Park Shi Hoo

Dear kfangurl: How has your fangirling changed over the years?

| kfangurl

Leslie writes:

Hi, KFG. I just finished Dinner Mate, a B movie that was easy to watch with some good heart-string pulls, but was about 3-4 episodes too long.

Most of all it was a vehicle for a mature Song Seung Hun who is as beautiful (at least) and charming as ever. I say this even though it’s the first SSH drama I’ve seen! But I checked and, sure enough, he was your first entry in Pure Pretty, so I almost feel like I knew him when. 😆 Nice photos. 😅 Thank you for your delightful “reference” material, which stands the test of time.

The movie and my, ahem, research prompted me to take a stab at a question I’ve been percolating for a while, but haven’t been able to get to the heart of. The simple question is, has your fangirling changed over the years? Some details follow.

I notice that both of your KLoves and Pure Pretty features were first posted about 7 years ago, and there have not been many new entries for a while (although there continue to be new comments, so, still relevant!)

Are any original entries gaining or waning in your affection? Would you add any new KLove and Pure Pretty interests to the list, and have your criteria for the same changed over time? What role does fangirling play in your enjoyment of kdrama today? And not to complicate a good ogle, but does consent culture impact how you think about fangirling at all? It’s a lot. 😬

So, seriously, KFG. I know you’re super busy these days with all the right priorities for the blog, so please answer at your pleasure and your leisure. I’m rather satisfied with just being able to articulate my curiosity and interest. Thanks!

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Dear kfangurl: Why do so many kdramas start strong but go downhill?

| kfangurl

Linda writes:

After years of reading your reviews I decided to take the plunge and write for 2 reasons:

1. To tell you how much I enjoy your reviews and admire your work ethic. I’m a recently retired critical care nurse (an old white lady) and over the years have found so much joy in korean dramas and films. When I am contemplating what to watch next I turn to you.

I’ve seen more dramas than I care to admit and I’ve read many varied reviews but you are the gold standard. On the rare occasion that I disagree with one of your reviews I am so shocked and sometimes delighted. I only wish I could become a Patron.

2. A question….Why so often in k dramas does the story/writing go downhill later in the drama. I’m noticing an increasing pattern with this. I’ve seen videos of table reads and it makes wonder…If they are indeed reading the entire script in that sitting do they not notice they are reading what I can only describe as foolishness?

The most recent example of this was Bossam. I really loved this drama. I felt it was well written and reminded me of a good old-fashioned k drama but I feel like it eventually went off the rails. This may not be the best example but I’m sure you know what I’m trying to express.

I wouldn’t send this as an Ask fangirl question at the risk of sounding whiny and stupid. Is there a logical explanation. Since I know little about the making of dramas I thought you may have insight.

Again, please know you bring fun and joy to this old lady and be proud of yourself.

If you ever need a place to stay in California, I have plenty of room and no weirdos!!

P.S. Loved your participation in the podcast!

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Is The K-bloom Off The Rose? [My evolution as a drama viewer]

| kfangurl
Yes, I know that’s not a rose. I’m going to pretend it’s a rose.. apple. 😉

Some time ago, a remark by long-time friend of the blog Beez got me thinking.

Basically, we were talking about how I’d dropped The K2, despite Show serving up a whole lotta shirtless via a gloriously nekkid fight scene. Beez then said, and I quote, “Wow. Kfangurl, I think the K-Bloom is off the rose for you.”

Essentially, Beez felt that even though the OTP in The K2 had been uninspiring, that Ji Chang Wook‘s chemistry with second female lead Song Yoon Ah had been so sparky and sizzling, that if that hadn’t been enough to hold my attention, then, well, I must not be as taken with kdramas – or perhaps dramas in general – anymore.

This got me thinking about my evolution as a drama viewer, and what’s captured me each step of the way, and I thought you guys might perhaps find this interesting or relatable, and so here we are.

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Are kdramas getting worse / “dumbed down”?

| kfangurl

So recently, a couple of comments on the blog have combined to give me pause for thought.

And instead of just answering the latest question in the comments section, I thought it was interesting enough, and thought-provoking enough, to put it all in a new post, and see what you guys think.

Well ok, that, and the fact that as I chewed on my answer to the latest comment, I realized that there were just too many facets to the answer than I felt could fit reasonably into a simple comment.

Basically, the question is, have kdramas gotten worse / more “dumbed down” in recent years?

Let’s dive in together to take a look, shall we?

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The Kim Hyun Joong Allegations: What’s a Reasonable Fangirl Response?

| kfangurl

In the last day or so, k-ent has exploded with the sobering and disturbing news that Kim Hyun Joong is being investigated for alleged assault and battery on his (also alleged) girlfriend.

I wasn’t planning to post on this, since I generally don’t report on k-ent news, but the flood of netizen reactions across the blogosphere has been intensifying, and it’s hard to ignore the wave of intense emotion that has been building among fans and non-fans alike.

My purpose in writing this post today, is simply this: to hopefully add a voice of reason to the clamor of voices already out there in the netizen wilderness.

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A Weakness For: Lee Jun Ki

| kfangurl

Lee Jun Ki is one of those actors that crept up on me over the years, slowly but surely.

When I consider how I used to feel indifferent about him, it still sometimes surprises me. Coz now I have a serious weakness for Lee Jun Ki, and he’s very firmly entrenched in my list of k-loves.

From who’s-that-guy-who-looks-like-he-stepped-straight-out-of-a-manga? to OMG-I-luff-him!-SQUEE!, I’ve certainly come a long way in my appreciation of Lee Jun Ki.

And today, I wanna tell you guys all about that.

Come squee, ogle and swoon with me, y’all. ❤

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A Soft Spot For: Lee Jong Suk

| kfangurl

With all the reviews and Pure Pretty that’s been flooding the blog lately, I realize it’s been a while (gasp! More than 3 months!) since my last k-love confession post (Mmmm.. Kim Soo Hyun!).

And since I did promise that this year I’d be introducing y’all to more of my, uh.. smaller? lesser? medium-sized? milder? (argh. I can’t decide which word works best. You guys know what I mean, right?) k-loves, I thought it fitting that I introduce you guys to Lee Jong Suk, whom I’ve got a big soft spot for.

My affection for Lee Jong Suk is slightly more dongsaeng-esque than all of my other featured k-loves so far, but I do sincerely think he’s pretty special, and special deserves a little bit of the loving spotlight, dontcha think?

Come appreciate this boy-man with me, y’all.

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Admiring (& Ogling): Jang Hyuk

| kfangurl

So most of you know me as a total Gong Yoo fangirl by now, and while the Gong Yoo love is still firmly in place, I do also have a lot of love for Jang Hyuk.

In fact, Jang Hyuk holds a pretty special place in my heart.

I once was a pretty big Park Shi Hoo fangirl, and Jang Hyuk was the one who managed to unseat my Park Shi Hoo love and get me to cast aside my Park Shi Hoo fangirl loyalties, which were, once upon a time, pretty strong.

Once I discovered Jang Hyuk, I was pretty fixated and proceeded to spend the next 7 months of my life spazzing over him. Until Gong Yoo showed up on my screen and stole my heart.

It’s little surprise, then, that my second k-love confession post is about fabulous, delicious Jang Hyuk. ♥

Come squee, ogle and swoon with me ^^

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The Nature of Fangirl Love

| kfangurl

PSH

It’s hard to ignore the latest news that has rocked the k-ent world: Park Shi Hoo accused of raping a 22-year-old trainee.

As the scandal continues to brew, and as more and more facts and “facts” get reported by the media, the discussions and comments among netizens has likewise exploded.

I’m not writing this post to speculate about the truth of the case.

Rather, the varied responses across the different sites and comments sections that I’ve visited have given me food for thought.

There’s one scandal, but there is such a wide variety of responses.

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What Makes Drama Crack Stay Fresh / Turn Stale?

| kfangurl

DC1So today Stephanie posted on her blog Crazy for Kdrama a post titled Second-hand Crack. In it, she describes her experience re-watching Smile Dong Hae, and finding that it just wasn’t as cracktastic the second time around.

That really resonated with me, coz as some of you may know, I’ve been marathoning Beautiful Days for review, and that review’s been taking a while to actually get written.

The reason is pretty much the same as Stephanie’s experience with Smile Dong Hae. I’d loved Beautiful Days on my first watch, and had devoured it pretty quickly.

Fast forward several years, and now that I’m watching it for the second time, I still find it pretty engaging, but it’s just not as cracktastic as I had first found it.

Which begs the question: What exactly makes drama crack stay fresh / turn stale?

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