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: 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!

First Impressions & English Subbed Videos...

So it's been 2 weeks already since Faith and To The Beautiful You have aired. I would just like to share with you all my first impression of the dramas and also some links to the videos with great quality English subtitles :)

FAITH

I really have a high expectation with this drama because Lee Min Ho is in it and he is a great actor. After watching the first 4 episodes, I am so glad I am not disappointed. Aside from the fact that he looked good in his warrior attire, he also did not disappoint with his acting. I was hooked from the very beginning because it combined fantasy and period so it is quite new for me. I love the fact that some of the characters have magical powers too and the director did a great job on making them look real. The only thing I am kind of iffy about is the narration of the past event because they showed it in a cartoonized version.

Here are the subbed videos done by Kimchidramas. I love watching there because they sub fast and the quality is superb on both video and subtitle =)

Episode 1

Episode 2

Episode 3

Episode 4

TO THE BEAUTIFUL YOU (Hana Kimi Korean Version)

As I've said before, I am a fan of the manga where this is based and I am in love with the Japanese live action (the original version..I didn't like the remake) so I have a very high criteria. The Taiwanese version didn't met it a couple of years back and I was a bit iffy about this too coz Minho is not actually an actor so I'm not sure if he can do it properly. 

After watching the first 4 episodes, I am definitely glad I gave this one a chance. Sulli surpassed my expectation. I was worried she'd be too girly for the role but she really did a great job in acting as a boy. Her acting is good too so I will definitely be expecting more from her from now on. I am also happy with the actor who portrayed Nakatsu though. He fits the character perfectly! Although he is not as handsome as Ikuta Toma, he still were able to portray the role perfectly so I don't mind. Can't say much about Minho because all of his scenes rarely have dialogues and he always have that blank bored look. :)

Episode 1

Episode 2

Episode 3

Episode 4

WE GOT MARRIED (first airing after the London Olympics)

For this week's We got Married, they have introduced a new couple -- Kang Julien and Yoon Se Ah.

After watching episode 1, I really believe I will like them. I was getting tired of the WooJung couple lately so this new addition will be a fresh new start. They are both actors and Julien is a foreigner so it would be really interesting to watch how this older/mature couple will act. I think this will be more realistic because of them are old enough to look for a real partner :)

Links from Kshownow ^_^

Enjoy the videos! 

Thanks for dropping by!

Dramas I'm looking forward to watch this month ^_^

I'm back! Finally, the rain stopped and we already have a stable internet connection. I was unable to post much because I'm having intermittent sync since last week so I'm really happy it is more stable now ^_^

I wanted to share with you 3 new dramas that will start airing this month of August and that I would definitely watch them at Kimchidramas.net (hopefully they'll host these 3)...

1. When Love Walked In 

Main Characters:

Victoria Song of F(x) as Shen Ya Yin

Calvin Chen of Fahrenheit as Qing Yu Jiang

Zhou Mi of Super Junior-M as Lu Shang Ling

Episodes: 30

Airing Date: August 9, 2012 until Aug 23, 2012 ???

Broadcasting Network: GTV

Plot: 

Young, talented, and handsome Qing Yu Jiang (Calvin) receives orders to look for Chairman Yuan's long lost granddaughter, Shen Ya Yin (Victoria). Because of her parents' death, Ya Yin is bitter towards her grandfather. Yu Jiang not only eases the tension between them, but he gradually enters Ya Yin's heart. But when their love begins, Yu Jiang backs out because of his love for his childhood friend. Yu Jiang tries to find her, but fails to realize that she has been by his side all along.  

Teaser: 

Even though the plot reminds me of Romantic Princess (ironically, Calvin is also there), I will still watch this because of Victoria. This is her first acting stint and I wanted to support her and also see if she can really act. I also like Calvin so this will definitely be good. I just wish the one GTV will air will not be dubbed. This is produced by a mainland company and they wanted to create a standard accent for all the actors so that it can reach a lot of viewers. Majority of the casts are Taiwanese and does have different accents even if they are speaking Mandarin. So, yeah, I'm crossing my fingers on that one. I will post an update if I have found a subbing site for this drama already =)

2. To The Beautiful You

Main Characters:

Sulli of F(x) as Koo Jae Hee

Minho of SHINee as Kang Tae Joon

Lee Hyun Woo as Cha Eun Gyeol

Here's a picture of the other casts:

Episodes: 16

Broadcasting Network: SBS

Time Slot: Wednesday-Thursday

Airing Date: August 15, 2012

Plot:

Kang Tae-Joon (Minho) is a gold medalist in the high jump, but he has been mired in a slump due to an injury. In order to help her idol Kang Tae-Joon, a girl named Koo Jae-Hee (Sulli) disguises herself as a boy and transfers to his all male high school.  

Notes:

- This is based on a Japanese manga by "Hanazakari no Kimitachi E" (Hana Kimi) by Hisaya Nakajo.

- There have been a live action version by Japan and Taiwan before in 2007

- This is produced by SM Entertainment which is why a lot of SM artists are here

Teaser:

If you have read my first post on this drama, you will know that I was a bit iffy with the 2 lead roles because 1) I can't imagine Sulli looking like a guy (she's too cute and girly) and 2) I'm not sure Minho can act (although I guess he's the first choice because he's really athletic). Also, Hana Kimi is my favorite manga and the Japanese version is also my fave drama (I've watched that series more than a dozen times and each time I still laugh). I have very high expectations for this and I am hoping they won't butcher it up. Now, after saying that, you might be wondering, "why would she watch this?" Well, for the main part, it is curiosity. I would love to see it first and then judge it objectively (Just like what I did with Playful Kiss). I am happy with the way Sulli looked on the teaser photos and also this seems to be fun if I'll base it on the teaser. I'm really hoping I will like this Korean version too ^_^

 

3. Faith 

Main Characters:

Lee Min Ho as Choi Young

Kim Hee Seon as Yoo Eun Soo

Episodes: 24

Broadcasting Network: SBS

Time Slot: Monday - Tuesday

Airing Date: August 13, 2012

Plot:

"Faith" shows the love between a warrior from the Goryeo Period and a female doctor from the present day, their love transcending time and space. 

Trailer:

Okay, the main actor is Lee Min Ho and I think that's already enough reason to watch this drama. He is a great actor and I haven't been disappointed in any of his drama since Boys Over Flowers. I've watched them all and I've loved them deeply so I am happy to see him again. This is the first time he did a time travel genre (historical) and basing on the trailer it also have some actions. I love him in City Hunter and I believe he looks best on action films. SO yeah, so happy this is gonna air soon ^_^

What about you guys? Are you also excited to see these dramas? Feel free to check back here in my blog coz I will be posting the first episodes with English subtitle once they are released :)

Thanks for dropping by!