Sunday, 12 February 2017

Sleepypie's Favorites: or, Life According to Dramas


Dramas tell us stories about all kinds of things--love stories, sure, but also broader stories about life. Here are personal favorites of mine that chart large swathes of the human experience, and always fill me with glee...and might just be perfect to get others into the genre.

Valentine's Day




We are once more on the cusp of Valentine's Day, a holiday dedicated to flowers, love and chocolate. I originally planned to spend the day curled up in bed, reveling in junk food and and dramas, but some friends have since upset that plan. Oh well. But if you have the option yourself, here are three dramas that I think are perfect for binge-watching



Tuesday, 17 January 2017

How to Live Like A Kdrama; Or, 10 Steps to What is TOTALLY a Healthy Relationship*

Have you ever wondered how all those kdrama girls do it? Do you too yearn to enact their principles in your life and achieve the same effect? Yearn no more! Here's my handy ten step guide to making a relationship work, k-drama style!



Step 1: Be a Candy
Remember, you must be poor but plucky, working a multitude of small-paying part-time jobs and living in cramped rooftop apartment. You must be absolutely wallowing in debt you've inherited, yet still face each coming day with a brave smile and optimistic, can-do attitude. Family's a no-no, unless it's a) your beloved father in a coma he won't wake up from, whose expensive hospital bills you must pay, b) an evil stepsister who devotes her every spare moment to making your life hell, or c) a missing  brother you worry about and look for, but who will only conveniently reappear at the end to alleviate any worries about your right to be happy or the potentially incestuous nature of your romance. Do try and have one female friend you will be able to turn to for relationship advice in the future. Her advice will always be terrible, but that won't matter, she's just there to point out that you like your romantic lead before you're willing to admit it yourself. Don't worry if she's better at makeup and fashion than you are. Although you will always complain about being poor and ugly, you will be effortlessly beautiful at all times, your clothes will always be name-brand, and as a bonus, your cell phone will always be the newest model. On the flip side, I hope you like subway.

Wednesday, 14 December 2016

2016 in Review

2016's almost over already? Yikes. I blinked. But what a year. Ignoring the apocalyptic politics, it was a good one, too. On a personal level, I traveled my heart out, made a bunch of new friends, started teaching, and...studied. Really, really studied

On a kdrama level, there was a very definite return to some classic tropes, like the reverse harem, amnesia, and the never-very-far-away classic, the chaebol. But there were some astonishingly new things too--stories about extramarital affairs, divorces, and life afterwards. I know, I was shocked too.

Without further ado, the dramas I watched this year:

Monday, 22 August 2016

Hey Ho School


Well, it's that time of the year again, and in honor of the newly minted school year, here are the dramas that will get you back in the mood, whatever side of the desk you're on (this is my first year switching sides! Wish me luck!). Are you ready for first loves with a side of triangle? Noble teachers, evil principals, and corrupt officials to be taken down? Adventure, murder, and nostalgia? Here we go!

Sunday, 1 May 2016

Kdramas and Music--Mini Update

             
Do you ever have That Song that gets stuck in your head during a drama, a song that seems to typify the story? It first happened to me during Prosecutor Princess, when Ed Sheeran’s “Lego House” suddenly took on a whole new meaning. I wasn't particularly enamored of that drama, but the lines "And out of all these things I've done, I think I love you better now" were just so Seo In Woo.
It's happened since, of course. And both times with my most recent watches.

Tuesday, 29 March 2016

Nice Guy

It's official, I've gone off the deep end for this show.

It's insane, and I swear I hate it as much as I love it, but it's gotten so far under my skin I can't escape.