Myeongdong - The Shopping District in Seoul

It’s Emily again! So sorry for the schedule, it has been very strange this week. Erika and I have been so busy with work, and trying to earn as much money as possible in time for October. Lets just pretend this is Wednesday though (…even though it’s actually Thursday, or maybe even Friday to some of you). This week I want to look at a place which I am SO excited to visit, and I can hardly contain myself from screaming - Myeongdong! This is actually the place we will be staying in, which makes things extra exciting as we can go shopping anytime we like. 

That is what Myeongdong is mostly known for by tourists (and locals) in Seoul. It is the most famous place to shop, and it has an amazing atmosphere! Since we are going in October it will be start to darker earlier, but from watching videos of people being their in the dark, I am excited to see how pretty it becomes. The shops stay open until late since most people in Korea don’t finish work until later, so combine that with the street food, music blearing - It just seems like a really fun place to be. Since I haven’t actually been there yet, I can’t really tell you if it’s worth going to or not, but I can tell you what I have researched, and what you can expect if you are planning on taking a trip there. 

There are lots of shops - I mean who could have guessed in a shopping district?! Whilst watching videos of peoples trips, it did surprise me of how many ‘mainstream’ shops there were. I guess I didn’t think I’d see a ‘forever 21’, ‘Zara’ or ‘H&M’ in Korea! Maybe I have just watched too many dramas though. So you get all of those shops, which will be perfect for tourists because of how cheap you will be able to get them (I am going to buy a whole new wardrobe), if you follow this street along you will then come to little shops, that sell high street fashion for very affordable prices. I’m also looking forward to shopping in these shops, since one of things I have always thought about Korean’s was how on point they are with the fashion - I just love clothes. You then get Etude house, which if you don’t know, is basically a makeup shop in Korea, which sells the cutest items ever. Because of shipping costs, I have so far not being able to buy anything, so I’m looking forward to spending all my money in this shop. 

Another shop I am very excited to visit is ‘Music Korea’ which is as you have guessed, is a place to buy music. I will be honest, not only am I excited to explore Seoul, but the K-Pop is the main reason to why I have been attracted to this place. I am a big fan of the music, so I will basically bring all my money, and I plan to spend it all in this music shop, and buy as many CD’s my suitcase will be able to carry. I just can’t wait, I already have a list of CDs and posters I want - and since we will be paying in won, the currency will work out so I will be paying less than an online store. I just can’t wait! You can even listen to music whilst you’re in there, and you can browse to your hearts content. 

So there you have it, if you are a music lover, or a shopping lover (both of which I am) then I would suggest you stop off at Myeongdong. It has great cafes and street food, and judging by the videos I have seen, you will be able to spot many of your idols on big billboards, and around the place. If you have been please let me know what it is like! 

Happy Reading 

Emily :D 

Trot Lovers!

Sorry I didn’t upload on Tuesday evening! But I’m back now, and this time it’s another Drama review. I thought since I always go on about this TV show, I might as well talk about it, and explain why I think it’s the best (in my opinion) drama out there. I think for starters you just have to look at the names to realise it has quite a big cast. Not only does it have APink’s Eunji, but it has Ji Hyun-Woo, who has been in many big hits. It also has supportive cast mates Shin Sung-Rok, and Lee Se-Young. 

I will start with the basic plot, but I don’t want to give too much away since the magic of watching a TV show for the first time is being able to watch plot twists and surprises unfold without you second guessing. It’s about Eunji’s character, Choi Choon-Hee, a young adult trying to find any job just to support her family. She has a love for marathon running, but due to her stubborn self she overworks and has to be kicked off the team. She goes from job to job, trying to pay off the debt her father has created. Meanwhile, Hyun’s character, Jang Joon-Hun is a talented musician, and leads a life of a fabulous, popular idol. You can totally tell throughout the show he has watched many variety shows to prepare for this role! He not only sells himself as an idol, but he can really sing. 

Things take a turn for the worst when he heads to a popular management company, Shine Star, which Sung’s character, Jo Geun-Woo, is president of. His old company doesn’t take kindly to the news he is leaving, and sets Joon-Hun up so he becomes a disgrace, and nobody even wants him on the air anymore. While his luck is plummeting, Choon-Hee’s luck starts to take shape as she gets an offer to be signed to Shine Star after Geun-Woo’s father thinks she has real talent. This of course leads to jealously from the other members of Shine Star, and Se-Young’s character, Park Soo-In gets very uneasy over the thought of Choi Choon-Hee and the president getting together. 

Then comes the cutest couple of the year award, the president agrees to sign Jang Joon-Hyun (who has now lost everything) under the condition that he trains Choi Choon-hee, and makes her a big star. At first they hate each other, they scowl and it’s very entraining to watch them try and get on. After a while though, they do start to care for each other… and as they say, the rest is history. The show was the second biggest ratings winner of 2014 on their channel, and they won two awards in the KBS Drama Awards. It was a big hit with fans, and you could tell the cast loved their job! 

In my opinion it’s such a good show and everyone needs to watch it! It is so funny, and the characters are so well casted. Even though a lot of people have different opinions on idols acting, I think Eunji is an amazing actress, and she needs to be in more dramas. I give this a 10/10, and please watch it, you will love it! 

Happy Reading 

Emily :D 

Update!

Hey guys! :D Sorry for the lack of posts but Emily and I have been working hard to make this blog even better for you! We have some exciting news coming up for our readers as well!

This Monday, the 26^th of January, our Youtube channel shall be up and running with our very first video uploaded! Yay! We are very excited for this and hope you subscribe to us on their as well!

Onto the blog news! We’ve come up with a wide variety of posts for you guys and here is our schedule! We hope you’ll enjoy reading it as much as we enjoy writing it.

Monday: Kpop Star of the Week

Tuesday: Drama Review

Wednesday: Places to Visit in Korea

Thursday: “Old School” Thursday

Friday: Actor/Actress of the Week

Saturday: MV/Song Review

Sunday: Weekly News Roundup

Monthly Posts:

• Monthly Roundup
• Top 15 Songs of the Month
• Music Video of the Month
• Korean Film of the Month
• Up and Coming Music Releases
• Rookies of the Month
• Idol Birthdays

Erika Signing Off!
Stay Tuned Folks

Song of the Day: 9Muses - Dolls

Drama Review!

The Three Musketeers (2014)

Episodes 5&6

삼총사 – Samchongsa

Things are starting to kick off! After ordering the death of Yong Gol Dae, the King retreats back to his palace, leaving Crowned Prince Sohyeon to take care of the mess with his loyal bodyguards and Dal Hyang. Yet again, poor Dal Hyang has had a really bad day. He’s been battered, bruised, poisoned and beaten up, but he preserves and carries on even after all that. The only thing is, it’s about to get worse.

With the order to kill Yong Gol Dae, Park Dal Hyang is off, close to firing off a kill shot when there is interference from an unlikely source. Waking up back at his room, he hurries to relay the message to the Crowned Prince only to run into his first love, causing an even greater strain on the relationship between himself and Sohyeon. Having found out where Yong Gol Dae is, he heads towards it when a piece of advice given to Dal Hyang from Sohyeon comes back to bite him in the butt. And then to top it off, they clash, literally. I can totally understand where both sides are coming from with this, Dal Hyang still loves Yoon Seo but he’s doing the honourable thing by burying his feelings but he wants to be trusted by Sohyeon who seems to be pushing him away due to the past relationship he had with Yoon Seo. I feel sorry for them both! Episode five really did not disappoint and episode 6 holds so much promise!

Episode 6 starts right back up with the action and the sudden appearance of Yoon Seo to try and stop the fighting. Both sides are injured and things are getting tense between everyone. Seung Po is the comic relief again as you think things begin to calm down, but alas. It does not last. The Crown Prince ties up Dal Hyang in the same study hall as none other than Yong Gol Dae while he Sohyeon is tended to by his wife. Yoon Seo is still pressing him for an answer but he refuses to give in to her before heading into another duel with Dal Hyang.

After losing the duel, the Crowned Prince offers him a deal before releasing him. With a heavy heart Dal Hyang heads out from the palace, determined on leaving Hanyang and returning home. However, just as he is about to leave, he stumbles upon the traitor from the palace but it is too late. She’s dead and Yong Gol Dae is trapped within the Crowned Prince’s library.

Things are heating up as the politics are getting dirtier and the likelihood of Kim Ja Jeom revealing to the King of his own son’s plans is growing closer. With no other choice Sohyeon go to him. Meanwhile, Dal Hyang comes across Mi Ryeong and passes on a message, she wants to meet the Crowned Prince and help him dispatch of Kim Ja Jeom. Joseon is growing more dangerous by the moment and its up to Dal Hyang and the Samchongsa to save it.

Erika Signing Off!

Stay Tuned Folks! :D

Song of the Day: 4Minute – What’s Your Name

Actor of the Week - Shin Sung-Rok

For each week in this feature I really want to explore an Actor or an actress, and to basically let myself fan girl over their beauty… So who better to start off with than Shin Sung-Rok?! I have decided to go for an actor this week since he is amazing, and I have just finished watching an episode of a series he has been in, and he portrayed a villain beautifully! 

Shin Sung-Rok is quite unknown to many people that I have spoken to, and he has said himself he prefers playing characters in the theatre than TV, but I believe he is one of the most talented actors out there, and very underrated. He has always been in quite unknown TV shows (Dracular, Thank You, My Life’s Golden Years) and even when he has been playing characters in these shows, he has always been a supporting character. In the theatre world however, he has been in many, many hit musicals, and critics have always been impressed with his vocals and his acting. 

In 2013 (so very recent times) he came into one of the most popular TV shows of that year. My Love from the Star was an extremely popular TV show in South Korea, sweeping the board at award shows and getting very high ratings. He was the main villain in this TV show, playing a villainous business man. He was loved by many, and was often picked out as being very scary, and many people soon got to hear his name in other places other than the theatre. This gave him the starting point he needed to go into other TV shows, and… get ready, this next one you know is my favourite show of all time! 

Trot Lovers came out in 2014, and you guessed it, he was in that! This is where my love for him came from. Although he was back to playing an supporting role, I would still count it as a main role considering he was in nearly every episode - and tackled very good storylines. He played the CEO of a talent agency, but he falls for the main actress. He is brilliant in this, and very believable yet again. You wouldn’t even think he could be a villain if you just watched this, since he is very adorable - You want things to go right for him. 

His acting continues to impress me, and not to mention he is very cute. I really hope he is in more TV shows soon, even though I know he loves his theatre performances, being an international fan I would prefer to watch him on the TV. 

Which is your favourite show by him? 

Happy Reading! 

Emily :D 

Drama Review!

The Three Musketeers (2014)

Episodes 3&4

삼총사 – Samchongsa

Episode three started just as it had ended, Park Dal Hyang was in trouble, chased through a forest by a band of barbarians. By the skin of his teeth, he survives and heads back to his home, exhausted and most likely debating his choices in life. Things have not gone well for him ever since he stepped foot into Hanyang and things are only going to get worse for him.

And to make it worse it isn’t long before the Crown Prince is calling upon him for a secret mission. With all of this looming he attends his congratulatory ceremony in order to collect his papers and I have to admit, the hat he is wearing is just glorious.  Meanwhile the Crowned Prince is trying to avert a war and save his kingdom.

With the support from the Samchongsa Park Dal Hyang heads out to complete his mission, unbeknownst to him is the connection the woman he is sent to bring back has to the Crowned Prince.

Episode four has cemented my love for Seung Po, he is adorable and devious in all of the right ways. As for Dal Hyang’s parents, they have got to be some of the nicest parents I have ever seen in a Korean drama, and I’m being serious here (need I mention the Heirs and Boys over Flowers) they’re just an adorable bickering old couple, to which I know plenty of them.

The end of the episodes shows a dashing escape by Dal Hyang as he meets his match in the form of Mi Ryeong as King In Jo and the Crowned Prince heads towards the meeting with the Barbarians.

Erika Signing Off!

Stay Tuned Folks! :D

Song of the Day: Vixx - Eternity

“Old School” Thursday!

As a new segment for the blog, each Thursday I’ll be posting up a review for a song that was released before 2013. So, without further ado, let us reveal this weeks “Old School” Thursday entry!

TVXQ

“Balloons”

2006

When you think of TVXQ you think of power-house vocals, dramatic story lines and sharp dance moves but with “Balloons” you see a different side of them. It’s a super cute, bouncy music video with the members dressed up as animals with fake ears, colourful onesies and all of that good stuff. There are kids playing with them, balloons, party games and an army of people dressed as penguins, what more could you want? The vocals are so sweet and the song is perfect with the happy music video and if you’re ever feeling down this is one music video to watch. It’s so cute as well that each member seems to have an equally adorable “Mini Me”

It makes a refreshing change from seeing SM artists dancing in a room with no hint of a storyline. Whenever I watch this I can’t help but hope that one day all five of them will perform together again on stage!

Erika Signing Off!

Stay Tuned Folks! :D

Song of the Day: Ailee – Don’t Touch Me

Drama Review!

The Three Musketeers (2014)

Episodes 1&2

삼총사 – Samchongsa

I was really excited to start this drama! I’ve always been a fan of Yonghwa as an actor so hearing about him staring in the new drama made me very happy. As a bonus I have an undying love and possible slight obsession with historical dramas. Essentially, the characters and plot are derived from the Alexandre Dumas novel; the Three Musketeers. Over the years this story has had many adaptations and I’ve seen more than my fair share of them, some better than others.

The first two episodes haven’t disappointed me at all, we’ve had heartbreak, laughter, fight scenes and the grounds for some very intriguing back story and political upset which make historical dramas just that more addicting.

We start off with Park Dal Hyang (Yonghwa) leaving his home in the mountains to travel to Hanyang (Current day Seoul) to take the army entrance exams. Along the way, he has to deal with an old, worn out house which is equal parts adorable equal parts funny. Taking longer than expected his finds himself in Hanyang and instantly gets caught up with the drama political storm that is surrounding King In Jo (Kim Myung Soo) and Crown Prince Sohyeon (Lee Jin Wook). Along the way he finds out that the love he had isn’t as straight forward as he was hoping for.

After meeting with the Three Musketeers life for Dal Hyang gets complicated as he is dragged into helping Sohyeon and his two guards Heo Seung Po (Yang Dong Geun) and Ah Min Seo (Jung Hae-In) in keeping the country of Joseon safe.

The second episode follows on quite well, explaining the backstory between Dal Hyang and his first love Yoon Seo (Seo Hyun Jin). Trouble doesn’t stop following him and he finds himself blade against blade with a mysterious, one-eyed warrior and a lady in red whom seems to be a long lost acquaintance of the Crowned Prince. The episode ends with Dal Hyang in seemingly terrifying peril and the Crowned Prince injured.

I am utterly intrigued by this drama and I cannot wait to see what happens from here on out! Keep your eyes open as I review the rest of the series!

Erika Signing Off!

Stay Tuned Folks! :D

Song of the Day: CN Blue – Can’t Stop

Lotte World!

As you may or not know Erika and I are planning a trip to South Korea in October, and we are both so excited. To plan for this trip, we have done a lot of research on what we can do there (apart from stalk celebrities of course). There is actually so much to do, we have even extended our stay just to fit everything in. For every Wednesday I thought I would show you some of the places we plan on visiting, just in case any of you want to go to South Korea in the future - Of course when we do go, you will all know what we think of it! 

Going to Lotte World is probably one of the things we are most excited for! It’s pretty much the Disneyland of South Korea. It’s a huge theme park filled with rides, an ice rink, and a museum. It’s been featured on lots of different variety shows in Korea, and even on Trot Lovers (you guys know how much I must love that show by now). There is also a peaceful walk that many tourists go on once in the park, since it’s nice to have a wind down time and enjoy the sights and eat all the yummy food you can get there. Not only is there the theme park, but then you have the folk museum (think of small small world from Disneyland), and then you have the usual big, thrill seeking roller coasters, and then the children’s mini-mine train. All of the rides I am excited for, except for the loop-the-loop ones. 

Since we are going in October, we are hoping it won’t be too busy as in the Summer Lotte World can get very packed. I would advise to set off very early so you’re there when the doors open, and as they are opened from 09:30-22:00 everyday, it makes thing easier knowing you can actually spend the entire day there. It’s situated in Songpa-Gu, Seoul (which is in the heart of Korea). The easiest way to get there is probably taking the subway if you don’t have a car, and thats how we will be travelling around most places, the subway line is 2&8, then exit 4. Apparently there are lots of signs to get there, so hopefully this is true! 

The prices varies depending on what kind of ticket you get, the cheapest is probably getting a day-pass ticket, which means you can go anywhere and do everything, and once you’ve paid once you don’t have to pay for anything else. It’s  46,000 won for an adult, and this is around 28 pounds - So for a theme park this is really cheap! 

I am really excited to go here as it looks so cute, and I am a big fan of rides, and cute attractions like this, and I know Erika is very excited as well. If you have gone here please tell us what it’s like and what tips you may have. 

Happy Reading! 

Emily :D 

K-Drama - The Top 5 on the TV!

A new feature on this blog is going to a K-Drama recap of all the current dramas on TV! It’s a new year which means there are plenty of dramas coming up, all of which I can’t wait for. They’re all going to be amazing, and usually it means you have to buy lots and lots of tissues. For the first post of this feature I thought I would go through dramas that are currently/are upcoming on the TV, see if you watch any or are excited for any of them! 

#1 Pinocchio: 

It is a real tear jerker, and the plots of Pinocchio is something I haven’t seen before in South Korea Dramas. It’s about Ki Ha-Myung (Lee Jong-Suk) and his family who are very supporting and loving of each other. One night however, his father (Ki Ho-Sang) dies along with his firefighting crew. Because the body is missing, media outlets blames the deaths of the other firefighters on him, and believes he’s really in hiding and not dead. This causes the rest of the Ki family to be outcasted from the neighbourhood, and Ki’s mother and older brother attempt to commit suicide (Ki believes they have died). It resolves around Ki coming to terms with all of this, and trying to get his revenge on the media. It is on episode 17 at the moment, with two more episodes due out next week… and then it’s the final. It’s such an addicting sure that you will be able to catch up in no time, and be prepared - the final will be a shocker. 

#2 Hyde, Jekyll and I: 

Although this isn’t out yet, it will be coming out in the next coming weeks! It’s due to be realised in January 2015, and fans all over are very excited for this adaptation of Hyde and Jekyll, I know I can’t wait! With a modern twist on the story, it’s about a man (Hyun Bin) who seems to have everything, the looks, the money and the brains. However nobody knows about his split personality - one can make him into a horrible, ruthless man… and the other is the complete opposite. However when he meets a girl (Yoon Tae-joo) he is very cold and distant with her, but she can see past this personality. I will be tuning into this once it starts, and believe me… I will write a big review! 

#3 Kill Me, Heal Me: 

I will be honest when I say I have never heard about this show until I started looking into it more properly, and now I want everyone to find out about it! It’s such a gripping tale and you will love all of the characters. The storyline isn’t that different to a normal K- drama (a man loses his memory after a traumatic childhood experience) but it’s what happens after this incident which is really amazing. The man’s (Ji Sung) personality fractures into seven different identities, and he can not escape this. He is treated for this by a woman, and as you may have guessed… They fall in love. Every week I am so excited for the next episode, bring more of it on! 

#4 Legendary Witches: 

This was a big hit with this years awards, and was pretty much nominated in all it’s categories! It’s still on going, and the episodes just keep getting better and better. It’s very addicting, something which I have had a slight obsession about… Legendary Witches is about four women who are all in prison for crimes they haven’t committed. They all share a special bond, and the lead, Moon Soo-In (Han Ji-hye) introduces them all to her love of baking. After they are all released they open up a bakery together, but things aren’t that simple when they get stiff competition, and some faces from the past show up. I have really been enjoying this nice, feminist show. Something you don’t see often! 

#5 Rosy Lovers: 

This is a different drama to what I have posted before as it’s quite a laid back, romantic comedy. It’s still running at the moment and I have fallen in love with it. It even has an idol, something which everyone has opinions over if they should be allowed in dramas or not. It’s about a boy, Park Cha-Dol (Lee Jang-woo) and a girl (Secret’s Han Sunhwa) who are from very different backgrounds. Park wants to graduate from college and get a career, whilst the girl wants to just rebel from her family, who are very uptight. When she falls pregnant however, they must begin to raise the baby whilst still in college, and change all of their future plans. I love this show, and can’t wait to see what happens next! 

These are the top 5 K-Dramas at the moment, but I am sure there are lots more out there. Next week I plan to write about something I touched upon in this feature, if idols should be allowed in Dramas, or are they in it for the ratings? If you have any Dramas you want me to touch upon, let me know. 

Happy Reading! 

Emily :D 

Special Post!

Erika and Emily’s Bias List

After a painstaking two hours, Emily and I finally managed to get our bias list together. There was sweat, blood and tears but we managed to figure it all out. And here it is:

Erika’s Bias List  

                                                                             

1. Kyuhyun (Super Junior)                                                    
2. Gongchan (B1A4)                                                                
3. Ji Hyun Woo (Actor)                                                           
4. Lee Min Ho (Actor)                                                             
5. Yonghwa (CN Blue)                                                           
6. Taemin (SHINee)                                                                
7. Woohyun (Infinite)                                                             
8. Taeyang (Big Bang)                                                            
9. Suho (Exo)                                                                            
10. Donghae (Super Junior)                                                     
11. Leo (Vixx)                                                                             
12. Nickhun (2PM)                                                                    
13. Hyun Bin (Actor)                                                                 
14. Baekhyun (Exo)                                                                   
15. Lee Seung Gi (Actor)                                                          
16. Donghyun (Boyfriend)                                                       
17. Song Joong Ki (Actor)                                                         
18. Taecyeon (2PM)                                                                  
19. Kim Woo Bin (Actor)                                                          
20. Jonghyun (SHINee)   

                                                          

Emily’s Bias List

1. Lay (Exo)
2. Baekhyun (Exo)
3. Kris (Former Exo)
4. Gongchan (B1A4)
5. Taeyang (Big Bang)
6. Taemin (SHINee)
7. Chanyeol (Exo)
8. Sehun (Exo)
9. Suho (Exo)
10. Niel (Teen Top)
11. Ji Hyun Woo (Actor)
12. Jaehyo (Block B)
13. Jinyoung (B1A4)
14. Sungjong (Infinite)
15. Key (SHINee)
16. Chunji (Teen Top)
17. Leo (Vixx)
18. Joon (MBLAQ)
19. Ken (Vixx)
20. Heechul (Super Junior)

And there we have it!

Erika Signing Off!
Stay Tuned Folks! :D

Song of the Day: BTS - Danger

2014: A Review

Part 3

2014 has seen the debut of some fantastic artists, we’ve had record breakers, groups with fantastic vocals and even a debut from Jackie Chan’s own group! Some of the most notable are:

Winner:

Winner is a five member group from YG entertainment made up of the members Seungyoon, Mino, Taehyun, Jinwoo, Seunghoon. They were first seen on the television show Who is Next: WIN as team A. They officially debuted on the 15^th August. They released Empty and Colour Ring which are different sounding Kpop songs that caught my attention easily. I had been wary considering how much they were publizied before their debut but I was very surprised by how good they actually are. They are also known to be the fastest male group to win on a music show breaking CN Blue’s record. I really hope to see more of them this year.

Laboum

Laboum debuted in 2014 with Pit-A-Pat, it was a refreshing change from seeing most other girl groups going for a sexy concept where these were going for cute and happy. They released a second song What About You a few months later. I love the concept of What About You, it has a doll like feel to it. They also have really good vocals throughout with voices with different tones which blend well together. The six members of Laboum are: Yujeong, ZN, Yulhee, Solbin, Haein and Soyeon.

Legend

I have to admit that my faveourite debut of 2014 was Legend. I was so in love with their debut song Left Out that I just kept replaying it over and over. After their first release they came back with Lost and I Wanna Know to which I couldn’t stop listening to both. They have got some serious vocal talent that is impressive and I hope that 2015 helps them grow in popularity. Legend is a five member boy group made up of: Listen, Roi, Jaehyuk, Lito and Changsun.

Got7

Another debut of 2014 was Got7, a JYP seven member group who cross hip-hop with adorableness. Their first song Girls, Girls, Girls had me booping away to it. It was catch and had an unforgettable chorus line. Since then they have released two more songs, A and Stop It, both of which I love. Got7 consist of: Bambam, JB, JR, Jackson, Mark, Youngjae and Yugyeom.

JJCC

The biggest shock, rookie wise of 2014 was the announcement that Jackie Chan was going to be debuting his own boy group. I really wasn’t sure how this was going to go down but I was pleasantly surprised by their debut song At First, it was really good and I found myself listening to it a lot. There follow up song One Way showcased not only their vocal talents but their dance talents as well. JJCC is made up of five members called E.Co, Eddy, Prince Mak, Sancheong and SimBa.

Mamamoo

This debut was by far my favourite girl group debut of 2014, they have some serious power house vocals, their harmonies and bang on point and their raps are fast and consistant. These are certainly one group that I am eager to watch in the future. Their first song Mr Ambiguous had cameos in from Wheesung and K.Will. Their second release Piano Man took my breath away, it was catchy and those vocals could not be faulted! Mamamoo is made up of four members, Hwasa, Moonbyul, Wheein and Solar.

With groups like these debuting in 2014 I am more than excited to see how they progress in the Kpop world and what their new releases will hold. It also gives me hope of future groups debuting to such a high standard as their predecessors.

Erika Signing Off!

Stay Tuned Folks! :D

Song of the Day: 2PM – Go Crazy!

2014: 

What dramas are worth watching

2014 wasn’t just a time for great music, it was a time for the dramas! If you aren’t aware of K-Dramas as international fans call it, you are in for a treat! They have amazing actors and actresses in them, and are usually 20 or so episodes long. They have a range of different dramas, and are very popular in South Korea! At the end of the year there are award shows, which are highly anticipated. I have watched a lot of dramas this year, so I thought i would tell you lovely readers what are worth watching. 

#1 You Who Came From the Stars: This drama swept the board at all the award shows this year (and will probably continue to do that in the next couple of months), so of course it had to be my first pick. It’s about an alien (Kim Soo-Hyun) who came to earth 400 years ago, and has lived until the present day. Although throughout his time he has gotten a cynical view on humans, he starts to fall in love with an actress (Gianna Jun). Due to it’s high demand, it was even extended past it’s original 20 episode limit! 

#2 Doctor Stranger: Another big winner at this year award shows! I thought i wouldn’t like this show when it first came out, but then I just fell in love with the characters. They are so rich in detail, and you just want them all to have their happy endings. It’s about a man called Park Hoon (Lee Jong-Suk) who has been sent to North Korea, whilst there he meets a woman (Jin Se-yeon) and falls for her, sadly it is short lived as they get separated whilst trying to flee to South Korea, and he desperately tries to find her again. Warning: This drama needs all the tissues you can find. 

#3 Trot Lovers: Although this wasn’t a winner with award shows, it was a big hit with viewers, making it the second highest drama viewing of the year. I personally loved it, and it was my favourite drama that I watched from 2014. It made me laugh, cry and cry some more. It was the most adorable show I had ever seen, more people need to watch it! It’s about a young girl (Jung Eun-Ji) who lives alone with her sister after her father disappears. She successfully gets into a training club for singers, and surprises everyone with her love for old fashion trot songs. She enlists the help of a music producer (Ji Hyun-woo) to help her train and perform on stage, and along their journey they start to have feelings for one another. 

#4 Empress Ki: My first Historical drama of the blog post! It was a very powerful show, and the actors made you feel alive when you watched it - Almost like you was in the show yourself. It involves Ki Seung-Nyang (Ha Ji-Won) who ascends to power despite the class system at that time, making the themes of this show very political. She falls in love with an Emperor (Ji Chang-Wook), and despite her feelings to her first love Wang Yoo (Joo-Jim-Mo), she can’t hide her feelings, making the way she works more difficult. 

#5 My Spring Days: This is my final drama of this post. It came out during the end of 2014, but was highly popular among viewers. It was a beautiful series, and Sooyoung even won an award for best actress due to her performance. The story focuses on Lee Bom-yi (Sooyoung) who was once terminally ill, but is given a second chance after a successful heart transplant. After meeting a man (Kam Woo-Sung) the two fall in love and she soon discovers he is a widower with two children. They are both unaware however that the donor who gave her the heart transplant is his wife. This was a touching story, and tissues are needed! 

These are my top 5, and I kid you not once you start any of these you won’t be able to stop! They are all amazing in their own ways, and viewership/lack of awards shouldn’t mean anything when watching a drama, as long as you enjoy the show, thats the main thing! There were too many to talk about from 2014, so if you are ever stuck on what to watch, I will be happy to recommend some on twitter as well! 

Happy Reading! 

Emily :D