kdrama and kpop

Seoul YWCA called the KBS drama "Boys over Flowers" an "absolute failure" in its latest monitoring report.

According to a group of university students who participated in the assessment of the drama, the Cinderella story became immensely popular thanks to its good-looking cast and easy-to-understand storyline.

However, the group pointed out that the drama failed to deliver more than a worn-out story involving violence in school, teenagers indulging in pleasure and prejudice toward others based on their appearance and social class. It added that the leading female character named Geum Jan-di particularly failed to convince being passive and dependent, yet cocky at times.

The report concluded that the 25-part drama series was the epitome of materialism and the Cinderella complex, and has set a bad example for Korean dramas.

Korea Herald

*new*

OST 2




2009-03-06
OST
TV 드라마
케이티에프뮤직

Right click and Save as...

1 Say Yes - 티맥스(T-MAX)
2 Wish Ur My Love - 티맥스(T-MAX), 제이(J)
3 아쉬운 마음인걸 –是可惜的心 에이스타일(A`ST1)
4 애인만들기 –打造爱人 SS501
5 어떡하죠 – 怎样做 지선 智善
6 Love Is Fire - 카라(Kara)
7 Love U – 하울 Howl
8 사랑같은 거2 –爱情那样的事情 브랜뉴데이(Brand New Day)
9 눈물이 난다 –眼泪流出来 이상곤 李上坤
10 Cellogic – 김영민 金英民
11 다가가다 –接近 Various Artists
12 낯선 해 – 看不惯的年纪Various Artists
13 사랑을 –爱 위하여 韦夏吕

BOF Special Edition
1 행복이란 - 김현중
2 곡 정보 보기 가슴이 어떻게 됐나봐 A&T
3 곡 정보 보기 나쁜 마음을 먹게해 (Ballad Ver.) T-MAX
4 곡 정보 보기 나쁜 마음을 먹게해 (Dance Ver.) T-MAX

Link MU MF

Source : Mardi09 @ soompi.com

The industry for male cosmetics is booming as men start to take greater pride in their grooming


Women are still more likely to buy cosmetics for their
male partners, but men are starting to buy for themsel-
ves, too. [JoongAng Ilbo]

Long hair. A clean cut. An unblemished complexion. This is the look that women like to see in men these days. So if you are a well-built, unshaven tough guy with a crew cut, you can forget about making it as a TV star for the moment.


G-Dragon of the boy group Big Bang poses in
makeup. / YG Entertainment

The proof is in the ratings. The weekly KBS2-TV drama "Boys Over Flowers," which revolved around four rich kids with "pretty boy" looks, drove women crazy and commanded a 30 percent audience share by the time the final episode was broadcast last month.



It's no wonder that despite a pulverized economy in which media companies are scrabbling around for advertising revenue, the show, which was based on a manga from Japan, had few problems attracting sponsors.

How did such a feminine look for guys get so popular? For middle-aged men today, it's a far cry from the definition of "cool" that was popular until fairly recently.



Popular TV dramas like "Boys Over Flowers" depicting
well groomed men with long hair reflect a changing social
attitude toward feminine looking males. [JoongAng Ilbo]

"They all look so girlie!" said Park Jong-sik, 38, a lawyer working in downtown Seoul. "They are thin like tin cans. And the hair! I can't stand it! They look so pathetic!"

He is not the only one with such views. Kim Young-seok, 44, a retired military drill instructor, was equally appalled. "Sometimes I wonder how they can make it through boot camp."

But such complaints fall on deaf ears, especially when this new look for men is raking in huge profits for the cosmetics industry.

Hyundai Department Store, one of the nation's major retailers, announced earlier this week that it was planning to increase the size of its male sales staff.

In 11 stores around the country there are now 36 men selling cosmetics, up from 22 last year.

Department officials say getting more men behind the counter is a marketing tool catering to a rising need in their stores: Men feel less embarrassed talking to a male representative about their cosmetics needs, and women planning to buy items for their husbands or boyfriends think a male sales rep will have better insight into what to purchase.

"When we first started out I think there was some doubt even within the company whether there was any growth potential," said Ahn Hyun-jung, a saleswoman in her fifth year at the Lab counter at Lotte Department Store.

In other words, few people could believe that one day the average male customer would forgo a splash of Old Spice and opt for brands geared toward men like Biotherm, Lab and Amorepacific and their full range of lotions, sprays, ointments, tonics, gels and creams.

"In the past, customers were embarrassed to ask for specifics about products. They wanted to buy things as quickly as possible and then disappear," Ahn added.

Not anymore. These days, sales reps of both sexes face a barrage of questions every day from men hunting for the right eye cream.

Kim Young-su, who identified himself as an office worker in his late 20s, had just bought a product after a 30-minute consultation.

Why? He's worried about looking old.

"I feel good because I know I am taking good care of myself," he said.

But it wasn't always like this. Ahn vividly remembers when she could barely sell 200,000 won ($151.80) worth of Lab cosmetics in a day.

Today, she sells five times that amount. Incredibly, her booth has the lowest sales volume among the 23 Lab stores around the country.

"Business is really good and we're getting free trips abroad from the company as a bonus," a beaming Ahn said, adding that the highest sales volume is generated by the company's flagship store in the first floor of the department store, which typically posts sales of 100 million won per month.

A recent company survey revealed that military personnel who usually work outdoors were especially interested in the company's products.

With such growth it's no wonder that cosmetics industry officials are keeping a close eye on the male cosmetics segment, viewing it as the next golden egg.

"We actually think the pace of growth is slower than we expected," said Lee Hae-jin, an official with Amorepacific, which produces male cosmetics lines such as Hera.

"The market started to take off in 2000 and I think a lot of has to do with the social changes. Before, if you looked clean people thought you were gay but now if you are well groomed, people think you have good manners," Lee said.

However, 80 percent of total sales are still made by women.

"Our strategy is to get men to ask their girlfriends and wives to buy a product but our ultimate goal is to make them buy the products themselves," Lee said.

That's why Amorepacific is actively organizing grooming classes at college campuses and workplaces that teach men anything from the importance of skin care to how to dress in style.

Industry experts say a market that was worth around 320 billion won in 2003 stood at an estimated 620 billion won last year thanks to an average 17 percent growth rate over the past few years.

Considering that the overall growth rate for the cosmetic market stands at 3 percent, the numbers are staggering and one of the reasons top male actors such as Jang Dong-gun are featured in cosmetics advertisements. "Those who invested early in this market look pretty smart right now," said Lee.

The total market share of the male cosmetic market is said to be around 10 percent while some predict that it could grow to as much as 20 percent, which is about the same as neighboring Japan, where the idea of feminine-looking men with long hair has been around for a long time.

The spillover to the cosmetic industry is also being felt in other sectors such as the plastic surgery industry.

In a recent poll by Saramin, a job search site, 31.3 percent of 1,342 people surveyed said they were willing to undergo plastic surgery in order to get a job.

More than half of the people polled believed physical appearance forms part of a person's competitive edge.

For young females the approach taken by young males who groom themselves is just a simple way of looking clean.

"I feel good when my boyfriend looks clean," said Lee Jee-seon, 26, a graduate school student. "I don't want him to look in the mirror for hours but he has to look neat."

While many South Korean male entertainers sport a feminine look, not much fuss is raised about that person's sexuality, unlike in other countries such as the United States, something that scholars attribute to the fading lines used to define what constitutes being a man.

Despite the surge in some industries due to the changing perception, some scholars argue that the phenomenon does not mean a fundamental change in society.

"The current trend is nothing more than the introduction of an unfamiliar or novel image and it does not signify a boost in the social acceptance of female or homosexual culture as a whole," Lim In-sook, a professor of sociology at Korea University, says in a study published in the Korea Journal last year.

"Rather, Korea's consumption industry and mass media are merely sensitive to the changes in Western society that promote the image of the grooming male."

For sure, the changes are centered on a man's physical appearance. Ah Mi, a hair designer who works at a hair salon in Cheongdam-dong, southern Seoul, points out that men are wearing their hair much longer than before.

"My male customers like to have hairstyles for which you need longer hair. It used to be that men would come in and just say, 'Give me a short back and sides.' Now, they are very specific about what they want and I think that's the biggest change. They are not afraid to say how they want to look."


Credits : Brian Lee (africanu@joongang.co.kr)
Source : JoongAng Daily

By Shin Hae-in SEOUL, March 31 (Yonhap) -- Some loved it, some despised it. But no one will deny KBS TV drama "Boys over Flowers" became an unprecedented phenomenon in South Korea's television industry. Since its first episode aired on Jan. 5, the series found itself at the center of a storm of rumors and controversy: one of its actresses committed suicide, all four main actors were injured in car accidents while rushing through a tight schedule and the show received several warnings from the media watchdog for excessive product placement and vulgar depiction of teenagers. To top it off, the series was repeatedly and harshly criticized for its "unrealistic and silly" plot. But fans stuck with the 25-part series, which recorded an average 30 percent viewer rating at home and was sold to 11 Asian countries including Japan, Taiwan and the Philippines. "We could do better if we were to make the drama all over again," said Bae Jong-byung, the drama's planning director, in a recent interview. "But we are quite satisfied with what we achieved the first time. We managed to create a brand new type of drama." "Boys…" is based on a 37-volume Japanese "manga" series which was serialized in a bi-weekly magazine there from 1992 through 2003. Receiving a top manga award in 1996, the hit comic series has already been adapted into TV dramas in Japan and Taiwan. The story centers on a working-class girl and four scions of wealthy families who call themselves the "Flower Four (F4)." While struggling to survive in an elite school of rich students, the young girl finds herself falling in love with the group's curly haired leader, who undergoes a transformation sparked by the relationship. Despite a weak plot and flawed story line, fans say the Korean version still presented the "greatest eye pleasure" among the three adaptations thanks mostly to the show's four main actors. "I loved the comic books back in middle school and was delighted that the TV characters matched my imagination perfectly," said 27-year-old office worker Lee Ja-young. "Despite all its shortcomings, the Korean version has the best looking actors and I was happy just at the sight of them." Including Lee Min-ho, who starred as the F4 leader, the four actors were relatively new faces before becoming major stars within a few weeks of the drama's first episode. "Our main focus was to cast the most handsome, cutest and freshest F4, and keep them that way throughout the show," said director Bae. "Everything else came after that." Fans idolized members of the F4 like pop groups on stage and appeared ready to forgive their awkward acting and the show's weak plot that went from strange to stranger as the series wore on. "The drama could never have earned so much popularity if F4 had been any less attractive," said Nam Sung-eh, 30. "Women want to look at pretty actors and fantasize about them: just as men do about actresses." The show's popularity also managed to attract fans from across generations, with mothers and daughters able to share in the joy of seeing their favorite F4 member on screen. "They were adorable," says Lim Mi-young, whose daughter attends middle school. "It felt strange but pleasant to watch the series with my daughter and discuss who was the cutest among the four." The show's portrayal of high school students has been another source of controversy. Manipulative youngsters who use compromising photos taken in hotel beds to blackmail one another or drive cars and go clubbing, with classes unattended for days during extended holidays to exotic islands is not reflective of the typical South Korean teen, critics say. There were also a number of unexplained plot twists between episodes, with characters appearing and disappearing seemingly at random. Fans of the show dismiss the criticisms and defend the show's tendency to depart from the reality of everyday life. "Fiction is, after all" they say, "fiction." "I hated it," one blogger posted on a local Web portal. "It seems to me that producers of this drama have no idea how to create a plausible plot and characters. I was disgusted looking at teenagers making out in the middle of the day, driving cars and drinking." "Who says drama has to be realistic?" refuted another. "I actually loved the drama so much more for its silliness. It helped me escape from the reality and forget my problems for a while. The last thing I want is a head-scratcher of a drama." The weak story was largely a product of the drama's tight shooting schedule, producers said. "With the actors and actresses becoming so popular and busy, we had a hard time mapping out schedules that work for everyone," the drama's main producer Jun Ki-sang said. "While the plot might not have been dense enough, we did our best to create visually impressive scenes. Being a fantasy, I think audiences were ready to overlook some of the logical flaws as long as they liked what they were seeing." As the drama's popularity surged, everything F4 members ate, held and wore became hot items. Sales of the main character Jun-pyo's (Lee Min-ho) favorite snack doubled while his curly top has now become the latest fashion trend. Companies poured in money to secure placements for their products in the series, while members of the F4 became the "most wanted" among advertising models. "My teenage sister demanded that my parents buy her a mobile phone the F4 carry around in the series although she already has a decent phone," said college student Lee Yun-ha. " I would have probably done the same if I had liked the show half as much as she did, seeing as it was virtually everywhere in the show." With critics slamming the drama's producers as "gold diggers," the Korea Communications Standards Commission issued a warning against the show for its excessive product placement, or PPL, a widely-known advertisement method among local television producers. The show's producers shot back. "At first, we had a hard time finding firms and broadcasters willing to fund the production costs, especially because the show lacked big name actors," director Bae said. "With each episode costing nearly 300 million won (US$220,000) to make, we had no other means but to rely on advertising fees." "With the Japanese and Taiwanese versions already a hit throughout Asia, we needed more money to create flashier and more sensational scenes," he added. "This was why we did overseas filming despite the tight budget and schedule." Despite its obvious frailty, "Boys…" proved big name actors, playwrights and directors are no longer essential in creating a hit series, signaling new hope for a local TV industry struggling with tightening budgets and a limited number of stars. But thorough preparation will be essential for the second and third generation of such dramas, experts say. "I regret the fact we did not have more time to spend on the scenario and the overall story," producer Jun said. "Everything was new to us as it was to viewers and we panicked. We hope we can manage to create something of a better quality next time." Dubbing the drama "an unexpected jackpot," media critic Kang Myung-suk said producers should learn to be more patient in creating high-quality products. "'Boys...' could pull it off because it was the first of its kind, but viewers may not be so easily fooled next time," he said. "Instead of focusing on short-term profits, producers should really think about spending more time, money and effort in creating something better." Credits: hayney@yna.co.kr via yonhapnews.co.kr

The handwriting of a document thought to have been left by Jang Ja-yeon before her apparent suicide is highly likely to be the actress' own, Bundang Police said Tuesday quoting the National Institute of Scientific Investigation. Police received the document shown on KBS last Saturday via fax from the network and asked the NISI to check the handwriting.

A police spokesman said since it was a copy, they cannot be 100 percent sure and have not confirmed whether there are additional documents other than the one KBS aired.

Police are investigating no fewer than 96,973 phone calls in the history of Jang and six other people close to her from three telecom providers.

Police also found a memo left by Jang titled "Death Note" in the back of a novel in her home, listing the names of figures in the entertainment industry and her anger and resentment towards them. "Death Note" is a popular Japanese comic series, and in the story, if the owner of a notebook writes the names of people in it, they die.

In the broadcast document, Jang alleges her management agency forced her to have sex and threatened violence.

Credits : englishnews@chosun.com
Source : Digital Chosunilbo

At the peak of his popularity, SS501 'Flower Boy' Kim HyunJoong (photo) reveals the gift that he had announced previously.

Kim HyunJoong left a message 'This is the gift that I've mentioned' at his official homepage and also uploaded a video with the messages 'Goodbye Yoon Ji Hoo' and '31-Mar, 9pm at Olympic Hall'.

Kim HyunJoong is preparing to watch the last episode of KBS 2TV 'Boys Over Flowers' to be broadcasted on 31-Mar with his fans. His gift for fans is to watch the last episode together as a group.

In order to be able to watch the last episode together with his fans, Kim HyunJoong plans to invite about 4,000 fans to fill the Olympic Hall at Seoul Olympic Park. The event will start at 9pm, 1 hour before the broadcast, with Kim HyunJoong singing 'Because I am Stupid' which is a song from 'Boys Over Flowers' OST that garnered a lot of love for it. Besides Kim HyunJoong, all SS501 members namely Heo YoungSaeng, Kim KyuJong, Park JungMin & Kim HyungJoon, will be attending this event on that day.

Kim HyunJoong hinted for this special gift when he left a message at his fanclub homepage on white day, 14-Mar, which also includes a photo of rings made from sweets.

Kim HyunJoong wrote in his message "Just wait and see. I will return soon with a bigger gift than sweets. To people who are having tough times at work, difficult times in school, our cute ahjumma who are rolling at home. The gift is free. I want to use the money I earn to buy you something."

Fans responded enthusiastically and are waiting for the gift mentioned in Kim HyunJoong's message that he will return with a gift for fans with his hard-earned money. In fact, Kim HyunJoong paid for this event at Olympic hall on his own expense, and his fans are very touched when they found out about it.

Credits : economy.hankooki.com + SS601.com + (English Translation) xiaochu @ Quainte501.com

By Kwon Mee-yoo
Staff Reporter


The late actress Jang Ja-yeon

Police have started investigating the authenticity of a note actress Jang Ja-yeon allegedly left before committing suicide on March 8. The note said she was unable to withstand the pressure of entertaining and having sex with program directors and corporate and media executives.

The former manager of the 30-year-old actress made public her alleged handwritten letters. Jang, who recently starred in the hit drama "Boys Over Flowers," was found dead in an apparent suicide at her home in Bundang, Gyeonggi Province.

According to the Bundang Police Station, Jang's letter said she was beaten, forced to serve drinks, act as an escort at golf matches and coerced into sex with several program directors, CEOs and media executives. Police said they obtained the list of names mentioned in the document but would decide on making them public after confirming whether the document in question is "authentic."

The police searched nine places including Jang's former and current agencies and her residence and seized the document from a broadcasting station, Saturday. The document will first go through a graphology test to confirm her handwriting and then police will investigate the content.

The letter also had some 10 names of program directors and other VIPs, but the police said they must conduct further investigation to verify the credibility of the document before summoning those mentioned. "The document had thumbprints and a social security number and seems to have been written by Jang,'' a police officer said.

Her family members first opposed revealing the document but changed their minds and asked for further investigation since some contents of the letter had already been disclosed.

Yoo Jang-ho, Jang's former manager and head of management agency Hoyaspotainment, were in possession of the document and first leaked it to the public. He was hospitalized after a failed suicide attempt, Friday.

However, police said they are not sure whether the document they have found is the one Yoo disclosed and presumed the possibility of the existence of more than one document. Yoo said he burnt the letter in front of Jang's family and does not have any copies of the letter.

Kim Sung-hoon, head of Jang's last agency, was quoted as claiming that the documents are fabricated, adding that Jang's former manager "fabricated" the letters out of his disgruntlement over four criminal and civil lawsuits filed against him.

Meanwhile, the Fair Trade Commission (FTC) will provide standardized contract forms to entertainment agencies in the first half of the year. "Jang's letter aroused concern toward the unfairness of entertainers' contracts once again," a FTC official said. "We found several unfair contracts at big agencies last year, but it's almost impossible to investigate hundreds of small- and medium-sized companies.''

The FTC will continuously supervise management agencies to rid them of unfair contracts in addition to the enforcement of standard contract terms.

Credits: meeyoo@koreatimes.co.kr

Popular TV dramas *record their *viewer ratings. And their *re-runs also record their ratings.

On March 1, re-runs of the KBS drama "Boys Over Flowers" were aired on KBS. Two *consecutive episodes - episodes 15 and 16 -were aired.

According to news reports, the episodes 15 and 16 re-runs recorded 9.2 percent and 11.8 percent respectively in viewer ratings. On the same day, other drama re-runs were aired on SBS, KBS, and MBC. But "Boys Over Flowers" was the highest rated re-run drama on that day, scoring an average of over 10 percent.

The SBS drama "Temptation of Wife" (아내의 유혹) which is the highest rated drama in the weekly charts only had a 6.4 percent viewer rating. And two episodes of MBC's "East of Eden" (에덴의 동쪽) which are in direct competition with "Boys Over Flowers" every Monday and Tuesday only scored 5.8 percent and 10.2 percent respectively.

Currently "Boys Over Flowers" has an average viewer rating that falls somewhere in the 30 percent range. The drama is creating a base of *die-hard viewers especially among teenagers and women.

The drama is so popular that the main characters and the plot are being *parodied by other shows and people in the entertainment industry. KBS' *signature comedy show "Gag Concert" recently started a subcategory of the show that parodies the drama and its characters.

Credits : Yoo Bo-lam (bolamyoo@heraldm.com)
Source : The Korea Herald

The late actress Jang Ja-yeon


By Kim Rahn
Staff Reporter

Suspicions and questions are growing over the suicide of actress Jang Ja-yeon, who was starring in the hit drama ``Boys Over Flowers,'' as some letters she left to friends showed that she had suffered from unknown troubles.

Jang, 30, was found dead in an apparent suicide at her home in Bundang, Gyeonggi Province, Saturday. Although her family said that Jang had suffered from depression and had undergone medical treatment, it is also said that she had trouble with her management agency renewing her contract.

The writings also showed there may have been another reasons for the suicide related to the entertainment business.

A friend who did not disclose the entire contents said that Jang described the anguish she had had from people in the entertainment industry but that disclosing it all could result in more victims.

At the end of them, Jang said, ``I'm a new actress, weak and powerless. I want to escape from this anguish.'' But the disclosed parts did not show what the anguish was about.

She also wrote the date, her resident registration number and signature, and sealed every page with a thumbprint.

Jang's former manager Yoo Jang-ho, head of a management agency Hoyaspotainment, said on his blog that she'd visited him several times over the last two weeks and talked about her stress. He said she also gave him a six-page handwritten letter. It's unknown whether the letter was the same one handed over to the friend.

``I didn't know what to do about the problem she asked me to solve. I don't know whether to follow her wishes or to cover it up according to the bereaved family's wishes,'' Yoo said on the blog. ``It reminds me of the movie `Public Enemy.' Those involved in the entertainment business would know why she killed herself. She picked me as the one who should fight against the public enemy,'' he said.

As for the rumors, Jang's agency, The Contents Entertainment, expressed unpleasantness. ``The rumor that Jang had conflicts with us is not true. We proposed she move to another agency because we had financial problems, but she rather insisted that she remain with us,'' an official of the company said.

Police plan to examine the writings and say they may reinvestigate the case if they show Jang was threatened or blackmailed.


Credits : rahnita@koreatimes.co.kr
Source : The Korea Times

This is a scene from hit TV series, Boys Over Flowers, about a
puppy love between a chaebol heir and an ordinary girl.


It's that perfect story of which women dream.

A handsome and arrogant, yet soft-at-heart son of a rich and royal family coincidentally bumps into an ordinary woman from a poor family, who happens to consider him no more than a wealthy snob. They get off to a rough start, constantly quarreling over nothing, but the two eventually fall madly in love and get married happily ever after.

This is a modern Cinderella plot average ladies typically are to die for, but apparently, men think otherwise.

Online job portal Career's survey of 1,940 working men and women found that almost 80 percent of male respondents have a negative perception about television dramas that portray the classic rags-to-riches tales centered on women.

Contrary to popular belief that "all women" fantasize about such a love story, the poll found that 48 percent of women were also not fond of the unrealistic story line.

A majority of those who voted against them said the dramas excessively idolize rich people and could easily fan a so-called Cinderella syndrome, which basically describes a woman waiting for Prince Charming on a white horse to rescue her from her dull life.

Men commonly said the unreal plot makes their life harder to accommodate their girlfriends or spouses, who tend to draw forceful comparisons and contrasts with the TV character.

"The dramas raise women's expectations beyond imagination," said a 27-year-old actively-dating single male, who recalls that his former girlfriend constantly demanded that he become more like Park Shin-yang's character from "Lovers in Paris,'' a popular modern day Cinderella drama. "It was annoying.''

Others respondents peeved by similar plots said the unrealistic theme and superficial characterization of well-to-dos are a bad influence on people's mentality.

But a majority of fans of the romantic dramas said they either provide a sense of "substitute satisfaction'' since they know the princess story won't happen to them, or they simply watch it as entertainment with no deep thoughts.

"Those kinds of stories give me tingles,'' said one married woman, 32, who added, "It's better to watch happy romance dramas than something with a heavy, gloomy plot.''

The Career poll showed that "Boys Over Flowers," the latest hit drama based on a Japanese comic series, is currently the most popular Cinderella fairytale with 70 percent of respondents tuning in.


Credits : By Jane Han, Staff Reporter (jhan@koreatimes.co.kr)
Source : The Korea Times

TV actress Jang Ja-yon committed suicide at her home in Bundang, southern outskirts of Seoul, Saturday, police said. She is 27.

She has been acting in a popular Monday and Tuesday drama series of "Boys over Flower" on KBS TV 2.

Police said that Jang was found to have hanged herself to death on the in-house stairs to the second floor of her home at 7:42 p.m.

The police quoted her sister as saying, "She has suffered from depression, frequently staying at home alone recently."

Jang has lived with her elder sister, since her parents were killed in a traffic accident 10 years ago, police said.


PD Song Byung Joon



BOFs casts










Source : The Korea Times , link of the VOD & images courtesy of asian economy

Jang Ja-yeon


The actress Jang Ja-yeon, who hanged herself last Saturday, left a lengthy suicide note. "Ja-yeon would feel sad if she knew people consider her as a mere depression patient who died without even leaving a will," a friend told the Chosun Ilbo. "I decided to reveal some part of her writing dotted with thumbprints to pay respect to what she had in mind."

But the friend added, "Even though the note includes details of how she has been hurt since she started working in show business to become an actress, I won't reveal it all because that could cause unwitting damage to others."

Jang's friends have been suspicious that the 27-year-old really killed herself due to depression because she had just risen from relative obscurity through the hugely popular TV drama, "Boys over Flowers."

Jang was allegedly distressed over the need to choose an agency, but a representative with her current agency said Sunday, "She wanted to renew the contract with us after it expired, so we were discussing the matter. I can't believe that problems surrounding the agency have driven her to suicide." A representative at another agency identified as Yu, to whom Jang had reportedly talked about her problems, is believed to have seen the suicide note but has been incommunicado since he wrote on his website, "People in the entertainment world know why she killed herself."


Credits : englishnews@chosun.com

Jang Ja-yeon

Actress Jang Ja-yeon was found dead at her home in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province on Saturday evening in what appears to be suicide. Jang (27) had been appearing in the hugely popular TV drama "Boys Over Flowers" on KBS 2TV.

Police said that Jang's older sister found the actress hanged on stairs to the second floor of her home. She said she called her sister several times but got no answer, so she went to her home to check.

Jang lived with her sister and younger brother since she lost her parents in a car accident about 10 years ago. She made her debut as a commercial model in 2006, and recently took the role of the bad girl harassing heroine Geum Jan-di in "Boys over Flowers." Police believe she committed suicide since her family testified she had been treated for depression for a year and the fact there was no evidence of foul play.

About 250,000 fans visited her website to express their condolences on Saturday and 700,000 on Sunday.

here're direct link to watch Video 1, Video 2

Credits : englishnews@chosun.com
Source : Digital Chosun

--------------------

Maybe the time has finally arrived for women in this formerly Confucian society to openly appreciate the beauty of the opposite gender. Or it may be that boys have actually become much "prettier" than before, and are beyond the traditional male attributes defined in such vocabularies as "tall, dark and handsome."

Well, the four main male characters in KBS hit drama "Boys Before Flowers" are definitely tall, handsome, and all of them jaw-droppingly rich. But that's hardly enough to describe the huge pop culture sensation that has literally engulfed Korea.

The four "flower boys" or "F4" have captivated the hearts of women of all ages in the country, be it a seven-year-old girl or 50-year-old housewife. Many men also watch it, though the majority of fans are women. "Boys Before Flowers" can be considered something like the Asian version of America's huge hits "The O.C." or "Gossip Girl" that depict a hyper-luxury lifestyle of teenagers.



The series is only mid-way through, but the cast members (led by oh-so-charming Lee Min-ho playing main character Goo Joon-pyo) have become household names. The ratings hover around the high 30 percent and could climb higher.

"By watching these unrealistically rich and charming boys going out of their way to help Geum Jan-di (main female character played by Koo Hye-sun) in her quagmires, as well as watching the scenes where she is reluctantly showered with gifts and makeovers, I get a sense of satisfaction at least inside the television," said Lee Ji-ah, a 26-year-old graduate student, who watches the show religiously.

The drama is so popular that some shows are dedicated to it. Putting a comedic spin on the series that some say are simply "too corny," such comedy programs as Gagya of MBC and Gag Concert of KBS have recreated the main characters for parody.

This is undoubtedly the big break for Lee Min-ho, 22, who was a struggling actor before the drama and now the envy of a multitude of aspiring actors. He is expected to take in as much as 1.5 billion won ($970,000) in profit this year, not to mention fast becoming the most coveted celebrity in business advertisements.

Apparel company Bean Pole, a sponsor of "Boys Before Flowers" and creator of the famous school uniform featured in the drama, has also seen a burst in recognition and a rise in sales.



Korea's largest community site Cyworld has also benefited from the latest pop phenomenon by producing emoticons for each of the five major cast members, which they say are in high demand from users. Fashion magazines are filled with pictures and stories about the flower boys, while portal sites of Korea are filled with news, pictures and blogs dedicated to them.

It seems people just cannot get enough of them. "Boys Before Flowers" or "Hana Yori Dango" in Japanese is actually a familiar story for women in their teens, 20s and 30s. The original comic book with the same title by Japan's Yoko Kamio is considered like a bible for those who enjoy Japanese romantic manga. The series ran between 1992 and 2003 to eventually comprise a whopping 37 volumes. It sold over 54 million copies by 2005.

The title is a pun on the Japanese old saying "Dumplings before flowers," referring to people who attend Hanami (flower festival), but instead of enjoying flowers, focus more on the materialistic side of the event such as getting food and buying souvenirs.

The plot is quite old school as well. Geum Jan-di, the main female character, is a girl from a poor family but has an unrivaled sense of optimism and drive and is by chance admitted to a prestigious private high school.

There she meets the infamous group of four astonishingly good looking and rich boys. The group's leader is Goo Joon-pyo, who is a spoiled heir to world-leading conglomerate Shinhwa. He is joined by mysterious and breathlessly handsome Yoon Ji-hoo, played by member of idol pop group SS501 Kim Hyun-joong, So Yi-jung played by Kim Bum, and Song Woo-bin, played by Kim Joon. Their love story moves from Seoul to New Caledonia to Macau, while their wardrobes, vehicles and houses also entertain the eyes with their over-the-top extravagance.

With their super powerful parents and backgrounds, it almost seems there's no stopping these boys, until of course, they are met by the "harsh" reality of having to follow to their destined routes, such as inheriting the Shinhwa Group.

"I actually am so over the whole immature high school love story, but I end up watching it because there's just so much to see. It is like eye candy on all aspects combined into one show," said Shin Se-young, a 35-year-old office worker.

Lee Ji-yeon, a 30-year-old single woman, explains that she is a fan of the show because it is blatantly lavish and dreamlike. She says it's easy to just fall into it without bothering to think about whether the plots are realistic or not. "It's like watching real people play out the comic book to a tee."

There are also other interpretations as to why "Boys Before Flowers" is such a great hit in Korea. The obvious reason is the near perfect casting of the F4. Fair to say, their acting skills are considered not up to par, sometimes even cringe-inducing. But main player Lee Min-ho shines, with his believable adaptation of the Joon-pyo character. Lee actually manages quite well to portray the spoiled kid of a billionaire who shows little to no respect to people around him, but turns all soft and mushy once in a while, at least to the love of his life Jan-di.

"One of the reasons for the character Goo to be so popular could be that he touches the embedded masochism of viewers by being mean and then he can be kind all of a sudden, getting the counterpart to appreciate that even more," said Kim Mi-hyun, literature critic and professor of Ewha Womans University.

It is also a shared opinion among the fans of F4 that while watching it, they forget about everything else and the less-than-rosy reality of life, especially at this time of economic hardship. "This may represent a distorted adoration or aspiration towards people with money or chaebols. It is usually the case where the worse the economy the more popular the wealthy become.

The popularity of this program also represents the new aggressive nature of consumption," Kim said. "One problem, however, with the program is that these boys represented in the stories are in their teens and spending like kings. The unreality of it may be the attractive factor but it may also provoke a sort of wild-goose chase," she said.

Whatever the reason, it appears that the F4 phenomenon is here to stay for now as fans appear to be not getting enough of it. The original manga "Boys Before Flower" is enjoying a resurrection of its sales. Over 132,000 copies were sold in the months of January and February, according to its publisher Seoul Media Group. This is a huge surge compared to about 42,000 copies in yearly sales of the past.

The series is already signing deals with overseas television networks for viewing, following the footsteps of Japan and Taiwan, which have also reprised the comic book series in television series and movies. New Caledonia, which was featured in the earlier part of the drama as the set where the main female and male characters confirm their love, is seeing an increase in the number of potential travelers.

"It will take time for the actual number of travelers to New Caledonia to rise considering the current economic situation here. But New Caledonia definitely put itself on the map of coveted travel destinations through this drama series. Now, everyone from kids to adults in their 40s and 50s know Goo Joon-pyo's New Caledonia. We are satisfied enough for having raised its recognition," said Lee Myeong-hwan, who heads the Korean office of New Caledonia Tourism.

By Lee Joo-hee (angiely@heraldm.com)

http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/NEWKHSITE/dat...00903060030.asp

image from yahoo.co.kr

Every Monday and Tuesday evening at 10 p.m., local viewers' eyes are glued to the small screens, engrossed in the hit TV series "Boys over Flowers" which currently airs on KBS 2. Since its television debut on January 5 this year, 17 episodes of the series have been aired. Female viewers are swooning over the attractive male stars who, as the title suggests, seem even prettier than flowers. The series has even stirred a "pretty-boy syndrome" across the nation.

The television drama "Boys over Flowers" is based on the comic series by the same title written by comic artist Kamio Yoko. The original title of the TV series is "Hanayori Dan-go" in Japanese. The hit drama is about a romance and events that occur between the four rich and pretty boys, dubbed F4, and the plain heroine with an innocent, bright smile. The "F" in F4 stands for flower. The main plot of the original work is the love story between the arrogant leader of F4, Tsukasa and an ordinary but tough girl, Tsukushi.

Since its first serial publication in 1992, "Boys over Flowers" has been reborn into various genres and adored loved by Asian fans. The animation version first hit the TV screens in Japan in 1995 and it was successfully remade as the TV series "Meteor Garden" in Taiwan in 2001, which became a major hit. The actors who starred as F4 in Taiwan even formed a band of the same title and continue to stage performances.

The 2005 Japanese version which also featured young TV personalities recorded the highest audience rating. After the 2007 Season 2 production, the story was even adapted into a film and, again, recorded number-one box-office profits. "Boys over Flowers" finally saw its Korean version hit the local TV screen in January of this year. Bae Jong-byeong, the planning producer of the drama production company Group Eight, tells us about the Korean version.

I wanted to produce a fun drama that would make viewers feel at ease. In the case of "Boys over Flowers", each episode is full of attractive characters. And it is also the world's best-selling boys-meet-girls comic. What's more, it was a successful concept in Japan, where it became a major hit as a drama and film. Some questioned whether we should reproduce an already popular and well-known program. But why did we produce it? Well, we chose it because of the familiarity, the drama's competitive edge. If we carefully remake a familiar work, we could create an even better one. That's why we produced the drama.

The production crew had high expectations for the third remake of "Boys over Flowers", which followed those in Taiwan and Japan. But the popularity of the Korean version with domestic flavor surpassed the crew's expectation. After just three episodes, viewers' satisfaction rating climbed over 20 percent, and it's taking YouTube, America's representative UCC Web site, by storm. About 3,000 related video clips have been posted on the Web site while some 10 million viewers have visited the site. So, what is the secret behind the success of the Korean version? The first factor is the casting of the main characters F4.

Since the plot is very familiar, we thought that well-known actors would dilute the unique characteristics of the main roles. That's why we chose new faces. Usually when we pick actors, we test their image and their acting abilities, but the first priority of F4 was the appearance. In fact, we put more weight on the image than the acting ability. We could check their potential by testing their vocalization. Then we trained them after the casting.

The discovery of fresh faces renewed interest in the small screen among teen viewers. Before "Boys over Flowers", young audiences were diminishing due to the lack of interesting TV dramas. Here is Bae again.

The existing broadcasting stations usually rely on audience ratings. So they tend to feature top stars and produce projects guaranteed to succeed. That's why teenagers lost interest in TV. They were bored with unified, stale and uninteresting dramas. But the story of "Boys over Flowers" is about teens these viewers can relate to. There wasn't much screen content teenagers could enjoy. But this drama provides an entertaining culture they can share and enjoy by themselves. Maybe that's why young viewers are back to the small screens again.

The second reason behind the success of "Boys over Flowers" is the well-utilized concept of "high fantasy romance." TV dramas basically rely on fiction, but in case of "Boys over Flowers", viewers are attracted to the fantasy based on reality. Producer Bae tells more.

As we prepared for this work, we wanted to offer joy and a fluttering feeling to the viewers. But we had some rules. We wanted to compile all the fantasies found in dramas and showcase them to the viewers, and it worked. Cheerful and speedy development in a familiar and easy-to-follow storyline appealed to the TV viewers. A fantasy based on reality can easily engage the audience in the story. In "Boys over Flowers", we can find all kinds of rich people and handsome boys, which depicts the so-called world of neo-aristocrats. The setting is very unrealistic, yet, possible. That's the attractive point of the drama. This kind of fantasy in TV programs provides dreams and hope as well as fun to the viewers. That's the strength of the tale of "romantic fantasy."

The four pretty boys of F4, who look like characters straight out of romantic comic books, are appealing to viewers ranging from teens to people in their thirties and forties. Although the F4 members are arrogant and stubborn, they have sincere hearts, so people are captivated by the humanistic qualities of these romantic characters. Another factor in the series' success is its outstanding imagery, captured in overseas locations.

Due to the TV series' great influential power over the public, we were invited to many foreign locations to shoot the drama. Some 17 countries offered sponsorship, but the most important condition for the shooting was to find a new venue that wouldn't restrict the original fantasy, but rather maximize the effect. The scenes shot at New Caledonia were beautiful, and haven't been seen before in other dramas. We even hired the crew who shot the film "Lord of Rings" to capture the aerial photography. In the case of the scenes shot in Macau, we had access to the world's best casino resorts.

The background music is another element lending to the series' appeal. The tune you are listening to right now is the drama's theme song "Almost Paradise." Amidst the stagnant recording industry, more than 100-thousand sound tracks have been sold. Here is songwriter Oh Jun-seong.

Since the drama is based on comic, I used the animation film music techniques to expand the scale of the background music. The music in the Japanese version is a bit heavy, while our version has a brighter tone. Differentiating from Japan, we used several different melodies befitting each character. Since we are a newcomer, we could fully prepare for the project with more resources and create music that suits local tastes. Unlike the Japanese version, which doesn't rely much on background music, our tunes are very lively and match perfectly to each scene.

Every time one of the male characters and the heroine Geum Jan-di appear together, different theme songs are played. The varying themes maximize the image of each role and viewers find themselves further engrossed in the program.

The Japanese public was also interested in checking out the Korean version of the famous production. The drama's official Web site was unveiled in Japan on December 26 of last year, even before the show debuted in Korea. If you visit the site hanadan-k.com, you can watch the clippings that introduce the main characters.

The Korean version of "Boys over Flowers" will be aired in Japan this summer. It will be broadcast on regular network channels in Tokyo, not on cable, so the interest in the Korean version is actually higher than that of the original, Japanese, production. In May, a two-night, three-day tour of shooting locations in Korea will begin. In addition, an official guidebook of the drama will be published and the Korean sound track will be released in Japan. Although the story originated in Japan, the work has been reborn in Korea as part of the Korean Wave. Hong Sa-jong, CEO of Meerae Imagination Institute, tells us about future cultural contents.

There are many cases in which remade works which originated in Japan have become successful in Korea, such as the film "Old Boy" and the musical "Lion King" based on "The King of the Jungle Leo." Since most of the tales were from Japan, we could call it a Japanese Wave. But the Japanese Wave can transform into a Korean Wave. It doesn't matter where the concept originates. If we reproduce it into a successful local version, it can become a Korean Wave with Korean style. Outstanding projects, even if they are from overseas, can be remade into a world-class cultural content with Korean flavor. That's why we don't have to be restricted by the origin of the work. What matters is re-creation. Think of it as creating a new, local, cultural content, like Disney animations did. So, we need to learn how to adapt the work and develop it into a Korean style. If we utilize our advanced computer graphic technology and create a better production, it will be even more appealing than the original work.

The UCLA Asian Studies Center in the U.S. gives more credit to the Korean version than to both the original work by Japan and the Taiwanese version. Not only did the Korean version carry on the popularity of the original work, the production crew upgraded other features of the drama such as casting, imagery and directorial skill. The 21st century is a "society of stories". New culture will be born if we produce stories based on imagination and ideas. A well-executed storyline can even upgrade the competitive power of the nation. We have already experienced the power of the "story industry" through the Korean Wave which rippled through Asia. This spring, the "Boys over Flowers" syndrome is stirring a refreshing breeze of local pop culture. As fans all over the globe catch on to the popular series, we hope the enthusiasm will bring about a second Korean Wave.

Source : KBS WORLD

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Park Si-yeon:



The dress is pretty minus the belt though. It makes the dress look cheap.

Han Ji Hye
This girl never dresses wrong at award shows but this time she doesn't look stunning as the other times that I'm used to. It's the hair I think.





The Winners


Kim Hyun Joong winner of best popular actor award



Han Ye Seul






The top part isn't very flattering, looks like something you could wear to the beach.

Goong Hyo Jin is known for her funky fashion choices, funky or not she looks like a geisha with her pale white make up and red lips.



Moon Geun Young

Does't she look like she's getting skinner every day?Girl you're sill growing so eat all you can!




Yoon Eun Hye
Personally I love her makeup, hair and her dress is not that bad. It flatters her body and the shoes are the killer!I absolutely adore them. I don't know why she ended up in the worst dress list.




Lee Jun Ki and some lady in his arm
Did you notice something?He wen't from blond to black again!Just in time for the awards.I hope he'll stick with black.






The BOF cast















So Ji Sub
He left his questionable fashion choices at the press conference of Cain & Abel forgotten and looks dashing in this suit.Or maybe he just got a new styler.


Do you recognize who this is?It's Han Ji Hye's hubby from EOE.He does look different with a new haircut huh.Looking good!


The winners in recap




And now comes the priceless moment captured on camera.

Lee Min Ho - Goo Joon Pyo from BOF fell on the red carpet but took it as a man.