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Saturday, January 26, 2013

Review: The Romantic and the Idol Season 2 Episode 4

On the January 20th broadcast of the Romantic and the Idol, the results of the midway selections were revealed. So, without further ado, here's how it all shook down:

We all know from last week that Jiwon's selection was Min Hyuk. It looked like Yewon was next, but nope, it went to Eunyoung.

Eunyoung's selection....N!
She as so cute in her interview saying that N better pick her or watch out!

G. Na was next and it was no surprise that as the camera zoomed in to the inside of the house right before the midselection viewing that she zeroed in on Jong Hun (sitting right next to Yewon). Jong Hun looked like he was sick to his stomach.

Yewon was the last of the girls to go. She was filming at the aquarium when she zoomed in to reveal that her selection was... Min Hyuk!

The guys were next. Kevin was first and he selected Jiwon! Like huh? By the look on Jiwon's face I don't think she expected it.

N made Eunyoung really happy and chose her. A happy couple finally!

Jong Hun chose his selection and it was no surprise that it was Yewon.

And finally. Min Hyuk finished the pack and chose Yewon. Awkward! But wait! In his interview, Min Hyuk confessed that his choice at the beginning may not be his choice later as he is experiencing some new feelings for someone else.

A little bit of awkwardness all around. The episode cut back and forth to conversations that night where somehow Jong Hun was giving some unasked for advice to Min Hyuk. He seemed to be scolding him about being too nice to more than one person could be misleading. (Honestly, this part was a little confusing for me since there wasn't a good all English translation for it, bummers.)

After a restless night for some, the next day comes and it's time for... Clothing shuffle!

Each of the girls picked out a men's top that they have packed in boxes. The men are supposed to pick the top that best suits their style. It was a little hard to see some of the selections cause the clothing was against the bright light from the outdoors.

Each of the girls picked a shirt they thought would look best on the man they wanted.

Jiwon is still sticking by Min Hyuk. G.Na seems to have given up on Jong Hun and doesn't know who she wants now. Eunyoung is hoping her selection gives the hint to N, and Yewon is actually hoping to spend some time with Jong Hun.

One by one the men come out to meet the girls in the courtyard. Similar in style to the necklace shuffle.

And it boils down to this:
N selected Jiwon's top. And Eunyoung halfheartedly protests. But can't do anything about it. Even Jiwon looks sorry for her.

Kevin comes out and after some double checking on the brand of shirt, goes off with Eunyoung.

Then there were two... Jong Hun comes out first very resignedly with his hands on his hips as if to say, let's see if fate is really that cruel. Lets get this over with. Min Hyuk comes out and they both wait.

Suddenly G.Na stands up and happily whisks Min Hyuk away leaving Jong Hun and Yewon. Jong Hun cannot believe it! Then he recovers as if to day "ok" and slings his arm around Yewon much to her embarrassment.

The rest of the episode was again fuzzy because of the lack of translation, but it showed Jong Hun and Yewon heading off to their date. Jong Hun playfully pokes her cheek. To which Yewon responds with a "ya!" She didn't like him doing that since her face was all puffy from drinking alcohol the night before. They drive off to the forest that Jong Hun told her about earlier to have their date. The episode jumps back and forth between when they came back to the house and while they were in the car driving back in silence. Something happened but as to what I can only guess. Mianhae. I will need to update this post.

Thoughts:
I'm happy that N and Eunyoung are happy. But aren't they not adhering to the premise of the show which was to experience dating others? Lol.

G.Na... Man, I feel bad for both her and Kevin. Maybe they should hook up? I can see her pride is really hurt, but she's such a trooper.

Poor Jiwon. I see a potential heartbreak in the future.

And does it look like some feelings are swaying?? Min Hyuk looks like he's willing to give someone else a chance. And Yewon, although stuck on Min Hyuk at first, wants to see where things will go with Jong Hun. Finally some progress!

Jong Hun... I love his honesty. His face is like a book. You see all the torment he's going through which is what any person in his situation would be feeling. Perfect. I'm happy that he finally got his date with Yewon and I can't wait to see how they all handle their next mission! Of these pd's really we e evil!

Stay tuned, the next episode airs in just a couple of hours!


Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Update: Working on a few things...

Hello hello! Just wanted to give you all a quick update on a some of the things I am working on.

1) Romantic and the Idol Season 2 Episode 4
I am finding bits and pieces of the show every day, so I'm trying to watch them and piece them together at the same time. From what I've seen so far, it looks exciting! I'll have a review up by the weekend for sure!

2) Health, Beauty and Fashion
I am going to venture into this unknown territory to me. I figure, if I am going to blog about K-Pop, K-Dramas and Korean culture, I might as well figure out what's so hot about these trends or products that come from Korea and how they are faring in American culture (to start). I went into my first Korean cosmetics store this past weekend and it was very interesting. (in a good way of course) Wanted to share my thoughts on that and on some of the products I'm trying.

3) Food
Yes, I have a tab that says "food" on my blog. It's always been my intent to somehow migrate all my relative posts there, but until I figure out how, it'll be blank. Sorry! It's trial and error for me. But there are more posts coming about food for all of you that are interested.

4) Music
I'll be giving my take on some of my favorite artists' new albums or singles that had just come out.

So stay tuned! I haven't gone away, I'm still here! =)

Friday, January 18, 2013

Review: Romantic and the Idol Season 2 Episode 3

It's necklace shuffle time! The male idols have made necklaces each with a special meaning behind them that the girls would choose. The necklace that each girl chooses will correspond to the male idol they get to spend time with that day.

Necklace #1: Wings Necklace
Creator: Min Hyuk
Meaning: It's similar to the BtoB logo, the group that Min Hyuk belongs to

Necklace #2: Cork Necklace
Creator: Jong Hun
Meaning: He deliberately made a necklace out of cork to signal to Yewon, whom had seen him drinking the night before, that this is his necklace. In hopes she would pick him.

Necklace #3: Star Necklace
Creator: N
Meaning: He wanted a pretty necklace. (Simply put.)

Necklace #4: Cat Necklace
Creator: Kevin
Meaning: Wanted something unique. (Couldn't be any more unique than Jong Hun's!)

The girls are so excited to see who they paired up with. While the guys wait outside in the little yard, nervously.

First to come out....Jiwon!

She smiles brightly and shows her necklace. Jong Hun comes down a step, as if it were his necklace, and then steps back up. Nope, not him! It's N's!

He put the necklace around her neck. The two link hands and go off happily.

Second to come out....Yewon!

Min Hyuk and Jong Hun are very nervous when they see her. But they are both happy to see her. Jong Hun even comments that she came out "very prettily". Can't he just say she's cute??

Yewon fusses around. Confesses that she had picked the same necklace as another and she actually had to rock-paper-scissor to get a necklace. But, she didn't get the one she wanted.

She opens the box toward her first..Hana, dul....set! It's..Min Hyuk's! He can't believe it, she can't believe it either! They are both so amazed that they're on a second date together, and all the while Jong Hun is on the side looking on in jealous bitterness. He's smiling though, so that's good. But he's still terrible at hiding his disappointment. He tells them to hurry up and go already.

Min Hyuk clasps the necklace around Yewon's neck and they go off. When they are gone, Jong Hun slaps his hand against the wall in despair saying that he was too obvious. Poor thing...he tried too hard,

The last two girls, G.Na and Eunyoung, both come out at the same time.

It seems like the spirit had gone out of Jong Hun. He's clearly disappointed. But, it looked like he was still curious as to which girl got his necklace.

G.Na and Eunyoung both open their necklaces at the same time.

G.Na picks Jong Hun and Eunyoung picks Kevin! G.Na is in shock. Jong Hun can't believe it. He smiles charmingly and both guys put their necklaces around the girls and head off. On the way however, Jong Hun asks G.Na how she came about choosing his necklace. And she replies that she can't wear short necklaces, so she chose the longer one. Aww, Jong Hun, just his luck.

Min Hyuk and Yewon
They head off to a cafe, only to find it closed. However, there is a cute little puppy waiting outside. They decide to play a little game with it, see who it goes to when called. Both set off a little way down the road and call the puppy who goes to...Min Hyuk! Yewon huffs and says that it must be a girl. Implying that if it were a guy, he would have gone to her.

Jong Hun and G.Na
They arrive at a restaurant, to I guess eat breakfast?? It's a meal consisting of whole mackeral, rice and several sides (ban chan).

G.Na prods him about if he has an ideal type. To which Jong Hun simply replies that he doesn't. Oh really?? He then tried to evade any questions about his ideal type by putting the focus on G.Na, saying that she doesn't look like she eats well and begins to cutely feed her. She responds that she does indeed eat well. It seems they have an amicable conversation enough. Jong Hun even asks if he should match her style of eating. (G.Na saves the rice for last.) But G.Na doesn't mind having different eating styles. Cute of Jong Hun for asking though.

N and Ji Won
As their first stop they are drinking shakes at a cafe. Not quite sure what they're having, but they both exchange drinks and taste the others. Neither one seems to mind. For me, I would surreptitiously wipe the straw before sipping. No offense. But that's gross to me.

Min Hyuk and Yewon
We catch them being blown around a meadow overlooking the ocean. Yewon stumbles and Min Hyuk catches her in time, and holds her hand tightly. He tells the camera that it feels as if they are flying. I don't think Yewon shared the same sentiment as her hair is blown all over her face.

Jong Hun and G.Na
These two were next seen sitting at cafe taking a breather. G.Na starts the conversation about Min Hyuk and Yewon and how good they look together. As the camera catches a close up of Jong Hun, he is totally silent as he drinks a fruit smoothy/slushy of some sort.

N and Ji Won
They are getting ready to leave the cafe and they are giving their autographs. As Jiwon signs her paper, N exclaims that he recognizes the signature. It turns out that they ride the same taxi and are living in neighboring suburbs! "Daebak!" Jiwon keeps exclaiming. I've never heard it said so many times before in one conversation.

Then, just when you think it's going to be an ordinary day....the mission comes.

Cut to a scene from a drama where a man is picking up a woman (I guess his love interest) off the ground and he holds her close in a back hug. Ah, the popular back hug.

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All the idols seem to take the news fairly well, except for Yewon who squeals and runs away from Min Hyuk in mock horror, laughing.
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Min Hyuk and Yewon
They decide to re-enact the scene they had just seen literally, with Yewon falling and Min Hyuk picking her up and trying to back hug her. Umm...doesn't go quite as planned. They get drenched in the rain and have to stop for awhile before going back out, braving the gusts and finally accomplish the back hug as Yewon clings to Min Hyuk to keep from being blown away.

Jong Hun and G.Na
PD Jong Hun had taken control, planning, plotting, and reviewing the way they should do their back hug. From finding the perfect location, setting up the camera, to staging the perfect shot, all G.Na had to do was sit and wait.

When the scene was all set, Jong Hun and G.Na came walking down a little garden walkway hand in hand, swinging playfully. Then, somehow, they looked each other in the eye, and Jong Hun spun her around (gently) and pulled her into a rather playful back hug, much to G.Na's delight and embarassment.

N and Jiwon
This was probably the most awkward moments. They ended up at a gazebo with Jiwon looking over the ocean waiting for N to back hug her. It took N three, or maybe four tries, to overcome his embarrassment and get it right. Yeah, it was like NG after NG. Jiwon was clearly frustrated, smiling through it, but frustrated. Lol.

Kevin and Eunyoung
Kevin, the guy who has never dated anyone before, made a valiant effort in pulling off a back hug. He and Eunyoung chose to walk along the beach as they did their back hug. But poor Kevin, not knowing how to do it himself, ends up wrapping Eunyoung in almost a strangling back packing back hug. They awkwardly and stiffly walked robot style down the shoreline. It was painful, yet funny to watch. Haha. At one point, I think Eunyoung was carrying him. She said later that it felt like she was being kidnapped. But there was no gun. Looks like Kevin needs to work on his skills a little bit more!

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After their back hug scenes, the couples head back to the house. All except Min Hyuk and Yewon, who had gotten sidetracked and also caught in the rain.

They return an hour later, only to be greeted by Jong Hun who chastises them for being so late. You just know he was jealous as heck!

Cut to the next scene with Min Hyuk and N playing around in the house. Both are around the same age, so I guess it was natural that they liked to goof off together. N had even commented that he really liked Min Hyuk, which translated weirdly into the type of like when you like a person of the opposite sex. Hehe.

And finally, it is the scene that has been on the previews for the past couple of weeks. The bus scene!

Each guy picks a seat on the bus. The girls are then led on to the bus and they have to choose which of the four seats they would like to sit next to. Wherever they end up is who they would sit next to the whole ride to their next stop, the aquarium. There is where they will make the mid-selections.

The girls are all seated first, then one by one the guys come aboard. How did they couple up?

Jong Hun and Eunyoung
Min Hyuk and Jiwon (Yay, they both got a chance to be together! They both wanted to.)
N and Yewon
Kevin and G.Na

A true first time pairing for everyone!

Nothing is really said about the conversations on the bus, which I thought was strange. They cut away pretty quickly to the aquarium.

And here is where more drama begins! It's a free day for the idols and they can basically go wherever they want with whomever they want to. And Jong Hun immediately starts to gravitate towards Yewon and begins to film her playfully on his camcorder.

So does Min Hyuk. Who forgets that he came in with Jiwon and is now holding her bag, drifts to Yewon. Jong Hun quickly shoos him away by reminding him that he came in with Jiwon. And he snaps out of it and moves away.

While they are at the aquarium, Jong Hun sticks with Yewon and they look at the displays together. Eunyoung and G.Na seemed to have separated from their bus partners and are on their own. While Min Hyuk and Jiwon are no where to be seen.

G.Na tried to strike up conversation with Jong Hun again at one of the exhibits. He politely replies to her, but turns his attention again to Yewon. She is a little miffed and moves away, and mopes on her own.

When they return to the house they gather together and find out that they will be watching the mid-selections together! Oo, the torture! The embarrassment!

All wait in anticipation to see who goes first and the PD announces that its the girls. The fellas hoot and holler in excitement.

First up is Jiwon. And as she hides her face in embarrassment, her interview is shown along with a clip of her mid-selection which is....

None other than Min Hyuk! Finally, he knows that one of the girls he wanted to get to know feels the same in return. So sweet!

Next is Yewon, who murmurs that she felt like throwing up from all the nervousness and embarrassment at having her selection seen by others.

But who she selected we won't know until Sunday! Cause that's where the episode ends. Argh!

Thoughts:
Things are getting more interesting. Both Kevin and Min Hyuk confessed to hoping they could spend more time with Jiwon. And Jiwon obviously wanted to spend time with Min Hyuk.

Jong Hun is frustrated that he hasn't been able to spend time with Yewon. I know people are hating on him right now, but he's just being honest. We all know that when we have our eye on someone, it's hard to look at anyone else. It's just the way emotions work. I think he's just trying too hard. He needs to just go with the flow. Get to know the other girls. I'm not saying he ends up with G.Na, but I would hope he would give the other girls a chance. I believe that was the goal on this show, wasn't it? Get to know different people and see if there's a connection, right?

Jong Hun thinks that Yewon doesn't get that he likes her, but lo and behold, we find out she knows. Huh, a pretty smart cookie there. She's got a good poker face too. Cause the way she treated Jong Hun at the aquarium seemed more like brother and sister.

Min Hyuk and Jiwon or Min Hyuk and Yewon. Whomever he chooses, he looks good with either one. It'll be interesting to see who he chooses in the end. I'm just happy that Min Hyuk finally got some time with Jiwon.

And speaking of Jiwon, how many times can one say "daebak" in a conversation? Geez. She and G.Na were going with that word like crazy.

And G.Na... Sigh... I feel kinda bad for her. But like I said about giving other people a chance, I hope she does too. She's only been on dates with Jong Hun, so she obviously felt uncomfortable around another guy. I hope she bounces back. She's a lot funnier when she's not moping.

Kevin is adorable. He hasn't had the chance to date, so this whole experience is really the first time for everything with him. I can't wait to see who he picked.

N and Eunyoung... Man, these two really don't have a lot going on so far. Hopefully they get their moment in the spotlight on the show soon.

Can't wait for Sunday!

Wednesday, January 16, 2013

Review: K-Pop Tasty Road

As I was looking through a bunch of movies and TV shows on Hulu, I came across a TV series called "K-Pop Tasty Road". It's a spinoff of a Korean food and culture series called "Tasty Road", only this was about K-Pop.

They hired two idol MC's, NS Yoon G and Eli from U-Kiss. Since they were gearing this more towards a global audience, meaning outside of Korea, it was essential these MC's speak fluent English. Both Yoon G and Eli were born and raised in the United States so they know English very well. It was easy for them to converse in Korean and English, especially Yoon G, who did most of the talking.

Each episode would have a certain theme: a management company tour, dating/love tour, sites, etc. In the episode they would show you places that idols recommended foreigners to see, eat or shop at. And sometimes they would even have a special idol guest.

I love that they picked up on places that were unique and showed places that may be familiar to K-Pop fans. For instance, they showed the little cafe CNBlue's Jung Yong Hwa had taken his pretend "bride" Seo Hyun (SNSD) to eat when they were on "We Got Married" (if you want to watch some of their episodes, look up "YongSeo Couple" or "Goguma Couple").

They showed where groups like SHINee, TVXQ, Super Junior and FT Island like to do their nails, hair, shop and workout. If you ever want to try to spot an idol, this show will give you hints.

The only two gripes I have about this is that not all the episodes have been translated into English. The first 3 on Hulu are, but the other 5 aren't. The only times you will be able to understand them are when they choose to speak in English. Which brings me to my second gripe. As the show progressed, they seemed to be speaking more and more Korean. Very hard to understand.

But, I would still recommend this because Yoon G and Eli are both funny and adorable. They have a special interaction as "Noona-Dongsaeng". You can see that since they weren't raised in the U.S., they are still learning a bit about their own culture, so it doesn't seem like they're talking down to you, but you're learning along with them. Hope you all get to watch it! Two thumbs up!

Sunday, January 13, 2013

K-Drama Stars in Honolulu!

Hyun Bin
Our local newspaper, the Honolulu Star Advertiser, reported that Korean Drama stars Hyun Bin and Bae Yong Jun have been spotted near Waikiki dining at Doraku Sushi and shopping at Ala Moana Center.

Hyun Bin has made quite a name for himself with dramas such as "My Name is Kim Sam Soon", "The World We Live In",and "Secret Garden". Bae Yong Jun, although absent from the K-drama scene for a while, is famous for his roles in "Hotelier" and "Winter Sonata".

They are possibly in town for the festivities surrounding the 110th Anniversary of Koreans immigrating to the U.S. But I don't think anyone would fault them for wanting to come to warmer weather since the temperature in Korea is ice cold right now.

Bae Yong Jun
Does anyone out there have any photos or sightings of them or any other Korean stars in Hawaii? If so, can you please share?

Source: Honolulu Star Advertiser (if the whole article doesn't show, it's because you need to be logged in as a subscriber. Yes, totally lame.)

Photo Credits to the rightful owners.

CNBlue Comeback



I just wanted to say that I am so excited for January 14th to come. It's one day closer to pay day AND it's the day CNBlue will be coming out with their next mini album, Re: Blue.

Since the boys have been touring Asia and Europe a lot, they've been garnering a lot of attention and especially fans. Here in the States it's still taking us a while to catch on. But at least we know about them thanks to the Mnet Nokia Standup Concert in March of last year.

The concept looks interesting and they've been promoting the album crazily, showing how hard they've been working by tweeting a lot more.

Get ready for something great Boice fans! I know the guys won't let us down!

Oh it would have been a perfect time to visit Korea this month and next month. You know they will be doing the comeback stages on all the major shows!

Photo Credit: DkPop

Saturday, January 12, 2013

Review: The Romantic and the Idol 2 Episode 2 pt. 2

I really gotta find another way to label these episode posts. It's getting to be a long paragraph.

Anyways, I'm sorry for not continuing my review sooner. I was writing part 1 and nothing was making sense in my head that late at night. Then I got bogged down with work and headaches. Mianhaeyo...

Picking up where I left off... The couples were presented with a mission: to hold hands for at least 1 minute!

Those darn pd's are e.v.i.l.

All of the couples thought it was way too soon to be holding hands. Talk about moving to 2nd base!

Couple #1: Jong Hun and G.Na
As they both read the mission, Jong Hun started to react with surprise while G.Na exclaimed how could they ask them to do this when they only just met?

They sit and talk for a little while. Both uncomfortable. They break the silence when G.Na notices that Jong Hun is wearing the exact same scarf that she has. Same clothing likes seem to break the ice as they break out into laughter. I love that Jong Hun is all possessive as he proclaims that the scarf is his.

After a while they get up and start heading to a cafe. G.Na asks why he keeps looking at the card. Caught in the act, he confesses that he's trying to find a natural way of going about holding her hand. (Aww! How sweet!)

Finally, after what seems like ages, he tell her "Noona, let's not be like this. Let's just hold hands until we reach the cafe over there." And he grabs her hand. Lol, I had to laugh at G.Na's reaction because she initially looked so surprised, and then her face broke out into such a big happy smile. And Jonh Hun took the embarrassment out of it a little as he held her their hands up multiple times as if to say "see? We're holding hands now. We did it!"

Couple #2: Min Hyuk and Yewon
At the cafe Min Hyuk opens up the mission envelope and shows it to Yewon who tries to look embarrassed but really not pulling it off well. It's obvious that she doesn't mind holding hands at all. And he doesn't seem to disturbed by it either.

But as they move outside the cafe, both turn so shy! As they figure out how they do it, Yewon nervously tries to warm up her hand by putting her fingers against her bare neck and blowing warm air on them. Min Hyuk patiently waits for her on the side. When she's finally ready they both hold out their hands... Hands clenched into fists! Wth! Did they really want to hold hands or didn't they? Min Hyuk finally takes her hand after some hemming and hawing. And another couple successfully completes their mission.

Couple #3: Kevin and Jiwon
This couple seemed the easiest of the group to hook up hand in hand. From what I recall, and correct me if I'm wrong, but they took the news with minimal embarrassment.

Couple #4: N and Eunyoung
After a restless night, Eunyoung finally meets her "man" at the art museum. As they sit outside of the museum, the pd's with them present the task. Again the usual embarrassment. (Koreans really aren't the types to move forward so fast in public. And I'm sure that they are still conscious of their fans and what they will think when they see the show.) Finally N takes her hand and they walk along happily. In a voiceover we hear Eunyoung's voice say for her manager or CEO to look at her. She is experiencing how to date and is happy.

Later all the couples meet at the airport for their flight to Jeju-do (Jeju Island). Min Hyuk and Yewon are the last to arrive. As they gather, the cut to Jong Hun.

The producers ask him out of all the celebrities that he would like to come to the show, which one would it be. And he confesses "Yewon." Hmm...

Cut back to the airport as the couples see Min Hyuk and Yewon arrive. And you can see Jong Hun perk up considerably. Lol! It was like, oh G.Na is here I should pay attention to her. And when Yewon arrives, it was "oo, hello.." Lol. (Fan girl claws must have come out at this point.)

Min Hyuk and Yewon introduce themselves and it cuts to Jong Hun again. He says that he was really surprised to see her. And he goes on to say truthfully that he really likes the way she looks. She looks like a puppy that you would want to take care of. (A puppy? Really? That's the best he can come up with? Given the fact I know he loves dogs and cats, I shouldn't even be surprised.)

Cut to the plane ride to Jeju. Jong Hun and G.Na are looking forward to their destination. Especially Jong Hun who mentions that he's already wondering who they will be paired up on the second date...In front of G.Na who takes some offense. I mean really, who wouldn't? Someone forgot the first date hasn't finished yet... Jong Hunnie needed to be more careful.

Min Hyuk is trying to stay awake, but Yewon encourages him to rest. A little bit later, he's sleeping peacefully while drooling on his shirt. So Yewon takes care of him by putting a few napkins under his cheek. Aww...

Soon they land in Jeju and go get a few essentials they will need for their almost week stay.

A few of them pick up some vegetables, eggs, fruits. I'm not sure who it was, maybe Eunyoung? Who asks if they like jjapaguri. Apparently it's something that has meat in it cause she claims its good and she boils the meat really well. (Update: did a little digging and found out that this is another name for spaghetti noodles and the same sauce they use in jjajangmyun calle jjang sauce) Someone else mentions wanting to eat jjajangmyun (black bean noodles) and I wanted to exclaim back, "me too! Cook some for me!" (Seriously, that is one delicious dish.)

Min Hyuk carries the box of groceries out and lo and behold, the box breaks! Some of the eggs are broken, but thankfully that's the extent of the damage.

Off they drive off to the house and it is a beautiful blue and white one level house. Kinda reminds me of the Mediterranean style homes. They begin to put away the groceries and get settled for the night. But... Not before they do their daily task of texting their feelings to the pd's. Tonight, they are to text the person that they would like to get to know better.

Through several cutaway interviews and phone screen captures we find out the following:

G.Na= Jong Hun ( she's girlish when she giggles "oetokke?" Or what to do?)

Jong Hun= He's torn between his first date G.Na who is someone he can be comfortable with and Yewon who is young and friendly.

Min Hyuk= Yewon

Yewon= Min Hyuk. Although she does admit that there's something about Jong Hun's face that makes her heart melt. (That's why he's an ulzzang.)

Kevin= Jiwon

Jiwon= Kevin

N= Eunyoung

Eunyoung= N

It looks like there's a little love triangle forming already and it's already been one date! It'll be interesting to see how determined the guys are in order to keep the interest of the ladies. Will there be any jealousy? Hmmm...

Some last thoughts, why do they offer clenched fists instead of open palms first when they want to hold hands? It was as if they didn't want to hold hands at all. And, don't hate me, but why would someone like Jong Hun want to be with someone that can't stop squealing and laughing? What he calls cute, to me became irritating. Mildly irritating.

Anyone know how it's gonna be mixed up? Are they going to be dating other people? Or will they have to stick with the same person? What other tasks are they going to be asked to do? Will any of them be sent home. And who will be the couple at the end?

The next episode airs in less than a day, tonight actually in Korea, it's certainly got my attention and I will be looking forward to it!

Hope all of you will be able to watch it, too!

Ka jja! Hwaiting!

Wednesday, January 9, 2013

Review: The Romantic and the Idol Season 2 Episode 2 Pt.1

Quick note: Don't forget this is part 1 of 2!

Ok, so the first episode wasn't the first episode as I had thought. It was actually a preview of what was to come. (Thank you to the reader that pointed that out!) Just a thought, but instead of drawing it out, wouldn't it have been better to do a 2 hour special or something like that? And I have to say that watching it with subtitles is so much better than just trying to read body language. Although I must say that it's just as fun because what you do with your hands, arms, legs etc. really do speak volumes.

As the episode opens, we see the 8 "romantic" idols again. Some give a description of their ideal  type, and some simply wish to go about the whole situation normally, with an openness if you will.

Couple 1 at the Namsan staircase is...FT Island's Jong Hun and G.Na! (squeal!) How in the world did these two hot people get paired up on the first date? Ok, I know I know. But really, that was what popped into my head.

Both are very nervous. G.Na begins to sing a song and Jong Hun nervously admits that it feels like he is confessing instead of going on a first date.

G.Na is waiting for her man at the bottom of the staircase, unable to see Jong Hun holding a bouquet of roses at the very top. It's not only until he begins to descend and she begins to ascend do they finally recognize each other and he presents her with the bouquet. It's a slightly awkward moment. But both laugh and seem to be happy to see the other. G.Na especially seems very youthful (she's the eldest of the four women) while giggling like a teenager. She exclaims that this is the first time she's received flowers. Aww really? And Jong Hun says, "me too". Ok, say what? There's got to be something wrong with the translation there. I find it hard to believe he's never given a girl flowers. Yup, ok buddy. They descend the stairs together and leave in the car. (off camera)

Couple 2 at the pedestrian overpass is...Jewelry's Yewon and BtoB's Minhyuk!
Yewon is seen in the car waiting for Minhyuk's arrival and she is freaking out. Constantly squealing and giggling like a little school girl. At times it was a bit much for me to watch. But with all her exclamations of "I think I need to use the bathroom" and "What should I do?" is funny. I couldn't help but smile. Especially whn she wonders if any of the men are any she knew. She's said that she would hope to see Minhyuk come on the show. Haha.

As Minhyuk arrives and waits at the overpass, Yewon slowly walks over there. In the dark mind you. What happened to the sunset?? She's cute as she kind of tip toes to the top of the stairs and peeks around the corner. As she slowly walks towards him she is in shock that it is indeed Minhyuk! She sort of collapses in shock and squeals and bursts into laughter. They had just seen each other at Inkigayo a couple of hours earlier (along with FT Island, haha). He's startled at first cause she causes such a scene, but he recovers quickly and presents her with roses. She scolds him for not saying anything and he jokes back, why didn't she? We see cuts of Yewon's interview where she confesses she would like to see Minhyuk and when it cuts back to reality, Yewon is asking the production crew if they can edit her interview as she remembers what she had said. LOL, too late girl.

They go off to a cafe where they sit down and get to know each other. It's obvious that Yewon is counting her blessings. She can't believe her luck. Minhyuk's confession cuts in and out as we see that he admits to wanting to see someone like Yewon from Jewelry. He mentions that he had seen her at the recording earlier that day and she seemed cold, but sitting in front of her, face to face, he see's that she has a sweet personality. As they talk to each other he even mentions this part of his interview and tells her that he now see's that she's capable of being "sexy" much to her embarrassment. Aww, how cute.

Couple 3 that chose to meet in a crowd are...ZE:A's Kevin and SPICA's Jiwon!
Kevin's friends (members?) meet with him earlier and give him some love advice. Although I don't know how helpful one of them is as his advice is that it's "fate". Umm...yea. Ok...Kevin is dressed in a long trench coat with a briefcase making him look normal and oddly businesslike.

Kevin makes his way through the crowd that night, as does Jiwon, and they finally come face to face. Both seem happy to see each other. And Kevin presents her with his little handful of roses. Both begin to walk together.

And finally...Couple 4 is Vixx's N and Two-X's Eunyoung (the youngest of the group) meeting in the museum.

Eunyoung has hardly had any sleep and N is nervous walking around the museum. Eunyoung passes by a couple of paintings where the art is a complete disarray and she points out that the paintings are like her heart and mind at that point.

She wanders around the museum looking for another camera. (Smart girl!) Finally finding N in one of the galleries. She laughs in relief? and walks toward him accepting the roses. (Bouquets of roses all around!)

She claims that she is happy that it's N, but I dunno. The smile doesn't quite reach the eyes.

And as we think that these dates would just progress normally, the producers decide to throw the couple's closer together by...handing all of them a mission.

They have to hold hands for at least 1 minute....(da da dum....)

If you aren't familiar with Korean culture, they are not the most public displays of affection culture. Hand holding is serious. I was on edge wondering how the couples would handle it.

Ok, sorry to leave you hanging, but I can't finish this tonight. I need to work in the morning. I'll try to finish sometime during the day. (Wow, I didn't realize I wrote so much)

Jeongmal mianhyeyo...

UPDATED 1/12/13
P.S. Don't forget to check the 2nd part to this review!

Sunday, January 6, 2013

Review: The Romantic and the Idol Season 2 Episode 1

First off, I wanna say, that as far as first episodes go this was kind of a let down. But only because I was actually expecting them to already go on their dates. Sorry, I guess reality TV in America spoils me. Ours tend to move really fast. They'll be kissing and hugging within the half hour, haha.

The show, overall, is a cute concept. Pair eight stars up and see if any feelings develop. See if they can learn how to love.

Five days before heading off to their show's residence on Jeju Island, the seven people meet the production crew for some preliminary interviews and preview what they will be getting themselves into. (Singer G.Na was promoting in the U.S. so they had to proceed without her.)

Yewon, Jiwon and Eunyoung each enter and give their interviews and ideal male types. Some actually have a few ideal types instead of one, I was pretty surprised. But all seemed to want a man that would be a man and take care of them. Not surprisingly, they all named stars. Yewon is so cute with her shy honesty. She seems to be the most embarrassed out of the girls.

Later in the day, the men come in to give their own interviews and also get a taste of what's to come.

I'm sorry, I only remember Choi Jong Hun, haha. The rest weren't familiar to me.

His interview was interesting. He confessed that he had dated two celebrities since his debut with FT Island. (Hmm, FNC does a pretty good job of hiding the relationships.) The producer asks him what would he do if his fans don't approve of the relationship (when he falls in love)? And he responds honestly that he wouldn't care. Whoa! Say what? Now I know that all the stuff about taking into consideration the fans feelings are all fed by the company. Haha! The beauty of a reality show with no outside interference!

I would like to say "well said" to Jong Hun. He has every right to be in charge of his own love life. If destiny finds him a soulmate, he should be able to be totally honest about it and if fans aren't ok with it, well that's tough. He can't please everyone. And following his heart will make him happy. The fans will just have to accept it. Yeah, ok, we know this will only happen in a perfect world. So in reality, he probably shouldn't have said that, and should still be cautious when he does reveal his feelings. I had to smile when he said his ideals were the two girls from Answer Me 1997. It's a popular drama right now. And why wouldn't he fall in love with two fan girls?? Jong Hun-sshi, are you hinting at what you really like or is it still a part of your subconscious? Lol.

The rest of the show goes by pretty quickly as the rest of the men come in. Btw, I just remembered that one of the other guys wanted a girl who could play an instrument, like the violin. Haha! Yeah, he wants a talented girl! Instrumentalists! Hwaiting!

Then the fun part began. Each group had been shown four meeting scenarios from popular movies: meeting on a bridge at sunset, meeting in a crowd of people, showing up at the Namsam staircase (I need to visit this place one day since it was the last scene from my first K-Drama, My Lovely Samsoon. Omg Hyun Bin in that drama!) or meeting up at an art gallery. Just my take on these, but how very awkward. Those were the movies, why couldn't they just pick something simple like meeting at a party or happening to bump into each other at the Supermarket?

I couldn't help but laugh at the girls. They looked so embarrassed! And so nervous! I swear I could see some of them blush in excitement or fear. A compete and total opposite from the guys who remained calm during the whole thing. I think they were already planning on which scenario they wanted to do and how they wanted to present themselves.

And that's pretty much where it ended. Hmph. No selection, no date, that's it.

Instead they show clips of the dates and the home that the idols would be staying in. They showed the guys cooking. (Hey now ladies, those men are keepers if the food tastes good!) Followed by a shot of them together at the dinner table, talking, laughing and eating.

And there it ended.

Promising, very promising. I can't wait to hear what else comes out of Jong Hun's mouth. He usually doesn't talk much in interviews with the group members. But it looks like he has a lot to say. Since the network forbade managers and company to interfere, it's all uncensored.

That's it! Spill your feelings out! It's always great fodder for reality television. I can't wait to see the next episode.

If you want to see the episode, there are some on YouTube. But not all have subs. Look carefully. Sorry, I won't be posting vids until after the episodes are over. I don't want to take the chance that they will be flagged and removed. But if you look for subbing groups, you will have better luck.

Let's keep eyes out for how these couples develop! Who would your ideal idol be? Which would you want to date?

Friday, January 4, 2013

UPDATED: Korea Celebrates Chuseok

Updated 1/3/13: I've been finding rumours circulating that actress Lee Chae Won and Lee Jae Jin are girlfriend and boyfriend. Please check your online sources as this is FALSE. They are from the same family!

They were recruited around the same time with Chae Won entering first as as actress, followed by HER BROTHER, Jae Jin.

********************

Today, actually, September 30th, Korean's are celebrating Chuseok.

Chuseok is a sort of "Thanksgiving" holiday. Although, there are some that do not like this major holiday likened to Thanksgiving as some may disagree with the Western similarity.

It's a day where everyone calls it quits for a day, goes home to their families and partake in the festivities.

Some of the festivities include spending quality time with their family members by playing games, chatting, eating delicious home made food and drinking. Some even dress in traditional hanbok.

But most of all, they celebrate their ancestors and the traditions that are passed down by them. They pay their respects by cleaning their graves dutifully and leaving specially made foods and fresh fruits lovingly prepared by family for them to "eat". It is the utmost sign of respect and honor to remember ancestors on this day. For Korean's, as in most Asian customs, respecting your ancestors and elders are considered to be the most important duty.

Everyone is excited to celebrate this holiday, including (and I am throwing in my little FT Island in here) Lee Jae Jin of FT Island who tweeted his excitement on his personal Twitter account today.

"추석 석석석 아 섟석석서거숴석"
(chuseog seogseogseog a seogs-seogseogseogeoswoseog)

Source: Lee Jae Jin's Twitter

His sister, actress Lee Chae Won, also tweeted her wishes with her brother in the background.

Photo Credit Lee Chae Won's Twitter
Apparently, a lot of celebrities have been tweeting their holiday wishes and websites and TV have been bombarded by Chuseok specials. For example, Daniel Henney tweeted his wishes from his home in LA to all of his friends and family back in Korea. I guess he, unfortunately, couldn't be there.

"Good morning from LA! To my Korean family... Have a wonderful, happy, and safe holiday!!! 추석 잘보내세요:)"

Source: Daniel Henney's Twitter

I can't pretend to know everything about Chuseok, but, Allkpop had a pretty good breakdown of the holiday (IMHO). Take a look here.

Happy Chuseok!

FT Island Fans Miss Lee Jae Jin

Sometime in the latter part of 2012, FT Island's bassist Lee Jae Jin closed his Twitter account. Or did he?

Primadonnas and music fans alike are lamenting over this by tweeting their sadness (and crying, too!) as another star has been cut off. There are handles that say "comeback". Fans that still tweet to @saico011 or #saico011 in hopes he will see their messages and respond one day. They really seem to miss any small little tweet from him.

There are some that are understanding, some that are begging him to come back onto Twitter, and some (like myself) wondering why and what happened?

Fans are speculating that it may be the result of saesang fans (obsessive fans) that may have cause the sudden shutdown.

Whether the FT Island members have any influence in the matter remains to be seen.

It's possible that even the members themselves are at a loss. Guitarist Song Seung Hyun tweeted that as a group they don't know why and that they are not happy about it either. Although whether or not he was directly referencing this situation is uncertain.

Why would a star shut down their account without even an explanation to the fans? At first, I was upset, but after some thought figured there must be some good reason behind it. I hardly think it was done frivolously. It's just a shame really.

But why in the world would vocalist Lee Hong Ki be tweeting to all of his band mates, including to Jae Jin's old Twitter handle? Could it be that he's hinting that this is just temporary?

Whatever the reason is, I'm going to throw my two cents in, hoping that this noona's words will help in someway to restore the hope for fans:

"Jae Jin-sshi...if somehow this message reaches your eyes I'll be grateful. I know you know that your fans love you. Whatever your reasons, your fans are here for you. After following FT Island and reading about your loyal fans, I know that most of them are kindhearted and mean well. They are very dedicated to you and in part, you wouldn't be where you are if not for them. You know that too. If it were because of sasaeng fans, then you did what you thought best. And those fans should be ashamed of themselves. But as a gentle reminder, these situations come at the price of being a star. So one should try to adjust as best as possible and with a thicker skin, ne? I only hope that they didn't go too far and can still be forgiven.

For any other reason, won't you please reconsider coming back to Twitter? For fans outside of Asia (like myself) it is one of the few ways we hear news about you. And I'm sure your fans appreciate any updates you have for them. Even if it means opening another account, won't you please think about it?"

Ok, that is my two cents. If anyone has any updates, let me know?

Photo credit to rightful owner.

Thursday, January 3, 2013

SNSD Will Do Live Concert Globally

SNSD (aka Girls Generation. Photo credits to rightful owner)

It was announced today that SNSD (aka Girls Generation) will be doing a live concert via Naver, globally.

However, they will not be doing it in person so to speak. Instead they will be projecting holographic, and as realistic as possible, images of themselves. This is something that SM Entertainment plans to do more of in the future.

Overall, I think this is very cool! Talk about going futuristic! This is great news for fans all over that don't have the funds to actually see them in concert.

On the other hand, since I'm not exactly sure how this would work, would the event be free? And will it actually compare to being there with the artists themselves?

I can just see it now... instead of traveling far away to another country, there will be all these booths that artists perform in and another booth in each city that fans will squeeze into to experience the concert, "live".

If anyone catches this concert, let me know how it turns out!

Source: AllKpop

Wednesday, January 2, 2013

Rain Criticized for Taking Time Off

K-Pop Star Rain (photo credit to rightful owner)


Wow...I thought once you're in the military in Korea, you are in and don't come out until you are discharged.

But apparently that is not the case for idols. Super Junior's Leeteuk is supposedly taking some time to do a musical this month. It's based on a war, but he's still doing it while he is in the army.

And now, K-Pop King Rain is being criticized for taking more time off from the military. The way that it was broken down was such:

17 stand-down days
10 unofficial overnight stays
44 official overnight leaves

For a total of 71 vacation days, which averages out to a day off every 4.22 days. And he was only about 300 days into his service.

His agency says he was up recording in the studio and for him to go and come back would be more money. (To this point, I know that recording studios cost a lot by the hour so I can understand.)

Rain has since stopped any outside military activities until his investigation is over.

However, I still don't understand how this is possible since you are supposedly in the service? And how in the world could he even afford that much time off? Don't they make it a little difficult for you to get out in public with all the training and the work?

Source AllKpop

Tuesday, January 1, 2013

Happy New Year from the Fab Filorean

Well, my state has finally caught up to the rest of the world and we welcomed in 2013 just about an hour ago.

Last year was full of excitement. Weddings, possible get togethers, come backs, and hits.

Most notable was Psy's amazing crossover into mainstream pop worldwide. He swept onto the YouTube, iTunes Charts and won awards and
recognition worldwide. He brought more awareness to Korea's tastes.

As we go into 2013, let's hope for more news worthy excitement.

Happy new year to all of you! And thank you for your continued support!

~the Fab Filorean