Word of the Day: Secondary OTP

Secondary OTP aka Secondary One True Pairing n. 1. OTP or One True Pairing refers to the lead romantic couple in a drama, so the Secondary OTP is the romantic relationship between secondary characters in the drama. ex.My feels are out of control for this secondary OTP.

Okay, this situation has happened to all of us. We are dedicatedly watching a drama and about two-thirds of the way through the series we get frustrated with all the stupid roadblocks and misinterpretations and amnesia that the main characters keep running into. When all of a sudden, like a summer breeze a new secondary couple comes together. They are so funny and cute, we could care less about Jandi drowning in the background.

Yi Jung and Ga Eul you both look great... but can someone tell Woo Bin to stop rubbing that white girl in the background.  Woo Bin, she's not cute enough for you!!

 Here are Some of My Favorite Secondary OTPs.

1. Boys Over Flowers: Yi Jung and Ga Eul.
These two were such a popular pairing that even after Boys Over Flowers finished airing they were asked to reprise their roles for a cell phone commercial. It is all we could have hoped for and more. I say that if they ever wrote a sequel to Boys Over Flowers, these two should be the leads. And Woo Bin should get a girlfriend... and some decent plot points. Here is the cell phone commercial.

2. Dream High- Jason & Pil Suk

These two are truly the most adorable couple I've ever seen. I love how Jason calls her Miss Sushi and avoids singing with other girls because he only likes to sing with her. They just like each other so much but somehow keep slipping away from both admitting it at the same time. This is a clip from one of my favorite scenes. Pil Suk is singing with Sam Dong. Watch how Jason looks at her and then at Sam Dong. There is no question, that boy has got it bad.

3. Dream High- Mr. Kang & Miss Shi
Since the romantic love triangle for the main characters in Dream High is such a disappointing jumble, JYP was able to salvage the series by including not one, but two fantastic Secondary OTPs. Mr. Kang starts off the show as a pretty pathetic guy but finds redemption as a man and as a teacher as he puts everything on the line to help further the dreams of his students. Miss Shi is a talented, stern (& slightly scary) teacher who comes to admire and like Mr. Kang.

How can he not realize that she likes him, even after an open-eyed accidental kiss! Really Mr Kang, you should watch more dramas!

Miss Shi, you don't need a flower in your hair to get Mr. Kang to like you, you just need to spell it out in very small words for him. 

4. Protect the Boss- Moon Wan & Na Yoon

 To me, Protect the Boss is a nearly perfect K-drama and a lot of credit goes to wonderful misadventures of Moon Wan and Na Yoon. Na Yoon is a childish emotional train wreck and Moon Wan is a workaholic mamas boy, but somehow are perfect for one another. Ultimately their only problem is how long it will take Na Yoon to grow up so Moon Wan will marry her.

See, look how much she has grown! Moon Wan, if you like it her then you better put a ring on her.

5. Flower Boy Next Door- Dong Hoon & Web Toon's Company Manager

You know it is true love when she is willing to cosign a crazy loan for him and when he is able to see how cute she is beyond her crazy raccoon eyes. I only have one real issue with this couple. Why wasn't she given a name in the drama? In all the credits she is listed as "Web Toon's Company Manager." That can't be the name embellished on their future wedding invitations.

These picture make me want a boyfriend. One that looks like Dong Hoon, if possible.

6. Me Too, Flower! - Park Tae Hwa & Kim Dal
This is the oddest couple on the list. She is a young, beautiful, self absorbed gold digger and he is an old, dowdy psychologist. She worms her way into his life and eventually comes to realize that he sees and accepts her for who she really is. There are much worse things on which to base a relationship.

7. Faith- King Gong Min & Queen In Deok
Usually royalty are the main characters in a drama, that is, unless Lee Min Ho is a time traveling warrior sent to the modern age to retrieve a plastic surgeon for an injured empress. So in the case of Faith, the King and Queen are bumped down to secondary characters.

Before: They are so stiff. They hardly speak or even look at each other.

After: They love each other so much. They really grow to trust one another. 

Those are all of my favorite secondary OTPs. Leave a comment and tell me which ones are yours.

~Autumn

I Hear Your Voice Part 2: Spoilers

Alora did an amazing job last week of describing I Hear Your Voice and explaining why it's one of the best dramas to come out this year. But the thing is, is that Alora watches episodes as soon as they come out and I try to wait until the whole drama is over before I start watching. This means that she is always one or two steps ahead of me. That said, I have a few points to add about I Hear Your Voice, but be warned: All my comments are regarding the last 15 minutes of episode 17. If you haven't finished it yet, do so and then come back. Okay! Let's have some fun!


These are the lessons I learned during the last 15 minutes of episode 17. 


Lesson 1: Call the Police. 

In K-Dramas they never call the police. I am always yelling at them to call the police, but  they hardly ever do. And on the very rare occasions when they do, the police are completely ineffectual. So what a breath of fresh air it was when they actually alerted the police and it turns out that Korean law enforcement are total rock stars!

While Park Soo Ha &  Min Joon Gook are locked in a stand off...

Police and snipers are stealthy surrounding them. And even though they have plenty of opportunity to take out the bad guy, they are apparently not averse to the pageantry of a good stand off. So it is a big surprise when Joon Gook has the pipe blasted out of his hand by an unseen sniper.

Oh no! What to do!! How about smashing him with this wrench?

Nope. The snipers got that too. You know snipers, with your crazy amazing accuracy you could have just shot Joon Gook. Just sayin'.


Lesson 2: Crazed Killers Can Still Dress Well.

As Joon Gook was trying to decide what he should do, I couldn't help but think about how much I like his hat.

I wonder where he got it? Maybe he picked it up at Serial Killer-Mart. You remember that from episode 16.

Yup, there it is.

Lesson 3: It is Kind to Let Main Characters Know That Their Love Interest Was Not Murdered By a Serial Killer. 

It's called common courtesy.

Can someone tell him that she just fainted. And while you're at it, can you tell her that he didn't die!!! Seriously. This lack of communication might be the reason why people in K-dramas prefer to not involve the police.

Lesson 4: Sometimes You Need a Serial Killer to Help Everyone Else Learn to Get Along.

Look at this, the cop, prosecutor and defense attorney are all getting along thanks to a deranged killer. Maybe we could use a few more of those in the world... or not.

Lesson 5: Best. Entrance. Ever!!

Lesson 6: If You Can Read Minds, How Do You Not Repeat What Others Are Thinking All the Time?

Okay, that is a question, not a lesson... but perhaps it should be a lesson for the drama's writers. If I knew what other people were thinking, I'd probably always try to finish their sentences.

Lesson 7: Sometimes Couples Fashion Can go Too Far.

So, I know couples fashion is a big deal in Korea, but matching head wounds is going overboard.

Like Alora, I also loved this drama and highly recommend it... but hopefully you have already watched it since I just spoiled one of the last episodes for you!



What did you learn from watching this series?


~Autumn

EXO Growl

How's the song? 

Oh. My. Gosh. Thank you so much for this SM. You have been having a rough year, in my opinion, music wise. "I Got a Boy" was okay, but not spectacular, and I was disappointed with both "Wolf" and "Rum Pum Pum Pum" as well. The only thing I liked was Super Junior M's "Break Down", but I'm not counting that because it's in Mandarin and the two album's that SHINee put out. Then you released the drama version of "Wolf" after over a month of waiting and that was one of the biggest let downs of the year, and I'm not even being over dramatic here. Then this song came out and I was ready to, once again, cry at an SM song, but instead I am sitting here wondering why I can't buy it on iTunes yet. 

As soon as the song started and there wasn't any howling or strange tree formations, I had hope that this would be a better song and I was right. The beat was awesome and as soon as we hit the chorus I knew that this was in the running for one of my favorite songs to come out in the second half of the year. I know that it's just barely August, but I don't care, I love this song.

Now that EXO has put out their repackage, doesn't that mean that SM is done for the year? That sounds like a stupid question because SM is a freaking machine when it comes to pumping out product, but all of their big names have put out songs in the last year and SM ignores their smaller names without shame, so what is left for them to do? I'm sure they'll figure out something. Maybe they can do something Super Junior T related since Heechul is coming back from the army this month. Make this happen!!!  

How's the video? 

This video was shot on one continuous shot which is a really cool style and it showcases EXO's talents more. I may be wrong, but I think the last time SM did something like this it was for Super Junior's "It's You" drama version video. That was a really cool video, but it was all just SuJu walking around and looking angsty, while this is a dance video.

SM also handled all twelve boys in a good way when it came to shooting them. Instead of having all twelve of them going all the time, we got groups of six until about the two minute mark. I think that was smart because it gave the boys a split second to rest while the others were dancing. It also gave SM more chances to use their 360 degree camera which we all know they are in love with.  

As I was watching the video, I noticed something that I thought was quite impressive. At the 2:15 mark, when all the boys are dancing together, Kai loses his hat when he stands up. He does a smooth dip and spin though and picks the hat up and continues with the dance. This is made even cooler by the fact that this all happened when he was singing his part. I think that seeing a performer reacting to mishaps on stage is really cool if it's done well. Sometimes unexpected things happen and it takes a talented person to fix them in a way that looks like it was suppose to happen.

After seeing Kai's hat incident, I wanted to see if there were any other hat related accidents, and there were. At at the 44 second mark, Tao takes his hat off and on, but his tie gets caught so he has to fix it. Unfortunately this happens during a dark time, so no picture.

This next part isn't a mistake, but it confused me because at the 1:27 mark, Suho has the white hat, but the next time you see him, it has disappeared. I finally realized, while off camera, he tossed it aside. Poor white hat, what did it ever do to you?

 
The only problem that I have with this video is that there are some unnecessary sound effects when the boys do things. These sounds are cool - I guess - but they don't add anything to video, I would even go as far as to say they they detract from the quality of the song.

How's the styling? 

The way that EXO is styled is up there among my favorite ways to style a group. They are all wearing variations on the same outfit so it is unified, but also with a touch of individuality.

Out of all the boys, my favorite version of this outfit is worn by D.O. I like that he is all buttoned up and the bias tape detailing that he has on the jacket. He is also rocking that bow tie. Another member is also wearing a bow tie, but it is small and weird looking.

If D.O. gets the award for best dressed then Suho gets the award for worst dressed. His clothes are just so weird. They are in the same style as all the other members, but he is wearing shorts and he has these strange cuffs and waistband. There is also an arm band and his shirt has these strange gold letters on it. It just doesn't make any sense.

 
Was the dance super amazing?  

The video is a dance video, so yes, the dance is super amazing, or else this video would be a huge waste of time. It is even more impressive because they did it all in one take. Sure, this happens all the time in live performances, but it is cool so see dances as one continuous thing and not all the cuts that are usually in music videos.

My favorite move that they do is during the chorus which makes me wonder if I like the move because of the chorus or visa versa.

Something that happens through almost the whole video is the exchanging of hats. Out of the four, only two switch owners, but it was a fun touch to a very stark video.

 Which member owned it?  

This video was all a very collective effort I feel, so no one really stood out to me. I have somehow managed to figure out who all the members are though, It's taken me a year, but after writing this, I've filled in the holes. That is not to say that I don't have any favorite members though. I kind of like Xiumin because he's adorable and Tao because he has a different look from a lot of other idols.

Xiumin

Tao

  
Did the English make you ears bleed?

There is hardly any English in this video, and that might be a good thing since it is an SM song. I've noticed that SHINee and Super Junior seem to have the most English in their songs and I think that is because there aren't any English as a first language people in those groups, not counting Henry. SM can throw as much English as they want at them because there is no one to refute what they say.


The few English things they do say though are perfect, good job EXO. The only thing I can say is that the song starts out with a "Sexy. So sexy" which makes me roll my eyes a little, but whatever.

What else is happening? 

When you read this, I'll be in Oahu, so anything that happens after Sunday isn't on here. Have a good week!

MIB "Men in Black" - I may or may not have bought this song about two seconds after I heard it.

24K "U R So Cute" - And so is this video. I was hoping for a more shocking reveal a la Airplane's "You're So Pretty" but I liked the song and the cutey boy concept that it put forth.

Pascol "Like" - The song was cute, but the video skirted the realm of a J-pop video, and not in a good way. I'm not sure what I just watched.

San E "Story of Someone I Know" - This song and video are very clever. They actually compliment each other instead of fight. San E is telling a psychiatrist about "his friend" and there is a definite twist at the end.

Queen.J "Dripping" - I would never have known that this was a debut song, she sounds like a seasoned veteran in the ballad genre.

~ Alora 

Quiz: Siwon vs. Go Kyung Pyo

The quiz software requires a name, but I'm not trying to collect any information about you. So how about you list the name of your bias or what your  K-pop name would be. For instance I would put in the name, Lee Jong Sook for my bias or Soo Park Uhl for the name I would use if I were a K-pop star. Or put in your real name. Whatever. I don't care.

Have fun!

~Autumn "Soo Park Uhl"

Can You Tell the Difference between Siwon and Go Kyung Pyo? » online testing

I Hear Your Voice

If I could, I would marry this drama. From start to finish, and even with the added two episodes, it had strong story telling and characters. There was never a moment that I felt the need to jump into my computer and smack some sense into the characters. That is not to say that they didn't have their issues and make mistakes, but they weren't those completely idiotic mistakes that are so prevalent in dramas. The writers even play the amnesia card, which can become such a crutch in dramas in order to draw a story out, but this was used very well.

There is a lot of back story to this drama which the audience is still being given information about until the very end. It begins ten years before the drama even starts when our main character Jung Hye Sung and her frienemy Seo Do Hyun witness a murder, which brings me to this question: why is Kim So Hyun always cast as theses super damaged children? I suppose I can answer my own question by saying "because she's good at it", but seriously, here are the dramas I've seen her in, I Miss You: super damaging and traumatic childhood; this drama: super damaging and traumatic childhood; The Moon that Embraces the Sun: she is kind of evil and her dad sucks, making her a sucky adult; Rooftop Prince: she puts her younger step sister on a truck and watches it drive away as her sister cries and tells her to save her, she then becomes my least favorite female adult in drama history. She always rocks it though and I love her so good job on being a damaged child type actor. Hopefully this doesn't mess her up in the future.

At about the twelfth episode mark this drama got its two episodes extension. Fortunately, these two episodes were used very well and didn't drag the story out unnecessarily. The only main change with the extend is that the story did slow down a little, but not for the worse. It wasn't case after case and attacks from Min Joon Guk anymore, there was a more talking and character building. This also gave the writers a better build up to the end, which was amazing. We also got more of this

which is totally fine by me. I would watch the Hye Sung and Soo Ha show all day long and love every minute of it. They had such an easy relationship and you could see that the actors genuinely liked each other. Some of my favorite scenes were when they were sitting in her house talking and one of them couldn't get something open. The other person would then take the object, open it, and hand it back without either of them missing a beat. It's a small and random thing to like, but it's one of those easy relationship moments that a lot of dramas lack.

Something else that I liked about their relationship is that Soo Ha was so careful with Hye Sung and you could just feel how much he loved her and wanted to take care of her. Especially when he kissed her hand when she was asleep for reasons that I will not disclose here because that would ruin A LOT of things. Just know, that it will make you go "aww" and then "aww" again.

While watching their romance unfold, I would occasionally think about the romance in Flower Boy Ramyun Shop because these couples have about the same age gap. Where Ramyun Shop had a lot of sexual tension and you were just waiting for the moment that Cha Chi Soo and Eun Bi confessed their feelings and then commence to kiss the crap out of each other, that was definitely not something that I expected, or wanted, from this drama. I think is what makes their final kiss so endearing to the audience. It was cute and romantic all at the same time and it was wonderful.

One of my other favorite characters was our bad guy Min Joon Guk. He was so creepy and played his part so well that he just made your skin crawl whenever he was on the screen. The other reason that I liked him is because he does end up becoming a tragic villain, which is the best kind of villain in my opinion. About half way through the drama, he started to form layers and by the end, while he is still evil and deserves to be punished, you understand him a little better and feel bad for him.

Doesn't this picture make you want to feel bad for him?

 
A theme that was played with during the end of the drama is whether or not a person can be turned onto a beast based on their surroundings. It was very White Christmas in that way, which I recently watched and quite enjoyed. I think that this drama dealt with it better though because it was clearer than White Christmas, which got a little confusing at times.

Another theme that this drama used is what is the definition of truth. I think that it would be obvious that this idea would be dealt with because we are watching a drama where almost all of the characters work at a law office. The issue of truth is brought up early in the drama when Soo Ha asks Hye Sung "doesn't truth win in the court room?" to which she replies that that statement is backwards and that "what wins in the court is truth." As sad as it is, there is a lot of truth in that statement which out characters come to learn as they get deeper into their jobs and personal issues. They also learn that truth isn't as obvious as we would like to think and it takes a brave person to be able to look at the truth and accept it.

This drama does deal with a lot of dark things so, luckily for us, there were lighthearted moments sprinkled through apart from the interactions between our main couple. There was the moment that Soo Ha realized that the woman that he had loved for ten years was a dirty, jaded lawyer

 
The scene where Oska Lawyer Cha and Hye Sung went "undercover" at Soo Ha's high school

And any time these two were on the screen together. I hope that someday Choong Ki can take his foot out of his mouth and then they can have a beautiful, if slightly angry, relationship.

So, should you watch this drama? Yes, a million times yes. It is wonderful and will have you feeling all the feels by the end and then, when it leaves, you will beg it to stay and give you more. I will now leave you with the very adorable Soo Ha, have a good weekend!

What else am I watching? 

Cruel Palace: War of the Flowers - Something that I don't like about sageuks is all the torture, especially in a solely sageuk sageuk. I'm glad we don't do that any more.


School 2013 - This is wonderful! It's right up my alley with the teaching angle and the bromance in absolutely heartwarming. I'm just sad that the teachers aren't going to get together. 

Who are You? - This drama is like Spellbound in the sense that it mixes the romance with horror, so I'm excited to see where this goes. I am not excited to watch Taec though, thus far his acting has not impressed me and has made me cringe a little.