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 :)

First impression: We got Married Jang Wooyoung & Park Se Young (2Young Couple)

It has been a long time since I have watched We Got Married. I actually stopped watching the show after the 3 original couples of season 4 left. I'm not actually interested in the new ones so for how many months I didn't bother with the show. Last month, they have announced that Jang Wooyoung of 2PM will be replacing Taemin & Naeun and it really created the buzz I needed to be interested again hehe. I am a 2PM fan & Wooyoung has a really fun & energetic personality so it would be nice to see him in a variety show interacting with a girl. Plus, there would probably be more 2PM appearances every now & then as guests so that would be great. 

He got paired up with the actress Park Se Young. I have watched her in Faith (click for my review) and I loved her character in that drama. She's so pretty and soft spoken so I am so psyched to see how the two will interact with each other.

 

There have only been 4 episodes so far and, like always, I watch the English subbed videos @ Kshownow since they sub the fastest (new episodes w/subs are posted every Monday) & the quality is always great. 

After 3 episodes, I think this is a good match! They have so many likes in common but is still different in personality. I also liked the fact that they only have a 1 year age gap so there's no such thing as a "noona" feeling like usual. I really would prefer it if Wooyoung is the older one but it's not much of a big deal this time. 

I am looking forward every week to see more of them. I just hope We Got Married PD won't butcher this couple like the others. The 1st 3 seasons are still the best because the couples have time to grow & know each other better unlike in Season 4 were in they just stay together for a few months. I hope everything will go well *crossing my fingers*

Do post in the comment if you have watched this couple already or if you are as excited as I am that another 2PM member will be part of the show coz it means more appearances of the group :)

Until next time! Keep safe :)

Thank you!

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 :)

 

JDrama Review: Itazura Na Kiss Love In Tokyo

The Japanese drama Itazura Na Kiss: Love In Tokyo ended its run this Friday and I have already watched the English subbed video last night. I'm so thankful to Drama Fever for the fast subbing and for Good Drama for uploading it.

I'm not sure if you know this but I really love the story of Itazura Na Kiss. Although I haven't read the manga yet because I'm not fond of the drawing style, I did watch the anime and have loved it. I have also watched the different live action versions: the Taiwanese, It Started with a Kiss/They Kiss Again, and the Korean, Playful Kiss. Japan have made the first live action version in 1996 but I didn't watch it so this remake is my first Japanese version. I will definitely make a comparison review next week to compare all 3 versions to the anime so watch out for that :)

TITLE: Itazura Na Kiss
EPISODES: 16
GENRE: Romantic Comedy
BROADCAST NETWORK: Fuji TV

AIRING PERIOD: March 29 - July 19, 2013

AIRING TIME: every Friday
PLOT:
During the high school entrance ceremony, Aihara Kotoko from Class F had experienced love at first sight with the handsome boy from Class A named Irie Naoki. Kotoko loved him from a far for some time but when she got enough courage to express her feelings to Naoki, he rejected her.publicly.
One day after that event, Kotoko's house got destroyed because a meteorite hit it. This event resulted to them living with her father's best friend's house which in turn is where Naoki lives.

CAST:
Honoka Miki as Aihara Kototko
Yuki Furukawa as Irie Naoki
Yuki Yamada as Ikezawa Kinnuske


MY REVIEW:

This is definitely one of the best version that I've watched because it really followed the original storyline. I really liked how they showed the innocence of first love that the story is asking for. I also commend the director of Love In Tokyo for the scenes he chose to include in the drama. This story have a lot of highlights and events and for the director to be able to include only a few but still be able to make the story feel complete is really an achievement. 
 
I liked the way Aihara Kotoko is portrayed in this version the best because they did not exaggerate her stupidity like with the others. She is still stupid but it's just the right amount of stupidity that is actually believable and is not irritating to see. Although the acting of Honoka Miki is just okay for me, nothing extraordinary to make her memorable.

Going to the lead male, Yuki Furukawa, now that's a definite hit for me. He was able to portray the cold hearted Irie Naoki very well without sounding monotonous. I really liked his way of acting and it fits perfectly with the anime Naoki very well. I especially love how he can show his emotions for Kotoko with just his expression.

Another good casting is Yuki Yamada because his version of Kinnuske is perfect. No exaggerated actions and words needed because his expression can say it all. His portrayal is my favorite among the 3 versions I've watched.

I love how concise the story is and they were able to fit everything into 16 episodes. They just chose to include scenes that have a direct impact on the story itself and removed "fillers" like the scenes about other people liking the main characters and making them jealous. I think the way they ended this drama is perfect because it is just right if they ever will create a season 2 which I hope they would do. I personally think that the married life of Naoki and Kotoko is much more exciting than their student days just because we can actually see the change in Naoki and their relationship.


OVER-ALL RATING: 5/5

I really love this version! It still made me fall for them even though I already know the whole premise of the story. My favorite part is the finale. I just love the rain-kiss and the confirmation of feelings scene the best. If you are a fan of Itazura Na Kiss, I really urge you to watch this version because you will definitely appreciate the purity of the story. 


Watch out for my comparison review for all 3 versions plus the anime too.

To watch the ENGLISH SUBBED VIDEOS, just click the link :)


Thank you for dropping by!

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 :(

Pinoy TV Review: Be Careful With My Heart

Happy Tuesday everyone! I hope all of you are having a great week so far. Me, not so much as I have a nasty cold and it's hard to breathe so I stayed indoors and just watched videos online. And whenever I'm home during the weekdays, I make sure I watch Be Careful With My Heart (BCWMH) at ABS-CBN :)


TITLE: Be Careful With My Heart
GENRE: Comedy, Love Story, Family
EPISODES: ongoing (started airing in July 9, 2012)
AIRING TIME: 11:45am Monday-Friday
BROADCASTING NETWORK: ABS-CBN

PLOT:
This is a story about a simple girl MAYA DELA ROSA (Jodi Sta. Maria) who journeys to the big city to follow her dreams to become a flight stewardess to help her family. She would allow no one to stop her, not even the handsome, wealthy widower RICHARD LIM (Richard Yap), who threatens to ruin her dreams. Ironically, Richard is her last hope in reaching her dreams because of his influence in the Airline Industry and he will only help Maya if she agrees to become his children's temporary nanny.

click here for the wikipedia complete info 


MY THOUGHTS:
First things first before I say anything else, I wanted to inform you all that I don't typically watch Filipino TV shows and dramas. To tell you guys honestly, I kind of hate them because a lot of these dramas are so long (because of repetitive conflicts) with stereotyped problems and aggravating characters. I'm not saying ALL but A LOT of these dramas. Since time immemorial, the story always evolve around the topic of "poor vs rich" and "family conflict" things which I know is the most popular but to put so many unnecessary twists with it is arrgh! So just to spare myself some irritations, I tend to just spend my time watching other Asian dramas like Korean, Japanese and Taiwanese because every episode will contain something vital and you know that the drama will just run for 20 episodes or less so it won't have a chance to put weird story line most of the time. 

That said, you might say, "why do you watch Be Careful With My Heart if you don't like Filipino dramas?" 
My answer to that is simple: This drama has a very light storyline and only have a few conflicts. This doesn't even have "kontrabidas" (enemies) to begin with hehe and that's a unique aspect by itself and I guess this is what made the drama popular for all ages and gender. 

BCWMH aims to show its audience the fun and positive life of a simple Filipino family regardless of the social standing. They also reenacts the different Filipino values that everyone should have (that a lot of kids didn't do anymore, which is sad) such as always showing respect to adults, saying "po" and "opo", pag-mamano, and even the proper way of courting a girl which is asking for permission to the parents. The conflicts are also the common problems encountered for such age group such as "puppy love" problems and school for the teenagers, jealousy, coping with a death in the family, kids coping with the fact that their father is inlove again after the death of their mom, workaholic parents, OFW in the family, working student, etc just to name a few.  My brother even watches this because according to him, it's nicer to laugh than to cry in every episode which I agree 100% with.

According to ABS-CBN, they still don't know how and when they will end this drama because a lot of people are still watching and they have decided that as long as the ratings are okay, they will continue with the show. I also have read an article about the writers of the show having a hard time because according to them, "...it's so hard to stay positive...and to think of events that happens everyday to anyone..."   For me, I would actually like for the show to continue and for it to end with a "happily ever after" moment for everyone.

OVERALL, I'm giving this show 4.5/5. 

The casts did a great job in acting out their roles and I really salute the casting director because he chose them very well. I gave this a minus 0.5 because even though the acting is good, the way the writers wrote Richard Lim's dialogue is a little off. I don't know why Sir Chief always talks in English and then Maya talks in Tagalog. It's really weird to converse like that don't you think? Luckily for them, it works haha. But aside from that, I really enjoyed BCWMH and I will continue to watch the show at iwantv.com.ph.

To watch Be Careful With My Heart online, click here. There's also a rewind every Saturday morning at Channel 2.

What about you? Have you watched this show? Share your thoughts below and let's chat :)


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!!
 

WGM Update: KangYoon Couple

Just a quick update about my favorite couple of the show: Julien Kang and Yoon Se Ah.

I have refrained from posting about this earlier because I wanted to be really sure if the rumor is true. Allkpop.com have a high tendency of putting up articles without any basis and then retracting them another day saying they got another report. So, with that being said, I don't trust any of their articles anymore like I used to.

KangYoon Couple have just had their "wedding" last week and I am happy that instead of waiting for a year before having a "wedding celebration", they did it on their 7th month. I also liked the fact that it was a traditional Korean wedding instead of just a wedding photo shoot because it made it so unique from the other couples since Season 1. I love love the wedding ceremony and the look the couple have on their faces. 

*photo courtesy of Unity Team Sub

The reason why I love these two the moment they entered WGM is that they act naturally and just let everything flow on their own. I also knew they interact with each other (publicly) even outside of filming which is not that common. I will often see them tweet each other every now and then and it shows they really did became friends. I love them on the show because they are so natural and comfortable together that you may really believe they are newly weds. I can even see them really dating in the future.

So I am quite sad when MBC producers confirmed that these two will be leaving the show soon. They don't have any exact dates yet and the couple haven't shot their last filming day but they are leaving. UPDATE: the couple just filmed their last episode this February 20th. Yoon SeAh even posted a farewell selca of them as a thank you to their fans.

I mean, why would they leave? Everything is running smoothly and I can't imagine WGM 4 without them. I can't take Kwanghee and Sunhwa's playing any longer so the only couple that will attract me will be Jinwoon and Junhee because they are just starting and I love Jinwoon. I am guessing either SeAh or Julien will be busy in the near future so they won't have enough time to shoot WGM.

Since Season3, having a "wedding photoshoot/ceremony" signifies that  the couple is gonna leave the show soon. I hate to give that connotation but it happened in a lot of previous couple just like with KhunToria and Goguma Couples. After they had their wedding photoshoot they announced they were leaving the show because of their busy schedules.

I think it is better to have the wedding photoshoot a lot earlier like in Season 1. At least fans of WGM won't get worried anymore :(

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!

KPOP UPDATES: WGM JoonSeo Couple

Happy Thursday! 

I decided to do a little timeline about We Got Married maknae couple - Lee Joon and Oh Yeon Seo. 

SEPTEMBER 15, 2012
They became a "married couple" in We Got Married Season 4. 
JoonSeo Couple were the last pair to join the cast for the new season and watching them start from being awkward to lovey-dovey is what endeared them to me. Their relationship is the most realistic for me as months went by because their treatment of each other really developed naturally and they seemed like they really liked one another personally.

DECEMBER 2012
They went on a honeymoon in Hawaii together with the other 2 WGM couples. 



I really enjoyed watching those episodes because you can see genuine feelings between the two. They are the only one who took the extra effort to go out alone and bond so that they will have  more memories. I thought their skinship will definitely move faster after this honeymoon.

JANUARY 2, 2013
Oh Yeon Seo got caught up in a scandal with her on-screen drama partner Lee Jangwoo.

The two were caught hanging out together by paparazzi and a lot of news about them really dating caused havoc in both We Got Married and her drama "Oh Ja Ryong Is Coming". Although both sides denied the rumor about them dating, no once can refute the fact that it really made a huge negative impact on Oh Yeon So personally because the "aggrieved" party is Lee Joon who is an idol and have a huge fan base that supported him.

In my opinion, the positives went to the drama while a lot of negativity went to WGM due to the consequences it will have on the "on-screen marriage" she have with MBLAQ Lee Joon.

JANUARY 12, 2013

The first episode/meet up of Lee Joon and Oh Yeon So after the scandal. She explained the scandal to Joon and said sorry for the trouble it caused. There's a lot of tears especially during the backstage interview while Yeon Seo was speaking..BUT you will also notice that Joon really got hurt by this issue. He didn't truly smile and I believe he is just keeping up the appearance of being understanding for the show :(

After a lot of speculations from viewers, the two still decided to continue with their on-screen marriage and went on filming for WGM as usual.

January 14 onwards...

Some viewers are still complaining and rallying about the couple leaving the show. Some even demanded that Oh Yeon Seo should be removed because no one will believe anymore about their on-screen marriage.

Personally, they both look awkward after the scandal and you can really notice Joon not having fun anymore. It's actually painful to watch them trying hard to bring enjoyment to the show :(

JANUARY 30, 2013

News: JoonSeo Couple will leave We Got Married.

We Got Married producers released an official statement regarding the two. They said that it is now official that Lee Joon and Oh Yeon Seo will be leaving the show due to scheduling conflicts of the two actors with Joon having a movie, a drama and promotions with MBLAQ.

They have filmed their last episode already and will end their 5-month "marriage" on February 2 episode of WGM.

MY PERSONAL OPINION

I am glad and sad at the same time regarding this issue. 

I am glad that Lee Joon will now have some free time to rest because he is really exhausted from all the work he is doing at present. He lost some weight and looks so tired so I am happy that his company removed him from this show already especially since he is not happy anymore. Not all company will take this extra step to care for their artist, and kudos to them for taking part of the blame that they did over worked Lee Joon lately with his jam-packed schedule.

I am sad because this couple started out good and ended up on a bad note. I am not blaming Oh Yeon Seo at all but I hope she took extra care and thought about all the possible repercussions of her actions. She not only destroyed her image to a lot of Kpop fans, but she also caused hurt to other people. Even if it's true that she is not dating Lee Jangwoo in real life, all the pictures taken of them will give another meaning. Not everyone will believe what you say because actions speaks louder than words in this case.

So in the end, We Got Married Season 4 will continue running with 2 couples for now until they find a new one. I hope it's another idol and actor mix because putting idol couples only will not make it attractive. I am really crossing my fingers that I will like the new couple because I am having a hard time liking the Kwanghee-Sunhwa couple because they look like they are just playing around...while Julien-SeAh couple is starting to bore me because Julien doesn't seem genuine with his feelings so it is kinda ruining the vibe for me. Also, since they get so little air time every week, I can't seem to learn to like them that much. Hopefully, these two couple can still hold my attention and rekindle my love for them especially the KangYoon couple.

Review: The Romantic and Idol Season 1

Happy Wednesday! I'm not sure if I can post tomorrow so I'm just gonna upload it today :) 

SHOW: The Romantic and Idol Season 1
CHANNEL: tvN
EPISODES: 8
AIRING DATES: November 11 - December 30, 2012

AIRING TIMES: every Sunday

CAST:
2PM Jun K.
MBLAQ Mir
JJ Project JB
ZE:A Hyungshik
4Minute Jihyun
AOA Hyejeong
Fiestar Jei
Rainbow Seungah 

PLOT:
"The Romantic and Idol" is a spin off from a tvN show called "Romantic" which featured non-celebrity bachelors and bachelorettes looking for love. For the first season of The Romantic and Idol, they have decided to ban the managers of the idols and let them date for 4 days and 3 nights at the romantic island of Jeju.

According to the representatives of the show, they wanted this to become a reality show featuring idols dating and want them to show their real emotions without the interference of their managers.

ENGLISH SUBBED VIDEOS: At Kshownow.net


MY THOUGHTS:

Oh my gosh, I can't believe I'll like watching this show. I really waited every week for the episodes to get subbed by Kshownow because their English subtitle is the best. This is one of those Korean reality/variety show that you will really get into because they are never long winded. You'll know that the story will just spun for a couple of episodes so there's actually a lot of happenings per episode :)

You all know how I love watching We Got Married and this has the same feel as they both have celebrity casts getting together and pretending to be couples. The difference between the two is that with WGM, the couples have enough time to get to know each other first before having some sort of skinship, but with the Romantic and Idol, they only have 4 days and 3 nights and they get different missions like holding hands and back hugging to accomplish.. so it's a much faster paced dating show. They also have 4 choices in front of them and they will be able to date anyone depending on the result of the shuffle.

The pairing will be up to fate because they won't know which ones they will have a date with for the day until after they finished choosing-- there were shuffles everyday.

Example:
1) Necklace shuffle - the girls will choose one necklace each (prepared by the guys prior to the show) and whoever owns the necklace they chose will be their date for the day.

2) Clothes shuffle - the girls prepared a top for the guys to choose and the pairings will also based on who got which shirt.


I really liked the unpredictability because you'll never know who will be paired up with whom and if their feelings will change after changing partners. After watching the first season, I really believed it to be a reality show because it won't end that way if it's scripted.

I watched this at first because of 2PM's JunK. but I learned to appreciate all the casts after 1 episode. They are all very exciting to watch. This is definitely a fun show to indulge in every week.
I am now watching Season 2 and I am enjoying it too :)

OVER-ALL RATING: 4/5

This is a really fun thing to watch and I believe that whoever thought about this is daebak! It's a nice twist to the regular variety dating show shown in the TV. Can't wait to see more from this show! :)

SPOILERS ALERT!

I really hated JB after watching the whole 8 episodes. I liked him before this show but instead of endearing him to me with this participation, I ended up hating him and I don't think I'm the only one who got disappointed. I have read a lot of comments saying they were so disappointed with how JB acted and they got put-off with his attitude. I really didn't like how he treated Seungah, it was so immature and ungentleman. I don't care if he's young, because age is not a reason to disrespect someone. The guys in Season 2 is the same age as him and they treated the other girl with respect even though they don't like to have a date with them. I really hope no one will become the next Seungah in Season 2 because that girl really felt bad and alone that she cried due to sadness.

On a positive note, I really believe that Hyungshik-Jihyun and Mir-Jei got together after the show. You can notice that their feelings were real during the show and according to their members, they usually find those two grinning and too happy after going back from Jeju. Also, Hyungshik started learning how to drive so he can have his own car...Yeah, he is dating alright haha. An idol only gets himself a car if he wants to date so that he can hide it from his manager :)


Thanks for dropping by!