Sort of Back...

Alright! Finally done with exams for the semester, so I will definitely be reviewing dramas, movies and books this winter break,(though I don't know how far I'll get).
Checking the list I've been revising a few entries ago, I'll probably be finishing off "Bull Doctor" then "Iryu no Sousa" as they were the dramas I was watching right before I started classes. "Youkai Ningem Bem" might come after those two depending when the drama finishes.
I'm also aiming to spend more time reading, so I might be finishing off that "childhood book marathon" I was originally doing during the summer before reviewing or even watching the other Asian shows I put on my list. Hopefully the next entry will be up soon!

Tabs

Just found a list of most anticipated Japanese fall dramas :]    And my top choice to review in the future is currently Yokai Ningen Bem!  It's a remake of an old/popular anime from the 1960s. (I found a clip on youtube and was oddly reminded of Scooby Doo) I watched the first episode without subs and enjoyed it so now all I have to do is wait for the subs *awkward laugh*   In the meanwhile...I will get back to watching the other dramas I haven't finished off as well as reviewing books. (Once I get the time to actually do so *sigh*)

Revised Reviews (to do list)

Finally back. The past weeks have been either occupied by exams and labs so it's been hectic, but now I have a bit of a break before it goes back to being hell. Unfortunately I haven't gotten around to watching any new dramas, or reading books and reviewing them so I'm doing a revised review on Ikemen Desu Ne. I kind of gave up on watching it originally, but people kept raving on about it, so I decided to finish it.Not extremely bad, but neither was it really worth my time, though I've watched worse. So I'll review it once my schedule isn't busy. And I just realized I have a review for a book waiting to be finished in my drafts pile, so that too will be done when I get the chance.

You've Fallen For Me (Heartstrings)

Originally when I first heard about this drama the thought that came to mind was "Someone really wanted to make a drama where Jung Yong Hwa and Park Shin Hye get together." And that's still one of my main thoughts about the pairing/drama.

Lee Shin is a university student majoring in modern music. He is also the vocalist and guitarist of the band "The Stupid." Shin is known for his good looks and strong passion for music, but in reality he is cold, lacks interest in anything unrelated to music and has neither dreams nor plans for the future. He initially likes Jung Yoon Soo, a dance professor at university, but this all changes when he meets Lee Kyu Won.

Lee Kyu Won is a bright and outgoing student who was born into a prestigious family and is majoring in traditional Korean instruments, especially the gayageum. Kyu Won's grandfather, Lee Dong Gun, is one of the top 3 traditional musicians of his age and his biggest wish is to see his granddaughter become a traditional music prodigy. Trying to live up to her grandfather's expectations, Kyu Won immerses herself in training and becomes a university student who knows nothing outside of her studies. As her friends are fans of "The Stupid", she was forced to go to the band's concert with them. There she saw Lee Shin performing live, and is immediately captivated by him - DramaWiki

The overall presentation of this drama runs rather smoothly, though like any other Korean drama there's a bit of drag in the beginning. I was impressed by the singing performances in this drama, but not a fan of the background music which accompanied many of the scenes, except for maybe two or three. Music wise, combining the use of traditional instruments and modern instruments was probably one of my favorite things about this drama. It was an amazing sight that I don't usually see nor hear (^-^)  I did admire the acting of the main actors.Park Shin Hye has never come across as a actress whose acting annoys the hell out of me and Jung Yong Hwa's simple gestures and expressions sum up his character's behavior. The chemistry between them was amazing and I enjoyed it. The communication between all the other characters was great as well. Kang Min Hyuk and the grandfather were my favorite when watching them interact with other characters throughout the drama.
However what I didn't like about this drama was the ending. I was reminded of the rushed and unexplained ending of City Hunter. It was sloppy work that could've been better and should've been. And personally...I wish that Park Shin Hye stuck with being a traditional instruments player rather than getting a record deal (this is coming from a person who used to play the Chinese harp and really appreciates traditional Asian instruments) Otherwise that's most of my complaints about this drama.  It was an overall cute drama, but not something memorable or worth watching a second time.

To be reviewed...

So my friend suggested two dramas for me to watch after I finished City Hunter,so I'll  be focusing on Heartstrings (korean drama) and Ouran High School Host Club (japanese drama) for the time being if there's enough episodes to watch.

To do list (will be updated):

Warrior Baek Dong Soo (Korean)
Bull Doctor (Japanese) [in process]
Iryu Sousa (Japanese) [in process]

Iris (Korean)
Youkai Ningen Bem (Japanese) [in process]
DOCTORS Saikyou no Meii (Japanese)
Kaseifu no Mita (Japanese)
Playful Kiss (Korean)
Toki Wo Kakeru Shoujo [live action film 2010] (Japanese)
Strawberry Night (Japanese)
Lucky Seven (Japanese)
Seinaru Kaibutsutachi (Japanese)
Shirato Osamu no Jikenbo (Japanese)
Skip Beat (Taiwanese)

Remote (Japanese)

If anyone has a drama they liked to suggest, by all means please do since I'm always looking for more dramas to watch.

City Hunter (Part 2)

~ I realized that I had a lot more to write on the drama and decided to split it into two parts so it wouldn't get excessively long~

Aside from the themes, I thought the feel of City Hunter played out well, the last two episodes hit me hard, but not as much as I expected. The main actors and actress(es) were chosen well.
-Kim Sang Joong -->  I really loved Kim Sang Joong's portrayal of Lee Jin Pyo who I hated in the beginning, but in the end I felt sad for. You really feel his anger and hatred, but also the love he has for son as well as his sorrow. He's an excellent actor so there's a good possibility I'll be looking into other dramas he's been in. 
-Lee Min Ho --> I originally saw him in Personal Taste (no I haven't watched Boys Before Flowers) and was blown away by his kissing skills more than his acting. He's definitely good looking, but he proved he has acting skills in this drama and damn good ones. I can't even try to begin just how well he portrayed Lee Yoon Sung. From the cool exterior of professor, to the "City Hunter", and to the son of Lee Jin Pyo, I was amazed. All I saw was of Min Ho was his character, where nothing seemed out of place. I'm convinced he nailed exactly how Yoon Sung was supposed to be like. His expressions definitely captured the time and feeling of whatever scene was occurring, especially his eyes. It's honestly hard to put into words, but overall he just proved he was an excellent actor.
-Park Min Young --> I tend to be prejudice against actresses for some reason. (Maybe I'm just harder on my own gender) However I give her credit. She did well portraying Kim Na Na, the love interest of Yoon Sung. Her character carries the pain and agony of her parents car accident, her duty towards her work, and her feelings toward Yoon Sung. Definitely not your weak, defenseless, idiotic sort of girl. She did get on my nerve a little, but not as much as I was expecting. Min Young held her own in this drama fairly well.
-Lee Joon Hyuk --> Another good looking guy, but he definitely held his own in this drama too. His character, Kim Young Joo, also carries some sort of burden which weighs heavy on his heart. Despite that burden, Young Joo, is a prosecutor, who has the strongest sense of duty and justice in his department (or so that's implied). I don't have a lot to say except I was lost for words when I realized what was going to happen to his character and actually despaired when my predictions came true. 


DISLIKES/COMPLAINTS
I was disappointed by the growth of the other characters in the drama or rather how the producer decided to cut the side stories short and leave you questioning. Yes, the main characters were given enough screen time and development, but I really didn't like how shallow some of the other characters seemed. Screen time, character development...I've seen better for the side characters and wish the producers and director did focus on them a little more than they did. The five politicians certainly got enough screen time to make you really hate them. I have some issues with the very last episode though considering it felt really rushed to me. Perhaps I was just used to how much time they gave in planning and plotting against the first four antagonists, but it really left a few important relationships unanswered and overall the ending was just sloppy. Not what I expected from this drama at all. 

City Hunter

I'm pretty sure this Korean drama has gotten a lot of reviews, but I already made a resolve to write one once I finished this drama, so I'll do it. I know I'm a little behind, but I was waiting for all the episodes to actually come out for this drama because there was just way too much suspense! I hate suspense, I hate how it drives me insane that I can't focus on anything.

The story takes place in Seoul, 2011. Lee Yoon Sung is a talented MIT-graduate who works on the international communications team in the Blue House. He plans revenge on five politicians who caused his father's death with his surrogate father Lee Jin Pyo and eventually becomes a "City Hunter." - DramaWiki
(AsianMediaWiki has a longer summary if anyone wants to know more. Beware though...it's really lengthy. But it actually explains the plot!!)


- This is my first time watching a action/suspense/romance Korean drama and I have to say I loved it. The Korean dramas that I've watched so far are usually romance and humor so this is a totally different genre. I forgot why I ended up deciding to watch it, though I think it had something to do with the plot and the main actor (Lee Min Ho). With most Korean dramas, it usually takes a few episodes before the plot actually starts moving and so it drags on. City Hunter's plot (I admit) was confusing the first half of the first episode, it took me a while to realize that it was foreshadow. That was what I liked about it though. Rather than doing flashbacks throughout the series and piecing the reasoning together little by little, they had another story line set up for it. Though I guess it was sort of necessary; the first episode  became the foundation for the entire drama. 
Like I mentioned earlier, this is a action/suspense/romance drama. There's a bit of humor however, as to lighten the atmosphere of the scene when called for. But overall it's the action and suspense which really grabs your attention. The romance was an obvious factor right from the start, but I started to loose sight of  its place in the drama near the end. And rather than romance, love played a more important role. The love residing in family bonds is probably one of the main themes of this drama. Most movies and dramas usually don't emphasize on such extremes, but I really liked how City Hunter chose to focus on those themes.  (Though it was pretty melodramatic.) This drama also really focused on "the ends justifying the means". It really focuses on the way politics work and how it never is black and white. Even those who seem  "pure" and good have gotten their hands dirty in order to reach their cause. It reminded me of a line from the movie, Dark Knight. "You die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villain."  To every child, their parents are like their heroes and it's hard for us to come to terms when we realize our parents aren't perfect. We want to save them or lift them up to the stature we originally came up with because admittedly...who wants to acknowledge that their parent is no hero, but a villain?

The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster

If it weren't for my aunt and uncle, I would've never read this book or even known about it. Out of the set of four they gave me for my birthday when I was a kid, this book was my favorite. It still remains quite a unique story in it's own right.

"It tells the story of a bored young boy named Milo who unexpectedly receives a magic tollbooth one afternoon and, having nothing better to do, decides to drive through it in his toy car. The tollbooth transports him to a land called the Kingdom of Wisdom. There he acquires two faithful companions, has many adventures, and goes on a quest to rescue the princesses of the kingdom, Princess Rhyme and Princess Reason. The text is full of puns, and many events, such as Milo's jump to the Island of Conclusions, exemplify literal meanings of English language idioms." - Wikipedia  


- When I said this book was unique, I literally meant it. Recently I read it as part of my reading goal for the summer. I forgot just how odd this book was. The language is actually quite complex for a child's book and most likely meant for more advanced readers. Being a bookworm as a kid, it wasn't complex, but I'm sure it was difficult considering a few words and descriptions threw me off when I read it recently.
I loved how this book makes you think, not about the plot, but how you could view the world. It's similar to Alice in Wonderland, twisting the way you perceive the world and allowing for alternate perspectives to be suggested. However it does lead away from part of the plot. I ended up forgetting why Milo was travelling and only remembered when it was mentioned throughout the story. Overall I enjoyed this book as it reminded me of my childhood and the sort of wild imagination I had as a kid. The world is full of wonders, yet we tend to forget that as we grow older. We all need a little push to remember how intriguing the world is.

You're Beautiful

Since I mentioned Ikemen Desu Ne, I thought it'd be right to talk about You're Beautiful. It's been over a year since I watched it, but I'll review it off what I remember.

"The management company of the idol group A.N.JELL insisted on adding a new singer to the group as the lead vocal, Tae Kyung's voice was hurting. However,the new member, Mi Nam, had to go to the States to repair a botched eye job just before signing the contract. His agent came up with the idea of having his twin sister, Mi Nyu,to stand in for him and pretend that she was her brother. The two of them grew up in an orphanage and Mi Nyu, who was all set to become a nun, agreed to this charade as she didn't want to spoil her brother's chance of fame which would make it easier to look for their mother." - DramaWiki

- Unlike some of the other korean dramas I've seen where they drag for a few episodes before actually pick up the pace, this drama in particular kept me wanting to watch. If not for the plot, then because of the characters. The cast performed well and had the perfect chemistry
~ Jang Geun Suk's portrayal of Hwang Tae Kyung just made me want to hate the guy for wearing eyeliner, but I grew to hate/love his character. For being a jerk, snobby, and cold to almost everyone...why is it that the lead girl always falls for that sort of guy? (referring to Hana Yori Dango) However his emotional, tear-jerking scenes won me over because I could feel his agony and emotions for Go Mi Nam (played by Park Shin Hye). Another thing that won me over was his facial expressions, I laughed a bit too much each time he made a face at being touched or when he smirked. Lastly, was his voice. I actually recognized him by his voice before I did by his face (eyeliner and long hair threw me off). I originally saw him in the Korean movie, Do re mi fa so la ti do, about two years prior You're Beautiful where I also first heard him sing and his voice has stuck with me since. However, hearing him sing, especially in the last episode, I never saw Jang Geun Suk, all I saw was Hwang Tae Kyung.
~ Jung Yong Hwa played Kang Shin Woo, the sweet, quiet, supporting guy with an unrequited love. You basically for the guy just because his love for Go Mi Nam is unrequited. Originally, I didn't think he was cute whatsoever, though he did strike me as a calm, mature man. I knew nothing about Jung Yong Hwa considering most people hadn't (this drama was his breakthrough) so I couldn't say anything about his acting. There was no stiffness or awkwardness from what I saw though and I slowly warmed up to his character. He expressed his emotions just enough that you understood what he was feeling and it didn't feel overwhelming or fake. I did wonder if he could sing however considering the rest of the main cast could (and very well). And to my surprise in one episode (JUST ONE!!), he sung with just a acoustic guitar for back up and swept me off my feet. You can't compare his voice with  Jang Geun Suk or Lee Hong Ki because it's nothing like theirs. What really got me about Yong Hwa's voice though was how much emotion I could feel coming from him. I was spellbound for those two minutes. And now I'm hooked onto C.N. Blue who he's the lead singer for.
~ Lee Hong Ki who is the reason I even watched this drama, played Jeremy. I knew Hong Ki was a talented singer since I followed F.T Island, but I didn't know anything about his acting and honestly...Yaotome Hikaru has nothing on Hong Ki. When I watched the first episode, I thought I was watching a man who was overly optimistic and hyper like a child. But I continued to watch and "Jeremy" wormed his way into my heart. Seriously, Hong Ki made one want to pamper his character. He had his random, bizzare moments that only he could pull off too. It was an endearing mix of silliness, cuteness, and well..."that's Jeremy for you". Yaotome Hikaru just can't pull it off like Hong Ki can. He can get obnoxious at times, but in the end you can't stay mad at him, you just can't. And the scene where Park Shin Hye's character breaks his heart? I was a bit behind on that episode and people said they teared up at that scene, but I thought they were just exaggerating until I watched it for myself. I felt sorry for Kang Shin Woo, but watching Jeremy made me seriously tear up. I never tear up at acting, so the fact that I actually did at his says one thing --> impressive acting.
~Park Shin Hye the protagonist of the drama, plays Go Mi Nam. Technically she's pretending to be the twin brother throughout the drama. This is the first time I've seen her act, though I know she's been in commercials with Jang Geun Suk. She's pretty with long hair and short hair. However I didn't think she really passed for a guy. She played the role well and she's got a nice voice, but realistically would anyone be convinced she was a guy especially when she sang? On the other hand, compared to Takimoto Miori, Park Shin Hye doesn't overdo her character in terms of exaggerating expressions and emotions. She's one of the few Korean actresses whose acting I've actually enjoyed so far.

Ikemen Desu Ne

The Japanese remake of the Korean drama - You're Beautiful. I'm not much of a fan of Korean dramas as I am of Japanese dramas, but You're Beautiful was one of the few exceptions. When I heard Japan was going to make a remake if the drama, I had mixed feelings. Remakes rarely go well. However, I decided to give it a shot.

- I think right from the start I was disappointed. When I heard Japan was going to remake this drama I expected some differences, but the beginning of episode 1 was exactly like the Korean version. Much of the drama so far follows the same format as the Korean one. There are some minor differences, but it's still too early in the drama to say if anything major will be altered. However I'm debating if I will continue to watch this. The main cast is a bit disappointing. Takimoto Miori who plays Mio isn't exactly convincing and looks more feminine than Park Shin Hye did when disguised as her brother. She doesn't convince me with her role and comes off flaky, whimsical and annoying. Tamamori Yuta who plays Katsuragi Ren, his role is probably the most difficult to live up to. From what I researched it seems he hasn't done a lot of acting so that already is a set back, so far his acting seems very rough and forced, hopefully it won't feel so as the drama continues. Second his voice just does not carry the same power that Jang Geun Suk's does, but I don't have many expectations considering he's from Johnny's Entertainment (as the other two main guys are). Fujigaya Taisuke plays the role of Fujishiro Shu, you're typical "Hanazawa Rui" (refer to Hana Yori Dango). I can't remember the name of the show I've seen him on, but I'm having a hard time actually seeing him as his character. He's cute, I'll give him that, but his acting feels stiff and compared to Jung Yong Hwa, I'm not feeling it. He makes a pretty girl though (referring to a particular scene in episode 2). Last up is Yaotome Hikaru who plays Hongo Yuki. I really don't know where to start with this guy. I'm a bit biased because I actually like Hikaru, but the same goes for Lee Hong Ki who played the Korean version of Hikaru's character. So far Hikaru has made me grin watching his character, but I think he's overdoing it a little trying to be cute. I've seen his acting before and I think he has potential if he stops trying to be cute like Hong Ki. Overall the chemistry of these four has been very sloppy and I hope things get better with time, but I'm not getting my hopes up for this drama. The Korean version definitely wins.

Holes

I was the bookworm in my family and probably still am. However a lot of my favorite books I discovered through my cousins, including the Harry Potter series. One of them was Holes by Louis Sachar. Sound familiar? There was a film based off the book starring Shia LaBeouf if that helps your memory any.


This book, hands down, is one of my favorite childhood books. It tops Harry Potter in my list, which is a pretty hard feat to overcome. If you haven't read it yet, you should.

-Wrongly accused of stealing the famous baseball player, Clyde "Sweetfeet" Livingston's shoes, Stanley Yelnats is given the choice to go to jail or be sent to Camp Green Lake. Who wouldn't choose a camp over jail right? For Stanley who blames his "no-good-dirty-rotten-pig-stealing-great-great-grandfather" for getting him into all this trouble, this is just the beginning of an experience that will captivate your mind with each page. From the dry, dusty pages of when Stanley first steps into Camp Green Lake, you'll find there's more than to just "digging holes" and "building character" in this book. Louis Sachar creates a story that has layer after layer of ideas you'd never imagine to be interesting. From the boys of cabin D who Stanley will reside with, to the countless holes and endless heat, to yellow spotted lizards, to the Warden of Camp Green Lake, and to many more ideas, the twists you find in each chapter will leave you wanting to dig deeper and deeper.

Introduction (I guess)

Never liked introductions, but ok... I'm your average girl/woman who's studying at college right now. I started this blog so that I could write reviews on books I've read and maybe my opinion on shows and movies. I'm awkward, but I will give my honest opinion and hopefully (if anyone ever reads this) I won't confuse you with my words.

I'll mostly bereviewing Asian dramas and movies in terms of film and television because I'm intrigued how different their style is compared to Hollywood and American television. But if I feel like it I'll post my opinion on other films and shows from other cultures.