You know, one of the things that I really enjoy about this blog, is how you guys inspire new types of posts, often when I least expect it. With your suggestions, this blog has taken on more breadth than I ever intended, and I think that’s cool.
First, it was the Dream Dramas post inspired by Lady G, and then it was the Pure Pretty series inspired by asotss.
Today, I’m kicking off yet another type of post on the blog, and it’s the Dear kfangurl.. post? Series? I don’t really know yet whether this will turn into an actual series, since that really depends on whether people have questions that they’d like to ask.
Basically, it’s sorta like an agony aunt sort of thing, except it’s more specific to dramas and fangirling (it’s my screen-name, isn’t it? It makes me seem like a fangirling expert, eh?).
I do have a nephew, so I’m technically an aunt, but I prefer to think of this as an agony unni column instead of an agony aunt one, heh.
I may not have all the answers that you’re looking for, but I can promise a listening ear and sharing of my thoughts and experiences, much like how a friend might listen and chat with you over tea.
Today’s question – and post inspiration! – comes from crazyunnijo.
Here’s the part of Jo’s comment that sparked off this post:
The real reason I’m writing is this: Reel to Real Couples/shipping etc. I used to ship Park Shin Hye and Lee Min Ho like crazy. Now I am shipping Jung Yong-hwa and Park Shin Hye instead. I like their dynamic better.
That said, am I crazy? A friend of mine says it’s a by-product of being so new to K-dramas. It got me thinking of you and your blog. I immediately wanted to know what your thoughts are on shipping k-drama co-stars in general.
At one point I thought to suggest that you create an advice column. My brain is not properly caffeinated… so I’ll do my best to explain.
Perhaps something like a “Dear FGV, Is it normal for me to ship (insert couple here) enough to google them and get on forums that obsess over every. little. detail. So I need to get an actual life? Please help me.” 🙂
Dear Jo,
You’re not crazy. And you’re not alone either.
I personally don’t tend to ship kdrama co-stars, although I was momentarily rather thrilled by the potential pairing up of So Ji Sub and Gong Hyo Jin, thanks to mywebfoot’s very well-written Master’s Sun fan-fic, That Far Gone (series review here, and fan-fic review here).
After reading it, my imagination was definitely tickled, and I rather did want the two of them to date and live happily ever after in real life. I think that’s the closest I’ve ever gotten, to shipping kdrama co-stars.
That said, there are lots – really, lots – of fans who ship kdrama co-stars, and ardently too. And I know for a fact that they aren’t all kdrama newbies. Just take a look at the fan forum page for So Ji Sub and Gong Hyo Jin on Soompi (here).
As I type this, the fan forum discussion, which is basically all about spazzing over their potential coupledom, stands at 951 pages.
Yes, you read that right. Nine hundred and fifty one pages, and that number is probably gonna keep growing too, despite fairly recent confirmation that Gong Hyo Jin is dating Lee Jin Wook.
The fans on the thread come from all over the world, from all walks of life, and range from kdrama newbies to kdrama veterans.
Which means that you are absolutely not alone. 🙂
It’s my philosophy that our inner fangirls don’t ever get old, and that’s why we have fangirls (& possibly fanboys too) of all ages in our midst, and we all spazz happily and blithely over our favorite actors and actresses.
Several of my dramaverse friends have shared that hallyu has brought out their inner teenager. And I love that.
Since we’re all wired uniquely, our fangirl spazz and fantasies tend to vary widely. Some of us find ourselves shipping kdrama co-stars, while others simply fantasize about dating our favorite actors in real life.
I personally fall into the second category – which is probably why I never had the inclination to ship my kdrama co-stars. I want the boys all to myself. HA.
It’s also my fangirl philosophy that we shouldn’t feel guilty about enjoying our fangirling. As long as it doesn’t hurt anyone, and it isn’t crippling your Real Life, I don’t see the harm in having some fangirl fun.
Of course, if it is crippling your Real Life, then I’d recommend some recalibration.
I’m not an extreme fangirl myself, and I like the moderation and balance it brings.
The fact that I don’t go extremely crazy with the fangirling helps to maintain normalcy in my life, and the fact that I do fangirl at all helps to add some fun and spice to that very normalcy in my life. And that works for me.
Of course, it’s all relative. I mean, I have friends who consider the fact that I even have this blog an indication that I’m an extreme fangirl, heh.
Which means that the answer to your question “Am I crazy?” really depends on who you’re asking. If you asked people who don’t have a clue about kdramas, they probably would say that you just might be crazy.
Here in the dramaverse, though, I’m happy to inform you that you’re far from crazy. You’re just one of us, is all. You’re normal here, and you’re not alone here either.
I hope that helps!
Love! ❤
~kfangurl
POST-SCRIPT:
1. Dya have thoughts or advice for Jo? Share with us in the comments!
2. Do you have a question of your own? Drop me a comment on the Contact page, or send me an email!
3. It’s been an insanely intense week for me in Real Life, which is why I’m so behind on comments. I will get to all comments soon, I promise!
Oh I love this series! And it’s pretty cool that you started the series with this question. I guess it’s pretty normal to wonder if you’re still normal when you start fangirling. I agree that one shouldn’t feel guilty about fangirling as long as it doesn’t interfere with your personal life and doesn’t hurt anyone. It’s all in good fun! 🙂
I am a hardcore YongSeo shipper but they’re not exactly a Kdrama couple since they only appeared in a variety show. I’m not sure if it’s applicable in this discussion? Anyway, I was so obsessed with SNSD’s SeoHyun and Jung YongHwa a year or two ago, that I just cannot see them being with anyone else. I started to realized that I’m sounding delusional thinking that they’re “together” in real life even though their stint on We Got Married ended years ago. That’s when I toned down my obsession because I’m starting to scare even myself. Hehehe.
I think the only Korean drama couple I’ve shipped in real life were Lee MinHo and Park MinYoung because I loved them in City Hunter. I was so happy when they became a real couple, but I wasn’t devastated when they broke up. I think shipping is 100% okay but it must be in moderation. If the couple look so good in a drama and they have so much chemistry, I believe it’s normal if you start to ~hope~ that they become a couple in real life.
I look forward to other entries of this series! I’d love to ask a question but I can’t think of any at the moment. I trust your other readers to come up with a great one. ^^
Oh, thanks Janey, I’m so glad you like this series!! 😀
I giggled at your description of you getting scared by your own obsession! XD That’s a good sign that you’ve still got your wits about you, to be able to catch yourself! Plus, you didn’t feel too disappointed when LMH and PMY broke up, so I think you’re far from being in unhealthy territory!
No pressure to come up with a question – although, whenever you do think of one, you’re welcome to toss it at me! 😀
Congratulations on a very cute series Kfangirl!
Aw! Thanks kaiaraia!! 😀 I’m so glad you like it! ❤
Aww! I love this series! Yes it’ll be a series and not just a single post (as if I have the ability to decide for you. Will the Maknae puppy eyes work??? *tries*)
I don’t personally tend to ship actors, but I’ll always be pleasantly surprised when a couple I’ve liked ended up dating for real. What I tend to do is to ship characters. Sometimes I love some characters so so so much that I just keep thinking about them. And I imagine possible scenes that could have happened “between the scenes”, like things you haven’t seen or haven’t been said, but could realistically have happened. And just to be clear I’m not
necessarilytalking about sexy times LOL I just like ti imagine characters’ interaction and reaction to different events in a drama ^^But I have a question a bit…related to this one:
Dear kfangurl,
Is it normal to feel a slight pinch when you learn that Oppa is dating? D: Not in the delusional “He could have been mine” way, but it’s as if you’ve embraced your fangirl persona for so long that when the Oppa you’ve been associated with for so long is suddenly officially dating, you feel as if…a part of your identity shattered?
Okay I just make myself sound like a creep. >.< When I learned that LSG was dating (it was New Year's Eve, I was at a family party), I was so shocked that I just started to look for tweets and news to see if it was a joke LOL. And then a few girls on Twitter were asking among themselves "Who is going to break the news to maknae?" It made me laugh, but for a good 1min I was in denial haha!
Thanks for your question, my dear – because of you, the Dear kfangurl type of post really managed to be a series! ❤
I like how you ship characters, it reminds me of how mywebfoot crafted her Master’s Sun fanfic. It’s exactly what you described – piecing together stuff that could’ve plausibly happened behind the scenes, between scenes etc. Except in her case, it was for the actors instead of the characters. I just found that filling-in-the-gray-areas approach so clever! 😀 Maybe you should start dabbling in some fanfic writing; you could be brilliant at it, y’know? 😉
Heh! I did try to write fanfics ages ago. I found those files again a few years ago on floppy disks xD I was sorta cringing at how bad and cheesy it was. I think that I’d be too embarrassed to share those xD
But while we’re at it, I remember really shipping two characters (I wonder who… ;)) and I once had a series of dreams about them. In the dream, I was watching the drama. I freaked out and wonder why I haven’t seen those bits before, until my reason told me it was a dream, because if it were real, there is no way I would have missed it before and seen it 1000 times already. So I woke up and wrote it down (that’s something I do when I have dreams that I like)…until I woke up again… SO the waking up and writing it down was also part of the dream. That’s dreamception for ya 😛
Oh my, show us these early fanfics!!! XD Of course, I completely understand your embarrassment.. We often look back on early creative works and cringe. I think that happens to all of us. But that’s how we learn, right? By trying (& creating said embarrassing early works!). You might be a great fanfic writer yet! 😉
HAHA. LOVE YOUR DREAM!! So many layers, and totally reflective of your intense shipping love (I am SO sure I know who you’re talking about! XD )! I hope you actually did finally write down the details, after you woke up for real, that is!
I like this series! MOAR, please 😀
Aw, thanks Indigo!! 😀 I’m so blown away by all the positive votes for more of this series! You guys are super sweet! ❤ I’d love to bring you guys more of this series.. It’s now a matter of when someone posts a question, now ^^ I’m so curious to see who will post it, and what that question will be! I feel like I’m waiting for a surprise pop quiz, almost! XD
aaaaack LOOOVE it!!
i’m so backlogged it ain’t even funny, but i had to say YEEE to at least ooone of your mabajillion amaztastic posts!!! 😀 😀 😀
sososo happy you’re keeping me sane with your wonderful writing, chinguu! <33
Aw! Thanks dear pinkblossom!! 😀 ❤ Soo~ glad that you managed to pop on over, and that you enjoyed the post! 😀
Miss you deep deep, my dear chingu ❤ *sends over a huge box of hugs*
hm, i never understood the idea of worship/fandom. as a kid and teen, i had a habit of reading at least a book per day and, naturally, there were some authors i liked more than others. but from my point of view, i liked their writings and never cared for rest. the same applies to all media (be it music, movies, dramas, a.s.o.). the first job i thought of as a kid was to be a librarian … to be able to read books while making money 😀 , but i soon gave up on that idea because there are simply too many books to be able to read them all in my lifetime (no matter how fast i would be able to read) … and any evaluation based on partial/incomplete information would be just that: partial/incomplete, basically uninformed.
so what’s the point of (me) saying “i really like that author” if i can’t be sure i’ve read absolutely everything that author wrote? it would be a superficial statement for me. of course: other people can say that (and i think it’s perfectly ok) because they have (and operate based on) a different set of values … but for me it’s a no-no. then there’s the fact that one can barely know and understand (in full) the people closest to us (family) … so imo there’s really a big lack of information when it comes to make a informed judgement about a more-or-less public figure (especially if they make money out of it,since people do all kind of things for money).
apart of the above reasons, i think life is more fulfilling if one understands that his/her job is somehow helping other people … and thus tries to do his/her best as much as he/she can (or has the abilities to). therefore jobs like writer, singer, actor, salesman, fireman, accountant … lol, even lawyer … whatever … are all important and to their extent praiseworthy if the person doing them isn’t doing them just for the money (aka out of selfishness). but any selfless endeavor (of any kind) doesn’t need (or even appreciate) praises … because there’s no self to benefit from them. so basically we’re all praiseworthy and i don’t see why any job would be somehow “more special” … not to mention that being a parent, even though it’s not defined as a job, is imho the toughest job on earth. have you seen a fanpage dedicated to parents? i haven’t … and we all know that, without them, all those fans could not exist.
well, as i said: i really don’t get it … but if any of you do, it’s great (for you) and i would say: just do it and enjoy it … life is too short to waste too much precious time on joyless things/matters. 🙂
I like what you say about all of us being praiseworthy and helping other people in our varying capacities, INTJ 🙂 No matter how big or small we might view our jobs, we all bring value to the people that we help in the course of our work, and I personally hold that belief dear. It’s also why I regularly make an effort to thank &/or praise/give positive feedback to the service staff who cross my path who seem to genuinely enjoy helping others. It just makes my day brighter 🙂 It’s not quite the same as dedicating a fanpage to them, but I like to think that I’m bringing some brightness to their day too.
I’m not an extreme fangirl myself (well, I don’t think I am one, anyway!) so I can’t say I fully understand the most passionate sectors of the k-fandom, but like you, I don’t begrudge them their excitement and shipping and squee, as long as they’re not hurting anyone. You summed it up nicely: life really is too short to waste time on joyless things 🙂
Oi, I’ve been away for a while OTL (… From Facebook and GY Squee-fest too, I’m sorry!) I’m currently wading through the backlog of posts from your’s and other Noona’s blogs, so if you see comments there, that’s why. ^^;
I also really like this series idea. Woo hoo dedicated readers! ,,>u<,, As for the question itself, I think shipping is a normal thing to do since most people are probably really just shipping the characters in the dramas/manga/anime/movies/etc. and not the genuine real-life people who are acting them out. I don’t personally “ship” characters or real-life people that often, but when I do it’s almost always canon *cough except for second-lead syndrome cough* because I’m an idiot who doesn’t actually think for himself whilst divulging into the entertainment mediums I love or because I’ve somehow managed to figure out they’re canon and actively try to avoid pairing the couples that I know aren’t going to work out (at least, don’t work out in the time frame of the story we’re given. They could actually get together further in time, but it’s not part of the story we’re being given, so we’ll never really know since fictional characters aren’t real life people OTL).
I do ship Real-Life Couples that are actively dating or are married, etc., though. Since they are actually dating and are all happy and stuff together and I like seeing people being in relationships and being all happy and couple-y and such. \^^/ The most recent example, for me, would have to be Baekhyun and Taeyeon from EXO and SNSD, respectively. I never would have paired them together, otherwise, but now that they’re really together and at least seemingly really like each other, I’m all game. xD I’ve been watching FMV’s like crazy recently. (And attempting to send good mental vibes their way, but who knows if that actually works… *crosses fingers* I also shipped Jonghyun from SHINee (he’s my SHINee bias, actually xD) and Shin Se Kyung when they were together. BEAST’s Junhyung and KARA’s Goo Hara were another couple I shipped, and I shipped them HARD. ^^;
I’ve low-level shipped some of the pairings in the couple variety shows – like The Romantic and Idol; We Got Married; and the Chuseok specials where celebrities get paired together sometimes – but only while they’re doing show. It crosses my mind about if they contact each other outside of filming and stuff (especially for The Romantic and Idol, geez that show tried to kill me with the couple feelz OTL), and I’ve wondered if they’ve ever had to end secret relationships because they’re doing those kinds of shows, but otherwise, these kinds of things are generally not things that cross my mind.
I don’t like pushing people together when they might not actually like each other or upsetting people by being against any real relationships they may have – because how can you get angry at someone for being something that is impossible to change: being Human? But I also don’t like denying people from doing things that they enjoy (like healthily shipping couples and reading/writing fan-fiction and the like). Besides, the whole thrill from half of the romantic comedies I watch is the “Will they, Won’t They?” plot lines. And those plot lines are crazy addicting. xD
Besides, I’m not a complete rule stickler. ;P I ship Hinata and Kiba like nobody’s business – even though Naruto and Hinata are probably canon. Not that I’m bragging about being a rebel or anything like that, pshhh. XD
*cough I’m so far from being a rebel it’s not even funny cough hack* ^^
“It’s my philosophy that our inner fangirls don’t ever get old, and that’s why we have fangirls (& possibly fanboys too) of all ages in our midst, and we all spazz happily and blithely over our favorite actors and actresses. Several of my dramaverse friends have shared that hallyu has brought out their inner teenager.” I kind of am still technically a teenager, so my spazzing is technically still considered normal in society, so… does that make, liek, immortal and stuffs? XD And, yea-ah, fanboys! We get a shout out! \^^/
Welcome back, Joey! It has been a while! I did wonder what you were up to when I didn’t see you around for so long! Take your time to poke around the blog 🙂
Sounds like you’re much more of a shipper than I am, and I can’t help but find your support and shipping of real-life couples very sweet. I like how much you want them to be happy together, even though you may have never pictured them together in the first place. There’s something so pure and supportive about that, that I love 😀
And yes, the key to shipping couples is to do so in a healthy manner, without getting all crazy and making people upset by insisting that someone should/should not date someone else. I mean, it isn’t anyone else’s business but the people involved in the actual dating, really. So when fans get delusional that way, the shipping’s clearly reached unhealthy heights and needs to be re-calibrated.
Ah, enjoy your teenhood while it lasts, Joey – even though most teens can’t wait to cross over to their twenties, we really are teenagers only once. But then again, that’s real life. In my mind, my inner fangirl never gets old 😉
First of all, I’ve been raring to comment on this post since yesterday but call me old fashioned and I hate typing out things on a small touch screen. 🙂 I miss the good ol’ days of a keypad.
Kfangirl–My birthday isn’t till next month but I feel like it came early! Thank you for this!!! (Yes, the extra exclamation points are absolutely necessary).
And to everyone who’s commented so far–thanks for your answers and for liking this–series/post/section.
Happy to report that the flames for my shipping passions are dying down to a low simmer somewhat. Considering I’ve swung back to the MinShin ship (LMH-PSH apparently: Worth noting that they are on their 2nd thread having maxed out at 2000 on the first one on Soompi. Wow, right?)
K-dramas for me and the subsequent shipping are my drug. It helps me get through insane workweeks and parenting. It’s an indulgence for sure.
I think there was this one week that I was extremely stressed that I went a little overboard. I would stay up late reading fanfics or watching fan-made MVs on YouTube. Fortunately I recognized that it certainly wasn’t healthy and I had to take a step back and regroup. 🙂
But yes, I do have my rules (ha!) when shipping: 1) I do not ship a couple if either of them is taken (dating someone else or married to someone else). Obviously real life has already spoken and the whole thing about shipping is the thrill of “Are they or Aren’t they?” as well. Case in point: Kim Soo Hyun and Jeon Ji-Hyeon. 2) I don’t bash any new co-stars of theirs. In fact, I’d love to see them work with other people. Like my opinion matters haha.
On a final note, I like the title “Agony Unni.” It rolls off the tongue, no?
Happy Weekend everyone!
Sheesh… I thought I was awake enough to finish a coherent thought. I meant the KSH and JJH of My Love from Another Star–they’re great and all but I don’t ship them because JJH is married in real life.
Going back to my PSH-LMH semi-obsession–I seriously want them to eventually come out and say that either they’re dating each other or someone. Anyone. Just so I have closure, hehehe.
Lol. You are so cute, Jo!! 😀 And I totally feel ya – I much prefer to type on an actual laptop than on a phone or tablet. It’s just much faster and I make fewer mistakes that way. I used to sometimes answer blog comments on my phone, but it really was rather unwieldy and I find that I’m just much more comfortable at my laptop 🙂
Thank you for being the inspiration for this new series (well, we’re hoping it’s a series. If no further questions ever get submitted tho, it’ll become a single-post series, lol!).. I do love the idea of it, and it seems like other people like the idea too!
WOW. The LMH-PSH ship is 2000 pages and counting?? O.O! That blows my mind, it really does. As for it coming true.. well, you never know, right? LMH did come out and date Park Min Young openly for a while after City Hunter. That didn’t last though, and I’m sure shipper hearts broke everywhere when they broke up. But I guess that means LMH is free to date PSH now 😉
It sounds like you’ve got a reasonably good handle on your shipping heart, Jo. I mean, the fact that you were able to recognize the need to step back and regroup says a lot. I think you’ve got nothing to worry about there – I don’t see you going really crazy with your fangirling. So far. 😉
I like the rules you’ve got going. Not shipping someone with someone else if they’re already married is a sound one, I feel. It just seems to be in poor taste to ship a married actor or actress with someone else, coz it then implies that they shouldn’t be married to their spouse. And that’s not cool. Not bashing new co-stars makes great sense too – it’s rare in dramaland, after all, for co-stars to keep working together. Other than this year, of course. 2014 seems to be the year of co-star reunions, which is likely a first in all of hallyu. I don’t think we’ve ever seen this many co-stars getting back together onscreen as we have this year! I guess this means that some shipper hearts will be rekindled? 😉
Nice series. Hihi. I hope a lot would throw in their questions.
As for jo, no, you’re not crazy and you’re not alone. I ship Park Shin Hye and Jang Keun Suk like crazy too. Lol. But then, if those two won’t end up in real life then I gotta move on. 🙂
Aw thanks ‘Eun! Glad you like the series!! 😀 Let’s see if people will submit questions – it probably won’t happen very often, but I do think a post every now and then should be doable 🙂
PSH & JGS – that must be from the You’re Beautiful days! Very cute show! I thought Jang Geun Suk was brilliantly cast in that! ^^
Thanks Eun! I saw a recent CF they did for Lotte. If you haven’t seen it, check it out (sorry I couldn’t find the link yet but I’m sure it’s on YouTube somewhere. :))
Just butting in to say, is it this CF? 🙂
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a96kHK9Jw6w
Yup. And… it’s pretty and all but it still does nothing for me. I’m trying hard to appreciate JGS but I still can’t. Perhaps it’s time to watch You Are Beautiful? 🙂
Lol. I first appreciated JGS in You’re Beautiful, so if you’re open to campy OTT fun, You’re Beautiful is a great little watch. If you’d like to see JGS play a more mainstream (read: not long-haired!) character, then Beethoven’s Virus is quite a nice heartwarming watch 🙂
Oh, and I think the idea of ‘Ask K-fangurl’ is such a cute one!! Thank you again for the mention of being an inspiration for the ‘Dream Dramas.’ Telling stories is always my thing. lol
Isn’t it a cute idea? 😀 I’d have never thought of it if Jo hadn’t asked for it! And of COURSE I had to mention you in relation to the Dream Dramas. You will always be the one who started that off on the blog! When it comes to the dream dramas, you’re the main storyteller in our midst, Lady G!! 😀
It’s very cute. Now I want to come up with a question. lol. Thanks so much! 😀 After looking at all those Woobie pictures yesterday I went back and read over my drama ‘notes’ with him and got all excited again. haha
Of course you can submit a question if you like, Lady G! 😀 The floor’s open to everyone, and not only limited to drama newbies, although it’s logical that the newbies would be the ones with more questions. I’m actually curious to see who will submit the next question, and what it might be. I almost feel like I’m anticipating a pop quiz! XD Inside, part of me is all, “What will the question be? Will it be hard to answer???” Lol.
I will say, since I’m a fanfic writer, (Or was, watching Asian dramas spoiled me to death! I don’t write much these days.) I think there’s tons of shipping within the realm of the fandoms, so I do get it, and I don’t find it weird or abnormal.
I prefer creating my own characters and stories. I never imagine myself with the actor. My brain won’t let me. lol. I’m one who doesn’t show much interest in the actor/actresses’ personal life. I tend not to like the ‘Behind the scenes’ too much. I don’t care if they are on the DVDs or not. lol. I just want to enjoy the movie or show and the fictional story.
I guess because I’m afraid of any disappointments. I don’t want my bubble burst or the ‘movie magic’ to disappear. But I did outgrow that over the years, like K-fangurl said, it’s all about balance. I will read interviews and things just to get a better feel of the person behind the characters I love. Many times my radar doesn’t disappoint. Then I can be happy and confident that I’m not blindly liking some actor when they aren’t a good person inside. Often if it looks like a jerk, acts like a jerk, chances are, it’s a jerk.
Because I believe that people’s true personality often come through in their performances. That’s acting 101. But I also take everything I read with a grain of salt. Hollywood image is everything, or in this case Hallyu.
So, I guess I DON’T ship actors together. Not to say that the thought doesn’t cross my mind, – “Wow, these 2 look good together. They should be together in real life.” But then I really think – “Oh they have such good chemistry, they should do a DRAMA together.”
*Like remember that CF with Shin Min Ah and So Ji Sub I shared? It was off the charts. Why hasn’t dramaland picked up on that yet???* LOL.
But seriously, I really don’t let my mind stray into their personal lives. I get very upset when I read about crazy-fans that think they can ‘control’ the actors’ lives, and try to dictate who they should date and not date, and get all mean and nasty toward the actor or actresses’ significant other. It’s wrong.
But I won’t deny anyone else their fantasies! As long as they don’t hurt anyone and it doesn’t cripple them either. We all tend to get into crazy fangirl mode at times, but then we readjust.
LOVE the thoughts that you share here, Lady G!! 😀
I totally get your point about not wanting to be disappointed by the actors’ real-life personalities. More than once, I swooned over a character in a drama, and then looked up the actor, and was disappointed to find the actor much more boring than the character he’d played. Case in point: Park Shi Hoo. I used to fangirl over that man like crazy. But the more I saw of him in interviews, the more boring I found him, until it became an uphill struggle for me to keep the fangirl flame alive. And then Jang Hyuk swaggered onto my screen in Chuno and I never looked back, Lol! XD
At the same time, I really get your point too, about how an actor’s substance shows up in his acting. The best actors with the most nuanced and brilliant deliveries always seem to be the ones who are most interesting in interviews. They’ve each got so much depth to share, and so many thoughts about their characters and everything around that. I love those actors and those kinds of interviews.
As for Shin Min Ah and So Ji Sub, who knows, it could happen yet, right? And Shin Min Ah really does seem to be able to conjure up chemistry with just about anyone. I mean, I thought that Giordano CF she did with SJS had off-the-charts chemistry. And then in her recent shampoo CF with Yoo Ah In, they had off-the-charts chemistry too! I’m beginning to think she can have chemistry with almost anyone! XD
Ditto your thoughts on fans getting too controlling and getting mean and nasty. That’s definitely not cool. No one ought to get hurt in the fangirling process, least of all the stars in question. They already have to give up so much of their privacy to be in the spotlight, they shouldn’t have to deal with crazy fans who want to dictate who they can or can’t date. 😛
I’m lol at how you say the actor is ‘boring.’ I don’t mind ‘boring’ but as long as they don’t come off as jerk wads. haha! But you brought up an interesting thought, the more they share about their lives, and their interests, and intelligence, hobbies, the more attractive they are. Like Jang Hyuk, I love his interviews! He always has so much to say and add. I can understand an actor needing to be careful about their answers, but it IS very boring when you know their answers are carefully crafted to make them look good or sound too generic.
That’s exactly what I mean, Lady G! 😀 Answers that have been clearly crafted beforehand to stay politically correct and generic. It helps keep the actor out of trouble, yes, but it also makes them seem exceedingly boring. But, even worse is when the crafted answers are interesting enough, and then the interview veers into territory without ready answers, and the alarming gap between crafted interesting and off-the-cuff boring becomes clear. *shudder* Let me just say that I speak from experience, and have had k-crushes evaporate faster than screaming fangirls evacuating the building to see Oppa in person. XD
That’s why I appreciate the thoughtful actors all the more, for their wit and substance that feels natural and easy and off-the-cuff. They are the ones that really get my fangirl pulse racing 😉 ❤
A wonderful new series. I like it very much. You gave the perfect answer. I am also of the school of thought that if a person is shipping and enjoying the time that they are looking up the subjects of their fangirling as long as it is not cutting it to their RL friendships, work, etc. Than more power to them. There are so many unhealthy addictions in the world but being a drama watcher and a fangirl is just not one of them. But like you are I am more of a dream of dating the yummy actor myself type. It gets harder and harder to do over the years (been watching since 2005) because the actors seem to be getting younger and younger. Does this have an impact on my marriage of 20 years or my 2 daughters – absolutely not. My girls find it humorous and my husband says it adds to my quirky charm. It is not as if I am going to run off to Seoul and hunt down Lee Dong Wook anytime soon but I can always dream about it when life gets frustrating. Sigh!
Aw, thanks Amy! I’m quite thrilled that you like this new series!! 😀 Now, to see if more people actually have questions, coz if no questions come in, it’d be kinda hard to keep the series going! Well. Unless I asked myself questions, but that might get weird. XD
You make a great point about there being so many destructive addictions in the world.. In comparison, a bit of fangirling is so harmless. Well, provided it’s done with moderation and common-sense as a foundation. Some people do take things to extremes, and that’s not healthy for them or for the stars they’re shipping.
I love that your family appreciates and indulges your fangirling, Amy! 😀 They sound like lovely people, your daughters and your hubs. Also! Is Lee Dong Wook your big k-love?? 😀
I think shipping is normal upto an extent and it’s maximum when a drama ends….and when you jump onto the next one, it fades. I shipped LMH and PSH like crazy….after seeing their BTS pics for Heirs…but now I actually wonder how did I ever shipped them so much! I don’t feel anything anymore…LOL 😀
That said….I have special place for my favorite reel life OTPs and if they start dating in real life, I would be extremely happy!
But I get annoyed when people start shipping two stars even if one of them is married and go overboard with their obsession…to the point where they start talking rubbish about their personal lives…
And I also fall in the second category where I like to fantasize about dating my favorite actors in real life 😛
Lol, I find your LMH & PSH story really cute, snow! To think that you shipped them like crazy, and now you wonder how you ever shipped them that hard to begin with! How the tide has changed, right? But as with all things in fandom, tides can change when we least expect it. I never expected to be so melty over Woobie, for one. He just snuck up on me when I least expected it. I guess it’s a similar sort of thing with shipping.. You never know when the tide might change, and what might change that tide. But as with all fangirly things, we just ride the waves as they come, and enjoy the waves while they last. At least, that’s how I like to think about it ^^
You’re very right too – fans should respect actors’ personal lives, and if one of the stars in question is married, it does seem to be in poor taste to ship that person with someone else.
High five on fantasizing about dating favorite actors in real life! I’ve always been that kind of fangirl – so much so that I’ve had actual dreams of dates with my k-stars. Too bad I can’t actually control who I get to go on dates with, in those dreams! XD
Define normal… XD
I’m pretty sure the People Who Say What?! think most of us fans are some level of crazy but what do they know, eh? ^^ As far as I can tell, RP-shipping aka Real Person Shipping is pretty common in any media fandom and I see no harm in it. Provided it doesn’t go overboard and truly slip into The Crazy & Delusional, which is when it stops being ‘just for fun’ and turns into something very unhealthy.
I’m not a shipper, not even of imaginary people, so I do sometimes wonder the ‘why’ of the whole thing but hey, it’s no skin off my nose so…
Giggle. Yep, it really depends on who’s defining normal, doesn’t it? The few Real Life friends of mine who know about this blog already think I’m not quite normal! XD
Like you, I’m not a shipper. Wait, does it count if I’m rooting for an OTP in a drama while I watch it? That’s not quite shipping, is it? *ponders*
But definitely as you said, moderation is key. Having fun with it is perfectly harmless, as long as it doesn’t slip into unhealthy territory. My rule of thumb for that is that if no one gets hurt, and RL manages to carry on, it should qualify as pretty harmless ^^
Awww, love this new series of yours! Shipping co-stars together is something completely normal in the dramaworld. You watch two people create chemistry together and you witness them jump through hurdles together so you automatically hold that hope that they will become a RL couple. It’s something that we drama viewers have done and I am certainly not afraid to admit that I am one of these people. However, I guess you do have to keep a moderation to this. It’s okay to ship two people together but we have to remember that the stars have their own personal lives and we should respect that of them.
Aw thanks misscupcakees!! Glad you like the idea of the new series! 🙂
Absolutely, you’re right that it’s important to respect the stars’ personal lives and not get carried away in the shipping of said stars. I think as long as fans don’t get too crazy with it and start to get seriously upset when said stars date other people, it’s actually harmless fun that goes with our drama-loving lives 🙂