change - and that in the lead romance, the male half has the more growing up to do than the female half does.
But when they do find each other? Oh, it's so good. And Jaejoong is in it and he is glorious to look at, and luckily his character is great too. I worried that he'd be unwillingly Hanazawa Rui'd, but you know what? This show takes that trope, that tired out chaebol plucky girl romance cliche and turns it on its head. PtB does a Domyouji/Makinoesque storyline and it does it better because they really grow up. There's a second lead who isn't evil, but is hilariously vulnerable and sweet even when she's trying to be cunning. There are female friendships. An epic bromance. Even the older generation is funny and great - and the best drama dad in Asian dramaland I've seen in a while.
Of the recent kdramas I've seen recently, I would rank Protect the Boss over City Hunter and Secret Garden.
I've watched parts of The Princess' Man but there's been so much stabbing and near deaths and dying and palace machinations going on that I'm kind of over it. Frankly I don't think I can spare the attention that the melodrama demands I do.
Arakawa under the Bridge needs to be subbed, yesterday - because I feel like it might be the only J-drama of the summer season that could salvage the ruts I'm feeling about Jdrama lately.
Jiu - a big old bore, which is so disappointing on so many levels. I'll write about it later.
You think a show that got Meisa Kuroki and Yu Shirota in horizontal UST crimefighting times would be more exciting, and you would be sadly mistaken. SERIOUSLY WTF JAPAN.
Of all the danshi adaptations - eh, actually I don't care one way or the other.
I'm trying to cut back on my television watching and focus more on reading and language learning. I need to get back to Korean and Japanese.
Oh and I'm thinking of joining the Peace Corps.