The KPOP to K-Drama Crossover: The "Reverse Disney Effect"

It's no secret that I'm a K-drama whore enthusiast. I became obsessed with them when I went to China, and I haven't been able to shake my love for them since. But sometimes, my interest fades. Especially if there aren't any good dramas airing.

Recently, the networks have been a little dry. There were some historicals and melodramas, but nothing really sparked my interest. Then a new show aired, and holy shiz. It's awesome.

It's called "Monstar."

(No, that's not a typo.)

(It really is spelled that way.)

Basically, it's about these high school kids who are super into music that all have crazy personal problems, and they're all thrown together in the same class. One is a KPOP star who gets in trouble for hitting a fan after she assaults him. Another is a girl who moves from New Zealand to escape the mother she hates. Then there's the kid who's bullied at school and even a golden boy who isn't quite as golden as we think he is at first.

What you need to know: this show's baller.

And not only because Kang Ha Neul is in it.

*ahem*

Like, I was saying: it's awesome. But it got me thinking.

A LOT of K-Dramas have KPOP stars as the actors.

For example, this drama has Yong Jun Hyung starring as the main male role, but he's better known as a member of the KPOP boy band Beast.

...who happens to sing one of my most favoritest KPOP songs ever.

(And in unrelated news: Jun Hyung looks like the love child of Micky Yoo Chun and Jung Yong Hwa.)

(...if it were possible for two men to procreate.)

 +  = 

RIGHT?!

Anyway...

Moving on.

So a lot of KPOP stars move into acting. The aforementioned Yoochun and Yong Hwa BOTH started as KPOP stars that switched to acting (or dabbled at least, in Yong Hwa's case, as he still produces music with his band). And there's a ton more!

I've decided to compile a list of the KPOP stars I know that made an acting debut - or the Korean actors I know who got their starts in KPOP. And I've decided to call this "The Reverse Disney Effect"...as Disney channel stars tend to act first, then think they can release an album.

Stick with me.

This is a LONG list.

Micky Yoochun

Band

JYJ

Acted In

"Sungkyunkwan Scandal"

"Rooftop Prince"

"Miss You"

Kim Jae Joong

Band

JYJ

Acted In

"Heaven's Postman"

"Protect the Boss"

"Time Slip Dr. Jin"

Jung Yong Hwa

Band

CN Blue

Acted In

"You're Beautiful"

"Heartstrings"

Lee Jong Hyun

Band

CN Blue

Acted In

"A Gentleman's Dignity"

Taecyeon

Band

2PM

Acted In

"Dream High"

"Cinderella's Sister"

Wooyoung

Band

2PM

Acted In

"Dream High"

IU

Band

(Solo Artist)

Acted In

"Dream High"

Suzy

Band

Miss A

Acted In

"Dream High"

"Big"

"Gu Family Book"

JB

Band

JJ Project

Acted In

"Dream High 2"

"When A Man Loves"

JR

Band

JJ Project

Acted In

"Dream High 2"

Choi Min Ho

Band

Shinee

Acted In

"To the Beautiful You"

Jung Jin Woon

Band

2AM

Acted In

"Dream High 2"

Sulli

Band

f(x)

Acted In

"To the Beautiful You"

Seo In Guk

Band

(Solo Artist)

Acted In

"Love Rain"

"Reply to Me 1997"

Im Yoon Ah

Band

Girls' Generation

Acted In

"Love Rain"

Minhyuk

Band

CN Blue

Acted In

"Heartstrings"

Kim Hyun Joong

Band

SS501

Acted In

"Barefoot Friends" (Reality Show)

"Boys Over Flowers"

"Playful Kiss"

Lee Hong Ki

Band

FT Island

Acted In

"You're Beautiful"

Siwon

Band

Super Junior

Acted In

"Oh My Lady"

Park Ji Yeon

Band

T-ARA

Acted In

"Dream High 2"

"God of Study"

"Soul"

Ham Eun Jung

Band

T-ARA

Acted In

"Dream High"

"Coffee House"

Choi Seung Hyun (T.O.P.)

Band

BIGBANG

Acted In

"19"

"I Am Sam"

"Iris"

Rain

Band

(Solo Artist)

Acted In

"A Love to Kill"

"Full House"

"Runaway: Plan B"

"Sang Doo, Let's Go to School"

Choi Dong Wook (Se7en)

Band

(Solo Artist)

Acted In

"Goong S"

...and that was where I got tired of researching. Seriously though, the list goes on and on and on. I was actually sorta surprised once I started looking for singers/actors, just because I had no idea there were quite so many of them. (And there are more! I didn't list them all!)

A lot of dramas have something to do with music. So those make sense to cast a KPOP star. But I'm really interested by the ones that have nothing to do with music, where the person does absolutely no singing. Like Kim Hyun Joong in "Boys Over Flowers" or Im Yoon Ah in "Love Rain." Neither of those dramas involve music, but they were both cast as KPOP stars. Very interesting.

I'm sure it all has to do with marketing and a built-in fanbases and the ridiculous KPOP fangirls. But whatever it is, I like it. And while you definitely get some singers that don't act as well, I'll be real: I totally love the crossover!

And for love of all that's holy, can someone please make my life and cast Jay Park in a drama?! I WOULD DIE!

Until then, I'll just content myself lovelies like Yoochun and Taecyeon. :)

What do you think about KPOP stars crossing over into K-Drama?

Did I forget any stars that you like?

Let me know in the comments!

Waiting on Wednesday: Across a Star-Swept Sea, by Diana Peterfreund

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a meme created by Jill over at Breaking the Spine that

features books yet to be released that we're looking forward to reading.

Author: Diana Peterfreund
Title: Across a Star-Swept Sea
Series: For Darkness Shows the Stars #2
Genre: YA sci-fi
Pages: 464
Released: Oct. 15, 2013
Publisher: Balzer + Bray

Centuries after wars nearly destroyed civilization, the two islands of New Pacifica stand alone, a terraformed paradise where even the Reduction—the devastating brain disorder that sparked the wars—is a distant memory. Yet on the isle of Galatea, an uprising against the ruling aristocrats has turned deadly. The revolutionaries’ weapon is a drug that damages their enemies’ brains, and the only hope is rescue by a mysterious spy known as the Wild Poppy.

On the neighboring island of Albion, no one suspects that the Wild Poppy is actually famously frivolous aristocrat Persis Blake. The teenager uses her shallow, socialite trappings to hide her true purpose: her gossipy flutternotes are encrypted plans, her pampered sea mink is genetically engineered for spying, and her well-publicized new romance with handsome Galatean medic Justen Helo… is her most dangerous mission ever.

Though Persis is falling for Justen, she can’t risk showing him her true self, especially once she learns he’s hiding far more than simply his disenchantment with his country’s revolution and his undeniable attraction to the silly socialite he’s pretending to love. His darkest secret could plunge both islands into a new dark age, and Persis realizes that when it comes to Justen Helo, she’s not only risking her heart, she’s risking the world she’s sworn to protect.

In this thrilling adventure inspired by The Scarlet Pimpernel, Diana Peterfreund creates an exquisitely rendered world where nothing is as it seems and two teens with very different pasts fight for a future only they dare to imagine.

The Scarlet Pimpernel is basically one of my favorite books ever, so I pretty much hyperventilated when I saw that Diana's new book was going to be based on it. And while I'm a little wary about the girl actually being the Pimpernel (one of my favorite parts of the book was the foppishness of the male lead), I'm still really looking forward to this one.

And the cover. *swoon* SO. PRETTY. I'm also in love with the title. She's really killing it with the titles of the books in this series. Just saying.


What book are YOU looking forward to?

Which HarperCollins YA Imprint Is My Favorite?

A couple months ago, I wrote a post about which publishing houses I read the most from and which I have the most interest in. My results were basically that I'm a HarperCollins book whore, and while I love a lot of other publishers, I read the most (and have the most interest in) Harper books.

So this got me thinking: within HarperCollins, do I have a favorite imprint? Is there a specific imprint that I'm just really drawn to their books?

I have therefore decided to break down my GR bookshelf full of HarperCollins books into imprints, and I'll tell you how many of them I have on my shelves, whether read or TBR.

Harper Collins / Harper Collins Children's

Total Books: 26

I was actually a little surprised by this one, just because I feel like I don't notice this imprint much. I tend to lump these under the wide umbrella of "Harper Collins," as opposed to thinking of it as a separate imprint.

But "Harper Collins" publishes two of my favorite Harper authors: Amy Plum and Anna Godbersen. For that reason, my average rating of Harper Collins books that I've read is fairly high. This is definitely an imprint that I like!

Greenwillow

Total Books: 16

Greenwillow just doesn't have as many books coming out each year as Harper Collins or HarperTeen, but the books they do produce are high quality, I think. I tend to be really drawn to their unique concepts and intriguing voices. And often, Greenwillow books are some of my favorites.

Besides Rae Carson and Cindy Pon, Greenwillow has authors like Bethany Griffin (Masque of the Red Death), Leah Cypress (Mistwood), Heather Dixon (Entwined), and upcoming debut authors Elisa Sussman (Stray) and Alexandra Duncan (Salvage).

Katherine Tegan

Total Books: 8

This small number isn't that surprising to me, considering I've yet to actually read a Katherine Tegan book ever. A lot of them are futuristic sci-fi novels, and I'm not as into those. However, I have quite a few of them on my Kindle, and I intend to dig into this imprint as soon as possible.

Notable Katherine Tegan authors include Veronica Roth (Divergent), Mindy McGinnis (Not a Drop to Drink), Eve Silver (Rush), Jodi Meadows (Incarnate), and Claudia Gabel and Cheryl Klam (Elusion).

HarperTeen

Total Books: 73

HarperTeen is probably the largest YA Harper imprint, so this number isn't surprising either. There's lots of diversity in subject matter and genre, and my ratings have been just as diverse. HarperTeen tends to be hit or miss for me, just because I read so many of them and I read the good ones and not-as-good ones.

Some of my favorite HarperTeen authors are Tahereh Mafi (Shatter Me), Josephine Angelini (Starcrossed), Melissa Marr (Wicked Lovely), Lesley Livingston (Wondrous Strange), Susan Dennard (Something Strange and Deadly), and Kiera Cass (The Selection).

Other big authors at this imprint are Kiersten White (Paranormalcy), Aprilynne Pike (Wings), Sophie Jordan (Firelight), Louise Rennison (Withering Tights), and Claudia Gray (Evermore).

Balzer + Bray

Total Books: 20

Let's be real: Balzer + Bray is my jam. I think they have some of the coolest books with the coolest ideas, and their covers are basically the best ever. Like with Greenwillow, I think there's just something really cool about Balzer + Bray, and I tend to really like their books.

Some of the biggest Balzer + Bray authors are Diana Peterfreund (For Darkness Shows the Stars), CJ Redwine (Defiance), Sarah Strohmeyer (Smart Girls Get What They Want), Gretchen McNeil (Ten), and Elizabeth Norris (Unraveling).

Balzer + Bray also has some great-sounding books coming out soon that I'm dying to read, like Snow Like Winter, a high fantasy by Sara Raasch, and Prisoner of Night and Fog by Anne Blankman, a historical about a German girl who grows up among Nazis and begins to question all she's been taught.


So the data says I'm most interested in HarperTeen and Harper Collins Children's, but those numbers are a little stilted, since those two imprints post the most books.

Of the three smaller imprints, I'm definitely most interested in Balzer + Bray, then Greenwillow, with Katherine Tegan pulling in at the end, mostly because they publish a lot of sci-fi and that's not my favorite genre.


I'd like to do something similar to this post with other publishing houses, but I'm not sure I read enough from other publishers to gather enough data. Maybe I'll try and do it for Simon & Schuster and Penguin. We'll see!

Do you have a favorite Harper imprint?

What is it?

Let me know in the comments!

Review: For Darkness Shows the Stars, by Diana Peterfreund

Author: Diana Peterfreund
Title: For Darkness Shows the Stars
Series: For Darkness Shows the Stars #1 (companion series)
Genre: YA sci-fi
Pages: 402
Released: June 12, 2012
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Source: Bought

It's been several generations since a genetic experiment gone wrong caused the Reduction, decimating humanity and giving rise to a Luddite nobility who outlawed most technology.

Elliot North has always known her place in this world. Four years ago Elliot refused to run away with her childhood sweetheart, the servant Kai, choosing duty to her family's estate over love. Since then the world has changed: a new class of Post-Reductionists is jumpstarting the wheel of progress, and Elliot's estate is foundering, forcing her to rent land to the mysterious Cloud Fleet, a group of shipbuilders that includes renowned explorer Captain Malakai Wentforth--an almost unrecognizable Kai. And while Elliot wonders if this could be their second chance, Kai seems determined to show Elliot exactly what she gave up when she let him go.

But Elliot soon discovers her old friend carries a secret--one that could change their society . . . or bring it to its knees. And again, she's faced with a choice: cling to what she's been raised to believe, or cast her lot with the only boy she's ever loved, even if she's lost him forever.

Inspired by Jane Austen's Persuasion, For Darkness Shows the Stars is a breathtaking romance about opening your mind to the future and your heart to the one person you know can break it.

Persuasion is one of my favorite Jane Austen novels. I love how intense the story is, how you just ache for the characters. I was really excited to see a YA reinterpretation of this novel, and it seemed like such an incredible concept. And while I did enjoy it, I had a hard time connecting with the romance, which was my favorite part of the original novel.

First and foremost, I feel like I need to express my love for Elliott, the MC. I loved this girl! She's become one of my favorite YA heroines for sure. I feel like she is truly a "strong heroine." Not because she can physically beat up anyone but because of her endurance and perseverance, because she is a survivor. She has so many disappointments thrown her way and yet she keeps on keeping on. She doesn't let the setbacks immobilize her, and she fights for the people she loves. I was just really impressed with her character and would love to see more heroines like her in YA.

However, I think my love for Elliott actually made me dislike Kai more than I would have if I hadn't liked her so much. In the original book, Persuasion, Captain Wentworth is cold and aloof, but he is never cruel. Kai is cruel. And confrontational. And just flat out mean, especially to Elliott. I had a really hard time connecting with him or feeling bad for him or feeling really anything besides dislike. Yes, he gets nicer, but for me, it was too little too late. I feel like he never truly apologized for what he said and did to her, just acted like he was totally right and she was totally wrong. That didn't fly with me.

And because I didn't like Kai, I didn't care for the romance. I kept wishing Elliott would just run off with one of the other boys. I didn't understand how she could still love Kai after four years and now he's treating her so terribly.

Thankfully, there are a lot of scenes that don't involve romance. I liked these a lot! I enjoyed watching Elliott struggle with her family and trying to take care of the "Reduced" and "Posts" that worked the family's estate. And I loved her character arc in this regard - how she matures so much in relation to her family and friends.

I also thought the worldbuilding was great! It's a really interesting concept, and it felt like it fell between post-apocalyptic and dystopian. You could argue that it's dystopian since the Luddites are in control and oppressive, but you could also argue it's dystopian since there's so much destruction and society is so fragmented. I don't know. I think it could go either way, depending on how you interpret it.

Overall, I enjoyed the book. It was a slower-paced read, but I was interested enough to keep reading. Also, Elliott is definitely a great character, and I appreciated that the story is told in third person (as that's so uncommon in YA now). I'm really looking forward to Across a Star-Swept Sea, the companion novel, because it's a retelling of The Scarlet Pimpernel - and I now know that Diana Peterfreund has a great writing style and creates fabulous heroines! :)