Wednesday, October 31, 2012



Frankenweenie

Frankenweenie

Disney’s latest movie FRANKENWEENIE is a quirky dark themed movie about bringing one’s pet back to life. It joins the likes Beetlejuice, Edward Scissorhands, and Nightmare Before Christmas, all movies which are peculiarly fun and intriguing with a tinge of dark. 

Movie Synopsis 

From creative genius Tim Burton (Alice in Wonderland, The Nightmare Before Christmas) comes Frankenweenie, a heartwarming tale about a boy and his dog. After unexpectedly losing his beloved dog Sparky, young Victor harnesses the power of science to bring his best friend back to life—with just a few minor adjustments. He tries to hide his home-sewn creation, but when Sparky gets out, Victor’s fellow students, teachers and the entire town all learn that getting a new “leash on life” can be monstrous.

Frankenweenie

Frankenweenie is a stop-motion animated film that was filmed in black and white and rendered in 3D. The talented voice cast includes: Catherine O’Hara, Martin Short, Martin Landau, Charlie Tahan, Atticus Shaffer, Robert Capron, Conchata Ferrell and Winona Ryder. It is presented by Disney, directed by Tim Burton, produced by Tim Burton and Allison Abbate, from a screenplay by John August, based on an original idea by Tim Burton.

My Thoughts

Trying to revive a beloved pet; just to relive the happy times and bond that was shared is such a heart-warming thing. Of course in the real world, that would be a ridiculous fantasy. And even if it were to happen there are always consequences (of the bad variety – it always is the case with movies that deal with reviving the dead) that result from going against nature.

 But let’s say, hypothetically that in an alternative universe where it was possible: that there were no consequences (e.g. zombies, disasters and that sort of thing) and that I had the science knowledge and/or a ridiculously large amount of money, when faced with a similar situation would I go to great lengths to keep my favorite pet by my side forever? YES, as selfish as it sounds (I am human only after all), I would do all I can to keep my favorite pet by my side in this alternate universe to relive the good happy days of before.

Since it is an alternate universe it will be a happy ending (since I can determine it). However, for that to happen, a lot of money has to be involved to fund such an endeavor. Even in an alternate universe I think the laws of economy still apply. Money is needed for cloning and other science whatnots. With the money, I would clone him with his previous memories, try to resurrect him through means of science (though the chance of getting a zombie is more probable), or retrieve his memories somehow and make him a digital entity that lives online (e.g. mobile phone, computer, laptop etc…) – the epitome of forever.

Forever, that is a very definite yet vague word that varies from person to person. Don’t forget that if being able to bring back a pet from the dead is successful, does that mean that it is immortal (by definition of forever)? If so, than I would have to find the elixir of life as well, since it kind of defeats the purpose of bringing back your pet from the dead, only to have you gone from having expired yourself, right? That or having your pet die on you the second time, reliving the sadness all over again.

That said, although I might not do what Victor did to in the real world, I do enjoy watching other people attempt to do so in the reel world - where everything works out in the end and there are lessons to be learnt... or not. ^^ I believe in the real world, memories are the best way to hold on to a favorite pet, and that I would get to meet that pet one day in heaven. But anything is possible in the reel world with a whole lot of fun thrown in for some good entertainment.

So what lengths will you go to keep your favorite pet by your side forever? Will you do like what young Victor did? 

Catch Disney’s FRANKENWEENIE in cinemas this 15 November 2012 and like the Official Walt Disney Studios Singapore Facebook Page, follow the @disneystudiosSG and subscribe to Official Disney Studios Singapore YouTube Channel!”

 

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Tuesday, October 30, 2012



May Queen Episode 7

Summary

Hong Chul intended to reveal who is her biological mother, when Geum Hee stepped into the room. He started acting strangely, however, no words come out of his mouth to the alarm of Hae Joo. Hong Chul took his last breath, closed his eyes and passed away. Chang Hee, In Hwa and Butler Park stood outside the room as they heard the loud wailing of Hae Joo in the room. Everyone was shocked, especially Butler Park who stood trembling in fear, guilty of casing Hong Chul death.

Butler Park arranged the funeral for Hong Chul, on the other hand, Chang Hee and In Hwa were consoling Hae Joo who blamed herself for her father death. Butler Park went back to report to President Jang about Hong Chul death when they were informed about the pear incident where his men were arrested for poisoning the land.

Butler Park try his best to find the yellow sweater before, Hae Joo and her family come back. He found a piece of paper, that has a phone number and a bank account number. Upon hearing Hae Joo and her family return, he regained his composure and stepped out of the house calmly. Sang Tae noticed Butler Park secretly exit from their house and questioned his motive for sneaking in without permission. Butler Park tossed out the excuse that he is sorting out Hong Chul belongings.

Soon, the police came knocking on their door and they asked Hae Joo to recall the accident in search of the culprit. In the process, Hae Joo revealed that her father death was indirectly caused by her. Angered by the fact that she caused the tragedy, Hae Joo stepmother ordered her to get out of the house. However, Sang Tae defended her and stated that they should blame the culprit who ran father over. Nonetheless, Hae Joo was thrown out of the house by her stepmother as she stood in the rain begging for forgiveness.

Chang Hee and Kang San carried Hae Joo to her stepmother house and informed them that she had fallen sick. Hae Joo was allowed to stay in the house, Kang San reprimanded Sang Tae for not standing up for Hae Joo and he said that he dare not do so, therefore, he asked for their help. On the other hand, Butler Park refrained Chang Hee from coming to the house.

It was late at night, Hae Joo dreamed of her father talking to her. She woke up and ate the bowl of porridge that her stepmother had prepared for her. On the other side of the room, her stepmother was in labor pain. Sang Tae was sent to look for the granny but he was obstructed by a dog. Hae Joo helped to delivered her baby sister and promised her mother to take good care of the baby.

Displeased by the slow progress of acquiring the pear orchard, President Jang intend to use underhand methods to achieve his goal. Butler Park exclaimed that the yellow sweater was thrown away by his family and President Jang accepted that reasoning.

President Kang shipping company was investigated due to the false information send out by President Jang. Angered by the set up, President Kang looked for President Jang and was humiliated by the latter. All these scene was witnessed by Kang San who listened to the conversations.

Chang Hee came to visit Hae Joo and was informed by Sang Tae that the town is going to torn down. Jeong Woo and Bong Hee protested against the acquisition of the land. Hae Joo joined in, but they were soon taken away which spark the protest from the whole village. Butler Park intervened and Chang Hee went to his father. Hae Joo overheard their conversation and was upset that Butler Park forbid Chang Hee from seeing her.

Bong Hee went to looked for President Jang to clarified the issue. She was surprised to know that President Jang intend to build a ship plant and make drilling ships in search of oil. He mentioned that the late Hak Soo also believed that there is oil in that area. Bong Hee disagreed with his reasoning. On the other side, Jeong Woo looked for Geum Hee and told her about this matter.

Hae Joo cooked seaweed soup for her mother after she sold the dress that Geum Hee gave her. She promised to try her best to look for job to support the family. When President Jang came home, Il moon said to him that it was so long since they visited mother grave. However, President Jang gave a stern expression and warned him not to mention this in front of In Hwa and to only acknowledge Geum Hee as his mother.

Geum Hee was displeased with President Jang for stepping into the Pear Orchard. In order to calm her down, he pretended to give a phone call and gave the instructions to compensate the villagers. In the middle of the night, Hae Joo woke and saw the boots which her father left behind. Jeong Woo came to look for her and was worried that she is staying outside alone. Therefore, he invited her to come to his house and warmly welcomed her. She found a letter on the floor which was addressed to 'Yoo Jin'. She requested to read the content of the letter and was deeply moved by the love of the father to his daughter Yoo Jin.

Bong Hee announce to Jeong Woo about the compensation to the villagers. Hae Joo and her mother were excited about the news only to be disappointed that they cannot receive the compensation because they only lived there for a month. Jeong Woo was surprised that his house was torn down and he was arrested for instigating violence and obstruction of law. Bong Hee was told to look after Hae Joo and her family.

It was raining heavily, Hae Joo and family were force to move out of the house. They sought shelter from the rain when they started to feel hungry. Hae Joo cooked some porridge but they needed more firewood and Hae Joo volunteer to look for some. While she was about to set off, Sang Tae sneak some porridge into his mouth but it was too hot and he spilt it out and in the process knocked over the pot of porridge. Everybody started crying as Hae Joo struggled to hold back her tears.

Review


I was sad to know that Hong Chul died in this drama. However, that was not a surprise at all as it was all part of the plot to get everything going. I was also disgusted with President Park for being a hypocrite infornt of Geum Hee. The secret regarding In Hwa and Il Moon biological mother was a mystery and got me interested in finding out based on President Jang expressions when Il Moon mentioned about his mother grave. 

Hae Joo stepmother revealed a bit of care towards Hae Joo in this episode. Indeed, she was frustrated and angry over the fact that she caused Hong Chul death indirectly but in the end, she still accepted her into the house again. I believe partially that she knows that she needed Hae Joo even more after her husband death. Since she need to take care of Young Joo, Sang Tae and the unborn child, they need to rely on Hae Joo.

There were many crying scenes in this episode and child actress ( Kim You Jung) who played Hae Joo did very well. She was able to protray the emotions in different situations and it shows how talented she is. The other thing i would like to mentioned is Sang Tae. I was a little surprised that he would defend Hae Joo when she was asked to leave. I would like to believe that he cared for Hae Joo but i think the main reason is that he need to rely on her so she cannot leave. It was so funny that he engaged the help of Chang Hee and Kang San as he dare not speak up against his mother.

The letter that Hae Joo found in Jeong Woo house was meant to be hers. It was so sad that she did not know about her background. The content of the letter is related to the title of this drama 'May Queen'. So smart of the scriptwriter to link it to the title.

Saturday, October 20, 2012



May Queen Episode 6

Summary

Hae Joo witness what bulter park did at the cliff and managed to stop the tragedy before her father get push into the sea. Alarmed, bulter park panickly denied doing anything when Hae Joo asked him what he is doing with the hands. Soon, the debt collectors came and demanded for payment. They were given a week to clear their debts.

Bulter park went back and President Jang was displeased when he did not do as he was commanded. He threatened Bulter Park with Chang Hee and instructed him to do a good job. On the other hand,
Hae Joo father (Chun Hong Chul) tried to know more about President Jang through Yoon Jeong Woo.

Bulter park came with a bag of money to look for Hong Chul. He will help to clear his debt but the only condition is to leave Ulsan immediately. Hong Chul hesistated but he decided not to take the money and even revealed what he had discovered. Bulter park intended to use a rock to hit Hong Chul, however, he changed his mind and arranged to let Hong Chul meet with his madam.

Chang Hee saw Kang Sang solving mathematical formula on the whiteboard and he was amazed. He asked Kang Sang why is he alway the last in school since he is able to solve the mathematical problems. To which, Kang San replied that the school work is not interesting as compared to this.

Chang Hee stayed behind and analyse the mathematical format which Kang San could not solve. In Hwa waited for Kang San and gave him the book - Fermat's last Theorem. Hae Joo was wiping the floor when she found a hand-knit yellow baby sweater and she showed it to her mother who insisted that she threw that away.

Bulter Park seem to plot something against Hong Chul as he drove a lorry to a deserted place and changed the number plate of the lorry. On the other hand, Chang Hee met Hae Joo while riding a bicycle and he offered to give her a ride home. Hae Joo packed some stream bread for her father and Chang Hee again offered her a ride to her father workplace.

Hae Joo offered a stream bread to Chang Hee on the way and they accidentally fell on the ground and gazed into each other's eyes. Unknowingly, bulter park drove the lorry and passed them by. Chang Hee left the bicycle for Hae Joo and complimented her for being nice and bright to which Hae Joo heart beat faster.

Hong Chul drove the boat with Hae Joo and spend precious moments with each other and hinted that they could be separated from each other. Bong Hee, Jeong Woo and Guem Hee met each other at Hak Soo tomb and paid their respect. Jeong Woo was not able to forgive Guem Hee for marrying President Jang.
President Jang discreetly met an officer and discussed about shipbuilding. They reached an unethical dealing and planned to plot again President Kang whom he holds a grudge to. The chemical results of the plantation came out and he as what Bong Hee suspected, somebody poisoned the to trees at the pear orchard. They secretly laid in ambushed and true enough, they discovered the people poisoning the land using chemicals. Bong Hee gave chase to the culprits and Jeong Woo accidentally groped her as they fall together.

Butler park waited at the meeting place and was looking for an opportunity to run Hong Chul over with his lorry. It was 9 pm and Butler park did not show up at the ocean industrial. Hong Chul walked on the lonely street and Butler Park braced himself as he accelerated with high speed and drove towards him. However, Hae Joo cut his path and in a bid to rescue Hae Joo Hong Chul was knocked over by the lorry.

Hong Chul was rushed to the hospital and the doctor told the family to be prepared for the worst. Butler park was punishing himself by hitting his forehead against the rock and when he went home, Chang Hee was shocked and thought that he was beaten by President Jang.

President Jang ordered butler park to the study room and before he could get anything out of him, In Hwa went into the room and said that Hae Joo dad was involved in an car accident. Butler Park drove Guem Hee, Chang Hee and In Hwa to the hospital and was distracted on the way to the hospital.

Hong Chul woke up and apologized to Hae Joo for not giving her a happy life. He was about to tell her who is her biological mother when In Hwa mum stepped into the room and he pointed to her direction.


Review

Sad to know that Hae Joo dad (Hong Chul) is going to die. I understand that this is part of the plot to get the story going but i was pretty sad about that scene. How is Hae Joo going to deal with this heart break and how will her family members treat her from now onwards? Are they going to blame Hae Joo for what happened? which is most likely. Anyway, the childhood romance between Hae Joo and Chang Hee was sweet. The child actors and actresses were pretty good in acting those scenes where they had a crush on each other. Kang San remains an interesting character which i was looking forward to in the later episodes.

Butler Park is really a coward and i don't understand his motive for all these. I understand that he wanted to protect Chang Hee and was afraid of President Jang but he went to the extend of killing someone which makes him a murder. Anyway, i believed Hae Joo yellow sweater will be used as an evidence for identification purposes or stir out suspicious of the missing child.


Lastly, In Hwa was kind enough to visit Hae Joo father at the hospital and i find her much better than her bother. There was a mixture of light hearted moments and dramatic moments in this episode. Overall, I really look forward to the story unfolding itself with each episode.


Thursday, October 11, 2012



Moon and Stars for You

TV Show: Moon and Stars for You (English title) / I'll Give You The Stars and The Moon (literal title)
Korean name: 별도 달도 따줄게
Director: Jeon Sung-Hong
Writer: Hong Young-Hee
Network: KBS
Episodes: 100+
Release Date: May 7, 2012 --

Synopsis and thoughts (spoilers):

This Korean drama is about family, the conflicts that happen within a family and the realization that family no matter the conflicts is really the only pillar that can support them; healing a broken family. As it is a family drama, there are not only many episodes, but also quite a few storylines – on each of the characters.

The main couple consists of Seo Jin-woo and Han Chae-won. Chae-won is a smart capable baker and researcher, concocting new and interesting breads and is a daughter from a rich family. Jiin-woo is a doctor from not so well to do family, who was on his way to becoming a successful surgeon when he injured his hand while saving Chae-won from a fall. His then girlfriend, Cha Gyong-joo, did not know of the incident and just assumed that he was not ambitious enough. Having come from a poor and broken family, Gyong-joo has always wanted to climb to corporate ladder and become very successful. When she assumes that Jin-woo is lacking ambition, she breaks up with him even though they were planning to get married. Not understanding Gyong-joo’s way of thinking, Jin-woo tries to woo her back but to no avail. He finally gives up and gradually falls in love with Chae-won (who had a crush on him).

Meanwhile Gyong-joo gets a job at a food company and falls in love with the president’s son, Han Min-hyeok. Unbeknownst to her, Min-hyeok is actually Chae-won’s older brother and the head of marketing (which is her department). Chae-won and Gyong-joo have a very unpleasant relationship. They were in the same high school. Gyong-joo was always jealous of Chae-won’s good results and rich background, so much so that she locked Chae-won out on the roof on a stormy night that almost cost Chae-won her life. Since that day the two girls never met, until Gyong-joo enters her father’s company.

Being the gracious person that she is Chae-won tried giving Gyong-joo many chances to admit her mistake and apologise, but the latter refused and their relationship deteriorated. That is until Gyong-joo realized that she was Min-hyeok’s younger sister – she tried to make up with Chae-won (seemed to be a pretense though). All seemed fine, even to the extent that Min-hyeok and Gyong-joo were planning to get married. At this time, Chae-won was already dating Jin-woo.

However, Min-hyeok found out that Gyong-joo and Jin-woo were once a couple and thought that it was their plot to cheat his family so he broke off with her and cancelled their wedding. It is at this point that we realize that Min-hyeok doesn’t really love Gyong-joo as much as his position in his father’s company. His father wants him to marry someone from a powerful family that will help him in business.

Having come to love Min-hyeok (though I think she loved his status and money more) Gyong-joo was devastated and wanted to wreck havoc in Min-hyeok’s life. We learn that Min-hyeok is actually adopted; he had lost his memory after a drowning incident when he was young and was saved by Chae-won’s father. Ever since he was brought home, his adoptive mother had never taken a liking to him and always thought that he was trying to steal Chae-won’s position in the company. This fear made the mother conspire with her younger brother to find ways and means to kick Min-hyeok out of the company or to lessen his power.

Using this piece of information, Gyong-joo works together with the uncle to conspire against Min-hyeok by leaking out confidential research on the company’s upcoming wheat bread. They are almost successful and Min-hyeok is almost stripped of his position, but Chae-won manages to salvage the situation beautifully. After that incident, the uncle ended up in a very precarious position. He is a man that desperately wants to be acknowledged by his brother-in-law and thinks that Min-hyeok who is not a blood relation is a hindrance to him, so he has been finding all ways to get rid of him. Actually the conspiracy was not only to dethrone Min-hyeok, he also wanted to take over the company; usurping his brother-in-law - fact that even his sister seems to be unaware of.

After the failure and embarrassment, the mother actually starts to soften up towards Min-hyeok. It is more towards Min-hyeok’s favor when Chae-won marries Jin-woo and moves into his family home, giving Min-hyeok more interaction at home more with the mother. It is at this point that Min-hyeok starts to regain his memories and realizes that he is actually Jin-woo’s older brother who drowned and was assumed for dead!

Overwhelmed with the information, Min-hyeok is caught between wanting to acknowledge his real family and not wanting to lose his current position and lifestyle. He chooses position over family, and is starting to become a heartless character. But I am sure he will realize his mistakes and come around soon (I hope). The rest of the family on both sides (Min-hyeok/Chae-won and Jin-woo) especially Jin-woo’s family, are mostly there to relieve the tension that goes on in the dream with all the serious stuff, be it comical or a heart-warming one.

Tuesday, October 09, 2012



Nice Guy / Innocent Man

Also Known As: The Innocent Man / Nice Guy
Korean Title: 세상 어디에도 없는 착한남자 / Sesang Eodiedo Eobneun Chakhan Namja
Cast: Song Joong-Ki , Moon Chae-Won, Park Si-Yeon
# of Episodes: 20
Broadcasting Station: KBS2

 

Synopsis:

A man is betrayed by the woman he loves. To exact revenge, the man uses another woman who lost her memory ....

Ma-Roo (Song Joong-Ki) is a promising medical student. He lives with his younger sister Cho-Ko (Lee Yoo-Bi), who suffers from poor health. Meanwhile, Jae-Hee (Park Si-Yeon) is a reporter at HBS broadcasting company. Both Ma-Roo and Jae-Hee come from poor family backgrounds, but try hard to achieve their dreams: Ma-Roo to become a doctor and Jae-Hee to become an anchorwoman.

One day, Ma-Roo goes home and finds his sister feverishly sick. While he puts socks on his ill sister, Ma-Roo receives a phone call from Jae-Hee. Jae-Hee sounds completely frantic and asks Ma-Roo to come over to save this man. Even though Ma-Roo's sick sister begs him to not leave her, Ma-Roo rushes over to help Jae-Hee. When he arrives at the motel room, he finds Jae-Hee completely shaken and a dead man laying on the floor near her. Ma-Roo attempts to counsel Jae-Hee to turn herself in to the police.

Appearing completely broken in spirit, Jae-Hee begins to call the police, but Ma-Roo hangs up the phone. He kisses Jae-Hee and then goes through the motel room to wipe away Jae-Hee's fingerprints. Ma-Roo then tells Jae-Hee that he will take the blame and turn himself into the police.

Meanwhile, Eun-Gi (Moon Chae-Won) is the rich heiress a to family that owns the large corporation Taesan. She has been groomed to become the successor to the Taesan corporation and, consequently, shows very little emotions. When she pulls her car over in front of her home, Eun-Gi sees a woman hug her father. The woman hugging her father is Jae-Hee. In tears, Jae-Hee tells Eun-Gi "You have no idea what I did to protect you. What I just did to the man I care the most for in my life."

6 years later, after serving a 5 year prison sentence, Ma-Roo travels to Aomori, Japan to retrieve money from a woman who swindled his friend Jae-Gil (Lee Kwang-Soo). Ma-Roo seduces the woman and retrieves the money stolen from his friend. At the same time, Eun-Gi and her now stepmother Jae-Hee are also in Aomori, Japan. Eun-Gi looks down upon her stepmother as nothing but a gold digger.

On the flight back to Korea, Ma-Roo waits to use the restroom. When the restroom door opens, Eun-Gi walks out and collapses onto Ma-Roo. Ma-Roo places Eun-Gi on the floor and walks back to his seat. Eun-Gi's condition quickly worsens and the airplane asks if there is a doctor on the flight. Since nobody comes forward, Ma-Roo is compelled to help Eun-Gi. While administering aid to Eun-Gi, he asks for the woman's guardian. At this time, Jae-Hee walks over to the scene and states that she is her mother. Jae-Hee also has a child next to her that is calling her mom. (Pic & Synopsis Credit: AsianWiki)


 

Episode Guide

Sunday, October 07, 2012



Arang and the Magistrate

Also known as: Arang / Arang Magistrate Story / Arang: Magistrate’s Chronicle Korean Title: 아랑사또전 / Arangsaddojeon / Arang and the Magistrate
Episodes: 20 + 1 special
Broadcast network: MBC


Synopsis:

Set in the Joseon Dynasty period, a female ghost (Shin Min-A), who was murdered, appears in front of a government official (Lee Joon-Gi) and pleads for the man to punish her murderer. The government official then attempts to appease her wishes.

Eun-Oh (Lee Joon-Gi) is one of the few who can see and hear ghosts. He heads for Miryang where he last saw his mother. His mother has being missing for 10 years. While walking with his servant (Kwon Oh-Jung), Eun-Oh sees a ghost named Arang (Shin Min-A) being chased by ghost hunter Moo-Young (Han Jeong-Su). Eun-Oh pretends to not see them, as this is his usual routine when he comes across ghosts. Arang is able to get away from Moo-Young the ghost hunter by throwing peach blossom petals at him.

Meanwhile, it begins to rain heavily. Eun-Oh and his servant comes across a small abandoned shack and go inside for shelter. While Eun-Oh sits in front of a fire, he sees the door of the shack open. The ghost Arang comes inside and sits next to Eun-Oh. Arang begins to mutter to herself and then takes off her soaking wet dress. She then notices Eun-Oh glance towards her. Arang wonders to herself if Eun-Oh is able to see her and begins to prod him for a reaction. Eun-Oh freezes and pretends he is looking past her. He then goes to lie down on the floor and pretends to be sleep. Arang lies down next to him.

The next morning Arang is gone. When Eun-Oh and Dol-Soe get to Miryang, Joo-Wal (Yeon Woo-Jin) and his father Choi pass by. Choi is a nobleman and the most powerful person in Miryang. While Eun-Oh is on the way to see the woman who saw his mother last, a bunch of ghosts appear in front of him and asks him for a favor. Eun-Oh turns down their request. Meanwhile, Arang, who is sitting atop a nearby roof, sees Eun-Oh talking to the ghosts and is now sure that he can see and hear ghosts.

When Eun-Oh turns around, Arang is standing in front of him. She asks Eun-Oh to find out her name, but Eun-Oh refuses. He tells her to go to government office and ask a magistrate. Arang asks him that if he becomes a magistrate would he accepts her request? Eun-Oh says yes to appease her, but he has no desire to become a magistrate.
Arang then puts in place a plan to make Eun-Oh a magistrate. She goes to shaman Bang-Wool (Hwang Bo-Ra), who later tells public officers in Miryang to kidnap Eun-Oh and make him the magistrate. Eun-Oh is then forcible taken by public officers and bound in the magistrate room. Arang stand in front of him again and asks him to find out her name. Eun-Oh again refuses.

Arang goes back to Bang-Wool for advice. Shaman Bang-Wool tells her that if she makes herself attractive, Eun-Oh will accept her request. While they work to make Arang more attractive, Moo-Young the ghost huner appears. Arang then flees from the area. Eun-Oh, who is standing nearby, notices a "binyeo" (Korean traditional hairpin) that Arang is wearing. The binyeo is identical to the one he gave to his mother. Suddenly, Eun-Oh goes after Arang, who is being chased by Moo-Young the ghost hunter.  (Pic Credit: DramaWiki Synopsis Credit: AsianWiki)
 



Episode Guide



May Queen Episode 5

Summary:

Hae Joo tearfully said that she already knew that she was not the daughter of her mother, therefore she tried her best to please her. She asked her father to tell her who is her biological mother. Startled by her, Hae Joo father insisted that she is her biological mother. However, Hae Joo intuition tells her otherwise, as she recounts how she was treated differently from her siblings. Furthermore, other people mentioned that she look different from her mum. In response to that, Hae Joo Father asked, "you and i look different, does it mean that you are not my daughter?" Hae Joo nodded her head and accepted that reasoning. Tears flows from Hae Joo face as her father gave her a hug and comforted her.

While Geum Hee was keeping watch over In Hwa in the hospital, Butler Park and Chang Hee went back home. II Moon saw them and hit Chang Hee as he blamed him for his sister accident. The next day morning, Hae Joo went to her favorite place, a beautiful view of the boats at the shipyard. Chang Hee happened to be there and Hae Joo noticed the bruise on his mouth, but Chang Hee brushed off that he fell down. They sat down and had a conversation. Hae Joo asked,"Chang Hee oppa, where is your mother?" Chang Hee revealed that her mother had abandoned him and his father when he was very young and he can't remember her face.

Hae Joo share the same sentiment as him as she revealed that her mother is not her biological mother. Chang Hee immediately asked,"Did she abused you?" Hae Joo immediately denied but confessed that she did tried her best to gained her mother favour. Hae Joo shared that she was worried that her biological mother will find her one day and she had to part with her father. They made a pact and promised to keep it as a secret. Chang Hee commented tha Hae Joo hand is so warm. In return, Hae Joo asked, "oppa, why is your hand so cold?" Chang Hee replied,"because i don't have a warm heart." Hae Joo shrugged off that answer and mentioned that her father has cold hands too but his heart is like silky road, oppa is like that too.

Hae Joo visited In Hwa at the hospital and was relieved that In Hwa woke up. The first thing she mentioned to her mother is, "i want to eat pizza." Il Moon met Hae Joo outside the ward and blamed her for the accident and called her a beggar. Do yeong and Geum Hee probit In Hwa from seeing Hae Joo and Do yeong even wanted to make Hae Joo dad pay for the yacht. In Hwa immediately confessed that she is the one that wanted the drive the boat to show off and she started the boat, therefore Hae Joo had no choice but to drive the boat. Hae Joo also saved her life after she drank the ocean water.

Hae Joo surprisingly found some baked potatoes in her room left by her mother and ate it happily. Bong Hee and Jeong Woo were investigating the pollution problems at the pear orchard. When they were on the way home, they met Hae Joo. Not knowing that they were uncle and niece, Jeong Woo and Hae Joo gets along very well. Bong Hee chides Jeong Woo not to hang around with little girls and that he should go out and look for ladies instead. Hae Joo retaliated that she is also a lady and she called Bong Hee an old hen. Bong Hee was dismayed with the remarks and Jeong Woo tried to salvage the situation by being the peacemaker. Hae Joo brought some potatoes to Jeong Woo in exchange for some flour. Jeong Woo mentioned that Hae Joo looks like Yoo Jin (his niece). To that, Bong Hee urged him to get married and give birth to a daughter.

Back in the hospital, Geum Hee felt guilty for hitting Hae Joo when she learnt that she saved In Hwa. Do Hyeon decided to throw a party to celebrate all the children that survived and they invited Hae Joo and her family for dinner too. In Hwa went to Kang San grandfather and declared that she will marry Kang San in the future. The elders laughed it off and regarded it as a joke. Kang San resisted and denied that In Hwa 'own' him. Through the dinner, Hae Joo learnt from In Hwa that Kang San grandfather is the president of a big shipbuilding company.

Do Hyeong negotiated with Kang San grandfather (President Park) to give up the pear orchard but he declined and stated that he will not concede. Do Hyeong pressed on and President Park squash the glass of wine on Do Hyeong face and stormed out of the room dragging Kang San away from the dinner. Do Hyeong looked in the mirror clenching his teeth in anger.

Over at the dinner, Geum Hee praised Hae Joo and her mother was unhappy. She called Hae Joo a wench in front of everyone and insisted that she piggyback Young Joo to sleep. Chang Hee defended Hae Joo but was told to stay out of their business. In Hwa added that Hae Joo brought the same thing to school everyday and wondered is she Hae Joo stepmother. Butler Park hastily stopped her to the surprised of everyone, especially Il Moon who never see him speak up before. Hae Joo parents quarrelled in front of everyone and the dinner became awkward.

Butler Park dragged Hae Joo father (sergeant Chung) whom he addresses to a corner and asked him why did he bring his family here. Hae Joo father asked is In Hwa and Hae Joo twins sisters since they were of the same age. He demanded an explanation regarding this matter when Chang Hee cuts in and said that Hae Joo mother is leaving and they did not bring Hae Joo along.

Geum Hee brought a dress for Hae Joo to apologize for hitting her. Delighted, Hae Joo requested to try on the dress. She asked Geum Hee to zip the dress for her. She turned around and showed the scar at the back of the neck. Unfortunately, Hae Joo dad came it at the time and Geum Hee did not notice the scar. Back at home, Hae Joo mum insisted that Hae Joo take out the dress and she is going to sell it away. Hae Joo father plead with his resentful wife to push all the blame to him and not to let Hae Joo suffer anymore as he broke down in tears.

Unable to hide his guilt towards Hae Joo anymore, her father took the clothing of Hae Joo when she was a baby and went to Do Hyeon company to verify. In the office, Do Hyeon was persuading Jeong Woo to give up the pear orchard and not to work for President Park (Kang San grandfather). Jeong Woo refused and claimed that the pear orchard was handed out by his brother. Do Hyeon insisted that he wants to build a shipyard there as it was his and his brother dream, but Jeong Woo would have none of this. He knew of the evil deed he did to his brother.

Hae Joo dad met up with Do Hyeon and mentioned about the baby that was lost in the ocean. He laid down the baby clothes on the table and asked Do Hyeon if he remembers this clothes. Do Hyeon replied that this is the first time he see this clothes and insisted that Yoo Jin had already died. After Hae Joo dad left in disappointment, Do Hyeon looked for bulter Park at the pear orchard and drove him to the seaside. He questioned bulter Park about the identity of Hae Joo dad and mentioned that he came to find him regarding Yoo Jin.

Butler Park was surprised and Do Hyeon asked if the child is still alive. Do Hyeon hit butler Park and forced a confession from him by drowning his head into the sea. However, he denied that Yoo Jin was still alive. Instead, he was quick to give an excuse that it was difficult to kill a baby so he need to get Sergent Chung (Hae Joo dad) to help him. Now he was in debt and decided to use the clothes to extort money from him. Do Hyeon believed him and ordered butler Park to bring Hae Joo dad to him.

Bong Hee visited her elder sister house who happened to be Geum Hee. She urged Bong Hee to look for a partner and settle down. After school, Kang San looked for Chang Hee and they met Hae Joo who had been waiting for Kang San. She said that she had something to say to Kang san and dragged him away in front of Chang Hee who look sad. Kang San was delighted tha Hae Joo whom he called 'tinker' had looked for him first. Actually, Hae Joo wanted him to bring her to the shipyard for a tour since he is the grandson of the shipyard owner.

While they were touring the shipyard, Hae Joo discovered that Kang San has a phobia of height. She dragged Kang San upstairs to have a better view of the shipyard and he unwillingly followed. Hae Joo teased him for having a phobia of fire and height. They toured the shipyard and Kang San had a bit of knowledge of how the shipyard operates to Hae Joo surprise. Kang San make a deal with Hae Joo, he will show her all the things about the shipyard in exchange Hae Joo must teach him welding. Kang San was excited to start welding now, but Hae Joo said that she need to cook dinner at home. Kang San responded, "why do you need to cook? the rice cooker does that."

Hae Joo rushed home and found his father debt collectors at her house. She hurriedly hide behind the brushes and tried to escape, but her action alerted one of the debt collector. Bulter Park met Hae Joo dad at the top of the cliff. Hae Joo dad apologized for meeting the president and he will give up trying to find Hae Joo parents again as he had regarded Hae Joo as his daughter. He stood at the edge of the cliff and bulter Park mustered up his courage and intended to push Hae Joo dad down the cliff from the back. His action was interrupted when Hae Joo witnessed the act and called out, "Ahjusshi" Bulter Park turned around and was startled to saw Hae Joo.

Review

It was getting a bit tiring to see the tragedy repeating itself over and over again. Something that the writer should minimize. Hae Joo goodie two shoes image was getting a little irritating now. Until now, she has being the almost 'perfect' person in this drama. I understand that this is a drama and the writer have to create certain plots for character development.

There was a lot of crying scenes in this episode and a lot of heartrending moments between Hae Joo and her dad which i thought was a little excessive. I felt that this episode was stretched a bit longer and it was beating around the brush to get to certain point. For instance, Hae Joo dad keep suspecting that Hae Joo was the missing child and it took him a long time to decide to confront president Do Hyeon, Bulter park being beaten up again and Hae Joo step mother repeatedly emotional abused against Hae Joo. It was a bit boring and the whole plot turned into a merry-go-round.

Despite the down side of this episode, i still believed that the drama will do well as times go by since we have a 32 episodes to cover. I just hope that the drama will pace itself faster and develop better ideas to deliver the plots. There was some new discovery in this episode, in particular In Hwa character. I did not expect her to confess to her wrong doings at the hospital. This shows that she is just a harmless spoilt brat, unlike her brother who is a rotten potato. 
I also enjoyed the interaction between Chang Hee and Hae Joo despite the cheesy lines that they shared. I like it that Hae Joo keep calling Chang Hee 'oppa'. On the other hand, Hae Joo rapport with Kang San was pretty interesting too. The tinker and liar nicknames that they gave each other and all the teasing was rather cute.


Thursday, October 04, 2012



May Queen Episode 4

Summary:

The children were frantically throwing water out of the boat, except for In Hwa who was overly concerned over her dress. Meanwhile, Hae Joo dad came back to the yacht after fetching the component and was shocked to see the boat missing. Puzzled over who drove the yacht, his co worker brushes off that perhaps somebody drove the yacht and Hae Joo may had went home already. Unknown to him, the children were struggling to keep the yacht from sinking. Hae Joo suggested using the radio system in the yacht to communicate, unfortunately it was not working. Hae Joo dad went home to look for her but could not find her, he became worried. On the other hand, In Hwa was missing too.

Things turned for the worse at the boat, they were wearing life jackets and In Hwa complained that she does not know how to life jacket. In an attempt to save Chang Hee from the tools tumbling down from the top, Kang San was injured on the leg. Having no other choice, they jumped out of the boat and watched as the boat sunk into the water. It was late at night, Hae Joo dad went back to the shipyard to look for Hae Joo, instead he found her bag. It was known that all the children had board the boat and soon the shipyard was filled with agony cries of the victims families. In the ocean, Chang Hee asked Hae Joo, "are you scared?" Hae Joo replied,"I am scared, but we still need to survive." Whereas, In Hwa kept whining that they will die.

Coast guards was called in assist in the rescued, while the children stayed floated in the ocean hanging on to their dear life. Kang San grandfather (shipbuilding owner) came to investigate and gathered all resources to carry out the rescue operation. The children tried to waved at the rescue ship when Hae Joo discovered the lights shinning on the surface of the water, however nobody saw them. It started to rained and it was getter colder in the water, In Hwa was still whining to everyone. They continued to stayed in the water until the next day morning. Kang San felt dizzy because of the injuries at his leg and was exhausted. There was a false alarm when In Hwa thought that a sharking is coming, instead they saw a whale.

In Hwa drank the ocean water and passed out, Chang Hee and Hae Joo rescued her and place her on top of the square raft. After that, Hae Joo fainted and Chang Hee came to her rescue. Thus, they were separated from In Hwa and Kang San. The recuse team found part of the yacht that had submerged into the water. All their hope had diminished at the sight of the broken parts. Soon, their hope was lifted up again when they heard that two children were found in the ocean. To the dismay of the presidents, it was Hae Joo and Chang Hee. In order to find out the location of the other missing children, they were refrained from turning the boat back and send the children to the hospital. Hae Joo dad almost blurted out that Hae Joo was his missing daughter but was stopped by Butler Park just in time. Just then, Hae Joo woke up and suggested that In Hwa may be swept to the south-eastern side of the harbor due to the high tide. True enough, they found In Hwa and kang San and they were immediately rushed to the hospital. However, both presidents will not let the matter rest until they found out who was the one that drove the boat.

Kang San grandfather overheard that Hae Joo was the driver of the boat and was extremely angry with them. Both Hae Joo and Her dad had a heartwarming conversation and Hae Joo mentioned that she wants to make money to buy a yacht for her dad in the future and she was sorry for driving the boat to the ocean. On the other hand, Chang Hee also had some touching moment with his dad at his ward.

Next, we saw an attractive lady at the airport and a pervert following close behind her, She hit the prevent publicly and was questioned by the police. It was revealed later that she is Dr Lee Bong Hee, Jeong Woo friend and a PHD in petrochemical. She was an interesting character as we found out that she practically tasted the crude oil to find out the elements contained in the oil instead of going to the laboratory.

At the Pear Ochard, the soil was polluted and Jung Woo heard that the pear orchard owner intended to sell the land. In the hospital ward, Kang San just had a leg surgery and had woke up. He asked about Chang Hee and Hae Joo and his grandfather assured him that they were fine. Hae Joo was discharged from the hospital and she requested to visit In Hwa. Hae Joo went to In Hwa mum and confessed that she drove the yacht. In Hwa Mum slapped her on face and scolded her. Hae Joo dad saw everything and was heart broken.

Chang Hee went to visit Kang San and thank him for saving him at the boat. They became friends and Chang Hee mentioned that he is unlike Il Moon and Kang San teased him for being blind all the while. Chang Hee looked for Hae Joo and noticed her face was slightly red and swollen. He immediately knew that In Hwa mum slapped her and he intend to help her clarify the matter. Hae Joo gently brush off the matter as she mentioned that they were pitiful and it doesn't matter that she was wronged.

Back at home, Hae Joo was asked to rest at her elder brother Park Tae room. She overheard the conversion between her parents and was hurt to know that she was not her mother daughter. Hae Joo asked her dad, "who is my real mother?"


Review

I know that the children will survive this ordeal, but i am more interested to know about the changes which will mold the characters through this accident. I am glad that Chang Hee and Kang San became friends after Kang San saved his life. In Hwa was still so irritating with all the whining and complaining. She was the main cause of this huge mess and she keep making lots of noises, really a turn off character for me. Kudos to the child actors and actresses, they were making the drama so touching and engaging right from the start.

I was moved by child actress who played Hae Joo character. Especially the last scene when Hae Joo overheard her parents conversation. The heart breaking moment when she asked her dad, "who is my real mother?" I wondered how her dad will respond to her. I had a feeling that Hae Joo character is like an ugly duckling that will eventually become a beautiful swan. 
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