Korean Drama Spotlight: Descendants of the Sun

Hello everyone! =)

Today, I want to give a shout out to the drama that I have been loving lately. This is the 1st Korean TV drama that have been completed in one go before airing unlike the traditional way of shooting the scenes while it is still being aired on television. I think this is because the majority of the scenes have taken place in Urk & needs a good cinematography & props. This means that this story will progress and end as what the writer & director wanted and won't be affected by the viewers rating.

DESCENDANTS OF THE SUN

Episodes: 16
Network: KBS2
Release date: February 24 - April 14, 2016
Airing time: Wednesday & Thursday
 PLOT:
This is a story of Captain Yoo Shi Jin of the Special Forces & Dr. Kang Mo Yeon, a great surgeon who failed to become a professor because of lack of connections. They have great attraction from the beginning but has decided to part ways after several of their dates not ending up well due to their professions. 8 months later & they met again in a mission at Urk.

CASTS:
Song Joong Ki as Yoo Shi Jin
Song Hye Kyo as Kang Mo Yeon
Jin Goo as Seo Dae Yeong
Kim Ji Won as Yoon Myeong Joo


For a more detailed casts check out Asian Wiki.


My thoughts about this drama after watching the first 6 episodes:

OMG! This drama is great!  This is the first drama of Song Joong Ki after his military service that ended last year. I do believe this is a great comeback for him. I am a Joong Ki fan since Sangkyukwan Scandal and he is really a great actor so this role fits him perfectly. Also, since he just came from the military, his acting is more believable as he did underwent the proper basic training for soldiers. And did I mention he is hot in this drama? He came back so manly. Gone with the aura of a pretty poster boy. He just came back as a gorgeous hunk in my eyes haha =)

He also have great onscreen chemistry with Song Hye Kyo. The way they interact is so natural & believable. I love all of their scenes together because you can see the conflict in their eyes because of their situation. I can't say anymore as I don't want to spoil this drama to others who have not watched this yet. All I can say is that I can't get any more excited about seeing how their love story will end. I just hope this is a happy ending *crossing my fingers*. The story is so unpredictable so I don't know where it is headed but I really do hope this will end well.

I also enjoyed the love story of the second lead. It is nice to see Kim Ji Won  not acting as a young heiress who gets everything she wants. Seeing her as a military surgeon is a breathe of fresh air & I believe this role will give her more opportunities in the future. She deserves to be given more mature roles as she can definitely do it as evidence in this drama. Her love story w/Dae Yong is also realistic in a way. I am getting invested in their story too which I could see glimpses of every episode. I can't wait to see how theirs will unfold.

Over-all, I encourage all of you drama-fanatics to please watch & support Descendants of the Sun because this is legit & will make you want to push that replay button over and over again until the next episode comes haha =)


XOXO,

K-Drama Review: The Heirs

I'm on a roll today! This is already my 2nd post of the day because I had quite a hard time signing in in blogger for 2 weeks now. Everytime I want to write something, I can't sign in. Luckily, i was able to today so here I am, uploading all the stuff I was supposed to upload in the last 2 weeks. 

I have actually finished this drama last December since I usually like watching dramas the same time it airs in South Korea. So yeah, this is a long overdue drama review but it's better late than never, right? :)

TITLE: The Heirs/The Inheritors
EPISODES: 20
GENRE: Drama, love story
BROADCASTING NETWORK: SBS
AIRING DATES: October 9 - December 12, 2013
AIRING TIME: Wednesday-Thursday
SYNOPSIS:  
"He Who Wishes To Wear the Crown, Endure Its Weight – The Heirs" 
This is actually a high school drama revolving about the different kinds of heirs in the upper crust society. The drama showed how each class lives & the restrictions & responsibilities that comes with their family's fortune. It also showed how the commoners live day to day. It's full of family, money & love problems.

CASTS: 

Lee Min-ho as Kim Tan
Park Shin-hye as Cha Eun Sang
Kim Woo-bin as Choi Young Do
Choi Jin-hyuk as Kim Won
Krystal Jung [of F(x)] as Lee Bo Na
Kim Ji-won as Yoo Rachel 
Kang Min-hyuk [of CN Blue] as Yoon Chan Young
Kang Ha-neul as Lee Hyo Shin 
  Park Hyung-sik [of ZE:A] as Jo Myung Soo 


MY REVIEW:

I will start my review by saying I am a fan of Lee Min Ho. All of his dramas that I have watched were awesome! He is one of my fave Korean actors because he can act any character from a young innocent boy to a dangerous killer. He can pull off anything so I know he'll do great here, which he did, I love his acting in this drama. Now, I know it's not a good thing to compare all his works but you can't help but have some expectations. That's where my problem began with this drama, I had super high hopes about The Heirs. 

As I've said, the storyline itself is great. It's not unique coz the theme has been used a lot of time (Poor-girl-rich-boy-with-snobbish-parents-meets-in-a-prestigious-school) but it's not always that the focus of the story is the family & personal problems of the rich kids. Also, the setting is  beautiful especially the scenes in California. This drama is full of gorgeous sceneries & amazing outfits.

Another point is that all of the casts are good in acting, even the K-pop singers are great. i have no complaints in the acting department because everyone fit the role they are playing & they were able to portray it with the intensity needed for each scene. I really enjoyed watching them especially Minhyuk & Krystal because they really fit the role. I really think they have a future in the drama industry. Choi Jin Hyuk is always awesome & I'm glad he got another supporting role here. This is my first time watching Kim Woo Bin and I'm surprised that a model turned actor is good. His emotional scenes are really on the spot & full of emotions. Even w/o dialogue you will feel him. This is the 2nd time I've watched Kim Ji Won & I actually liked her role here coz she was able to portray the mean girl aura perfectly. Hyunshik has such a little role and it's a weird one so no comment. Kang Ha neul is okay, but he also don't have enough scenes for me to judge his acting. Overall, even the supporting casts (the parents) are great and believable.

Now, for the lead characters. I have watched Park Shin Hye since You're beautiful until Flowerboy Next Door. I liked her personally because she's really a talented girl, not to mention pretty. All of her dramas that I have watched, I never had any complaints with her acting skills. Even here in The Heirs, her acting is superb. My problem is, she really can't create an on-screen chemistry with his leading men (well, except w/Jang geun Suk). She always looks reserved in romantic scenes & boy can't she kiss. It's always two lips smacked together with the camera moving around and around. I mean, she's not underage anymore & her partners are all great kissers on other dramas, so I'm betting she's the reason why the kisses turned out like that. 

 

* man, what's with the facial expression? just relax those eyebrows please*

I really can't feel any connection with the main couple in this drama. No chemistry at all. I love everything except for their romantic scenes, even the hugs don't feel genuine. Kang Minhyuk & Krystal's scenes are way better coz that one's believable. I'm actually sad for Lee Min Ho especially on the highlight kissing scene inside the closet, he's giving it all but Park Shin Hye can't even show a good expression the whole time. If you watch this drama, do come back & share your thoughts about that scene with me, i'm really curious what you guys think...

That's it! Those are my thoughts on The Heirs. This drama got very high rating both domestically & internationally w/ reason. if you haven't watched it yet, do so because it's worth the time. I really enjoyed it :)

OVER-ALL RATING: 4/5.

Not the best Lee Min Ho drama because of the lack of chemistry with Park Shin Hye but everything else was great! Really a good light high school themed drama for K-drama lovers out there that wants a somewhat romantic comedy w/lots of conflict behind it.

For English subbed videos click here DramaGo.

Note: I don't think I can watch another Park Shin Hye drama after this. I'm so bored in her roles already, no variety anymore :(

Thank you for dropping by! Stay safe :)

Drama Versions: Itazura Na Kiss

Hello everyone! I have decided to start a mini series for my drama reviews. For the last couple of years, a lot of manga/anime have been turned into a live-action drama by many Asian countries and they have been so popular to fans all over the world. There are also famous dramas recreated/adapted by other SEA countries. 

There are actually 3 major South East Asian countries that creates the most popular versions: Japan, Taiwan and South Korea..Asian Drama fans were always on the look out for the next drama to be out every season from these 3 because majority of the time they are really good! 

I am gonna start this series with the manga Itazura Na Kiss by Kaoru Tada because it was the last drama I have reviewed. This is definitely one of the most famous manga ever because aside from having an anime version, it have also been created into a drama 4x already since 1996! I guess the story of an ordinary girl falling in love with a rich handsome bad boy and getting loved in return really attracts a huge audience :)

DISCLAIMER: 
Now, I haven't watched the first live action created by Japan in 1996 so I didn't include that in this comparison review. I have also not read the manga because I'm not fond of the drawing style. BUT I have watched the anime multiple times and since that is very true to the manga, I will base my opinions on the anime rather than the manga.

MY THOUGHTS:

I have first watched the Taiwanese versions IT STARTED WITH A KISS (ISWAK) and its second season THEY KISS AGAIN (TKA) consecutively in 2007. I have watched this because of curiosity...Whenever I search for "best drama" online, the search results always include ISWAK in the top 10. After watching ISWAK, I fell in love with the love story of Zhi Shu and Qiang Xin right after the 2nd episode because Joe Cheng and Ariel Lin are superb actors and they really portrayed their role very well. I got lucky that after I have finished watching ISWAK, TKA begun airing a couple of months after. 

I really believe that this is still the best version out of the 3 I have watched. Since it is made in Taiwan, the romantic scenes were not toned down. You can see the development in the characters from being high schoolers to becoming adults. Even the intensity of the scenes developed from being innocent to more serious and mature. No one would believe that a 20-something year old couple will still kiss like they were still teens right? haha well, I wouldn't even consider a simple meeting of lips a kiss which is so common in Korean dramas.  So yeah, if you are looking for some real love story, this is definitely the version to watch. 

I especially love the fact that the Taiwanese versions consisted of 50 episodes in total (ISWAK 30 + TKA 20) so they were able to showcase a lot of the scenes and the story felt complete and not rushed after the 2 seasons ended. The first one focused on their high school life until their marriage, while Season 2 tackled about their married life. I really think that having 2 lead actors with great on/off screen chemistry is the driving force behind the success of this drama. Fans can really fantasize about these two because they are really close friends and as a fan of the drama you can't help but ship them.

The only gripe I have with this version is the ending of Season 2 wherein Qiang Xin got a terminal eye disease which created a big ? to the viewers on how their story will end. That is so not in the story line because in the anime version, the lead female Kotoko only had pregnancy hypertension and it got resolved too. Also, the manga is actually not finished because the author died so the anime was given the ending that the author wanted so that's why the anime have an ending. I just hope TKA didn't made it more dramatic than necessary.

OVER ALL RATING: 4.5/5 - This is still one of the classics. Everyone should watch this version because all the other versions are so not there yet when it comes to the acting department.

The second version I have watched was the Korean version titled PLAYFUL KISS/MISCHIEVOUS KISS (PK) that aired in 2010. I have reviewed this version here so if you want to read my thoughts on it after I have finished the series 3 years ago, click here.

This Korean version only have 16 episodes and 7 Youtube specials. The drama focused more on their student life and have ended with the early period of their married life. The company then created 7 specials that were released through Youtube to show some events in their married life like the mistaken pregnancy and the difficulties of Oh Hani as a nursing student. Although this drama did not get a high rating in Korea, it did have a lot of international fans and so the company decided to just focused on their international viewers thus the creation of the Youtube channel. I don't have a problem with that and I'm glad for those special episodes. I also loved the Baek Seung Jo Diary part because it showed the emotions and thoughts of Seung Jo throughout the drama. That special touch is what made this version so special.

On the acting, I liked Oh Hani compared to Qiang Xin because she is not too dumb in this version. Jung So Min were able to portray the role of idiot-innocent Oh Hani without becoming irritating which sometimes happens to ISWAK.
My problem lies with Kim Hyun Joong, actually. I love him but his acting here is kinda lacking. He can't really portray the role properly, in my opinion, because I did not feel any of the emotion needed on his dialogues and expressions. Example, the rain kiss is supposed to be the highlight of the whole drama and the timing was so off during the dialogue delivery. Just watch Episode 13 and you'll know what I mean. BUT its is not too bad that it was unbearable and I was still able to enjoy the drama and I can still watch it over and over just because Jung So Min were able to carry him with her great acting.

Saying all that, I still want to give credit to Hyun Joong and Jung So Min because theirs was still a real kiss and it made the whole love story believable. Their rain kiss and the honeymoon scenes were so sweet that you will still feel giddy after watching it.

OVER ALL RATING: 4/5 - This drama gave a more subdued and innocent kind of feel to the story. This is best watched by teens because event he kisses here are mild and sweet. I guess they are really aiming to show the innocence of a first love. The added Baek Seung Jo Diary for all the episodes is what really made this whole drama a must see for Itazura Na Kiss fans :)

And lastly and the most latest version of Itazura Na Kiss is the 2013 Japanese version Misschievous Kiss: Love In Tokyo. I have just reviewed this so if you want to read my detailed review of this drama, just click here.

My main comment to this one is that Love In Tokyo is definitely the most true to the anime among all 3 versions I have watched. The whole thing is really like watching a live action of the anime because even the emotions portrayed are the same and that's not counting the similarities in dialogue. If you have watched the anime, you will definitely agree with me.

I also liked the fact that they were able to make this drama really concise and smooth flowing without making it feel incomplete. Even though they did not include all the conflicts in the story, the director was still able to create a good live action with just 16 episodes. And by ending this with the wedding ceremony, it gave a good opening for a second season or an OVA to show their married life in the future (which I hope they do have a plan haha).

I also think Furukawa was able to portray Naoki's character perfectly and that Kotoko here is the best among the 3 versions. Their rain kiss is perfect and I really really love the towel scene right after. I hope I can find a clip for that scene to show you. It was so romantic.
 

The only disadvantage I guess is that in real life Furukawa and Miki have a 10 year difference in age so fans can't really ship the two that much. And since Miki is only 16 y/o, they can't really have a heavier kiss or dialogue. Maybe that's the reason why they haven't done the marriage life yet because she is still underage hehe.

OVERALL RATING: 5/5 - I so love this version! True adaptation from the anime and I really hope they will create a season 2 and end it the same way.

And for all the fans of the 3 drama, I really recommend you all watch ITAZURA NA KISS anime version if you haven't already. You will know the real story from the moment they met to the time where they already have a child. No need to imagine what their life would be like anymore because they really wrapped the story up very nicely by following what the author has planned before she died.
Once you've watched this, you will see that Love in Tokyo is the nearest live action version :)  


GALE AWARDS this based on my opinion and preference

STAYING TRUE TO THE STORY
Love In Tokyo

MOST MEMORABLE VERSION
It Started With A Kiss/ They Kiss Again

MOST ROMANTIC VERSION
It Started With A Kiss/ They Kiss Again

BEST IN ACTING 
Naoki: Joe Cheng (It Started With A Kiss/They Kiss Again)
Kotoko: Ariel Lin  (It Started With A Kiss/They Kiss Again)

BEST IN ON-SCREEN CHEMISTRY
Joe Cheng and Ariel Lin 

PHYSICAL APPEARANCE of Characters that I think matched the drawing
Naoki: Yuki Furukawa (Love In Tokyo)
Kotoko: Jung So Min (Playful Kiss)




That's it! Watch out for more Drama Versions post in the future. 


Thank you for dropping by my blog :)

 

Drama Crazy is closing down!!

Oh no! DramaCrazy.net is closing down! 

This is my fave source of English subbed videos because the Speedy Joe links loads so fast and also they have a great selection of dramas to choose from. MySoju, KimchiDrama and now DramaCrazy...where will I watch my dramas? I only have EPDrama remaining now and I hope they won't close down too :(

KDrama Review: Flowerboy Ramyun Shop

I had finished watching another Kdrama and I am really digging tvN right now. I have learned to watch cable TV Korean dramas because they are a little less restricted and will most definitely have a better approach to the story :)

TITLE: Flowerboy Ramyun Shop / Flowerboy Ramen Shop
EPISODES: 16
GENRE: Comedy, Love Story
BROADCASTING NETWORK: tvN
BROADCAST PERIOD: October 31-December 20, 2011
AIRING TIME: Monday-Tuesday
PLOT SUMMARY:
Yang Eun Bi is a 25 year old college student preparing for her civil service exam so that she can become a PE high school teacher. She encounters Cha Chi Soo, the arrogant son of the biggest food conglomerate in Korea. Both of them end up working at a ramyun shop run by the lazy Choi Kang Hyuk.


*source of info: drama wiki*

CASTS:
Jung Il woo as Cha Chi Soo
Lee Chung Ah as Yang Eun Bi
Lee Ki Woo as Choi Kang Hyuk
Park Min Woo as Kim Ba Wool
Jo Yoon Woo as Woo Hyun Woo

* for the list of the complete cast click here*


MY THOUGHTS:

OMG! I love this drama! I think I have re-watched this so many time within this week especially my fave scenes. It's so funny and there are some scenes that are really so romantic and "nakakakilig". I know this is not a new drama but I just got attracted to it after watching one episode from a re-run at tvN last weekend. And I don't think I will forget that Kimchi Kiss scene because it's so memorable especially if you will put it beside other dramas in that genre. Even without me knowing the premise of the story and even though it's just that scene that I saw, I got so attracted to it that I went ahead and watched the whole drama in 2 days :)

*the KIMCHI KISS*

This drama is also full of handsome young men and it's really an eye candy even to me who is already 27 y/o haha. I also love how they made them have something quirky in their personality just so they won't appear too perfect and unrealistic. I really would like to give a shout out for the casting director because ALL the cast have done a great job in portraying their parts on top of their good looks which I'm pretty sure is the main criteria why they became part of the cast hehe.

The storyline itself is not that unique (a high school student falling in love with his teacher), but the way they portrayed that is what made Flowerboy Ramyun Shop special. The way they showed how Cha Chi Soo's emotions developed and how he became more mature towards the end is what made it meaningful. Also, Yang Eun Bi is not your typical girl either which is why the whole drama became so fun to watch. She really have a temper  and a very unique charm that attracts guys to her.

I don't want to give out a lot of details as to not give spoilers to those of you who haven't watched the drama, so this is my last one. This drama contains two of the best kiss scenes ever! Jung Il woo really knows how to kiss and he do it so manly that it will make your knees weak if you're the girl he did that to. If you searched in Google and at Youtube "best Korean drama kisses", his kisses here at Flowerboy Ramyun Shop will definitely be included in the top 5 hehe. And having an actress that responds well to the kiss is also one of the major points this drama have. And that is one of the reason why cable TV drama is special because kissing scenes doesn't become a peck with the girl's eyes open and lips not moving with the camera going merry go round LOL.

OVER-ALL RATING: 5/5

I really can't find anything I don't like in this drama. I really really enjoyed it! This is definitely in my drama list that I will re-watch often and still get the same giddy feeling every time. Definitely a must-see drama if you love Asian dramas like me.

To watch the English subbed videos of this drama, go to DRAMAFANS website or click the link below.

FLOWERBOY RAMYUN SHOP

Thanks for dropping by!

Drama Review: Flower Boy Next Door

Happy Friday! ~

Flower Boy Next Door has just aired its last episode this week and here's what I think about the drama :)

TITLE: Flower Boy Next Door
EPISODES: 16
GENRE: Romantic Comedy
BROADCASTING NETWORK: tvN
AIRING TIME: Monday - Tuesday
BROADCAST PERIOD: January 7 - February 26
SYNOPSIS:
A romantic comedy about a girl named Go Dok Mi who locks her self in her ′tower′ from the world, is caught spying on the man living next door by Enrique Geum.
Enrique Geum is a genius creative director, who is good-looking, stylish and bohemian and can′t get enough of soccer. He will form a love line with Go Dok Mi.
Go Dok Mi is a ′city Rapunzel′ who never ventures outdoors, yet has her own set of charms that makes men go weak.

*Source: dramawiki

CAST:
Park Shin Hye as Go Dok Mi
Yoon Shi Yoon as Enrique Geum
Kim Ji Hoon - Oh Jin Rak/Oh Jae Won
Park Soo Jin as Cha Do Hwi

*for complete cast click here 


MY REVIEW:
I'll make this review short and sweet because I have already posted a "drama highlight" for it last month so go ahead and read it here. 

Anyway, my final verdict for the Flower Boy Next Door is...it's super entertaining! It definitely has a feeling of a fairytale (something like a princess that doesn't go out her castle and just looks out her window every now and then) but in a modern setting because it is at present. The storyline is kinda cliche and predictable but it is entertaining to watch so I didn't actually mind hehe. I'm a sucker for romantic comedy and I prefer watching dramas that have these kinds of flow rather than the heavy crying so I know that I'll get hooked to this one since episode 1.

Park Shin Hye is one of my favorite Korean actress and aside from her, I don't know any one in this drama hehe BUT I did get to like Yoon Shi Yoon because he really played his part very well and he matched Shin Hye perfectly with regards to acting skills. Sadly, I don't actually ship them and I didn't get a romantic vibe for them even though they have a love line in this drama but that's just because I still believe she is best paired with either Jang Geun Suk or Yonghwa. Maybe it's also because their relationship started more as a noona and a dongsaeng compared to lovers so I was unable to switch gear and see them as a couple. But regardless, I still enjoyed it and I liked how it ended with both of them living happily :)

If you want a light story and have lots of fun while watching, definitely check out this drama. 

OVER-ALL RATING: 4/5

I love everything! I just hope I was able to get a more romantic feel from the main characters. I know they can't be real couples in reality but I was hoping for something like the feeling with Lee Min Ho and Kim Hee Sun in Faith wherein you can feel their chemistry and "love" on-screen even though Hee Sun already have a husband in real life. I guess Yoon Shi Yoon still needs to develop those techniques in acting since he's still young.


Thanks for dropping by!

Drama Review: Love Rain

Happy Thursday! 

I have watched Love Rain in 3 days and I'm so happy I did! It's really hard to stop watching the next episode even if you're so sleepy already haha :)

TITLE: Love Rain
EPISODES: 20
GENRE: Love Story, MeloDrama
BROADCAST NETWORK: KBS2
BROADCAST PERIOD: March 26 - May 29, 2012
AIRING TIME: Monday - Tuesday
SYNOPSIS:
"Love Rain" depicts a 1970's pure love and a love from the present day at the same time. It shows how the children of a previous ill-fated couple, who met in the 1970s, managed to meet and fall in love. Seo In Ha and Kim Yoon Hee, an art student and a shy beauty, met and fell in love with each other during college in the 1970s but unfortunately their love was fated to never be. Now in the present 21st century Korea, Seo In Ha's son, Seo Joon (a liberal photographer) meets and falls in with the daughter of Kim Yoon Hee, Jung Ha Na, a cheerful and energetic girl who's personality is different from her mother's. Will their love for each other keep them together or will they have to face the same fate as their parents?

*source: drama wiki*

CAST:
Jang Geun Suk as Seo Joon (present) / Seo In Ha (1970s)
Im Yoona of SNSD as Jung Ha Na (present) / Kim Yoon Hee (1970s)
Jung Jin Young as Seo In Ha (present)
Lee Mi Sook as Kim Yoon Hee (present)
Yoo Hye Ri as Baek Hye Jung (present)

*For the rest of the cast, click here.

ENGLISH SUBBED VIDEOS here

MY REVIEW:

This drama actually started quite slow. It was kinda dragging in the first 4 episodes wherein they showed the love story of Seo In Ha and Kim Yoon Hee during their college years (1970s). This part is kind of cliche in my opinion and a little boring but it kept me going still because you can really understand the intensity of their love and the why's why there are a lot of conflicts at the present.

I love how they recreated the 1970s because it was really believable. From the lighting and colors of the film, the costumes and the background. I also enjoyed the contrast of the characters as if they really lived at that era. The take on friendship and love is really something I want to commend the writer for.

Going forward, if you wanted to watch the present only, skip to Episode 5 where their children have met. I love how the director separated the past and present characters even though they were acted by the same person. The color and tone of their personality really showed the difference.

Seo In Ha's son Seo Joon is a famous photographer who is a eclectic and temperamental while Kim Yoon Hee's daughter Jung Ha Na is a gardener who is always cheerful and always smiling.They have different personalities and interests so they really clashed when they first met. Their relationship developed quite normally and I am glad that it never was a love at first sight. This is really believable because it can happen in real life.

Jang Geun Suk is really a great actor. I am a fan since You're Beautiful and I have always watched his drama ever since. Love Rain is a nice break for him because he is not a musician in this drama. He have done 3 consecutive dramas wherein he is a singer so I am quite happy to see him portray a different role. I can't wait for his next work and I hope it's with a great actress who can can kiss him with the same intensity like Park Shin Hye in their Etude House commercial years ago :)

This is the first time I have seen Yoona acting so I was quite impressed how good she was. I think she did a good job with her role and it really fit her personality. I also liked the fact that she is not a wooden statue during their kissing scenes. Jang Geun Suk kisses well and I'm happy Yoona had done a great job. She were able to show the difference on how an innocent girl reacts when kissed for the time and when they are already dating for a long time. Great job Yoona and I will definitely watch your next drama.

I really love the ending! Seriously, I hope all melodrama ends this way hehe ~

OVER-ALL RATING: 4.5/5

Although the story line is a bit cliche and it started a little slow, I really enjoyed this drama. It had a balance of fun scenes and melodramatic ones. The crying scenes are great because I understand why it is sad and the actors really did a great job of portraying the hurt they are feeling. This drama also showed the different faces of love: family, friends and romantic (both good and bad). Good job to the casts! I don't have any complaints on the acting. I love everything :)


[SPOILER ALERT]

Please stop reading if you haven't seen the drama yet and don't want to know what happened in the story and just come back once you have watched it :)

My TOP 3 scenes from the dramas are:

*In no particular order*

1.) I really love the back hug during their escapade when they learned their parents gave way so they can be together. It was very impromptu and the scene was just so romantic. You can feel the love oozing from these two hehe I guess being friends in real life made them really comfortable in acting lovey-dovey.

2.) Their first kiss in front of the fountain. That was so romantic! I guess, I just love how Jang Geun Suk exudes manliness when he did it. And that scene have no awkwardness whatsover that you usually see in K-dramas.

The yank is what did it to me, to be honest LOL :)

3.) And lastly, I really love their last scene - The kiss under the canopy of flowers before they got married. They look so good together and I love how sweet and romantic it is. I just hope they showed the actual wedding too :)

 I'll definitely have Yoona's look on my wedding. It's so gorgeous :)

Thanks for dropping by!!
 

Drama Spotlight: Flower Boy Next Door

Happy Monday everyone! 
The rush is probably making a lot of people crazy but I hope everyone of you will stay happy and safe :)

I am currently watching only 1 drama since January. A lot of the Korean dramas that came out this year are mostly mellow and I'm not a fan of tear-jerker TV Shows so I just stick with variety shows to make me laugh haha. I even skipped Yoochun and Eun Hye's drama "I Miss You" even though I'm a huge fan of both because I know it is really a heavy drama and I don't want to cry every episode.

Luckily, tvN is currently airing FLOWER BOY NEXT DOOR, a fun and light modern day Rapunzel-esque type of drama which I have been enjoying since its first episode last month.

TITLE: Flower Boy Next Door
EPISODES: 16
GENRE: Romantic Comedy
BROADCASTING NETWORK: tvN
AIRING TIME: Monday - Tuesday
BROADCAST PERIOD: January 7 - February 26
SYNOPSIS:
A romantic comedy about a girl named Go Dok Mi who locks her self in her ′tower′ from the world, is caught spying on the man living next door by Enrique Geum.
Enrique Geum is a genius creative director, who is good-looking, stylish and bohemian and can′t get enough of soccer. He will form a love line with Go Dok Mi.
Go Dok Mi is a ′city Rapunzel′ who never ventures outdoors, yet has her own set of charms that makes men go weak.

*Source: dramawiki

CAST:
Park Shin Hye as Go Dok Mi
Yoon Shi Yoon as Enrique Geum
Kim Ji Hoon - Oh Jin Rak/Oh Jae Won
Park Soo Jin as Cha Do Hwi

*for complete cast click here


It had already aired 12 episodes so far and I only have 4 more until this ends next week. I really am gonna miss watching this every week. So far, this is definitely a great drama. The casts are really doing a great job acting and I think they are portraying their role perfectly. Storyline is good too. I can't wait to see what will happen to Go Dok Mi, Enrique and the gang next. If you are looking for something to watch, do check this out :)

For the ENGLISH SUBBED videos, visit Drama Crazy. They sub really fast and you can watch this after only a day or two after it aired in Korea :)

Oh by the way, please suggest a good romantic comedy drama for me to watch. I am planning to see Love Rain, Secret Garden and Protect The Boss (maybe) :)


Thanks for dropping by!

2012 Best TV Shows

Happy Friday, guys! It's another long weekend coming up and I'm pretty sure a lot of you are excited to spend it with your love ones. I, myself, is gonna go with my family to our rest house in Tagaytay this weekend so I will put up 2 post today because there's no internet there hehe :)

For today, I have decided to put up my BEST TV SHOWS for the year 2012...As with the books, this can include shows aired from the past years but as long as I have just watched it this year, it is included :) 

* If I have reviewed it, I will put the link on the title*

In no particular order:

1. Rooftop Prince

This drama is perfect! Among the 2012 Korean drama releases, this is by far the best because it's story is complete and the storyline is well executed. Even the explanation for the time travel and the ending is good. I also enjoyed the drama and comedy all throughout the 20 episodes. There's no repetitive conflicts and every scene is needed to make the story whole. Highly recommended!

2. Faith: The Great Doctor

I really, really liked this Korean drama. It starred Lee Min Ho and Kim Hee Sun which are both great actors. Even the supporting roles are played perfectly so thumbs up for the whole cast. This drama have everything: love story, comedy, drama, fantasy and time travel. The story is very well executed and there's no loop holes. I just hope they ended it with a hug or kiss but aside from that everything was tied up in a pretty little bow. I definitely recommend it to anyone :) 

3. Vampire Diaries

Season 1,2

Season 3

Definitely one of the best vampire TV shows now. The casts of Vampire Diaries are great actors and I can't single out anyone who can't portray his/her role perfectly. Even without having able to read the book, the show itself got me hooked with it's own storyline and adaptation (unlike with the Twilight Saga wherein I just watched it because I love the books =/). This is still ongoing and I am currently watching Season 4-- It's still good! Bonus points for having good looking casts too hehe :) 

4. Skip Beat

This is a live action Taiwanese drama based on a Japanese Manga. I love how true to the story this is and I really felt like I'm watching anime except the actors are real people. Kudos to Ivy Chen for making the whole show enjoyable to watch because she was able to act perfectly according to the character of Gong Xi. Definitely recommended for manga/anime addicts and Super Junior fan like me :)

5. To The Beautiful You

I really enjoyed watching the Korean version of Hana Kimi. I am a fan of the manga and my favorite live action was the one made by Japan a couple of years ago. I can't even remember how many time I have re-watched the Japanese version so I really have high expectations for this drama. I am just so happy that To The Beautiful You made their own adaptation and they gave it a new flavor that is their own. I loved it! 

6. I Need Romance 

Season 1

Season 2

I grouped these 2 together even though they are different dramas because they have the same concept. I really applaud TvN for making these Kdrama unique from others. These have a new appeal and is more mature in content because it was shown in a cable channel, which I think is an advantage because the writers had a lot of room to work with. Great cinematography and perfect execution. I can't count how many times I have re-watched Season 1 just to see the romantic scenes that I can't normally see on other dramas. Perfect for those looking for something different than your average Korean drama :)

7. The Romantic and Idols

Another TvN show but this time it is a reality TV/variety show type. I really enjoyed watching this 8 episode cable show that consists of 8 idols going on a 3 days 2 nights dating game in Jeju. I will do a separate review on this once the last episode got aired next week. But for now, all I can say is, it is worth watching especially if you are a Kpop fan :)

8. We Got Married Season 4

My first impression

I am really enjoying the current season of We Got Married. I liked the concept of having a WGM Village and there's a constant interaction between the 3 couples. All 3 couples really gives me a lot of laughter every Sunday night with each episode. I always look forward in watching them. I hope there will be more funny episodes to come with no interruptions :)

So, there are my best TV shows of 2012! Do check any of these out and I'm pretty sure you will enjoy them as much as I did. I am looking forward on what I will watch for 2013 :)

Thanks for dropping by!

Drama Review: Faith, the Great Doctor

Hello! The Korean drama Faith has already finished its run yesterday and I am ready to share my thoughts on it now :)

TITLE: Faith / Faith: the Great Doctor
GENRE: Drama, Fantasy, Period, Time-Travel, Action, Romance
EPISODES: 24
BROADCASTING NETWORK: SBS
TIME SLOT:  Monday-Tuesday
AIRING DATES: August 13 - Ocotber 30, 2012

PLOT:
A 21st-century plastic surgeon Eun-Soo gets kidnapped and brought 700 years in the past for her healing powers. Goryeo-era bodyguard to the king Gerenal Choi Yeong is smart but a little naive, he almost never smiles. He faces conflicts with the female doctor Eun-soo, but soon feels attracted to her. 

MAIN CHARACTERS:

Lee Min Ho as Choi Young 

Kim Hee Sun as Yoo Eun Soo

 

Yoo Oh Sung as Prince of Court Ki Chul

Ryu Deok Hwan as King Gongnim
Park Se Yong as Queen Noguk

for the EXTENDED CAST click here. But I will show you who I think deserves recognition :)

The Woodalchi Soldiers - The ever so loyal soldiers that protects the King and Queen..
They are one of my favorites because almost all of their scenes are important and they are a loyal bunch. They are the most superior warriors among the royal army and they are trained personally by Choi Young.

The pledged siblings - Ki Chul's most loyal body guards that have inner power..They treat each other as brothers and sister and cares for each other.

The Royal Doctor Jang Bin - He is the doctor inside the palace and Eun Soo's friend and teacher..

Court Lady Choi - Choi Young's aunt and head of the Queen's guards...She is a really funny lady :)

ENGLISH SUBBED VIDEOS can be found at Drama Crazy. Just click here.

[spoiler alert] 

MY THOUGHTS:

OMGee! I really loved this drama to bits! Everything was well executed -- fighting scenes, romantic scenes, medicine-related scenes, special effects, etc. I also love how they solved all the conflicts cleanly all throughout the drama. I am just so happy and satisfied that this definitely made to my top 10 dramas of all time.

Lee Min Ho and Kim Hee Sun are really great actors because they really brought the characters to life. I really love how they interacted with each other and how well they showed the emotions needed. Even without dialogues I can feel it if they are happy, sad, afraid or determined. I know that they became good friends through this drama and if only Kim Hee Sun is still single, I will definitely ship these two because they have great chemistry :)

One of my kilig moments in this drama is this scene wherein Choi Young openly declared his love for Eun Soo in front of all the people. I think this is where he realized that he can't let her get married to another man even if it's just a ruse on Eun Soo's part.

Lee Min Ho is really one of the best kissers among Korean actors. It is so hard to see passionate kisses in Korean dramas so I really am happy that all of his drama have real kisses so far. I really get frustrated whenever they just put their lips together and the camera just goes around and around haha :)

I just love how the director handled the love story between Choi Young and Eun Soo. The development of their characters and the progression of their feelings is well executed. Even though Choi Young is a warrior through and through, he can't help but fall in love with Eun Soo in the end after going through a lot of challenges physically, mentally and emotionally. He started with the thinking that all he wants is to return her to her world as promised, then to fighting the thought of him falling in love with her,  then progressed to being her friend and partner and then to the point that he gave up and just became selfish to ask Eun Soo to stay with him instead of going back to her world.

I also loved the way Eun Soo's character developed from being a money-loving plastic surgeon, to a very scaredy-cat person because of all the people who wants her hurt, to an apprentice of the royal doctor trying to learn about traditional medicine, to falling in love with Choi Young secretly and ending it with loving the world he created for her that she doesn't want to leave anymore.

Let's not forget the antagonists too. I really salute them because they made the story so exciting and some of the part became funny too (c/o him in the picture). Gi Chul is really a funny looking guy so whenever he appears, I can't help but laugh hehe. He is the main enemy and everything that happened in this drama evolved from his endless wanting for power.

Now, after saying all those things that made me happy, there is only 1 thing that disappointed me -- The very last scene of this drama. Why oh why didn't they hug or kiss at the end? It has the same ending as City Hunter - bitin. I love the fact that Choi Young and Eun Soo was able to be together in the end. They even surpassed the challenge of being separated by time. But, director, why didn't you end it with a hug? They've been separated for 5 years and all they do is stare at one another? Oh, come on! 

OVER-ALL RATING: 4.75/5

I love everything except the fact that they didn't hug or kiss in the end haha :)

Thank you for dropping by!