More thoughts on that all-consuming SBS alien-earthling romance

Finally, life can go back to normal. Teddy and I finished watching "You Who Came From The Stars" (also known as "My Love From Another Star") two days ago.

What am I feeling now? Mostly, a sense of relief it's over - no, not because it's bad (far from it), but because it was so intense chasing the series. We didn't do anything else besides watch TV in the evenings for nearly 2 weeks. Sigh, basically I have been deprived from Korean dramas for too long. Once I started on a series this good, I could not stop! Crazy, I know. But it was a good kind of crazy while it lasted. :)

I don't think I need to give another blow-by-blow synopsis of this insanely popular drama series. Too many other fans have done a much better job. If at all, I shall just say that it is a superbly executed blend of romance, humor and mystery. Jeon Ji Hyun absolutely shone in the show with her no-holds-barred portrayal of the lovable Cheon Song Yi. Kim Soo Hyun's Do Min Joon-sshi was a gem too, but I thought he didn't have as much scope to play with because of his role. After all, he is a 400 year-old alien stuck on Earth - the fellow has seen everything. So can you blame him for always looking rather cold and unemotional? But to his credit, the few emotional scenes he had were very well done. I thought he was really good at crying his heart out.

(Prof. Do Min Joon's heartrending tears)

"You Who Came From The Stars" would score a perfect 10 in my book if it had ended more thoughtfully, and not caved in so blatantly to viewers' demand (especially the last episode with the uncut epilogue). Although I rate this as a definite keeper, there are story elements that even a fan like me can't fully accept. I mean, wormholes? That was such a cop-out. It felt like a hurriedly put-together ending to wrap the story after the screenwriter ran out of steam. Yes, it was a sweet ending to one of the best rom-coms ever, but somehow it felt vaguely unsatisfying to me. What do you think?

(The too-perfect ending to an otherwise perfect rom-com)

Dongdaemum Design Plaza Opens

Dongdaemun Design Plaza - Designed to fit in Seoul

A new iconic landmark was added to Seoul's cityscape with the opening of the Dongdaemum Design Plaza(DDP) on 21 Mar 2014. Interestingly, DPP shares a common design and architectural roots with Qatar's iconic World Cup Stadium and China's Guangzhou Opera House (see photos below) - all three are the works of renowned British-Iraqi architect Zaha Hadid.

With its flowy curves, the DDP exudes an organic and natural feel.  In fact, its design footprint appears to be one inspired by nature since the complex seems to blend seamlessly with the space it shares with other buildings in Dongdaemun.  That aside, the location of the DDP, in the epicenter of Seoul's design hub, makes it the perfect place for budding designers as well as a cultural space to spread the Hallyu wave to local and foreign visitors alike.  This is not surprising since Zaha Hadid Architects had stated that “The design (of the DPP) was governed by the belief that architecture should enable people to think beyond existing boundaries, in order to reach innovative solutions”.

Currently the world's largest asymmetrical free-form building, the complex consists of facilities such as a convention centre, museum, art hall and a park - all suitable for the hosting of concerts, exhibitions, conferences, fashion shows and seminars.  Apart from its practical uses, I am sure media companies in Korea are rubbing their hands at the thought of filming a drama at the complex. What say you KBS, MBC, or SBS?

Anyway, do check out DDP's official website here. Alas, it's in Korean!

Qatar's futuristic looking World Cup Stadium

Guangzhou's Opera House

[Posted by Teddy]

KBS' Entertainment Weekly Interviews Shin Sung Rok

Apart from Gianna Jun and Kim Soo Hyun, Shin Sung Rok (Lee Jae Kyung) definitely performed well in his role as the ultimate baddie murderous brother to Hee Kyung (Park Hae Jin).  How can anyone forget that oh-so devious smirk that flashes across his urbane face whenever murderous thoughts flashes through that evil mind of his.  I wouldn't want to be in the same room as Jae Kyung when he starts caressing his well polished "nail ring".

Anyway, check out the real Shin Sung Rok in KBS' Entertainment Weekly video below. With his drama persona removed, he looks kinda like a friendly sort of guy.



[Posted by mydaemon]

Inter-galactic Love Story that Spans 400 Years

I really enjoyed the 400-year romance story between Prof. Do Min Joon and Cheong Song Yi. In fact, I enjoyed it so much I created this short homemade video for fellow HelloHallyu fans to re-indulge and bask in the warmth of  their love again. Ahhh.... do spread the love if you liked watching the MV as much as I liked making it. Kamsahamnida!

My Love from Another Star (My Destiny - Lyn) from HelloHallyu on Vimeo.

[Posted by Teddy]

Kim Soo Hyun in Singapore (27 Apr 2014)

Flying to Singapore on 27 Apr 2014

Fans of My Love from Another Star are in for a treat as Kim Soo Hyun will be coming to Singapore for a one-day fan meet on 27 Apr 2014.  The event will be held at the Singapore Expo Hall 1 with tickets going from S$138 to S238.  It is kinda pricey, so do start saving up your pocket money if you intend to check out one of Korea's hottest stars, cos I am sure that the event would be sold-out!

See below for the details of the event:

2014 Kim Soo Hyun Asia Tour 1st Memories in Singapore

Date: 27 Apr 2014 (Sunday)
Time: 7:30pm
Venue: Singapore Expo Hall 1
Ticket pricing: $238*, $188*, $138* (*excludes $3 booking fee)
Ticketing hotline: 6348 5555 or www.sistic.com.sg

[Posted by Teddyu]

We are Back!!!

Having been away from my beloved HelloHallyu blog for almost four years, I now return to a Korean entertainment scene that has not only evolved dramatically, to say the least, but also to a new era where a new generation of new stars and Kpop groups have emerged.  I am definitely looking forward to sharing with you my views and thoughts about the efforts and achievements of these new artistes in furthering the reach of the Hallyu wave.  That said, I am heartened to see that veteran artistes are going as strong today as they were in 2010.

Despite the long absence, where our daughter came along (in 2010), I have maintained my love for all things Korean.  Indeed, rarely a day goes by without me coming into contact with something Korean.  Be it food, music or drama, I continue to get my "K-fix" as often as I can.  If anything is to go by, there's is always a punnet of Korean strawberries in my overloaded refrigerator.  Hmmmm, I still wonder how Korean farmers manage to grow such sweet strawberries throughout the year.

Anyway, I really have to thank the drama My Love from Another Star for rekindling my passion to once again post here and share my thoughts about all the things I love about the Korean culture and entertainment.  

My Love from Another Star

So, here I go again!  Sit back and enjoy the ride!

MBC - Personal Taste

MBC's success in getting "hunk of the moment" Lee Min Ho to pair up with veteran Son Ye Jin in Personal Taste must have been a coup. I have been anamored with Son's flawless acting since I first laid eyes on her performance as a alzheimer stricken girl in the 2004 movie - A Moment to Remember.  While I can't say much about Lee, having missed Boys Over Flowers, all I can say is that he's a good looking chap.

Throw any role at Son and she will just slide into character as if the script had been specifically written for her. You know what I mean when you go back to SBS's 2006 drama Alone in Love. where Son played a middled-aged divorcee coming to terms with her divorce. I am still in amazement with her ability to pile on the weight and look the 30-odd year old woman that she was portraying.

In Personal Taste, Son plays the role of an furniture designer who gets dumped by her good for nothing boyfriend the day before he weds one of her best friends, whom I think is such a bitc*! Fate must have thought she needed more challenges in life, as if she's not troubled enough, when her male buddy got her into some loanshark debt which she has to settle.

Lee, on the other hand, plays a suave architect who, despite his apparent talents, gets thwarted in his work but none other than Son's ex-boyfriend. That's pretty much all that I can say for now cos I have only watched a grand total of ONE episode. :)

But the vibes I get from this drama has been great so far. It's weird, but one can really sense whether a drama is a hit, or a 'stinker' just by the vibe, or gut feel, one gets from viewing the first episode. A classic example is My Fair Lady.  Despite my adoration of Yoon Eun Hye, I had this bad feeling that My Fair Lady is a professional mistake after the first 10 or so minutes of watching it. Truth be said, I think My Fair Lady is one of the worst dramas I have seen for a long time.

So, should you watch Personal Taste if you have just that 1 hour to spare for your daily dose of Korean entertainment. HelloHallyu's answer is an equivocal YES! I think Personal Taste is gonna be a fun and campy show with full of laughs and good entertainment. It's hard to go wrong when you have Son anchoring the show while having Lee as her side-kick.

Personal Taste is now showing on Singapore's Channel U every Saturday at 9.30pm to 11pm. Episode 3 will be screened this weekend. Alternatively, you can catch replays of the series on the "Catch-up TV" on the XINMSN website. Click on this link to catch the first 3 episodes. Enjoy!

Wonder Girls - Nobody (MV)

Sigh... it has been another long hiatus from HelloHallyu. Although we have been away, we have still be faithfully following some of the latest Korean dramas, with Queen Seon Deok being the drama we last watched.

There's no better way for us than to 'reconnect' with K-pop through Wonder Girls' "Nobody". While it's a tad dated, but we think this catchy tune captures the essence of why we are still so into K-pop after all these years. Enjoy!

Movie Review: My Girlfriend is an Agent (2009)

Yesterday we finally got to watch My Girlfriend is An Agent. It was great. In fact, I don't remember seeing a more hilarious movie for the longest time. It's probably also one of the more entertaining Asian films I have seen in years. Hong Kong movies have generally been crap and I don't know enough Japanese films to say. So this latest Korean offering gets (at least) a 7.5 out of 10 points from me.

Kim Ha Neul stars as a Ahn Su Ji, a top-notch agent working for the Korean secret service. She used to date Lee Jae Jun (played by the very funny Kang Ji Hwan), but because of the countless lies she told for her work's sake, their relationship could not take the strain. Eventually, Jae Jun broke up with her and left Korea without giving her a chance to explain herself. Broken-hearted, Su Ji tried to forget Jae Jun and subsequently began dating someone new. But as fate would have it (as is usually the case in movies), their paths crossed again 3 years later. The way they met again is really laugh-out-loud funny. A bit slapstick, but nonetheless hilarious. I won't reveal more; no spoilers in this review.

It turns out that Jae Jun is now a rookie agent, and is trying to make the cut for the elite Harimau team (did you know? Harimau is the Malay word for tiger and also the name of the company that produced the movie). IMO, Kang Ji Hwan is perfectly cast as the bumbling agent. Whenever he makes a blunder, his facial expression has just that right mix of serious goofiness, which is totally classic. And of course, making everything even harder, now he has to keep his identity a secret from Su Ji (right when their relationship seems to be picking up again). A series of misadventures soon follow. The nightclub and amusement park scenes with the two of them on field missions had me laughing till my sides ached.

This is a highly enjoyable movie. It's silly but in a good way. Besides the leading man and lady (who have wonderful onscreen chemistry, by the way) the supporting cast is also superb. And although it's supposed to be a sort of goofball comedy, the love story between Su Ji and Jae Jun is very emotionally charged, and has more to offer than your average Hollywood romance comedy. Mostly it came down to the star power and acting chops of Kim Ha Neul and Kang Ji Hwan, who manage to pull everything off convincingly. Even the more ridiculous moments (for me it's the fencing sequences) will just make us audience go, awww. We are ready to forgive these two anything, as long as they end up together.

In the end, we all know true love will prevail. So I don't think that counts as spoiler. :) Don't expect something too deep or too clever. But you can count on having a rollicking fun ride in this movie. This is entertainment at its best. Guaranteed to make you laugh. HelloHallyu recommends it!

[Posted by mydaemon]

Food Review: Kobayashi Hangul

What would cheer up a pair of wet, sodden and cold couple who's into Korean stuff? Well, a nice hot Korean meal would certainly hit the spot. Yesterday, as we trudged along the rain soaked Somerset Road to Cathay Cineleisure, our sole aim being collecting our tickets for the movie "My Girlfriend is An Agent", we decided that a nice hot meal would be a great way to start off the evening.

None of the food places caught our fancy since they are mostly the run of the mill foodcourt stalls, fastfood restaurants and the franchised Japanese restaurants. By this time, we were ready to tuck into anything that will satiate our growling tummies when we chanced upon a resturant by the name of Kobayashi Hangul.

Upon closer inspection of the restaurant's menu, we were happy to realise that it served both Korean and Japanese food. What better way to start off the evening than to have a Korean themed dinner before catching a Korean movie.

Scanning through the menu, I decided to try their barbequed chicken hotplate with kimchi set while Yupgi ordered a seafood kimchi jigae set.

Yupgi's seafood kimchi jigae in the background and my barbequed chicken kimchi hotplate is in the foreground.

Presentation wise is 'ok'. Taste wise is really disappointing.

The food looked not too bad when I collected it from the counter, the restaurant being a self-styled 'fastfood' Korean/Japanese  restuarant. However, we were both sorely disappointed when we started eating.

Having eaten Korean dishes from various places, foodcourt stalls to expensive restaurants, the food at Kobayshi Hangul is really poor. My grilled chicken tasted just liked a plate of chicken that have been stirred fried with kimchi. It doesn't taste anything like the Korean food that I have eaten at other places. If Korean food is simple adding kimchi to the recipe, than this  restaurant would have passed with flying colours. Needless to say, I didn't enjoy the substandard quality of the this dish.

Yupgi shared my disappointment with her jigae. Her 'stew'was simply a mis-mash of kimchi (again), seafood, and fish fillet (those you find in Macdonald's fill-o-fish). Simply put, it doesn't taste like anything that a respectable Korean would serve on their dining table.

On a scale of 10, the food we had is simple a poor rating of 4. The only saving grace for this place, if we can even consider it as such, is its rather reasonable pricing, ranging from S$5+ to around S$8 per item. However, given the poor food quality, this would be the first and the last time I ever eat at this restaurant.

Shin Min Ah in Wedding Gown

Can't help myself from grabbing these photos of Shin Min Ah posing as a bride in this photoshoot. Looking so radiant, one wonders who she's thinking of when posing for the camera. Whoever he is, he's one lucky guy!

IRIS airs tonight

The highly anticipated KBS drama IRIS will air tonight on KBS World (Starhub channel 173) at 9pm, local time Singapore, after the KBS news programme. Having heard about the hype it generated on the web, I am really looking forward to watching a hit drama after the rather disappointing My Fair Lady. Which reminds me that I need to catch the last 2 episodes in my recorder. Limited time, but unlimited K-dramas...

Movie Update - Ninja Assassin

Rain with his new physique. Just hope the movie is as good as his body.

If what is stated in the movie critique by the Korea Herald is true, it looks like Rain's latest big-screen offering "Ninja Assassin" will rely heavily on his star power to pull in the eyeballs when the movie is released worldwide.

Being a fan of the Wachowski brothers' Matrix trilogy movie, I was already disappointed by their last movie outing "Speed Racer". When I heard Rain was roped for the lead in the Ninja Assassin, I was hoping that the Wachowski brothers will 'salvage' their reputation and come up with a hit.

To be fair, I have yet to view the movie. But if Ninja Assassin is just about slick action sequences, high body count and a thin plot, I would definitely give it a miss and wait for it to be released on the cable. Guess I will have to wait for more reviews before deciding to part with my money for this movie.

Read on for the full review by the Korea Herald.

'Ninja Assassin' misses the target


Humorless, preposterous, and soaked in blood, "Ninja Assassin" turns out to be thinly-plotted schlock from a team of pedigree filmmakers who should have known better. "The day Rain did his first scene in 'Speed Racer,' the Wachowski brothers called me and said 'This guy is unbelievable. He's a natural, our dream come true.' We began to plan 'Ninja Assassin' immediately afterward," producer Joel Silver said in an earlier interview.



Unfortunately for "world star" Rain, what was to be his breakout film falls way short of what "Enter the Dragon" was for Bruce Lee. No doubt that was what the Wachowski Brothers were aiming to do by gambling on a relative unknown in the Western world.


Rain plays Raizo, one of the world's deadliest assassins trained by the Ozunu Clan - an underground band of killers that has remained hidden for generations by posing as a mythical organization.


Robbed of his childhood, Raizo is transformed into a merciless Katana-wielding killing machine. Breaking free from their mountain lair, he plans to exact revenge on the clan for killing his first love.


In his quest for revenge, he gets help from a Europol agent Mika Coretti - played by Naomi Harris - who stumbles upon a money trail connecting a slew of high profile political assassinations around the world committed by the Ozunu.


As she begins to uncover the truth behind the murders, she too, becomes their target and is saved by Raizo when assassins emerge to kill her in Berlin.


By now, plots like these have become the silver screen version of painting-by-numbers in the same manner as Tom Clancy inspired techno-thriller novels.


But the plot does have all of the makings of a straightforward pulp action thriller, as its opening set-piece suggests. In it Raizo ambushes a gang of Yakuza members, with heads and limbs severed and buckets of blood everywhere.


The level of over-the-top ultra-violence established through this opener is unfortunately juxtaposed with a serious tone devoid of much irony.


The film is not a nod to pulpy B-grade kung-fu genre of the 70s, nor is it a polished action flick geared towards a mainstream audience. Instead it's stuck in the middle ground, in an area unlikely to appeal to fans of either genre.


When production on the film was announced, anticipation was high, as it was written and produced by the makers of The Matrix trilogy, with directing duties falling on James McTiegue, the veteran director who scored both a critical hit and modest box office success with 2005's V for Vendetta.


But it seems somewhere down the line the creative vision of the producers and the director clashed without either camp realizing.


Perhaps they realized during post-production they had a potential turkey on their hands - the film's marketing has focused on Rain and the physical transformation he underwent during six months of grueling training with the stunt and fight team that trained the actors in "300."


And the result is there on the screen. The 28-year-old actor is shown sans shirt as if he's allergic to fabric except for a leather jacket.


He's ripped. His female fans will love him - as long as they don't get too squeamish from seeing all the blood.


He does a decent job with the few lines he has throughout the 98-minute running time.


The verdict is still out on whether this will be his breakthrough role and it will be interesting to see if his star power alone will be able to generate enough revenue in Asia to warrant future high-profile roles.


(kws@heraldm.com)


By Song Woong-ki

Yoon Eun Hye on My Fair Lady

Although we have yet to finish Yoon Eun Hye's latest drama - My Fair Lady, it is obvious that the actress herself is somewhat disappointed with the ratings of her latest work.

During a birthday party held for her fans, Yoon commented that she's flattered to know that some have come to see her as a guarantee to high ratings for any drama she's in. To be honest, it is not that far-fetched an idea when you consider the huge following she garnered in the hit drama series, The Princess Hours ("Goong") or Coffee Prince.

I hope this setback in the highly competitive ratings war between the Korean TV networks does not get to her as she is definitely a great actress. Frankly, she was let down by the scriptwriters in My Fair Lady.

That said, she's still showing her trademark "fighting" spirit by saying that she will strive to do even better with every stumble as long as her fans are there showing her their support.

Both Mydaemon and I are great fans of Yoon Eun Hye and we would like to let her know that we are looking forward to her next work and that we will never stop watching her productions even if the ratings are not ideal.

So keep the chin up girl! AJA!!!

YEH looking like a million bucks at her birthday bash.
(Source: SPN)

Photoshoot - Lee Hyori in London

On the cover page

Korean stars seem to be the flavour of the month for some of the local magazines. Yoon Eun Hye and Song Seung Heon have both appeared on the front cover of Nuyou and August respectively. Check out the photos I took of the magazines below.

My Girlfriend is an Agent @ Level 7 Bureaucrat

En garde! Kim and Kang sparring in a scene from the movie.

A gala premiere of the My Girlfriend is an Agent, also know as Level 7 Bureaucrat, was held at the Cathay cinema last night. Both the leads, Kim Ha Neul (of On Air fame) and Kang Ji Hwan were both in Singapore for this event.

There's going to be another publicity event for the movie at the Heeren this evening at 6.30pm. Pity that I am most likely still stuck in the office. for fans of Korean dramas and movies, Heeren is the place to be this evening. Get your cameras ready as both Kim and Kang will be at the event.

We at HelloHallyu can't wait to catch it on the big-screens when the movie starts its run from 5 Nov!

Makkoli

Without a doubt soju one of the cultural icons of Korea. It helps when almost all dramas include a scene, or many, showing Koreans toasting each other with a shot of this iconic drink poured from the by now classic green bottle from Jinro, if the brand can be seen in the first place.

While I am not much of a wine/liquor connoisseur, I know that soju holds a special place in the Korean society. Thus, I was pleasantly surprised when I happened to catch a short clip on Singapore's Channelnewsasia showing the other Korean drink - makkoli.

Distinctly different from the soju, makkoli is a cloudy white rice wine which was commonly consumed by Korean farmers after a hard day's labour. This drink is apparently good for the health and is gaining popularity amongst Koreans and further afield in Japan.

Although I have this large unopened bottle of Jinro's soju in my larder, courtesy of my recent trip to Korea, I am more than game to head down to the supermarket to get myself, a 'packet' of makkoli off the shelves. Yep, it comes in packets!

Will post about my experience with makkoli once I try it, provided that I stay sober enough to put up a post. :)

Track from Flowers for My Life - Wasted on the Way

The unheralded Flowers for My Life constinues to be one of the best Korean dramas I have seen so far. It's soundtrack, although not commercially available, is also great. Was tuning in to the evergreen channel, Gold 90.5FM when they played Graham Nash's Wasted on the Way. This song was widely played in Flowers for My Life.

I just had to share the lyrics of the song with you as it struck a chord deep within me. Sometimes we can only understand the meaning behind certain songs after having travelled some distance in life's journey. You caa also listen to the song via the embedded Imeem widget on the sidebar. Enjoy!

Look around me, I can see my life before me
Running rings around the way it used to be
I am older now, I have more than what I wanted
But I wish that I had started long before I did

And there's so much time to make up
Everywhere you turn
Time we have wasted on the way
So much water moving
Underneath the bridge
Let the water come and carry us away

Oh when you were young, did you question all the answers
Did you envy all the dancers who had all the nerve
Look around you now, you must go for what you wanted
Look at all my friends who did and got what they deserved

And there's so much love to make up
Everywhere you turn
Love we have wasted on the way
So much water moving
Underneath the bridge
Let the water come and carry us away
Let the water come and carry us away

First take on My Fair Lady

Due to our work and personal commitments, My Fair Lady has been the only Korean drama for us at HelloHallyu since it debuted on KBS’ World some weeks back. With all the hype surrounding Yoon Eun Hye’s return to the small-screen following her 2 year ‘sabbatical’ after Coffee Prince, and the expected quality performance from YEH, we were expecting a hit drama.

However, the first few episodes of My Fair Lady failed to live up to its initial hype. Granted that the sets and costumes showed that money and effort have been poured into the production, what the drama sorely lacked was originality and script.

The storyline of a poor bloke, butler Seo Dong Chan, winning the heart of a cold-hearted heiress, YEH's Kang Hye Na, is a story well told in various other dramas and movies. One would expect the scriptwriters to smash the stereotypical characters and add some twist to the story. We have not seen a hint of this after watching the first 5 to 6 episodes. True to form, the storyline followed the classic, albeit predictable, route of the pauper-princess story.

To be honest, it was kind of a drag having to go through the thin plot served to us. YEH’s well known acting capabilities were not only not put to the test. In fact, the script seems so unchallenging that YEH’s only expressions alternated between a perpetual constipated scowl and a doe-eyed teenage girl. It’s really sad since we know what she’s really capable of.

The somewhat outlandish costumes that YEH had to don, with or without her approval, can be both hilarious and appalling at the same time. Check out the chocolate inspired 'jacket' and you know what I mean.

YEH looking sweet in her chocloate whatever and feisty in her tigress suit

Doubt this new cycling attired will take off

While it is still too early to give a fair rating to this drama, our initial reactions ain’t that fantastic. That said, we sense some sort of a pick up in the plot as we near the middle portion of the drama. The only positive takeaway here is that the ‘yawn’ factor, which used to be quite high, is getting stifled.

Being fans of YEH since her Princess Hours days, we hope that My Fair Lady will turn the proverbial corner and surprise us with a great second half to the drama. So stay tuned for the final HelloHallyu review.