Secret Garden

Secret Garden💙💙💙💙~😍

No, it's not the one with the girl with the boy and they find her aunt's garden and she brings it back to life and shows her crippled cousin and then all is right in the world...

This one is about a girl and a boy who live in completely different worlds, or at least social classes, and change bodies. WHOA! Wait, what? Yes, you heard right, it's a body swap story. It's like Freaky Friday, only with a couple.

He is, of course, a rich dude that owns a department store. She is a rare stunt woman who was orphaned in her teens and had to take care of herself. He is self absorbed, but so sarcastically funny. She is spunky and doesn't need anyone's approval, well except her stunt coach's. Their paths cross, when he mistakes her for someone else, and when he can't get her out of his head (much to his chagrin) he tries to learn more about her, and of course develops feelings for her. It's a love hate relationship.

This one, I am not going to lie, you gotta get through a few episodes to start to love. In the beginning the acting is a bit... I am just going to say it... bad. If I didn't know this was my friend's favorite, it would have been a struggle. The supporting females are incredibly annoying, and figuring out all the intertwining relationships was quite the task for a Kdrama novice like me. But having said that, once I got a few episodes under my belt I found it hilarious! His humor was so dry and sarcastic, and yet he is so ridiculous in his sequined hand-stitched Italian track suits. It took me awhile to find the male lead attractive, but once he smiled it was ALL OVER!!!  But all of his ridiculousness makes his love antics absolutely adorable! And he becomes so SWOONY!!! Ugh!!! This was the first drama that I went back and rewatched my favorite episodes. He definitely has the swoon factor once you get to know him... And when they "change bodies" can I just say Hyun Bin does an amazing job at acting like a girl... oh my, it is so funny! I love it...

Joo Won and his sequined, hand stitched, Italian tracksuits 

So yes, even though I warn you of the beginning, this one is fun, funny, a tear jerker (yes), sweet, and adorable. I love it. And I will say this, I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the ending... because it's not "perfect", and in not being perfect, it is. Which probably doesn't make sense until you watch it.

Oh the cuddles are awesome!!!

On a slightly side note, I love all the supporting male characters. Philip Lee plays the stunt coach, and I find him attractive, but not in the classical way. He just has this calming presence that I love, like you can always trust him. (He also plays the Royal Doctor in Faith, which I loved him in that one too!) Then you have Oska. Oska is the male lead's cousin, and an old Korean Wave Idol. He is also SO ridiculous, but so sweet too, that you can't help but love him. You love him for his absurdity, you just do.

Philip Lee

This is one of my all time favorite gifs for celeb topics. All thanks to Oska!

Bottom line: Get through the cheesy, bad acting bits in the beginning, (I promise it gets better) and then just laugh and love these characters and the crazy situations they get in. And don't forget, swoon when Hyun Bin just wants to hold her! (Oh, this was the first drama where the hugs felt natural. He is a nice natural hugger... sigh...)





Special to this edition of Kdrama Review: KIM JOO WON'S SASS

On Working

There are no words

Very Wise Counsel on Dating

No need for shoe lifts

Picture of Humility (after body swap)

Faith/The Great Doctor

Faith/ The Great Doctor 💙💙💙💙💙~😍

Enters Lee Min Ho into my life! Omo! As you watch this drama you will discover that there is something truly magnetic about this guy. Could it be that he is taller than most Asian men? Is it the subtle smiles and hints of amusement? Could it be the masculine timbre of his voice that is so hypnotic? Could it be his action sequence skills? Or his beautiful hair framing his handsome face? The protective and honorable nature of his character? His intense eyes that are so expressive they show his strength and confidence as well as vulnerability? Is that he is so manly with an air of nonchalance, that you don't even care that he has the most beautiful facial features?The combination of all of these??? I don't know, but if you don't leave this drama at least slightly in love with Lee Min Ho... well then I just don't know what to do with you. This is a great one to introduce the bias of the nation. 

Faith is set in the Goryeo period (old time Korea), when Yuen (China) still controlled it, there is a new king and the Captain of his royal guard is Choi Young (Lee Min Ho), sigh.... On their way to Goryeo the king and his entourage are attacked and the queen is critically injured. With a touch of the supernatural, Choi Young travels to what he believes is heaven but is really modern day Korea to find Heaven's Doctor. Instead he snatches a superficial and selfish plastic surgeon, Yoo Eun Soo, and literally drags her back into the past. Confused by what is going on, Eun Soo is reluctant to perform surgery, but after Captian Choi promises to take her back as soon as the patient recovers, and this promise is what binds these two characters together. 

Captain Choi and Eun Soo

I love this drama for SO many reasons. It is a story about a king and queen that find confidence and comfort in each other. It is a story about patriotism. It is a story about friendship and loyalty. But mostly, it is a story about a man who feels he has no reason to live anymore, and a woman who has only ever lived for herself, and how their relationship changes all of that. Again, I am amazed by the character development, because I don't like the girl in the beginning, but then love how sassily she handles her difficult situations.

DO YOU SEE THAT LITTLE HINT OF A SMILE??? UGH!

  

Oh! His eyes... 

It is beautifully told, I feel like it has something for everybody. Some characters have supernatural abilities, there is sci-fi in the time travel, you have political drama, you have the fun action sequences that are slightly cheesy, you have an AMAZING soundtrack, and of course a VERY SWOONY romance. And this SWOON factor in and of itself is magic since there is only ONE kiss... that's right! I've ruined it for you. Only one kiss between the main characters! And it is not even a good one.... AND YET THIS DRAMA IS SO SWOONY!!!! How do they do that??? I am not entirely sure, I just know it is amazingly effective! *sigh* (And I learned my favorite endearment from this drama... apparently it is a bit old fashioned so I have yet to hear it again, but I love it. Imja... I think Viki said it means "My person". So cute!) 

So I highly recommend this one to anyone... I love it. Jenny, this is a good one to start with too! Just start already, I am dying to hear your reaction! And Jenni Elyse no love triangle in this one, so it's got that going for it. And please for the love of all that is holy, whatever you do, watch this one before Boys Over Flowers! Ugh, Lee Min Ho is about a million times better in this one than BOF... so please... this one... not that one! (I got a big grudge against BOF)

It would be remiss of me not to include one track from this soundtrack... I kinda want to do the the love theme song, but I don't want to spoil all of those wonderful moments for you, so here is Captain Choi's theme... well actually it's the Woodalchi theme, but it may as well be just his... Enjoy!

Lie to Me

Lie To Me... 💙💙💙💙😍

Cherry Blossoms will never be the same

Ahh... the one that started it all. This drama will always have a place in my heart, it is neither the best or the worst, but it is SO CUTE and innocent that it just sucked me in!!!!

We start off with the male lead, Hyun Ki Joon, who is of course rich and is a CEO of a ritzy hotel. He is driven, organized, a neat freak, and a bit cold. Then we have our female lead, Gong Ah Jung, who is a government worker in charge events. She is of course happy go lucky and a bit quirky.

After things go terribly wrong at one of her events, Ah Jung is asked either to apologize or resign. Since she wasn't at fault for what went wrong she is enraged and writes her resignation letter on a napkin at the bar where she proceeds to get drunk. This is when she bumps in to Ki Joon as he is looking for his brother at the same bar.

When the lie begins

Things get crazy when Ah Jung meets an old frienemy, who stole her first crush. In an attempt to look like her life is great she pretends to be in a relationship and through a series of misunderstandings and events it is assumed that Ah Jung is engaged to Ki Joon. And then the crazy drama ensues. The two have a love hate relationship, but end up needing each other's cooperation in the lie and it gets a bit out of hand.

And of course, feelings end up developing and it's great!!!! I love it. This one has some great tension that is built through little things. I just remember squealing at how cute some of the scenes were, how adorable he was... that there was all this sexual tension without ANY inappropriateness. OH MY GOSH!!!! WHY CAN'T HOLLYWOOD FIGURE THIS OUT???? It is beyond me at how inappropriate our tv shows have gotten.

Ki Joon being sassy

Anyway, this one sold me on Kdramas, and started something that I have yet to look back from... so if you are willing, or aren't going to be judgmental about it, or at least willing to see if you can be proven wrong on your prejudices then take the dip and ride the Korean Wave with me!

*Why it doesn't get a fifth heart: in the beginning the characters drove me crazy, and the acting was a bit over the top, but once you get into it about three episodes they begin to get endearing and mature, which is awesome to watch the progression.

Do You Believe in Destiny?

Do you believe in destiny? 

I think my blog was destined to become affiliated with asian things... Who would have thought that in 2012, when I was agonizing over what to call my blog that I would choose something so random as Sweet 'n Sour Sassiness... Sure the sassiness makes sense, but why the Sweet 'n Sour? Just for alliteration? Maybe? I do love me some alliteration. But I didn't really eat Asian cuisine ... So it really is quite random for my blog name back then.

But now as I look at how my blog is being taken over by the Korean Wave, I can't help but think that my blog name makes more sense than it did before. Therefore, do I believe in destiny or fate? I don't know... But I do find this turn of events quite interesting.

So with that being said, and with the third month anniversary of my discovery of Super Junior... (don't ask me why I remember the exact day I fell in love with them) I am rolling out my Kdrama reviews. I finish a drama usually every week, but I do have some catching up to do, so I will try to do a couple every week until I am caught up.

I have already rated the dramas I have watched so far over on my Kdrama page. The more hearts the more I loved it... 5 being the most... BUT you might notice the extra emoji. This is the swoon factor, either the male lead, or the couple is just so stinking cute that it causes me to gush, sigh, and swoon. So even if a I give a drama a 3, because the story isn't as engaging, or it's just a bit too silly or whatever the reason, it could be that what drove the drama was this swoon factor. 😍

So there you have a brief description of my Kdrama reviews... nothing really official, just my thoughts and feelings. Let my destiny unfold!

Eddie the Eagle

I love these human spirit type stories. I'm all about the dreamers that turn into doers, that laugh in the face of adversity and naysayers. Those people who have insatiable spirits that can't be broken... the eternal optimists... I love them! Probably because I definitely ain't one! But I tell you what, I love their stories, and I feel like more and more of them are being told recently in bio pics, and to that I say, Keep 'em Coming!!!

The one I saw most recently was Eddie the Eagle. It looked cute, but a really didn't know the story. Now I am not here to say how accurate the film was to the actual story, just how much I loved the story told in the film.

Plot Summary:
Eddie Edwards grew up with the dream of going to the Olympics despite his physical limits. Becoming an excellent downhill skier he is cut from the Olympic ski team because he just a bit too awkward to represent the British. With the Olympics one year away, Eddie decides he is going to become a ski jumper, because there aren't any British ski jumpers, and therefore, no competition. So with nothing but his tenacious spirit and his disillusioned coach he sets out to train and qualify for the Winter Olympics in Calgary.

Soundtrack:
Oh my, I found the soundtrack to be a fun throwback to the classic 80s soundtrack! With a synthesizer heavily featured it reminded me of Chariots of Fire and Ladyhawk. I loved it.  


Overall Thoughts:
Omo! I loved this movie. I am just amazed by what a person can do when they put their mind to it! I laughed, I cringed, I clutched the arm rests, I cried a little. It was just a fantastic movie. And here is the thing... ah! I can't say what I want to because I don't want to spoil it if you don't know his story... but it is just amazing how happy and excited he is just to compete in the Olympics, he doesn't care about placing, he just wants to compete. Ugh, it's great! (A little side note, this was the same Olympics that the Jamaicans first competed with their bobsled team. Maybe it just because of Cool Runnings and this movie, but that Olympics must have been one for the underdogs!)

Parent Guide:
The coach makes an analogy comparing ski jumping to having sex... which was a bit awkward. Other mild innuendos.  Dangerous scenes and injuries relating to ski jumping.

Trailer:

The Celebrity Phenomenon

This is something that I think about, well honestly, too much and too often. But I am going to invite you into my crazy musings on the subject of celebrities.

As a single, not dating, no kids, no social life, thirty something, I watch a lot of movies, lots of TV, and now lots of Kdramas (which we've discussed) and lots of Super Junior videos (also discussed). These are things I enjoy doing, mostly because I can enjoy doing these things independent of someone else, no companion necessary. PERFECT FOR ME!!!! And then I gush about them with my sister, friends, and random strangers I find on social media.

So I tend to have lots of celebrity crushes... It's just inevitable, given my lack swoon-worthy men in my real life. But this whole idea of celebrity crush is just really frustrating to me.

Here is what happens:

1st - Your Interest is PIQUED.
You watch a movie, TV show, music video, whatever the medium, and you notice, "Hey that guy is kinda cute," or "intriguing" or "talented" or "funny."

Step 2 - The  Discovery Stage
At this stage you still have rational feelings about this celebrity, it's just mere curiosity that leads you to find out more of his projects and accomplishments. "He was really good in Faith, I wonder what else he is in?"  Or "Oh, I love that song, I wonder if he has any more like it." This leads to a casual search on wikipedia or IMDB. And you discover the plethora of projects he has been involved in and you embark on watching, listening, or reading these other projects.

This stage can also lead you to learn interesting facts about this potential crush, such as not only is he an actor, but also a musician, or a writer, or a star athlete. I warn you, this is when mere curiosity can lead to feelings of admiration for their accomplishments. DANGER: the more impressive their accomplishments, the faster the fall.



Thirdly, Unconsciously Conscious Decision Making
At this stage you unconsciously are deciding on whether you are going to choose to spend your time to continue looking into this celebrity, watching youtube video after youtube video, listening to song after song, or show after show. If you beyond the intrigue phase and you truly enjoy this person, then you don't even realize that you have watched over 20 videos on youtube. You just remember looking up that first one. If you find yourself disappointed with the celebrity, you more than likely consciously choose to spend your time doing something else... like reading a book... or investigating a different celebrity.

At this point you might surprise yourself with the amount of personal detail you now have stored away in your brain. Facts that are entirely useless on your quality of life, like his favorite color is red, his dog's name is Choco, he is a bit self conscious about his height, might start replacing useful information pertinent to your life, like that appointment you are now late to because you forgot about it while you watched youtube videos... Things like that...

Finally, Fangirling Feels
The point of no return. The irrational development of emotional attachment to celebrities. This stage is completely ridiculous! Utterly baffling! And fully frustrating!!! And apparently it's not a new development! I mean you see it dramatized on movies all the time (which means it must be true), with girls swooning at the feet of Elvis. Or screaming girls swarming the Beatles. I can just imagine it happening at the Globe after a production of Romeo and Juliet, and the females in the audience being quite overcome by the dashingness of Romeo, and falling at the foot of the stage (or maybe that would just be drunkenness...), either way, the Fangirling Feels are not new and they are real, they are intense... and man, oh man they are pathetic... and yet SO MUCH FUN!

So that is the process... at least for me... whether you wanted to know it or not. But the Phenomenon to me is that a famous person can take an intelligent, rational human being and turn her into a sighing, swooning mess. And I am not talking about teenagers either! I am talking about grown adult women... Yes, I am one of them, but I know I am not alone! How can guys whom I've never met, never had a personal conversation with, whom I don't even speak the same language as!!!! take me from a love pessimist to a melty piece of love sick hormones? I don't get it!!!! HOW DO THEY HAVE THAT KIND OF INFLUENCE ON ME??? It is extremely  frustrating! I mean, how ridiculous is this??? Someone who has no idea we exist, doesn't even know we are one of their millions of followers, can make us feel very real emotions? This is a crazy phenomenon to me! Unexplainable, yet very real!

Do you find yourself experiencing this same phenomenon? Do you agree that it is frustrating, yet fun? Do you find yourself bewildered by the very real Feels?

Here are some of the men that cause me to have Fangirl Feels:

Who do you Fangirl... or fanboy over?

Zootopia! So Cute!

This morning (Friday morning when I started this post) I got a text at 5:55am. One of my besties, whom I haven't seen in, ugh! too long, sent me this, "Ok I need you to go watch and review some movies on your blog because I trust your judgement. Also I miss you and love you."

First of all, C, I miss and love you too! Secondly, you read my blog??? Really, I was pretty sure only 3 people read my blog, and not always that many. Thirdly, anytime you want my opinion on a movie just ask, seriously, I have probably seen it! And finally, what a great way to start my day! (thankfully I was already awake).

So by C's request, I shall now review Zootopia... It's been a few weeks, so forgive me if I get anything wrong, it isn't as fresh as my movies I review usually are.

Uh-Hmm....

I mentioned Zootopia's preview in my review of the Good Dinosaur. Just the preview put me in fits of giggles... can't breathe this is so ridiculous giggles... they really are the best kind of giggles. And I am happy to say the movie didn't disappoint. Now I wasn't in giggles the entire time, but I giggled throughout.

Plot Summary:

Judy Hopps is a bunny that dreams to be a police officer in the beautiful city of Zootopia, where predators and prey live harmoniously. With everyone doubting that a bunny rabbit can take on big bad guys, Judy works unceasingly in the police academy to prove them wrong and follow her dream. Though graduating first in her class at the academy, once in Zootopia, she still isn't taken seriously, and is assigned as a meter-maid. Until she essentially tricks her boss into giving her an impossible case of a missing predator. Then things get tricky!

Cinematography.... err... I mean animation:

Of course it was beautiful! It's Disney.

Soundtrack:  

 The soundtrack was good. The only song that stood out to me while at the movie was Shakira's Try Everything, but the Zootopia Suite is very fun as are a lot of the other songs if you take the time to listen to them on Spotify.



Overall Thoughts:
I loved it!!! It is fun and witty. There are lots of underlying lessons, but the two that stood out the most for me were, even if you're afraid, or think you might fail, you still should try (ergo the song Try Everything), and the second lesson is on prejudice, and how it can go both ways. I laughed lots. It's a nice, feel good movie. The sloths still kill me, they were my favorite!!!

Parent Guide:
Some scary jump scenes with "savage" animals. There is also a part with nude animals... which is, ya know, how we are used to seeing them... but still they make a big deal about it so if you are uncomfortable with that, now you are aware. (It's been awhile, so I don't remember the language, so I apologize if there is anything else.)

Trailer:
I'll show you the non-sloth trailer since that one was featured in a differnet post.