Snow Queen, Lovers, and other fun
Oh, Snow Queen. I am halfway through episode 4 and I love this drama more and more.
I will have lengthy and spoilery meta behind the cut, but for now, allow me to say just one thing: I nearly swallowed my tongue when I saw Hyun Bin in a suit. Oh. My. GUH. I wish Bo Ra didn’t tell him he didn’t have to wear one.
I am not sure I like Tae-Woong’s Mom. In fact, let me modify that. I am pretty sure I don’t. Yeah, your kid ditched his brilliant future and ran away. I can see why you’d be pissed off. But he’s back. It’s the first time you’ve seen him for years. WTF, woman? Why are you such a bitch to him? HUG HIM. Yeah, what he did wasn’t the best choice. But he was a scared, messed-up 17 year old kid, whose best friend just killed himself because of him. I would allow him some latitude to wig out.
That scene, when he finds his Mom again, and she is so cold and he collapses on his knees? It killed me. Tae-Woong is someone so lonely, so full of goodness, that really, all I want to do through the drama is give him a hug and cookies and make him smile. In fact, while I am pretty sure this drama won’t end well (Bo Ra has a number of life-threatening diseases and she is a heroine in a kdrama, so she is toast), in my AU, Bo Ra and Tae-Woong get married, and he finishes his education and becomes some famous researcher and they have cute, ornery, math genius babies. Yes.
But yes, back to Momster. And then she tells him if he’ll do anything for her, bring her $30K (she is in debt). And OMG, the look on his face (Hyun Bin is amazing, btw…so expressive with so little). His hopes have collapsed and her love is conditional and he will do it anyway. It’s like he folds into himself.
But then of course, he has no money like that and the only people he knows with that kind of cash are Bo Ra’s family. And he goes to the Chairman (who has been fascinated with him ever since he refused any money and also demonstrated his math genius skills incidentally with a go board) and the Chairman hires him as Bo Ra’s guard/chauffeur in exchange.
You know what kills me? He gives his Mom $$$ and her reaction is ‘I would have asked for $100K if I knew you’d get it this easily.’ And he asks her to give him rice and she says that because he gave her $$$ doesn’t mean he gets to act like her son. ARGH.
I do think she cares and is just very angry (she comes to seek him out at the gym and has a long talk with the gym director) but I find her behavior unacceptable (she leaves telling the director not to tell TW she was there).
But yes, Bo Ra. To say Bo Ra is a boss from hell is an understatement. She is being a gigantic bitch to TW but I still like her. She must be so incredibly confused by him: he is someone she thought incorruptible but now he is apparently working for her for $$$. And yet he is not servile, not like everyone else, but clearly his own man. Bo Ra is used to thinking people just do things for her for $$$: her snobbery is a defense mechanism in a way. And she thought TW was different but now it seems he isn’t yet he doesn’t act as if he isn’t. It must drive her nuts. And when you add in her unwilling attraction to him? (And who could blame her. Oh. WOW.). She is one confused girl and so she totally lashes out. She both needs and doesn’t want to have him on a pedestal.
Btw, in case I haven’t mentioned it yet, this drama has an incredible amount of eye frakking stares of UST. ‘Burning stares’ was a term devised for this drama. And the chemistry between Hyun Bin and Sung Yu Ri is crazy.
But yes, she totally must bring him down to a level she can deal with: so she takes him to the shoe store where his friend works, to ostensibly buy him a new pair of shoes (as if he is a toy, or a boy she picked up for the night, or something) but of course he is completely unsullied by it all and tells her that since she only wanted him here to humiliate him in front of his friend, they can leave now. And then in the crowded elevator, she loudly starts asking him why he needed $30K and is it credit card debt, gambling problem? While all the strangers are listening. And he is completely impassive yet gritting his teeth and you see how much he hates it. And all he tells her at the end, because he is stonily silent when people are there, is that his private business is his affair and she can say anything she wants about him but to not mention Seung-Ri (the other girl) because he does not want to hear her name out of Bo Ra’s mouth. And she tries to get away from him (because he makes her feel in unusual ways: feel concern and emotion and guilt. I think she lives as if she cares for nothing so she won’t regret dying) and crashes the car. And later gets into a car with a spoiled bad rich guy just to get away, and of course almost gets kidnapped by him when she says she doesn’t want to go with him. But TW is there anyway and protects her. And she tells him she isn’t grateful because she only did this to get away from him. And he asks her ‘do you hate me this much?’ and tells her he will tell the Chairman he quits. But next morning when he shows up to quit, she kept thinking about him and all of it, and of course she can’t let him go so she says no quitting. Yay ;)
Have I mentioned the awesome scene when she tells Geong Woo she already has a love, someone she met when she was running away from home in 6th grade and he is ‘a million times cooler’ then GW. LOL. If you only knew, girly.
And I loved that TW told SR that he doesn’t have the inner peace to love someone so he doesn’t love her. And SR tried to be all girly and dress up. Cute.
And last but not least, I am SO EXCITED!!! I am currently in love with YA Entertainment. Not only do they have awesome customer service, but I have just found out that they are going to be releasing Spring Waltz in April! Finally! I’ll be able to have a DVD version with good subs! I will wait to watch it until then! And you know what is even better????? THEY ARE GOING TO BE RELEASING SNOW QUEEN TOO.
Oh my GUH.
In case you don’t know who YA are, they release Korean drama DVDs in North America with excellent English subs (I own their Goong DVDs and some others). EEEE!
OK, I lied. A few more points. One is that I tried the first volume of Red River manga over lunch (it’s a quick read) and it appears fun enough for me to try some more. The whole ‘modern Japanese girl in Hittite Empire’ is amusing as a concept and so is the attitude of everyone except Yuri (the heroine) to things like summary execution. I also love that Kail (the hero) rescues Yuri from being offed by claiming she isn’t a fit virgin sacrifice as he has relieved her of the burden :D
Another is that Kimi Wa Petto has officially became the first drama I’ve given up on. Usually, I finish them all even if on ff, or put them aside with a vague notion to finish for later. Which is silly. If it doesn’t appeal, I should stop. I have just decided, that if seven episodes in, I am still bored and the only thing mildly entertaining me is MatsuJun’s antics and they are almost negated by the hideous hair and clothes, I better call it a day. It’s not the worst drama I’ve seen. It’s not even a bad drama, it’s quite good. It’s just very not my thing. I think this was my last ditch effort and after this I’ll just give up the whole office lady/office drama genre entirely as it is something that just doesn’t resonate with me at all.
But. You know what I do LOVE? Romantic angst with mobsters. In my pursuit of more Lee Seo Jin (Damo) stuff, I have found Lovers. Where he plays a MOBSTER. In love with a doctor who treated him. *meeeeeep* Last kdrama mobster I saw was Lee Wan’s in Tree of Heaven and we know how much I loved him. I have SUCH a thing for tough/ruthless guys helplessly in love. *sigh*
Also, it has THIS:
Does Chae-Ohk know what you’ve been up to, Commander Hwangbo Yoon?
Must find this pronto.
Last comment: I have read the synopsis of Something Happened in Bali and am amused. Would be a great drama to watch with friends as the aaaangst sounds deliciously over the top: he is a rich boy abused by his father. She is a plucky poor girl in bad situation. He is arrange-engaged to a girl in love with her ex but who grows to love him, and the ex falls for the plucky heroine. And the capper? everyone dies. Heeeeee. Bring me to it!!! :D
I will have lengthy and spoilery meta behind the cut, but for now, allow me to say just one thing: I nearly swallowed my tongue when I saw Hyun Bin in a suit. Oh. My. GUH. I wish Bo Ra didn’t tell him he didn’t have to wear one.
I am not sure I like Tae-Woong’s Mom. In fact, let me modify that. I am pretty sure I don’t. Yeah, your kid ditched his brilliant future and ran away. I can see why you’d be pissed off. But he’s back. It’s the first time you’ve seen him for years. WTF, woman? Why are you such a bitch to him? HUG HIM. Yeah, what he did wasn’t the best choice. But he was a scared, messed-up 17 year old kid, whose best friend just killed himself because of him. I would allow him some latitude to wig out.
That scene, when he finds his Mom again, and she is so cold and he collapses on his knees? It killed me. Tae-Woong is someone so lonely, so full of goodness, that really, all I want to do through the drama is give him a hug and cookies and make him smile. In fact, while I am pretty sure this drama won’t end well (Bo Ra has a number of life-threatening diseases and she is a heroine in a kdrama, so she is toast), in my AU, Bo Ra and Tae-Woong get married, and he finishes his education and becomes some famous researcher and they have cute, ornery, math genius babies. Yes.
But yes, back to Momster. And then she tells him if he’ll do anything for her, bring her $30K (she is in debt). And OMG, the look on his face (Hyun Bin is amazing, btw…so expressive with so little). His hopes have collapsed and her love is conditional and he will do it anyway. It’s like he folds into himself.
But then of course, he has no money like that and the only people he knows with that kind of cash are Bo Ra’s family. And he goes to the Chairman (who has been fascinated with him ever since he refused any money and also demonstrated his math genius skills incidentally with a go board) and the Chairman hires him as Bo Ra’s guard/chauffeur in exchange.
You know what kills me? He gives his Mom $$$ and her reaction is ‘I would have asked for $100K if I knew you’d get it this easily.’ And he asks her to give him rice and she says that because he gave her $$$ doesn’t mean he gets to act like her son. ARGH.
I do think she cares and is just very angry (she comes to seek him out at the gym and has a long talk with the gym director) but I find her behavior unacceptable (she leaves telling the director not to tell TW she was there).
But yes, Bo Ra. To say Bo Ra is a boss from hell is an understatement. She is being a gigantic bitch to TW but I still like her. She must be so incredibly confused by him: he is someone she thought incorruptible but now he is apparently working for her for $$$. And yet he is not servile, not like everyone else, but clearly his own man. Bo Ra is used to thinking people just do things for her for $$$: her snobbery is a defense mechanism in a way. And she thought TW was different but now it seems he isn’t yet he doesn’t act as if he isn’t. It must drive her nuts. And when you add in her unwilling attraction to him? (And who could blame her. Oh. WOW.). She is one confused girl and so she totally lashes out. She both needs and doesn’t want to have him on a pedestal.
Btw, in case I haven’t mentioned it yet, this drama has an incredible amount of eye frakking stares of UST. ‘Burning stares’ was a term devised for this drama. And the chemistry between Hyun Bin and Sung Yu Ri is crazy.
But yes, she totally must bring him down to a level she can deal with: so she takes him to the shoe store where his friend works, to ostensibly buy him a new pair of shoes (as if he is a toy, or a boy she picked up for the night, or something) but of course he is completely unsullied by it all and tells her that since she only wanted him here to humiliate him in front of his friend, they can leave now. And then in the crowded elevator, she loudly starts asking him why he needed $30K and is it credit card debt, gambling problem? While all the strangers are listening. And he is completely impassive yet gritting his teeth and you see how much he hates it. And all he tells her at the end, because he is stonily silent when people are there, is that his private business is his affair and she can say anything she wants about him but to not mention Seung-Ri (the other girl) because he does not want to hear her name out of Bo Ra’s mouth. And she tries to get away from him (because he makes her feel in unusual ways: feel concern and emotion and guilt. I think she lives as if she cares for nothing so she won’t regret dying) and crashes the car. And later gets into a car with a spoiled bad rich guy just to get away, and of course almost gets kidnapped by him when she says she doesn’t want to go with him. But TW is there anyway and protects her. And she tells him she isn’t grateful because she only did this to get away from him. And he asks her ‘do you hate me this much?’ and tells her he will tell the Chairman he quits. But next morning when he shows up to quit, she kept thinking about him and all of it, and of course she can’t let him go so she says no quitting. Yay ;)
Have I mentioned the awesome scene when she tells Geong Woo she already has a love, someone she met when she was running away from home in 6th grade and he is ‘a million times cooler’ then GW. LOL. If you only knew, girly.
And I loved that TW told SR that he doesn’t have the inner peace to love someone so he doesn’t love her. And SR tried to be all girly and dress up. Cute.
And last but not least, I am SO EXCITED!!! I am currently in love with YA Entertainment. Not only do they have awesome customer service, but I have just found out that they are going to be releasing Spring Waltz in April! Finally! I’ll be able to have a DVD version with good subs! I will wait to watch it until then! And you know what is even better????? THEY ARE GOING TO BE RELEASING SNOW QUEEN TOO.
Oh my GUH.
In case you don’t know who YA are, they release Korean drama DVDs in North America with excellent English subs (I own their Goong DVDs and some others). EEEE!
OK, I lied. A few more points. One is that I tried the first volume of Red River manga over lunch (it’s a quick read) and it appears fun enough for me to try some more. The whole ‘modern Japanese girl in Hittite Empire’ is amusing as a concept and so is the attitude of everyone except Yuri (the heroine) to things like summary execution. I also love that Kail (the hero) rescues Yuri from being offed by claiming she isn’t a fit virgin sacrifice as he has relieved her of the burden :D
Another is that Kimi Wa Petto has officially became the first drama I’ve given up on. Usually, I finish them all even if on ff, or put them aside with a vague notion to finish for later. Which is silly. If it doesn’t appeal, I should stop. I have just decided, that if seven episodes in, I am still bored and the only thing mildly entertaining me is MatsuJun’s antics and they are almost negated by the hideous hair and clothes, I better call it a day. It’s not the worst drama I’ve seen. It’s not even a bad drama, it’s quite good. It’s just very not my thing. I think this was my last ditch effort and after this I’ll just give up the whole office lady/office drama genre entirely as it is something that just doesn’t resonate with me at all.
But. You know what I do LOVE? Romantic angst with mobsters. In my pursuit of more Lee Seo Jin (Damo) stuff, I have found Lovers. Where he plays a MOBSTER. In love with a doctor who treated him. *meeeeeep* Last kdrama mobster I saw was Lee Wan’s in Tree of Heaven and we know how much I loved him. I have SUCH a thing for tough/ruthless guys helplessly in love. *sigh*
Also, it has THIS:
Does Chae-Ohk know what you’ve been up to, Commander Hwangbo Yoon?
Must find this pronto.
Last comment: I have read the synopsis of Something Happened in Bali and am amused. Would be a great drama to watch with friends as the aaaangst sounds deliciously over the top: he is a rich boy abused by his father. She is a plucky poor girl in bad situation. He is arrange-engaged to a girl in love with her ex but who grows to love him, and the ex falls for the plucky heroine. And the capper? everyone dies. Heeeeee. Bring me to it!!! :D