OKAY. This one is purely me fangirling. So, this time is my Lee Hi and Akdong Musician's Suhyun duo. But, the hidden card is Bobby. I mean I love our rapper Bobby who is charming. Hahah. Well, this MV is the funniest MV of this year. I really like this MV as it makes me smile and all giggle by myself. On top of that, I feel so young and so flustered.
I don't know about the music, but the beat reminds me of SNSD's 2012 Dancing Queen (which is the remake of Duffy's Mercy). But, no prob, as long as it is easy on my ears. Honestly the song is not that very extraordinary or different than the other K-pop songs. But the playfulness of the MV can be delivered effectively by the song itself. As the duo is still in their teenage years, this MV fits them perfectly. The school-stalker-unrequited love concept. I love it.
The MV tells about two girls (Hi Suhyun) who happen to be best friends have crush to the similar boy (Bobby). This MV has made me remember how nice my high school life was. Although back then I had many subjects to advance, but still this kind of activity of stalking a boy or girl you had crush on was another enjoyment of our youth. Don't you think so? That's a normal life of teenagers. It doesn't mean you practically follow him/her everywhere. But, there is this time when you will steal some glances towards him. Or, you will come to his basketball match on your spare time. Right?
Really. Good to be young. Now I realize as I get older every year, I have been sometimes longing for my young self. That's school days with uniforms were really the best. So, for young puppies, please study well to get good grade, but don't forget to find a good and nice boy to date, okay? No. I mean don't forget to do everything you want to do while you still can do it. Join school clubs you like. Ah, I do envy you, youngsters!
Yay. I have successfully finished a drama again. This time is an action-comedy-crime-drama. The story is about a group of rookie detectives in Gangnam Police Station, South Korea. There are four of them: Eun Dae Gu (Lee Sung Gi), Oh Soo Sun (Go Ara), Park Tae Il (Ahn Jae Hyun), and Ji Gook (Park Jung Min). They are chosen to be part of team 3 in crime division, under the command of legendary detective, Seo Pan Suk and his friend, Detective Lee. These four newbies are called P4.
The story is about the daily life of detectives in handling criminals and many unexpected situations. The drama also shows how the rookie detectives are being trained to fit in as polices. Of course there are several interesting cases and the drama also showcases comedy within it and love line to make the story tastier. I really love how comical the characters are. They are really great actors. I laugh when they do something silly, comedy at its best, and cry when the scenes tend to touch the spectators. This drama has been a good friend of me for this week. I enjoy it so much.
If this story just tells about random crimes that happened in Gangnam, this drama is gonna be a regular one. But, to differentiate it from other dramas, the writers seem like making a root as the core of the story line. The way they deliver and stir the viewers' perspective and way of thinking is quiet intriguing. There are several twists in every corners of the story. You should watch to know what I mean.
The main conflict is actually about Eun Dae Gu who wants to reveal the truth behind the death of his mother eleven years ago. Someone had killed his mother in front of his own eyes. His real name is actually Ji Yong, but he then moved in an orphanage and changed his name into Eun Dae Gu. After he joined team 3 crime division of Gangnam Police Station, he has the chance to catch the killer and those who have plotted the crime scene. The result of his investigation is actually bigger than he can imagine, involving the Police Chief, Assemblyman and his family.
The drama although has the purpose to entertain with the way how comedic actually it is directed, it is still delivering messages here and there through the dialogues and also the characters' actions and choice decisions. You're All Surrounded shows the corruption of the society and how can innocent people be unfairly judged. But, still, no matter how you've been wronged and burned by hatred to take revenge, don't ever put gun on your opponent because when you do that all the reasons will vanish and only left with the result (Detective Seo Pan Suk).
If you want to watch something funny and also thrilling, you may try to watch You're All Surrounded. This drama will make you laugh and also sit on your couch for 20 straight hours.
Warning: When Yoo Ae Yun appears, please don't throw your mug towards the monitor (that ahjumma is sure crazy bitch).
FAV SCENES: when they cross the road in front of Gangnam Police Station
I just finished watching "Joseon Gunman" or "The Gunman of Joseon". The drama is set during the Joseon era of Korea where enlightenment has been talked among the scholars and even the King wants Joseon to make it happen. Because of this enlightenment that mostly led by scholars and their teachers, the guns or western weapons start to be imported to Joseon. The guns have been a talk among all the officials and people in Joseon since it is different from swords and marks the new era of war: gun vs sword. There are some gunmen who work for those who disagree with the idea of enlightenment in Joseon. There are three of them at the moment. One of them is a leader of merchant group in Joseon that has been the slave of the So Ho Gee group that against the enlightenment. The idea of enlightenment which is being talked by scholars is the idea of revolution from the class-based-on-culture where the noble ones (yangban) will be richer every time and the poor will be poorer. At that time Joseon is divided by the noble class and slaves. Slaves will work their hell out for the noble. Even the noble ones compare the slaves with animals. This is what have been seen by the scholars as a wrong-doing and they want to make equality in Joseon. Everyone can have the same right. Not only the noble kids who can get to study, but also all people in Joseon. Not only men can work as officials, but also women. This is what has been dreamed by Soo In (Nam Sang Mi). She wants to make the new world comes true. On the other hand, Park Yoon Kang (Lee Jun Ki) is a man who likes to play around and does not even know what he wants to do in his life. Although he is a man who loves his family very much. Both of them have to meet and eventually involved in tragic and extraordinary fate.
This drama is actually directed by the director of "Princess's Man" which I dropped the drama during its first episodes since the drama is too tragic and I couldn't take it anymore because my heart was too weak. But, for "Joseon Gunman" I can finish it. It's really amazing. It's not as tragic as "Princess's Man" in my opinion although in some scenes I can recognize "Princess's Man" within it. However, in "Joseon Gunman" there is no scene where head is being displayed in the court, etc. It's a lot "softer" compared to "Princess's Man". Besides, the romance is like 20% of the whole. This is really good since the love line feels so natural and is not forced on the plot. It's so fresh since too much romance will make it look like "just another drama". About the acting, well, all of them are great, especially Lee Jun Ki. I never been a fan of him, but I usually watch his drama, the last time was "Arang and the Magistrate" and I always come to like his character. I don't know how but his character always so alive. His eyes really... talk a lot.
I like how this drama has portrayed many things. Of course the setting itself which is Joseon has given interesting insights even before watching it. I have expected to see the hanbok everywhere in the drama, or traditional carriage, and ornaments and the languages. I really love Korean historical drama. Really. I come to love this drama more since it raises about revolution. The scholars want to win over the corrupt officials or the royals. The portrayal is actually talking a lot about the condition in our society too. There is someone who is greedy, loyal, two-face, etc. But, the most interesting part for me is when the women in this drama state their minds of wanting to be equal with men, or at least can do or accomplish something. As we know, woman is believed to always walk few steps behind her man. However, in this drama Soo In has been shown as a woman who walks side by side with her man, Park Yoon Kang. They talk a lot, discuss a lot, and help each other in accomplishing their dream of enlightenment for Joseon. Although in the end, their striving for new world has failed, they are still together and helping other people to establish the better Joseon.
Park Yoon Kang is at first a man without dream. But, he then realizes that Soo In is his dream, he wants to live together with her. I can assume because he adores Soo In's knowledge and also her beauty. But, mostly he loves Soo In because she is a woman of the enlightenment itself. However, after his father is killed, Park Yoon Kang has to runaway since the accusation of high treason and his sister made to be a slave. He then is separated from Soo In. He is then thought to be dead from the gunman's shoot. In the end he is alive and living in Japan. He is back to Joseon as a Japanese man, Hasegawa Hanjo, a success merchant under Yamamoto, a famous Japanese merchant. When he is back to Joseon, he carries his own mission of revenge towards those who have killed his father. Again, he meets Soo In and starts to do the revenges. However after several times killing others, Park Yoon Kang thinks that revenge only gives him emptiness in his heart. He then finds his real dream, that is working for the humankind. He helps people who needs his hands. He gives rice to the poor people and frees the slaves. His doing soon becomes an idea for story teller and he gets himself a name "The Dark Gunman Under the Moonlight" because he always carries gun as his weapon. Park Yoon Kang has been the hero for the mistreated people in Joseon. Yes. Then, along with his dream of wanting to live together with Soo In, he has set a new dream of doing justice since he doesn't believe the King anymore. He has thought that the King has no power whatsoever. The King is just a man with power who has the need to save his own life. It is complicated since the politics do many things here. Park Yoon Kang has his own ideology, so does the King.
Well, I recommend this drama for those who like to watch an action-romance drama with the thought of feeding your minds. "Joseon Gunman" is not really a drama that you seek for laugh but it's not bad to try.
Hi, beauty, how are you doing recently? Must
be doing good, right, since Beast having a comeback? This time around they
release a ballad song with a tragic music video entitled ’12:30’. It’s an
interesting tittle with an interesting music video too. I actually believe that
all of us know already what the music video tries to reveal though. But, there
are some friends who ask me a favor to review the ’12:30’ music video. So,
here, I am trying my best to juice my state of mind to share it to you all.
Guys, this maybe the most complicated interpretation
ever I would like to write, so please pardon me if you see me writing a bit-off one. There are so many scenes that should be captured one by one. And, I
freaking hate this style of reviewing though, since I need to provide pictures.
Urgh. The reason is this music video may seem ordinary and simple but it’s
actually not. The director has put several things that are essentially
important into something that can be fully neglected.
Well, let’s talk about the story inside this
music video. It’s a story which is narrated as a flash-back. In the very
beginning of the music video, we see a man (Dujun) and a woman in a room. The
man sits on the carpet with his hand grabs a watch and another hand holds the
woman’s hand. However, the woman strangely opens her eyes in a laying position
on the bed. It gives the vibe of something tragic just happened there. Though,
I am supposed not as tragic as Romeo and Juliet happen to end their love story.
But, still something doubtfully bad just happened between Dujun and the woman.
Then, the next scene we can see the members of Beast appear one by one when
Dujun starts to make a small move while the minutes hand on the face of big
clock (literally its BIG loll) on the wall starts moving too. The minutes hand
on the clock at first rest on number six, and then it moves a minute backward.
So, it is a minute to the number six. Besides, the snow which surrounds each
member is moving up, not falling down. It suggests that the story is going to
be back-warded to reveal how this tragedy actually starts.
Then, Dujun starts to wake up, put the clock
on the carpet and walk to the other side of the bed which is apparently in the
front of the big clock. He looks at the girl and then the minutes hand on the
clock suddenly moves two and half minutes backward, or stops on the sixth line
of the clock. Look there are lines that divided the clock into twelve parts
right? However, it’s not like the normal clock which divides the clock per five
minutes. Let's learn to count the total of the dots there. If it’s a normal clock
the dots are supposed to be sixty in total, in order to show the total minutes
of an hour.
Mathematically, an hour is sixty minutes and 3,600 seconds, while,
in this music video, the dots are 72 in total. It’s obviously an optically
illusion. Well, who thinks that when the minutes hand moves, it actually moves
five minutes backward? I guess some of us did think like that, well so the
director is a success then. This is interesting (really) since if the clock is being
divided, it is supposed to be divided per five minutes with the lines drawn on
the hour numbers, so the lines must be drawn right on top of the twelve, one,
three, etc. This is a normal clock on my desktop, look:
Okay, that’s it. So, the minutes hand rests
on the 27,5th minute. And, the hour hand is still at twelve. At that
time suddenly like moving fast backward the both hour hand and minutes hand are
on the number twelve just like Dujun and the woman themselves. They are hugging
each other like those hands of twelve o’clock. Before even knowing the meaning
of the lyric, I have thought that this song is an allegory of a couple which is
going to drift apart just like the clock hands. This is true surprisingly.
Then after hugging each other, the couple
starts to sit on their own, the woman on the chair and Dujun on the bed. It
happens at five minutes past twelve. However, they are still smiling to each
other and seem still loving each other too.
Then the clock shows ten minutes past twelve
when Dujun stands in front of the big clock and the woman sits on the bed, not
smiling into each other again.
Later on, the clock shows a quarter past
twelve when both of them are sitting on the bed, back facing each other, not
smiling, and Dujun looks sad.
Then after this, like a climax that falls
free to the denouement, the minutes hand moves or literally falls down towards
the sixth line (12:27,5). Within the movement of the minutes hand from a
quarter past twelve towards the sixth line, the couple has met their greatest
problem, and starts to really be apart. In this case, the girl is the one who
starts to end their love.
The bickering goes and the girl throws her
shoes to Dujun. He forcefully hugs her, but the girl walks away just in her
socks, leaving Dujun alone in his misery.
Afterwards, the minutes hand rests finally on
the 27,5th minute or the sixth line when Dujun and the girl are back
in the room.
Then after this, just all of us know they
have a quarrel that causes Dujun to push the girl towards the bed causing her
to leave him forever. In this music video the twist is either Dujun kills the
girl or … just, yeah. But, I have assumed that he literally kills her (in the
story sense) and he regrets it.
Hmm… okay. So, why the girl acts like that?
Why does she seem want to so badly leave Dujun? There is a simple answer,
because the girl does not love Dujun as much as he does. Dujun loves her more.
It is proven by the fact that Dujun is always the one who cherishing the
moments and times. Thus, this music video is actually from Dujun’s point of
view, from the man’s point of view who thinks that he loves his lover more.
Yes. It is because he looks at the clock all the time. He is the one who faces
the clocks (there are so many clocks in the room). He is the one who obsesses
with their relationship. As the minutes hand moves continuously, we can see
Dujun and the girl start to drift apart too. It is strengthened by the lines
that have been passed by the minutes hand. The more they are being apart, the
more lines being passed by the minutes hand. It means they have faced more
hurdles in front of them that cause them to slowly change. However, the hour
hand is never even moving. This hour hand is actually the reflection of Dujun
who never moves. He still there, loves his girlfriend. But, he knows no matter
how much he holds on to his girl, she will still leave him. He actually knows
that their relationship will be a broken one, just like the big clock which is
actually not even moving. The seconds hand does not even move and it stops on
the number six as if a deadline to end their relationship.
Can you see the tiny line right on number
six? That is the seconds hand that does not even move an inch since the
beginning of the music video. The clock is actually broken. It’s a broken
clock, everyone. It’s broken. B-R-O-K-E-N. How can when the clock shows 12:30,
the hour hand does not even move at all? If the clock works, it is supposed to
move, and stops on the first line, or in the middle of number twelve and one to
make it a half past twelve. But, it’s not moving.
Now, think from this new finding, Dujun can
be suspected as the one who causes all of this happens. At first, it seems like
the girl who has coldly neglected him, but it can be like Dujun is too
possessive and makes the girl feels suffocated. Dujun knows that one day they
will be separated, so he can’t help to count their relationship and to get
close with his lover every second, minute, and hour. That is why they are in
the room all the time. But, the girl dislikes this kind of relationship.
Although at first, she is pure to love him (the white shoes), she eventually
can’t keep up with him and wants to call their relationship off (throws her
black shoes = saying goodbye/good luck), and gives up entirely with their
relationship (a grey slipper).
The grey slipper is interesting. It has a
more meaning actually. After throwing her shoes which means she doesn’t want to
continue her relationship with Dujun, she is back to the room which is actually
the girl’s room. She wears slipper because she is in her own room. So, Dujun is
the one who comes to her room. Dujun wears those black shoes all the time,
doesn’t he? He is the guest. He is the one who interferes the girl’s individual
life. He loves her, she loves him, but there are so many lines that have been crossed by Dujun to the point make the girl
hate him more than love him. She even can’t cherish the moment when she is
together with Dujun. She wants but she can’t eventually. That is why she throws
the clock that always held by Dujun as the symbol of she wants to end their
relationship right at the moment. Dujun who is never sane to begin with starts
to cross another line, and he kills her.
It’s like a short story. In a sense Dujun
kills the girl is helped by the imagery of the bottle with red liquid inside it
being tossed towards the wall and shattered on the floor. It portrays blood.
But, it can be also a metaphor of the girl leaves him forever and won’t ever
come back to his side. The burnt chair also suggests that everything has
happened and can’t be reset.
However, life is still moving and no matter
how bad the thing that has happened, the minutes hand starts to move again. Then,
with this idea, there is another finding too, that actually the girl is still
there with him. And, although their relationship has failed to sail and broken,
Dujun still wants to hold the girl’s hand. That is why, the minutes hand starts
to move again and the red-liquid-bottle that shattered on the floor shows that
the girl is actually dying inwardly by being with Dujun.
On the other hand, for me, as a whole this
music video has shown us how complex a relationship could be. We know that we
love each other but we also know that the moment we start our relationship,
that is also the moment we start to break it. By crossing the first line, we
know that the thing does not work like how we want it. Then crossing the second
line, can’t help to cross the third line, and you know that one day there
should be a final line that should be crossed too. That final line is there
waiting for you. You know it perfectly. That is why in a relationship we can’t
blame just a side. If we fail to sail it, it’s us who should be blamed. However,
forcing conditions to your lover is not great idea. Being possessive too is not
good. Being too ignorant is not good too. The most important can be probably
respect each other and makes each other breath fresh air every now and then.
It’s not good to suffocate your partner. It’s for real no good. You can kill
him/her inwardly. We love to
make the other person feel alive, not caged.
Hi, guys, it’s
been a while (right?) I wrote random interpretations of music videos. Anyways, my favorite Hip-Hop group, Epik High has a comeback around this time. Yeay.
Well, they will
have released the album ‘SHOEBOX’ on Oct 21/22, right? And last night they had
given us a warming up MV, Born Hater,
featuring Beenzino, Verbal Jint, Mino, B.I., and Bobby (Well, I love B.I. and
Bobby o ma gad you don’t have any idea). The overall video is unique with the
setting of public toilets. Call it public because Beenzino even says that ‘Blo Hyung is on the next room right now’.
Besides, with the proof of Hanbin (B.I.) as the ‘cleaner’, the toilets aren’t
private ones. So, from my first impression, oh uh, they are all doing ‘shit’ on
the public toilets. Whatever they do, they leave ‘shit’ that should be cleaned
by B.I. later, no matter whether it’s the money (Bobby) or the pizza (Mithra Jin).
Now, let’s
follow me to peel the deeper insights of this MV. Note that I won’t interpret
any symbols of certain things or any kind of thing like seven deadly sins, etc.
But, I will talk about the wholeness of the music video scenes suggest us. Just
like I have been saying before that all the eight men are doing their ‘shits’
on the ‘public toilets’, I will start this talk from this point. So, please
bear on your minds that they actually do the ‘shits’ in the ‘rooms’ where are
actually ‘public’ possession. Well, if you can’t get what I mean, you do shit
in toilet, don’t you? So do they.
Are you
wondering why the toilets? Why the toilets are full of their belongings, such
as the shoebox, paintings, money, pizza, adult magazines, etc? I bet most of
you are thinking about this. Or, do any of you even ask about why the video is
just 1/3 of the whole size? Let me share my thoughts with y’all.
Firstly, toilet
suggests a room, a very tiny one of course, where you can ‘shit’ freely up to
your desire. However as the music video goes on, it reveals that it’s not a
toilet, but toilets. In every toilet
there is different kind of individual with their own ‘shit’. They do ‘shit’ on
their own room. No one should care because that’s their right to shit as much
as they want, as much as they need, as dirt as they can, as crazy as they
imagine, true everyone? You can do everything in your own room, that’s a
nature. That’s your room at the moment, so that’s up to you what you will do. Great
idea, isn’t it?
Secondly,
the belongings and abilities (money, magazines, etc) are their shits. Let’s
take larger scale from the toilet metaphor, I can find that actually Epik High
wants to speak about the industry they are in at the moment. It’s the industry
where people are actually boxed by their own uniqueness and identities. So,
there are various and diverse great people that can be good choices for the
public to fulfill their thirst for enjoyment. If you dislike this kind of boxed
person, you can choose the next box. It’s also explain why they decide to make
the video just as large as 1/3 of the whole. As the other 2/3 are black. It can
be meant that if you happen to bump or have an encounter (through TV mostly) with
a certain someone (rapper, singer, idol, or just common people etc) and you
dislike him; you still can look to the other places. No one force you to keep
looking at him if you hate him so much. You can change it to the next room, or
just simply stare at the black area. No one actually asks you to keep your
interest on him, buddy, just change the channel. Do not like them rapping? Just
don’t watch. Why? Because they are doing it in their own tiny room and not for
your satisfaction, but their own satisfaction. So, don’t ridicule yourself by
hating them. They are just part of the big world, you can find other persons
that you can favorite and support, why bother to care then?
As the
whole, I can say, it’s not just about the music industry actually. But, we can
see this kind of thing in our society. Yeah, haters are everywhere. They talk
ill about us. They whisper bad things behind our back just like how they
contaminate the air. They type harsh words on our site, on our SNS, etc. I
actually believe some of them are really born haters. Damn, Epik High is so true.
I've been listening to AKMU's MELTED these days while working on my PC. I do really love this song, like really really really really and really. Just now I found out that AKMU has made an MV for this song. The MV is ... great. Sigh. Let me breath. It's been so deep made me crying an ocean now. For another reason, the MV is making me feel better, that one's life is supposed to be like mine, yours, or even ours. Life is cold. People are without exception cold.
The MV is simply showing a boy with his camera and stuffs on the bang of the road waiting someone who can give him a ride. Fortunately, a man is kind enough to let him in to his car. The boy sits on the back seat while taking picture of his surroundings but the man hates it. He throws the boy out from his car. After that the boy is told buying things in a shop. He thinks whether to buy two boxes of film roll or snacks. He decides to buy the roll one and a banana. He buys them with coins. The shop owner sighs as he doesn't like the coins. Then, the boy sits on the park where many people are actually working out their lives together. There is a clown who works all day, a balloon seller, an Asian mom and her child versus Black mom and her child, and many more. Basically all races in America are there. And, finally, the boy meets a woman in the car, and let him in. She even lets the boy to take photo of her. The boy follows the woman into a pub where she abandons him afterwards. He finds the woman runs with a man and doesn't pay for the drinks she buy. The pub owner slightly feels angry and ask for money from the boy. As this boy doesn't have any money and even his bags are with the woman which are left in the car, he has nothing at all in his hands, except a camera that he really loves. The pub owner beats him. Then he goes to the police station to report his missing belongings but the police rejects him. He then walks, walks, and walks until meet a van where a dog is tied in front of it. He sees the dog barking. As he sees himself in the dog, he starts to bark too (to the dog). At that time a man comes out from the van. It comes out that the man offers him a dinner.
It is such unique MV remembering the MV comes from Korean artists as the MV is trying to portray the distinctiveness in America. There are many people staring in this MV come from different races. Although I don't really want to talk about that point, but actually there is a reason why the MV is made especially in America. From my perspective, the purpose of making this MV in America is to capture the various kinds of people. While using America as a setting place, it can be easier for the director to portray the coldness within different people even if in the same nation. Imagine if he decides to make it in Korea, all we can see is Koreans -there won't be Whites, Blacks, Chinese, or Indians. By portraying people through this easily-identified-distinctiveness, he hopes spectators, like us, can understand more of how every individual is different, but having the similar trait within them, that is unexpectedly (they are) cold.
For the boy himself, as a spectator, I can see the camera as the thing he loves most. The camera in this MV is the symbolization of his life. His life is the camera itself. He carries it everywhere he goes. All the things that surround him fascinating him that make him want to capture everything. He is like that one person who really loves to see his society in the corner of his emptiness, of nothingness. For him, his life is within this society, but none can really relate to him. He is somehow different from the others. People mostly dislike him. He gets thrown over because of the thing he likes (the man throws him from the car), he isn't respected by others (the coins in the shop is the symbolization of poverty/doesn't have enough money and the shop owner is the society that dislike this fact), and can't get lucky enough (eventually he meets good woman but she leaves him). But, in one's life there always be that heartwarming moment. That moment is when the boy meets with the dog and the man who cares enough to let him in to his van. Inside a man there is also a warmness.
As for the man who stands on the window in the building while holding a glass of ice (which melts) I don't really know exactly who he is. But, to relate with the plot, I guess he is the adult of the boy. That is the day when he reminisces his past. I can think like that because somehow deep in my heart I always wonder how does it feel standing like that facing the world in my late fifty years old while thinking about this moment which is quiet difficult to deal with, or about how nice this moment is. This moment where everything seems so cold may one day be just a memory but this is what makes us being our true selves. This cold moment will eventually melt too and the warm song will come out. No worry, one day, these are going to be a beautiful memory we can tell to the world.
