Zettai Kareshi (絶対彼氏) / Absolute Boyfriend
Fuji TV Spring 2008 season
I find it strange that I like Zettai Kareshi so much. Although I love the romantic comedy genre of j-dramas (as opposed to the melodramas) in general, I can’t help but be reminded of the horrible conclusion that the title is everything that I am not. I’ve only seen the first few episodes since the summer started while stuck in airports and planes without in-flight entertainment, but here are some initial thoughts on the series:
The long-awaited animated special of my all-time favorite k-drama MiSa (미안하다, 사랑한다 / Mianhada, Saranghanda) has finally been released on DVD. I want it so bad.
Tell me, tell me, t-t-t-t-t-t-tell me/ 나를 사랑한다고 날 기다려왔다고
I got addicted to the Wonder Girls after hearing ‘tell me’ on Lobbyist. I wish I could afford the $150 tickets to see the Wonder Girls on Friday. I can’t remember the last time I paid so much for entertainment, but I think it would be worth the money to see all the people in the audience who memorized the dance steps. Admittedly I memorized them too (it works for the boy version), though I’m nowhere as good as these guys rofl or even these guys (or these guys that James told me about). I wish my army days had been like that.
Microfinance is kind of like initiating a kiss. You take a risk on a long shot… and hopefully it pays off
(Actually I just wanted an excuse to post my favorite scene up)
In July 2007, the South Korean ministry of finance announced that it had hired the lead actor and actress from a hit television serial that aired May-July to promote their microcredit program. That television serial, “War of Money” (쩐의전쟁), was about the informal moneylending industry in South Korea, reaching an average of 32.8% of households in the greater Seoul area and 31% nationwide, and it was the top-rated serial of the season, so popular that ‘bonus’ episodes were produced - it remains one of my personal all-time favorite kdramas. Much of its storyline emphasized themes of income volatility, uncollateralized credit, innovative entrepreneurship, and good (and bad) borrowing practices - all themes relevant to microfinance. In an interview prior to the serial’s airing, the lead actor Park Shin-yang (박신양, of Lovers in Paris/파리의연인 fame) had even noted that one of the sources of inspiration that he drew from was the work of Muhammad Yunus and the Grameen Bank.
Perhaps it may be useful to take “Money’s Warfare” one step further, and consider a similar application of television serials in microfinance education, through its plot, themes, and product placement strategy.
My winter break on campus is dedicated to essays, applications, self-study, and exercise - which I had been diligent about all summer but neglected completely during the term. Now that the dorms are empty, I have the gym all to myself, and I intend to make full use of it. Gotta get back in shape, mens sana in corpore sano and all that. Now every muscle in my body aches. But I can’t be working all the time, so to prepare for my long-awaited Tokyo adventure, I am immersing myself in a semester’s backlog of j-dramas. All k-dramas and c-dramas have been put on hold. Here’s what I’m watching:
So it’s confirmed, I’m going to Tokyo, and they have posted the full text of the essay online if you care to read it. Although they liked my essay, they didn’t like it enough:
We would like to express our gratitude to you for submitting your essay to the JFTC Essay Competition 2007. After a strict screening of all the essays, we have selected your essay, “Gundamnomics: Transforming Corporate Japan for the Challenges of Global Capitalism” as a candidate for an award. The final result is scheduled to be announced on Friday, December 14, and the winners will be notified directly. The Awarding Ceremony and our New Year’s Reception will be held from 16:30 to 19:00 on January 9, 2008 at Hotel New Otani, Tokyo, Japan.
