Sabtu, 25 Agustus 2012

‘Superstar K4’ Gets Viewers Laughing, Sobbing and Cheering

Mnet’s Superstar K4 managed to make issues with its first episode, but those issues were nothing compared to the interest the second episode gathered on portal sites and social networks.




The second episode of Superstar K4, which aired on August 24, had viewers falling for great talents, tearing up at sad stories and feeling friendly toward some old known faces. Not one contestant that appeared in the 100 minute long episode could be passed up for nothing.

The skilled musicians

Superstar K4 was, despite the issues it made in other areas, definitely an audition for musicians. Many were concerned over whether there would be any talent left after the storm of audition programs swept past, but the show still managed to dig up some precious gems. These talents shined among the other contestants and grabbed the eyes and ears of the judges and viewers.

Private Kim Jung Hwan, a student at the same Berklee College of Music that Psy attended, Kim Hoon, the ‘good-looking musician’ that attends Britain’s Middlesex University, Kye Bum Ju, the rapper/vocalist and the skilled female contestants Kim Seung Ah and Kim Yoo Hee were some of the big talents that appeared in the episode.

Kim Jung Hwan made it to Super Week with his looks, his songwriting abilities and his wit. Kim Hoon, on the other hand, surprised everyone with his unique self-written song and his beautiful voice, but didn’t make it into Super Week because he didn’t “fit audition programs.” Despite his elimination, however, he was one of the figures that gathered the most issues on the web.




The sad stories

Many contestants had back stories that were enough to make anyone tear up. They sang for a mother fighting against cancer, for a girlfriend who passed away, with a friend who couldn’t use his legs after he suffering from an inflammation in the brain and a mother that suffered from financial difficulties after divorce.

After hearing the song of Honey Brown, the team that sang with a member in a wheelchair, Psy said, “You call vocals that can move the ears, technique, but you call vocals that can move the heart, art,” lauding the team’s song as a piece of art that resonated with life and emotion.

Private Lee Yong Hyuk sang Ra.D’s Mother in front of his own mother, a cancer patient, and had everyone, including the judges Psy, Son Dambi and the soldiers in the audience, sobbing with his song. His mother showed her support for her son after meeting him for the first time in three months, telling him he “did well.”




The familiar faces

Many contestants proved to be familiar faces for the viewers. There was a professional singer who used to be big on the music scene, previous contestants of Superstar K3 and other audition programs and a former assemblyman.

JoAnne’s audition, which the producers teased with for so long, finally aired in the last part of this episode. The judges, however, looked somewhat let down by her performance of Big Mama’s Resignation, and the episode left off with Yoon Gun’s decision after Psy gave her a vote to move to the next round and Lee Seung Chul a vote for elimination.

Other familiar faces adorned the episode, including corporal Kim Seung Jae, from the MBC Campus Song Festival′s winning band MuzGrain, the five member female group Live High, which had former Superstar K3 Super Week absentee Kim Ah Ran as a member, Superstar K3 contestant Volume, The Voice of Korea contestant Im Byung Suk and the ‘icon of lawsuits’, former assemblyman and current lawyer Kang Yong Suk.

Super Junior’s Donghae and Yun Seung Ah Tease Kiss Scene

New still cuts from the upcoming episode of Channel A drama Ms. Panda and Mr. Porcupine have been released, and stars Donghae and Yun Seung Ah have us on the edge of our seats with a could-be kiss scene.




The cuts capture both Yun Seung Ah’s and Dongae’s characters emotions, and Yun Seung Ah appears to be falling for Donghae as they get up close and personal, while Donghae’s prickly pastry chef character seems to be warming up finally.

See what really goes down when the episode airs on Channel A on August 25.

Jumat, 24 Agustus 2012

Chinas Idol Girls, Plagiarism or Parody?


Korean idol group 'Girls’ Generation', top, Chinese group 'Idol Girls'

The China’s version of Korean idol group, Girls’ Generation, has been the talk of the town on the Internet these days as the nine-member group named Idol Girls has appeared with a photo on a famous domestic portal site.

The photo with “Chinese Version of Girls’ Generation” shows that they reenact the concept of ‘marine girls’ when the Korean girl group was performing with their song, Tell Me Your Wish.

Chinese media also reported that the choreography shown in the music video “Chinese Girl” in which Chinese singer “Yendangdang” sang in folk style is very similar with that by “Gee,” a member of “Girls’ Generation.” As a result, they are called as the imitation of Korea’s Girls Generation among Chinese netizens, the media reported.

Meanwhile, Korean netizens, who have seen and heard the Idol Girls and the music video, said that it is too similar with those of Girls’ Generation. Other netizens said that it is the “parody” of the Korean idol group rather than “plagiarism.”




중국 '짝퉁 소녀시대'.."표절이냐, 패러디냐"

중국판 '짝퉁 소녀시대'가 인터넷에서 화제가 되고 있다.
국내 유명 포털 사이트에 아이돌걸스라는 이름의 9인조 중국 걸그룹의 사진이 게재돼 네티즌들 사이에서 화제가 되고 있다.

'대륙판 소녀시대'라는 제목의 사진에는 소녀시대가 '소원을 말해봐'로 활동했을 당시의 '마린걸' 콘셉트를 그대로 재연해 눈길을 끌고 있다.

또 중국 언론은 가수 '옌당당'(嚴當當)이 부른 민요풍의 노래 '중국소녀'(中國少女)의 뮤직비디오에서 선보인 안무가 소녀시대의 '지'(Gee)와 매우 흡사하다고 보도했다.
이들은 중국내 네티즌 사이에서도 '짝퉁 소녀시대'으로 통하고 있다.

한편 아이돌걸스와 '중국소녀'의 뮤비를 접한 한국 네티즌들은 "너무 똑같다", "표절이라기보다 한국의 인기그룹을 패러디한 게 아닐까"라는 등의 의견을 개진하며 이들에 대해 높은 관심을 나타내고 있다.

Sumber: http://www.koreatimes.co.kr

miss A’s Suzy was Excited to Work with Kim Soo Hyun After ′Dream High′

Miss A’s Suzy and Kim Soo Hyun cozied up in New Zealand and finally revealed some of the things they did together there.




Included in fashion magazine High Cut’s August issue, Suzy and Kim Soo Hyun whispered sweet nothings into each other’s ears by the campfire and went on hikes together.

Having once worked together in KBS’ Dream High in 2011, the young stars had nothing awkward between each other and played out being a couple realistically.





During the interview, Suzy remarked that she was very excited to meet Kim Soo Hyun and work with him again after a long time.

She also talked about completing her recent drama Big and being proud of herself for finishing up another project.




The pictorial for Suzy and Kim Soo Hyun’s outdoor adventures will be revealed through High Cut on August 16.

Psy Remains Unstoppable With a Fifth #1 Finish on Billboard’s K-Pop Hot 100

Psy is proving to be seemingly unstoppable on Billboard’s K-Pop Hot 100.

The latest ranking for the chart released on August 24 shows Psy’s Gangnam Style at number one yet again - the fifth straight week atop of the chart, and six weeks in the top 10.



Psy’s other tracks continued to refuse to budge from the top ten as Passionate Goodbye featuring Sung Si Kyung and What Should Have Been featuring Park Jung Hyun took the sixth and seventh spots respectively.

My Love, the beloved drama track by Lee Jong Hyun of CN Blue took second, while Only One by BoA was in third, followed by B2ST’s Beautiful Night in fourth and SISTAR’s Loving U in fifth.

The women took over the remaining spots in the chart’s top ten with 2NE1’s I Love You taking eighth, Davichi’s Do Men Cry placing ninth and Juniel’s Illa Illa rounding out the top ten.

Super Junior Places First on Oricon’s Singles Daily Chart, Boyfriend in Fourth

Super Junior has topped Oricon’s singles daily chart.

The new chart figures for Japan’s Oricon on August 22 showed Super Junior’s Sexy, Free & Single clearly resonated with listeners as it placed first for the day by shifting 20,901 copies- a bump up from its second place debut on August 21.



Boyfriend also placed in the top five with its new Sweetune-produced single, Be My Shine ~ 君を離さない~ , hitting fourth.

BoA Becomes Composer Joo Young Hoon’s Date for One Day

Showing love for a fellow entertainer, BoA helped composer and TV personality Joo Young Hoon out by appearing on his radio program.

On August 22, Joo Young Hoon tweeted, “One shot with BoA today! BoA told me that she’s been following all the posts and pictures I’ve been posting! Touched~ Thank you for today, BoA!”




Following after Joo Young Hoon’s tweet, BoA quickly responded, “Oppa thank you for today! You were so good to me that I did the radio broadcast so comfortably!”

BoA appeared on Joo Young Hoon’s MBC FM radio show Joo Young Hoon’s Two O’clock Date as a guest.

The senior and junior entertainers smiled for the cameras, particularly looking good with their matching ‘couple’ shirts of black and white.

Netizens, who saw the picture, commented, “Please make BoA a permanent guest,” “Today’s broadcast was really fun,” and “Loving the adorable matching outfits.”

Song Joong Ki, Park Si Yeon and Other Cast Members Hold Good Luck Ceremony for ‘Nice Guy’

The cast and crew of KBS’ upcoming drama, Nice Guy recently gathered to wish the drama good luck.

Gathering at the drama’s set in Gyeonggi-do’s Paju on August 23, the staff and cast members including director Kim Jin Won, Sogn Joong Ki, Moon Chae Won, Park Si Yeon, Lee Kwang Soo and others took part in the traditional good luck ceremony to wish for the drama’s success and safety of the drama’s production.

Song Joong Ki acted as the representative for the drama’s cast that day as he prayed, “I hope that all the staff will be able to safely complete filming. Thank you.”

Lee Kwang Soo then lifted everyone′s spirits and morale by shouting, “I will do my best until the end! Fighting!”





Director Kim Jin Won also thanked the cast and crew saying, “I’m grateful to everyone. I hope everyone is healthy and happy through the drama’s filming. I also hope you all will create lasting happy memories while filming for the drama.”

The ceremony ended with everyone shouting, “Fighting!”, in unison, proving the drama’s production didn’t lack harmony.

Nice Guy premieres on KBS on September 12.

Shin Min Ah is ‘Arang’ Style for ‘Arang and the Magistrate’

Currently deeply invested in her role for MBC’s Arang and the Magistrate, Shin Min Ah followed the Psy Gangnam Style trend by creating her own version.



On August 23, Shin Min Ah posted on her me2day, “Oppan Arang Style!”

With the post, she uploaded a picture of herself, wearing a guard’s outfit while putting on a smug expression on her face.

Shin Min Ah had dressed up as a guard for August 23’s broadcast of Arang and the Magistrate in order to see her own funeral.

Netizens commented, Arang Shin Min Ah is so cute,” “Arang is Guard style!” and “She’s beautiful even as a guy.”

Haha’s Fiancee, Byul, Sings for ‘Golden Time’ OST

Haha’s fiancée, singer Byul, has lent her vocals for the drama OST of MBC’s Golden Time.




Come August 28, MBC will release the sixth part of its drama OST, featuring Byul singing the track Before It Hits Two Cheeks.

The pop-rock ballad is composed by Jeon Hye Sung, who previously composed hit tracks for Lee Seung Chul, Baek Ji Young, Huh Gak and more.

The track is receiving praise from the drama’s production, saying the mature voice of Byul fits together well with the moving lyrics.

The new track will be heard within the drama and will be officially released online on August 28.

Comedian Shin Bong Sun Makes Surprise Cameo on MBC’s ‘One Thousandth Man’

Shin Bong Sun will be looking to display her acting chops once more through a surprise cameo appearance.

In the upcoming episode of MBC’s One Thousandth Man, Shin Bong Sun will be making a cameo appearance as the head-strong and confident woman, Hye Young.

Her character will be the ex-girlfriend who finds her former boyfriend still clinging onto her.

Mi Jin (Kang Ye Won, who is in love with the clingy boyfriend will find herself berated by Shin Bong Sun’s character who asks her, “Are you that needy that you would meet someone else’s dumped boyfriend?”




Shin Bong Sun’s appearance will air on MBC on August 24.

Big Bang G-Dragon Teases with Another Photo for Solo Album

With the countdown ticking away, Big Bang’s G-Dragon gave fans another reason to anticipate August 25 by revealing another teaser photo.



On August 24, G-Dragon tweeted, “Finally soon..! “One of a Kind” MV will be coming. Y’all Ready For This? So nervoussssss~ Please send a lot of love. Bow.”

Attached to the tweet was a photo of G-Dragon, flaunting his new platinum blonde cornrows as he pierced through the camera with an angry rebellious glare.

G-Dragon’s music video for One of a Kind will be released at exactly midnight on August 25 (KST).

US Hip-Hop Magazine ‘XXL’ Lists Yoon Mirae, 2NE1’s CL and More as Hottest K-Pop Female Rappers

With K-Pop being recognized more over the world, US hip-hop magazine, XXL listed off its top five choices for the hottest K-Pop female rappers.

On the list were Yoon Mirae, 2NE1’s CL and Minzy, 4minute’s Hyuna, and Wonder Girls’ Yubin.





XXL stated that CL “boasts superstar qualities on all forefronts. As the leader of the popular girl group 2NE1 her distinctively boastful attitude, fluent rapping capabilities, and vocal strength make her a wunderkind of in the K-pop genre.”

Also for Yoon Mirae,, who is married to Tiger JK, perhaps Korea’s most known rapper, XXL said she is “revered as an R&B/hip-hop artist, not so much as a K-pop star… [She] is often praised within the Korean music scene as the best rapper in the country, hands down.”

Surprisingly, Minzy was also included on the list, although the magazine noted that she’s known more for her singing and dancing abilities for than her occasional rapping. XXL says Minzy “has all the rapper traits coordinated down to the smallest detail.”

The article went onto say that Yubin’s “rapping forte [played] a crucial role in adding flavorful dosage of American-style braggadocio mixed with Korean-style sassiness,” while Hyuna was praised for “her consistent output as a well-rounded entertainer,” including her participation in Psy’s Gangnam Style.

You can check out the original article here.

JYJ Plays Mario Kart with Gamers in Special Nintendo Event

After announcing the Nintendo Gaming Event back in July, the JYJ members finally challenged gamers to games of Mario Kart.





The event took place on August 19 at Seoul’s Yonsei University, where the JYJ members prepared several different gaming events, Q&A sessions, and lotteries for the gamers who came.





Around 500 participants played Mario Kart against each other and the top gamers were then able to play alongside JYJ in different teams.

The winners also received a special prize prepared by the group.

Rabu, 15 Agustus 2012

BoA Earns Her First Music Program Win for ‘Only One’ on ‘Show Champion’

BoA has achieved her first music program win for her comeback title song.

On the August 14 episode of MBC’s Show Champion, BoA, once more, showcased her powerful dancing and singing through her self-composed track Only One off of her July-released 7th album.

Following the announcement of her win, BoA shared, “I am truly grateful to my fans who are always loving and cherishing me. I will always strive to be a persistent singer,” before holding her special encore stage.




Backstage, the celebration continued with friends, staff and fellow dancers cheering BoA on on her win.

′Running Man′ & ‘Infinity Challenge’ Members Are Surprised and Feel Betrayed by Haha′s Engagement

Haha has shared the reaction from his Infinity Challenge members to his surprise wedding announcement to Byul have been both congratulatory and filled with feelings of betrayal.




On August 15 at 12 p.m. (KST) at MBC’s Dream Center in Ilsan, Haha met with the press in a press conference to shed light on his surprise wedding announcement with Byul.

During the press conference Haha shared, “The Infinity Challenge members are in a state of shock. Yoo Jae Suk hyung congratulated me but was taken aback. My friend Noh Hong Chul was really shocked. He told me we had walked to where we are together but that I had betrayed him. [When I told him of the news] he had to sit down as his legs began giving away.”

As for Park Myung Soo, Haha shared, “As soon as I told Park Myung Soo he cursed at me,” drawing laughter from the crowd.

Haha also touched on the reaction from his fellow Running Man cast member Kim Jong Kook saying, “Kim Jong Kook hyung couldn’t hide his disappointment even when Byul was in front of him. In his small eyes, a small tear began forming.”

His friend Kim Je Dong was said to have jokingly cut off communication with Haha while others expressed to Haha if he was still too young to marry.





Haha first revealed his surprise engagement to Byul a day before on August 14. According to the couple, the two had known each other for many years but had only begun dating in March before deciding to set a wedding date of November 30.

SNSD’s Jessica and Krystal of f(x) to Release First Duet for ‘To the Beautiful You’ OST

Sisters Jessica and Krystal, of SNSD and f(x) respectively, will show their vocal harmony through an upcoming OST.

For the OST of SBS’ To the Beautiful You, sisters Jessica and Krystal will duet on a song called Butterfly. The song will serve as the love theme song for the leads and the lyrics will reflect the young and warm-feelings from one’s first love and is accompanied by a sweet melody. Butterfly is the first duet officially released by the two sisters.



Additionally, fellow SM Entertainment label mate J-Min will also release a solo track for the OST titled Stand Up. The song was previously heard in teaser videos for To the Beautiful You, and has a heavy guitar and strong drum beat.

Both Butterfly and Stand Up were unveiled online on August 15.

Senin, 13 Agustus 2012

[RECAP: A Gentleman’s Dignity] Episode 19 & 20: A Happy Ending For All

We have to be honest.

That two week postponement due to the Olympics hit us really badly and unfortunately killed a small part of our obsession with A Gentleman’s Dignity.

That’s not to say we didn’t enjoy the last two episodes of the drama (because we did), but it would have been more amazing if it weren’t for those two weeks’ worth of emptiness that filled our hearts. Just saying.

As usual, we start our A Gentleman’s Dignity weekend run with laughter-filled prologues.




For episode 15, our gentlemen sit at a nice restaurant, talking about this and that, when their ladies start strolling in.

The men’s eyes bulge out in shock as Seo Yi Soo (Kim Ha Neul), Im Mae Ari (Yoon Ji Ni) and Hong Se Ra (Yoon Se Ah) are all wearing very revealing dresses. Lee Jung Rok is the only one smiling in approval since his wife, Park Min Sook (Kim Jung Nan), is covered up, but as soon as she sits down next to him, he gapes in shock, as her outfit has a huge cutout in the back.

Immediately, all four men grab their napkins and cover their ladies up, as Kim Do Jin covers up Seo Yi Soo’s face, saying that she’s pretty much only allowed to show a small percentage of skin every day.




The girls, disgruntled, all head for the bathroom, but while they’re gone, a woman wearing a long sleeveless dress with a large slit on the side walks into the restaurant and all the boys’ attention shift to her. The men even bend down, trying to look through her legs and Kim Do Jin narrates that no matter what, boys will always be boys and while it’s not okay when their women are showing skin, it’s fine to stare at someone else.

“There is no consistency and it’s always ironic.”

Try hypocritical. Only if their women were there to witness all of this. It would have been awesome to see all four men get beat up.




Episode 16 takes us back to the men’s high school years – the first day the four of them meet to be more exact.

Im Tae San takes Jang Dong Gun out, after finding out that Kim Do Jin is the best fighter in class, while Lee Jung Rok, who is the student head, takes Choi Yoon out due to a problem with his sneakers.

They meet on the grass field, where the men demand to use the field first, but it ends up just being a bragging competition, where Kim Do Jin, Lee Jung Rok and Kim Soo Ro try to prove he’s the number one fighter in the neighborhood. In the midst of all that, Choi Yoon, the study bug, pipes up that he’s actually number one… in studying.




Kim Do Jin gets angry that Choi Yoon pushed him to the number two spot, as Lee Jung Rok pushes Kim Do Jin away, saying he’s going to borrow Choi Yoon’s shoes for the day. Im Tae San tells Lee Jung Rok not to steal Choi Yoon’s shoes, as Kim Do Jin bickers at Im Tae San for trying to act all tough.

One stupid argument leads to another and the boys start rolling around on the grass, fighting with each other.

And that is how their friendship was born.

So remember boys, if you want to become best friends with someone, get into a fistfight.




Kim Do Jin (Jang Dong Gun)

We already knew this to an extent, but Kim Do Jin proved to be the cutest little boyfriend and the coolest dad ever once again in the last two episodes.

When Seo Yi Soo’s mother contacts him, Kim Do Jin goes to tell her that he is her boyfriend and that he does have a past. Seo Yi Soo’s mother tells him that she has no right to reject him but implies that he seems like a good person for her.




Just then, Seo Yi Soo appears at the restaurant, cries a bucket of tears in embarrassment that she has to show her ugly family history to the one she loves, then storms out.

Before Kim Do Jin goes to chase after her, he tells her mother to not worry about Seo Yi Soo, because he’ll do his best to make sure she receives all the love in the world. As he leaves, Seo Yi Soo’s mother weeps, perhaps regretful for leaving her only daughter alone and grateful that she’s found someone that loves her dearly.




Kim Do Jin later gets a call from the police station that Collin (Lee Jong Hyun) has gotten into a fight with a group of students. When he gets to the station, Kim Do Jin finds out that Collin is friends with the same bullies who threatened him for cigarettes.

But it turns out that Collin and his friends did no wrong, since the other students had started the fight, bullying Collin’s classmate, and Dong Hyup (Kim Woo Bin) had only stepped in to stop the bullying.




The father of the bully leader comes and smacks Dong Hyup on the head, asking him if he knows who he messed with. Seeing that, Kim Do Jin asks Collin who hit him before hitting the father on the back of the head.

“As an adult, I can’t hit a kid,” says Kim Do Jin. “If your son is precious, why can’t you see that other people’s sons are precious as well?”

Then Kim Do Jin states that he’s the guardian of both Collin and Dong Hyup, surprising Dong Hyup in the process.

When Dong Hyup asks why Kim Do Jin did that, Kim Do Jin responds, “Because I’m an adult and you are still kids who need protection.” Then he coolly gets into his car and drives away, leaving the kids touched.




When the four gentlemen find out that their women went to throw Im Mae Ari a bachelorette party, they storm into the club and each take their women out.

Seo Yi Soo asks if he doesn’t trust her, and he replies, “I trust you. I don’t trust those men hitting on you, since I’ve already done all of that.”




She asks if she looks pretty today, and Kim Do Jin smoothly says, “The earth is round, the sun rises from the east, and Seo Yi Soo is pretty.”

That’s all he has to say before Seo Yi Soo’s no longer upset with him crashing the ladies’ night out.




This only convinces Kim Do Jin that he’s ready to marry Seo Yi Soo, and each time they meet, he gives her a present with the same proposal. But Seo Yi Soo isn’t buying it since he seems very insincere, and Kim Do Jin gets upset and refuses to answer her calls and react in the way she thinks he will.

Seo Yi Soo finally tells him that whenever she’s happy, she becomes worried that something will happen where all that happiness will shatter as it did before.

“I’m confused with whether your strange presents are sincere or just jokes.”




Kim Do Jin asks her how many times he’s proposed to her and how many times he’s told her that he was being sincere. Then he gets his pen recorder to prove that he has been sincere this entire time.

He plugs the pen recorder into the café speakers and his previous proposals are heard all throughout the block.

Then suddenly, Lee Seung Gi’s Will You Marry Me? starts to play, and out of nowhere, Choi Yoon and Im Mae Ari, along with the rest of the couples come out and start a flash dance, joined in by Kim Do Jin’s company employees dressed in character costumes (we hope they’re getting bonuses for this).




Even Collin, Dong Hyup, and some of Seo Yi Soo’s students and co-workers arrive, all dancing along to the song.

It’s so cheesy and cringe-worthy, but we can’t stop smiling.

As the song winds down, Kim Do Jin appears with a bouquet and the blueprint of a house he’s outlined with the red yarn from the dress that brought the two of them together.

“I’ll build you a house like this, so live here with me,” says Kim Do Jin. “I won’t leave you, because an architect has to take responsibility for every line he draws. This blueprint has 130 lines, so you’ll be happy for the next 130 years. I promise.”

He looks at his clocks and says it’s 5:25 pm. “From this time onward, spend it with me and don’t even lose a second.”

Seo Yi Soo is already in tears as he kneels down and officially proposes.
She hugs him in affirmation and the crowd eggs them on to kiss. They obey and the crowd cheers.

As Seo Yi Soo takes a flower from her bouquet and puts it into his suit, Kim Do Jin narrates, “The hole on the collar of a suit jacket was created as a flower hole, where usually the flower placed there is called a boutonniere. The origin of the boutonniere comes from when a woman inserts a flower from her bouquet into the suit hole, positively responding to a marriage proposal.”




On a hilarious side note, Dong Hyup asks Collin who he lost his first love (Im Mae Ari) to, and Collin replies, “My dad’s friend.”

Dong Hyup then says, “I just lost my first love to my friend’s dad.”

Awww, poor puppies.




Im Tae San (Kim Soo Ro)

Man of the hour (sort of).

Im Tae San gave us the go that we’ve been oh-so-patiently waiting for and it’s like a breath of fresh air where we can whisper, “Finally.”

He comes home one night to find Im Mae Ari had cleaned and organized his entire house while he was out. It’s as if the rock of realization has hit him, that if his baby sister can take care of a house, she can take care of a husband.

If cleaning the house was all it took to get permission from Im Tae San, Im Mae Ari should have done it a long time ago.


While talking with Kim Do Jin, Im Tae San says, “This game was something that I was going to lose. Even at the beginning, it was already a lost game.” Kim Do Jin shakes his head and replies, “Even if you knew you would lose, you tried your best to fight and did everything in your power. So now let’s just let Mae Ari and Choi Yoon lead their lives together.”

Im Tae San calls the nervous couple out and tells them that they have his blessings, but he doesn’t want to see them date only to break up in tears, since if that does happen, it’ll become harder on him to see both of them.

“So… get married. The faster the better.”

No disagreement from the couple here, as they both enthusiastically hop on the offer and run off to start wedding plans.

Im Tae San tells Kim Do Jin and Lee Jung Rok that he’s lost a long time ago, and Kim Do Jin replies, “No, you won.”




The funniest thing about the Im Tae San-Im Mae Ari-Choi Yoon relationship is that once their marriage is sealed, Im Tae San turns a 180 degrees and starts favoring Choi Yoon more than Kim Do Jin and Lee Jung Rok, calling him, ‘Choi Hubby’ or ‘Brother-in-law.’

Im Tae San is so adorable as he treasures and even babies his best friend/brother-in-law that it’s almost crazy to think about how much he was against this relationship even just one episode back.




But the big kicker in Im Tae San’s life is when Hong Se Ra returns from her golf tournament, only to faint at the airport due to nausea. He rushes to her side at the hospital, only to be informed that she fainted due to exhaustion…because she′s PREGNANT.

As Hong Se Ra agonizes the fact that she’ll be forced to retire, Im Tae San cannot hide his glee as he hops around ecstatic like a kid whose parents told him that they’ll take him to Disney World.

Hong Se Ra continues to argue, but even so, she doesn’t deny the fact that she’s pregnant and that she’ll get married to him, although she wants to have the wedding after the baby is born. Im Tae San is a-okay with that because now he’s gotten the girl of his dreams and is going to be a baby daddy.




Choi Yoon (Kim Min Jong)

After confirming his love for Im Mae Ari, Choi Yoon takes her shoe-shopping.
While most of the time when a guy gifts a girl shoes, it just means that she’ll end up running away, Choi Yoon notes that these comfortable shoes are for when they climb the most difficult mountain together – Im Tae San (San in Korean means Mountain).

But he reassures her that at the top of the mountain, there is the most beautiful Yahoo – a mae ari or echo, which makes Im Mae Ari smile.




To show his sincerity about his feelings for Im Mae Ari, Choi Yoon visits Im Tae San and asks again for him to bless their relationship. When Im Tae San turns away, Choi Yoon falls to his knees, putting Im Tae San in a shocked daze.

“I can make her happy. I won’t make her cry, so please give her to me. I will always remember that she was a very difficult person to get,” begs Choi Yoon.

Im Tae San replies with a punch in the face to wake up and get up from his knees. It seems that more than Choi Yoon trying to get his sister, Im Tae San is hurt that Choi Yoon has kneeled down in front of him.

Even with the punch, Choi Yoon continues to ask for Im Mae Ari… And cue the aforementioned marriage blessings from the older brother.




Choi Yoon and Im Mae Ari can hardly believe that Im Tae San has finally given in and Im Mae Ari is especially shocked because this is the moment she’s fantasized about since her childhood.

Choi Yoon asks about her ideal wedding, and Im Mae Ari replies that she’s never imagined a dream wedding, but always knew that Choi Yoon was her husband at the ceremony.

He smiles and promises her that he’ll live without regrets as a good husband and with gratitude every day.




Before his wedding, Choi Yoon visits his wife’s memorial hall to say good bye.
He apologizes to her for wanting to be happy again and asks for permission and forgiveness.

“I’m going to let you go now,” and he leaves his wedding ring by her picture.

The wedding is a small one with just friends and family.




Choi Yoon and Im Mae Ari face each other as they read their vows to each other, promising not to overuse the credit card, not to get a pot belly, not to chug down bottles of soju, and to always treat Im Tae San as the older brother-in-law even though Choi Yoon’s birthday is faster.

“I promise to be Yoonie oppa’s proud dream.”
“I promise never to forget the hearts of those who allowed this marriage.”

This is so beautiful that we’re going to burst into tears. It’s actually happening.

Collin even serenades the new couple, looking past the fact that he’s losing the ′love of his life′ to his dad’s best friend.




Unfortunately for Im Mae Ari, their first night as newlyweds goes down the toilet, as the four best friends drink the night away and completely pass out on the couch and Im Mae Ari cannot do a single thing.

Boys will be boys…even on their wedding nights.




Lee Jung Rok (Lee Jong Hyuk)

These last two episodes confirmed that Lee Jung Rok and Park Min Sook are our favorite couple. We just absolutely adore their relationship and how far they’ve come from episode one.

After crying over wanting a divorce, Park Min Sook leaves home and finds a room at a hotel, when she runs in Seo Yi Soo and Kim Do Jin. Kim Do Jin, who realizes that Lee Jung Rok was serious when he told the guys that Park Min Sook wants a divorce, sends Seo Yi Soo to tie Park Min Sook down, while Kim Do Jin tells Lee Jung Rok to come over.

Seo Yi Soo and Park Min Sook talk and when Park Min Sook reveals her lack of faith in her husband, Seo Yi Soo replies that Park Min Sook has been in a one-sided love relationship.

“You didn’t wait for him to act, but instead acted first, giving him everything you needed. That’s why you’re shocked to receive love. You’re thinking, ‘Why me?’ ‘Why all of the sudden?’ but maybe Lee Jung Rok just got the chance to give his love for you.”

Sometimes, it’s great to have a high school ethics teacher as a friend to tell you all the right things.




Before Park Min Sook has time to let Seo Yi Soo’s words settle in her thoughts, Lee Jung Rok barges in, asking her what she’s doing. Park Min Sook takes out divorce papers and tells him to sign, and to everyone’s surprise, he does. But he rips out the paper about property settlements, since he liked his wife with money, not money without his wife.

While he acts tough and indifferent about the divorce to his friends, Lee Jung Rok weeps silently in pain in the back.




But this doesn’t mean that we’ve lost our immature and playful Lee Jung Rok, because as Park Min Sook returns home to pack some clothes, she finds him in the middle of taping their items.

“I changed my mind. I want a third of everything we own.”

He then proceeds to tape down a third of everything they own, while saying things like, “Do you want the left butt or the right butt of the cushion?” or “Do you want cold or hot water?” as he tapes the water purifier at one-third.




Park Min Sook thinks he’s absolutely crazy as he literally takes out a saw and is about to cut everything into thirds to keep. She dashes into her bedroom, only to find that everything has already been taped down and Park Min Sook can’t help but to laugh at her husband’s immaturity.

Even thought she seemed adamant about filing for divorce, we find out that she hasn’t sent in the papers yet.

Lee Jung Rok tells her, “A couple of days ago, you were my woman, but now, you’re the woman I want.”

When Park Min Sook doesn’t really falter, he says, “You went through a lot living with a man like me. I’m sorry. Be really happy from now on.”

Appearing to let her go, we soon find out that this is all part of his silly plan to get her back.




At the bachelorette party, Park Min Sook is on the dance floor, when Lee Jung Rok joins her.

“I’m a divorced man here at a club to seduce a divorced woman.”

Why do we love Lee Jung Rok so much?

Instead of listening to loud club music (although Psy’s Gangnam Style is so fun!), Lee Jung Rok takes out a pair of earphones and slips them into his and her ears.

And…. Is that the Macarena we hear??
Why…yes…it is….

As absurd it sounds, Lee Jung Rok starts dancing to the song, to the laughter of the young club-goers that surround them. Park Min Sook stares at him as if he’s completely out of his mind, before giving in and dancing along with him. The entire club is laughing at them, but Lee Jung Rok and Park Min Sook Macarena the night away, dancing in their own little world.




She might have the signed divorced papers in her hands, but Park Min Sook does not do anything with them, as she goes to Im Mae Ari’s wedding with her husband and even shows up at his baseball game.

Lee Jung Rok becomes confused by her actions and asks her why she’s still living at a hotel. “What kind of relationship is this?”

“Temporarily divorced,” replies Park Min Sook. “All married couples are living in a state of temporary divorce. We’re just like other couples. From now on, we’re going to live as a temporarily divorced couple, until our heads turn white.”

She then tells him that she’s given up on having children. She’s too old for it and there’s no point in hoping for a miracle.

“Instead of holding onto an impossible hope, I’m going to hold onto a hopeful possibility.”

She informs him that she’s used the third of the property that Lee Jung Rok was willing to give up and invested in a hopeful possibility.

“Congratulations. You’re a father.” She hands him a booklet filled with pictures of ten kids in third world countries that she’s decided to sponsor together.

“For now, there are only ten, but who knows how many more will come in the future. A child is supposed to be born out of love. The sponsorship is through the money that I was going to give you, so you take care of the kids.”

Being completely touched by Park Min Sook’s deed, Lee Jung Rok breaks into a smile as he states that she’s definitely worth more than him and he tells her that he loves her.

“If you must,” replies Park Min Soo, as cool as ever.




Final Thoughts

Forget about choosing the best gentleman in these last episodes, because in all honestly, all four of them were just perfect in their own little ways.

Each of them made our hearts flutter and our eyes tear up as they learned their own ways to love and take care of their women. They experienced self sacrifice and went through a lot of conflicts to get to where they are, and it was just perfect how the drama ended – a decennial friendship photo shoot, except this time with the women they love and cherish.

A Gentleman’s Dignity set the bar pretty high for the next romantic comedy to come in 2012 because it covered everything from comedy to angst to so much heart-fluttery goodness that we weren’t sure if our own hearts could take it.

And the biggest thing that impressed us about this entire drama was that it didn′t need young idol stars to steal our hearts (even though, yes, CN Blue′s Lee Jong Hyun took the focus sometimes). The only main actor in her twenties was Yoon Ji Ni, and while her name was put on the map with this drama, she wasn’t the focus at all.




All it took was some touching writing, experienced actors, and awesome direction to create this completely enjoyable drama. We know that we’re making the drama-making progress a lot easier than it really is, but these days, it’s so hard to find a drama that tugs straight at our heartstrings instead of trying to trick us into watching with the eye candy of hot idol stars as bait.

We should have known this drama was something else when Jang Dong Gun chose to hop on it for his drama comeback in 12 years.

When we first started this drama, all we knew was that it was about the friendship of four 40-year-old men and their love stories. It did not interest us at all, but we are so glad that we took the chance to watch it.

So thank you A Gentleman’s Dignity for allowing us to spend some of the most rewarding, heart-touching, and just plain hilarious ten weeks, watching all 20 hours or so of it.