My April Choices 2015 - Books, YouTubers, Actors, and more!

Yeah, it's not like I borrowed this idea from Marzia or Eve... Anyway, I thought I'd share some of my favourites of this month because I don't have much else to do.

Fangirl - Rainbow Rowell

Right at the start of this month, I finished one of my most cherished books ever. Fangirl is an amazing story about a geeky, fanfiction-obsessed university undergraduate falling for her roommate's tall and smiley best friend, whilst also dealing with her twin sister becoming separate from her by drinking and partying with friends, and her mother reappearing again after she left them both at a young age. You can easily connect with the characters in this story, and you just love almost every single character.

News Article #6: April 29, 2015 - Individual Character Teasers from KBS' New Drama: "Producer"

KBS has continued to build excitement for the upcoming drama Producer by dropping more teasers! Following the release posters, stills, and clips, the producers have now unveiled fun teaser videos of the four main characters, who are played by Kim Soo Hyun, IU, Gong Hyo Jin, and Cha Tae Hyun.

10th Completed Drama: My Love From The Stars

My Love From The Stars

Synonyms: You Who Came From the Stars; Man From the Stars
Episodes: 21 (+ Epilogue)

Country: South Korea

Aired: Dec. 18, 2013 - Feb. 27, 2014

Network: SBS

Duration: 60 mins.

Genres: Comedy, Melodrama, Romance, Sci-Fi

Viewers Rating: 8.9/10

My Rating: 9.5/10

MyDramaListLink

Synopsis: Do Min Joon is an alien who landed on Earth 400 years ago during the Joseon Dynasty period. He possesses a near perfect appearance and enhanced physical abilities involving his vision, hearing and speed. Later, he discovers that he has three months left on Earth. And that is when he meets Cheon Song Yi, the biggest Hallyu star in Korea.

9th Completed Drama: Blood

Blood

Episodes: 20

Country: South Korea

Aired: Feb. 16, 2015 - Apr. 21, 2015

Network: KBS2

Duration: 1 hr. 5 mins.

Genres: Medical, Melodrama, Romance, Vampire

Viewers Rating: 7.5/10

My Rating: 9.0/10

MyDramaList Link

Synopsis: Park Ji Sang is a doctor specializing in hepato-pancreato-biliary surgery in the best cancer research hospital in the country. He is also a vampire. Despite seeming cold and unfeeling, Ji Sang masks his soft heart and inner pain and yearns for closeness with people. He believes very strongly in the sanctity of human life, and suppresses his thirst for blood to treat terminally ill patients and saves lives.

Among his colleagues is Yoo Ri Ta, a hotshot physician who entered medical school at the age of 17 and is also the niece of the chaebol group chairman who owns the hospital. Ri Ta is highly capable but snooty and prideful, yet Ji Sang finds himself falling for her. He also encounters Lee Jae Wook, a two-faced hospital chief who gains everyone's trust with his gentle demeanor, but inwardly harbors a dangerous ambition for power and a talent for cruelty.

Rest in Peace: A Tragic Loss

Last night, round midnight, I found out that a classmate of mine passed away that same day. He was someone I never really talked to much, but he was still someone that was fully part of my form. When I found this out, it took me by shock and I still haven't fully recovered after more than 12 hours. I was unable to sleep for 3 hours thinking about the loss. This made me realize how precious my friends and the time together we have is. You don't know when you are going to lose someone who is a part of your life, and when you do, you will never be prepared for the impact it brings on you.

R.I.P Matthew.

Best K-Drama Moments: April Week #4 - Protect Me vs. Ready for Bed

The Girl Who Sees Smells

You'll protect me.

Moo Gak and Cho Rim are the ace Sensory Couple who solves crimes faster than Sherlock Holmes and John Watson. To crack those cases, they put their lives on the line, coming in contact with criminals. This is hard for a man who has to watch the woman he's slowly falling in love with risk her life, and so, Moo Gak pleads with her to stop helping him. While his concern is touching, Cho Rim explains how great it feels for her "monster eye" to not only be useful but be instrumental in solving difficult cases. Besides, if he's so worried about her, he can just protect her. We don't quite think that the best thing to do when someone wants to keep you safe is to literally make them keep you safe, but on the other hand, how great is it that she's more than willing to trust him with her life?

April 2015 CFs: My Favourites of the Month

With a total of 16 commercials, April has brought up another bounty of CFs filled with eye candy and cuteness. There are a great variety of advertisements to enjoy this month. We has cosmetics for K-Beauty aficionados, motor vehicles for car lovers, useful apps for Seoulites, and more!

News Article #5: April 22, 2015 - Goo Hye Sun Says She Felt Sorry to "Blood" Cast for Her Acting Style

Actress Goo Hye Sun reflected back on her acting style on Blood as the drama completed its run on April 21. "I felt very apologetic towards all the staff members and actors who were a part of this production because of the different way I depicted my character, and my senior and junior actors for not letting anything affect them and being considerate and warm towards me at all times. Also, thank you to all the avid viewers of Blood," Goo He Sun expressed.

The Emotional, but Fictional After-School Events of April 20th, 2015

When I got home today, one of the worst emotional roller-coasters happened to me, and it's been a very long time since I felt like this, so I thought I'd share with you all my trauma that occurred in the world of fiction and fantasy.

K-Drama Trend: Mental and Cognitive Disorders

K-dramas have started to go from cancer and disabilities, to fantastical and mystical plots, to a new trend of rare but real mental and cognitive disorders. It allows for exciting plot lines, dramatic love scenes, and themes of healing and overcoming hardships. While the portrayal of these disorders is a whole separate discussion altogether (i.e. raising awareness of the disorder vs. false representation of the disorder), K-dramas are utilizing these rare yet real disorders for viewership and entertainment.

Best K-Drama Moments: April Week #3 - Monster + Solo Audience vs. The Wait is Finally Over

The Girl Who Sees Smells

I'm a monster, too.

Nothing gets us giddy like a brand spanking new OTP inching closer together as they take off their masks and reveal themselves to each other, which is why it was easy for us to forgive the unusually sharp-eyed kid who noticed Cho Rim's eye colour and called her a monster. While we were upset that Cho Rim was ridiculed and embarrassed for something she had no control over, we loved that it allowed Moo Gak to reveal that he's a "monster," too. He opened up to her about his personal loss of his sister and what led to his inability to feel physical pain. Now, she knows that she's not alone.

Is Oh Cho Rim really Choi Moo Gak's Deceased Sister, or is there Two Choi Eun Seol's? - The Lingering Question

As some fans that may have researched The Girl Who Sees Smells like I did, Oh Cho Rim's previous name was Choi Eun Seol, but that however, is also the name of Choi Moo Gak's deceased younger sister. So, I thought I might help those who are confused as to who Oh Cho Rim really is. But first, I'll give some background information.

Best K-Drama Moments: April Week #2 - Getting an Eyeful vs. To be Human

The Girl Who Sees Smells

Getting an eyeful.

Thanks to Oh Cho Rim's eye for scents, her first case with Choi Mu Gak is a success. After a wild motor chase through the streets, she ultimately sniffs out an elusive robber in a men's locker room of a sauna, quickly disguising herself as a guy to help with the capture. However, during the arrest, her female identity is accidentally exposed to a room of traumatized, half-naked male witnesses. With the exception of one exhibitionist, the men scramble to cover themselves up while Cho Rim runs screaming out of the room.

News Articles #4: April 8, 2015 - Touching Letter to Writer of "Kill Me, Heal Me"; Kim So Eun May Join "The Scholar Who Walks the Night"'s Cast + Kim Soo Hyun's Return?

"Kill Me, Heal Me" Writer Receives Touching Fan Letter from America

On March 30, Pan Entertainment, the production company behind Kill Me, Heal Me said, "Last Tuesday on the 24th, a letter entitled 'To Writer Jin Soo Wan' arrived at the production company."

The sender of the letter, Anabel Enriquez, is a writer and psychologist residing in Florida. She opens by saying she coincidentally came across Kill Me, Heal Me on the Internet and was immediately hooked. As a psychologist with expertise in clinical neuropsychology, Anabel Enriquez shares that "it was impossible not to get emotionally involved."

Lee Jong Suk Will Have You on Your Knees in New Special Reel by Wellmade [1000+ Views Special]

Lee Jong Suk fans, prepare yourselves. On March 27, Lee Jong Suk's management agency Wellmade Entertainment uploaded onto YouTube a special two-minute-long reel that compiled behind-the-scenes cuts from Lee Jong Suk's photo shoots. The actor and model does not hold back the charisma and charm as he smolders and smirks for the camera. Posing in a variety of dandy outfits, Lee Jong Suk reminds us of his model roots and is sure to have his fans swooning. Check out the video yourself, but don't say we didn't warn you. As one fan on YouTube commented, "this video needs a warning sign!"

1st Completed Movie: Just Friends?

Just Friends?

Country: South Korea

Release Date: Dec. 17, 2009

Duration: 30 mins.

Genres: Romance, R-15

Viewers Rating: 7.4/10

My Rating: 5.0/10

MyDramaList Link

Synopsis: Min Soo is on leave from the military and visits his boyfriend Seok Yi. While having fun out on the town, they run into Min Soo's mother. When Min Soo's mother asks about their relationship, Min Soo replies "...Just friends." Making things more complicated, Min Soo's mother ends up sleeping between them that night.

My Most Anticipated Upcoming April 2015 K-Dramas

The Girl Who Sees Smells

Airs: April 1, 2015

Every Wednesday + Thursday on SBS

Formerly known as Sensory Couple, albeit, rather briefly, starts off the month. Based on a web comic of the same name, The Girl Who Sees Smells stars Park Yoochun as Choi Moo Gak as a detective who has lost some of his senses (like taste, smell, but also is unable to feel pain) due to being a victim in a murder crime three years prior, called the Barcode Murder Case. But Moo Gak lost more than his senses in that incident, as his younger sister Eun Seol (Kim So Hyun) is believed to have died in the incident. Enter Oh Cho Rim (Shin Se Kyung), the sole witness to the murder case. As Moo Gak investigates the case further, he will need Cho Rim's help, but she's lost her memory of the incident and has become a girl who can see smells.

8th Completed Drama: Hyde, Jekyll, Me

Hyde, Jekyll, Me

Synonyms: Hyde, Jekyll, I
Episodes: 20

Country: South Korea

Aired: Jan. 21, 2015 - Mar. 26, 2015

Network: SBS

Duration: 1 hr. 10 mins.

Genres: Comedy, Manga, Romance

Viewers Rating: 7.3/10

My Rating: 7.0/10

MyDramaList Link

Synopsis: Goo Seo Jin is a third-generation chaebol who runs the theme park Wonder Land. He seemingly has everything - looks, brains, and fortune. But a traumatic incident in his childhood resulted in Seo Jin having a split personality - one is a cold, ruthless man, while the other is the polar opposite, someone kind and gentle. Because of this, he vows never to date or marry. So Jin wants to get rid of the circus show at Wonder Land due to low ticket sales and high overhead costs, but he butts heads with circus master Jang Ha Na. Ha Na insists on saving the failing circus and dreams of revamping it back to its former glory. She soon finds herself falling for both of Seo Jin's personalities.

Best K-Drama Moments: April Week #1 - Celebrate with a Kiss vs. Vampire Alien

Hyde, Jekyll, Me

Celebrate with a kiss.

His alter has been fully integrated with him, but Seo Jin has not completely gone back to hid old self. Traces of Robin remain, which includes certain signature traits and memories. On his alter's birthday, Seo Jin brings Ha Na to the place she told Robin they should celebrate the occasion. It is there Seo Jin once again professes his love to Ha Na and wishes to be with her. From there, things heat up as Seo Jin kisses her forehead, eyes and lips; the great part is that she returns the kiss! (To be honest, I wish that she didn't because Robin only just disappeared, so she must still love him, but switching straight to Seo Jin is wrong. As much as I want Seo Jin to be happy, it's unrealistic.)