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!

Movie Review: 4 Sisters and a Wedding

Happy Monday everyone! I was planning to write this post last night after the movie but I was so sleepy that I decided to do this today instead. I watched 4 Sisters and a Wedding with my family (and family friends) and we got home around 11pm already. All of us have the same reaction with the movie so I guess it's no wonder that this film already have Php120million under its name in just 2 weeks of showing in the cinemas.

TITLE: 4 Sisters and a Wedding
DIRECTOR: Cathy Garcia- Molina

STUDIO: Star Cinema
GENRE: Romantic comedy, family
PLOT:
This is a story about 4 sisters who united after many years of separation and went home to try and stop the wedding of their one and only brother CJ to his girlfriend of 3 months.  During the process of thinking a plan to accomplish their goal, the sisters were faced with their own personal problems.

*photo credit: starmometer.com*

CASTS:
Toni Gonzaga as Theodora "Teddie" Salazar
Bea Alonzo as Roberta "Bobbie" Salazar
Angel Locsin as Alexandra "Alex" Salazar 
Shaina Magdayao as Gabriella "Gabbie" Salazar 
Enchong Dee as CJ "RebReb" Salazar


Connie Reyes as Grace (mother of Salazar siblings)
Sam Milby as Tristan (boyfriend of Bobbie)
Janus Del Prado as Frodo (co-worker of Teddie)
Angeline Quinto as Princess Bayag (fiancee of CJ)
Carmi Martin as Jeanette Bayag (mother of Princess)
Boboy Garovillo as Honey Boy Bayag (father of Princess)
Bernard Palanca as Chad (boyfriend of Alex)


MY REVIEW:
I so freaking love this movie! I can't stop laughing since scene 1 until the end credits. And I can say that I am not the only one laughing my ass off because all of the audience in the cinema were laughing and clapping together. This movie is really a feel good movie because even though it is comedy, it's not full of corny jokes. I believe it really is due to the execution because the casts have comedic timing when delivering their lines so it's more effective. Toni Gonzaga and Carmi Martin were exceptional in their acting and they were so believable that I laugh every time they say a line LOL ~

And since this is a Filipino film, a crying scene is a "necessity" and the confrontation between the Salazar sisters are spot on. It made me cry (and my sis and mom too) because the dialogue plus the great acting made it really reach the audience's hearts. I myself were able to relate to Teddie because I'm the eldest and her concerns were like mine. I guess the relate-ability of the scenes were the main reason why people liked these too.

I really love Cathy Garcia-Molina's works because I never got disappointed in them. I'm looking forward to more films from her :)

On a side note, Sam Milby is so hot in this movie! Even though there are a lot of speculation about his masculinity, no one can deny he is gorgeous. I really can't remove my eyes from him during the film because his role fit him well even though it's just a supporting role. Just a little fangirling for an eye candy like him haha.


OVER-ALL RATING: 5/5

I really, really love 4 Sisters and a Wedding! I am so glad I watched it because it has everything I want in a film: comedy, drama, love story. It is so balanced that my emotions were able to follow the flow of the scenes from comedy to drama to comedy so I was able to go out of the cinema with a light heart. I really recommend you all watch it. It's really worth the money and the time :)



Thanks for dropping by!

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!

Movie Review: Warm Bodies

Happy Wednesday!


Me and the bf watched Warm Bodies last Saturday and I was meaning to post a review sooner but I didn't have time. It's still showing in cinemas so this review is still not that late and you can still watch it with your friends or love ones :)
 
TITLE: Warm Bodies
DIRECTOR: Jonathan Levine
RATED: PG13
GENRE: Zombies, Love Story, Dystopian, Comedy
AUTHOR OF THE BOOK: Isaac Marion
SYNOPSIS:
This is set in a time where there are zombies roaming around and the only safe haven for people are inside a compound surrounded by a high wall and protected by military. Every now and then, some volunteers were trained and set out into the open to get medical supplies and food for the people.

R is a zombie that has started to "think" and have found an urge to protect a girl named Julie who he have met during one of their search for food.

A new kind of friendship evolved and they found themselves changing not only themselves but also everyone around them.

CASTS:
Nicholas Hoult as R
Teresa Palmer as Julie

*for the rest of the cast, click here.


MY THOUGHTS:

To tell you guys honestly, I am not a fan of zombies because I get nightmares quite easily hehe...I have a very imaginative mind since I was a child and I don't like watching horror flicks. I didn't actually plan on watching this but my bf wanted to since this got a high rating over at Rotten Tomatoes (a site wherein they gather and summarize all ratings done by movie critics) and even the book have gotten lots of raves. So, yeah, I gave in and also because I was curious how they will make a zombie romance. I think it's kinda gross compared to vampire romance because zombies don't take a bath and only eats humans so they must smell bad, don't you think so? Anyway, I can't remove that from my mind while watching the whole movie but it didn't deter me to see why it did get a high rating.

First of all, everything was executed perfectly-- from shooting angles, the lighting, the acting and the effects. I really liked the storyline and I commend the author of the book for thinking about this because I believe this is the first approach to "humanize" the zombie genre. The way the story progressed made me changed my mind from being grossed out to being awed because I started appreciating the developments and connecting them to the whys. Although I haven't read the book, I think they still have really done a good job in this movie. Unlike with other novel-based movies, if you are not a fan of the book, it would be a little harder to understand what's going on in the film, but that's not the case here. Even those who are not familiar with the book can still enjoy and understand the movie.

I really enjoyed the humor they incorporated. They are very much scattered all over the movie and each time they arises it would make the whole cinema laugh! It's really that good and funny, I swear! There's no dull moments in this film which made me so thankful because even though I'm unsure about zombie romances at least it made me laugh a lot  :)

The guys who acted like zombies are awesome especially R and M. They can make the audience laugh even with only their zombie actions and short burst of "dialogues". I can't believe they were able to act that good as zombies.

 

On the side note, have anyone else noticed that the girl who acted Julie looks like Kirsten Stewart? There are some angles that they looks the same and I did double take a look. Luckily, Teresa Palmer acts a lot better which made this movie a lot more enjoyable. 







My favorite part of the movie? It was those moments when R is having a dialogue through his mind. Whenever he is thinking about something but can't say it out aloud because zombies can't talk. Yeah, those are the best because he is hilarious-- those comments are the bomb :)

TRIVIA: My bf told me that this story is kinda based a little from "Romeo and Juliet". When he mentioned that, you could definitely pinpoint which ones are from that famous love story. The names are a given (R for Romeo, Julie for Juliet and even M (R's zombie best friend) for Mercusio), the difference in social status, and the balcony scene too. There are a lot more but for someone who is not a fan of Romeo and Juliet, those 3 things are the only ones I know hehe.


OVER-ALL RATING: 4.5/5

Definitely a must see movie! Everything is perfectly executed and you can't go wrong with this one. It is also a good date night movie for Valentine's Day. I can't believe I watched a chick flick with my bf and hear him say "this is the best movie of 2013 so far" and if you know my bf, you should definitely believe it's great because he is so critical and hard to please.


Thanks for dropping by and Happy Valentines' Day!!

Movie Review: Sisterakas

Happy Saturday everyone! 
I can't believe I'll be doing a review about a Filipino movie on my blog. I rarely watch movies and I am really picky which movies to watch but this one really caught my attention this Christmas season so I gave in and watched "Sisterakas" with my sis and her bf (yeah, I know, chaperone role LOL) ~

Anyways, since I have watched it and I have a lot to say about it, I decided to do a post and review it :)

DIRECTOR: Wenn V. Deramas
MAIN CASTS: 
Vice Ganda as Bernice
Ai-Ai Delas Alas as Detty
Kris Aquino as Roselle
Kathryn Bernardo as Kathy
Daniel Padilla as Angelo
Xyriel Manabat as Cindy

SYNOPSIS:
This is a story of Bernice and Detty, half-siblings that had different childhoods. As an adult, they met again but the role became reversed as Bernice became a very wealthy and successful businessman and Detty became poor. And then the arch rival of Bernice, Roselle, comes in to the story who is always trying to beat him in the business.

TRIVIA:
This is one of the 8 MMFF entries of 2012 that were shown this December 25. It became a blockbuster film on its first couple of days and is now considered the 2nd highest grossing Filipino film of all time (only second to Praybeyt Benjamin who is also starred by Vice Ganda). Nationwide earning: 1st day - P40M, doubled on the second day and it reached P207M after 7 days. Latest is P300M on it's 11th day airing.

source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sisterakas


MY THOUGHTS:
I really enjoyed watching the movie. I think this is the second Filipino movie that I laughed so hard...first one being "Here Comes The Bride" in 2010. Vice Ganda and Ai Ai Delas Alas really carried the whole film from the beginning until the end...no dull moment. Kris Aquino, although part of the main cast, is actually forgettable. I've read that she was supposed to be the one playing Detty but needs to back out due to health reasons and since it is against the rules of MMFF for actors to back out, they just replaced her and hired Ai-Ai for the main role and gave Kris a smaller role to play.

That being said, I believe it is for the better. I think Kris doesn't suit the role of Detty in the first place and it is to the advantage of the film when they replaced her with Ai Ai who is really meant for comedy roles. Vice Ganda and Ai Ai's interactions on the film were never awkward and each line was delivered perfectly (comedic timing and all). Every scene has something funny to show so I never got bored while watching the film.

The clothes and makeup that Kris and Vice wore were stunning! I can't believe they were able to carry those crazy almost avante garde designs. And Ai Ai was always wearing bright color blocking clothes too hehe. I think among the three, Vice Ganda carried the clothes the best because he looks like a model with his height and built. 


There are also a lot of cringe worthy scenes and it made me curl on my seat in the cinema while watching haha... those scenes are crazy and I can't help but think what those guys felt and think after the shooting. Well, they might laughed at the absurdity too plus they were paid in the first place and the movie did really well to top it so I think they'll forget the experience LOL.

I just had to mention this, Kathryn Bernardo looks stunning in this film! I can't believe she is the same girl on the "Princess and I" that I see on TV every night. No wonder Daniel Padilla fell for her coz she's probably more beautiful in person. Oh, and I would really love to copy her makeup in the movie coz it's simple yet gorgeous. I can't find a clear still photo from the movie but it's the perfect "no makeup makeup look" :)

OVER-ALL RATING: 4.5/5

I love it! I really recommend you all watch this film. I think it is the best among all the entries in MMFF, IMO, because it is really entertaining. Although, "One More Try" is the another option if you love drama rather than comedy.


Did you guys also watched any of the MMFF entries this year? What did you see? :)


Thanks for dropping by!
 


 ***********************************

NOTE: I just posted this on my FB...Saw this article because of Kris Aquino's Twitter post when I visited the #sisterakas hash tag. I just wanted to post it here too, I hope you don't mind.

ARTICLE:
Movie Review of Sisterakas by JIE Teodoro

MY OPINION:

GMA NEWS never fail to amaze me with their biased write ups. I don't watch them nor do I read Inquirer because they usually give biased reports about everything. And this is one solid proof of that.

They can't accept the fact that their films for this year's MMFF were not recognized and did not become blockbuster as compared to the top 2 highest grossing film this year (Sisterakas and One More Try) which are made by Star Cinema.

And since they are very bitter, they wrote a "movie review" just to point out all the negatives about the movie and the casts while still trying to be "positive" by "praising" the director and AiAi Delas Alas for their "capability if given a good project/opportunity" to appear as if they are giving an unbiased opinion to the readers. I am using a lot of quotation marks because they are not true and were just used as covers for their intention of bashing everything and everyone on ABS CBN/Star Cinema camp. I think they chose those two to be praised because they have already established a name for themselves and they can get in trouble.

What I can't get is the fact that the writer blames Sisterakas for having recycled storyline as Tanging Ina Series and for having tag lines to advertise their endorsements BUT they can't see that the Enteng Kabisote movies are worst because it's been redone every year since 2004 and the story were the same since I was a child (Okay Ka Fairy Ko). Isn't that just for engineering money and using big names to get audience too?

That being said, I believe they also wanted to bash "One More Try" but can't because Dingdong Dantes is part of the movie haha.

Drama Review: To The Beautiful You

Happy Friday everyone! So, one of the dramas that I've been watching lately, To The Beautiful You, just finished yesterday. And I wanted to post the review now while it is still fresh in my mind :)

TITLE: To The Beautiful You
GENRE: live action, comedy, gender-bender
EPISODES: 16
BROADCASTING NETWORK: SBS

AIR TIME: Wednesday- Thursday
AIRING PERIOD: August 16 - October 4, 2012 

SYNOPSIS:
It is based on the Japanese shōjo manga series, Hanazakari no Kimitachi e (For You in Full Blossom), written by Hisaya Nakajo. The Korean series is the fourth television adaptation of the manga following the Taiwanese Hana Kimi, the Japanese Hanazakari no Kimitachi e and its remake Hanazakari no Kimitachi e 2011.

It is a story about a Japanese girl (living in the US) named Ashiya Mizuki who went to Japan by herself and entered an all-boys school to see and encourage Sano Izumi, a popular high-jumper, to compete again.

CASTS:
Choi Sulli of F(x) as Goo Jae Hee /Ashiya Mizuki
Choi Minho of SHINee as Kang tae Joon / Sano Izumi
Lee Hyun Woo as Cha Eun Gyeol / Shuichi Nakatsu
Kim Ji Won as Seol Ha Na
Seo Joon Young as Ha Seungri / Nanba Minami
Hwang Kwang Hee as  Song jong Min / Senri Nakao
Kang Ha Neul as Min Hyeon Jae / Makoto Kaguraza

Watch the English subbed videos at MyKimchiDrama. Just click here to go to the page.


MY THOUGHTS:

As I've said before, Hana Kimi is one of my favorite manga and this had been translated into live actions by Japan and Taiwan simultaneously years ago. Both live action adaptations garnered a huge fan base and the Japanese version (the original...I hate the remake) is my favorite because it is really fun to watch and and the way it was directed made it look like a live anime. I believe I watched that drama at least a dozen times already and I still enjoyed it. In short, I really have a very high emotional attachment with this story and I don't want to get disappointed. 

I was actually skeptical to watch this Korean adaptation, To The Beautiful You, at first when I heard Minho of SHINee and Sulli of F(x) will be the main cast. Hyunwoo is a great actor so I know he will do well for his role as "Nakatsu" but I had doubts for Minho and Sulli because this is their first time acting and Sulli is too girly to pass as a boy. I just told myself to give it a chance and watch the first 2 episodes... If I don't like it, I'll just pass this up like what I did with the remake Japan made last year. Luckily, I liked how Sulli turned out so I followed this drama every week. 

The last episode was aired yesterday and the English subbed version got released today so I was able to watch it already. All I can say is, this is really a good drama. It did not disappoint and I liked how the director wrapped everything up. Everyone has a happy ending and I am glad they didn't copied anything from the Japan and Taiwan versions. The Korean version created their own adaptation based on the manga itself so it gave To The Beautiful You a uniqueness of its own and it became a must watch live action for fans of Hana Kimi.

This version focused on the friendship between Goo Jae Hee - Kang Tae Joon - Cha Eun Gyeol and also the rivalry between Tae Joon and Hyeon Jae. There's no excessive competitions like in the Japanese version...they just used the important ones like the Miss Genie competition and also the high jump events. Dorm 1 and 3 are also not as important as with the Japanese version because TTBY were more focused on the Dorm 2 activities and characters.

I think I prefer this version of Sano Izumi portrayed by MinHo because he really became playful and caring and full of life once he accepted that he likes Goo Jae Hee as a girl and not as his roommate. I also prefer the ending because it had closure to everything :)


I'll stop my review here so that I won't give out spoilers. Do check this drama out if you liked Hana Kimi, Coffee Prince and You're Beautiful.


OVER ALL RATING: 5/5

 Definitely a must watch! I really don't get it why this got a low rating in Korea. The acting is great and has a very light storyline so everyone in the family can watch this. Although it did not garnered a lot of local support, this definitely received a lot of love from international fans like me. I hope SM Entertainment decides to create a Youtube Special for this just like what they did with Playful Kiss who also had the same fate hehe :)

Faith is still ongoing (1 more month to go) and the subbing for When Love Walked In is still not done (only until Episode 15 as of October 4) so I'll probably watch The Panda and The Hedgehog (where Donghae of Super Juinor is the lead actor) every Wednesday and Thursday to replace To the Beautiful You timeslot hehe.  

What about you? What's the current drama you are watching?

Thanks for dropping by!

Drama Review: Rooftop Prince

Hello everyone! A rainy afternoon to you all. This is kind of a long overdue review because this drama have ended last week and I was able to watch the English subbed version this Saturday. I just got busy with my dad getting injured during the race this weekend so I was unable to post until now.

Anyway, let's go back to the purpose of this post. I am gonna share my thoughts about the Korean drama Rooftop Prince.

Genre: Fantasy, Romance, Comedy, Historical 

Episodes: 20

Air Time: Wednesday, Thursday

Broadcasting Network: SBS

Broadcasting Period: March 21 - May 24, 2012

Casts:

Park Yoochun as Prince Lee Gak / Yong Tae Yong

Han Ji Min as Park Ha / Bu Young

Jung Yoo Mi as Hong Se Na / Princess Hwa Young

Lee Tae Sung as Yong Tae Mu / Moo Chang

Lee Min Ho as Song Man Bo

Jung Suk Won as Woo Yong Sool

Choi Woo Shik as Do Chi San

Summary:

This is a time-travel drama which also involves reincarnations.

Joseon Era (18th Century) - Crown Prince Lee Gak lost his Crown Princess Hwa Young and he believes that she was murdered.  He gathered 3 warriors (Song Man Bo, Woo Yong Sool, Do Chi San) to help him investigate the case. During the investigation, they were hunted by a group of bandits and ended up disappearing.

Seoul (2012) - The Prince and his 3 warriors appeared on the rooftop apartment of Park Ha. After they realized that they jumped 300 years to the future, they concluded that they were sent there so that they can investigate the death of the Princess. They attached themselves to Park Ha because they don't know anyone except her since she's the first person they met and she is very nice.

Park Ha grew up in the US because she was adopted after she lost her memory due to an accident when she was only 9 years old. She came back to South Korea because she found her biological father after searching for a long time. She reunited with her dad's 2nd family but her step sister Se Na didn't like her at all.  She took care of the 4 strangers that appeared on her rooftop apartment and thought them how to survive the present. They became great friends and she believed that they came from the Joseon Era.

MY THOUGHTS on the drama Rooftop Prince:

I watched this because of two reasons: (1) The main character is played by Mickey Yoochun of JYJ and (2) it is a romantic comedy. I really loved Mickey because aside from being a great singer, he is also a great actor. He already have won awards for some of his dramas but my favorite would be Sungkyukwan Scandal and he played a noble of the Joseon era too...He was so good there and I really believed that he would do great in this new drama...and I'm not disappointed :)

This drama made me laugh, cry and fall in love with the characters all throughout. It never had a dull moment and I love the writer and director for that. Everything is well written and well executed. The comedy parts are not awkward because it feels so natural. I believe Mickey is meant to play this kind of roles.

I also commend how the love between the two lead character Lee Gak and Park Ha evolved from irritation to being actually in love with each other. There's no such thing as love at first sight in here which made it really realistic. And as an audience, it made me feel the emotions more when they finally realized that they will get separated anytime because of their situation. 

The distribution of scenes and the character development are also superb. Each of them have their own moment to shine. I specifically love the Joseon Power Rangers (that's what the fans call them hehe) because those three warriors are so fun to watch while they are trying to adapt in this new world. 

Here's a clip of their first day in the year 2012...you can watch it in Youtube with English sub...just click CC and choose the language ^_^

*SPOILERS alert!*

The ending...I don't know what to say. It is sad but funny at the same time. I guess it gives a complicated feeling but since it was done great, I did not get put off by the ending.

I am sad that Lee Gak and Park Ha can't be together because they are living 300 years apart but I still hoped it is possible. I love that they got "married" before Lee Gak disappeared and went back to Joseon because it made their relationship's ending beautiful. 

I cried during this scene because just after this kiss, Lee Gak started to disappear and Park Ha was left alone with no other memories like pictures coz those disappeared too :(

Prince Lee Gak ended up alone because he stayed in love with Park Ha...he also learned that Bu Young loves him but they can't stay together because she's dead.... while Park Ha ended up with Yong Tae Yong who got revived from being in a coma (I guessed this because their meeting is the last scene).. I guess it is still a realistic ending...

But I laughed during the scenes when the 4 Joseon Power Rangers got back to their era and they learned that even though they lived a long time in the future, they were just missing for one day in their time.My favorite part is when the three warriors brought with them things from the future like mp3 players, beer and candies. I actually laughed that after solving the murder case, the three warriors set up a small cafeteria that sells omurice only. They still love the omurice made by Park Ha and they eat it whenever they miss her ...and they used their knowledge too to earn money at the same time ^_^ 

OVER-ALL RATING: 4.5/5 -

I still can't get over the fact that they didn't get to stay together hehe

WILL I RECOMMEND THIS? Definitely! This is the best Korean drama for the 1st half of 2012. Also, after watching this, definitely check out Sungkyukwan Scandal too if you haven't watched that yet.

Thank you for dropping by! Until my next review ^_^

Drama Review: K-pop Extreme Survival

Hello everyone! Okay, so remember my post about the new dramas I was watching? This drama is one of them and it has come to an end last week, sadly. 

Title: K-pop Extreme Survival / K-pop Ultimate Audition

Genre: Musical, comedy, cross-dressing

Episodes: Supposedly, this was meant to be 16 episodes but I don't know what happened that it ended at 14. That is the reason why I just did the review now and not last week coz I am  hoping that it will still have  16 episodes. 

Broadcast Network: Channel A

Broadcast Period: March 19 - May 1, 2012

Air Time: Monday - Tuesday @ 8pm

Synopsis: This is a story about Ji Seung Yeon (Go Eun Ah), a great pianist who wanted to do hip hop music. She is a tomboy and was able to join an audition to become a K-pop star. The catch? She needs to stay as a boy in order to stay in the audition because the winner of the event will be part of a famous all-male idol group, M2.

Kang Woo Hyun (Park Yoo Hwan) is the charismatic leader of M2. He hides his bad attitude and selfish personality from fans through his killer smiles and gestures. He is conflicted whether to stay in M2 or go solo because he doesn't like to be part of a group.

Kwon Ji Woo (Kwak Yong Hwan) is the best friend of Ji Seung Yeon. They grew up together and are very close. He is very shy and have a strong stage fright even though he is a very talented singer. He always depended on Ji Seung Yeon ever since they were children and that is one of the reason why Seung Yeon needed to stay in the competition until the end...to give strength to her best friend so he can reach his dream of becoming a singer.

And the other important roles in this drama are the M2 Junior members. This consist of 8 members including Ji Seung Yeon and Kwon Ji Woo.They are the contestants fighting for the spot in the M2 idol group.

You can check the complete info about this drama in D-Addicts. Just click here.

If you want to check this out and watch it with English subtitle, just click here. That is the site where I watch my Korean and Taiwanese dramas. I so love Kimchidramas,net hehe ^_^

If you want to check my initial impression on this drama, feel free to click on this link ^_^

Now, moving on to my actual review. 

WHAT I LIKE ABOUT THIS DRAMA:

- It has a very light story line and has very few drama scenes. So it makes me feel good after watching an episode and I keep looking forward to the next one.

- It is comedy so there's a lot of  laughter and fun scenes. Even the "romantic" scenes between the two main characters is fun to watch.

- I think the casting team really did a great job in choosing these actors for the role. Everyone is great and they really portrayed their role very well.

- I love the soundtrack! My favorite is the one called "Stand Up". It is sang by the M2 Juniors and it has a great meaning and the melody is catchy. Check it out below. I chose a video that is English subbed so you can see the lyrics too ^_^

- The other supporting characters are great too. I can't believe that they were able to find great actors to be part of this drama. Even the idols like Kevin (ZE:A), Tagoon & Maeng Se Chang (BoM), and Kim Eun Jung (Jewelry) did great.

- The cast are either idols themselves or siblings of an idol so it is a great combination in my opinion because they are talented in the first place and they have personal experience of being/ or being related to a Kpop idol. They can really show the feelings and hardships of becoming an idol in the Kpop world. Very authentic information.

- There is character development with everyone. It is not just focused on the main characters. They allotted one episode per member of the M2 Junior, the administration and of course Woo Hyun and In Young.And after the series, as a viewer, I was able to get to know them all a lot better.

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE:

- The ending is so bad! Since this is meant to be a 16 episode drama, I think they squeezed 3 episodes into 1. Episode 14 is so all over the place and it really feels rushed. I was unable to see any closure in the different conflicts that happened in episodes 12-13. 

There is no closure in:

1. How did the fans reacted when they knew Ji Seung Yeon is a girl?

2. Did the CEO and Team Leader Han ended up together?

3. What happened to M2 Junior members? Did they debuted?

4. What happened to Ji Seung Yeon's career?

5. What happened to Sunny Entertainment after the scandal?

There are a lot of unanswered questions because the ending, Episode 14, is  so rushed. I really don't get it why they needed to cut 2 episodes when it is already ending. If they really needed to cut 2 episodes off, they should have started compressing the story starting Episode 11 so that they can still finish with a complete story.

Aside from the ending, I love this series. I think acting wise, this is better than You're Beautiful. Although the two dramas are quite different, I just loved the fact that everyone here can act. Soundtrack wise, I like You're Beautiful better coz there's a lot more songs that I loved. So if you like YAB, check this out too coz you'll probably like this too ^_^

- I can't find  good English subbed videos. I think each episode was subbed only 83-90% unlike other Viki subbed videos that every part and dialogue has subtitle.

OVER-ALL RATING: 4/5 - If only the ending is right, I would have given this a higher rating. I really enjoyed watching this drama until Episode 13. Very fun and light and is really a feel-good drama. The characters have chemistry together and is really believable that they are a couple.

If you wanted something that is not full of crying and tragic problems, then I suggest you try checking this out.

Till my next post. Thank you for dropping by. Bye! ^_^

Drama Review: Skip Beat!

Happy Friday! I can't believe it's already another weekend tomorrow. I'm so excited! Anyway, I mentioned before that I love weekends because I watch some dramas, right? Well, I decided to introduce you to one of the drama that I follow right now, it's called Skip Beat or Extravagant Challenge.

Skip Beat is an on-going Japanese shojo (Shojo means it's a story about a young girl's life) manga written by Yoshiki Nakamura that was first released in 2002. The story revolves around a 16-year-old girl named Kyoko Mogami and how she developed into a great actress as a result of a broken heart. The story started when Kyoko discovered that the only reason her childhood sweetheart, Sho Fuwa, brought her with him in the city is for her to become a personal maid and to provide money for food and rent while he climbs the ladder of becoming a singer. Heartbroken, she vowed to become a great star herself so that she can overshadow Sho in the entertainment industry as a form of her revenge.

I don't know when it will end but I love following the story of Kyoko and I specifically love the way the characters are drawn. It's very pleasing to the eye and perfect for my type of anime drawing. It is similar with Fushigi Yuugi. I love the angles they create =)

For those who also wanted to read the manga but can’t understand Japanese, you can read an English translated scanned version on websites like Ten Manga for free. 

See how gorgeous the drawing is? ^_^

Also, due to its popularity, they decided to create an anime adaptation and it was aired on October 5, 2008 and it run for 25 episodes. I have watched this too and the whole Season 1 of Skip Beat anime covered Volume1 to 11 of the manga ending with the story of Kyoko and Tsuruga Ren (the black haired one) filming for Dark Moon. Fans like me are still waiting whether there will be Season 2 or not. I hope there will be ^_^

So, what started me with reading the manga and watching the anime is this:

I am a fan of Super Junior and when I found out that Choi Siwon and Lee Donghae are gonna act together in a live action drama I was hooked. Siwon is gonna act as Tsuruga Ren and Donghae will do Sho Fuwa. Now, I also got curious because Skip Beat is gonna be aired in Taiwan and those two are Koreans so I didn't have a clue how they will go about it so I decided to watch.

The first episode is kind of a disorienting experience for me. Halfway through, I noticed that they are Mandarin dubbed! The voices are different and I wondered if I was hallucinating haha but yeah, since they are not good in Mandarin, they are acting with Korean script and then some other people are hired to dub them over. I think this is what made me sad and also caused the mixed reviews from viewers coz they have some difficulty in expressing the emotions of the characters since the one acting and the one doing the voice over are different people.

But aside from that, I love this drama! Ivy Chen is great. This is the first time I saw her and I am glad that I am not disappointed. She was able to potray Gong Xi (Kyoko Mogami) flawlessly. Her expressions are spot on and her actions are funny like in the anime so I love watching her especially if she's having those weird self talk voodoo thingy haha ^_^

This drama is currently airing every Sunday so I just wait for 1-2 days for the English subbed episodes at Kimchidramas  DramaCrazy. Fan-made subtitles are my first choice whenever I am looking for English subs because they tend to be a lot more grammatically correct than those you find on pirated dvds you can find on the streets. It lessens the headache caused by incorrect spellings and jumbled words that you'll get from face cds hehe.

Now, I am just waiting whether this drama will end with the same thing as the anime or they will push through and end somewhere else in the manga. They are still on episode 13 and I'm not sure whether this drama will be 16 episodes or more but I'm crossing my fingers that it would be like Meteor Garden which consisted of 30 episodes..I guess it would all depend on the viewer ratings but I'm still hoping ^_^

Even though I already know what will happen next because I am reading the manga, I still love watching the live action one because they follow the anime very truthfully and that means a lot to me. I really hate those drama producers that create a new story based on a book but they just get the title and names of the characters and nothing else... so yeah I am happy with GTV right now because they really followed the story in the manga.

P.S. since the manga is still being updated, I don't have a clue who Kyoko will end up with but I am hoping Ren would be the one ^_^

If you were able to reach this point, thank you so much for reading my very long post. I hope I can have some comments here that also love to watch Korean and Taiwanese dramas like me hehe. Till next time, bye! ^_^