What the Crazy Stuff...

...is going on here?



This episode was fantastic for so many reasons and also devastating for so many reasons. How one hour and 5 minutes can turn a girl from a blushing, squeeing fangirl into a blubbering mess? Evidently this drama knows how to do it--and do it well for the most part.



The date scene between Tae Joon and Jae Hee--soooo much chemistry it oozed off the screen. I think Minho and Sulli have very good connection with each other, and it shows. I wasn't into Sulli much at the beginning, but she's growing on me each week.



Because I can't be partial, I must point out some things which bothered me a bit. 1)The hell was Jae Hee wearing in that gallery scene?--the dress, the hair, the accessories were all wrong on so many levels. 2)What's with this drama and preempted confessions? I get one time, maybe even two--but it's already becoming a fallback device for more screen time. 3)Lastly, really show? You had to make Seol Ha Na the Yoo He Yi of To the Beautiful You? Why?????



Anyway, barring the above, I truly enjoyed the episode and all of the cuteness surrounding it. I find that I'm enjoying the show more and more each week. :D

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Back on the Road...

...but not yet fully on course--that's the best way that I can describe episode 12 of Big, an episode that gave us both a dose of when-is-this-episode-going-to-get-moving and whoa, that's a big move.



The first 35 minutes of this episode, in my opinion, seemed rather unnecessary. We get a cute camping trip and jealousy on both sides, but not much else. In the last half is where this episode makes ground.



Probably the biggest thing we learn in this episode is that Yeon Jae's illness is back (that mysterious illness that "brought about" Kyung Joon), and of course, the ending, where (finally) Da Ran gives in to her feelings.



Overall, this episode was a mixed bag for me. While I like that the plot moved somewhere (even if that somewhere was somewhat predictable), we still encounter tons of filler scenes and faked switches that make our heads burst.

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Rough

I really felt all of Toru's feelings in this episode, and yet, I don't think this is the worst we'll see. Whenever Toru finds out about Asahina's disloyalty, we'll truly see his pain.



Asahina is seriously messed up! I don't think he actually likes Makoto; I think he's wanting another on his side. I got that kind of vibe when he kept reminding her that she only had two weeks left. I feel that he believes she will sever ties completely and that she will be left open to be manipulated.



Again, why is Yoko even on this show other than to create some conflict with the romantic portion? I honestly can't stand her; she's completely fake, in my opinion.



Overall, I only gave this episode 9.5 because of my irritation at Asahina and his sister. Otherwise, it was perfect.

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Not Good, not Horrible...

...just indifferent. I felt that the show itself is shot beautifully--although, I feel that the school is wayyyyy to ritzy to be a high school.



I wasn't moved by anyone in this episode--Sulli was okay, Minho was so-so, and I just didn't feel that anyone embraced their character except for the guy playing the Nakatsu character. I'm sorry if this offends any of the idol's fans...but I just wasn't impressed much with the acting.



Also, the written characterizations are off. I don't mind some change in characters, but we don't have a Kayashima, the dorm heads are all superathletes. The 3rd dorm guy is nothing like Oscar, and I think that might hurt this show because the relationship between the personalities of the dorm heads has always been one of the charming factors of Hana Kimi.I don't mind that the Kagurazaka character is now at the same school, however, but I wonder how that will change the interactions he has with the main characters.



I'll stick with this one, just to see what happens, but right now, it pales in comparison with any of its predecessors.

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So, Despite My Manga Purity...

...I'm really enjoying this version now, especially Eun Gyeol, who I think embodies Nakatsu so well. We got Nakatsu-vision (Eun Gyeol vision) in this episode!!!! I'm so glad that got put into this possibly more serious adaptation of HK. The drunken Tae Joon kiss!!! I'm so happy it was adapted well.



My only issue right now is the other girl. I really feel that she is going to be a weak link on the show. She's dreadfully annoying, and I'm kind of sad that the writers have turned a character who (though she has her moments in the manga) never really annoys that much. Here, she's a fellow athlete who doesn't take no for an answer. It's not my favorite revamp of a character.



So far, I'm excited to see what will happen next and just exactly how Tae Joon will find out Jae Hee's secret (or if he has already). TtBY-fighting!!

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So...

...all of the progress and getting back on course that this show did in last week's episodes has yet again stalled in episode 15. I don't mean to be overly critical, but I feel that most of this episode focused on how many people could cry and lie than anything else. I don't even feel that emotionally invested in these characters anymore, Choong-shik being the exception. It's as if the whole episode tried too hard to get us to accept that Kyung Joon might lose his memories, when that's probably not going to be the case; the episode also attempted to get us to see Da Ran's lack of acceptance at this situation. What we got was nearly an hour of flashbacks, crying fits, and MaRi's now highly annoying scheming.

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That Moment of Transformation

This episode fostered moments of transformation for our fish-out-of-the-water crew and their compatriots, and it's one that I particularly enjoyed. For some time, the viewers have seen how the citizens of Haduroki have gradually become closer with our 4 jukebox heroes, but in this episode, it's pretty evident. Seeing Man Goo or the other villagers not immediately blame the Farmer 4 for the thefts shows a transformation of the 4 as not merely touristy or short-time figures, but as active and valued members of the community.



A second transformation continues from the last episode in which Yoon Hee sees Minki as more capable than she saw him in earlier episodes. Similarly, Minki sees that Yoon Hee isn't as strong as she often pretends to be. I really like how these two interact (even though I definitely ship Yoon Hee with Hyuk more).



The end of the episode was the absolute cutest. Bulja's transformation (albeit temporary) was sweet and I love Ki Joon's reaction. I can't wait for him to fall for her completely.



I feel so bad for Han Chul. He's really trying to make the rest of his days happy, but he keeps ending up knocked out, stung, or taking the fall for someone else. Cut the man a break, show! Let him have a transformation too!

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Heartwrenching

This episode contained an ample amount of tearjerking moments--moments where I felt so immersed (whether that be angry, sad, or tormented) by the scenes. One scene in particular, the scene between Ryuji and Onizuka, hit me very hard. It's one thing for Onizuka to sacrifice himself, and quite another for him to forget himself. Ryuji's reaction to this is just beautiful.

Although I have not read the manga, I know that Kikuchi's character isn't entirely the same here. However, I don't think that the artistic license taken here is a deterrent. Others may disagree with me, but I think that the way that Kikuchi is characterized fits with how they've played him from the beginning of this version.

I am certainly interested to see the final installment of this series!

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Another Fantastic Episode..

I'm enjoying this show so much, and Episode 7 added to that enjoyment. It was not a particularly funny episode, but it was one that spoke to me a bit. Being a somewhat smart girl, I totally understood how Urumi felt--used by others for their gain and not really sure if her life was anything but boring. What Onizuka said to her is something I wished I had heard during high school--you have value as you, as a friend.



For me, this version is becoming more and more poignant and hits a lot of difficult topics. Although some may say that Onizuka's not as goofy as he's supposed to be, I feel that I am connecting to the way that AKIRA portrays him. What he says as Onizuka feels serious--as if the message isn't just to whichever student needs to hear it, but it's to me and everyone who's watching.



Overall, I'm excited for the next episode. We really are getting down to the heavy players: Miyabi and Kikuchi, and I can't wait to see what this show has planned for them.

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