SK 2012: Dramarama in South Korea

As you all know, I got addicted to The Moon That Embraces The Sun (해를 품은 달) thanks to my love for Kim Soo Hyun. Want proof? Click here and here. So I made it a point to include MBC Dramia to our itinerary. But come Day 5, we were down from 12 to just 9! Talk about survival of the fittest. Who would have thought that in our party of 7, Erin, Vanie, Faye and I turned out to be the strongest? >:) Jona, Rona and Ate Light decided to stay behind because of fatigue.

We left the guesthouse before 9:00 AM (way past our scheduled time) and went to Nambu Bus Terminal to catch the bus going to Baegam Terminal. The ride from Seoul to Baegam was almost an hour long and we had to keep an eye out for landmarks.

For tourists who can't even construct a proper sentence in Korean, it was a pretty risky trip. But we didn't want to pass up this opportunity to get off the beaten track and start a new adventure. Chos! I think it was our wanderlust and the fangirls in us that made this trip possible. Even Karen was surprised to learn that we were on a bus to Baegam when she checked up on us. Haha

Thanks to our sharp eyes and my Hangul-reading skills, we got off at the right stop even though the road was under construction. It was truly then that we realized we're in Korea. Unlike in Seoul, everything was in Hangul! Sure, I can read them. But I absolutely can't understand them.

Lunch at a No English zone.

Since it was almost 11:00 AM, we decided to grab a quick lunch at the town proper since there were no restaurants in MBC Dramia. Again, everything is written in Hangul so we looked around for pictures of food. We settled for the nearest restaurant which was also near a restroom sign. As expected, the owners cannot speak a word of English so I put my Hangul-reading skills to use. I recognized most of the items on the menu except for the specifics. In the end, we ordered kimbap (김밥) and bibimbap (비빔밥) while Faye's cousins had bowls of ramyeon (라면) and udon (우동). It was so funny how we ordered and asked for our bill. It was like playing charades with the owners. We even tried asking help from our smart phones but for me, nothing beats old school charades.

MBC Dramiaaaaa!

To get to MBC Dramia, you can either take the city bus or hail a cab. Since the road was under construction, sharing a cab was the better choice. It took around 10 minutes before we finally saw the complex. It's located in a pretty huge and isolated piece of land which I suppose is what makes it perfect as a filming location.

Hallyu

Don't come close! But don't go far...

A few days ago, I started watching The Moon That Embraces The Sun (해를 품은 달) because of Kim Soo Hyun. I've never been a fan of historical dramas in general but I'm hoping this one will change my views. Being my first sageuk* ever, it's not that bad. It's quite good actually. The costumes are beautiful and the production is amazingly well done.

I didn't like the young protagonists at first but they grow on you. I've especially grown to like the young Prince Yang Myung who lives a care-free life even though he has a tragic story to tell. He and his friends (Yeom and Woon) look super cute together as well.

L-R: (Illegitimate) Prince Yang Myung, Crown Prince Hwon, Top Literary Scholar Yeom, Top Military Scholar Woon. F4 ang peg?

The Queen Mother is obviously the antagonist in this drama and I know I should resent her for meddling, but I found myself amused by the way she speaks in metaphors all the time. The head of the Personnel Ministry and his daughter, however, really gets under my skin. Talk about having kontrabida faces! And just like any other K-drama, this one has a complicated love story as well.

Royal love triangle, anyone?

After reading the plot, I couldn't wait for the young Yeon Woo to die so the kids can grow up! But as the story progresses, I found myself enjoying the performance of these young actors. Their acting is pretty convincing and they look so cute together! I was heartbroken for the two suns (princes) when they heard the news that Yeon Woo passed away due to a mystical illness. :(

Young Lee Hwon mourning the death of young Yeon Woo.

After watching five episodes, Kim Soo Hyun is still nowhere to be found. Well, at least not until the next episode's preview! Booooo~ I still have to wait for episode 6 to finish downloading before I see Joseon's fictitious king. :((

See you soon, my king!

So for the time being, I guess I should continue watching City Hunter (시티헌터) starring Lee Min Ho. I remembered I still haven't finished watching this drama thanks to the young Prince Yang Myung who was played by a different and younger actor named Lee Min Ho! That's a bit confusing, right?

Lee Min Ho in City Hunter

I don't know if it's the weather or the lack of new episodes from my favorite shows but it looks like I've been bitten by the hallyu** bug. Not that I'm complaining.

* Korean historical drama
**Also known as the Korean wave or the significant increase in popularity of Korean entertainment and culture.