Coffee Prince Episode 1 and 2: Sort of Recap

I thought and thought about what drama to watch. Then it hit me, Coffee Prince. Okay, it didn't. It just happened to be on the first page of Netflix and I hadn't seen it since early high school. Years have passed and it's safe to say that I forgot a good chunk of the drama other than the obvious, she's pretending to be a he and the male lead questions his sexuality.
It was shortly after episode one that I decided to start recapping. It's fun to write without too much thought :)

Episode 1:

-I totally forgot that the whole thing started because Choi Han-Gyul 's parents thought he was gay. Also, Ko Eun-Chan is really cute as a boy. I'd like to say it's progressive for the time. 

-I remember how much I dislike the mother. She's one of those characters whose only purpose is to fuck things up. 

-Choi Han-Sung is the man. Ah, that sweet, sweet deep voice. Sigh.

Choi Han-Gyul (Gong Yoo)

Ok Eun-Chan (Yoon Eun-Hye)

Han Yoo-Joo (Chae Jung-An)

Choi Han-Sung (Lee Sun-Kyun)

Episode 2:

-I'm around the 30 minute mark right now. Han-Gyul made a proposition to Eun-Chan at the end of the previous episode. He wants her to be his gay lover to get out of blind dates. She agrees under the pretense that she is a guy.

-On the storyline B, Han-Sung  is struggling with feelings for his ex (Han Yoo-Joo)who has come back after two years. She wants to get back together with him and he's confused at what to do. She left him for another man.
-Later, he has a run in with Eun-Chan and asks for advice, disguising it as a problem that his friend has.
-He ends up sleeping with Yoo-Joo and telling her to go the following morning. He's upset that she doesn't try to stay.

-A montage of Eun-Chan and Han-Gyul shopping together plays and the two commence strolling down the street in matching suits. As they walk the people watching them suddenly are hit by a gust of wind that I'm still trying to figure out. Is this symbolism for the gay romance? There is even some CG fruit.

Looking FIIINE!

My fruit! Gust, gust, gust...

Eeek!

-The two have lunch and Eun-Chan shows off her special dog nose skill. Han-Gyul ends up drunk. Eun-Chan tries to take him home, but wouldn't you know it, she can't open the door. He wakes up at the Karate studio Eun-Chan works at. There he learns more about "him", smiling at the bits he discovers. It's what normally happens in a hetero romance, but with him believing she's a he it's awesome. 

-Hang-Sung struggles with his feelings for Yoo-Joo some more.

-Han-Gyul lends Eun-Chan money and awakes to a thank you call from her. His grandma comes to assign him a position as the owner of a local shop. Meanwhile Eun-Chan learns that the owner of the dojo she was working at skipped town, leaving her without wages. Weird music plays to cue the change that has just plopped onto their lives.

Which Drama Should I Recap?

So I've been thinking and thinking and thinking. What better way to start the year than to recap a episode from a drama. I'm open to any suggestions. I got my eye on Xena right now.

-Alyssa

Skip Beat Episode 12 and 13 - Sort of Recap

Although Episode 11's sort-of-recap went differently than expected I'll continue to attempt explaining what happened in the episode with the screen shots I saved.

I think this might be the set of Dark Moon (one of the gigs that Lian and Gong Xi are working on). I don't know why he's dressed like a student, but there he is.

Gong Xi just found out that she's adopted!! ... kidding, she's obviously upset about something. Perhaps she's thinking, 'Why is Lian not looking at me, even though I could never ever like him. He's still not looking. Maybe he'll look now? Now? Well he can go to hell!'

Episode 13

"I'm only doing this because it's my job....wouldn't do this otherwise...nope...never....wouldn't happen."

"Just breathe. Everyone loves me. Everyone loves me. Everyone loves me...."

"We all know I'm the true main character. YUP!"


Summing episodes 12 and 13: shenanigans between Lian and Gong Xi, Shang pouts , and the manager steals the show in adorableness.

-Alyssa

Skip Beat Episode 11 - Sort of Recap

Remember when I said that I had pictures for the remaining episodes of the drama, remember? Well I'm bringing them out now and will give comments on what I think happened!

Gong Xi is straight up tripping as she sees her fairy companion "Corn" from years ago. She's either dreaming or recovering from a head injury.

When you're a wealthy actor with a nice pad, being shirtless and drinking a bottle of water like everyone's looking is a must..

Maybe someone told Gong Xi she's acting a little too crazy?

Probably one of the many scenes where the two have misunderstood each other. Maybe Lian saw the previous picture?

I totally forgot that I saved these. I thought it was something odd and slightly humorous for Gong Xi to say, "I want Qin to feed me a hotdog too." while spying on her in the bushes.


And that's Episode 11! I thought for sure that I'd have some idea of what went down this episode from the pictures. All I got was that Gong Xi is still up to her usual shenanigans while Lian broods.

White Christmas Episode 1 and 2 Mini Recap

Scary shit has never been my cup of tea. You know that movie Disturbia with Shia LeBeouf? The boy finds out that his neighbor is killing people, stashing bodies in his garage. Well when I saw it in theaters I had a jacket over my head with a small hole to peek through. Granted that was many years ago it's the gist of how much of a wimp I am, not that I mind. Another time I was watching The Woman in Black with a group of friends and a lovely cat sitting in my lap. At one part this bird pops up out of nowhere which caused me to jump in surprise which probably scarred the once content cat for life as he bolted up the stairs not to be seen for the remainder of the day. Knowing this about myself, for stupid reasons, I have put myself in the line of fire by deciding to put my declaration against scary/thriller media to a temporary end. It started with the French zombie-type thriller Les Revenants moving on to the South Korean drama White Christmas. What I’m willing to watch for six handsome boys…

You might counter that the series is not that scary. Well, I’m a scaredy-cat.

  

 EPISODE 1:

The episode starts with the talk of monsters and my man Baek Sung Hyun looking stoic. I’ve followed him since Tree of Heaven, a time where getting hit by cars or cancer were the norm. There was no such thing as a happy ending. It’s Christmas break at the most prestigious high school ever. We’re talking about the top 1% here. Seven students and one teacher decide to stay behind. The first episode spends a majority of its time setting up the characters, revealing that they have all received an anonymous letter foreshadowing death. Some students speculate the meaning, but for the most part they don’t take it too seriously. One creepy night they discover a bloody man at the school’s gate. Not thinking hey this man can be dangerous because this is pretty much how all horror themed media goes, they let him in. Out of the seven students there is only one girl (Eun-Sung). At the end of the episode she attempts to commit suicide, exactly where the letter predicted. Coincidence? Maybe not.

EPISODE 2:

Eun-Sung lives another day. The creepy man is still there. My gosh, just looking at him gives me the chills. More character development is done, which I would love to share with you, but well I’ve sort of got a life now. You should just watch it instead, it’s worth it…DO IT NOW! The whole episode revolves around finding the person who wrote the mysterious letter, back stories, scary looks, and the start of teenage angst. I’ve got to say this was the first episode in the series that I had to pause the show and take a breather due to the creepy factor rising. One moment you think the boy is all alone in his room and the next BAM there’s a hand on the chair. The episode ends with the viewer discovering that the teacher has a note as well. No one is safe.  

What I love about the show is that by prolonging the inevitable death the viewer is constantly on defense wondering when it’s going to happen. And it’s not like the romantic comedies that string you along for ages wondering when the two will end up together, because the character development and the environment they live in are fleshed out enough to keep you invested.

 

Glamorous (Extravagant) Challenge a.k.a "Skip Beat!" Episodes 9 and 10 Recap

EPISODE NINE:

      After seeing Gong Xi getting kicked out for going ballistic at the sight of Shang’s poster, Lian reprimands her. And from here on out a cycle of them getting along, Gong Xi screwing up, and Lian scolding her ensues. One of their nicer moments is at restaurant, where Lian amusingly watches Gong Xi chow down. At some point Lian gets sick and Gong Xi steps up to the plate and does everything within her power to remedy situation. Unfortunately he still has to work and one of his scenes requires a prolonged amount of time in the “rain”. When things wrap up, he collapses onto Gong Xi. To her surprise, she learns that he only responds to lines from the drama and in order to get him back home she has to utilize it. As she puts him to bed he calls her “dear” (or something close to it) and she is left confused; she had always assumed he hated her. Lian wakes up the next morning surprised to find that he is all comfy in bed. He walks to his kitchen, notices Gong Xi cooking away, and ponders why she is putting so much effort into things. With a few more scenes that showcase Gong Xi’s earnestness and sincerity he concludes that that is just who she is; revenge on Shang doesn’t define her. Oh, yeah, by this time it is pretty much established that Lian knew Gong Xi as a child. He was “Corn” (Episode Six).  

     Later, Gong Xi learns that she and Moko have been asked to perform in an upcoming music video; their commercial had tons of success. However, when she learns that Shang will be the singer she becomes apprehensive. While she is pondering over accepting the part, Moko approaches her, concerned as well. Apparently she had been asked to do a small part in a drama special, but she feels guilty because the part had been given to someone else previously. Gong Xi tells her not to worry about it; after all she got it fair and square. Moko brightens up by the support and accepts that she will sometimes have to step over people to get to where she wants. Upon hearing this, Gong Xi realizes that she should do the same with Shang. In order to improve she will use Shang as a springboard. She runs to tell her manager that she will take the part. Meanwhile Shang is looking at the commercial with Moko and Gong Xi, pondering if it really is Gong Xi. In his eyes (definitely not mine) she looks way different.

Favorite Moment (s):

I liked when Lian falls on top of Gong Xi, because…well…because Choi Si-Won (Lian) is just hot; ah, if only I were Gong Xi.

Yeah I know, kind of flimsy, but this episode wasn’t particularly a favorite of mine.

EPISODE TEN:

     When Gong Xi and Shang finally meet, he is still uncertain of her identity. She decides that in order to move forward it would be best to take on an alias and act as if she is big fan of his. Yeah, okay, that makes sense…Her new name? Come on, guess….Gigi! I don’t know why I find it funny, but I do. I think it’s just the whole situation. He knew her since childhood and all of sudden he can’t recognize who she is; lame. Somehow she manages to fool him for some time, but screws up when she gives him salt to help his food taste better; only something she would know. He of course picks this up, lamenting on how she is the only one who knows his likes and dislikes. It’s a miracle he hasn’t realized that he is in love with her though…For some reason Shang is still not satisfied with his deduction and decides to test her by pulling out something she had showed enthusiasm for, when they were together. She responds as he expects, and he becomes certain on his conclusion. Before anything is done though, she is called in for makeup. 

      While waiting, Shang’s costar (another girl, Mei Sun) tries to put the moves on him. He doesn’t pay her mind, because at the moment Gong Xi enters the scene decked out in full angel garb. She stuns everyone with her beauty and Mei looks on pissed. I would be too, if someone put a white cotton ball atop my head. The theme for the video is Angels and Demons. Mei’s character falls in love with Shang (a demon) and Gong Xi ends up killing him, in order to save her from her eventual demise. Unfortunately Gong Xi gets a little too excited when the time comes and almost ends up actually murdering Shang. After a bit of pep talk from Moko (on the phone) and time for her temper to settle, she tries again with much success. As she kills him however, Shang looks at her with love and everyone notices. They redo it though and call it a day. Mei finds Shang and complains about a fever, he comforts her while Gong Xi watches in the background.

Favorite Moment(s):

I loved the whole concept of the video. The moment Gong Xi (the angel) kills Shang (Mei's lover) she in essence ends her friendship with Mei, while losing her Angel status as well. I am sucker for the whole scenario.

Comments as the Author: Okay! This is the last recap I have for the series. After this I breezed through them, skipping half the fluff. I did take screenshots for each episode. I might post those along with my interpretation of what happened. Or not.

-Alyssa

I've gotten me a tumblr account now, follow if you want...no expectations or anything....it's whatever....yeah...

 

 To think this was made in 2011...

Glamorous (Extravagant) Challenge a.k.a "Skip Beat!" Episodes 7 and 8 Recap

 EPISODE SEVEN: 

 

     Because the person behind the chicken suit had intimate knowledge of himself, Shang concludes that he/she could be no other than Gong Xi. He puffs his chest due to her low pole position and is happy to hear that she has been fired. Meanwhile Gong Xi walks about, depressed. She bumps into Lian who also is. Not knowing her identity (she is still in the chicken suit) he asks to borrow her phone. She responds that she doesn’t have one, deducts that he needs it in order to do a web search on a confusing term that he stumbled upon reading his script, and offers her assistance instead. He agrees and they sort things out. Later they talk about her being fired, and he cheers her up by saying that he had been fired too many to times to count. He sees them as positives because they contributed to his growth. The pair part on good terms and he even deems her his friend.

     That night she has a nightmare about Lian, Moko, and Shang ganging up on her and the following day she runs into Lian who teases her a bit. Apparently this is a minor revenge for when she had flicked him off (?), but I can’t seem to recall/find when this had happened. During which he notices that she is not wearing her uniform and he tells her that standing out, in any way, is vital to a budding career in showbiz. She acknowledges his words and heads off.

     Gong Xi meets up with her manager to discuss an upcoming commercial audition. Sometime during their talk she learns that she has been rehired as the chicken, though she opts to keep it off her resume. Later at the audition, Gong Xi clings to Moko and as usual she tries to maintain a distance. During the initial round Moko spots a rival of hers (Fei Li Hua) and uncharacteristically begins to waiver. Gong Xi puts an end to it by revving up her spirits with a nice motivational speech.

     At the commercial audition a partner skit is called into play, where teams of two are given 20 minutes to come up with a performance; two friends have a quarrel about loving the same guy. Gong Xi and Moko are randomly put together and Fei demands that they not be allowed to rehearse, because they are from the same agency. The director suggests a redraw instead, but Moko, with loaded confidence, accepts the challenge. Gong Xi freaks out about it during the waiting time, but on their turn Moko calms her down and tells her to just act accordingly. Their time starts and the two begin to exchange intense looks and amidst it all Moko slaps Gong Xi; completely shocking everyone.

Favorite Moment(s):

 Lian (Choi Si-Won) flicking Gong Xi off with a cleaver in hand; priceless!!

EPISODE EIGHT:

     Before Gong Xi is able to react to being slapped, Moko breaks down into tears. Seeing her friend in turmoil, Gong Xi apologizes, winning over the audience. Things aren’t over yet though, because another skit is issued. This time Gong Xi must come up with the idea. Alone she mulls over what to do, eventually deciding to use a beverage (the item being advertised in the commercial). However Fei observes in the background and decides to one up the duo by using the idea first. After Fei’s performance Gong Xi comes up with a quick fix that leads that wins over the crowd.

     Learning that they have received the parts, Gong Xi decides to go out and celebrate with Moko. The two walk around a bit and over time Moko warms up to her and the notion of friendship. At the end of the day, while Gong Xi is napping, she thanks Gong Xi by giving her some points (the ones exclusive to the Love Me Section).

     Lian’s manager gets sick and in result Gong Xi becomes a temporary replacement. Unfortunately she sucks, making things more difficult for him. At one point she even gives out his schedule to the press, exposing stuff that was meant to be secret; like upcoming projects. She cries in defeat when she realizes the gravity of her mistake, but the ever-so-charming Lian cheers her up by letting her start afresh. He gives her the simple task of finding refreshments, but on her way she spots a poster of Shang and goes nuts. The episode ends when Lian notices her being escorted out for misconduct.

Favorite Moment(s):

The skit thought up by Gong Xi; it was one of my favorite parts in the manga so seeing it live was enjoyable.

REMARKS:

And just like that the plot has pretty much come to a screeching halt, as we are left to amuse ourselves with morals and life lessons…

I keep calling Gong Xi’s “Love Me Section” partner Moko, but it really is Qin. I started calling her that because that is her name in the manga and at the time I was too lazy to figure out what was being used in the drama. Let me know if you want me to correct this.

I am having a hard time commenting on the show. Its fluff, nothing really to analyze, you know?

NOTE: 
This has been written for months, never got around to posting it till now. I think I might have a few more episodes, but after that I don't plan on continuing. I saw the whole series, just stopped writing about it. I'll probably comment on the remaining episodes to finish things off. 

Dream High 2 Recap/Summary: Episode 16

EPISODE SIXTEEN (The Freaking End!)

     Things open with Rian performing again, still no singing… After she finishes she goes backstage to greet her friends. Noting JB’s absence, she asks where he is and as she does he “coincidently” walks in. Yoo-Jin gives him the ol’ threat routine, telling JB that he better not chicken out. He still wants JB to kneel down to him. JB heads out onstage and walks on with a limp. His friends that are watching wonder what’s wrong. I’ll tell you what’s wrong, he RAN AFTER HAE-SUNG WITH A TORN ACL THAT’S WHAT!!!!! He trips during the performance and everyone talks in concern.

     Somewhere dark we find JB sitting all alone. Rian approaches him in tears. She says that he should have mentioned his condition and that she should have been nicer. No shit. JB tells her that he will no longer dance and gives her his shoes as a sort of way to seal the deal. He then tells her to live out her dreams, because she has put in more effort than him. Things cut to her onstage and she blabs about how people view her and her journey and JB and shit. Basically it’s a mini montage of the series. She proceeds by singing a song. I started zoning out.

     Yoo-Jin finds JB and chews him out, in the tough love kind of way. JB just wishes him a good performance, but he says he doesn’t need it because he always does well. Back onstage, Yoo-Jin closes his eyes in preparation and the scene ends in light.

Eight Months Later.

      All the Super Idol kids step out of a bus and a list of fans and reporters await them. Except, Yoo-Jin’s not with them, he is on the sideline. Things flashback, just about a minute into the flash forward, and it shows Yoo-Jin purposely screwing up his audition. He plays a few strings/chords/whatever and says nothing but “G-Minor”. He ends his performance by saying that that is all he is right now and that he will go out on his own. Backstage Rian lightly scolds him and somehow manages to get her arms around him in the process. He he. Shin Jae-In (the guy in charge of these damn competitions) tells Yoo-Jin that he is making a mistake, but Yoo-Jin replies that he isn’t. He walks away, Rian follows in glee, and Jae-In smiles. 

       In the now present, as in back to eight months later, Rian and Yoo-Jin are seen talking. They start off with some friendly small talk, but soon Yoo-Jin questions her about why she didn’t decide to go solo. Apparently she had won the random last minute competition. Rian replies that it’s all because of her friends. Yoo-Jin smiles at her sincerity, begins to make fun of her, and gets his hands on her face. Just as they semi-kind of share a moment JB walks in and asks if they are really going out. Yoo-Jin dodges this by asking if Hae-Sung is coming and JB says that he shouldn’t ask. Yoo-Jin complains that he can think of her if he wants. JB says that Hae-Sung was the one who liked him, as in not Yoo-Jin. The two bicker and Rian breaks it up by saying Hae-Sung liked her most. She dangles the famed pendent in front of the two. 

     The whole flash forward thing has brought us to graduation day. Some people give speeches, the students clap. Rian is brought to the stage and announces that she will be reading a letter in Hae-Sung’s place. Lame. A montage of Hae-Sung and everyone’s journey soon ensues. Again, lame. Another mini montage of their graduation plays.

Eight Years Later. Really?!

     JB is now in charge of making music and is sporting a really ugly perm. Why can’t we go back to the days when JB had the really hot bleached hair?? Someone is purposely sabotaging his looks, I just know it. Ui-Bong now instructs a dance class. Some of his students chatter about his looks. Just as he calls them out for a lecture, Lee Seul comes in and tells him to stop, they are a couple. 

     In a dressing room Teacher Yang (JYP) starts complaining about his outfit and dance moves, but his fellow teachers encourage him. The whole thing is teasing JYP (the real-life person) and his old style. To add to the funny, Teacher Yang is auditioning for a show that he is moonlighting for in real life. Meaning, JYP plays himself judging Teacher Yang. Okay, so I’m not the best at explaining this scene. In short, JYP is playing two roles, Teacher Yang and himself. The whole thing is supposed to be a joke (a very dumb one).  

     The Nana, Ji-Woo, and Hong Joo triangle continues and Ji-Woo is still at a loss. 

     Yoo-Jin is now a teacher of rock music and thank our lucky stars, he has a decent hairdo.

     Rian and Hae-Sung run into each other on a plane and the two have a small chat about what they are up to. Of course, they are both successful. During their talk they both discover that they have been called by Yoo-Jin. Getting to school they are happily surprised to see the new students dancing and singing to the “B Song”. 

      Somehow Hae-Sung ends up in charge of directing a play and she tells Rian that she must audition. The two end up laughing after some small bickering. JB and Yoo-Jin walk in and things start to get campy. Rian looks at JB and gestures toward Hae-Sung with her head, he just smiles.

     Backstage the girl playing Hae-Sung applies makeup, preparing herself for her role. Rian comes in and starts dabbing off the makeup, telling her that she must be “average, average, Average!” Hae-Sung enters and chuckles. Rian pulls out a ugly duck sweater and asks that the girl playing Hae-Sung wear it. The two laugh some more. Hae-Sung then proceeds to check out the props. At one point someone asks her about chopsticks and a spoon. Hae-Sung had forgotten, but thankfully she stills carries the chopsticks that JB got her.

     The play, that I’m guessing is a regurgitation of the drama, opens with Rian telling everyone that they are B. Things continue with the rest of the team giving heartfelt words and blah blah blah. A new rendition of the Dream High theme song is performed. I’m not a big fan of this version, the spark is gone. The drama ends with some parting words from the group. Something like, our dreams have changed, but perhaps we will become someone else’s dream. 

QUICK SUMMARY:

A bunch of montages, flash forwards, Yoo-Jin exits the idol world, JB can no longer perform, and everyone ends up happy. 

EPISODE REMARKS:

As an ending, this episode sucked ass. It was montages and happy scenes strung together. Yeah, it’s good that we aren’t left with some stupid last minute cancer or whatnot, but still…What I freaking HATED was that no one really got together, in terms of the main characters. It wouldn’t have been bad, had romance never been hinted at. However it was and I was pissed. Then there is the whole Rian and Hae-Sung thing. Good for them, they are all chummy, but why the hell didn’t the show play on that earlier?! It’s nice to not have a bitch character, especially ones that do 180 personality changes out of the blue. Although the show gave little answers and a big fat bow wrapped on everyone’s problems, the ending could have been worse. So…good for them I guess.

SERIES REMARKS:

I know I shouldn’t relate this drama to the first, but they gave me no other choice. What the hell am I supposed to think when I see the new kids singing the first Dream High’s theme song? On the acting scale, both had some wooden actors, though JB managed to double the damage. As for story, Dream High 2 managed to take a good concept and burn it to the ground; taking it to random music videos, lack of direction, and stupid plotlines. Oh, and the damn clichés. But if for some reason you disagree, let me know why. Maybe you liked them both?

Despite it all, I kind of liked some moments that the show had, RIAN AND YOO-JIN FOR THE WIN! 

COMMENTS AS THE WRITER:

I kind of rue the day I decided to recap the series, bad idea. But, I figure that it’s all about improving. It let me know how much time goes into this and how it kind of takes some of the joy out of just watching. I know I had a brief hiatus from the last recap, but life kind of took over and to be frank, I really didn’t mind not getting to the last episode. I can’t stress this enough, but PLEASE comment. It would brighten my day to know that at least one person is reading this, because site views are unreliable.  

Sorry for the long ass post, but hey it’s the finale. I did it!

-Alyssa