Anne Violet's Blog, page 2

You’re Beautiful

There are several Kdramas that are in most people’s top 5 favorites of all time, and You’re Beautiful is one of them. It has a gorgeous cast, great OST (original sound track), and fun story. It’s a real joy to watch and I’ve seen it more times than I want to admit. Jang Geun Suk plays a wonderfully flawed but captivating hero. One thing the Hong sisters (the writers of You’re Beautiful), are exceptional at is writing incredibly flawed but still appealing heroes.

http://www.viki.com/videos/82792v-youre-beautiful-episode-1

Here is the synopsis from Viki.com

Go Mi Nam, whose name literally means “handsome,” has it all – good looks, a place on the teenage idol boy band A.N.Jell, and legions of fans. But when a plastic surgery procedure gets botched, he is forced to secretly go to the United States to have it corrected. The band manager asks Mi Nam’s twin sister, Mi Nyu (Park Shin Hye), to pose as Mi Nam and take over his place in the band. As she tries to pretend to be a guy among the other band members – Hwang Tae Kyung (Jang Geun Suk), Kang Shin Woo (Jung Yong Hwa of CN Blue) and Jeremy (Lee Hong Ki of F.T. Island) – Mi Nyu causes problems within the band because some of the members know her real identity and some do not. Can the band survive the infiltration by a female or will it implode? “You’re Beautiful” is a 2009 South Korean drama series directed by Hong Sung Chang. The show won numerous awards for its stars in 2009.

This show is enjoyable with its romance and comedic scenes the whole way through. While it is somewhat hard to believe that anyone could mistake her for a guy, you are willing to go for the ride. It’s hard not to want Jang Geun Suk and Park Shin Hye to date in real life  because they have an adorable chemistry, but like many girls you may find yourself rooting for the second lead played by Yong Hwa. My only complaints would be the over naivete of the heroine (very common in kdrama), and that in the last couple episodes their reason for staying apart was a little weak in my opinion. It does have a wonderful happy ending in perfect harmony with who the characters really are.  You won’t regret watching this one.

My favorite Kdrama of all time–Faith

http://www.viki.com/videos/199084v-the-great-doctor-aka-faith-episode-1

Before reading this you may want to read my first post on Kdramas.

Warning–Spoilers included. Continue at your own risk.

 

Here is the synopsis from Viki.com for Faith–

A modern-day surgeon is kidnapped and taken back 700 years to the Goryeo Dynasty in Korean history. General Choi Young, a warrior, abducts Dr. Eun Soo and returns to his time period so that the doctor can save the injured Princess No Guk. Can Dr. Eun Soo do what is being asked of her and return to her own time period? Or will she have faith in her heart and stay in the past to help the king become a better ruler who cares for and heals his people, and the courage to love the stoic admiral?

Honestly before Faith I wasn’t a big Lee Min Ho fan. I made the silly mistake of confusing the actor with the TKJ roles he tended to play, but his portrayal of Choi Young completely, and utterly, changed me. If I had to choose my favorite romantic hero of film or books I would choose him. His combination of honor, intelligence, bravery, and the twinkle in his eyes, melted my heart. To me the mark of a great actor is not in emotional pyrotechnics, but what he can express with his face alone. It constantly amazes me how much Lee Min Ho as a stoic general can express with the tiniest flicker of emotion in his eyes.

 

Okay enough fangirling and on to the review. I’m going to give just a summary opinion since there are many more sites that will give a play-by-play per episode review if that’s what you want. Obviously since this is my favorite Kdrama of all time, I won’t have many complaints. One of my few complaints with Faith is that in the beginning of the show our hero is apathetic, and it can be hard to get into a story where the hero has so little care for anything, but it doesn’t stay that way for long. The other complaint for some, is that the heroine is mildly irritating at first, but if you put yourself in  her shoes it’s completely understandable. This show becomes more addictive with each episode and the fact that it’s loosely based on history, gives it a poignancy that a strictly fiction story may not. There are two romances that develop in Faith and both grow in a believable way over time, and I love the fact that both couples work as partners with faith and trust in each other. This is not always common in Kdramas. The action is well balanced with heartfelt dialogue, and dramatic scenes, with a little humor here and there to lighten things up. You will love the friendships that develop, and you will adore the Wool Dal Chi warriors. The intrigue and sense of danger was weaved through out the story and rarely lets up. While some maybe unhappy that they didn’t kiss at the end (I would’ve liked one too), considering that the general was a fairly stoic person, I thought it fit with his character. My only complaint at the end was the hero failing to win against the evil guy. We didn’t get that satisfying feeling to watch him be killed by our hero, and after all the evil and harm that character did, his ending felt rather anti-climatic. This show won’t be for everyone, but for those that it does, it just never leaves you. To this day I haven’t found another drama I can like half as well.

Shinee

If Big Bang or Block B has a little to much edge, or rapping for you, you might enjoy Kpop band Shinee. You can consider them the softer side of Kpop. They have gorgeous melodies and a smooth style. You might also enjoy their many sweet and funny appearances on Korean variety shows, like Hello Baby.

Here is a Wikipedia’s excerpt on them.

Shinee (pron.: /ˈʃaɪniː/ SHY-nee; Korean: 샤이니; Japanese: シャイニー; more commonly known and stylized as SHINee) is a South Korean contemporary R&B boy group under the management of SM Entertainment.[1] Formed in 2008, the group consists of Onew, Jonghyun, Key, Minho, and Taemin. They made their debut on May 25, 2008 on SBS‘s Inkigayo with their single, “Replay“.

Since their debut, Shinee has released three full-length albums (with one being a separate double-album release), four mini-albums, one live album and various singles. They have also won many awards, held three concert tours and starred in their own reality shows. Shinee is considered to be a fashion icon having started the “Shinee Trend”[2] and are known for their highly synchronized and complicated dancing.

Kpop band Block B

Block B is my second favorite band, and interestingly they get a lot of comparisons to Big Bang. I can see why this is, but I definitely think Block B has their own charm and style.

 

Again, to make it faster for me I am including an excerpt of Wikipedia on Block B with a couple of additional notes from me.

 

Block B (Hangul: 블락비) is a South Korean group created by Cho PD under his label Brand New Stardom. On April 15, 2011, they made their debut on KBS Music Bank with their promotional single, “Freeze!” (“그대로멈춰라!”). The group consists of seven members: Zico (Woo Jiho) the leader, Lee Taeil, B-Bomb (Lee Minhyuk), Ahn Jaehyo, U-Kwon (Kim Yukwon), Park Kyung rapper, and P.O (Pyo Jihoon) rapper. The members of Block B have dancing, rapping, composing, and singing experience.

 

They are a newer band with not a lot of music or videos out, but what they do have is definitely addictive. Narina and Nillili Mambo in particular will refuse to leave your head for weeks. The videos are great too. They’ve also done several variety shows like MTV Match Ups. Their recent album named Blockbuster released in 2012, was able to reach #10 on the “Billboards World Album Chart”. In this new album, the band members were heavily involved in writing and producing, and I think that individuality shows in the music. I look forward to anything they do in the future.

My favorite band Big Bang

Nope, I’m not talking about the TV show, or the scientific theory; I’m talking about the Korean band Big Bang.

I will list the members of Big Bang by oldest to youngest, stage name first, then real name in an English name order. In Korea it would be last name first.  

TOP, Choi Seung Hyun–songwriter, rapper, actor and model

Gdragon, also goes by GD— Ji yong Kwon—the leader of Big Bang, songwriter, singer/rapper

Taeyang, Young Bae Dong— singer, dancer

Daesung, Dae Sung Kang–singer, actor

Victory, Seung Hyun Lee –singer

 

I am including Wikipedia’s excerpt about Big Bang too, since it has a lot of great information.  

Big Bang or Bigbang (Korean: 빅뱅; stylized as BIGBANG) is a South Korean male group under the management of YG Entertainment. Formed in 2006, the group consists of G-Dragon, T.O.P, Taeyang, Daesung, and Seungri. Big Bang is known for their unique urban-originated music and fashion style. The members’ involvement in composing and producing their own music, most notably leader G-Dragon, has earned the group respect and praise from music industry experts.

The group’s turning point came with their hit song Lies, which stayed at number one on Korean charts for a record-breaking seven consecutive weeks. Their follow up releases, Hot Issue and Stand Up, furthered their success, spawning hits such as Last Farewell and Haru Haru.[4] From 2007 to 2008, Big Bang received many awards, including “Best Male Group”, “Song of the Year”, “Artist of the Year”, and the Grand Award at the Seoul Music Awards.

From 2009 to 2010, Big Bang expanded their endeavors to Japan, and were voted “the Korean group that Japanese fans wish to see the most”. They became the first foreign group awarded “Best Newcomer” from the Japan Cable Broadcasting Station and “Best New Artist” at MTV Japan. Amidst their Japanese group promotions, the members branched out to do solo activities. Taeyang, G-Dragon, and Seungri have released solo albums. G-Dragon and T.O.P also collaborated on an album under the sub-unit GD & TOP. Seungri and Daesung have acted in both TV dramas and musicals. T.O.P became a highly acclaimed film star. Daesung also hosted many of Korea’s most popular variety TV shows.

After nearly a two-year hiatus in Korea, Big Bang reunited in 2011 with their successful album Tonight. However, promotions were cut short when multiple members encountered legal issues. In November 2011, representing the Asia-Pacific region, Big Bang emerged as the inaugural “Best Worldwide Act” winner at the 2011 MTV Europe Music Awards.[5][6][7] This was the first time in six months all five members were seen together. In 2012, Big Bang released their fifth Mini Album Alive in Korea and Japan before embarking on their first ever World Tour which concluded in early 2013.

 

          I was lucky enough to go to their sold out Alive concert at the Honda Center in Anaheim, and I can easily say I have never seen a band give so much on stage. The concert went on for at least three hours and they practically crawled off in exhaustion. Even though they are internationally popular they still have such a great appreciation of their fans. Their music is addictive and with their constant evolution you are kept continually enthralled. The bonds between the members will charm you, their variety show appearances will make you laugh, and their music will make you dance. Obviously I can’t hide how fangirl I am when it comes to Big Bang. I hope you enjoy their music as much as I do.

 

Kpop is much more than Psy

Most Americans only know Kpop because of Psy, but for those of us that discovered Kpop before him, we know there is so much more. The first Kpop artist I started listening to was Rain (internationally known singer, dancer, and actor from Korea). His Kdrama, Runaway Plan B, was also my first Kdrama. Rain, I blame you for my addiction to all things Korean. Anyways, many people find it strange that someone would listen to music when they don’t know the words, but funnily they don’t find it odd that people all over the world listen to American music and don’t know English.

 

A quick background of the Kpop world—In Korea, much like the old Hollywood studio system, young people are recruited and put under contract and spend many years training. They get singing, dancing, instrument, and language training. You’ll find many Kpop artists who are multi-lingual. The band members are put together by the label and they live together in dorms, which can be great if you get along with all your members. There used to be a five year expiration date on Kpop bands, but no longer. The big three major entertainment labels in South Korea are—YG, SM, and JYP. You will often hear them referred to as the YG family or the SM family. Psy, Big Bang, and 2NE1 are part of the YG label aka family. Shinee, Girls Generation, and Super Junior are part of SM. Rain, 2PM, and MBLAQ are part of JYP.

 

Another odd bit of info to be aware of—in South Korea when an artist comes out with a new song or album it’s termed a comeback, even if it hasn’t been that long since they last released something. It’s odd to Americans who are used to that term meaning someone who has been out of the industry for a long time. Here’s a fact you might want to know—South Korean males have a two year military requirement, and even celebrities have to do it. They are allowed to postpone up to two times, and then they have to enlist. Most Korean celebrities wait till they are in their mid to late twenties. Rain will finish his enlistment July 2013.

 

Believe it or not many Americans and non-Koreans are listening to Kpop. Why? Speaking in a general sense, Kpop is usually very upbeat and fun. The videos can be very colorful, sexy, fun, theatrical, and/or have great dance routines. Honestly I rarely look up the English subtitles or English lyrics unless it’s a band I really like. If you’re wondering where Kpop fans watch the videos, it’s no surprise, YouTube of course. Kpop is so popular that it’s pretty easy to find the music video you’re interested in with English subs if you want them.

 

Kpop fans are intensely passionate and loyal, and I think a part of that is the fact that Korean celebrity’s lives are much publicized. Take for instance my favorite band Big Bang. From their very beginning YG filmed a documentary of their recruitment and training all the way to their debut, and it doesn’t stop there. There is behind the scenes videos, shows where they are followed around in their daily schedule, making of tours, etc. In a way that you don’t see in America, you get the feeling you know your favorite band or actor, and so feel more involved with them. On the good side of that you have fans that become evangelists for your art, passionate, loyal and eager to help with their favorite’s success. On the negative there are the crazy fans that will stalk their obsession in a truly frightening way, although stalker fans are definitely not unique to Korea.

 

For many, the Kpop male style may take getting used to. Not only do most male kpop groups wear makeup, most noticeably eye-makeup, they can also, depending on the group, have very fashion forward style or androgynous style. The first video I ever saw of Big Bang did not grab me, cause their style in that one was sort of extreme. One last thing to be aware of–in Korea it is very common to be physically affectionate with the same sex, it may look odd to some Americans who aren’t used to it, but after some time, you’ll find yourself impressed with their comfort in showing affection to their friends so publicly.

So are you curious to try out Kpop and don’t know where to start. I can help you with that. Obviously I am going to be biased to my own favorite groups, but I think I will make a whole separate post for that.   

 

 

 

 

Warning–Kdramas and Kpop are addictive.

What are Kdrama and Kpop?

 

          The K is short for Korean in both words. A Kdrama is a Korean drama or better described as a Korean TV show that only lasts 16-50+ episodes. Don’t let the word drama fool you; it’s just a word that groups these, for lack of a better term, mini-series shows together. There are all types of Kdramas: historical, contemporary, family drama, comedies, rom-coms, etc.

 

Next you might wonder how Kdramas differ from American TV shows. Korea has many of the same type of shows as America: news, celebrity shows, soap operas etc., but Kdramas make up a huge part of their airtime as opposed to the rare mini-series in the U.S. They usually air 2 episodes a week and most foreigners watch them legally for free online. If a show is already finished and has English subtitles it will be available in its entirety. If it is currently airing you will have to wait for the website to sub it, unless you know Korean, but this usually only takes a of couple days. The popular websites to watch Kdramas are Viki.com, HULU.com, and Dramafever.com. Korea doesn’t have a rerun season like America; when a Kdrama ends another one begins, and all the major broadcast companies have their own dramas. Dramas are a huge business in Korea, and are internationally popular.

 

As to why they are addictive—First off, since there is a limited amount of episodes, each episode is working towards the end goal, and each episode usually ends on a cliffhanger. This leaves the audience feeling like they just have to see what happens next. If the whole show is finished this could lead you to marathoning the whole show. Add to that in many cases, great writing, beautiful actors, and no holds barred romance in many of the shows, and you have the Kdrama addiction. Just like in America they have just as many duds, but I’ve found myself pulled in and marathoning even the bad ones. I said they were addictive right? I will also warn you that there are a couple of typical story lines they use a lot, mostly the rich TKJ (my term meaning typical Kdrama jerk) and the impoverished, quirky, overly naïve heroine. As time goes by there has been a larger variety of strong heroines, and some very interesting story lines.  

 

In many ways Kdramas are the gateway drug to Kpop. As you are watching a drama, you’ll start dancing along to the soundtrack, and eventually you will start seeking out the bands whose sound you like. This is how it started for me. Damn you Kdramas; I rarely listen to anything other than Kpop now.

 

The only real negative to Kdramas is you may stop having a real life because of your addiction. Consider yourself warned.

 

Paperback available

Hi everyone,

I just wanted to let my readers know that Enchant Me and Enthrall Me are now available in paperback from Amazon. http://www.amazon.com/Enchant-Me-Anne-Violet/dp/148126611X/ref=la_B006KJPYPQ_1_1_title_0_main?ie=UTF8&qid=1366992999&sr=1-1

The prologue to my next book

I hope everyone is having a great day. I wanted to post for anyone that is interested the rough draft of my prologue for Mika Between the Veil.

PROLOGUE

Present day, Hill of Tara, Ireland

Mika Kelly believed that Hell existed; it surrounded her. A Druidic battle raged, and on every side people were dying. Blood stained the grass near her feet, and screams of agony and outrage ricocheted in her mind. Paralyzed with fear, she watched as the leader of the Dark Grove finished his spell to raise the Veil. With terrible beauty a light-filled portal rose from the Hill of Tara. She couldn’t take her eyes off the spectrum of opalescent light it radiated. The sight hypnotized her, and incomprehensible voices and sounds called to her. She took a step forward without realizing it, and then fear brought her up short. Mika had never made physical contact with the Veil, and she didn’t want to start now.

Could she really just stand here and let all the creatures of the Otherworld invade her world? Her senses tingled a moment before she felt the touch of a hand on her shoulder giving a squeeze of support, and she dashed forward.

She wasn’t sure of what to do, but she knew she had to do something. As Mika got close to the Veil, her powers suddenly exploded through her. The same light as the Veil poured from her, blinding her. The gates began to creak open, and she threw herself against them. Her nerves felt on fire as the Veil’s power struck at her, again and again. The gates rumbled and shook, but she refused to let go. Images of her gentle, vulnerable father swept her mind. If she died too… No! She couldn’t die; her father would never survive it. Mika focused all her power and will on the gates. They would close, and she would survive. There was no other option. A ghostly cold crawled over her skin, and sank into her chest, so deep it touched her soul. She shivered, even as she pressed harder against the gates.

Mika had no idea how much time passed or what went on around her. The real world fell away, all she knew was the Veil. Mika could sense the Veil inside her, living and breathing in her body, like a parasite feeding off of her. The urge to pull away gripped her. But if she did, not only would she fail her father and her Grove, but all people.

Finally, Mika could feel power ebbing away from the Veil, and with a last rumble it sank back into the Hill of Tara. Exhausted, she collapsed into a lump next to her friend Alexis, who looked pale and weak from fighting her own battle, “the Veil’s been resealed”.

The next morning at the first ray of daylight that streamed into her guest room at Ward house, Mika popped up from the bed. A tendril of fear curled through her when she realized that icy feeling in her chest hadn’t gone away. A cold knot, pressed down upon her, stealing her breath from her. She put her hand over it. Surprisingly, her skin didn’t feel cold at all. The sensation was coming from deep inside of her, and she shuddered. Had the Veil irrevocably changed her? She moved to stand next to the window. Even though she couldn’t see it from here, she sensed how close they were to the Hill of Tara. Her nerves still trembled in response, even from this distance. The Hill of Tara was one of the few places in the world where the Veil, a physical gate to the Otherworld and the only barrier between the living and the dead, could be raised. If she told Ciara, the head of their Grove, about what the Veil had done to her, they would never let her leave Ward house until it was resolved. Maybe if she moved far away the feeling would fade, and she could forget all the things she had seen, and felt.

Enthrall Me (The conclusion to Enchant Me)

I would again like to thank all my readers for their patience. I am happy to announce that Enthrall Me is now available on Amazon, and hopefully in the next couple of weeks it will be up on Barnes and Noble, etc.  I really hope you enjoy the conclusion to Enchant Me. Don’t forget to leave a review at your place of purchase if you liked it. 

I have been asked if a third book is in the works, and the answer is not at this time. While I do plan on writing a spin-off for Mika, it isn’t the book I am writing next. My next book will be a Steampunk novel that I am very excited about. Thank you again for giving my story a chance.

 

Go for your dreams,

Anne Violet