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.