The Monologue [Ep 12-16]: The Queen's Classroom

There were many things I wanted to write about after watching The Queen’s Classroom till the end but lazily putting off the post about the final five episodes has made my memory weak. I’m literally skipping fragments of the episodes while writing this and some of what I wanted to say are fortunately coming back. ...Something about character development, social issues, adolescence anxiety and farewells.

My appetite for dramas has dwindled quite a bit, even though I wasn’t exactly an avid watcher before, I used to keep up with the network releases and checked a lot of them out. I’ve only watched a few till the end this year along with this one, Good Doctor, I Hear Your Voice, That Winter, The Wind Blows and the wishy-washy Heirs... Actually, that’s quite a lot!! I underestimated quite a bit, haha. Anyways, currently watching You From Another Star, and just loving Jeon Ji-hyun’s character and acting.

Back to the awesomeness that was The Queen’s Classroom.

The Conversation [Ep 7-12]: Talking About The Queen's Classroom with Analogueblues

Since our last exchange or review on The Queen’s Classroom, there's been a lot more developments than before and this post as always, strives to come full circle on those turn of events. At this point, the unexpected story-line and behavior has managed to become habitual. As a viewer, this familiarity offers rare insights into the thoughts of the characters and the situations they face.

As always, Analogueblues has agreed kindly to join me as we try our best to explore the drama. For the delay in posting, I apologize and even though the final episode of The Queen’s Classroom has already aired, looking back at a show as profound as this one should be the one splurge of the moment every blogger wishes for. Watching the show with a new lens, I found a special appreciation for its cinematography and superb writing. I report with pleasure that the new episodes did not disappoint and went a long way in making the overall significance of the drama more powerful.

The Conversation [Ep. 1-6]: Talking About The Queen's Classroom with Analogueblues

Recently, I started following a Korean drama titled The Queen’s Classroom, a remake of a Japanese drama by the same name. It recently aired its sixth episode and in total will consists of 16 episodes. It has captured my interests to a degree similar to Gaksital and That Winter, The Wind Blows. It is one of the two dramas I am currently watching, both of them excellent, the other one being I Hear Your Voice.

Without further ado, I would like to introduce you all to a special guest who has traveled across the blogosphere to lend her time to this special conversation. Blogger Analogueblues from the fabulous blog linked [here] and I will be sharing our thoughts on the first six episodes of The Queen’s Classroom, trying our bests to delve deep into its themes, characters and the meaning behind it all.

For those curious, we hope to reconvene in the future to publish two additional posts, covering Ep. 7-12 and Ep. 13-16. I hope that all of you will enjoy our posts and feel the sheer joy I felt during this collaboration with Analogueblues, who graciously dedicated her time and made this collaboration truly enjoyable.

[Album Review] Lee Hi 'First Love'

The worst thing you can do after taking a listen to Lee Hi's debut album is call the arrangements lazy. But what you will or might have already done so is call many of the songs boring. On one hand, you are diminishing the foundational basis of the composition while the other is simply a reflection of your musical preferences, albeit limited in range. The sounds of each track in the album musically collide to show the colors of its many respective composers (Choice37, Teddy, Lydia Paek, Tablo, Realmeee, etc). It's fair to say that there hasn't been an album such as this one where one can abstractly decipher each composer's bread and butter by listening to each one's interpretation of the R&B & Soul genre. As it is with interpretations, there are some clear flaws but the production is far and above anything we've heard in awhile that it overcomes those flaws and exceeds normal listen-ability while going beyond its specific genre without diminishing it. Lee Hi sounds better than ever and the soft methodical tones tug at your heart. The sounds of the album are much more subdued than 1.2.3.4 but still manage to make a strong statement.

Overall, all the tracks complement each other highly and go well with each other. The only regrettable aspect of the album is that the intro and the two title tracks, in terms of grandeur, overshadow many of the other compositions that are much truer to the modern blues form. It's truly a shame they won't be appreciated as much. The heart & soul of the album exists in its true form in the other tracks. There is widespread depth in the arrangements and Lee Hi's vocals that make the album a standout. What's highly admirable is the meticulous restraint the YG producers show in keeping the excess elements of pop mainly out of this album. That's not saying that everything's perfect but for an album in a saturated field, it comes pretty close.

The 15 Best Korean Drama OST Songs of 2012

@Star1 Magazine

Individual songs are tricky, especially when one's establishing one over the other based on qualifications that are murky at best. In 2012, Korean drama viewers witnessed a wide range of talents that shined onscreen as well as on the music scene. 

There were obvious OST songs that stood out from the rest while others stayed comfortably within the OST blueprint. Many music producers during this year's run were rewarded for taking an unconventional approach with their tunes and blending it within the fold of the drama in a manner that was fresh and awe-inspiring. Powerhouse vocalists gathered heavily under each project this year and made the releases more relevant.

The higher relevancy that the soundtracks saw could be attributed to the fact that the releases stayed current with a hint of nostalgia infused with youthful energy. Let's explore some of the biggest releases in 2012. At the end, leave me with your thoughts on this year's releases.