Joo Won 주원 [Current Drama 2024 - The Midnight Studio/ 야한(夜限) 사진관]

[kittyna]

1 hour ago, flutterby06 said:

The trailer looks very vague to me but it looks like JW( His character is a detective/police) is looking for his mother's killer. And Kim Hee Sun has something to do with her son. Is it possible that Joo Won And Kim Hee Sun are mother-son or is it they're talking about different mother-son... Or is it too early to give theories..? 

 

Well, there have been a few clues given in the general plot/character premises that have come along with the casting news articles:

• Kim Hee Sun's character is one who supposedly "died in the past" - and yet she's also alive now? If this drama was made a few years ago, I'd be thinking reincarnation, but now...maybe she actually time-travelled instead of dying???
• When Kim Hee Sun's character and JW's character meet, JW claims that their meeting is fate - Is it because he's working on a case that involves time-travel/"Alice" and she knows something about it? Or is there even more than that?
• Kim Hee Sun and JW both play themselves at multiple ages - This was announced from the start for Kim Hee Sun, but we see that to be the case for JW now as well. However, given that this is about time travel, the actual age-time continuum might not actually be logical or sequential (i.e. do we see the younger versions of these characters in the past, the present, or the future?)

Yeah, I think guessing is fun, but I'm also aware that the drama probably has something entirely different up its sleeve: those character premise notes and teaser trailers are seldom accurate  

[kittyna]

lol - In hindsight, I should probably have just let fans who actually understand Korean do it  

 

 

Now, I do still stand by my earlier comment that quotes in teaser trailers are usually shown completely out of context - and, thus, the impressions they create are not always accurate. BUT - can I just say that, in my opinion at least, the possibility of Kim Hee Sun playing JW's mother just made this drama a whole ton more interesting for me? Like, I was already behind this drama with the initial assumption that they would be a couple, but this just might be a ton more intriguing.

[tokkimoon]

Joo Won was a Award Presenter at the Golden Disc Awards.

Credit: Joo Won via. Instagram
 

JooWon Thailand Fan Club via. Instagram

 

JooWon.Indonesia via. Instagram

[kittyna]

Thanks, @tokkimoon! I came here to post those pics as well, but you beat me to it 

 

So, instead, I'll share another sort-of-fashion-related thing:

 

What are your thoughts on JW's high school look in "Alice"?

 

 

 

lol - It's funny that the main tactic drama and film producers do to try to make JW look younger is to have him brush his bangs down  "Fashion King" did the same thing, too. But still...I'm not sure if JW could pull it off; he was never the most baby-faced actor to begin with, and he's in his early 30s now.... 

 

Second big thing: the next installment of my Seolleim in Salzburg series will be posted later this month. So, for now, here's Preview 1 (which I chose to make another fashion-based moment)  

 

Spoiler

Good thing I’d thought ahead and put on my shoes first.

 

As I carefully do up my shirt, working from top to bottom to give myself more room to manoeuvre each stud into place, I feel it closing in around me. The thick stiffened front panel, plain save for a subtle woven texture, lies snugly flat, pressing tightly against my chest like a piece of armour.

 

And armour it is. Dress shirts like this are designed this way for a purpose: to force their wearer to stand up completely straight and erect, head held up high with the help of a similar stiffened collar. Then – and only then, it is said – can the tailcoat’s elegant silhouette be achieved.

 

Eyes flicking up to my own reflection in the hotel room mirror, I mull over it for a moment before shaking my head.

 

I have to admit that it does look good – but I’ll be damned before I ever wear this up on the podium. I’m neither the first nor the last conductor to feel this way: more than once, I’ve seen them cheat during a performance, pairing their tailcoats with a thinner, looser-fitting shirt, and I have always done the same.

 

Fortunately, the next few items on tonight’s outfit come more easily. A pair of white cufflinks – Nae Il’s most recent Christmas present for me – each one decorated with a subtle treble and bass clef respectively. Braces, followed by my white waistcoat, attached to both my shirt and trousers by a series of hidden buttons and tabs.

 

“Orabang!”

 

I call out over my shoulder to the bathroom door behind me. “Wae?”

 

“Could you” – a soft grunt of effort – “could you lace me up, juesyo?”

 

My jaw drops. “Mwo?”

 

“My dress, Orabang – I can’t do it up by myself.”

 

Ah. So that’s what this is about.

 

Eyes dancing in knowing mischief, I bite back the urge to laugh. “Do you want to come out, then, Nae Il-ah, or should I come in?”

 

In the mirror, I see the bathroom door click open, Nae Il just barely visible in the crack. One of her hands is hidden from view, but the other is pressed firmly to her chest, holding her dress in place so it doesn’t fall.

 

As my eyes flicker over her reflection, she sheepishly worries her bottom lip. “I – I think it’s better if you come in, Orabang,” she murmurs. “I’m afraid I might just trip over this thing if I try to move now.”

 

Finally, I turn around to face her. “Geu rae. Arasseo.” With a wave of my hand, she shuffles back several paces as I step inside the bathroom with her.

 

 Omo. Did Nae Il just - and did Yoo Jin just...? Wow. 

 

(No worries, guys - I'm never going to write 19+ stuff here, to use the Korean way of referring to it. But still: you'll have to wait for the final product to know just what happens in there )

[tokkimoon]

Totally loving his jacket/sweater. They are so comfy. Sherpa is totally trendy these days. I love mine.

Credit: Joo Won via. Instagram

[kittyna]

On 1/5/2020 at 8:26 AM, tokkimoon said:

Totally loving his jacket/sweater. They are so comfy. Sherpa is totally trendy these days. I love mine.

 

Sorry for not replying earlier, but yes - I have noticed that JW prefers comfort over looks in his personal style  

 

Which actually got me thinking of another quick character ranking list: Who is the most fashion-conscious or vain out of JW's drama characters? Not who has the best fashion/style, but who actually cares about that the most (vs. just throwing on whatever's comfortable).

 

Compared to my other ranking lists, this one has a bit of a different format because I want to actually go into a little bit more detail than usual. It's also all posted under the "Hidden Content" tag because of the number of images involved.

 

So, starting from the bottom and working my way up....

 

Spoiler

8. Hwang Tae Hui

 

 

Let me just say first that none of the characters on this list are slobs - they all seem to know what looks good on them and dress accordingly. However, I would say that for Tae Hui, fashion is far less of a priority than practicality is. After all, he's a police detective: he's going to care more about whether he could comfortably run around in what he's wearing than how he looks. Especially when he's on a case - in those points in the drama, he's on the road for days at a time with scarcely enough time to even shave or take a shower, let alone change his clothes. (Okay, now I'm just imagining what would happen if he winds up in the same room as some of the characters from the opposite end of this list  - but I digress.) Not to say that he doesn't neaten up really nicely when he needs to (because he does), but it's quite telling that he has no idea how to do up his own tie - simply because he never really has to wear one  

 

7. Park Si On

 

 

Considering that his job requires him to go about in scrubs and a white doctor's coat the vast majority of the time, I think he can get away with not thinking much about fashion at all. However, I'm actually putting Park Si On all the way down here on the list, because I think that he's also going to prioritize comfort over looks - not so much due to his profession (as in Tae Hui's case above), but because of his autism. People with autism spectrum disorders oftentimes have heightened or intensified physical senses; it's not so much that they see/hear/feel/smell/taste/etc. more than most people, but that they struggle with prioritizing (and hence tuning out) sensory input. So imagine if, say, you can't ignore the fact that your sweater is really itchy or that the corner of your shirt tag is poking you in the back of the neck...that gets really annoying after a while, so it's likely you'll try to avoid wearing those garments altogether. So, again: comfort and function over appearance here. I do wonder, though, about his particular quirk of always doing up all of his shirt buttons (by comparison, JW's other characters will actually vary that quite a bit).

 

6. Kim Tae Hyun

 

 

Personally, he was a fun character for me to watch costume/fashion-wise, because Tae Hyun's style goes through several distinct phases over the course of the drama. At the start, we see that, again, he really doesn't care all that much about fashion; he's more your typical jeans-and-T-shirt kind of guy. In part, this is because of his lower/working class background, but I think his being a doctor - especially his role as Yong Pal - has something to do with it, too: point is, he's more interested in being able to get around easily than in looking good. He does, however, care a good deal about personal hygiene and cleanliness - again, since he's a doctor and one that's very much involved in front-line first aid as well. Later, on the 12th floor, we see him looking a lot more put together - but he's definitely uncomfortable in the more formal and expensive style that he's expected to emulate. So, for me, the style that best encapsulates Tae Hyun's character is what we see after his marriage to Han Yeo Jin: put together while still being laid back (e.g. pairing jeans with a nice sweater, or that black leather jacket he wears near the end - which is a personal favourite fashion moment for me).

 

5. Han Gil Ro

 

 

Now, to be frank, my memory is a bit fuzzier here, so I'll keep this brief. I do, however, recall Han Gil Ro to be someone who knows he looks good and flaunts it. His style is definitely brighter and more colourful than what I've featured on this list so far, and his costumes also cover a wide range between more casual and more formal pieces. A bit of a boy-next-door, perhaps - if said boy was absolutely loaded?  As an extra tidbit, though, I do remember reading one fan/news article saying that the couple fashions in this drama were pretty on point  

 

4. Cha Yoo Jin

 

 

Wait, what? Yeah, I know what you're thinking: given how many times I've gushed over liking his style, why isn't he higher on this list? Well, that's because while I do think Yoo Jin's fashion sense is awesome - it really is a personal favourite of mine not just in JW's dramas, but in all the dramas I've watched in general - I don't think he's someone who really cares about it all that much. He's way more interested in looking neat and put together than actually being fashionable or in style - nor do I think he would be willing to invest a lot of time or effort into keeping up with trends or maintaining his looks. However, what works to Yoo Jin's advantage is that rather than staying in fashion, he seems to have honed his style down into one that's relatively timeless: he's got a great capsule mix-and-matchable wardrobe more akin to that of a young professional than a university student. Seriously: his definition of casual is most young 20-somethings' version of business casual, and he's also got the snazziest (or fanciest) work outfit out of everybody on this list (I kid you not: tails are now considered the most formal item in menswear today - even more formal than a tuxedo. So Yoo Jin's work clothes are literally more formal than what any of the other guys in this list would wear to his wedding - do the math.)

 

3. Gu Ma Jun

 

 

This is when we start getting into the "caring about fashion and what it does for him" side of the spectrum. Although, as with Han Gil Ro, I really only have vague memories of Ma Jun's style by this point in the game (and finding reference pics that don't just involve his baker's uniform is actually easier said than done), I do remember seeing moments where he goes out of his way to try to look good. Something about a snazzy outfit, sunglasses, the whole get-up...yeah. lol - maybe I'm less qualified for this than I thought?  Point is: Ma Jun is the sort of person who tries to present himself as worldly and well-traveled and fashionable in order to boost his own confidence. If nothing else, he pulls off the business suit-outfits from the tail end of the drama more easily than Kim Tak Gu does.

 

7. Gyun Woo

 

 

And now we're going into outright vain  I know that might not be the fairest assessment - especially since I haven't actually watched all of "My Sassy Girl" yet - but this is one case of period costume eye candy with a male lead character to match. I mean, who else remembers that super bright (and possibly anachronistic?) get-up we see him in on the boat back to Joseon from China? Anyone? For me, it's the sunglasses that really gives that outfit personality, and that gives us as viewers a look into Gyun Woo's personality for the first time.

 

And, last but not least, my pick for Most Fashion-Conscious...

 

1. Lee Kang To

 

 

He's definitely got the clear advantage here as a character from a time when bespoke tailoring (i.e. clothes that are custom-made to the wearer's exact measurements) was more of a thing than it is today. However, it is a bit of splurge still, so it's telling that even in the context of the drama, Lee Kang To is presented as someone who pays a lot of attention to his dress. Like, it's actually a plot/character point: he throws himself even more into that image to create his Sato Hiroshi persona...which comes back around to bite him when Shunji puts two and two together and realizes that the tailor's basement is the resistance movement's hideout (whoops). Incidentally, he also pulls off that kendo uniform amazingly well - in my opinion, the one wasted opportunity in "Gaksital" costuming-wise was that we didn't get a chance to see Kang To in kimono. Dang it, show - why???

 

This was a lot of fun to write, although the rankings actually turned out to be a bit messy - a number of these could easily have been ties, or in slightly different order, depending on one's interpretation of the characters and what it means to be fashion-conscious. (No, seriously - even I changed my mind a few times working on this.)

 

And while this is not fashion per se, it's still totally flippin' cool 

 

 

[airplanegirl]

I'm definitely excited about Alice since it's a project he chose and not what his company chose for him. 

[tokkimoon]

Credit: Min Jung via. Instagram

[kittyna]

5 hours ago, airplanegirl said:

I'm definitely excited about Alice since it's a project he chose and not what his company chose for him. 

 

Thanks for that tip! I'd suspected that was the case, given how long it took to confirm, but it's great to know for sure  

 

By the way, does anyone know who's in charge of editing the forum name? I think it's about time we included "Alice" in there. Thanks!

 

[airplanegirl]

13 minutes ago, kittyna said:

 

Thanks for that tip! I'd suspected that was the case, given how long it took to confirm, but it's great to know for sure  

 

By the way, does anyone know who's in charge of editing the forum name? I think it's about time we included "Alice" in there. Thanks!

 

I'll request the MOD to change it once we have a premiere date. 

[tokkimoon]

Salud.Flor via. Instagram
 

[kittyna]

A couple of goodies/announcements for you guys:

 

First of all - now that "Alice" seems to be making some decent progress, I'm finally making the commitment to watch "My Sassy Girl" in full!  

 

Yeah, I know...took me a while  But, in my defence, I didn't want to be stuck with the feeling of having watched all of JW's dramas without something to look forward to - since that's not the case anymore, I should at least finish off all of his pre-enlistment dramas and start with a clean slate  

 

Some of you may have been around when I watched "Yong Pal". If so, you'll remember that I wrote here periodically with my impressions of the drama, its characters and plot, etc. And so I'll do the same with "My Sassy Girl" this time around. Again, it's unrealistic for me to comment on every single episode - so this will be a case of me dipping in whenever the mood strikes and time allows.  

 

To be honest, I am a bit apprehensive about this. Unlike with "Yong Pal", "My Sassy Girl" is the sort of drama where...well, if JW wasn't playing the lead in it, I wouldn't have been interested in it much at all. In other words: the initial premise (i.e. that it's a sageuk adaptation of a super-famous Korean rom-com movie) simply wasn't something that would draw me in at all. I have seen enough from this forum and the drama's actual forum to know that there's a lot more depth to it than just rom-com shenanigans or slapstick humour, so right now, I think what I'm really hoping to see would be that JW gets a chance to give Gyun Woo the depth that I want to see.

 

Second item - Preview 2 of my upcoming Seolleim in Salzburg fic! This time, just a sweet (emotionally) intimate moment between Yoo Jin and Nae Il:

 

Spoiler

For a long moment, a deep silence hangs over us, Nae Il probably still processing everything I’ve just told her. Then, gently, she leans in closer, tilting her head to rest it on my shoulder.

 

I give her a sideways glance. “Wae?”

 

“If they” – she nods at the Graf piano in front of us – “if the Schumanns could hear us, what might they be thinking right now?”

 

My mouth curls into a joking smirk. “What are you talking about, Seollebal? They wouldn’t even understand Korean!”

 

“Aish....” Nae Il lifts her head from my shoulder, just enough to shoot me a mock-reproachful sneer. “You’re not even trying.”

 

“Well, then,” I retort smartly, “what about you? What do you think?”

 

She lets out a soft whine, nudging me with a pout. “I asked you.”

 

Fine. If that’s how she wants it….

 

“I think,” I answer slowly as she once again rests her head on my shoulder, “they would understand. Not in the exact same way, of course – Clara, not Robert, was the one with the perfectionist disciplinarian for a father.”

 

Nae Il rears up again with a hiss. “Call it like it was, Orabang. Friedrich Wieck was an abusive narcissist who cared more about what his daughter could do for his own image than for her happiness.” She rounds on me, eyes blazing. “You know he threatened to kill Robert when he found out they liked each other, right? Kill him and destroy her career – one his student, the other his own daughter – simply because they wanted a life beyond what he’d planned for them!”

 

Her sudden ferocity sends me scooting away from her. “Alright, alright – whatever you say!” I raise both hands in surrender. “Aish, Seollebal; remind me never to get on your bad side.”

 

She shoots me a pointed look: simultaneously daring me to cross her and doubtful that that could ever actually happen. Only when I throw in a small sheepish smile, an extra “I mean it,” does she calm down. Her face gradually softens, until, at last, I feel it is safe to pick up where I’d left off.

 

“But what I meant, Nae Il-ah, was that Clara would know what it’s like to both disappoint and be disappointed by her father: love and hate and admiration all rolled into one. Whereas Robert, although he was older, was the innocent one” – I glance wistfully up at the painting on the wall – “the child in a man’s body, with his head up in the clouds.” I turn back to face her. “He was the first person in Clara’s life who let her just be herself: pursuing music not for anyone else’s gain, but simply out of her own love for it.”

 

“Oh….” Nae Il nods knowingly. “Like us, then, but in reverse.”

 

“Mm,” I answer with a shrug. “Perhaps.”

 

One more preview will be released next week, and then - the full fic  

[tokkimoon]

Joo Won via. Instagram

[kittyna]

Ooh...loving that look on him, @tokkimoon - thanks for sharing!

 

But that's not what I'm actually here for today. Instead, since I've just watched the first two episodes (or the first episode, if you count them as two halves of one hour-long affair as I do) of "My Sassy Girl", I should stop by with my first impression.

 

Okay, not quite first impression, since I was already active here on the forum at the time it aired and so I already know what happens. But you get my drift.

 

First of all, it's a good thing that Episode 2 does a good job establishing Gyun Woo's fundamentally goodhearted nature, because the cockier know-it-all attitude we see in Episode 1...really got old after a while. For me, anyway. Like, I get it: he's smart, and he's worldly, and he knows it, but this is where I have to fall back on something that the writers on Dramabeans once said (about Cha Yoo Jin, incidentally) - that trying to look cool actually makes you look uncool (with the implication that Yoo Jin actually attained that perfect point of coolness). I honestly could have gone without some of Gyun Woo's bragging - especially when it's at other people's expense - but I will admit to cracking up when he describes his time in China simply as "a success" as though it should go without saying. 

 

So by the time we do see Gyun Woo getting taken down a peg or two, I was seriously starting to think he needed it. Maybe not under those exact circumstances - since he's getting in trouble the one time he's actually trying to do the right thing  - but I do hope that it'll turn into the humbling experience that he needs. Right now, I like to think that he's searching around for Princess Hye Myung at the end of Episode 2 in order to return her ring - and thus make at least some amends - but it's too early in the game for me to know if that's actually what he's doing. And, well, given what we've seen of Gyun Woo so far...I doubt the learning curve will be quite so easy for him

 

Now, don't get me wrong: so far, I am genuinely enjoying watching Gyun Woo as a character. I can already see that underneath that breezy exterior, he's someone who cares deeply for his friends and dotes on his family. His relationship with his kid sister (I could be wrong, but she does come across as way younger than him) is definitely on point: they bicker and tease each other, but in that easy "only because we're siblings" sort of way. It's the same sort of dynamic that I've gotten used to seeing from JW in, say, "Yong Pal" - although the vibe I get in "My Sassy Girl" is a lot more lighthearted by comparison. I also get a sense that Gyun Woo's gonna be a bit of a papa's boy - his mom might want to spoil him to bits, but it looks like his father has far more of an influence on him. 

 

Yeah...not much on our main pairing at this point, since we've really just started on the rom-com "hate each other on first sight" phase of the relationship. But I know that that's going to change soon enough, and I'll say more on it when that time comes  

 

One last not-so-JW-related thing before I call it for now: while fusion (read: anachronistic) sageuk isn't always my thing, can I just say that I'm actually loving the witty, biting social commentary that's woven throughout "My Sassy Girl"? The part when Gyun Woo was in China was an absolutely hilarious parody of Hallyu: the screaming fangirls, the merch (So. Much. Merch.)...too bad Gyun Woo didn't have 21st-century security with him, because he really could have used it  I also think that the whole paparazzi+netizen culture is hinted at quite nicely with the tabloid pamphlets being circulated around about the royal family - the show doesn't even hold back its punches when it shows right off the bat (with the deposed Queen) how rumours like that could have serious real-life consequences.

 

Considering that Huayi Brothers produced this drama with one of their biggest artists as the star...it's a bold move to make "My Sassy Girl" such a blatant satire on Korea's celebrity culture. But it does manage to keep me on my toes and give me things to think about - and I love it when a drama does that.  

[tokkimoon]

Leaders With Us via. Instagram

[kittyna]

Thanks for those pics! I found this one too, which is really just the first shot from a different angle:

 

 

But seriously: can we talk about this pic for a moment, though? Because it honestly took me a moment to even realize that was JW there, he looked so baby-faced. 

 

Don't believe me? Here's the closeup:

 

Spoiler

 

 

Actually, come to think of it, it's more the innocence in JW's expression rather than his actual facial features that makes him look so young there. It's like looking at a wide-eyed curious child..who somehow inhabits a 30-something-year-old's body  

 

But anyway, since I'm already here for the pics, let me give yet another quick update on where I am in "My Sassy Girl".

 

I've just finished Episode 6 - which, for those of you who need a refresher, ends right at that rather awesome fan-fighting scene.  I'd seen that bit as a snippet before, so I knew what to expect prior to watching the drama, but it's still awesome and never gets old. Seeing it in context and not as an isolated clip, though, I'm intrigued by how the show seems to head towards Kang Joon Young doing the rescue (since he's the one who finds Hye Myung's shoe), making Gyun Woo's reveal a surprise. 

 

I am glad to say that both leads have grown on me quite a bit since I last posted. Mostly it's because of context - I get to see more of what goes on behind the characters' actions, so I can now finally start thinking of them as more than caricatures. So, for instance, I can see that although Gyun Woo does his own fair share of scolding Hye Myung for her reckless behaviour, he does feel a twinge of guilt when he hears all the nasty rumours about "the Princess" from his friends. He knows those rumours are false (they're either major over-exaggerations or entirely baseless), but is also aware not only of how the small kernel of truth that there is has become spun completely out of proportion, but also how, by scolding her or griping about her to his friends, he's adding to the gossip even if he means well. 

 

So I really like the direction that the whole "find the ring" subplot went in in this show. Hye Myung does have a heart for the people, which I saw right from the start, but at the end of the day, she is still a princess: despite her near-nightly escapes from the palace, she is still someone who grew up in a bubble. Like Gyun Woo, she knows the letter of the law (i.e. that usury - lending money with high interest - theft and smuggling are illegal), but it's only when she sees the gangsters' ledger that what that lawlessness actually looks like sinks in. So, kudos to Hye Myung for having the audacity to swipe and destroy that ledger: as she puts it afterwards, even though she didn't find the ring, she still managed to do something good.

 

(By the way: Gyun Woo's - or should I say JW's - various "okay, we're doomed" expressions throughout that scene were great, too.)

 

I'm also proud of Gyun Woo for trying so hard to help get the ring back once he does find out what happened to it. Mind you, it's that more honourable side of his nature that makes Jung Da Yeon attracted to him - and she's not an easy girl to shake off, by any means - but although he started with his own need to defend his honour as his primary motivation at first, I also see underneath the surface a general desire to do what's right. So although it's wounded pride that stops him from giving the ring back right away, I do like that he thinks better on it and backtracks to the fair to make amends.

 

Also, compared to the first pair of episodes, I think the comedy is executed better at this point in the show. I personally like watching JW when he's doing "straight man" humour - i.e. when he's funny because he's the level-headed guy who ends up constantly outwitted by the sillier characters around him. We see plenty of that in this show, especially when Hye Myung takes it upon herself to just be an annoying little troll by his side (e.g. messing up the prince's Chinese lesson just to throw him off, the whole "king game" bit at the festival/fair, the absolutely hilarious chicken feet scene where he actually winds up trolling himself, etc.). I'm liking this more than the super-exaggerated slapstick humour of the first two episodes - which, in hindsight, I surmise to be a nod to the original film before this show's producers deviate into their own storyline. Am I right on that, guys? I've never watched the original movie, so help me out here.

 

Finally, while the leads are growing on me, the supporting characters are...a bit more patchy. I'm liking Kang Joon Young as the second male lead so far - I'm especially hoping he and Gyun Woo end up friends - but...yeah, I'm not quite sure what to make of Gyun Woo's family just yet. Gyun Woo seems to have inherited his level-headedness from his father's side of the family, since his mother and sister...not so much. Mind you, the vibe I'm getting from his sister right now is that she's still a kid who desperately wants to fit in with the older girls she's been looking up to all her life - like, she's finally old enough to possibly make it as one of the "cool girls" in Da Yeon's circle, but only just. I sure hope she takes some lessons from her brother, though; because right now, girl's in way over her head....

[airplanegirl]

Since there is a tentative release date for his new drama, do you all want to update the title or just leave it until the release date is properly confirmed?

[kittyna]

6 hours ago, airplanegirl said:

Since there is a tentative release date for his new drama, do you all want to update the title or just leave it until the release date is properly confirmed?

 

I want to wait until it's confirmed - the tentative release date that I saw at least (i.e. June 30) doesn't sound all that realistic to me....

[tokkimoon]

Joo Won via. Instagram

[kittyna]

First things first: here's the third - and final - Preview of my upcoming fic, the full version of which will be going up sometime next week.

 

Spoiler

We linger in the Café a bit longer than we should; by the time we reach the Musikverein, there is already an enormous crowd of people streaming inside. We jog hand-in-hand to take our places at the end of the line, inching closer and closer to the building until, at last, we finally step inside.

 

An usher checks our tickets, nodding to us in greeting. As Nae Il turns this way and that to look around in silent awe, he quietly gives me the directions to our table in the Grosser Saal.

 

“When you get to the balcony, there’s a staircase in the back. Just go up there and you’ll be in the Gallery.” He cracks a warm smile at me. “You’ve got a good eye, Herr Cha; that’s my favourite view in the house.”

 

I return his smile with a knowing nod. The Gallery is a small balcony, nestled in an alcove above the portion of the Grosser Saal’s main balcony that lines the back wall. Tucked right up against the windows that ring the auditorium, decorated by a simple line of moulding covered with gold leaf, it’s so unobtrusive in comparison to the grandeur and opulence of the rest of the room as to be practically unnoticed.

 

Here, then, is a place where we could see, but not be seen.

 

I thank the usher for his help, giving our intertwined hands a little shake to signal Nae Il to do the same. Then, after a hurried stop at the coat check, at which point I pass her my scarf to wear over her shoulders like a shawl, we set off.

 

Somehow, by some miracle, we’re the first ones to arrive at our table, giving us our pick of the six seats available. Naturally, Nae Il goes straight for the front, right at the edge of the balcony, moving so fast that I don’t even have the chance to pull out her chair.

 

“Ya,” I chide her jokingly as I take the spot across from her, “I know you’re Seollebal and all – but try at least to hold yourself together.”

 

Nae Il smugly ignores me, choosing instead to peer over the railing at the rest of the auditorium below. Resting my arm on top of the railing, I do the same.

 

The Grosser Saal, already grand and luxurious to begin with, has been completely transformed. The rows of wooden chairs where the audience would sit during a concert have been cleared away to reveal an enormous dance floor, save for one small spot right at the foot of the stage where several rows of chairs and music stands have been set up. Several players from the Vienna Philharmonic have already assumed their places, their attempts to tune and warm up their instruments drowned out by the crowds mingling in the two rows of boxes lining the perimeter: one on the main level, the other the balconies below us. Upon the stage, where normally the orchestra would sit, there are now several tiers of chairs upholstered in plush red velvet. Those, I quietly point out to Nae Il, will be for tonight’s VIPs: Austrian politicians, dignitaries, major celebrities in the classical music world, the ilk.

 

“Jeongmal?” she asks, her words hushed in shock and awe. “They’d really be up there, for everyone to see?”

 

“Geu rae.” I open the hand that is resting on the banister between us, inviting her to place hers on top. “Personally, Nae Il-ah,” I finish, giving her hand a reassuring squeeze, “I prefer this up here.”

 

Nae Il flashes me a fond smile, knowing full well my aversion to any sort of media attention.  She opens her mouth to say something, but doesn’t get the chance to when we are approached by a waiter, who asks if we would like a drink to start.

 

I follow Nae Il in ordering a champagne, its golden tint and dancing bubbles a perfect match for the atmosphere. Once we are left alone with our drinks, she holds her glass out in invitation.

 

“Konbei!”

 

We take our first sip together, after which point I admonish Nae Il to pace herself. “You want to be able to last the night.”

 

“Ara, ara,” she quips back. “Like you need to tell me!”

 

Slowly, the Gallery has been filling up, people finally starting to trickle in after, most likely, meandering about the entire Musikverein, taking photos all the way. Knowing that we’ll likely only have a few moments to spare before we are joined by our own companions, then, we quickly pass around Nae Il’s phone, taking quick shots of each other.

 

“I wonder who it’s gonna be,” Nae Il says, slipping her phone back in her clutch. “Our table companions, I mean.” She turns her head, scanning over the rest of the balcony. “Don’t you think it’s a bit weird that there are two-person tables but ours seats six?”

 

I answer with a casual shrug. “Not necessarily. Think about it this way: what are the chances that people would book tickets in a perfect party of six?” One corner of my mouth twitches up into a humoured smirk. “I daresay there would be more couples here, don’t you?”

 

She gives me a nod before we resume our vigil of the scene below. By now, the boxes are more crowded than ever before: people who hadn’t reserved seats squeezing in anywhere there is room to stand, the sound of their combined chatter ringing throughout the space as a dull roar.

 

The noise makes me clench my jaw despite myself. The Grosser Saal is famous for its incredible acoustics, but already, I’m yearning for the music to start.

 

But just then, rather than the orchestra, it’s a man’s voice coming from behind that catches my ear:

 

“I believe, my dear, that this is where we’re supposed to be.”

 

I reach over and tap Nae Il on the shoulder, gesturing for her to turn around. She’s quicker to stand up than I am, already offering a polite greeting and a handshake by the time I finally get out of my seat, my own hand at the ready.

 

My rehearsed greeting dies on my lips, however, when I see just who exactly is standing behind me.

 

Okay, obviously I already know the answer to this (I wrote the dang thing after all!), but I'm curious: who do you guys think Yoo Jin just saw? There aren't any prizes for winning, but anyone who wants to guess is welcome to until the fic is posted  

 

Secondly, I'm now another four (or two, depending on how you count them) episodes into "My Sassy Girl" and there are a couple of things I want to unpack here with everyone.

 

It might not be entirely fair for me to say this, but I'm actually getting similar vibes between the Gyun Woo/Hye Myung pairing as I did with Yoo Jin/Nae Il back then. They're not identical, by any means - each couple has its own quirks - but I'm definitely seeing some similarities in the dynamic, and I'm loving it  

 

So, for instance, I love all those times that we see Gyun Woo going out of his way to help Hye Myung (e.g. getting his hands on her favourite food - despite hating it himself - or desperately searching for her in the crowd when he hears about the penalty for secretly meeting Min Yoo Hwan). But even more than that, I love that Gyun Woo, as of this moment, is not acting this way because he's in love. Okay, so it is a running gag by this point that just about everyone who has ever seen him and Hye Myung together is convinced he has feelings for her (e.g. his friends, Jung Da Yeon, the little Prince - who I think is seriously going to start playing matchmaker if he could get away with it - Hye Myung's staff, the innkeeper...list goes on), but he's not prepared to actually describe his feelings as "love" just yet. So I'll take his word for it: it's not love, in the romantic sense. But if it's not love, then what is it? The only real option left, once you strip back all the trappings of love and romance (and, let's be frank, sexual lust), is that Gyun Woo is acting out of a genuine heartfelt care for Hye Myung - a desire to protect her health/safety/reputation/etc.

 

By the way, I also love how there's no real romantic rivalry between Gyun Woo and Kang Joon Young - they're officially a tag-team now, and even in instances where they aren't, it's great seeing how they both incidentally end up working together to help Hye Myung in their own separate ways (e.g. Gyun Woo freeing Hye Myung while Joon Young apprehends the gangsters; Joon Young fighting the assassin while Gyun Woo hides Hye Myung, etc.). I wanna see more of this tag-team at work, regardless of whether it grows into a full-blown friendship.

 

Hye Myung also deserves some love here, especially now that we see what's lurking underneath the surface. She's the sort of person who acts out not to get attention, but to mask her true feelings about the situation at court. With this most recent set of episodes (9/10), I'm also starting to notice that Choon Poong is the same: both he and Hye Myung have this tendency to act completely loose and carefree, but the moment they catch wind of something serious, they both actually somber up for a moment before reverting back to their libertine personas lest anyone notice the change. It's fascinating to watch Choon Poong at it, but when Hye Myung does it, it's also really poignant and sad - especially since she doesn't find it safe to confide in her own father. We know from the start that the King still deeply loves the deposed Queen - and Hye Myung knows it, too. So to see how the toxic gossip-laden environment at court prevents either of them from supporting each other when they miss the Queen...that's heartbreaking. 

 

(Come on, Gyun Woo - pull your act together so Hye Myung could look to you, at least!)

 

One last thing before I go for today: personally, I'm not a fan of that weird dream that Gyun Woo has, where he sees Hye Myung trying to force herself on him. I'd seen it as a snippet before, and at the time, watching the scene in isolation, I felt that it was really inappropriate. Not because of anything in particular that's being shown - they do still keep it PG - but because...well, if it's not right to make a rape joke about a girl, then it shouldn't be right to make one about a guy either. Seriously, if you sit down and think about that scene long enough, that's what's going on. So, no, I didn't laugh - not even out of secondhand embarrassment. Seeing it in context is a bit better - since both Gyun Woo and we as viewers already know that Hye Myung's not that sort of a girl - but I still find it to be a joke done in bad taste. Especially in the midst of things like MeToo, the K-pop scandal from last year (even though "My Sassy Girl" does predate that incident, I'm still watching it after the fact), etc.

 

If there is one point of humour that I could draw from that scene - since I do understand that it was meant to be funny or silly - it's that Gyun Woo had that dream after reading the erotic book about "the princess" despite knowing that he shouldn't. In other words: this is what happens, Gyun Woo, when you read/watch porn. *wags finger*