Okay — this is the very, very last set of questions I got for the Liebster event that swept through the k-drama blogs a little while ago. They’re really late, I know. But better late than never, right? The questions come from from Idle Revelry‘s blog, here!
Cut for length…
1) What are your top three favorite posts you’ve written?
First up would be my first ever analytical post on a k-drama: the overly-long titled, I Miss You controversy? I have thoughts on that! I wrote it before creating this blog and it was my first real indication that maybe I should have a k-drama blog. That I had enough thoughts to be worth the effort of sharing. Which is why I’m proud of it, even though I think it’s one of my least read posts. (No one knew I existed back then. I barely knew.)
Second is a much lighter topic: a post I did on the symbolism in Alice In Cheongdam-dong — the much more popular (thanks to the power of Dramabeans) yet unimaginatively titled, Yet another Alice in Cheongdam-dong post. I’m pleased with it mainly because I really do adore this sort of symbolism and I had so much fun digging it out and putting the post together.
Third and finally, my most favorite one because it’s the one I worked the hardest on (best title of the three, as well): Rom-coms and Flower Boys. I compare and contrast Flower Boy Ramyun Shop and Flower Boy Next Door and it took days and it’s practically a school paper on the subject and I loves it so, so much. Very much a “I made this!” feel to the thing.
(I will say — I wince at the screencapping in all of them. You can see the progression and it does get better but… man I was on a learning curve and you certainly can see it.)
2) Do you have a writing philosophy? If you do, what is it? If you don’t, how do you set out to write? Hmm… Not consciously… But since you asked and got me thinking, I’d say: be honest, be clear, have fun. I love stories and all the ways of telling them so my blog’s focus is on how a story is working (or not) for me and sharing the whys and wherefores. Basically, if I enjoy thinking about it, then I’ll enjoy writing about it and, hopefully, others will enjoy reading about it.
3) Give a synopsis of a drama you wish someone would write. Ooh! This is just different enough from the question where I answered what drama I would create myself… So if someone else were doing it for me… I would love a drama version of the movie Eat, Drink, Man, Woman. Probably because it revolves around three sisters and was awesome and I’d like something to satisfy the craving left empty by You’re the Best Lee Soon Shin. There are no birth secrets and not a whole lot of dramatics. Each sister starts the film in one place and ends the film in another place entirely. As does their father. It’s like one giant coming-of-age or something. Plus, there’s a whole lot of cooking shots. Which, as Pasta taught me, is definitely a bonus.
4) How do you feel about the 2013 drama year so far? Which year was your favorite? I’m feeling very positive! I’m so new here I can’t possibly claim the knowledge required to say it’s all gone down hill since… whatever. (Or improved since whatever, for that matter!) What we’ve got now is all I know. This view may change as I watch more older dramas, but seriously, last year was my first complete year so…
5) Do you watch jdoramas and if so which are your favs? I have watched three jdoramas. (Why is it called “doramas” by the way?) One Million Stars Falling From the Sky — which I think got recced on a Dramabeans “open-thread”as a good dark drama right at a moment when I was looking for a dark drama. You’re My Pet — which I meant to watch just one episode of after Dramabeans posted about the Korean movie version getting made. (The drama was strangely compelling. The movie, I couldn’t get past the first few minutes.) And of course, Mischievous Kiss: Love in Tokyo. Which I got into because of Dramafever’s banner. All three are massively different from each other. All three are good. The only reason I haven’t watched more is the lack of legal streaming sites. (I’d love it if that changed.)
Bonus) We have recap blogs, general thoughts blogs, squee blogs, etc. What kind of kdrama blog would you like to see? I struggled and struggled with this question and then… it hit me. A compilation blog! A place that gives updated links, based on topic, to all the kdrama blogs out there. That way there’s a resource to turn to if, for example, you marathon a drama and want to see what all’s been said about it since it aired. Massive amount of work, though. You’d probably need quite a few hands on deck to get it going and keep it going. But if someone was willing and able? So, so handy.
And that’s it! Just a tiny bit more info about me.
Creating Volumes 
Love this, more info hehe 🙂 okay, I gotta backtrack and read those older posts of yours next on my list then 🙂 must say – I love all the Qs asked and loved your answer for #2, it’s something I hope I’m staying true too when it comes to my writing. As for #5, I don’t know if this answers your Q (answer?) but it sounds to me like you’re looking for a combination of asiandramablogs.blogpsot.com (in which my blog’s recently been in, I think yours is too? It’s weird though cos I still attest I’m not a drama-blogger or drama blog haha) and mydramalist.com? Very cool suggestion though, I can see it being this super informative drama glossary or something (I’d attempted this with my collections, but maintaining them is hard!).
Love your whimsical entries, this one doesn’t disappoint o:)
Thanks! The asiandramablogs.blogspot.com is the one at “Outside Seoul” right? Her “Linkapoloza” — where I always visit intending to quickly check something out and… there goes an hour. 😉
I’m glad you enjoyed the post. I worry about being too self-indulgent but I’m trying to get over that kind of doubt and just post already. 😀
It’s not the same linkapalooza, this one is seriously an entire blog (page, I think) dedicated to listing drama blogs, like a massive glossary. Maybe you want to check it out!
Hmm… I tried going to asiandramablogs.blogpsot.com — but it took me to a Bible study site. Is it a different blogging site, maybe?
I just went, it’s the right one! Strange you’d gotten some bible study one instead… It’s this:
http://asiandramablogs.blogspot.com/
It worked! And yay! Because that looks a lot like what I was looking for — awesome! 😀
(Yeah… that’s very weird that I was directed to the bible site. Maybe because I didn’t type in the http? It’s the only difference I can see…)
I enjoyed reading this post! I love your idea of a compilation blog! But man, considering the number of blogs out there and the rate of bloggers posting, that would take a team of people working around the clock, to keep it updated! XD
To answer your little side question about why J-dramas are referred to as “dorama” – it’s how it’s romanized in Japanese. The Japanese alphabet has only ONE consonant sound, and that is “n”.. everything else, and I mean EVERYTHING else, has a sound that ends with a vowel, either, “a” “i” “u” “e” or “o” and because of that, many English words get romanized with extra vowel sounds. So I’m going to share one of my favorite (well, it’s a crowd favorite, since my friends try to get me to say this as their favorite example of a Japanese-ified English word) – McDonald’s in Japanese is pronounced “Maku-Donarudo” Go on, try saying that fast 5 times without tripping up 😉
Lastly, LOVE your answer to Qn 4. I had to gurgle out loud, my urge to laugh was so great! XD
Thanks! Hah — yeah, there’s a reason I was saying a compilation blog would be a great idea for someone else to do. The work involved would be massive — and possibly thankless in that you’d probably be taken for granted after a while.
And thank you for the Japanese language insight! (I’m going to be listening for that next time I’m watching something in Japanese.) If I can totally see how, if your tongue has been trained to vowels, consonants smashed together would be… challenging. My admiration for those speakers who manage to retrain their mouths has grown a few more sizes today. 😀
Hi BetsyHp ! 🙂 First, belated welcome back from your vacation.
I like all your answers above. And thanks to Idle Revelry for the interesting questions… Regarding your answer to question#1, I have not yet read your post on “I Miss You” but I read and enjoyed the last 2 of your 3 favorite posts: “Yet another Alice in Cheongdam-dong post”, and “Rom-coms and Flower Boys”. Thanks again for taking time to write them. I think they are well-written and very interesting to read.
I wish too that there’s more legal streaming sites for J-dramas. I just checked Viki and it has several recent J-dramas. I have not seen any of them because they appear to be mostly Modern Medical dramas, which I’ve taken a hiatus from, since after seeing “ER” and “CSI” for years, I maxed out my quota for watching Medical dramas. 🙂
I’m not sure if you’ve visited this blog before: jdramas.wordpress.com. It gives an updated list of up-coming J-doramas with plot summary. It also sometimes features trailers, and sometimes a synopsis an ongoing J-dorama. Unfortunately, it does not appear to offer or suggest a legal streaming site for any J-doramas.
Like your idea of a compilation blog. Indeed to make one can be a tall order since it appears every year a new blog on k-dramas or j-dramas and the like breaks the scene. But if “Wikipedia” was made possible to create, I think such compilation blog is doable as well…The “cat herder” picture is so appropriate here. Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Hi bashful! Good to have you back — I feel like I haven’t chatted with you in a while! 🙂
And thanks for the link to the j-drama site. I think that’ll be helpful in at least pointing me in the right directions. I’ve begun paying attention to j-drama lists and reviews so that when they do start becoming more available (which I think is beginning to happen, happily), I’ll have some ideas on what to watch. 🙂 (Actually, jandoe has some good lists on her blog, too.)