ANShow Taiwan - George Hu Visits Sukkie & Hacci

For my dear GeunShin Shipper-sisters (& brothers) - u know who u are.....

Park Shn Hye was recently in Taiwan, promoting her drama, Hayate the Combat Butler, which finished filming early this year.


To reminisce, I'm posting the video below, when her Taiwanese co stars led by actor George Hu, visited her at the end of her ANShow concert, as a promotion to You're Beautiful, last year.


For the uninitiated, rumored to be dating, this video shows some tell tale signs when Hacci introduced her ANShow partner and yet-to-made-public boyfriend, Jang Geun Suk.


Notice somewhere in the middle of the clipping, Hacci (Shin Hye's Japanese nickname) calls out to Geuk Suk as 'Di', which is a short form for Suk-Di, which is a Korean term of endearment. Also notice, Geun Suk's un natural tenseness with Hacci being surrounded by the gorgeous Taiwanese boys?


So, are they or aren't they? You guess is as good as mine...enjoy....

Champagne Variety Show - Ideal World Cup

Dongyup & Bongsun seen here with Kim Hyun Joong

Korean talk or variety shows can be fun to watch, provided you understand what they are saying. With the internet and fans who are kind enough to give us non-speaking viewers great translated uploads, you can easily enjoy them too.


KBS show, Champagne Variety show hosted by the 'straight man' Shin Dongyup to the 'funny woman' Shin Bongsun is one such show.


The show is carried out in a few different formats ranging from a normal chat session to the 'girls vs boys' session.


My favourite is the Ideal World Cup show - where a special guest star (male or female) is invited and has to 'sift through' nominated 'contestants' who are either invited to the same show or featured on an 'offline' basis.


Through this 1 hour show, viewers will not only be updated on the special guest star's latest projects as well as his/her likes and dislikes but that of the contestants too. The contestants themselves are celebrities in their own right - actors, singers, talk show hosts and even athletes.


One by one, they will be eliminated until at the end of the show, the guest star's ideal choice will be revealed.


In this post, I've chosen my favourite guy again, Jang Geun Suk aka Sukkie, during his appearance in the show, at the end of the hugely popular You're Beautiful in December 2009. 


So have a good laugh & enjoy....(credit to the original uploader)

Part 1/8 - Introducing Sukkie, the bad lipsinger

Part 2/8 - Sukkie, the passionate lover of feminine women

Part 3/8 - Shin Hye vs Uee

Part 4/8 - Time for the in house contestants... 

Part 5/8 - 'So, I was eliminated coz I was too sexy?'

Part 6/8 - The asanti couple...

Part 7/8 - Who wants Sukkie's phone number?

Part 8/8 - And his ideal lady is....

The Love Letter (1995)

The Plot
Hiroko Watanabe's fiancé Fujii Itsuki died two years earlier in a mountain climbing accident. While looking through his high school yearbook, Hiroko in a fit of grief decides to write a letter to him using his old school address. Surprisingly she receives a reply, not from the dead Itsuki, but from a woman with the same name whom had known Hiroko's fiancé in school. A relationship develops between the two women as they continue to exchange letters and share memories of the dead Itsuki. 
(Credit : IMDB.com)






The Cast

• Miho Nakayama - Female Fujii Itsuki / Watanabe Hiroko 
• Etsushi Toyokawa - Shigeru Akiba 
• Miki Sakai - Young Female Fujii Itsuki 
• Takashi Kashiwabara - Young Male Fujii Itsuki 
• Bunjaku Han - Female Itsuki's mother
• Katsuyuki Shinohara - Female Itsuki's grandfather

Foxi Feels
This could easily be my favorite Japanese movie of all times.


I'm not quite sure why, really.


Coz as with most Japanese dramas, this movie has the pace of a brisk crawl. The cinematography is only o-kay, even though there are some wonderful scenic depictions of the Otaru, Hokaido village life. And I can't say much for the supporting cast to save their souls especially the second lead guy, Akiba (played by the ordinarily competent Etsushi Toyokawa)...I'm just not feeling it, man, not feeling it....


So, why is it my favorite movie of all times then?


Again, I don't really know.


Perhaps it's because of Miho Nakayama's pretty face and the fact that she tackled her two diverse roles very effectively; maybe because of the sheer melancholy of the plot; definitely because the hotness of Takashi  Kashiwabara (Kassy)(with him playing the male Fujii Itsuki, I would term him as the first lead guy); also because of the dynamics (even through letters, most of the time) between Hiroko and the female Itsuki; possibly because of the interactions between the two young Itsukis and probably because of the very concept of 'what could have been'.


The whole scenario of the movie is pretty simple if not different.

Watanabe Hiroko

Girl writes to dead fiancé, dead fiancé replies letter, girl thinks it's a letter from heaven, but girl then finds out it's not. Girl then meets another girl with same name as dead fiancé, girl finds out girl-with-same-name-as-fiancé once knew fiancé; and girl finds out that the girl-with-the-same-name-as-fiancé looks like girl.

Miho Nakayama as Watanabe Hiroko

Confused much? Ok, let's try this again then, shall we?

Miho Nakayama plays Hiroko, the girl with the dead fiance. Not really over him even after 2 years of losing him - even with the dead fiance's bestfriend waiting in the fringes to take over his place in her heart. She wrote a simple letter tell him, the dead fiance (let's from now on call me the male Itsuki, shall we?), asking how he is and that she is fine. Lo and behold, she receives a reply.


But after prodding further, at the encouragement of Akiba, the dead man's best friend and her boyfriend in waiting, Hiroko finds out that the letter was sent from a female, also named Fujii Itsuki (whom we shall term as the female Itsuki form hence forward) and that she was once classmates of the male Itsuki...there...are we on track, so far?

Miho Nakayama as Fujii Itsuki

Hence, they began writing to each other, mainly with Hiroko wanting to know more about the male Itsuki as how the female Itsuki remebers him. It started out as wonderful fact finding for Hiroko and a 'bad' reminiscing period for the female Itsuki - apparently the adult male Itsuki was the strong and silent type, and in truth, even Hiroko herself did not know much about what goes on in his head or heart. While the female Itsuki remembers her male namesake as a bully and a constant pain in her life, for whatever short period that they had to endure together.


Through the eyes of the adult female Itsuki, both ladies went through his little quirks and often unfathomed behaviour. 

Sweet Memories - The Fujii Itsuki Story

The final revelation was both devastatingly heartbreaking and emotionally uplifting for both Hiroko and female Itsuki...but I won't spoil it for you by letting you know why.

For the viewers, the ending is bitter sweet and will probably leave you clutching the portion of your t shirt above your left chest really tighly. Awww....

Side note : For the die hard romantics, since the body of male Itsuki was never really found after the climbing accident, the story gives an open ended ending that can only be closed in the fanfiction realm....oh no, I feel a fanfiction coming my way...help...(smiles)!

Kassy as Fujii Itsuki

For me, this is the movie that introduced me to one Takeshi Kashiwabara, or Kassy, as his fans call him. This was the time when the Japanese movie stars are really quite characteristically good looking. Takeshi Kanesheiro (even if he is part Taiwanese), Takizawa Hideki, Takuya Kimura and Odagiri Jo.


Nowadays the Japanese stars are....I dunno, bland? I think I'm gonna receive hate mails pretty soon...but Matsumoto Jun as THE heart throb of the current times? Oh, come on...!!! He even puts the 2AM boys to shame with his utter nerdiness and feminity. Come on, guys, be a man! A real one, please! I mean you can still have long hair and all, but you can still look rugged. Ne : Jacob Black, anyone? Good asian examples would be KimuTaku, Sukkie as Kang Mu Gyul (even Sukkie in the Korean take of Kimi wa Petto is iffy), Takeshi Kaneshiro (despite the amount of foundation he uses). Ok, ok, I'm digressing again.

Kassy Then

Kassy Now

Anyways, where were we? Kassy, yup. This is one actor who looks good being broody. Smiley Kassy is only so-so. As an actor, Kassy puts enough emotion for us to identify with his I'm-too-cool-to tell-you-I-like-you character. He is the epitome of that teenage crush that very girl has.




Coming back to the Love Letter - directed and written by the renown Shunji Iwai, the movie not only won acclaims and awards for best film and music, but it also bestowed best actress, actor and new comers awards to all the four leads.


Miho Nakayama was not only beautiful but also outdid herself by stealing the limelight (from herself) as the adult female Itsuki.


It has been a while since I last watched The Love Letter, but would watch it again if I can dig it out of my CD box. 


Despite the slow pace of the movie, you should seriously invest in some time to give it a try too. Trust me, it is one romantic movie that you would like to add to your library of romances.

The Love Letter (1995) Movie Trailer

credit : thepingbook.com

Park Hyo Shin - Gift

Just when he came into my radar, Park Hyo Shin had to go and join the army! Why...?? Do I smell while youtubing, or something?

He's in the army now :(

So, as I was desperately googling for all his other works, I realised that I have always had his 'Snow Flower' theme song in my trusted iPod, but didn't really pay much attention to it. I only came to acknowledged his God given vocal greatness when I heard Gift (as part of the opening song of his 2007 album Gift Part 1).

I have to thank Dramabeans for that. They featured the song during one of their recaps of Sungkyunkwan Scandal. I don't believe the song is part of the drama's OST, but I'm not complaining (though I believe Beans taken it off their song list).

Anyways, I'm not here to recap Hyo Shin's musical career (you can find that on Wiki) but rather to just share some of my favourite songs or performances of his.

As I've mentioned, Gift is what 'killed it' for me :)

Park Hyo Shin - Gift

(Download Gift)

Hyo Shin may not be your average pretty k-pop boy (which probably prompted the poor guy to go under the knife so many times), but hey, the man can definitely sing, ok! With his deep and husky voice, it is no wonder that he's known as the Voice of Korea.

Heck, he even do covers better than the real thing (no, no don’t shoot me o-Taeyang’s-forceful-fans).

Park Hyo Shin, Jung Yeup, Gummy & Wheesung’s

cover of Taeyang’s (Big Bang) Only Look at Me at Hana's Peppermint

In fact, Hyo Shin is known to sing just as good live as compared to his recordings, if not better.

  Another favourite - Castle of Zoltar with the Hwang Project.

(Download Castle of Zoltar)

Personally I prefer his faster numbers (which was why Gift perked me up but not Snow Flower) but his single, After Love, which was conveyed in a two part music video is good too. The video also starred the late Park Yong Ha and actress Park Si Yeon, latest seen in the drama Coffee House.

After Love Part 1

After Love Part 2

(Download After Love Mp3) 

There are some other nice songs by Hyo Shin ssi, with notable ones like Deja Vu, Iljime's Hwashin, Athena's I Love You and Scattered Days.


So, these are some of the songs I have to contend with till he comes out of National Service. Sigh...Dec 2012 seems like so far away.....

Midori Days

Wonderfully weird whimsies....




Trust the Japanese to be soooo weird...but soooo wonderfully whimsical at the same time.


I mean, imagine an anime/manga premise with the heroine as the right hand of the hero. And I do mean that literally!




(credit : wikipedia)

The anime's hero, Seiji Sawamura, is the toughest student in his high school. His grades are not very good because he fights more than he studies, but he tends to protect the weaker students from bullies.


A few classmates idolize him; one (Midori Kasugano from a different school) shyly loves him from afar; but most are just afraid of him, which has made it impossible for him to find a girlfriend.


In desperation, he says to himself that he will grow old with only his right hand as lifelong companion — until one morning when he wakes to find a miniature Midori attached to where his right hand used to be.

Green haired and toilet challenged Midori

Over the next two weeks the pair adapt to this sudden and forced closeness. Much mayhem, and some romance, ensue. Seiji does his best to hide Midori from other people; she wears a bandage around her head and pretends to be his injured hand. Midori frequently professes her love to Seiji (even wearing a dress she made and embroidered with "I ♥ Seiji"), but Seiji fails to notice, even as he frequently laments that he'll never find a girl who loves him.

(close credit)

The anime is an adaptation of a shonen fantasy manga by Kazurou Inoue. 


But however bizarre the plot may sound, the anime is actually quite sweet and fun to watch.


As how most this type of stories goes, with Midori as a constant and unshakeable companion, Seiji slowly develops into a more likeable young man, even generating interests from the opposite sex. 


Midori, on the other hand, grows from a timid young woman into someone who was not afraid to voice her mind and charge full speed ahead whenever situation calls for it.  


However, reality hits when the unlikely couple found out that while they were bickering or enjoying their time together, the real Midori lies in a coma in her bedroom, waiting for her soul to come home.....

Love blossoming in the real world

Modori Days or Midori no Hibi should be watched with some of your grey matters sleeping or kept locked somewhere. If you don't ask silly questions like how Midori carries on with her private toilet matters and whether some of the Japanese boys are really as out of whack as the anime portrays them, then you may actually enjoy the ride.


So, even as old as this anime is, having been produced for Animax in 2004, you can still watch it for the sheer fun of it.


P/S - and despite the close proximity of the two protagonists, there are very little (if none at all) sexual overtones to the anime; so it's safe for the Under-18s :)

Ending Theme of Midori no Hibi by Atsumi Saori - Mou Sukoshi (Just a Little Bit More)
(credit : senblade)
(Download Mp3)

Lyric's English Translation

When I noticed I was thinking about you…
I felt very embarrassed
And I really hate that feeling
That’s because I’m afraid to convey my feelings
Even though I suppress it in my head I can’t do anything about my heart
I don’t let you notice it when we meet
So it can be normal how I plan to talk to you
To act so composed has started to hurt
Lying to you I will put away… but
A little more… A little more…
If I can get closer to your heart
A little more… A little more…
So that this moment won’t end
Please God, give me courage
When I’m alone with my bad crazy thoughts
I worry about what you think of me
I’m sorry I stepped forward to try to let you know
I’m not myself, I don’t like the fog around my heart
Depending on someone else makes me run away… but
A little more… A little more…
If I can get beside you
A little more… A little more…
Night does not continue once dawn comes
So wipe away your tears when you’re feeling lonely
The glowing moon floats out into the heavens
I’m not stronger or more confident
See me smiling, look, OK?
A little more… A little more…
If I can get beside you
A little more… A little more…
Night does not continue once dawn comes
A little more… A little more…
If I can get closer to your heart
A little more… A little more…
So that this moment won’t end

(credit : justsomelyrics.com)

Jang Geun Suk - Let Me Cry

And before Chun Jung Myung, there was Jang Geun Suk.....well, at least for me (grins).


But like any idol that managed to drill through my wall of devotedness, they never truly leave. And if Jung Myung needs 10 pages and more for me to gush him over, than dear Sukkie (that's what we Eels call him, y'know (smiles)) deserves at least 20 of my amateur writing skills.


This multi talented boy of an artiste has carved quite a resume for his 24 year old life, so far.


First and foremost an actor, Sukkie is also an accomplished singer, DJ and model. His dancing is passable and need more work, methinks :) (despite whatever the other Eels would have to say about his 'techtronic' dance). 


I wouldn't want to bore you with an extremely long chatter tonight, so I'll just do a short one on his musical career thus far.

Sukkie with his ANJells

Throughout the years, despite being known as serious young actor and choosing diverse roles to showcase his talents, Sukkie has also been known to show strong preference in roles that enables him to sing, either for the movies' or dramas' soundtrack or as a character. I mean, he has to put that God-given gorgeous voice of his to some good use, right?

Sulky yet Sweet Sukkie 

Starting with The Happy Life, Do Re Mi Fa So La Ti Do and Beethoven's Virus, Sukkie continued to choose similar characters in the cultish You're Beautiful and Mary Stayed Out All Night.

Who can forget him as Mu Gyul of Mary Stayed Out All Night (MSOAN). In fact, Kang Mu Gyul is the character that introduced him to me. Firstly mistaking him for Kim Hyung Joong, when I realised that he was not, from his more manly face and definitely better acting, I thought - 'Thank God! Finally a pretty boy who can actually act!'

Take Care, My Bus (Mary Stayed Out All Night OST)

credit : kpoplena

And if you can say MSOAN is what introduced him to my first line of defence, then 'You're Beautiful' pushed Sukkie right past it and cemented him in my heart (probably) forever (smiles). To the rest of the world, 'You're Beautiful' is what, possibly, turned Sukkie from an actor into a 'seriously hawt' idol. Tracks like 'I Will Promise You', 'Still/As Ever' and 'What Do I Do' are probably some of the songs that caused some Eels to create a dent on their PC reset button.

You're Beautiful OST
credit : soompi & paperboat04

Sukkie has also lent his voice to charitable causes, namely the 'Dreams, Giving Them Wings' and 'The Wee Band - We Can Make It' for a fundraising initiative and the promotion of education by the Ministry of Education, Science & Technology in South Korea respectively. (credit : Soompi)

Dreams, Giving Them Wings
credit : DJ & taiwancriju

Of course being a popular figure for well known brands, he sings for the product advertisements too - 'Black Engine' for Black N Jean, 'Touch Holic' and 'Just Drag' for Samsung's YEPP line to name a few.

Then, at long last, on 27 April 2011, Sukkie released his first single - Let Me Cry - which topped the Oricon Charts on its first week of release. Having cited that he was much influenced by the Japanese pop and rock artistes like Ken Hirai and L'arc En Ciel while growing up, you can actually see a touch of Hyde (of LEC) in his style and song choice; and maybe of a little of  Death Note in his video. Not to mention that he chose to cut his first ever single in Japanese and not Korean. Oh, and did I mention that he speaks fluent Japanese, a smattering of Mandarin and is vastly vastly improving on his English....sigh.....  

Let Me Cry
credit : keunsukchina.com

Ok, that's it (for now)...did I say my post will be short...sorry, I lied :p... short and Sukkie just does not rhyme for me (grins).


So, till next time, folks, enjoy the linked videos....

Saiunkoku Monogatari

Whoever said that cartoons are only for kids...


Sigh...what can I say about this epic manga anime without either sounding like a love sick puppy or a rambling ole fool.


Saiunkoku Monogatari (The Story of Saiunkoku), Colour Cloud Palaces or SaiMono as we fans so lovingly call it, is a colourful manga turned anime of romance, political intrigue, historical splendour and mesmerising mythology created in epic proportion, worthy of my utter love and devotion.


One may be fooled by the anime's first few episodes that it is a mere romantic fluff, but after episode 6, the anime grew into more than the love affair of Emperor Ryuuki and his Ko Shuurei.

SaiMono Bishis - the Band Beautiful

The story is truly a journey for its characters, either on their own or collectively - a journey of female empowerment, of a stumbling prince to a worthy emperor, of outcasts to respected members of the society, of self discovery and many more.


Central to the epic is of course the relationship between 'beautiful' Emperor Ryuuki and his capable Ko Shuurei (a feminine feminist that put the Sungkyunkwan Scandal heroine to shame...hu hu). 


(credit : Crumchyroll)
The story, which takes place in the fictional medieval empire of Saiunkoku, follows the adventures of Ko Shuurei, a descendant of a noble family that has fallen on hard times.


Her father works as a librarian in the Imperial palace, a post which offers prestige and respect, but little compensation. Shuurei teaches in the temple school and works odd jobs to make ends meet, but her dream is to pass the imperial examinations and take a post in government, a path forbidden to women.


Shuurei's plans come to an abrupt halt when the Emperor's Grand Advisor makes a startling offer, which is joining the imperial household for six months as the young Emperor's consort, and teach the Emperor to be a responsible ruler. If she succeeds, the financial reward will be great.


The extra detail is that the Emperor has shown little interest in ruling the country while exhibiting preferences to be with men...and has thus far rejected the company of women (or so we thought).

Moi? Floozy?

The word 'floozy' naturally comes to mind when describing Ryuuki at this point of time (lol).


The story details Shuurei's growing relationships with the Emperor and other members of the court (as well as their journey of personal growth), set within the intrigues that surround imperial politics, and her commitment to better herself and her country.
(close credit : Crumchyroll)


The story's epic proportion are both its saviour as well as its detractor.  


A saviour because its love for details brought the characters and their development to life.

Seiran vs Ryuuki - which is which now?

Each character has his or her own story. And while Shuurei and Ryuuki are a joy to watch, so are their friends and even foes.


For instance, Shuurei has an adopted brother whose existence formed a love triangle between our two heroes and himself. However, at the same time, he is alsoa silent protector of both Shuurei and Ryuuki. And as the story of Shi Shieran, the adopted brother, unfolded, his role is made even more crucial when we realised his true identity.


The anime is laced with just the right amount of humour, pensiveness, edge of seat moments and political shrewdness.

First meeting between Ryuuki & Shuurei

We would wish for more romantic interactions between our two leads but the gradual strengthening of their individual character and mutual feelings for each other, will eventually lead to that boiling point that we hope to see at the end of the show.


The series are spunned from the manga and novella of the same name. While tha manga has stopped production for the time being, the story is still being continiued within the novella realm.


The anime has so far seen life for two whole seasons, but while fans all over the world are screaming for a third one, we are not strong enough in numbers to persuade a producer to take up the offer. This as I said earlier, is the detractor of the series - too epic and complicated to attract the casual viewers. Hence, popular anime producers do not see it as lucrative enough. 

Cosplay of Shi Seiran

Which is a pity because judging from the material from the novellas (available to non speaking readers in forms of reviews and or novel-summaries by kind souls within the virtual world), an anime reproduction would be just monumental...but then again, I might be biased (smiles). Hence, for those who just managed to watch the anime, Season 2 has left us hanging with a lot of unanswered questions and yet to be seen plot development.  


Whatever the case may be, just like Naruto, Bleech and many others, SaiMono has turned its followers into the creative beings that they are. Cosplays, chibis and fanarts are just some of the creative ways that fans have embarked on to show their love for the show.


So, come and lend us an extra voice as we plead, rave and rant for the powers that be to give us a third (and perhaps closure) season. Go on, grab a cloud and come fly with us .....  

The song featured in the video is not part of the anime OST,

but the fanmade vid captured some nice moments from season 1 & 2.

Cinderella Sister

The Plot
Song Eun-jo (Moon Geun Young), who lives with her mother since years ago (and also her mother's lover), finally gets a new family and a home when her mother remarries to a kind man who owns a winery.


At first, she denied it, and even attempted to escape rather than dealing with the attempt of being schooled. The cynical Eun-jo is unable to accept the affection of her new step-sister Hyo-seon (Seo Woo) and step father Gu Dae-seong (Kim Gab Soo).


Hyo-seon, with her bright character, is the apple in her father's eyes and Eun-jo's mother goes out of her way to fulfill the role of Hyo-seon's mother, causing her to neglect and act harshly towards Eun-jo.


However, Eun-jo finds a friend in Hong Ki-hoon (Chun Jung Myung), a college student working at the winery who becomes her own prince. Ki-hoon eventually leaves to take care of personal issues, but Hyo-seon's jealousy of Eun-jo causes her to make Eun-jo believe that he has abandoned her.

The three reunite 8 years later to begin the main plot - a modern adaptation of Cinderella with a twist. Han Jeong-woo (Taecyeon), a boy that Eun-jo considered her little brother 8 years ago, appears in order to be near her and fulfills the role of a "fairy godmother" to her.


A love triangle forms when Hyo-seon falls for Ki-hoon, who is still in love with Eun-jo. The feeling of betrayal lasts with Eun-jo, creating misunderstandings and difficulties. However, the kindness of Eun-jo's stepfather (Gu Dae-seong, Hyo-seon's father) begins to change everyone's lives, making this a tale of growth and redemption.
(credit : dramawiki)


The Cast

• Moon Geun Young as Song Eun Jo
• Seo Woo as Goo Hyo Sun
• Chun Jung Myung as Hong Ki Hoon
• Taecyeon as Han Jung Woo
• Yoon Suk Hyun as Jung Woo (adolescent)
• Lee Mi Sook as Song Kang Sook
• Kim Gab Soo as Goo Dae Sung

Foxy Feels
OMG....! This drama is so angsty, I could just kill someone while going through it.


The 'will they, wont they' storyline really got to me after some time.

Stand Off

Which was a bit of a pity because the retelling of the Cinderella Story was superb! One of the posters' tagline goes something like this - 'Even the bad girl has her story' - which held true for the drama.


While every character in the story gets equal share of role development, the story leans primarily towards Eun Jo, the step sister.


The twist is that, while you can just love to hate the two traditional roles of the step mom and step sister, you tend to feel for Eun Jo for the sheer desperate situation she was always thrown in because of her mother's behaviour.

Father Figure

Essentially a nice person at heart with strong integrity to boot, Eun Jo's defensive walls are at most times so sky high that it was almost impossible to scale - unless you are adamant to, like in the cases of all the three male leads - Ki Hoon, Jung Woo and the step dad, Dae Sung.


And while most of the time, the step mom comes across as a shrewd gold digger, she twistedly justified her actions on the 'bad luck' that she had to saddle with through out her life. Hence, her actions are just her means of survival and fighting back.

Cindy's got a new mom

The casting was awesome with special mentions going to Lee Mi Sook and Kim Gab Soo playing the roles of the stepmom and the father. Even Seo Woo shone throughout the drama, especially during 'Cinderella's' later years. She got the 'pity her/hate her/can't stand her' emotions out of me quite effectively, thank you very much.

Jung Woo Jr & Sr

Taecyeon, hmmm, I won't say much for fear of the 2PM legion of fans beating down my email door in wrath (grins), but loved the turn around of the godmother character for his part. However, the rolly polly actor playing him during the younger days was pure joy to watch (love him, love him!)! 


Still, at the end of it all, the drama of course belonged to the ever talented Moon Geun Young, though I do believe that cutie Chun Jung Myung held his own through out (especially during parts or scenes where Ki Hoon was happy). And the chemistry between these two.....sigh.....


Both actors played their respective angsty roles to a T; but when they do get a chance to smile...maann...all the blanket gripping and pillow throwing moments were well worth it. 

Ahhh...smiley, happy Ki Hoon

The BTS was giggling-worth to watch as well, although despite both their on and off screen chemistry, rumours and fangirling over the couple was not as madly obsessive as the  LeeMinHo-GoHyeSun (Boys Over Flowers) and JangGeunSuk-ParkShinHye (You're Beautiful) couples are. Hmmm...maybe the fangirls and boys do know the real deal about their object of affections, after all...but I'm digressing...  

The Capable Cast of Cinderella Unni 

The main song theme by SuJu's Yeesung was another saving grace - It Had To Be You. KBS published an original MV for the soundtrack but for whatever reason they might have, the scenes depicted in the MV were not part of the original drama at all.


So, I will leave you later with a fanmade video (credit : MOCCHIVV3000) that tells the story of our dear Eun Jo and her Ki Hoon.


But having said all that, the drama is worth watching. It would have been even better if it was edited to to become a 16 or 18 parter, but 20 episodes worth of Geun Young, Jung Myung and Seo Woo (and the mother) screaming, crying or just being silent can be beautiful to watch...in a very masochistic kind of way (lol)


So, don't just listen to me and watch it already.


Just bring lots of tissues....bring a box....dang, bring 2 .....!

Eun Jo & Ki Hoon - It had to be them

Watch Cinderella Sister Online

(MySoju)

Yeesung - It Had To Be You

(Download OST)