My July 2015 Choices - K-Dramas, Songs, Videos, and more!

Lots of things have happened over this last month. I did my work experience, I've had a few days out with my friends and family, I made up with my former best friend, I got the hilarious card game: Cards Against Humanity, and I've been able to see my dad earlier than expected (which was late October). Anyway, here are my favourites of the month!

XXZANABAEXX No.4
It's the fourth month in a row since I've started featuring this YouTuber, and I'm still addicted to watching her videos. Every time I see her new video in my subscriptions feed, I have a small fangirl attack. And each time I finish watching it, I have completely fell in the love with the video - even if I'm not watching the drama she has edited.

July 2015 CFs: My Favourites of the Month

For those of you who are melting due to the sizzling summer heat, there are a plethora of July CFs (commercial films) full of your favourite K-Pop stars that will help cool you off. Plenty of beverage CFs aim to quench your thirst this month.

Ji Sung (played as Cha Do Hyun in Kill Me, Heal Me) for Del Monte:
Despite having released this commercial back in April, it remains popular and is currently airing in Korea. The popular actor gives last month's juice CF stars a run for their money.

15th Completed Drama: High Society

High Society

Synonyms: Chaebol's Daughter; The Privileged
Episodes: 16

Country: South Korea

Aired: Jun. 8, 2015 - Jul. 28, 2015

Network: SBS

Duration: 60 mins.

Genres: Comedy, Melodrama, Romance

Viewers Rating: 7.6/10

My Rating: 6.5/10

MyDramaList Link

Synopsis: Jang Yoon Ha is the youngest daughter of a chaebol (family owned conglomeration). Even though her family is extremely wealthy, she holds a part-time job at a food market. She hides her background as an heiress and attempts to find a man that loves her for herself.

K-Drama Trend: Famous Chefs

Cooking and male chefs are all the rage in Korea right now. This not only translates to celebrity chefs but also to the increase of male chefs as characters in K-Dramas. There are chefs that you wish would cook for you, chefs you would want to date, but what chefs you would want to work for? Here's a list, rated out of 5 stars.

Best K-Drama Moments: July Week #3 - Mask, The Time We Were Not in Love, Oh My Ghost, High Society + I Remember You

Mask

Save me, but don't leave me.

Min Woo and Ji Sook hit a rough patch when Mi Yeon exposes our heroine's fraud. This gets Min Woo mad and he distances himself. Ji Sook has to divorce Min Woo to keep evil Seok Hoon from killing him to get his inheritance through her. However, Ji Sook is in a bind and feels she can't fully confide in her husband which frustrates him. So, they go through a hilarious couple counseling where they insist that they must divorce while showing that they are absolutely in love. It all comes to a head on their way to finalize their divorce. After Ji Sook confesses that looking at her husband's eyes gives her strength, he turns around and tells her that he loves her - not as Eun Ha but as Ji Sook. He reveals that her leaving him will be tantamount to killing him, so, if she wants to save him, she must stay by his side.

Dragon's Loyalty Award - Dorama Minaoshi Ver.

Rules

1) Display the award on your blog.

You'll find the award linked in my personal posts tab.

2) Announce your win with a post and acknowledge the person who nominated you.

Thank you muchly Eve, from Pen & Key! I've been long waiting to do another post like this, and you've made that happen! Thanks again!

3) Present 15 awards to deserving bloggers.

Emma (EmsyThorne)
smilesifyXO (Smiles No Matter)
And that's it...

Ship It: Park Shin Hye Edition

Park Shin Hye's path to stardom started young in a music video, grew together several hit dramas, and has hit its peak with each of her recent works becoming a huge hit. Watching her grow into the actress she is now - both talent-wise and beauty-wise - had been such a treat as a fan. And as she grows, her list of ships with popular actors grows as well. Here are some of her most recent boasted exceptional chemistry with actors.

News Articles #17: July 22, 2015 - Jun Ji Hyun is 10 Weeks Pregnant + Kim Woo Bin is Dating

Actress Jun Ji Hyun is 10 Weeks Pregnant

The news comes three years after Jun Ji Hyun's marriage to Choi Joon Hyuk, and the actress is currently 10 weeks pregnant, due in the beginning of next year. A source close to Jun Ji Hyun spoke to Dispatch, and said, "It was news they've both been waiting for. They really wanted to have a child this year, and they're really happy that things are going as planned."

Shizuku Takahashi - Hiding Behind a Mask

I discovered my addiction for the internet during my last year of primary school, 5 (technically 6 now that Year 10 is over for me) years ago. The first thing I did was sign up on Facebook and add all of my friends, from my school and from my past friends in Belgium. However, after that, I wanted to join more social media, like Google+ and Twitter, but because of a tiny incident in past, I didn't want to use my real name. Around that time, I had also discovered anime, and it was probably around at that time I was watching Bokura ga Ita (We Were There) and Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun. And I came up with the idea of using a Japanese styled name as a persona on the internet, and so, the name Shizuku Takahashi was created.

Happy Belated Birthday, Kim Woo Bin!

Kim Woo Bin

Nationality: South Korean

Gender: Male

Born: July 16, 2015

Age: 26

Previous Dramas:

2013 - The Heirs (Main Role - Choi Yeong Do)

2012 - School 2013 (Main Role - Park Heung Soo)

2012 - A Gentleman's Dignity (Supporting Role - Kim Dong Hyub)

2011 - Vampire Idol (Supporting Role - Gabri)

2011 - Cupid Factory (Supporting Role - Roy)

2011 - White Christmas (Main Role - Kang Mi Reu)

Best K-Drama Moments: July Week #2 - Mask, Oh My Ghost, The Time We Were Not in Love + High Society

Mask

I love you.

After a rough start, Min Woo and fake Eun Ha have found common ground and fallen in love. When Ji Sook overhears the evil Suk Hoon instructing someone over the phone to finish someone off, she understandably freaks out upon learning that Min Woo is hurt. She runs to him only to arrive at the hospital and find him with a tiny bruise on his head. When her now worried husband asks her if she's okay, she confesses that she loves him. It's about time and just what these two need to conquer the evil coming their way.

News Article #16: July 15, 2015 - Super Junior is Back With Their New Action-Packed "Devil" MV [100 Posts Special]

On July 15, the group dropped their tenth anniversary special album Devil, which includes songs from all their sub-units, including Super Junior T, SJ M, and SJ K.R.Y. The album features tracks written by Jaurim's Kim Yoon Ah, Rose Motel, Lee Seung Hwan, and Epitone Project. The group has also released their hugely anticipated music video for their title track Devil. It features the members starring in their own miniature movies, complete with fun posters and lots of action.

Infinite

As July seems to be the month all kpop bands are making their comeback, I've latched onto a new group: Infinite. As I watched their latest music video of Bad, I recognized two of the members very easily, and when I recognize an actor in a band, I will probably start to love that group. Those two actors were Hoya and Myungsoo (L), but I'll get to them two in a bit.

Infinite

Origin: Seoul, South Korea

Genres: Kpop

Years Active: 2010-present

Labels: Woollim Entertainment + Universal D

Associated Acts: Infinite H + Infinite F

Debut: June 9, 2010

Who Are You: School 2015 Ending Rewrite - The True Ending (Part One)

Eun Bi and Yi An stood together on the bridge of many events. The bridge that first gave Tae Kwang his romantic feelings towards Eun Bi, the bridge that Eun Byul finally confronted Yi An on after she disappeared for months on end. And now, they both stand there again to tell each other what needs to be said.

“I didn’t realize you would be leaving so soon.” Yi An finally started to stop the awkward silence. Things had been so difficult for them both recently, especially with Eun Byul’s sudden reappearance and So Young’s constant threats towards Eun Bi, that they both weren’t in the greatest place.

Best K-Drama Moments: July Week #1 - The Time We Were Not in Love, Warm and Cozy, Mask, I Remember You, Oh My Ghost + High Society

The Time We Were Not in Love

Love is sneaky.

During another crisis with her broken heart, Won dashes to be with Ha Na, and he cheers her up with the best way he knows how - with beer. In her hotel room, the two twig lots of brew, play games, get very loud, and trash the place in between some serious, heart-fluttering talks. The next morning, Won opens his eyes to find his best friend next to him, asleep on his arm. His mild surprise is quickly substituted with awe, as his eyes gently sweep over her lovely face. While he lightly brushes her hair back, his lips curl up in a smile. Won snaps out of the moment, though, when Ha Na begins to stir awake.

A Meaningful Life

"She never felt like she belonged anywhere, except for when she was laying on her bed, pretending to be somewhere else." - Rainbow Rowell, Eleanor & Park

"Now all you can do is wait. It must be hard for you, but there is a right time for everything. Like the ebb and flow of tides. No one can do anything to change them. When it is time to wait, you must wait." - Haruki Murakami, The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle

"...I sometimes think that people's hearts are like deep wells. Nobody knows what's at the bottom. All you can do is imagine by what comes floating to the surface every once in a while." - Haruki Murakami, Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman

It's Okay - BtoB

Boy group BtoB has released a dance version for their latest title track, It's Okay. Previously, the group released an omnibus-style music video for the single, which showcased all the seven members of the group acting in their own story-line.

Watch Original MV Here

K-Drama Trend: Noona Romances

Over the past years in K-Dramas, a particular romance concept has risen in popularity known as the "noona romance," a relationship in which the man is younger than the woman. Some K-Dramas known for having noona romances include A Witch's Romance, High School King of Savvy, I Need Romance 3, Birth of the Rich, Let's Eat, and I Hear Your Voice. Even now, noona romances are being featured in some of the most popular and highly-anticipated K-Dramas. Producer featured one when Baek Seung Chan (Kim Soo Hyun) tried to romance Tak Ye Jin (Gong Hyo Jin). The recently premiered The Time We Were Not in Love also established a noona romance with Oh Ha Na (Ha Ji Won) and her co-worker (L from K-Pop Group: Infinite).

14th Completed Drama: Warm and Cozy

Warm and Cozy

Synonyms: Agreeably Warm; Jeju Island Gatsby
Episodes: 16

Country: South Korea

Aired: May 13, 2015 - Jul. 2, 2015

Network: MBC

Duration: 1 hr. 10 mins.

Genres: Comedy, Romance

Viewers Rating: 7.8/10

My Rating: 9.0/10

MyDramaList Link

Synopsis: Baek Geon Woo, a man that has everything that a woman wants in a man: good looks, eloquence, and a gentle manner. Although he's the grasshopper type who only does things he wants to do, his honest personality is his charm. A clever man who knows his assets, he is unexpectedly innocent, opening a restaurant in Jeju Island just because the woman he likes is there. Lee Jung Joo, a woman who has struggled and worked hard all her life but never has a break, resulting in exasperation. She plays the grouchy ant in the fable. She puts up a front of confidence and pride but is actually weak and delicate. Never missing a day of work during the 7 years at her company, she starts a new life in Jeju Island after losing her job, house, and boyfriend in Seoul. Geon Woo and Jung Joo meet in Jeju Island.

Best K-Drama Moments: June Week #4 - Mask, The Time We Were Not in Love (x2) + I Remember You

Mask

I am his wife.

I've been pulling my hair in frustration, waiting for Ji Sook to fully embrace her Eun Ha persona and stop letting the pathetic loan sharks and her awful brother-in-law, Seok Hoon, intimidate and manipulate her. Finally, there might be hope for her. In an earlier scene, Eun Ha told Min Woo that a wife takes care for her husband. So, when she barged into a shareholder's meeting that would strip him of his position as director and announced that she's his wife, I practically screamed. Because that could mean she's about to take care of business and protect him.

Is It Real? Are Lee Jong Suk and Park Shin Hye Dating?!

As most fans of the two celebrities know, there have been a large amount of rumours about the two brilliant actors dating, however, it's not been confirmed that they are. I would have definitely loved this to have been true, but all we know is that they have been very close friends for a long time and they've been meeting frequently. Here is two articles combined explaining the situation as we know it at the moment:

Happy Birthday, Ahn Jae Hyun and Leeteuk!

We only have three pending birthdays this month, and July 1st is a dual birthday! It's my vampire oppa, Ahn Jae Hyun and Super Junior's leader, Leeteuk's birthday! The last birthday that will be celebrated this month is Kim Woo Bin's, but that isn't until the 16th, so I don't have to worry about it at the moment. Anyway, Happy Birthday you two!

My Most Anticipated Upcoming July 2015 K-Dramas

Oh My Ghost

Airs: July 3, 2015

Every Friday + Saturday on tvN

Bong Sun, a timid young woman, is possessed by the ghost of a lustful virgin. She has zero self-confidence, and because of her extreme shyness, she doesn't have any close friends. At the restaurant where she works as an assistant, she's not particularly good at anything, and mostly just gets yelled at a lot. Her grandmother was a shaman so from a young age, she's been able to occasionally see ghosts, though it's not until she meets the lascivious ghost that she gets possessed totally.

Sun Woo is a conceited star chef who's overflowing with confidence in his food and his skills. Bong Sun harbors a secret crush on him, though he doesn't take much notice of her for two reasons: because he's always surrounded by women and because he's hung up on an old flame. But then one day, Bong Sun starts acting differently, shedding her mousy personality, and ends up constantly on Sun Woo's mind.