My life as a fangirl: Big Bang M.A.D.E series - M

So after a long hiatus of about 3 years since they released an album. Big Bang is back with a series of songs to drop in the coming months. They call their album the M.A.D.E. series and this is the first of 4 before they drop the full album on September. Pretty clever. I thought that I was a retired fangirl but boy I was wrong. I still have the habit of staying up at midnight just to get a first glimpse of their new MVs.

For the M part of M.A.D.E. 2 songs are dropped. Loser and Bae Bae. Honestly, I have a rather negative rant over that mainstream endearment Bae. But being the fan that I am, I am giving the song a chance despite me not liking its title.

Loser - is sort of a soulful ballad which showcases Bae (Taeyang), Ri (Seungri) and Dae 's (Daesung) amazing vocals. Add up Jiyong (GD) and Tabi's (TOP) rapping skills and you have Loser. I like the melody and the flow of the song. Plus seeing all of them seriously act and cry is a treat for me.

Bae Bae - So I made a premature judgement because of the fact that I didn't like the title but this song is catchy as hell. Before this MV was released there was news somewhere that this is banned from Korea due to being explicit. Upon watching this music video, all I can say is at first glance its just a harmless fun video but reading between the lines? Dirty....if you have a dirty mind. HAHAHAHA! I love how they are just having fun here and that all of them have partners rather for all of them pinning after the same girl. The most shocking part? Seungri. Seungri will be this album's bias-wrecker. And my panda girl sister would have to swat all of them off. HAHAHAHA!

Plus the fact that they're having their Manila concert again in July after 3 years.

OH. MY. GHAD. *fangirl scream*

KDrama: Bel Ami

Title: Bel Ami

Country: South Korea

Episodes: 16

Broadcast Network: KBS

Genre: Romance, Comedy, Family, Melodrama

Topbilled by: Jang Geun Suk, IU, Lee Jang Woo, Han Chae Young

Synopsis:

Dok Go Ma Te is a macho with an impeccable appearance who has shaken up ten of the top 1% it-girls in South Korea. He is about to share some tips on ‘how to get a girl’. Among his women, there is an ordinary girl who falls in love with Ma Te and her name is Kim Bo Tong. The story becomes more interesting when Bo Tong starts to do things to win his heart and the unpredictable romance finally starts

Hikaru says:
I watched this drama because my sister told me before that she watched this so I was curious. I am clearly divided regarding this drama. It was nice to see Chae Young once again after so long and of course Geun Suk but IU is just okay I guess. Jang Woo even has a cute personality but there is something about this drama that is weird and disconnected...but I finished it anyway.

KDrama: Pinocchio

Title: Pinocchio

Country: South Korea

Episodes: 20

Broadcast Network: SBS

Genre: Fantasy, Romance, Family

Topbilled by: Lee Jong Suk, Park Shin Hye, Kim Young Kwang, Lee Yoo Bi

Synopsis:

A drama depicts love, frustration, growth and the competitive process of young people in their 20s becoming reporters as they cry and get hurt by truth but realize that as reporters, they must tell the truth. It will center the story of a man who hides a special talent living under a fake name and a woman who cannot lie due to ‘Pinocchio Syndrome’.

The story starts with a fire incident and all the firemen who entered the building in the blaze were killed by the fire. The fire incident news report was focused on the story of Kim Ha Myung's father, chief of the fire brigade sent his men in the blaze and caused them all to die and then he fled the scene as an error of his misjudgement as reported by the news reporter, Song Cha Ok. This caused a chaotic situation for Ha Myung's family and end up causing his mother to commit suicide with him and his brother ends up in jail over night due to Song Cha Ok's untruth story. However, the led to Ha Myung growing up with hatred for reporters especially Cha Ok. Fatefully, as he is growing up he meets with Cha Ok's ex-husband and daughter, Choi In Ha and takes on a new identity as Choi Dal Po. In Ha is someone with Pinocchio Syndrome hence she cannot lie.

Hikaru says:
It would be fun if in the real world there would be such a thing as the 'Pinocchio syndrome'. That would be a tragedy for the person who has it but at the same time a very interesting syndrome. I don't see any chemistry between Shin Hye and Jong Suk. Both are very good actors and they made me believe that their chemistry is real. About it being natural? Well, I didn't feel the same way as the other beloved dramas (Winter Sonata, Secret Garden, Rooftop Prince, Master's Sun, YWCFTS and the like) but their acting was undoubtedly of a high standard. I applaud the writers and even the powerhouse cast for this drama but as for the OST? No song stuck to me which is weird.

KDrama: My Secret Hotel

Title: My Secret Hotel

Country: South Korea

Episodes: 16

Broadcast Network: tvN

Genre: Romance, Comedy

Topbilled by: Yoo In Na, Jin Yi Han, Nam Goong Min

Synopsis:

Nam Sang Hyo (Yoo In Na) and Goo Hae Young (Jin Yi Han) are a divorced couple. They meet again after seven years when Sang Hyo, a hotel wedding planning manager, has to plan Goo Hae Young's second wedding. Things get complicated when they get sucked into a murder case in the hotel.

Hikaru says:
The plot was promising and it made me curious to come back for more. I can even see Yi Han and Yoo Na's chemistry as a couple in this drama. I even appreciate that tvN despite being a cable channel is now at par with the mainstream channels in Korea. BUT what I didn't see, and this much I wished it didn't happen, is that this drama lost its capability almost half of the series. I don't know if its because of the switching of writers in the middle but I was really disappointed. In Na's character became so whiny and indecisive that I wanted to stop watching then and there. The plot suddenly sidetracked and lost its focus from the mystery of the murders and the hotel. I understand that this is a rom-com and that the focus could be because of the two leads but there were so many questions in my head that it really became too confusing. I finished watching this series for the sake of completing it and partly because I wanted to know who did In Na's character end up with.

KDrama: It's Okay, It's Love

Title: It's Okay, That's Love

Country: South Korea

Episodes: 16
Broadcast Network: SBS

Genre: Romance, Medical, Melodrama, Comedy

Topbilled by: Jo In Sung, Gong Hyo Jin, Sung Dong Il, Lee Kwang Soo

Synopsis:

Jang Jae Yul (Jo In Sung) is a mystery writer and radio DJ. He suffers from a obsession. He then meets a psychiatrist named Ji Hae Soo. Ji Hae Soo (Gong Hyo Jin) is going through her first year fellowship in psychiatry at a University Hospital. She chose psychiatry because she doesn't want to perform surgeries. After she meets Jang Jae Yul, her life goes through big changes. They end up becoming home-mates and things turn romantic.

Hikaru says:
Despite the fact that yes, I still cherish Gong Hyo Jin and So Ji Sub's chemistry from 'Master's Sun' (oh, by the way...Jo In Sung once already acted with So Ji Sub in a drama starring Ha Ji Won but that is another story) I couldn't deny the obvious chemistry these two have. Sometimes I even wonder if there's something going on....that good. Hyo Jin plays a psychiatrist who boards with another psychiatrist (Don Il from the Reply series, well...as I know him there) and Kwang Soo her friend and patient. Well, since this is a rom-com eventually their paths crossed in the most "unexpected way". There were times where I was cringing by the way In Sung's character gazes at Hyo Jin but that's just me. The premise was good and I utterly enjoyed watching this drama.

KDrama: Fated To Love You

Title: Fated to Love You

Country: South Korea

Episodes: 20
Broadcast Network: MBC

Genre: Romance, Comedy

Topbilled by: Jang Hyuk, Jang Nara, Choi Jin Hyuk, Wang Ji Won

Synopsis:

A chaebol heir, Lee Gun (Jang Hyuk), and a "post-it" girl, Kim Min Young (Jang Na Ra), are forced to marry after their drunken one night stand resulting to an unexpected pregnancy.

Hikaru says:

This is the second drama in 2014 which stars a reunion between two stars that worked together all those years ago, Hotel King being the first one. The two Jangs stars in a remake of a popular taiwanese drama, which I love. Originally, I have qualms in anything that has been remade since I don't know if I would love it as much as I loved the original drama. But this proved me wrong. Both of them have this amazing chemistry that I even forget this is a remake. The way they played the story out was amazing. The writers thought of it so perfectly without even compromising the core essence of the drama. I hope that the two Jangs would have a drama together again soon, a melo perhaps. And I also want to see Choi Jin Hyuk and Wang Ji Won act together in a drama as partners, I can see their chemistry.

Couch potatoooooooooooooooo.....

KDrama: Hotel King

Title: Hotel King

Country: South Korea

Episodes: 32
Broadcast Network: MBC

Genre: Melodrama, Romance

Topbilled by: Lee Dong Wook, Lee Da Hae, Im Seulong, Lee Dok Hwa, Kim Hae Sook

Synopsis:
A love story between an heiress who tries to save her father’s legacy, the one and only seven-star hotel in the nation and the hotel manager who becomes an enemy to his own father who abandoned him in order to help the heiress.

Hikaru says:

It's been almost a decade since My Girl a drama in which Dong Wook and Da Hae starred together. Their characters in Hotel King are in contrast of what they were last time and I think this mature side of them is the most interesting. They still have the chemistry and so much more. I loved the drama despite being long, well it is a melo. The story is about revenge, deceit and love. Dong Wook portrays a power hungry hotel general manager who is in a leash by the hotel vice chairman. Da Hae portrays a spoiled hotel heiress whose character evolves into a responsible chairman. I loved how all the characters evolved till the end.

Still a weekend couch potato...

KDrama: Empress Ki

Title: Empress Ki

Country: South Korea

Episodes: 51
Broadcast Network: MBC

Genre: Historical (Saeguk)

Topbilled by: Ha Ji Won, Joo Jin Mo, Ji Chang Wook, Jin Yi Han

Synopsis:
A romance historic drama depicting the love and battle of a woman from Goryeo who becomes a powerful Empress of the Yuan Empire.

Hikaru says:

Despite the fact that this series features Ha Ji Won, an actress whom I love, I have this silent affinity with saeguk dramas. They may be long and exhausting, the stories are very interesting. This particular drama is about a girl who rose up, defeated all odds, camouflaged as a man, entered the palace and took revenge on all the people that made her family miserable. This is a story of a woman in the middle of a war between Koryo and Yuan. She must choose where her loyalty lies: to her people or to the enemy which she is trusted. Ji Won once again proved herself to be a versatile actress depicting all those emotions. What I loved about it is her strong character, it reminds me of Mulan. And of course, among all the male characters, I loved Taltal the most.

The woes of a resident couch potato: what would I watch next?

KDrama: I Hear Your Voice

Title: I Hear Your Voice

Country: South Korea

Episodes: 18
Broadcast Network: SBS

Genre: Courtroom, Romance

Topbilled by: Lee Bo Young, Lee Jong Suk, Yoon Sang Hyuk, Lee Da Hee

Synopsis:
A thriller courtroom drama with fantasy and romantic comedy elements. It will depict the story of Jang Hye Sung (Lee Bo Young), a bold, sassy, thick-faced, comical, and materialistic public defender who becomes a lawyer after overcoming poverty and painful memories from her childhood, comes to realizations about society and justice after meeting Park Soo Ha (Lee Jong Suk), a 19-year-old boy who reads other people’s thoughts and Cha Kwan Woo (Yoon Sang Hyun), an innocent lawyer who lives a disciplined life. Jang Hye Sung is actually Soo Ha's first love after she gave a decisive testimony on his father's murder case 10 years ago and Soo Ha promised to protect her from the killer's threats. Meanwhile, Cha Kwan Woo is Jang Hye Sung's fellow lawyer who is a cheerful and idealistic former cop even though his character a bit slow, he is nice and pleasant with a firm idea of his principles and justice. Together they will team up to to find the justice in the courtroom and solve the toughest cases with less than 1% chance of winning.

Hikaru says:

I'm quite doubtful in a noona-doengsaeng romance. So when I started this drama, I had questions on how they would pull this off. Sure enough, Lee Bo Young and Lee Jong Suk had chemistry, not oozing with it but at least they had. I love watching the drama because they incorporated courtroom and the thriller plot into the story line. Especially the villain! Min Joon Gook, you heartless beast. Oh, how I love to wring my hands onto his neck, he's that good. Not to the level of King2Hearts' Kim Bong Gu coldness but still he made the drama worth watching. And I loved how Yoon San Hyuk and Lee Jong Suk once again acted in the same drama. The last time was in Secret Garden where they played a  singer and a young infatuated composer.

So what will I watch next?