Month: December 2013

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CHRISTMAS TUNES THAT ROCK: Family Force 5 “Christmas Pageant”

I’m one of those people who absolutely loves Christmas. I start my list of goodies and treats I plan to bake in October. I put up the Christmas tree the day after Thanksgiving (gotta give the other holidays their dues) and I start listening to Christmas music in mid-November (my husband refuses to let me listen to any until after his birthday *sigh*). If left to my own devices, I’d listen to Christmas music all year round, I love it that much. There’s nothing better than listening to the crooners, young and old, singing classics like “White Christmas” or “Baby It’s Cold Outside.” Elvis’ “Blue Christmas” is pure Christmas magic and nothing beats Thurl Ravenscroft’s “You’re a Mean One Mr. Grinch.” My  kids and I agree the Christmas season doesn’t officially start until we’ve listened to the Chipmunks “Christmas Song” and “I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas,” sung by Gayla Peevey. Christmas just wouldn’t be Christmas with the music and whether it’s old or new, traditional or a hip-hop remix, I love it all.

That being said, each year I find myself falling in love with one particular album and this year, it’s Family Force 5’s first Christmas family force 5 1album, “Christmas Pageant.” Now for those of you who are die-hard Family Force 5 fans, I’m fully aware that this album isn’t new. Released in October 2009, “Christmas Pageant” was nominated for Christmas Album of the Year at the 41st GMA Dove Awards but four years later, do we really care? What matters is this album is full of some of the best crunk rock Christmas song remixes you will ever hear; I honestly can’t find a track on this album I don’t like. My personal favorite is their original Christmas tune, “The Baby” because its reminds me very much of G-Dragon’s “R.O.D.” and you just can’t go wrong with that!

I know this album has been out for several years now but if you’re looking for a Christmas album that’ll keep your holiday party rockin’ and don’t already own “Christmas Pageant” I recommend you download it now. I promise, you’ll be rockin’ around the Christmas tree all night long!

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FRIDAY NIGHT DRAMA: Heirs

Last night brought us the end of one of the most popular K-Dramas of the year, so it’s only fitting that this weekend’s drama to marathon is none other than SBS’s star-studded melodrama, Heirs.

heirs

Starring Lee Min Ho, Park Shin Hye, Kim Woo Bin, Kang Min Hyuk, Choi Jin Hyuk, Kang Ha Neul, Krystal Jung, Park Hyung Sik, Choi Won Young, Yoon Son Ha, Im Joo Eun, Kim Ji Won, Kim Sung Ryung, Kim Mi Kyung and Yoon Jin Suh, Heirs follows a group of wealthy, privileged high school kids as they struggle to find themselves and fall in love amidst the pressures and expectations placed on them as inheritors of some of Korea’s biggest companies.

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TUNE OF THE WEEK: EXO’s “Miracles in December”

With “Miracles in December” ranking #2 on the Gaon Chart for digital singles and  #3 for online downloads for the first week of December, it only makes sense that it would win the spotlight as my Tune of the Week.

christmas treeWhat’s more impressive than how well this song has done on the ranking charts, is how incredibly beautiful it is. The perfect blend of harmony that endears the boys of EXO to us all, set against a backdrop of melodious piano and sorrowful strings, combine to create a song that conveys so much emotion I can’t listen to it without feeling like I’m going to cry. Of course, once you read through the lyrics, you realize this beautifully sorrowful song is all about the pain of a lost love and from then on you can’t listen to “Miracles in December” without feeling it tug on your heartstrings.

shed a tearThe Korean version of “Miracles in December” features EXO-K’s D.O. and Baek Hyun and EXO-M’s Chen, while the Chinese version features Baek Hyun, Chen and EXO-M’s Lu Han. If, like me, you’re always on the lookout for a new Christmas tune to add to your collection, you can’t go wrong with EXO’s sorrowful ballad, “Miracles in December,” though I warn you, even Ebenezer Scrooge shed a tear after listening to this one!

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HALLYU ZOMBIE’S DRAMA REVIEW: Pretty Man Episodes 5-6 (2/2)

DrunkBoTong

Zombie: So was it just me or were this weeks episodes pretty darn hilarious?

Tanya: I laughed so much it was ridiculous. I think my favorite part was Dae Shik calling Bo Tong and David out. “Are you sure you aren’t just moving in together?” And then Bo Tong flips him, which you can visually see Hoon help UI do because he’s physically larger than she is.
HoonMoveIn

Zombie: Those two are so funny! Seriously though, just about every character in this show is funny. I love that Jang Geun Suk’s facial expressions are out in full force. That was one of the best parts of You’re Beautiful so I’m happy they’re back in Pretty Man.

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Hallyu Zombie’s Drama Review: Pretty Man Episodes 5-6 (1/2)

Alright, I know that when Pretty Man began, I was a little concerned about the direction of both the plot and the characters but I’m happy to say that after this week, my fears have been put to rest. Yes, the absurd plot-line is still there, as are the socks, but the development of the characters and their relationships has already exceeded my expectations and I couldn’t be happier.

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Hallyu Zombie’s Drama Review: Pretty Man Episodes 3-4 (1/2)

Last week’s episodes had us a bit worried about the direction of Pretty Man but episodes 3-4 have given us hope as they brought us Ma Te’s first real set of women challenges, a new conquest and a new hairdo!

New Hair

Tanya: I seriously hope they change his hair with every woman. That would be epic… and hilarious!

Zombie: That would be fantastic!

leg peacock

Tanya: Bo Tong is still trying to sell those damn socks, but I personally think that sock.leg peacock is amazing… Creepy, but amazing. I’m still having trouble with the complete devotion that Bo Tong has for Ma Te even though there has never been any sort of relationship really.

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FRIDAY NIGHT DRAMA: Marry Him If You Dare

This week brought with it the end of KBS2’s most recent time-traveling drama, Marry Him If You Dare. As I’ve spent the past eight weeks writing reviews on each week’s episodes for DramaFever, I’d think myself a slacker if I didn’t recommend Marry Him If You Dare for your weekly dose of drama.

awesomeStarring Yoon Eun Hye, Lee Dong Gun and Jung Yong Hwa (swoon), Marry Him If You Dare tells the story of the time-traveling Na Mi Rae, a young call center employee who is surprised by a visit from her very disgruntled future self. Desperate to change her fate, the Mi Rae of the future braves all sorts of peril to travel back in time, in hopes of changing the past and therefore her future. What the future Na Mi Rae doesn’t know is that once she starts changing the past, there’s no telling what will happen to her future.

meddler extraordinaireI could go in to all kinds of details about the characters and plot in this drama but I don’t want to ruin the suspense for those of you who are planning to watch it for the first time. (Well, that and I’ve already thoroughly dissected this drama for DramaFever’s Marry Him If You Dare Drama Club which you can read whenever you feel so inclined.) However, I will tell you that having the chance to watch Yoon Eun Hye and Jung Yong Hwa in the same drama is i'm your fatherpretty darn awesome. I’ve been a fan of Yoon Eun Hye since I first saw her in Lie to Me and (if you couldn’t already tell) Jung Yong Hwa is one of my biggest biases. That being said, I started watching Marry Him If You Dare just because I was curious to see how two of my favorite actors would interact on-screen and my fangirl side was intrigued enough to watch this drama through to the end.

mi rae and se joo on a benchAs much as I would like to say Marry Him If You Dare is one of my favorite dramas, the truth is, it’s not. Once you start watching, you’ll understand why. It’s not that the show is bad (though the 4.1% viewer rating it garnered with its last two episodes might suggest otherwise) it’s just missing that something special that endears dramas to their viewers. Still, there are some lessons to be learned from Mi Rae’s antics and an underlying challenge to follow your dreams and find the courage to change your stars, which I really liked. Ultimately, that’s why I encourage you to make Marry Him If You Dare your weekend marathon. I hope you’ll come back afterwards to discuss it with me as I’m always ready to chat (or swoon over Yong Hwa) and I’d love to hear with you think of this drama. If you’ve already watch Marry Him If You Dare, I’d love to know what you think and if you haven’t, come back once you’ve finished and we’ll chat. Either way be sure to leave your comments below! Daume ddo bayo!

 

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TUNE OF THE WEEK: CUBE Entertainment’s “Christmas Song”

With Christmas only a couple of weeks away, it’s only fitting that this week’s music spotlight should shine on one of the first new K-Pop Christmas songs of the season, which is why CUBE Entertainment’s “Christmas Song” is my tune of the week.

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A perfectly harmonious collaboration of some of CUBE Entertainment’s top stars, “Christmas Song” is nothing short of Christmas magic. Featuring 4Minute, 1BEAST, G.Na, A-Pink, Huh Gak, BTOB, Roh Ji Hoon, Shin Ji Hoon, and Kim Ki Ri, “Christmas Song” is a warm and happy tune overflowing with Christmas cheer. Seriously, you can’t watch the MV of “Christmas Song” without being bombarded by a rush of warm-fuzzies as members of some of your fav3orite CUBE artists, smile and sing all of their Christmas wishes just to you. Well, that’s what it feels like anyway. If, like me, you love Christmas and can’t get enough of the holiday cheer, “Christmas Song” is certainly one to add to your Christmas playlist and if you’re one of those out there looking for a 5little Christmas cheer, be sure to check out the MV as it’s almost guaranteed to warm even the Scroogiest of hearts.

Of course there may be those out there who just can’t stomach such an overload of super-sweet adorableness and to you I am sorry but when a collaboration of artists of this caliber gets together, it’s just too hard to ignore. The MV of “Christmas Song” may be overly sweet but I’m willing to overlook it because it’s Christmas and in all honesty, I’m happy CUBE Entertainment has given me such a sweet 6song to add to my Christmas K-Pop Collection. I hope you enjoy this song as much as I do and I’ll see you next week for another TUNE OF THE WEEK! MERRY CHRISTMAS!

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HALLYU ZOMBIE’S DRAMA REVIEW: Pretty Man Episodes 1-2 (2/2)

Zombie: So, you’ve had a chance to read my take on these first two episodes but we’ve yet to hear what you have to say. Two episodes in, what are your thoughts on Pretty Man?

Tanya: I have to say that I completely agree with your take. Selfish gigolo… I want to smack him. Creeper girl, kind of… I don’t even know where to go with that. These are such different characters than we are used to seeing from Jang Geun Suk and IU that I’m a little taken aback.

bo tong

Zombie: They’re certainly not the characters I was expecting! I’m hoping that as time goes on, these two will develop into characters I can love and support…or at least care about. So far, the writers haven’t done much to endear their main characters to me which makes it hard for me to care about them or this show. Sad to say it but there it is!

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