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...

Werewolf Boy Summary

Been working on this for a while, finally finished!! I've written movie reviews before, but thought I'd try this idea I've had of summing up things in 15 panels or less.

My Opinionated Rating: 7.5/10 + 1 (for Song Joongki being so cute!)

The Jay Park Conundrum

Now I’ve known about Jay Park since he debuted with 2PM. Those weeks where all that stuff about him hating on South Korea and cussing and not fitting in, that was my current event news, not who was President (if that was around the same time period…look, I’m not going too much out of my way to get facts, this is purely an opinion article) or what was happening within the country, etc. Basically, if they had smart phones back then, it would have been glued my hand. When he left the group I was shocked, not seeing it as a possibility. I was sure his career was over and that he would return to his normal life, because that’s what he wanted. I know; a lot of assumptions over a person I’ve never met.

Sometime later he came back into the limelight with his YouTube channel where he did a cover of “Nothing on You” by B.O.B. That one I did look up, wanting to reminisce by watching it again. That led to him singing for the Korean version, which kicked off the rebuilding of his career. In between he was participating in B-boy dancing, which I thoroughly followed.

I think as of now he has come out with two albums and one mini-album (Take a Deeper Look, New Breed, and JOAH). There was also his mix tape “Fresh A!R: Breath !T”, which in a lot of ways led up to this post. I loved a majority of both albums, though I usually skipped over the heavy rapping tracks. It’s not that I don’t like rap, I do, but whatever type of rap he uses is not pleasant for my ears. With it being in Korean it’s harder to get into, so I have to rely on sound, like all the other Korean music I listen to. I guess a good example of rap that I like is “Epik High”, even some of their non-streamlined pieces. This is actually a great tangent into the topic at hand; The Jay Park Conundrum.

So during his time in 2PM, a time that a lot of people like to move past, he was Mr. Handsome. He sported a nice trim look and the ABS! That was his biggest gimmick. Returning back to the U.S.A. he went to a more casual look (oh goodness, I sound like some fashion writer) and that was nice as well. It was when he made his comeback that that the tattoos started showing up and he exposed more of his “bad boy” image, which was okay. The thing is he never really let go of Mr. Handsome, the guy that you wouldn’t be too wary of bringing home to meet your parents. That’s where I get confused, because in my mind you can’t have both. You can’t sing me a love song that melts my heart and then rap about “bitches” and “hitting that” (the gist of “Fresh A!R: Breath !T”); it’s too much of a change.

Eventually though, I accepted that Jay Park was never going to just be Mr. Handsome, he had moved on. It’s when he released “JOAH” that I did a double take and knew that I had to say something (even if I’m the only one to read it, which at this point is a high probability due to the length of this post).The first song “1HUNNIT” was definitely a letdown, Jay Park acting bad ass isn’t my cup of tea. I just don’t think he can pull it off without looking like a total douche with lyrics like “I’m getting mixed up with too many girls”. He then released “JOAH” and I fell back into his fandom. He was cute (handsome) and I would have felt lucky to be that girl. At the same time I was perplexed at this man being the same person to come out with “1HUNNIT” or any of the songs from “Fresh A!R: Breath !T”. It almost had me not liking the song. Lastly, the video for “Welcome” came out, a mix of the first two. He pretty much sings to this girl about how he is going to give her some great sex that night with lyrics like “I’ll fill you all up, all night, all night” and “Welcome to my bed baby”. It felt really intimate and awkward for me watching the video, because I felt like a creeper intruding on two people having sex. I can’t really see the song making it on my playlist either. Imagine walking down the street with some nice pop music or hip hop or whatever and then the “lovemaking song” comes up. How am I supposed to react to that? Grab a boy and “welcome” him to my bed?

In conclusion, a change of image is fine. It’s when we extend beyond things like cute to beastly and start transitioning from the man of your dreams to some cocky ass player (all within a month) that things go awry. Still, I give Jay Park props for maintaining a spot in my heart and for years to come. 

Dream High (the good one) Men

I don't know if this is a universal feeling or something felt by artists, but sometimes I don't want to post something because I don't like part of it. Then I will keep it on my dash or whatever until it eats at me and I either throw it away or finish it knowing that I still don't like it. For this picture I had thought it was good, so for the longest time (a year or so) I had meant to finish it up, but looking at it with fresh eyes I don't feel the same. Regardless it's complete enough for me to send it off into cyberspace and move on with my life.

Damn, I rambled too much.

-Alyssa

Don't forget about my giveaway!!!

Giveaway!

Its official, I have surpassed 3,000 page views!!! This is by no means extraordinary, seeing as of now I have a total of three comments, but whatever I feel like celebrating and having a flimsy excuse for a giveaway. Yes you heard me, a GIVEAWAY!!!! 

This thing is going to be pretty open-ended, whereas I am not putting an expiration date nor am I putting a set amount of recipients. For one, I doubt that there are that many people reading this blog other than for the recaps I did of Dream High 2. Unfortunately unless I suddenly feel inspired or somebody asks me to cover a specific series, that might not happen again. I’ll still continue with mini-reviews and I have plans in store for different outlets of recapping. So if you exist, look forward to that. Secondly, with things so loose I will not feel too pressured to get things done. One day you may or may not receive the prize.

I know, not very promising..but who cares it’s a GIVEAWAY-ish!!!
  

So how to get the darned thing!

All you have to do is comment and I think the system leaves an email for me to follow up with, but if you want to include that, do it! I will email you if you are a winner (a totally random process), asking for your mailing address. If your uncomfortable sharing your information to a complete stranger write down your Grandma’s house for all I care. And that’s it! Be creative with your response if you want, but I doubt that enough people (if any) will reply for me to be picky.

The prizes!!!

•  A signed autograph by me!! …Kidding, I will write you a nice letter; anything ranging from life in college to how the sky is blue. If you have a specific topic in mind that’s cool too, we could even be pen pals <3
•  I created this cheesy Valentine’s Day card type thing that I never sent out, because I missed the date. Still, I feel like sharing it to the world. You’ll get a tiny low quality print of the thing along with a very belated Valentine’s Day message.
•  I will draw almost anything you ask that’s within reason. Keep in mind that I am not the best cartoonist, so it might come out childishly cute or wonky. If it’s something realistic, I’ll need a reference. The drawing won’t be that large though so don’t go expecting a masterpiece to hang up on your wall.

I’ve been inspired to send out mail and thought this would be a good side project /outlet to do so. I have very low expectations on how this will turn out, but I am going to do it! So comment, comment, comment!!

  

…I think that’s it! 

-Alyssa

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. 

Shameless Promotion

I started one those accounts on Etsy, just to you know spread my work around. If anyone is interested, I have this one painting of my first Korean Popstar love, Rain. I believe the picture is a bit more pale than the real thing...

I also did a painting from the Korean Drama "Big". It has Baek Sung Hyun and Suzy. Funny thing is, never saw the series. Someday?....

And before concluding my ramblings; if you want to suggest a painting/drawing/whatever feel free to comment and I might oblige. After all, comments make me feel warm and bubbly inside!
-Alyssa