Saturday, August 27, 2011



Backlash against Korean Wave in Japan

Dissent against the Korean Wave movement has been on the rise in Japan of late, with some 6,000 Japanese protesting against the Hallyu boom outside the Fuji TV building in Odaiba earlier this week. The demonstrators were there to express their unhappiness at the Japanese television network for broadcasting too much Korean dramas and Korean-related content on Fuji TV.

Apart from the grievances over the station's scheduling decisions, the Japanese media also criticised touring Korean artistes for asking exorbitant salaries for their overseas gigs. The amounts were reportedly 10 times higher than what K-pop stars draw at home.

According to a Japanese weekly magazine, Korean boyband JYJ took home 20 million yen (S$314,000) for a show there recently, compared to just 2 million yen (S$31,000) for a performance in Korea. Korean stars were also accused of heading to Japan for the money.

Appearance fees for popular girl-bands such as Kara and SNSD went up to about 50 million yen (S$786,000), from 30-40 million yen previously. A-listers such as Bae Yong Jun and Lee Byung Hun command 50 million yen and above.

The first anti-Hallyu protests began earlier this month when over 1,000 people congregated at the Fuji TV building to show their resentment against the network. Having taken Asia by storm over the recent years, the Korean Wave has been lapping on European shores as well.

The "SM Town Live in Paris" event in France sold out within 15 minutes and tickets to the additional show were snapped up in minutes. But the K-pop culture export was inevitable after the Korean music industry was hit hard by plunging CD sales and free music downloads over the Internet.

CNA


No short skirts for Selina Jen on her wedding

The recovering starlet who is still unable to stand wants to undergo surgery again. All S.H.E member Selina Jen wants for her wedding is to be able to stand up straight. So much that she is willing to undergo the painful procedure of having her skin grafted. She revealed on her microblog yesterday that her ankle is swelling terribly and she is unable to stand still for five seconds.

Selina's fiancee Richard Chang revealed that keloids have formed on her knees and ankles which restrict her movements. To have perfect skin for her big day on Oct 31, the starlet wanted the doctors to remove the scars and undergo skin grafting.

However, the 29-year-old's doctors are advising against the surgery as they feel she's not ready to go under the knife again. They are worried that her physiotherapy efforts for the past six months will go to waste. When asked if Selina will be able to wear revealing short skirts, Richard laughed, "It's really hard to say. She always does the unimaginable. I guess it all depends on her frame of mind."

Reporters asked him if Selina has accepted the fact that her skin will never return back to its previous state, Richard answered, "I don't think so!" after a slight hesitation.



Super Junior's Shindong admits to plastic surgery

SEOUL : Unlike most Korean stars, Shindong of popular boy band Super Junior isn't afraid to admit he has had some work done. In fact, the 25-year-old singer seemed thrilled with the results of his double eyelid surgery, writing about it on Twitter on Monday.

Responding to comments to an article titled 'Shindong, double eyelid surgery? Or diet effects? His changed face grabs attention', Shindong tweeted, "Such heated responses! Thank you everyone. Looks like I did the right thing!

"It's been a while [since he had gone under the knife], but thank you for showing so much interest. I'm hearing I look better on stage and funnier on variety shows, so I feel more motivated about my diet and it feels good!! Everyone, thank you!"

However before the double eyelid surgery, Shindong had another surgery on his mind.

The singer revealed on Korean talk show "Strong Heart" on Tuesday that he was a victim of yoyo dieting and had contemplated having liposuction.

He had even attended a liposuction consultation at a hospital but decided to embark on an intensive diet plan instead. He started a weight loss journal on social networking site me2day early this month to share his weight loss progress with his fans.

"I lost 33 pounds (13 kg) in three weeks," said Shindong on "Strong Heart".

"Even now, I eat one proper meal a day, and salad the rest of the time."

Last year, Shin Yong Ho, a popular Korean cosmetic surgeon, revealed that as many as 95 per cent of the country's celebrities have undergone procedures to enhance their looks at some point in their careers. And it seems more are coming clean about it.

In June, popular Korean singer-actor Kim Hyun Joong admitted during an appearance on a Korean comedy talk show that he had undergone rhinoplasty when he injured his nose after he was hit by rock.

While seeking treatment, the "Boys Over Flowers" star took the opportunity to "raise it a little".

"49 Days" actress Nam Gyu Ri also confessed that she had underwent a few facial surgeries.



Barbie Hsu faints, causes panic among family members

Taiwanese actress Barbie Hsu fainted a few days ago, shocking her sister Dee Hsu, who was also present. The actress was immediately rushed to the hospital upon collapsing.

In a blog post after she regained conscious, Barbie wrote, "My body is weak and my mood is down. After a life and death battle, I finally woke up. Everyone, remember to cherish your family, friends and loved ones!"

Her husband, Wang Xiaofei, immediately replied to her post.

"My lovely wife has been busy with work and is in poor health. She suddenly fainted after arriving in Taipei days ago and was rushed to the hospital. I went over to keep her company and thankfully, it was just a case of low blood sugar. I was shocked while listening to the family talk about the collapse. I have been very busy lately and have little time for her. Feeling guilty..."

However, media speculations are rift that Barbie's fainting spells could be related to earlier news of her miscarriage.

Barbie's mother clarified, "Her collapse could be due to her vegetarian diet. She has been doing a lot of yoga after returning to Taiwan. At the moment, her condition has improved."

Conversely, Dee Hsu had different ideas about her sister fainting spells, hinting that there might be another cause for her weak health.

"Her body is giving out a warning signal and the cause (of her collapse) has to be determined as soon as possible," she said.

Source

Wednesday, August 24, 2011



My Girlfriend is a Nine-Tailed Fox: Episode 6

Next>>
Marveling at the ring on her finger, Mi-ho declares that she is Dae-woong’s girlfriend. And he can’t help but give a smile in response. They then bump their ringed fists together, sealing their deal. Immediately, Mi-ho jumps up and mentions that there was also always something she wanted to do once she got a boyfriend. She dashes off and arrives... dressed as a bride!

She starts to bow, but Dae-woong stops her mid-bow, horrified that she is trying to marry him when all he said was that he would be her boyfriend. He starts walking away, but stops midway when Mi-ho asks he wants to mate instead. He laughs nervously, and Mi-ho mistakes it that he wants to mate with her. He declares that he would rather throw up the fox bead than mate with a gumiho. But Mi-ho just smiles at his futile gestures of playing hard-to-get.

Left with no other option, Dae-woong decides to beat her at her own game: he grabs her and backs her up against the wall, leaning in close, asking her if thei is what she wanted. In his mind, she retreats shyly, saying she was just kidding… However, Mi-ho instead grabs him into a hug that sends him running away, begging for mercy.

Dae-woong tries to set some ground rules with Mi-ho, explaining to her that their arrangement is more of a contract than an actual relationship. She promises not to do anything he does not want, so he requests that she stop looking at him like she is going to eat him up.

In the middle of the night, Dae-woong is woken up by sounds of Mi-ho crying. It turns out that the reason she is crying is because she used a permanent marker to draw her wedding makeup, and now it would not come off. Dae-woong checks her face to see the damage, and then goes online to find a way to take it off. He manages to fix her fixes her face. She tells him she wanted to paint her face like that and get married five hundred years ago, but because of all the bad rumors, no one came, and she got locked up in that painting.

The next day, Byung-soo decides to tell the director about Dae-woong’s injuries, but he finds out that that Dae-woong is not only healed, but also performing action stunts that meet the director’s expectation. Dae-woong convinces Byung-soo that he is fine. Byung-soo notices the couple ring on his finger, which he promptly tells Sun-nyeo. Sun-nyeo runs to check Hye-in’s finger, to see if she’s got a matching ring. Hye-in huffs at the mention that Dae-woong would have another girl other than her.

Mi-ho visits Dong-joo, showing off her couple ring and telling him that people only give these when they like somebody. He counters that Dae-woong does not see her as a human, nor does he have any reason to like her. To try and prove him wrong, Mi-ho starts to lists all the things Dae-woong praised her for: like her super-speed and strength. He retorts that those abilities are not so important in a world with cars and airplanes. Dong-joo warns her not to rely too much on her looks and throw herself at Dae-woong. He advises her to try and do stuff that Dae-woong wants to do.

So back at home, Mi-ho attempts to ask Dae-woong what he wants, but he just wants her to be quiet while he learns his lines. Interrupted by workers ready to clear out the attic room where they are staying, they head out and run into the chicken shop lady. Dae-woong is surprised to see that Mi-ho has made friends in the neighborhood. He’s proud of her, until his phone rings and it is Dong-joo calling, he is looking for Mi-ho. Dae-woong’s jaw drops as she answers the phone cheerily to talk to this unknown man (to him).

Mi-ho tries to sneak off, but Dae-woong tells her to talk right there in front of him. But she steps away and is smiling and looking coy while talking on the phone to Dong-joo, causing Dae-woong’s blood pressure to rise. Dae-woong stalks over and wonders if they are really close as Mi-ho calls Dong-joo her friend. Frustrated, Dae-woong tells her that Dong-joo should not be calling his phone to talk to her. She agrees and says that she should just go visit him instead.

At the bus stop, fellow commuters are marveling Mi-ho’s beauty while she is busy staring at a picture of beef. One of the male commuters who is also waiting for the bus gets up to talk to her. Dae-woong steps up to Mi-ho, glancing sideways angrily, and puts his arm around her right in front of the guy, sticking his hand out to show the ring.

On the bus, they sit separated by the aisle, another guy sees Mi-ho and decides to sit next to her. Eagle-eyed Dae-woong notices him and beats him to the seat, silently taking her hand and holding it up, displaying their matching rings. Oblivious, Mi-ho asks why he is sitting next to her now, when he kept telling her to keep her distance from him. He replies that he is doing it selflessly to save humanity from her. Go Min-yeo, a high school junior of Dae-woong’s, interrupts them.

Now it is Mi-ho’s turn to stake her jealous claim. Min-yeo asks for Dae-woong’s new phone number, but when he reaches for his phone, Mi-ho grabs his ring hand and holds it up defiantly. Seeing the gesture and rings, Min-yeo apologizes for intruding when he was with his girlfriend, and leaves.

Mi-ho muses that the ring is quite handy, having the power to send any unwanted girls running in the opposite direction. Dae-woong assures her that he is not that easy, and declares that no matter how popular he always was he only ever had eyes for one girl, Hye-in. Mi-ho frowns and asks why he did not maje her his girlfriend. And he lets slip that he was going to with rings and all. It dawns on Mi-ho that the rings was not hers to begin with and pouts. Dae-woong tries to assure her that they are not rejection rings, as he never even got to tell Hye-in or give her the rings. He tries to apologize in a reverse-psychology sort of way by telling her that he will take off his rings than, which Mi-ho promptly stops him from doing so.

Dae-woong takes Mi-ho with him to class as he felt bad leaving her outside. Mi-ho is very excited, yet nervous, to be going to class like a real human. So Dae-woong goes to get her some bubbly water (lemon-lime soda). Outside, he runs into Hye-in. She tries to check out his ring finger, but he quickly hides his hand, pulling the ring off which causes it to drop to the ground. In a panic, he quickly kicks it under the soda machine. Upon seeing his bare hand, Hye-in smiles to herself. He fishes for the the ring once she’s gone, while she heads to the lecture hall with a sandwich for him, missing Mi-ho sitting inside.

Dae-woong lies to Hye-in that classes got cancelled and rushes her back out, when she offers to attend class with him. So Hye-in decides that she wants to take him out to lunch, so Dae-woong rushes back to Mi-ho and lies to her that he has an errand to run. Alas, to his dismay, Hye-in wants to drive out for lunch, he gulps, wondering if it’ll be okay.

Meanwhile, Mi-ho gets kicked out when she accidentally raised her hand in class while catching a fly. So she ends up waiting for Dae-woong outside. She heads home on her own when he does not show up. It is at this juncture, on her way home, that Director Ban spots her while dropping Sun-nyeo off. Mi-ho, recalling Dae-woong’s instructions, flees. Director Ban gives chase in his car, but she manages to give him the slip. However, her heart races, and she gets flushed, making her wonder if there is something wrong with her.

Back at the restaurant, Dae-woong gobbles his meal with lightning speed, and runs back to the lecture hall only to find it empty.

Clutching at her heart and saying that something is wrong with her, Mi-ho has gone to Dong-joo. He explains that she is slowly becoming human, and that is what it feels like to hurt, adding that human beings hurt easily, and often. He asks if she can endure it, and she smiles, happy to hear that she is taking on human characteristics, and insists that she can handle it. He cooks her a steak.

Back home, Dae-woong also prepares a plate of meat, and waits for Mi-ho. He even prepares an entire tray full of chilled bubbly water for her. Tired of endless waiting, Dae-woong finally heads down to wait for her outside. But on his way down the stairs, he sees Mi-ho walking in with Dong-joo. He is s surprised that Dong-joo looks like a normal guy. He sulks when he overhears Mi-ho telling Dong-joo how much she loved the meat he cooked for her. She asks if the meat was expensive, and when he answers that it was, she muses that Dae-woong would not be getting it for her. Dong-joo then puts his hand on her forehead to check her temperature, making Dae-woong jealous.

She runs off to find Dae-woong, and finds him grilling meat in a bad mood because she had eaten expensive meat elsewhere with another man, before coming home. She smiles, knowing that he overheard her conversation with Dong-joo. Dae-woong chastises Mi-ho for pretending to be a sickly weak girl, putting on an act to get expensive steak. While he’s busy being righteously indignant, Mi-ho notices that he no longer has his ring on. They head back to school and she lifts up the soda machine for him to retrieve his ring.

He tries forget why the ring was not on his finger, but Mi-ho relentlessly asks how did the ring end up there. Left with no other choice, Dae-woong tells Mi-ho that he took the ring off as he did not want Hye-in to see it. Realizing that Dae-woong had left her in school to hide her from Hye-in. Mi-ho is upset and hurt that he does not think of her the same way that she does. She asks him what he wants, and he declares that there is he would want from a gumiho. With a stricken look on her face, she wonders if all he wants from her is her fox bead. He asks her why ask if she already knew that that was the truth, and walks away, leaving her deflated.

Determined to find out the truth, Hye-in decides to head over to Dae-woong’s place to clear up this couple ring mystery once and for all.

Dae-woong, unable to sleep, looks outside, and is shocked to find Mi-ho drunk, with her tails hanging out. Dae-woong realizes that Mi-ho is heavily intoxicated, as there were even soju bottles amongst the beer cans. He asks her to keep her tails, and Mi-ho is so happy that she is finally asked to do something that she happily complies in her drunken state. She asks him what else he wants, and he gets her to hammer a nail with her bare hand, howl at the neighbor’s dog to shut him up, and kill the mosquitoes.

As Hye-in is on her way up, Mi-ho smells her coming and informs Dae-woong that Hye-in is on the way up. With that she steps up on the ledge with her hands out and declares that she is going to give him something that he really wants because she likes him. Just as Hye-in enters behind him, and when he turns, Mi-ho jumps off the ledge and disappears. Realizing that Mi-ho is gone, he rushes over calling her name. Although he sees Hye-in, he brushes past her to find Mi-Ho.


My Girlfriend is a Nine-Tailed Fox: Episode 5

My Girlfriend is a Nine-Tailed Fox > Episode 5 [Watch it]
The next morning Dae-woong assumes that Mi-ho is out scavenging trashcans. It does not occur to him that she has left him for good. As the beef remains untouched for some time, he slowly recalls seeing Mi-ho when he was drunk the night before. But he does not remember the part where he told her to leave. When he accidentally drops a bag on is foot, he wonders why it hurts and comes to the conclusion that he does not have the bead’s protection, which would mean that Mi-ho is gone. He rushes outside to find her, but to no avail.

He comes back into the house with a disappointed look and posture slumped, it almost looks like he is going to cry tear… of joy. He basks in his new found freedom and quickly packs his things ready to leave the place, just in case Mi-ho comes back looking for him. While packing he discovers Mi-ho’s hidden stash of chicken coupons that is just short of 1 (10 needed). Although he is touched by the gesture, he snaps out of it and heads off, unaware that Mi-ho is watching him. Suddenly, despite the clear skies, it rains and Dae-woong stops, thinking that it is Mi-ho, only to realize that it was just a man washing his car. When more rain pours down, he turns to complain to the car washer but there is nobody.

Even though he acts happy Dae-woong cannot shake off his unsettled feelings, that he actually misses Mi-ho. He tells Grandpa that Mi-ho left on her own accord and that he did nothing wrong. Grandpa is dismayed as he credited Dae-woong apparent maturity to Mi-ho. When Hye-in calls Dae-woong, he rushes to her side. She tells him not to get too involved with Mi-ho even is she were to return, and gets upset when Dae-woong complains that it was rude of Mi-ho to leave the way she did without even informing him. Although he insists that he is thrilled Mi-ho is not around, he is not quite convincing.

Meanwhile, Mi-ho, having found her way to the university and keeps out of the sight of humans, and even empties the soda vending machine. With her fox bead back, her powers are also back, enabling her to move speedily and glide in the air. This terrifies students who come across her in the darkened areas of the school: meat disappears and things suddenly fall over.

Mi-ho runs when she spots Dong-joo in the school. However, he manages to catch up with her and even knocks her out and extracts her fox bead. Dae-woong, unaware of what has happened to Mi-ho, is celebrating his movie role. His smile soon leaves his face when Byung-soo asks him if Mi-hoo knows the good news.

Night soon falls and Dae-woong drops by the action school in hopes of finding Mi-hoo there. He even brings along some beer. He tries to figure out what made her leave and starts to drink the beer.

Mi-ho awakens to find herself in Ding-joo’s apartment, where he presents her with 2 vials: one containing her fox bead and the other his blood. He offers her a choice: the read vial containing his blood will be able to kill her gumio side, while if she were to take the blue one she would have to return to the temple.

Dae-woong meets with a minor accident when a motorcyclist collides into him. At the doctor’s, he is advised to take it easy for his weak bones as he was recently in a huge accident. If he were to injure himself in this condition, he might never be able to walk again. Worried about his movie role, Dae-woong comes to the realization that it was Mi-ho’s bead that was keeping him healthy; he needs her.

Hungry, Mi-ho goes out to eat beef and packs away 10 servings. As she has no money to pay for it, she washes the dishes to earn her food. Meanwhile Dae-woong returns to the action school loft hoping to search for clues about Mi-ho’s whereabouts, but the only thing he finds are the chicken coupons. He then remembers that Mi-ho had left because he asked her too.

Hence, Dae-woong tries calling the temple to inquire if the missing fox from the painting has shown up. He even calls the number he got when Mi-ho first left him a voicemail in the first episode, but it is answered by the lady who owns the chicken restaurant.

Mi-ho finally finds a tenth coupon and heads back to the action school loft, to add it to Dae-woong’s stash. Glumly, she figures he won’t come back here anymore, and says, “I really, really miss Dae-woong.” While she is thinking, Dae-woong races back towards the loft, after having spoken to the chicken lady. Mi-ho catches his scent as he is running towards the school loft. She asks him if he was looking for her, and is happy that he says yes. He continues on that he was happy when she left initially, but it was only for a while, Mi-ho is touched, unaware that De-woong is doing this because he needs her fox bead.

Mi-ho asks him if he would like to hold on to her fox bead for a while longer, no bothering about the reason why Mi-ho is offering him her fox bead, he readily accepts. As the bead is with Dong-joo, Mi-hoo has to retrieve it from his apartment. So while M-hi is retrieving her fox bead, Dae-woong goes home to pack his stuff to move back in to the loft again.

Although Mi-ho has made her decision, humanity, Dong-joo asks what she would she do if Dae-woong runs to another woman during the 100 days he has to keep her bead. Mi-ho replies that she trusts him. Dong-joo tells her that the woman she resembles also answered in that way, but she died in the end, and asks again if she is sure of her decision. Mi-ho nods her head. Accepting her choice, Dong-joo advices her not to tell Dae-woong that she is trying to become human, in order to keep him from running away too readily. So basically, when she drinks Dong-joo’s blood she will slowly start to die:
her gumiho energy will slowly empty away while her bead will live in the human for 100 days, taking in his energy. When she reclaims her bead, she will become human.

Back at the loft, Mi-ho confirms with Dae-woong if e is willing to keep her bead again. He eagerly agrees, but she warns him that while he carries her bead, he cannot run far away, share his ki with another, cannot quit mid-way and stay with her for 100 days. Dae-woong is alarmed that he will have to stay with her for 100 days, as she is not even his girlfriend, to which Mi-ho exclaims that she will be his girlfriend! He refuses initially but finally agrees to this arrangement.

Dae-woong tells her, “Since I’m a human, I’ll do this human-style. Gu Mi-ho, please be my girlfriend.” And with that, he slides the couple ring on her finger, and she marvels at it happily. In fact, she’s so happy that her nine tails pop out.



Dokko Jin moves in on Seung-gi’s refrigerator CF

They really did it! Dokko Jin did say that he’d move in on Seung-gi’s CF territory if he didn’t help get Gu Ae-jung on Steel Heart, and now it looks like he’ll be sharing the limelight (and hugs!) as a result. Capitalizing on the meta brilliance of the Hong Sisters’ drama Best Love, Samsung has actually brought Cha Seung-won onboard to guest star in one of Lee Seung-gi‘s refrigerator CFs. (He’s their main brand model, so he has an entire series of these.) There’s so much drama-meta-meets-fiction-meets-reality that I don’t know what’s what, but it cracks me up.

So backstory, in case none of this makes sense: Seung-gi made a memorable cameo appearance on Best Love as a show of support for the Hong Sisters, since he was the leading man in their last drama, My Girlfriend Is a Gumiho. In the cameo, Seung-gi played a bizarro-world version of himself, with a secret backstage ego the size of Jupiter. He was Dokko Jin’s Mini-me, and they had a hilarious exchange where Dokko Jin threatened to steal his fridge CF if he didn’t use some star power to help Ae-jung score a tv appearance.

And now, here they are in the same pose, all over again. Hee. I actually don’t know if Cha Seung-won is playing himself or Dokko Jin in the CF, because Seung-gi doesn’t really play himself in them either (though it’s pretty much a thinly-veiled version of him). You can see an example of a shoot below, where he mostly gives that Super Puppy Look of Deliciousness at an array of foods, sings a song about kimchi, and then hugs his mom, like a proper boy next door. You can see why he’s the poster manchild for the fridges. The thing I don’t get though is why there are as many models of refrigerators, per each mom/girlfriend/wife/personality type/color scheme/mood/marital bliss status/food and beverage preference/level of OCD. It’s a little insane. My fridge keeps my shit cold. Yeah.

Cha Seung-won hilariously admitted, “Seung-gi is the first man I’ve ever hugged for a drama or a CF shoot.” HAHAHA. My mind is taking the he’s my first concept and just going to weird places. He added, “Seung-gi has a reputation for being sincere and polite, but he’s really like that in person, and seeing such a sincere hoobae has made my attachment grow.” Aw. How cute are they? I’m sold. Sign me up for the model that cooks my food. And comes with Seung-gi.




Via IS Plus
Translated @ Dramabeans

Thursday, August 18, 2011



Manhwa: Cutie Boy by Hwang Mi-ri


Cutie Boy is another of Hwang Mi-ri’s creations spanning 8 volumes. The story revolves around Lee Han-Ah, a girl who happens to be the leader of her high school gang and her mishaps at her attempts to look for a pretty boyfriend.

When Han-Ah was in grade school, she was bullied by a boy called Yoo-Min. Yoo-Min had made fun of her and commented that she had a “wide and flat” butt; it left a scar in her heart, not knowing that it was actually Yoo-Min’s method of expressing his affection. Now in high school, Han-Ah has become the leader of the gang at her school. Although she is not a talented fighter, she wins fights by using the ‘innocent’ girl act. Although she is not that enthusiastic about her new role, her friends push her to do so as she is seen as their only hope. As her school is an all-girls school, the girls were once bullied by the boys from a nearby boy’s school, until Han-Ah became the captain and started to win fights.

On day, Han-Ah meets Yoo-Min on the streets and starts dating him without knowing that he is the same Yoo-Min that had bullied her in grade school. She soon finds out that his true identity and becomes scared of him. However, after a series of encounters with Yoo Min, she begins to realize that he truly cares for her. During the exams terms Yoo-Min takes her to meet his family, and his grandmother tells him she won’t allow him to be with Han-Ah because her narrow hip is not suitable for bearing children (the root of all the tormenting). They start going out again but due to some misunderstanding, Han-Ah becomes Mi Yoo’s ‘girlfriend’, because he realizes she is his ideal type of woman...Read More>>



Selina Jen counts down to her wedding


Her fiancee Richard Chang revealed that wedding is estimated to be 86 days away. According to the Taiwanese media, S.H.E. member Selina Jen's wedding date has yet to be decided.

Previously, it was rumoured that Selina and her fiancé Richard Chang would be announcing the date of their wedding on Aug 5. However, Richard revealed that Selina had not made her final decision, and that they would only announce the date next week.

Richard did let on that the big day is estimated to be 86 days away. This would mean that the wedding would either be on Oct 31 (Selina's birthday) or Nov 1 (Richard's birthday). The wedding is set to be held at the Sheraton Hotel.

The invitation card had been designed -- pink, simple with no wedding photos on it. The banquet, which was to have 90 tables initially, has now been increased 100 tables in total. Doctors, nurses and therapist from the Chang Gung Memorial Hospital are all invited.

Selina would also be reshooting her wedding photos, because she looked different after her accident last October. The starlet was severely burnt after an on-set accident.

Richard revealed that the couple had decided not to celebrate the Chinese Valentines' Day and would not give any presents to each other, so as to avoid having to recall old memories.

"Selina's father did not specially celebrate his birthday a few days ago because he is worried that she might recall the happy memories from last year's celebration," the lawyer added.

Richard expressed that he had not lived a happy day since Selina was scarred by the fire. He had to stay strong for her and accompany her through her physiotherapy sessions.

"My emotions would affect her. The therapy sessions still have a long way to go," he said.

Xin MSN


Jang Geun Seok Plays Double Role in 'Love Rain'

Hallyu star Jang Geun Seok and director Yoon Seok Ho, who produced the drama "Winter Sonata," have decided to work together. PR agency Y Tree Media said on August 9 that Jang Geun Seok has been cast as the protagonist of director Yoon Seok Ho's new work entitled "Love Rain" (working title), which will begin airing from the first half of next year.

Writer Oh Soo Yeon and director Yoon Seok Ho, who worked together in the popular dramas "Autumn in My Heart" and "Winter Sonata" ten years ago, will work together again for the drama production. The agency revealed that the drama will be about love transcending the ages both in the 1970s and in the present time. Jang Geun Seok will play the double role of the character Seo In Ha, a sentimental artist who loves only one woman in the 1970s, and Seo In Ha’s son named Seo Joon, a photographer who is freewheeling in his work and love. “Love Rain” will begin filming from next month with a target air date of the first half of next year.

KBS Global


Japanese hold anti-Korean wave protest

The sacking of Japanese actor Sousuke Takaoka by his agency fueled an anti-Korean wave street demonstration in Tokyo with hundreds of Japanese airing their sentiments against the broadcast of Korean dramas and other forms of Korean entertainment on TV.

The Japanese held their protest in front of the headquarters of Fuji TV, Japan’s No. 1 TV station, located in Odaiba, Tokyo. They waved Japanese flags and held placards that contain statements like “Give us Japanese TV.” They also sang the Japanese national anthem.

The protest targeted Fuji TV, which has been accused of airing more Korean content than any other Japanese TV station including numerous Korean dramas such as “You’re Beautiful,” “King of Baking, Kim Tak Goo,” “Coffee Prince,” and “Goong.”

The protesters are planning to hold more demonstrations in the following weeks.

The Korean wave has become popular in Japan. Korean artists such as Bae Yong Joon and Choi Ji Woo have gained a cult following in Japan ever since their drama “Winter Sonata” swept Japan in 2003. K-pop groups including Girls Generation and KARA have also successfully penetrated the Japanese music market.

Last month, Sousuke tweeted his gripes about the proliferation of Korean dramas on Fuji TV, accusing the station of being a pro-Korean TV station. He said that the dominance of Korean content on Japanese TV is like “brainwashing.” Days after his tweets, he was fired by Stardust Promotion, his Japanese agency.


Manila Bulletin


Why Big Bang and Super Junior can break the jinx of disbanding?

It is common that the idol groups break up 5 years after their debut, for instance, H.O.T., DBSK, SS501,etc. All of these groups were disbanded after they had debuted for 5 years and they had to start their solo activities. However, the situation is different now.

The represtatives who can break this jinx are Big Bang and Super junior (who have just released their 5th regular album, Mr. Simple ). They are still staying together after debuting for 5 years and even more, they show us their competence of staying in this industry has been enhancing throughout these years.

The 3 reasons of why they can break the jinx
The first reason is 'the members do really wish to achieve their targets'.There is a common thing shared between Super Junior and Big Bang, after 1 year of their debut, they did not receive much attention from the public. Although both SME and YGE are big entertainment companies, the music brought forth by both of the groups could not win the love of the public in the 1st year of their debut.

However, this brought positive influence to the groups since the members of these groups devoted themselves even more to achieve their dreams. Their committment united the groups too. The different ideas and dreams that the team members own have contributed to the success of the groups. Their determination enables them to last for more than 5 years.

The second reason is the personalities of the members do not overlap with each other. The members of Super Junior are good at performing arts. The creativity of Heechul, the good singing skills shown by K.R.Y when they were delivering the emotional songs and the talent of hosting variety shows shown by Lee Teuk and Shindong in SBS' Strong Heart' all show how different they are from each other.

It is also the same case with Big Bang. The leader, G-Dragon is responsible for composing the songs for the team directly. The handsome hyun T.O.P. is talented and has a naughty side. Daesung and Seungri are talented in doing variety shows while no one can cast any doubt on the solo performances of Taeyang.

Although they have different skills and personalities, they are not jealous of each other.

The final reason is that they have very strong friendship with each other. There are no major conflicts among the members of Super Junior and Big Bang. Although at their 20s, they might argue or even fight with each other, they settle the issues quickly.Their friendship became more consolidated after all of these and it is the foundation that they can walk together on this path for more than 5 years.

The breaking of the jinx by Big Bang and Super Junior has become an inspiration for other group currently. We hope that the jinx will disappear totally in the coming future.

Source: star.mt
Translated by: Rice @ bigbangupdates.com


Female Korean celebrities forced into sex

Yet another sex scandal has hit the Korean entertainment industry, well known for its "casting couch" practices of trading sexual favours for opportunities. This time, sex photos featuring several Korean female stars have been leaked and circulated around the internet.

A total of 37 set of sex photos have been leaked, featuring a number of A and B-list female celebrities from the Korea's 107G channel.

The celebrities have starred in several popular K-dramas and were believed to have been pressured into sex while being photographed secretly.

One of the most famous victims of such practices is Jang Ja-Yeon, a Korean actress died at the age of 26 after she took her own life in March 2009. She had left several letter claiming that she had been forced to have sex with industry people more than a hundred times.

Netizens have said that the "casting couch" practice is an open-secret in the Korean entertainment industry, which an earlier survey showing that about 60 per cent of female artistes in Korea have been asked to exchange sexual favours for opportunities.

While there are some celebrities who have not been made to exchange sexual favours for opportunities, they know of someone who has done so.

Source: Diva Asia


Vic Chou talks about his depression

Taiwanese heartthrob Vic Chou shot to fame in 2001, after his role in drama Meteor Garden.

Sporting a moustache now, Vic said to the Chinese press, "But many people looked down on me, especially those in showbiz. Who is he? He's just a 'pretty vase'."

He added, "People might not believe me when I say this. When I first entered showbiz, all I wanted was to leave this industry. I kept thinking how I could get out of my contract and say goodbye to all these."

While drama offers came pouring in, Vic still hoped to keep a distance from showbiz because he had seen the things people do to reach the top. The actor was inevitably bullied because he is a person who "is unwilling to fight, and would rather do things quietly".

"I was struggling. With my kind of attitude, I would still be bullied, no matter where I worked; but not wanting to fight is my nature," Vic said.

Vic's emotional burden accumulated over the years, resulting in depression a few years ago.

"I was immune to pain and was unafraid of death, during the worst period when I had depression. Death became optional. In other words, I would die, if I wanted to die today," he let on.

The actor might have talked about his illness lightly now, but his condition was rather severe back then.

"Luckily, I have positive-thinking friends, who were willing to listen to me, towards the end of my therapy, and I would tell them about my condition. You're actually helping yourself, if you're willing to share. The negativity would decrease," Vic said.

Xin MSN


Kelly Chen rumoured to have conceive a pair of twins succesfully

The Hong Kong singer is said to be carrying a boy and a girl. Earlier this year in March, Hong Kong singer Kelly Chen had an unfortunate miscarriage, where she lost her pair of twin daughters.

Recently, the Hong Kong media reported that Kelly had successfully conceived a pair of fraternal twins -- a boy and a girl -- through artificial insemination.

Kelly reportedly went back to work in April after her miscarriage, so as to numb herself from the pain of losing her daughters. However, the singer could not stand for long periods of time because her body had yet to recover fully and was still weak.

When she attended events, Kelly would change into heels only after she arrived at the venue and would remain seated during her commercial shoot.

The mother of one was determined to become pregnant again and it was recently rumored that the singer secretly went for an artificial insemination session in June-despite her frail health -- and has successfully conceived.

Haunted by her unfortunate accident in March, Kelly decided to keep her recent pregnancy a secret, with hopes that her babies would be safe.

Previously, Kelly let on at an event that she planned to conceive again at the end of the year.

However, she also admitted that she was doubtful about conceiving again. Kelly emphasized that she has no qualms trying artificial insemination again, but confessed that she was "trying not to think about it [the previous incident]" and that if people stopped talking about it, she "should be fine".


Xin MSN


2PM Extends Hands Up Asia Tour

With the group's immense popularity, increasing demand for more stops during 2PM's "Hands Up Asia Tour" has been pouring in. And JYP Entertainment has granted the fans' wishes.

Not only was a second batch of tickets released for 2PM's Seoul concert, four additional countries were added to the lineup.

Following the Seoul show on September 2-3rd, the group will travel to Taiwan on October 8th, China on the 22nd, Singapore on November 19th, and Malaysia on the following 26th. More countries will soon be added and announced to the eager fans.

KBS Global
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