Kdrama Review: W

Drama: W

Genre: Romantic suspense
Starring: Lee Jong Suk, Han Hyo Joo, 
Rating: ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤


Oh my word you guys! These dramas. I'm just.. I don't know. They are so much fun and so crazy!

Again, I went into this one thinking it was one thing but having it turn out to be something else. I had no idea what the premise was except that the two main characters live in different worlds. But let me just explain. This idea is so cool!

Especially for writers/authors... so listen up all you writer types!!

So we have this guy who is the author of a very famous webtoon called W.  One day he disappears for a time. His daughter comes to the studio to try to see what's up. She is looking at his computer where he draws the comic and suddenly, out reaches a hand and pulls her in!

She finds herself now in the world of the comic, where the main character is dying. Since she is a doctor in training, she saves him of course. The episode of the comic ends and BAM, she is suddenly back in the real world. She looks at the computer again and there on the screen is everything drawn out that just happened. She is now a character in the comic!

Kang Cheol as the main character of the comic series: W

And so it goes. Her father comes back because he too has suddenly been sucked into his comic world. And they discuss this but have no idea what's going on. Thought in reality, the dad has some idea. He's just not going to reveal. She continues to get brought into that world whenever the main dude (Kang Cheol is his name) thinks about her or needs her. Which, as it goes, turns out to be a lot!

He starts to get a clue something strange is going on and basically forces her to tell him the truth. When that happens, his comic world comes to a grinding halt. He is so fuming mad and he wants revenge. So what does he do? He comes into the real world, seeks out the author and nearly kills him!

So, authors, what if your main character comes to find you for revenge for all the crappy and sucky things you've put them through? Would they be wanting to kill you? This main character is furious! But then he calms down, and realizes he probably shouldn't kill the father of the girl he loves.

Because of course that love story... so intense! Oh boy! Can I just say, he is just....so dang cute!

One of my favorite scenes when he is reading up on
how to be romantic.
Oh what the heck, you can just watch it:

But then, things get even more complicated and there's the problem with the villain. Or the real culprit they call him. Who is he? And he is also mad because he too finds out what's going and demands to know why he's never been named or given a face!!! Guys! Villains have feelings too! :)

It's so good. I can't even describe.

Once again I thought it was going to be a cute love story, but it turned out to be one of the more intense and suspenseful dramas I've seen.

And yes, there's that fantasy element going on that makes things a bit cheesy and sometimes unbelievable, but I loved it and thought it was the best idea ever. What would happen if the world and the characters you create come alive and begin to interact with your world? What if? The thought is just so cool and scary!

Anyway. Another one to mark down as awesome. Another actor dude to add to the love list. And on it goes.

I can't find a good trailer, but this is an awesome montage:

Book Review Thoughts: Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

Book: Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
Genre: Classic Horror
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

We've been looking forward to this book at book club for nearly two years. I can't believe it finally came! I love introducing this book to people because most have no idea what the story really is.  I can't even remember when I read it before, but I remember loving it, or at least being surprised by how different it was from all the movie portrayals. And it's fun to see everyone have the same awakening! Of sorts.

So as you may or may not know, this story is about a young man (we tend to think of him as old, but he's actually very very young) who gets this brilliant idea to create life. He studies and works hard and experiments and then one day after all this passion put into the project, he succeeds.

Now here's the thing that struck me this time around. As soon as he succeeds, he is appalled. Like, what was he expecting exactly? Frankenstein! Dude!!! What were you thinking?????

So he's so disgusted with his creation that he runs away and hides and leaves the poor monster to fend for himself. Guys, I really really don't like how our Victor handles himself in this book. He is such a pansy. Ugh. Either I forgot this or I didn't think about it before but man. He is so annoying!

And so our monster lives in the wild and learns stuff because dang, he is one smart cookie! He realizes his appearance (which truly is not really described so why is he portrayed the way he is in all the movies? Anyone? Anyone?) freaks people out so he hides from society and observes them instead. He attaches himself to one family in particular and learns to talk and read from watching them. He loves them and wants to be part of their lives. He thinks he can make this happen. But... alas... it is not to be. When he reveals himself, they freak out like everyone else.

It's then that he loses it and sort of becomes the monster we think of him as. But still, not really. He's just so angsty and sad and needy and.... he just wants a family! And he goes back to Victor and begs for one. Victor tries but fails (well, he quits actually)  and then the monster gets revenge.

And the fight is on.

Though the end is really quite unsatisfying. Sigh. I don't know what I would have liked better, but it's just quite anticlimactic.

Anyway. The story is a good one and quite fascinating when you look it all in a philosophical and psychological way. What makes someone human? And what sort of responsibility does one have for ones creations? There really is a lot to think about.

It was fun to revisit this one and I look forward to discussing it tonight at book club!

A Lovely Blog..... Or Not

I was tagged for this by Kara from Flowers of Quiet Happiness awhile back but I didn't know it until the other day since I've been pretty scarce with the blogging and blog reading these days. Anyway, it's one of those "list interesting stuff about yourself" things and I'm wondering if I can come up with anything more interesting about myself that you haven't heard a thousand times already.



1. I accomplished a pretty big bucket item list this past month when I traveled to and from Illinois (total of 22 hours driving each way) by myself. I learned several things:

• I enjoy driving alone which allows me to blast the music as loud as I want...which I did and was in heaven. I'm a serious addict to loud music. I wonder where this came from. Even at the end of a 12 hour drive I was sad to have to be done with the music. 
• I enjoy staying in a hotel room alone, well, at least for a night. My guess this would get old after awhile. 
• I don't enjoy eating alone, even going down to the hotel's breakfast made me anxious. And I refuse to even go into a fast food joint and sit there and eat alone. Drive throughs and eating in the car or hotel is how I survived this part.
• I love seeing the country. It's big and beautiful and amazing. I've decided I don't even think Wyoming and Nebraska are boring anymore. They are both amazing. :)

2. I like doing laundry and folding clothes but I hate mopping floors and cleaning anything in the bathroom.

3.We're planning a trip for fall break to visit my sister and meet her friend that does our kpop channel with us....who we've never met IRL. Pretty excited about this. If you watch the channel you'll get to see us all meet for the first time 'cause you know we'll be filming it!

4. Last year at this time I had no knowledge about Korea's pop culture... or no desire to go there....this year it's all I can think about how fun it would be to go there and see... stuff and things and people. It's weird how a year can go by and life and can be so different. It sort of gives my brain whiplash.

5. I'm told my computer is ancient and that I need a new one. I'll ponder this for now and maybe act on it eventually. This is something about me, right? That it takes awhile for me to upgrade my devices. Or even to get them in the first place.

6. We don't watch normal TV much, but we just got a dish on our roof and are now Dish Network people. (They did a sweep through the neighborhood and either everyone was ready for a change or the dude selling it was especially charismatic, because he's been quite successful in his efforts! ) Anyway, I find this funny. But the cool thing is that when we DO want to watch regular TV we can do it on our tablets, which seems to be the way to watch TV lately at our house.

7. Well, this list has turned into more of a random thought list than a something about me list. Seriously. You know everything. I'm not even kidding. What does this say about me? Something I'm thinking.


All my bloggin' buddies have pretty much been tagged, but if you haven't and want to make your list, jump in and let me know so I can come and comment.

Book Review Thoughts: The Immortal Throne by Bree Despain

Book: The Immortal Throne by Bree Despain
Genre: YA Fantasy
Rating:★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

I was slayed when the second book in this series ended WAY TOO SOON and so I've been quite looking forward to this the third book. (Is it the last book? I mean, I thought it was but then there is one tiny little thing left not quite figured out which makes me think that it could be the end, yet there is a thread left just in case....but it does say trilogy, so....)

We pick up pretty much right were we left off... all of our main characters are in major dire straits. One has been captured and is stuck in a forgetting chair. One has been struck with a love dart that will kill him unless he has a kiss from his true love. And that true love is now been forced to pair off with the bad boy (who comes out of totally left field) to be the queen of the underworld!

How the HECK are they all going to get out of this mess? Well, of course they figure it out... not without help from unlikely places, which is awesome. And things get pretty much worse before they get better, as they always do.

But that all keeps one turning the pages and it was awesome. It only took me a couple of days to read this book! Guys! That's like... me from back in the old days!

I loved the tie in to all the mythology with this series. A great take on everything. I loved the main characters. Though I must admit that I liked them better in the first book when we were getting to know them and they were getting to know each other. I missed the romance. I mean there was a little but not much. Too many other life and death things to worry about! But I also enjoyed getting to know some of the new characters better. And the end was just... pretty much perfect this time.

Bottom Line: Read it if you are at all interested in a fun modern take on mythology stories.

Other Reviews:

Ms. Despain does a tremendous job utilizing Greek mythology as the basis for her story all the while adding her own spin to create something fresh and exciting. From That's What She Read

The Immortal Throne is an incredibly fantastic read that was everything I could have hoped for and more! I loved seeing where all the characters ended, both good and bad. It's the most perfectly right way to end an amazing series! From A Great Read

This tribute to the Greek myth of Persephone and Hades comes to an action-packed conclusion as Haden and Daphne struggle against the seemingly endless barriers to their romance. From RT Book Reviews

The Nanowrimo Dilemma

So I've done this fun writing event called Nanowrimo for three years in a row. I finished the first book, and only half finished the other two. That makes me so sad. I loved writing those stories! I wonder if I'll ever get back to them.

But the dilemma, and I bet you can guess it. Should I do it this year? It's like coming up in mere weeks! But, as you know, I'm not feeling the writing thing like I have the past three years, but yeah, this truly might get me going again.

But, I just don't know.

Is there anyone out there reading this that is going to do it this year? Like TRULY do it? Like really commit to it? Because if I have buddies, ones that will chat with me and share pieces with me and moan with me, then maybe... maybe... I'll try it again.

If I'm on my own, I don't think I have it in me.

And then there's the question of what I'd write. All my ideas sound so lame right now. The only thing I want to do is write kdrama fan fiction, which is just...silly. Or write the book I wish Kill the Boy Band would have been...so also a sort of fan ficiton... which, yeah,  cracks me up.

What is fan fiction anyway? Taking someone else's story and messing with it to make it your own? But it's different than a retelling, right? You use their characters?  You use their world? The plot is pretty much the same, but you change up the characters? I don't know!!!

Really, how would you define this?

Because maybe, if I don't have to think up all my own stuff, I can try it.

Maybe.

So... fan fiction, with a buddy or two...can this happen?

Kdrama Review: Heirs

Drama: Heirs

Genre: Romantic drama
Starring: Lee Min Ho, Kim Woo Bin, Park Shin Hye
Rating: ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ 


Here's a drama that aired a few years ago and was massively popular as it stars one of Korean's biggest names, Lee Min Ho... and he has recently finished that hugely successful drama called Boys Over Flowers and everyone was dying to see what he'd do next.

I've been anxious to finally watch this one since everyone talks about it almost as much as Boys Over Flowers and I needed to be in the know. And also, it stars the guy who starred in the drama I just barely finished... Kim Woo Bin.... and to see these two together I knew would probably kill me.

Min Ho on the left and Woo Bin on the right.
It is just me or are they beautiful? 

So it's the typical story with all the major themes popular in these drama. You'd think I'd get tired of these themes, yes? But no. The actors make it all new and awesome every single time. Our main guy is a rich boy who has been banished to America because he's illegitimate and his older half brother is worried he'll end up taking everything away from him. Though, our boy (his name is Kim Tan) really doesn't have much interest in that and only wants his brother's love.

The first few episodes are filmed in California, in Hollywood and Santa Monica and etc. It was strange to see this, but especially strange to hear Lee Min Ho trying to speak English! Ah! You'd think he'd be cute doing this but he is just corny! His Korean flows from his mouth in this beautiful poetic sounding wave, but English? Um nope. I was so glad when they all went back to Korea so he didn't have to pretend to know it anymore! LOL! Poor guy.


LOL! It cracks me up. He still dang cute though.


But while in America, this girl comes to find her sister. And he, Kim Tan, ends up rescuing her sort of. And he falls fast for her. So when they go back to Korea isn't it crazy that she ends up being the daughter of his mom's maid? And ends up living in his mansion? Yes! It's crazy! And he freaks out!

And then, she ends up going to his same high school because his dad thinks that's the best way to make her decide she should get away from him. But this backfires in a big way and they just continue to fall in love.


Sappy love song scenes which are awesome.


Meanwhile, he has a friend who hates him (and we learn why as the back story unfolds) so they fight like all the time, and that gets WAY worse when he, the friend, decides he too loves this girl. TRIANGLE!

There are many side characters who I also loved, especially this couple played by kpop stars Kang Min Hyuk from CNBlue and Krystal from F(x). And VIXX and Heechul from Super Junior even had appearances. (Heechul was awesome by the way! So funny!

Krystal with Min Hyuk.
His smile. Dang.
And do you want to see him drumming? I did,  so here's a  link.

There's too much going on here to sum up any more. So much detail and crazy stuff and side stories and great characters. But that is the gist of it. And yes, like I said, the same old themes, but you know, I continue to love it anyway. One of the episodes hit me so hard that I pretty much sobbed through the whole thing. I think it was all the mom stories. Sheesh, mom stories get me! These boys LOVE their moms and I LOVE that they do!

Kim Woo Bin's character with his mom.
He kills me.

Another thing I loved about this one was Kim Tan's characcter. I mean, he seriously was a GOOD guy in this one. He said what he meant and explained himself and cleared up all the misunderstandings fast and didn't get talked into anything stupid by all the crazy people around him. I mean, he just does what he feels is right and sticks with it and he's just so freaking nice and romantic and sweet and lovable and.... yes tortured! :) Of course I'm going to love him!

Kim Tan, illegitimate heir to billions!

And a trailer:






And with that, I think I only have one more Lee Min Ho drama to catch up on. Now that's sad. Good thing he is currently making another one!!!!