I previously wrote a post about what I thought of her short article on Wall Street Journal. After I found out that it was basically a cobbled-together essay of excerpts from her book, I felt insanely stupid: What right did I have to judge her based on an attention-grabbing headline and an essay that does not reflect the whole story?
So I went and read her book, “Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother.”
She’s hilarious.
One is good, one is bad. Guess who is who.
Ha Ji Won has been confirmed as part of the cast for upcoming drama Peninsula. And to think she was just talking about choosing a good role. She will star alongside Jang Dong Gun and Jaejoong from JYJ, which is set to premiere in October. The big-budget drama is set in a unified Korean peninsula with Jang as the president, and Ha as his love interest. There is also a National Intelligence Director character, although I’m pretty sure it’s not going to go to Jaejoong. If it does, I’m gonna revolt. No way in hell am I gonna believe a young guy like him will be the National Intelligence Director.
Her brother Jun Tae Soo on the other hand was arrested for assaulting a cab driver. He was drunk, and has apologized publicly for his actions. Tsk tsk. Maybe he’s just letting loose some of his frustrations after the mediocre run of It’s OK Daddy’s Girl.
(One more Secret Garden tidbit: Hyun Bin’s favorite line of the entire drama? “New text message! New text message!” Yeah – that would’ve been my fave line too…)
source: allkpop
Honestly, not much can be said about the beginning, except meh. Changmin is cute, but too cute to be a twenty-seven year old chaebol. He doesn’t have the look of absolute arrogance. He’s also not a natural actor. Lee Yeon Hee is probably the only interesting actress in this drama – she plays her role earnestly and it works for her character. Yoo Ha Na does not appear enough in episode one to make a good judgment on her character, although right now she seems too good-natured and oblivious to be someone to be hated. She barely even appears in episode 2.
In a recent interview, Ha Ji Won reflected on the popularity of Secret Garden and her character Gil Ra Im. I’m so happy for her and can’t wait for her next role now, but of course – she’s exhausted.
To make up for my anemic news bits posts, I present – the MEGA EDITION!!! Bwahaha.*evil laugh*
*looks around*
*blank stares*
*ahem* Moving on! Let’s start with casting news, shall we?
Gahhhh! It’s so crazy! Not that I’m complaining about the frenzy because I do love the series. I just don’t love it THAAAAAT much, and I DO want to try and move on. If I go through that funky phase that I did with You’re Beautiful, then it means that I wouldn’t be able to move on for another three months. And that’s just too long.
Aside from the special episode (which was awesome solely for Yoon Sang Hyun and finding out which scenes the actors were really sleeping in), the production team has announced that they will be holding two more special episodes on Lunar New Year. Lunar New Year falls on February 3rd this year, and the special episodes will air on February 4. It will be the “Secret Garden Special Edition,” which, if it’s another special like the Secret Garden Special, I’m gonna bust some karate chops on the team – I don’t care if Hyun Bin is going to the military, I will beat him down first.
Baby news! Lots of baby news! Lee Young Ae is set to give birth in February to a baby girl. She’s also turning 40 on January 31. She hasn’t been seen out of her house lately, as she is almost due. Sean and wife Jung Hye Young will also be welcoming their fourth child in August. Jung, who last appeared in Playful Kiss, is three months pregnant. And finally Ricky Kim (who appeared in ATHENA as Victor Sevchenko/Sasha, and in Jejoongwon) is expecting his first child with musical actress Ryu Seung Joo, whom he married in 2009.
Ack! It was getting good, and then the production decides to switch it up. The director will now be a writer (alongside his wife?) and the new director will be the one who did I Am Legend and Cain & Abel. Boo.
Anyways! Episode 6 – you keeeeell me!! Well, not literally, and I hope not literally… I get that this drama is not going to be everyone’s cup of tea, especially with light-hearted dramas as the competition. So I must either be a) craving real mystery and thriller type of dramas or b) wanting something like Harvest Villa.
EDIT: By the way, I don’t know if people already knew this, but it was kinda interesting when I first heard it: The Hangul for Sign is 싸인, which if read straight through sounds like “Sign” but also means “Cause of Death.” Dun dun dun!
It was recently announced that Sign will be extended by an additional four episodes, bringing the series total to 20 episodes. That means the new drama 49 Days will premiere on March 16 instead. It will have to catch up to The Thorn Birds and Royal Family on the Wednesday/Thursday slot, since Thorn Birds premieres on February 23 after President, and Royal Family begins March 2 after My Princess.
I think I’ve found my Prosecutor Princess crack. And not in the romantic comedy sense. Sign is really interesting in how it does the case-by-episode basis, and I love the juxtaposition between Lee Myung Han and Yoon Ji Hoon. It reminds me of how Prosecutor Princess had all these cases, but it didn’t overwhelm the rest of the drama and the cast.
This drama is so unexpectedly funny – and to think, it’s all coming from Park Shin Yang. Yep – you read that right. After he toned down his yelling, he’s got comic chemistry with Kim Ah Joong. Not love sparks – just, really funny interactions.
