This month's "My Drama Choices" edition is very spiritual."Secret Garden" and "49 Days" are two of my all-time favourite Korean dramas.
Secret Garden
A very funny and cute love story! I watched this drama some time ago.
The beautiful stuntwoman Gil Ra Im and the arrogant rich Kim Joo Won accidently meet, and Joo Won falls in love with her. But he doesn't admit it at first. They grow closer and in the same time the things become very complicated when they fall under a spell, which make them to swap their bodies.
There are a lot of hilarious moments in this drama. It's very exciting and touching (especially the last episodes!). And the cast is incredible - very good actors and actresses. Hyun Bin is so adorable!
49 Days
This drama is the saddest drama I've watched. Usually, I prefer watching comedies. But "49 Days" is a great drama.
Shin Ji Hyun has everything that a person wants - loving family, good friends and is about to get married to the person, she deeply loves. However, her perfect life is distroyed when she has a car accident. She slips into a coma and is almost dead. Because her time hasn't come yet, she is offered a deal by a reaper, who calls himself scheduler. She has 49 days to make three people outside her family shed sincere tears for her. So, she borrows the body of Yi Kyung, who works at night as a part-time worker.
The plot is very twisted and surprising. And you have to be prepared to shed a lot of tears.
And this is a great cast too. I'm a big fan of Jung Il Woo.
Big
I'm watching "Big" these days. I like it but I don't love it.
Doctor Seo Yoon Jae and the high schooler Kang Gyung Joon get into a car accident. It seems like Kang Gyung Joon is in a comma but actually his spirit is in Seo Yoon Jae's body. It also turns out that Gyung Joon's teacher (who he has a crush on) is Dr Seo's fianceе. Things get more complicated when Ma Ri comes from the USA to look for the one she loves - Gyung Joon.
The cast is great and the idea is fine, and I don't really know why this drama is not exciting at all. Also I think that Ma Ri's role is really suitable for Bae Su Ji, but I like her better in "Dream High". But I like the stylish clothes in this drama.
A couple of days ago I finished reading a manga, called "Strobe Edge" and I really got into it. It's by Io Sakisaka.
The story revolves around the 15-year-old Ninako Kinoshita. She is very clumsy but cute and kind. She doesn't really know what love is. Her friends think that Ninako and her childhood friend Daiki are meant to be. Moreover, Daiki likes her very much. However, Ninako falls in love with the cool Ren Ichinose when she meets him on the train home. He is the most popular boy at school and almost every girl has a crush on him. But Ren is already in a relationship.
Ninako and Ren grow closer but Ninako can't stop loving him. Also there is Ando who falls in love with Ninako and he was Ren's middleschool friend, so the things get more complicated for Ninako.
The story deals not only with Ninako's feelings, but also with the relationships between the other characters.
This manga is absolutely made for teenage girls. Though I'm not a teenager anymore, I like it as well. It's so sweet and heartwarming. If you are a teenager, it may give you some good life lessons - to be true to yourself and to your feelings no matter what. But if you are a grown-up, you can also read it, because it is so cute and touching. And it's really easy to read, if you need to relax.
But if you look for something super clever and filled with deep philosophy ... well, this manga certainly isn't for you. It's very simple and emotional, and more daily life oriented.
Don't let the pink fool you. I'm actually a big rock fan. And H.I.M is my favourite band ever!
I love their music and their lyrics - just like poetry! I also love Ville's voice. The style of the music is unique - how many Love Metal bands do you know?! And actually H.I.M was formed in the year, when I was born.
H.I.M is one of the very few bands, which songs, all of them, I love. Usually I don't like every single song of a band or an artist. That's why, this is the hardest choice of songs to write about.
H.I.M were in my country, but I was 11 years old and I didn't even know who they are. I hope that they will come again.
And I love the covers they make, but I won't talk about them, because they aren't really their songs. Although I like "Wicked Game", "Solitary Man" and "Don't Fear the Reaper" much better in their way.
I'm not including H.I.M's more popular songs like "Join Me", "Poison Girl", "Wings of a Butterfly", etc. - not because I don't like them, but because they are too well known.
The lyrics are inspiring and they always give me a feeling of something. When I write or draw I usually like listening to H.I.M.
By the way, H.I.M have the best album titles ever!
You are the one and there's no regrets at all ...
"You Are the One" is kind of different from the most of H.I.M's songs. It is far more optimistic and it's more like a love song.
In joy and sorrow my home's in your arms ...
A very lovely ballad! "In Joy And Sorrow" is just like a wedding vow.
On the contrary to the beautiful song, the set of the music video doesn't look so pretty. It's actually a very dark basement and maybe, it's beacause this song is a bit darker, no matter how romantic it is. And there's that ghost, as well.
But I don't really get the idea of Ville's jacket inscription. It says "Your pretty face is going to hell". Well, it's cool and gothic but it's not connected to the song.
Beyond redemption ...
":Beyond Redemption" isn't a romantic love song. I like the message it brings, even though it is quite gloomy. And there is one part of the lyrics - "No one's gonna catch you when you fall.", which I've basically turned into my motto.
Love's the funeral of hearts ...
This song has a personal meaning to me. It's the first song by H.I.M that I've heard. It was actually from the commercial for their "Love Metal" album and back then I was a child, and I didn't really like it. However, in high school it became my favourite song and I connect it with some high school memories.
Years later, I still love the song and the band. The lyrics are incredible and in some ways the music video is matching to them. The video itself is some sort of a mixture between fantasy scenes and ancient rituals. And I really love the burning heartagram at the end!
Drunk on shadows and lost in a lie ...
Another great song! Unfortunately, it doesn't have a music video and I couldn't find a live performance at all.
I play dead to hide my heart ...
And again a ballad, but much more darker. Even the title - "Play Dead", is very gloomy.
Your heart under the rose ...
I love "Under the Rose"!!!
Underneath the cyanide sun ...
Yeah! It's another ballad. I rarely like ballads but I love H.I.M's ballads. A very beautiful and sad song.
Passion's killing floor ...
"Passion's Killing Floor" is openly erotic, but it's not vulgar. It just implies on it in a very delicate manner.
The video is from the "Digital Versatile Doom" DVD. It's an amazing live. I love H.I.M's live performances even more than their music videos.
Sleepwalking past hope ...
I love all songs by H.I.M and I don't really want to label a song as "the best", but I think "Sleepwalking Past Hope" can be called the best (at least for now). It is truly a masterpiece. The lyrics are as great as a poem and I love the keyboard part and the guitar solo!
And again the video is from "Digital Versatile Doom" DVD.
Katherine Wheel ...
"Screamworks: Love in Theory and Practice" is very different from their other albums. To be honest, I didn't really like the songs at first, but now I love them. They are very artsy. One of my favourite songs from this album is "Katherine Wheel". I think it really represents the whole album because of the "Love in theory and practice: Chapter one" part.
H.I.M is a great band with great musicians. I love them! I can't wait for the new single in September ("Strange World", a cover, originally by Ke), the new compilation album "XX - Two Decades of Love Metal" and of course, the brand new album "Tears on Tape".
