Gah, why am I writing about The Drama Which Shall Henceforth Never Be Mentioned. Oh yes, because MBC just released the most apropos and hilariously adorable picture of Kim Bum about to commit seppuku on the set of GoF. My first thought was (1) you’re too beautiful to die so young!, and my second thought was (2) oh, but at least you’ll be put out of your misery of acting in this shiteous drama. Ottoke, whichever option shall I root for? Probably the first, sigh, because he really is the only reason I cannot help but check out this drama every Mon-Tues like clockwork orange. So what happened in the last two episodes? Everyone finds out Tae Pyung is really Jung Yi, she’s kicked out and then allowed back, her kiln is sabotaged when she’s trying to make a birthday vase for the Consort and in the explosion she goes blind, Tae Do takes her away because that place is just wack, Gwanghaegun yells at everyone (the potters for not protecting Jung Yi, Tae Do for not getting out of his way so he can storm to confront Jung Yi, and Jung Yi for daring to go blind and leaving his sight – seriously, DA FUCK IS THIS ASSHOLE’S PROBLEM?). In the end, blind Jung Yi makes a simple vase for the Consort but loses out to Yook Do’s more ornate one, and as promised she leaves the pottery department. Oh thank god, for however long this lasts. She does decide that pottery is her love and calling, and she’s not doing this for her dead dad anymore. The most fascinating developments in this episode involve Jung Yi going blind and suddenly developing a modicum of maturity so I don’t want to slap her upside the head, and the fact that Tae Do takes care of her and she tells her orabeoni that her vow to him is that if he’s ever injured, she will always take care of him and be by his side. Clearly this was a Very Important Statement because of the way the drama framed it in beautiful colors of sunset, and because I know that Jung Yi picks Tae Do in the end so obviously my boy is going to get maimed or some shit like that and ergo Jung Yi finally realizes her orabeoni needs and wants only her and she chooses him over the moron who yells all the time because he can. Read on for some pretty pretty pictures of Tae Do, and perhaps join in in the snark, because it’s more fun to do it with kindred spirits.
Did anyone cheer as loud as me when Jung Yi got blinded? Because I was hooting and hollering and praying that meant the end of her so-called pottery career. Because she is a terribly myopic human being and needs to first learn to live in society before trying to accomplish a life long goal of some sort. But then orabeoni was so sad she was hurt, so that made me sad. A little.
I have to voice an observation that has been bothering me for episodes now. Moon Geun Young has a very slight cross-eye that has never bothered me before and she actually doesn’t show when she acts. From Painter of the Wind to Cinderella Unni to Mary Stayed Out All Night, it was completely unobtrusive. It popped up here and there very rarely in Cheongdamdong Alice, but here in GoF its something that is totally distracting. She’s an amazing actress IMO and I wonder what the heck the PD is telling her to do, because she constantly looks constipated like she’s trying too hard and thinking too much. I blame the lame PD and the horribly written character, because in the hands of a lesser actress this show would be cut short and put out of its misery already. Let’s not even talk about Lee Sang Yoon playing a character that is just a giant douchebag. And while Kim Bum flits in and out of the scenes because he barely has any and doesn’t even show the intensity he did in his early episodes when he probably still had hope the drama might be good, at least his character remains sane, consistent, and totally the sole mature human being in this story.
Don’t look so thwarted, Gwanghaegun. You have a country you could be angling to run, i.e. you have better things to do with your time then constantly dawdling around Jung Yi. I could totally get why Lee Soon (i.e. King Sukjong) in Jang Ok Jung, Live in Love, was madly crazy utterly in love with Jang Ok Jung. “The sky has fallen for you.” Ugh, so romantic and intense (and such a painful memory because the first 8 episodes of that drama was complete and utter PERFECTION before it went insane). The moment Lee Soon laid eyes on Ok Jung it was over for him – early in that drama Ok Jung was amazing, beautiful beyond compare, whip smart, and totally funny and clever. Here? Jung Yi is about as attractive and interesting as a piece of turd left behind by a particularly overfed rhino. I think its Tae Do’s burden to love Jung Yi, kinda like he owes her. But Gwanghaegun? I. Do. Not. Get. Move on, dude.
Tae Do-Jung Yi-Gwanghaegun cut from Episode 18:
This moment? Best cockblock EVER. Here I thought Tae Do was just going to be the silent wallflower protector orabeoni. Thank god he shows a measure of passion. I can watch this gif over and over again. LOVE.
I know it ,also i am becoming mad with this drama ! 🙁
Blind heroine = Best thing which could happen to her. Now she’s forced to be an adult BUT also forced to listen to the good persons who care for her.
As for the male lead of this drama, I can tolerate him when he is funny but when he becomes a cold arrogant a$$, I want to slap him.
Is this writer watching telenovelas(soap operas) in Spanish? Because I have seen that happened in several telenovelas when the protagonists goes blind.
This was one of the most anticipated drama that I could not wait to see, the cast look good, the story looked interesting, but the writing is horrible.
I also think MGY is a great actress. I didn’t notice that eye movement that she does in any of the dramas that I have watched from her.
Maybe she is just too nervous for this drama, or maybe it’s pressure.
I think MGY is a good actress, but not great. I feel kinda bad people criticize her and said her acting in GOF is not good. They think she isn’t fit to play this role. I’m just telling what I heard from what other people said,…not coming from my opinion.
MGY is an Awesome actress, but Jung Yi’s character is poorly written and a Horrible PD so not a great performance but still good, this last episode (18) Was a step-forward to Jung-Yi and MGY performance. Have you seen ‘Painter of the Wind’? Well with this performance she won me! Hands down for MGY she’s one of the best gender-bender actresses of all time!!! and one of the best in Korea!!
@Mell
Like I said, she is a good actress. Yes, I’ve seen Painter of the Wind, but I just don’t think she’s awesome.
@Mell
Even though MGY is always the leading actress, has good acting skills, and won many trophies, she is still not as famous as Kim Bum, who is a good actor also.
Athough Kim Bum is the second lead, a lot of people have said that he is a good actor. He received praise from critics and the audience for his good acting skills in padam padam, that winter, and the gifted hands. They were impressed by his facial expressions, emotions, body language, and portrayal of diverse roles.
@Mell
MGY’s dramas are popular around Asia. However, for Kim Bum’s drama Boys Over Flowers, besides Asian countries, this big hit drama is broadcasted in many other countries around the world. These include Israel, Romania, Turkey, North Africa, the Middle East, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and South American countries. Unlike MGY, Kim Bum has international fans, so obviously he is more famous.
Wow! Thank you for posting this…
Total yawnfest. Stopped watching a long time ago. Can only read yr recaps. ..
Why are you writing about this drama?? Because your pain is my/our comic relief! So thanks a whole bunch, your sacrifice is a noble one 😉
I am mad at this drama. I hate this drama. thank you again for writing this Ms. Koala. Again, I love you. It’s good there’s a soompi thread where i can spazz on geunbum couple. yay!
Thanks for the laughs, ms koala. I have no idea about the drama at all but it was still funny to read this piece. I wish you would write about yong junhyung though. I miss him despite stalking him! :p
I second that. 🙂
Haha. You would! Hey binmom, ive got your piano rendition of the jjak song on my itube :). Thanks. and i see you on soompi beast thread but am too lazy to register. Have bought the htl, htl album and the fact nd fiction one. Prob going to get monstar if i dont win it from dramabeans.
Can I laugh? Oh dear. I can’t even watch the Tae Do clips anymore.
OMG. Kim Bum is really the epitome of a Korean flower boy! Everything about him is pretty– even his hand! ** If he could cover my hands like that I’d be a mindless puddle of goo. <3 <3 <3
I know right. When it comes to looks, Kim Bum has everything from head to toe. He is a beautiful actor and better looking than so many guys I’ve seen. Just want to let you know, the Chinese media is spreading rumors that Angelababy is starting to have a crush on Kim Bum and wants to break up with her boyfriend huang xiao ming.
I’m glad Kim Bum is “getting” manly because compared to him in Boys Over Flowers, he looks more mature now (even though he has always been really handsome). Now more people think he is a “boy man”.
You couldn’t resist Kim Bum’s cuteness LOL! OMOO!!! GeunBum chemistry is the BOMB!!! The hand grabbing scene was the best scene so far! It made my heart beat faster, It didn’t feelt rushed or pressured, it feelt natural, passionate and heartbreaking. They were in perfect sync. The fireworks proposal wasn’t (by far) as romantic as this.KB & MGY have this awesome chemistry that makes me want to watch more, they’re the only thing I’m still watching this drama! YEAH GEUNBUM!
Yes, this is the best moment! It was captured perfectly Taedo’s jeolously and possessive over Jung Yi. He was like “hey, keep your hands off, she is mine”.
@rch311
Earlier this month, you posted a comment for me under recaps for detective dee. You think Kim Bum is second lead because of his baby face, not because of age. Like I said, age is “one of the reasons” because as Kim Bum gets older and gain more experience, his acting skills improve and he will get the main leading role. A popular actor like him is bound to get offerings and opportunities. Tyear, he worked on two dramas and two movies!!!….I hope you notice that his face looks more mature now compared to when he first came out in BOF. KB’s fans would agree with the previous comment I posted today.
For the typo Tyear, I meant to say “this year”.
@Jamie. I couldn’t disagree more that the age is “one of the reasons”. Of course having a baby-face is also one of the reason but not a major one. He is a young man, nothing wrong being youthful. Watching him turning into a man over the years, it’s really wonderful. After my comment to you, I also read about KB’s interview. Now I understand from him that he chooses his drama and role he play. So that mean, he got a lot of opportunity as the lead actor but because his preference in challenging role, he turn down the offers. That making more sense to me.
@rch311
It’s wise that he is challenging himself, but I think next time, he should accept the offer to be the main leading actor for his next drama. Also, he should have a concert tour around Asia because everyone knows that he is a good singer. Have you heard him sing live? I agree with other people’s comments that he has strong and smooth vocals. You should watch the videos on YouTube like when he sang the Japanese song “Eve No Sora”.
@rch311
For my previous comment, I’d like to add more thing…it’s unfortunate that people give actors less credit if they are the second lead instead of the main lead so I think Kim Bum should accept the offer next time because he deserves to be the star of his own drama.
@Jamie. Yes he know what the audience/fans wants from him and he promised to deliver a drama that everyone’s wish someday. You know exactly what I am thinking! He should have his own mini concert tour around the world but he already have too much of things to do. Besides, he already decided to enlist into the army at soon as possible. Wah… I am crying, what am I going to do in the next two years?
@rch311
He should wait a few more years to focus on his career and enlist in the army at age 27. How did you know that Kim Bum promised to someday deliver a drama that the audience wants to see? By this I mean which website you read from. I have a feeling that he will enlist in the army next year starting summer 2014…maybe, I’m not sure.
@Jamie. Just Google “Kim Bum interview” and you will get all the info. You are probably right, he will enlist the army next year because he still has so much to do this year before he go. The drama GOF is still on going, and he has to attend the upcoming new film premier in China and many red carpet events. I’m sure there will be many stunning pictures of him together with AB. I just love it!
Yes, I’ve done that many times on Google before. I watched a lot of his interviews but probably not the one you saw in particular. Also, the first time I saw Kim Bum was the Youtube video of the press conference interview for Boys Over Flowers. My friends and I were stunned by his handsome looks. I remember my first reaction when I said “Oh my God! He’s SO CUTE. This Korean actor is beautiful!”
@rch311
Kim Bum is lucky because unlike a lot of Korean actors, he is famous around the world and has international fans because of the big hit drama Boys Over Flowers. Based on research and public comments from different websites, the Korean actresses are not as famous as Kim Bum. On the bright side, some of the K-pop girl groups are equally popular as him. However, as individial members, they’re not that well known around the world like Kim Bum.
@rch311
The examples in my previous comment have to do with luck,opportunity, talent, and sexism in the entertainment industry. I remember last time, we had an interesting discussion about gender discrimination because of how Korean male atars have more privilege than female stars and get more respect from society. It’s sad, but true. However, I will continue giving my support to the talented female celebrities.
I hope MGY next drama is written beautifully. Not like this. I am so disappointed. Eventho Kim Bum is here, I can’t even drag myself to watch. 🙁
Yay, the rhino’s back!
Koala, I thought you gave up on this drama. I love your heading. Thanks for the recaps.
I tried to watch an entire episode but just couldn’t. I hope to see KB and MGY in a better project soon. BTW, I really the that name Angelababy. She needs a new moniker. I mean she’s a grown woman.
MGY definitely has strabismus (where the eyes are not properly aligned, due to many possible factors). My oldest daughter has this – she had surgery for it when she was two – and so I am fairly familiar with how it looks and what might cause it.
What is really strange to me is that, like Koala noticed, it seems to be getting more obvious. Either MGY is working with directors who either can’t or won’t compensate for this in how they film her, or it is getting worse. If it is getting worse, then it could be a sign of worsening amblyopia (also called lazy eye, where one eye stops focusing because the brain stops paying attention to the visual information from that eye). If untreated, this can cause partial blindness – not because the eye is defective, but just because the brain has stopped taking input from that eye (usually to resolve focus or double-vision issues). We struggled for years with this, so I can’t help but worry a bit for MGY; because of how difficult this is to correct, and the permanent damage that can result, I am always worried when I see someone with crossed eyes, even a mild case.
It’s obviously is the Jung Yi’s character in GOF. MGY never have this problem in her other movies dramas. Gwanghae and Taedo also have this distracting eyes expression. For Gwanghae, he always look like having indigestion. A little bit for Taedo too when he raise his brow sometimes when he confront Jung Yi. I think the cast doesn’t have much freedom in expressing themselves thus how can they perform well?
Kim Bum and Moonie is the main reason I’m sticking through this drama….they have lovely chemistry. I’m glad to see the casts are having fun even though the ratings are not good. Such a waste of a awesome cast.
OOH Why am I not getting any feelings and actually not comfortable watching this scene???
I am not watching the drama but from all posts from Koala, it seems to be waste of talents specially MGY
Koala, you are magnificent in your snark for this poor excuse of a drama. Thank you!
I love your comparison in the end to JOJ. The first 8 episodes were really that great. GoF..not so much though Kim Bum does make up for it most times. Even if it isn’t historically accurate, can someone please let the writers know that ix-naying Gwanghaegun would be completely welcome right now?