2012 Best TV Shows

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

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

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

In no particular order:

1. Rooftop Prince

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

2. Faith: The Great Doctor

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

3. Vampire Diaries

Season 1,2

Season 3

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

4. Skip Beat

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

5. To The Beautiful You

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

6. I Need Romance 

Season 1

Season 2

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

7. The Romantic and Idols

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

8. We Got Married Season 4

My first impression

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

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

Thanks for dropping by!

Drama Review: I Need Romance 2

I know, I know. But I can't help but watch the sequel of the drama I've watched last week. I really enjoyed watching I Need Romance because it's very different from a lot of Korean dramas I've watched...I liked it a lot but I didn't like the wrapping of the story very much...You can read my whole review here.

The second season of I Need Romance was released with a new set of characters. This is still connected with the previous casts in some way but the storyline in here is different.

TITLE: I Need Romance 2012

GENRE: Romance, Comedy, Drama

EPISODES: 16

BROADCASTING NETWORK: tvN

AIRING PERIOD: June 20 - August 9, 2012

AIRING TIME: Wednesday - Thursday

PLOT: 

This is technically a continuation of the first season but with a focus on different set of characters. 

Joo Yeol Mae is torn between the love of her childhood friend/long time boyfriend and the new guy.

This also showed the individual lives of her 2 best friends and also their 20 years friendship.

CASTS:

Jung Yu Mi as Joo Yeol Mae

Lee Jin Wook as Yoon Seok Hyun

Kim Ji Seok as Shin Ji Hoon

Kim Ji Woo as Sun Jae Gyung

Kang Ye Sol as Woo Ji Hee

MY THOUGHTS:
I was actually skeptical to watch this at first because it seems to be the same story as the first season and I'm afraid of the ending, to tell you guys honestly. I was really disappointed how they ended the story. BUT since this is also popular and I know the lead actors, I decided to give this drama a chance.

I finished watching this in 3 days (roughly 5 episodes per day) because I really wanted to know the story. I can definitely say that this has a better ending than the first one and I'll tell you why in a minute.

You can watch this with English subtitles here.

*WARNING: there might be some spoilers in this review*


First, I will tell you the WHAT I LIKED about season 2:

- I still liked the directing style they used. It is exactly the same. I really liked how the director still used still photographs during the important parts. And the change of tone in the colors of the screen when changing time period. I really appreciate the way it transitions from one scene to the next.

- The OST is great too. The background music they used in the drama are really appropriate to each scene. I cried so hard during the sad moments because I was moved by the music. Great choice of songs :)

- This season have a deeper storyline and have more drama than the first in terms of the 3 main characters involved in the love triangle. There's no cheating and petty push-and-pull scenes involved and both men are good people so it was hard to choose which man is better for her. 

- They made the second guy perfect until the end which made me so happy. I was really disappointed to what they did with the second guy's character in the ending of Season 1 so i am really happy Ji Hoon's character stayed intact in this season :)

- I also loved how the they showed the real side of a long term relationship. They've known and lived with each other since childhood and have been in love for 12 years. They know almost everything about one another, and when they reminisce the past, almost all of the big events in their life were spent together. So it is definitely hard to move on from a long term relationship since you can't forget it your whole life.

-The transition of Yeol Mae's love between the two guys is realistic too. It happened so naturally and I don't believe it's a rebound relationship, like what others are saying. Compared to the first season, I really believed she loved Ji Hoon deeply and that's why it took her a year before she was able to forget her love and move on. I liked this better than the easy goodbye In Young did for Sung Hyun in Season 1. They were able to wrap the love triangle scenario very nicely. Clean goodbyes. 

- I liked the "1 year later" addition because this made me think they have all matured and have moved on with consideration to everyone's feelings.It's also nice to see what happened to them after all those trials.

- The story of her two best friends ended very well. Both of them got married and started their own families with the man they love. Even though the description for each friend is the same as in the previous season (one is a fashionista and have many experiences with men and the other is an innocent and timid lady in terms of relationship), I think I liked the maturity of their characters here better. They learn from mistakes and they show true emotions.

- I liked how they depicted the 20 years friendship between Yeol Mae, Ji Hee and Jae Gyung. It's very realistic and you can see why they will stay friends even with all the negatives of each.

- It was also fun to see cameo appearances (either physically or through the dialogue) from the casts of Season 1...It gave glimpses on what happened after the ending ;)

- Fans of Kim Ji Seok  and Lee Jin Wook will be so happy. We know they are best friends in real life and it is great to see them acting together in a drama. This scene really made me laugh so hard...Some fans are calling this "bromance" LOL ^_^

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE:

- I hoped they gave a closing to the "illness" problem because it is the main reason for the whole story. That's the only thing missing here, to be honest.

- The romantic scenes are lacking. I can't feel any passion or sexiness from the bed scenes. I liked how they did it in the first season..with the sexy background and hot actors. 
I guess this feels like a regular Korean drama meant for 12 years old and up where it's all assuming and the girl just sit still and do nothing.


OVER-ALL RATING: 4/5

I definitely recommend you watch this drama if you want a beautiful love story...You don't need to watch the prequel since they have totally different story :)

WHICH SEASON DO YOU LIKE BEST? I prefer Season 1 for romantic comedy and Season 2 for the love story :)


Thanks for dropping by!

Drama Review: I Need Romance

Happy Sunday everyone! I finally were able to set up the computer in my room! Yay! So happy...it means I'll just need to learn how to take good pictures using my sis's DSLR and I can post my product reviews already...I have quite a lot coz I was trying out a lot of products lately ^_^

Now, going to the main purpose of this post. I'll be reviewing the latest drama I've watched. I was able to finish all 16 episodes in a week's time and I really enjoyed it :)

DRAMA TITLE: I Need Romance
EPISODES: 16
GENRE: Romantic comedy
CHANNEL: tvN
AIRING DATE: June 13 - August 2, 2011
AIRING TIME: Monday - Tuesday

PLOT: (from AsianWiki.com)
"I Need Romance" depicts the love lives of three 33-year-old single women .... 

Sun Woo In Young is a 33-year-old concierge manager at a hotel. She isn't married, but has a boy friend named Kim Sung-Soo who is a movie director. They have been dating for 10 years. Sun Woo In Young hopes her boyfriend will propose to her, but he doesn't seem to have any plans for marriage. 

Park Seo-Yeon runs an online clothing store named Y style. She has a freewheeling lifestyle and is active in pursuing her desired. 

Kang Hyun-Joo is a lawyer specializing in divorce. Her life has been controlled by her mother. From a distance, Hyun-Joo appears as a cold, arrogant woman with a perfectionist mentality, but actually she has a a cute personality and frequently makes mistakes. She is dumped by her boyfriend Kim Tae-Woo at the their wedding. Although they dated for 3 years the couple only has kissed. Kim Tae-Woo later tells Hyun-Joo that he only kissed her because he did not want to have sex with her. 


MAIN CASTS:
Jo yeo Jeong as Sun Woo In Young 

Choi Yeo Jin as Park Seo Yeon

 Choi Song Hyeon as Kang Hyun Joo

 Kim Jeong Hoon as Kim Sung-Soo

 Choi Jin Hyeok as Bae Sung Hyun

MY THOUGHTS:

Oh, wow! I really enjoyed this drama. I know that I'm late in watching this since this was aired a year ago, but I just learned of this drama last week when I was browsing the cable channels looking for something to watch and this caught my attention when I reached tvN. What caught my attention was Kim Jeong Hoon coz I loved him at Princess Hour. After watching the 2 episodes aired that afternoon, I got quite interested coz it was fun to watch. I immediately searched online for English subbed videos so I can watch it from the beginning. (I watched it at dramacrazy.net or you can click here for the English subbed videos)

This is a story about 3 friends who are in their early 30s and how they live and face the different challenges  in their professional and personal lives. The main focus in this drama is about In Young's relationships. She was in a 10-year relationship with her first boyfriend and is just waiting for her bf to propose but ended up learning that he cheated on her with a young actress. This started the whole crazy love-hate relationship between the two. I don't want to get into more details coz I'm afraid I'll give away too much info and ruin it to some of you who might get interested to watch it later hehe :)

This drama actually have a Sex in the City vibe with it showing friendship and romance. Typically, Korean dramas don't have a lot of deep kisses and bed scenes but this one have quite a lot because it was aired in a cable channel and they are not as strict. They were able to show the chemistry and passion between the characters perfectly without it looking fake. It was actually quite real and artistic, IMO, and it doesn't look forced or cheap. That's the thing that really frustrates me sometimes on Korean and Japanese dramas, they lack so bad in portraying physical love and romance. Who will believe that a married couple only gives a peck on the lips during their honeymoon, right? And the only skinship you can find are holding hands and pecks on the cheek or forehead hehe. To tell you honestly, I prefer it the way the director of I Need Romance did it, coz it became romantic :)

I personally think all of the casts are great. They were able to make me believe in their character's story, especially the emotions portrayed per scene. I really appreciate great acting when I see one. And this drama, although the storyline is quite light, you can really see that the actors are quite experienced already which is a nice change from all the dramas I've been watching lately with main casts being Kpop idols and doesn't actually know how to act deeply YET because it was their first time trying acting.

Also, this drama actually hit close to home coz as you know, I am also in a long-term relationship (9 years) right now with my bf (I met him when we were still 18), I'm getting older and we're still not married. I can really relate to the main character coz I'm like her in a way so I really laughed and cried with her during the 16 episodes. I also got quite scared about the possibilities that can arise in the future which I pray won't happen to me, but it's still scary to think the "what ifs". There's really no guarantees in life, right?

OVER-ALL RATING: 4.5/5

SPOILER ALERT! I love everything but I'm not sure about the ending. I am happy that In Young and Sung Soo got back together again but I hoped he proposed and they got married at the end. I also wished they gave Park Seo Yeon a happy ending by showing she learned how to love and Kang Hyun Joo getting married to her boyfriend. And I'm so sad that Bae Sung Hyun got out of the picture...he was the perfect guy except for the fact that he can't deny the requests of his grandparents. But over-all, I love  it and I definitely recommend it to everyone ^_^

Have you watched this yet? Do share your opinion in the comment section below, i would like to hear your thoughts :)


Thanks for dropping by!