First Impression: Arang and the Magistrate

Arang and the Magistrate is a 2012 historical drama based on Korean folklore. In the story, Arang is the daughter of a magistrate in the city of Miryang. She is mysteriously murdered one night, and she comes back as a ghost in order to find the truth about her murder. She ends up enlisting the new magistrate to help her, but the magistrate, who can see ghosts, has some secrets and mysteries of his own...

I was a little skeptical about watching this drama at first because I am not a fan of historical dramas, but the romance aspect of this show reeled me in, and I’m glad it did.

What I like the most about this drama so far is the chemistry between characters, and the elements of the story itself. The show perfectly combines comedy, romance, history, and horror to create a truly entertaining television series.

Arang, played by Shin Min Ah, is extremely beautiful and spunky. Her character is refreshing because she is assertive and carefree, unlike most Kdrama heroines.

Arang

The magistrate, played by Lee Joon Ki, is handsome and easygoing. In the show he is burdened with the stress of looking for his lost mother, but his character is a funny, go-with-the-punches kind of guy, and he and Arang have a great on-screen chemistry.

The magistrate, Eun-oh

The magistrate’s…er…sidekick (manservant?), also provides plenty of comic relief in the show with his antics.

The magistrate's manservant,  Dol-sue

We also have a shaman with a weak sixth sense (she can hear ghosts but not see them). Arang repeatedly harasses her for favors and she, like the magistrate’s manservant, provides a lot of the show’s comedic moments.

Shaman Bang-wool

In addition to these characters, three of the king’s officials assist the magistrate with his magisterial duties. They enlist the magistrate at the start of the drama (initially by kidnapping him…), and they also add to the comedic aspects of the show.

The Trio
(I'm not sure what else to call them...but they are almost ALWAYS together)

These are the characters who stand out to me the most so far, but there are other characters in the show who I feel will play a more prominent role as the drama gets deeper into its 20-episode run.

???

A human skull

Overall, I’m pretty excited about this series, and I love the fact that it combines comedy and horror. It’s a strange combination, but in this drama it works. The horror moments are genuinely creepy while the comedy had me laughing throughout the first few episodes. I would definitely recommend this show to fans of romance and the supernatural!

And she's a gamer, too?

If you haven't figured it out yet, I have a lot of unique, albeit nerdy, interests. Naturally, one of those interests includes video games, and my favorite kind is the RPG (role-playing game).

A role-playing game is where players assume the role of a fictional character in a fictional world and play out a predetermined narrative. In some cases, players will have a bit of control over the progression of the narrative, but they will ultimately follow a basic plot.

My favorite subgenre of RPG is the JRPG, or Japanese role-playing game. These games differ from Western RPGs in that they are a lot more narrative heavy and fantasy/magic-based. JRPGs put a lot of emphasis on the storyline and the character development, so you essentially feel like you're playing a movie. A lot of people don’t like these types of games because they are very linear, but I absolutely love them. So, without further ado, my favorite RPG series!

Final Fantasy

The Final Fantasy series is extremely well-known in the gamer world. Frankly, if you don’t know what Final Fantasy is, then you are not a gamer.  Final Fantasy has been around since 1987, when Final Fantasy I was released. They currently have fourteen official installments along with numerous spin-offs.

Final Fantasy VII (1997) is often considered the best of these games as well as a game-changer (pun-intended) in the gaming industry. It popularized RPGs with its incredible graphics, storyline, and gameplay.

Unfortunately, I have not had the opportunity to play FFVII yet, so I cannot comment on the greatness of that game. I have loved every other FF game I’ve played, though, and my favorite would have to be Final Fantasy X.

FFX is my favorite game because it has a fantastic love story. The graphics are not the greatest, nor is the gameplay, but the cutscenes are beautiful and the storyline is practically seamless. (For those who don’t know what a cutscene is, it’s basically a movie scene in a video game used to further the plot)

And just for fun...

Then and Now: A cutscene from FFX (2001)

                         

                         A cutscene from FFXIII-2 (2012 USA)

[Notice the difference in graphics. It really is like watching a movie!]

Final Fantasy X uses a traditional turn-based gameplay style that is all but gone now. In fact, all Final Fantasy games up until FFXII used this style. The alternative to turn-based is “real-time,” which means the enemies don’t wait for you. Turn-based, however, works like this:

1. You encounter a random enemy on the map and enter a battle screen
2. You and the enemy take turns attacking until someone dies

Pretty lackluster, eh? That may be so, but it worked for its time. That said, it’s pretty ridiculous to battle an enemy who waits for you to make your move. 

Then and Now:

Battle scene from FFVII (1997)

Battle scene from FFX (2001)

Battle scene from FFXIII (2010)

The general scheme of all FF games is that you embark on an epic journey, encounter numerous enemies along the way whilst strengthening your characters, and finally engage in a grueling ultimate boss battle to beat the game. If you are one of those people who does pretty much everything in a game, including getting all ultimate weapons and maxing out character levels, the last boss is a cakewalk. Usually FF games offer bonus battles, however, that are much, much harder.

FFXII's Yiazmat, a notorious optional boss that takes upwards of 3 hours to kill.  3 hours.

Final Fantasy games also have recurring characters and themes in all of their installments.  There is usually a “Cid” who mans the airship, Chocobos, which are huge, birdlike animals that you can ride (and are also what my blog is named after), Moogles, which assist with various things in the game, and special beasts you can collect to help you in battles.

"Anima" from FFX (an Aeon/beast you can summon)

A Chocobo!

Just to give you an idea of how long these games can last, the average game in any genre can be beaten in around 20 hours. The average RPG will take more like 50-60 hours to beat, and if you do all the extras, it becomes more like 100 hours. I think my FFX has around 90.

And there you have it.  My hobbies are not just limited to Kdramas and Kpop music, but also include things like video games. If anyone is curious about what Final Fantasy games I have, here’s a comprehensive list:

Final Fantasy I

Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions

Final Fantasy X

Final Fantasy X-2

Final Fantasy XII

Final Fantasy XIII

Final Fantasy XIII-2 (currently playing)

Final Fantasy Crisis Core for PSP

Dissidia Final Fantasy

Final Fantasy: Advent Children (This is actually a movie, but I'm including it anyway. If that's not nerd-status...)

Gangnam...Style?

If you know what this image is, then congratulations, because you have officially been inducted into the world of Hallyu. Hallyu is a general term for the Korean Wave, or the rising popularity of South Korean entertainment worldwide.

The aforementioned picture is from a Korean music video called “Gangnam Style” by South Korean rapper, Psy, and the video already has over 170,000,000 views on YouTube. Yep, you saw that right, 170 million. If that’s not a hallmark for Korean entertainment, then I don’t know what is.

The Korean music industry has gained a lot of momentum in the last decade, especially with advances in social media that have allowed people easy online access to Korea's entertainment culture. If you like catchy pop songs and extremely attractive Asian people, then you may just like Korean music.

The most popular type of music in Korea is Korean pop or Kpop, which spans various genres such as electronic, dance, and R&B. Kpop was popularized in South Korea in the 90s, and it has some unique characteristics that distinguish it from any other entertainment industry.  

1. Groups

Kpop artists are almost always in groups, and those groups are big. Kpop groups usually have 4 or more members, and the groups are typically gender-specific. Some examples include Super Junior, an all-guy group of 10 members, and Miss A, an all-girl group with four members.

Super Junior in "Mr. Simple"

Miss A in "Breathe"

 2.  Looks

Kpop artists are always extremely attractive and stylish. Part of what makes Kpop so interesting is the “image” of each group. Every member of a group is going to be inhumanely beautiful, smooth-skinned, and thin (kind of like a vampire?), and each member's style is going to be very modern and, in some cases, seemingly Lady Gaga-inspired.

Big Bang's Taeyang and GD in "I Need a Girl"

Big Bang's GD in "Fantastic Baby"

Sistar's Bora in "Ma Boy"

2ne1's Minzy in "I Am the Best"

Super Junior's Eunhyuk in "Mr. Simple"

Big Bang's T.O.P in "Fantastic Baby"

3. Music videos, music videos, music videos

Kpop groups have music videos for almost all of their songs, and these videos are usually a pretty big deal. The typical Kpop group will release one song at a time during their “comeback” stage, and each song will get its own highly-anticipated music video. These videos will utilize fancy cinematic techniques as well as dramatic makeup and costuming.

Big Bang's "Monster"

Sistar in "Alone"

2ne1 in "I Am The Best"

4. Choreography

Kpop groups are big on choreography. In comparison with American music videos, which usually tell some kind of story where half the video features the singer with an intense look on his or her face, Korean music videos have a lot of choreographed, group dances. Many of these dances are catchy (as seen in Gangnam style—don’t tell me you haven’t tried that horse dance before) and creative.

Beast in "Breath"

SNSD in "Run Devil Run"

In addition to these characteristics, the music industry also has award shows like MAMA (Mnet Asian Music Awards), which are comparable to America’s VMA’s and are viewable on YouTube.

There are also lesser-known indie groups in South Korea that you can check out, like Busker Busker, which interestingly enough includes one white guy.

If you can get over the fact that you’re probably not going to understand any of the songs in Kpop, I would definitely recommend checking some of the groups out and immersing yourself in Hallyu culture!

The Short Guide to Korean Dramas

If you are the type of person who likes heart-wrenching pathos, Titanic-esque love stories, crazy mothers and evil grandmothers, a copious amount of flashbacks, and too many convenient coincidences, I may have just the thing for you: Korean dramas. If you’ve never seen a Korean drama before, this is a good place to start. Despite all the tropes and clichés in Kdramas, there's something charming about them that will keep you coming back for more, so here's a quick guide to get you started on your path to Kdrama fandom. 

Korean dramas, like American TV shows, are constantly being made. South Korea also has award shows just like America does, as well as renowned actors and actresses. One of the nice things about Korean dramas is that you get a lot more than just quality entertainment. You get a full dose of foreign culture without having to do much besides read subtitles. A Kdrama will typically run for about 16 episodes with each episode lasting about an hour. You will learn about food, family dynamics, the business world, Asian conceptions of America, and you’ll even pick up some of the language--all by simply watching Korean TV.

Now, I like to categorize Kdramas into three basic groups: the historical drama, the melodrama, and the romantic comedy. That said, many dramas will include subject matter that spans multiple genres. For example, many romantic comedies will also have some melodrama while many melodramas will include action and thriller elements. In broad terms, however, these are the three categories I will use.

Historical Drama

Historical dramas feature people wearing things like this:

Korean Gisaeng (female entertainers) in the drama Hwang Jin Yi

A male official

And doing things like this:

Gisaeng playing traditional instruments

Historical dramas are pretty self-explanatory. They take a piece of Korean history, such as a famous historical figure or event, and make a TV series out of it. These shows can range from about 20 to 80 episodes long, so it all depends on how invested you want to be in the show.

Melodrama

Next, we have the melodrama. The purpose of a melodrama is to appeal to your pathos, and Korean melodramas are no different. Many of them will feature a tragic main character who goes through many ups and downs throughout the course of the show, and who will not necessarily get “the happy ending” every time. These are the shows that will have you smiling one minute and sobbing the next, so if you plan on watching a melodrama have a box of tissues ready.

Still from Can You Hear My Heart?

Romantic Comedy

Finally, we have the romantic comedy, which is my personal favorite. Romantic comedies are typically lighthearted and very funny with a bit of melodrama thrown in. The characters almost always get a happy ending no matter how many obstacles they face.

Still from Protect the Boss

If I had to recommend a type of drama to start out with, I would say start with a romantic comedy. Romantic comedies are fairly straightforward and easy to enjoy, and they also move at a quick pace. Try Protect the Boss for a newer romantic comedy or You’re Beautiful for a classic fan favorite. You can watch these dramas for free at DramaFever, which is the site I personally like to use because of the great quality.

Happy watching!