Dorama Hime

Gokusen (and how it affected my point of view in life)

2012-02-06T23:55:00.005+08:00

I was re-organizing an old blog of mine when I came across this entry I made almost 6 years ago!!!! (November 19, 2006) I also realized I didn't get to post a proper review of Gokusen here. To think it was the dorama of Matsujun that launched my craziness. Haha! Here goes:

Thanks to the oh-so-kawaii Matsujun aka Sawada Shin in the live action series...I learned a lot of things from Yamaguchi-sensei aka Yankumi.

1st - You have to find your God-given job...and stick to it. As of now I haven't found it...but I am desperately seeking for it. But I do hope to have the kind of passion she has in teaching.

2nd - If you fall...you must stand up by yourself. Don't you ever depend on others always. Life is about getting through the obstacles.

3rd - Everybody has problems. It just varies from one person to another. But still, we all are struggling to have a good life.

Actually there are lots more that I learned from her. But these are the most important ones for me now.

And the song FEEL YOUR BREEZE by V6 has a very hopeful msg too...very suitable for my situation now...here's the translation (and a fanmade MV I saw):

I say, feel your breeze,
Never stop walking now oh
The number of wound that won't vanish are increasing
It's like the wind is piercing me
Those little worries you keep to yourself
I'm sure everyone has some now...
Of course the night is long and you sink down deeply
When the sun rises up in the morning
Yes, it'll be gleaming
Someday the future you dreamed of
And now will be a little bit different
The tears shed for dreams
Keep shining without fading
Your heart will always watch you
With the feelings that tear your heart apart
Feel all of your dreams eternally
Overflowing like those summer clouds

Another thing...Matsumoto Jun is so kawaii!!! Aaaccckkk another Jap actor that I should hunt for! Hahahaha!!!!!!

To think after almost 6 years I still have the same problem! Oh dear...Matsujun must help me again! By way of Lucky 7! FIGHT-OH

Cinderella's Stepsister (Kdrama)

2011-08-28T23:32:00.002+08:00

The very first thing that made me want to watch this drama is because of Yesung-oppa's song IT HAS TO BE YOU. Yes, the song was my main motivation to watch this drama. My friend from whom I got to borrow the dvd told me that Yesung-oppa's song is used usually on heavy scenes. Huwaaaaaahhhhh!!!!!!! And it really did...huwaaaaaahhh!!! Yesung-oppa's voice is heavenly and at the same time makes my heart ache so much. Huhuhuhuhu!!!!!

To tell you again (and again), I shouldn't have watched this drama because it starred Moon Geun Young!Yes, her again...I keep watching her dramas eventhough it hurts to know she is the ideal woman of Yesung-oppa. Huhuhuhuhu!!! Well, it can't be helped. She has talent. I acknowledge she really is good. Imagine her switching roles from the very stern Goo Eun Jo in this drama and then to the very cute Mary in Mary Stayed Out All Night. You can really tell she can take any role. That's what a good actress is all about. I concede defeat. I can never be an actress. Huhuhuhu!!!! *hides under a rock*

Okay I'll go on with the drama itself. From the the title alone, you'll have an idea of the story. It definitely resembles the story of Cinderella but in a more heartwarming way. This drama also focuses on the oh so-called "evil stepsister". Moon Geun Young is the "evil" stepsister. She is evil, well not a heartless evil stepsister though. She has her reasons for being such a wicked person. Although I could feel how hard it is to always be like that. It makes the viewer feel the burden of her actions.

Seo Woo or Hyoseon in the drama is not your typical Cinderella. Well on a sense she is the type to be pretty and good-hearted,but in the middle you get to see she is human after all. She can get angry and has some insecurities. Eun Jo doesn't really like her at first...but they develop understanding as sisters towards the end. And Eun Jo's anger at her is sometimes a lesson. She want's Hyoseon to learn to stand on her own and fight.

Eun Jo's mom is the great pretender and the so called "evil stepmother". You'll be amazed on how great her pretending is. To think someone as kind-hearted as Goo Dae Seong (Hyoseon's very kind father) will fall for someone like her. Eventhough he knew she was just pretending, he still loved her with all his heart. Hyoseon was also very fond of her. Hyoseon wanted a mother badly. Eventhough she got angry at her at one point, she still forgave her. To have such people around you, even the most shameless person would wake-up from his/her shamelessness.

The love team between Geun Young and Jeong Myeong (sorry I forgot his name in the drama, haha!) was hard to watch. Really. Especially for the role of Eun Jo, she kept hiding her feelings while the guy expresses his love for her. Oh what a pain. I was like "why don't you two get together asap if you really love eachother!" Haha!

As for Taecyeon who had the role of Jung Woo-yah...wow I think I really liked his role here compared to his role in Dream High. He was this super loyal guy to Eun Jo who loved her since he was still a fat little kid. Then here he comes after 8 years...tall, dark and handsome! No wonder the stern Eun Jo became soft when around him. Hahahaha! He also had this typical provincial accent. It changed how I viewed Taecyeon.

Lastly I want to comment about the Makgeolli business. It was nice to see how such a homely wine became successful. It was nice to see how hard they tried to develop the product with so much love from the workers. It was nice for the drama to have the wine business as a main background for the "Cinderella" story. It made me want to drink it too. It looks delicious! Mashipda! Okay, I'll go and find one...*searches for Makgeolli in nearby Korean stores"

The drama as a whole was focused more on drama but it also had fun moments. I couldn't believe at first.I heard the whole soundtrack first because of Yesung-oppa (hehe!) and I heard the songs and BGMs and was shocked that there were also some happy songs and happy instrumentals. Hihi! So this drama has its own happy and funny moments. I enjoyed it so much! (^_^)

Paradise Ranch (Kdrama)

2011-08-28T23:29:00.003+08:00

It's obvious why I wanted to watch this drama. Super obvious! Hahaha!

Changmin!!!!!!!

But to tell you the truth, it took me a while to really pay attention to this drama. I was able to watch ep 1 thanks to Gods of the East Subbing Squad, but since they didn't have all episodes at once I waited for them to release the next eps. Amidst the long wait I watched MY PRINCESS and after that I finally got all eps for this drama...but I wanted to rest from watching. So weeks have gone by...I even watched Yamato Nadeshiko first because it was shorter. Then finally I tried watching this. Please be quiet, Changmin will surely give me a huge whack on the head if he knew how long it took me to finally watch his drama.

Well, can you blame me? He was partnered with Lee Yeon Hee and I didn't want to see him with any leading lady. It hurts! Hahahahaha! But thank goodness Lee Yeon Hee wasn't hateful at all. Although it still made me want to kick her out of the scenes and replace it with me.

Changmin...Changmin...Changmin. There is something about his acting that isn't right...but he does act good for me. There is just some problem with the espression. I dunno if it was over-acting or being overly expressive. I think he should just control that. I think his forte so far is comedy just like his Banjun dramas with DBSK. His good scenes in this drama were the comedic ones anyway. When he gets angry...that's where the problem arises I think. You also seldom see Changmin smile. It was his smile during his DBSK days that made me love him! Hmph!

There isn't anything to criticize with the other actors/actresses but Lee Yeon Hee's mouth expresson kind of irritates me a bit. I dunno if she is emphasizing how small a mouth she has or what. As for Jin Young in the drama...she look too much older for Changmin's character. I won't mind a noona partner for him, but still. Oh well why should I bother?

If you didn't know that Dong Joo and Daji were the main characters in the drama...you could mistake Seo Yoon Ho as the main lead character. Maybe because he mostly had great scenes? Whatever.

Well going onto the story...I personally liked it because it tells you about 2 very young people who rushed into marriage at an early age and eventually had a divorce. It could mirror lots of couples nowadays who try to rush into marriage and don't think so much about the future. But it also shows that there is still a chance after divorce. We actually have 3 couples here to follow with that notion. Dong Joo and Da Ji, Dong Joo's parents and Yoon Ho and his supermodel/designer wife.

I actually liked how Dong Joo's actions towards Da Ji mirrored that of Yoon Ho's actions to his wife. Even though they got separated they had that sense of responsibility for their ex-wives. But that rarely happens to other couples in real life. Do they?

Jin Young's character is the typical understanding girlfriend (but not lead actress) to the main lead. I've already seen this set-up before with Jeon Hye Bin's character in Witch Yoo Hee. They don't burst with anger...they just burst into tears. If it were me, I dunno what to do also. Hehe!

Well, it was also the usual love-hate relationship between the two main leads. That is oh so old already in Kdramas, but still I enjoy watching it. The denial stage between the two was quite long. Dong Joo just revealed his feelings by ep 14 or 15. Well the excitement would wane anyway if he gave in too early. I think Da Ji gave in to Dong Joo by the last ep already.

I just got confused with the agreement about the land. I don't want to go on details anyway since I'm not familiar with construction businesses anyway.

This drama also gave me a strong determination to go to Jeju Island. It's like my dream paradise. I really wish I could go there. I especially like the spot with the tree on a hill. I also love the ranch house. It looks like an ideal and cozy home. Sigh.

It's not really a superb drama but it showed us a new environment. It's important that a drama shows something new, even if some elements are so old already. It also sparked my desire to become a veterinarian again because of the horses. But I don't think I could study again. LOL

If you are a Changmin fan like me...better watch it because no matter how awkward his acting was (well some people said it was) you'll still love him. He really looked like a model! Changmin in different suits was like...*dies*. It made me love Changmin again!

The Fugitive Plan B (Kdrama)

2011-08-28T23:25:00.003+08:00

It's been so long since I watched this and I won't be able to react about every detail about it. I wasn't able to understand everything about it anyway. Hahahaha!

Ask me why I watched this and I only have 2 answers, Rain and the Philippines. Yeah, you heard it right, Rain-oppa did shoot a lot of scenes here in my country and in between those shoots he even held a concert. Of course I had to watch it. My first time seeing him live. Hihi!

Moving on to the drama, it was truly action-packed. But there were also comedic scenes especially by Rain that made me laugh so hard. He was your usual genius who seemed a like a dork. Hahahahaha!

I really loved the first episode and I'll never forget it because most scenes were from my country. The part alone made you believe the first scene was in the northern part of the Philippines, but the actual shoot of the beach and pool scene were in Cebu (if I'm not mistaken).

The best chase sequence, which followed the first part was done in Escolta, Manila. Hahaha! Reminiscent of old Filipino action movies...then you see Rain there doing a smashing sequence for this drama. NICE!

There was also a chasing sequence done with Jungjin somewhere near our place! It was at teh Aguinaldo Shrine. I live minutes away from there and I cried when I saw it. If we knew, we could have gone there to watch the scene being shot. But of course they were being discreet about shoots anyway. LOL

Okay going on to the story, it actually revolved around who murderd this annoying girl's adoptive parents. Sorry, I really find Jini, the main leading lady, annoying. She's just annoying maybe because her face looked expresionless for me. But infairness she can do action scenes. There were scenes she didn't have a double.

Well it turns out the murder of Jini's adoptive parents is linked to some ancient treasure during the war. Okay don't ask me the details, I don't understand it much anyway since I failed to keep focused on all episodes. Gold bars suddenly showed up, so I think it was those gold bars. Jungjin's character even went to the Philippines to use up his gold bars.

I got irritated with Daniel Henney too. Wel maybe because he keeps speaking in English. Well he's your typical American-born guiy who speaks in English but gets answered in his native language. I just hated those scenes. But it really happenes in reality. Well his scenes with Sophie, his secretary, were better since Sophie can speak English well. I feel bad for Sophie though. She can't get Daniel Henney's love in the drama.

What's nice is they filmed in other several location lke China, Macau and Japan. It really was a thrilling drama. I super liked it even though I failed to understand a lot of key points. And the ending didn't seem right. It seemed there is so much more needed to be done. Oh well.

My Princess (Kdrama)

2011-08-28T23:16:00.001+08:00

It's not as grand as Princess Hours but the storyline is quite realistic...meaning it could really happen! To think of restoring the Imperial Family. That is something that could happen since South Korea was under a monarchy before.

I can't believe Kim Taehee who played the main lead as Lee Seol was casted as a villain in "Stairway to Heaven" before. She's so adorable in this drama! That's how good Korean actresses are...they can play any type of role...unlike actresses/actors here in my country. When you're at the peak of your career you get the protagonist character, but when your fame declines, you get the antagonist character. Blah.

I also fell in love with Song Seung Hoon as Diplomat Park! Kyaaaaaaaahhhh!!!! It's seldom I notice a guy over 30! Kekekekeke!

I felt the giggles again with Tae-hee and Seunghoon-oppa's love team. They look good together! Sigh. It just makes me sigh. LOL

What I found amusing was the fact that these characters are older than what their characters are. This is another fact in Kdramas that I find amusing. Younger actors/actresses are made to act older than what they really are and then older actors/actresses are made to play characters younger than them. Haha! they don't really act their age in Kdramas. Hahahahaha!

The love formula was your typical love-hate relationship. Mr. Park had to hate Lee Seol because she was the main reason why his inheritance might be taken away from him. But as time went by, feelings developed between each other. Sounds familiar? Yeah, something like Brilliant Legacy or Shining Inheritance. But still with that formula, I enjoyed it. Haha! It's always amusing to have that concept anyway. But I know sooner or later I'll get tired of it.

Well the ending focused more on the relationsip between Mr. Park and Lee Seol amidst Lee Seol being a successful, yet sill learning princess. I just don't understand what happened to the presidency...I think they tried to coexist. Well, the subs of the vid I borrowed at the ending sucked. Yeah, you should know why. Haha!

But then again...I enjoyed it and got envious of the clothes and shoes Lee Seol used. Being a princess can be fun...but tiring. Lesson learned!

Yamato Nadeshiko Shichi Henge (Jdrama)

2011-05-29T14:48:00.002+08:00

I was disappointed with the first episode. I was like "why are they adding more characters and swaying away so much from the main story?". The main point of this was supposed to be on how to transform horror-girl Sunako-chan (Imagine Sadako from the movie The Ring) into a perfect Japanese lady (Yamato Nadeshiko). I only got to read a few chapters from the manga (thanks to my college friend Jen) but I do understood where the manga was going to.

Well it turned out that they wanted to add more adventures amidst the trial of transforming Sunako-chan. This is typical of Jdoramas. Running for only 10-11 episodes, they usually have a certain storyline for each episode within the main story for all the episodes. Just like a sitcom. So there were little adventures within Sunako-chan's big adventure of turning into a Yamato Nadeshiko.

It kind of reminds you of F4 of Hana Yori Dango for having 4 hot guys. Kyohei, played by Kazuya Kamenashi from KAT-TUN isn't the type of guy you would say as very handsome at first. But as time goes by he became handsome to me, just like how I saw him in Gokusen 2. He kind of reminds me of Matsumoto Jun. They have the same expressions and they act quite similar when they play high and mighty roles.

The guy who played Takenaga was cute too, and he looks a lot like Wu Chun.The other guy, Ranmaru was just okay. But Tegoshi Yuya or Yukinojo in the drama was super cute! He seems similar with Ryeowook of SuJu because they are guys who look like dolls. Hihihi!

The love was just right, not too forced and not so lame. But other lessons to learn from here is to love/like someone because of his/her heart and not for his looks. Kyohei's story about having a very handsome face seems quite exaggerated though. I don't believe he has the face that can launch a thousand girls into his house. Well for a normal guy like him...NO. But if he is a celebrity...YES. It made his life miserable. That's why he doesn't like people to judge by the looks only. hence Sunako-chan wasn't forced to change her looks in the end. No more changing because of free rent. Haha!

Another point I want to raise is about Kyohei's side story about his mom and well as Takeru's story with his mom. The point is, at first it is your parents that protect you when you're still young but the roles reverses as you get older.

It's not as good as other Jdorama adaptations of manga but I still got to enjoy it. It gave me lots of laughs and tears too.

Now I'm so addicted to KAT-TUN's song for this Jdorama "Love Yourself"! Yeah, that's the main theme...LOVE YOURSELF!

Natsu no Koi wa Nijiiro ni Kagayaku [aka Natsuniji] (Jdrama)

2011-05-29T14:32:00.002+08:00

The title translates as "Summer Romance Shines in Rainbow Colors".

It is obvious why I watched this Jdorama...MATSUMOTO JUN!!!!!!!!!! After his stellar performance as Hayakawa Vito in SMILE, he finally came back with a new drama and again it is a refreshing role for him.

He played the role of Kusunoki Taiga, who is a struggling 2nd generation actor. He suffers from being shadowed by the fame of his father as a well-loved actor all over Japan. His talent was not at par to his father's abilities. He never got any lead roles and his scenes in dramas are just mere extras. Sometimes his only role gets cut off in the final production. What a pity. He studied hard but it seemed he lacked the emotion to portray roles.

Everything changes when he meets Kitamura Shiori-san. A widow and a mother to the very cute Umi-san. He struggles for his love for her...but in the end it was that love that helped him gain confidence for acting. He finally gets a chance in theater. It was a small role, but a very big chance for his future in acting.

All the other characters are loveable. Umi-chan is number 1 on my list for being such a cute a dependable daughter.I also like Taiga's older brother. Haha! I thought he was this very serious brother, but it turns out he is just a hopeless romantic. Buwahahahaha!

I also like Taiga's rival in acting. He doesn't look as handsome as Taiga but he is more popular than him. I don't know why, must be his acting skills? Whatever. It doesn't show. But they become friends in the end.

Sakura, the famous child actress in the past seemed like a spoiled brat celebrity. But I got to love her as time went by. I even wanted her to be with Taiga, instead of Shiori-san. But oh well...that's how the story goes.

Shiori-san is another leading lady of Matsujun who doesn't really look stunning and someone you can't hate either. But I don't like her. I might be biased...hahahaha!

I enjoyed it! It's perfect for 2nd generation actors. I can't wait for another Matsujun drama!

Dream High (Kdrama)

2011-05-29T14:26:00.002+08:00

Haha! For most of the time I thought Suzy was IU! I kept saying I hated IU but it turned out it was Suzy! Got confused with the opening credits because their faces looked really similar! Don't blame me! But in reality I kind of dislike her. Haha! I think both of them. Oh whatever.

Well Taecyeon's character looked like the main guy in this drama before but it turned out to be Song Samdong, the country bumpkin. I also like the development of the relationship between Suzy and Samdong. I really didn't like Taecyeon for her (even though I dont like her that much). Taecyeon looked like your usual cool guy. Kind of dull already.

I learned to love Wooyoung! His cool style at first resembled Taeyang of Big Bang. Maybe that's why. Taeyang is my only fave in Big Bang. Buwahahahaha! Maybe that's why I also disliked IU. I dunno. Confused.

Storywise I also enjoyed it although it wasn't such that me giggle and hooked on my TV screen. I even missed some episodes and I didn't have the energy to look back on those. If it was trying to imitate Glee...well I would pick this over Glee anytime.

I also love the cameos. You get to see lotsa cameos by JYP artists and even Eunhyuk and Leeteuk of SuJu. It was fun to see those. Hahahaha!

The ending was kind of blah...you just knew who was this supposed artist named K that made it to the Grammy's. We get a glimpse of that already in the beginning and then it goes on a flashback where the whole story revolves.

President (Kdrama)

2011-04-26T22:24:00.001+08:00

Well to tell you the truth, I only got interested with this because of Sungmin. Haha!

Sungmin was also named Sungmin in this drama. Haha! I dunno why, but at least it was easy for him to get used to his character. But he is sort of like the bane for his father. He wants to help in the campaign but usually ruins

it. He did become helpful before the end.

It is a very serious drama full of lies and shows how dirty politics can be. I began to realize that politics can never be clean, even in other countries. It shows how hard it is to be in politics and for the weak-hearted trying to

pursue a political career...they will surely fall afterwards.

The story revolved around the nominations within the New Wave Party. Yes within the party. That was the exciting part. The national campaign was dull compared to that.

I like Jang Iljun's character though. Well the way he speaks can really make you fall for his words. Haha! Such a perfect politician! And to think he is young and got the looks and knowledge that would make people vote

for him. But it wasn't an easy road for him. You can't imagine the scope of things that had to be done to let him be president. So many lives destroyed and sacrificed just to get him to the top. How frustrating it had been

but he had to move on for the people that sacrificed their lives. Thus he became president and who knows how he was as a president. Hope it was worth the lives lost. It ended when he won.

One thing to watch out for Yesung-fans like me...his song with Luna for Jay and his love interest! *cries*

Mary Stayed Out All Night [aka Marry Me, Mary] (Kdrama)

2011-04-26T22:03:00.002+08:00

At first, I shouldn't watch this because it stars Moon Geun Young. yeah...MOON GEUN YOUNG!!!! My Yesung-oppa's ideal girl for 10 years already!!!! GRRRRRRRR!!!! But I couldn't help it...the teaser was cute. I had to watch it.

She was paired-up with Jang Geun Seunk. Nice pair. They should be together then. Hahahaha! No seriously...they looked cute together. And in fairness...I couldn't hate Geun Young-ssi as Mary. She really can pull off any role. From an overly seriously character from Cinderella's Stepsister to one cute cat in this drama. Yeah, she looks like a cat. Meow! My friend even calls her Garfield. LOL

As for Jang Geun Seuk...he's another guy to envy! For goodness sake...how can I guy look like that? My gosh...girls would get insecure if they hang out with him. Grrrr. He truly is Heechul-oppa's friend. And I think He is also Yesung-oppa's friend. Oooopppsss...there's a connection! Andwae!!!!

My heart went for Jeong-In-oppa though. In a way I wanted him to be with Mary, but on the other hand...I just wanted him for myself. Hahahahaha! LOL Is there such a guy like him living on this earth? Please send him to me!!!! LOL

The storyline gave so much giggles at first. It started to drag towards the end. Must be the change of scripwriters that made it dull towards the end.

I got amused about the ending though. HAPPY DIVORCE! LOL But seriously, I just don't understand...if you registered for marriage but haven't administered an actual ceremony may it be civil or through church...is that considered marriage already? That's the only thing that made me confused though.

Oh well, I still enjoyed it and I want to say thank you to KBS World for airing 4 episodes for two nights per week. Kamsahamnida!

My Girlfriend is a Nine-Tailed Fox (Kdrama)

2011-04-26T21:53:00.003+08:00

You know when I first heard the title of the drama...only one thing cam eon my mind...Nine-Tails from Pokemon. Hihi!

There's only one reason why I tried watching this show. LEE SEUNGGI!!!!!!!! OMG!!!! Hahahaha!!!!

After his stellar performance in BRILLIANT LEGACY (aka Shining Inheritance), of course I wanted to watch this drama, although it took me a while to do so. Hahaha! So many hindrances on the way. Like Micky Yoochun's Sungkyunkwan Scandal. Hehehehe!

When I first heard about his lady love este gumiho love Shim Min Ah, I wanted to hate her. But after seeing her in the drama, I couldn't hate her! Well that means how loveable her character was.

It was kind of a mirror of The Little Mermaid's original story. Gumiho (nine-tailed fox) wanted to become human and had to sacrifice a lot. But of course their endings were different.

It had its share of crying and laughing moments. There were also action moments. Hahaha!

Seunggi at first was so handsome...I just don't know why he looked so stressed towards the end. Must be his oh-so busy schedule. But my admiration didn't change. He's still THE Lee Seunggi. Can't wait for him to have another drama.

Well other viewers became fans of Rose (formerly from TRAX). Who wouldn't love a face like that? How on earth did a guy like him had a face like that? I felt bad for his character, but he seemed got the hang of it.

At one point there was a scene of Dae Woong's friends (Seunggi's character) were drinking in a bar. Just amused that they were drinking San Miguel Beer. Hahaha! SanMig already has fans in Korea. LOL

The music was good too. I must download it asap. It keeps playing in my head! Also Seunggi's song! Waaaahhh!

Heading to the Ground (Kdrama)

2011-04-26T21:48:00.001+08:00

I was super late on watching this drama. It was shown last September 2009 and i downloaded it afterwards. But I got to watch it 1 year after. And to think my review is super late as well. Haha!

First of all I watched this because of U-know Yunho. He's not my most fave DBSK member, but I still wanted to support him. This drama aired in the midst of the controversy of DBSK's break-up that materialized in the end of 2009. :(

The storyline focuses on football (also known as soccer), which is a refreshing take for Korean dramas. I expected this to be a hit since first of all it will DBSK's leader on the show, and secondly it is about footbal...Korea's favorite sport. But I was worng in that aspect though. It wasn't a hit after all and was forced to take on 16 episodes (from the original 20 eps).

The ratings game has jeopardized the flow of the story. I feel bad for it because the story was actually good! Cha Bong Goon was an aspiring football player and we get to see how many hardships he had to face to get to the top in the Pros.

Yunho's acting was quite weird at first. Maybe it was the acting blues. But as time has gone by...I got used to it...or maybe Yunho did improve. I was comfortable with his acting already.

I really really hated Jang Seung Woo. Who wouldn't hate that type of character? I'm glad he had a slap on his face in the end...but still that wasn't enough. Again, the compression of the storyline ruined it. Fine.

For the two gals in Cha Bong Goon's life, I really voted for his friend...the girl he calls Oh Potato, but f course sparks flew with Go Ara's character. Oh well. It was nice to see a female agent though. Quite unusual.

I also got amused with the female fans of Cha Bong Goon. Even though they were just three gals, they reminded me of Cassies. Hahahaha!

So again...I loved the story and it was really exciting. the ending was just ruined. Sigh. But it is a great watch, especially for DBSK fans...and for those who love leader Yunho so much!

So Many Dramas...No Time to React

2011-03-16T22:20:00.002+08:00

I've watched loads of dramas after Sungkyunkwan already!

Heading to the Ground
My Girlfriend is a Gumiho
Mary Stayed Out All Night
The Fugitive Plan B
Dream High
President
Natsuniji
Paradise Ranch

But I still don't have time to react. Huhu! I haven't even finished Dream High...and having problems watching last few eps of President. Still not finished with Natsuniji and Paradise RanchOh dear. Then new dramas will come out again. Sigh.

Time is toooooo SHORT!

Sungkyunkwan Scandal (Kdrama)

2010-12-12T00:46:00.003+08:00

I was screwed. I knew it. It was inevitable. I had to hide from Changmin everytime I saw Micky Yoochun aka Lee Seon Jun in this drama.. I already had enough beating from Minnie for being unfaithful to him because of Yoochun before, and this drama made it worse. Uh-oh. *hides from Changmin*

The role Yoochun had was really perfect for him. I don't understand why a review came up that critics saw Yoochn's acting as dry for the first episodes. I found it logical for his role to be dry...DUH! He was Lee Seon Jun, who was the prime minister's only son who was brought up with a prim and proper demeanor just like a prince. You are lucky to see him smile for a few times in some scenes (well it's a different story in the eps nearing the end). I personally believe his acting was good, niot just because I'm a Cassiopeia, but because he really was good. He really had potential even before he debuted in a drama (taking reference from their Banjun Dramas and Vacation).

Park Min Young who played the role of Kim Yunhui that posed as Kim Yunsik (her brother/ resembles Park Shin Hye so much. She also played a role of a girl who pretended to be a boy in another hit drama 'He's Beautiful" She looks so much like a girl though and kind of makes it unrealistic how she could have passed as a cute guy. It was just forced to the viewers that she did look like a guy from the perception of the characters. But she is a loveable character, that's why i can forgive her.

Geol-oh and Yongha completes the Jalguem Quartet (aka F4 of the Joseon period). Geol-oh is the guy who looks so handsome when he dons the rugged look (hehe, I don't like him having a clean cut style) and Yongha (aka Yeorim, or ladies' man) is the most colorful character in this drama (yes, literally). Both characters are loveable as well. Thsi drama is truly eye candy for the ladies. Hehe.

Other characters worthy of recognition is the Prime Minister who is Lee Seon Jun's father. I actually thought he would be this normal nagging father to his only son. But he was the opposite. Of course there were clashes between them, but you could still see he loves his son very much. He does not tie him up to abide to his own ideas.

The King in this drama is also a very kind-hearted man. He has real concern for his people. You don't see him get angry at people until the end only. That was really scary...to see him so angry.

There's also the gisaeng, Choseon who is the most beautiful of all. Kim Yunsik captured her heart because of his/her pure heart. It must have been a shock for her to know that Yunsik was actually a girl. Poor her, she was willing to up the glamorous life of a gisaeng just for Yunsik. In the end, she still had kindness for her.

Ha Insu, the student council president of Sungkyunkwan had only eyes for Choseon. He looks so handsome, he was just a big-headed guy at first and always had that frowning and angry look on him and with the way he spoke. But in the end because of Choseon, he also had a change of heart.

What i also liked about this drama is that it had a different flavor in it. It was a period drama unlike the usual ones. It focused on the youth and had political, romance and comedy in between. Other period dramas are such heavy dramas, right?

The soundtrack too was so beautiful because of course of JYJ (but it would have been better with DBSK...sigh). I also loved the background music. It gives you a Joseon period feel. I truly recommend it to your OST collection!

Sunao ni Narenakute (Jdrama)

2010-12-12T00:34:00.002+08:00

I really thought at first it solely revolved around Twitter, on how it works and all. It turned out to be just a bridge for 5 different people who have their own different stories to tell. It shows how Twitter can connect lives, and not just how it relays information to people.

Linda, Doctor, Nakaji, Haru and Peach are the five users who became friends after their first gathering. This is not your typical high-school get together. These are adults who are mature and working on their own. You can expect some complications from these type of characters.

It all started with a lie. Everybody has their own lie to tell. The story also revolves around the feeling of not being able to express true feelings, thus the title "Hard to Say I Love You".

It mainly revolves around the love story between Haru and Nakaji, with the other characters being entangled with them into an love triangle, or should I say love pentagon? LOL

Haru and Nakaji seems to be the reincarnation of the love that Haru's mother and Nakaji's father weren't able to push-through, just because they weren't honest with theirselves.

Personally I watched this Jdrama because of Kim Jaejoong. I don't know who the heck the other characters are. It was nice to see Jaejoong have a big role, eve though it is not a lead role in a Japanese drama.

His character Park Seonsu will make you feel pity for him. He lied he was a doctor. but actually he is only a medical equipment salesman. He strives to become a good employee but gets unlucky most of the time. His character seemed tailor-made for him too since his character comes from Korea, who migrated to Japan with his sister.

I hated Haru for not liking Seonsu aka Doctor wholeheartedly. I kept telling myself, "He's Jaejoong! Nobody can say no to Youngwoong Jaejoong! Just look at him, how could you not love someone like him?" But of course he was not Jaejoong in the drama, he was Seonsu, the unfortunate one. LOL

It's more mature than what you think. Not your typical teeny-bopper drama. It discusses a wide variety of issues other than Twitter. I personally think it was a well-made drama. I'm happy that Jaejoong was a part of this cast.

Current and Upcoming

2010-10-05T22:11:00.003+08:00

I'm still trying to finish Sunao ni Narenakute with Jaejoong! Still on ep. 9! Wish I could finish it soon! Still have lots of dramas I want to watch!

Next on my list would be SunKyunKwan and Scandal with Yoochun! If I'm not mistaken, it will be shown next week via my fave channel KBS WORLD!!!! Wohoo!!!

Thanks to my friend Pamie, I already have videos of My Girlfriend is a Gumiho/Nine-tailed Fox with Lee Seunggi! But I haven't started watching it yet since I want to finish Sunao first.

Thank goodness Paradise Meadow with Changmin is still set to be broadcasted next year! I still have time to finish some other dramas...but not all!

OMG I forgot about Matsujun's drama! i even can't remember the name!!!! Will watch that too!

Heading to the Ground with Yunho is also waiting for me! Also Hong Gil Dong too! Waaaaahhhh!!!

Good luck to me. FIGHTING!!!

My Girl (Jdrama)

2010-08-11T17:53:00.004+08:00

It was still broadcasting in Japan when I started to have interest with this Jdrama. I started downloading it, but didn't start watching it until last month. Poor me. I should have seen how lovely this drama is early on!

This is the first time I watched a Jdrama of another Arashi member. Yes, someone aside from Matsujun. Well Aiba was actually my 2nd most fave member of Arashi...so it wasn't hard not to try it.

I was interested in the plot of a young man who suddenly realizes that he has a daughter with his former love only after she passes away.

Masaki Aiba portrayed Kazama Masamune, 24 years-old and who is just starting to realize his dreams as a photographer. He doesn't move forward on pursuing his dream until he met his daughter Koharu. Life suddenly made a goal for him. He had to realign his duties as a man and a father.

Koharu isn't your ordinary 5 year-old girl. She is so mature that she understands the complex feelings of adults, especially her father. She doesn't and never wanted to get in the way of his father's usual life. It was so easy to love her character. Is there a child out there like her nowadays? If there is, her parents are so lucky! Or it must mirror how her mother raised her. Her mother didn't even bother to tell her father that they had a child so as to not to get in the way of his life. Awwwww...

I cried so many times in this drama. It is sooo touching. I can also relate to it even though I don't have a child. I can relate with the dreams of Masamune. I also want to realize what I want to do in my life in the future. I want to reach my dreams. I want to do something I love and that could benefit others as well. How am I supposed to do that? *cries*

I love every aspect of this drama. It is certainly a fave of mine and made me like Aiba so much that I made him my number 1 fave in Arashi...for now. I don't what will happen after I see Matsujun's new Jdrama. Hihi!

The theme song by Arashi for this drama now makes me shed a tear every time I hear it. Now I know the significance of this song to the drama. *cries*

Why can't dramas in my country be like this? Short but sweet and clear. Our dramas here are so long and keep branching out stories that makes our mind puzzled. Oh well, I won't dwell on that anymore. I have to finish Sunao ni Narenakute now. Haha! I watched it first than My Girl but I had to stop because of this. Hihi!

The Birth of the Rich / Becoming a Billionaire (Kdrama)

2010-07-06T15:24:00.002+08:00

I thought it was another of those cliche stories about a rich girl clashing with a poor guy. I was wrong. The plot was waaaaaaayyyyy better than that.

Given that kind of reaction, you would assume that I loved this drama. I did. SO MUCH!

I actually checked out this drama because of Ji Hyun Woo, the actor that I loved from another KBS drama THE TAMING OF THE HEIR/THE INVICIBLE LEE PYUNG KANG. And I loved him again in this drama. So this time he's a poor guy but with a rich background unlike in his previous drama wherein he's a rich guy. BUt the thing that didn't change was his haughtiness. Oh well, it suits him anyway.

So it basically revolves around Ji Hyun Woo's character Choi Seokbong to search for his billionaire father. Yes, his father is a billionaire. He just didn't know who he was yet. Thanks for a very strange one-night stand encounter of his mother with this billionaire. The only proof he had with him was the one-of-a-kind necklace his father gave his mother before they parted ways. They were supposed to contact eachother, but some circumstances prevented them to do so. That's life in a drama.

Along the way of finding his father, he clashes with corporate heiress Lee Shinmi. The most unlikely rich woman you'll ever meet. She's got the smarts and all, but she's the thriftiest rich woman you'll ever meet. She and Choi Seokbong makes their life miserable for each other. But in the end they end up for each other. That's another typical plot in this story. But that's okay. They made me giggle anyway. Loved them as a couple!

Other colorful characters in this drama who I learned to love also were Bu Taehui and Chu Wunseok. Bu Taehui is a typical rich spoiled brat girl. She has nothing on her head than money. She is actually an airhead. LOL. She actually acknowledges that. But her character develops on the latter part of the story. She is actually a woman with a lot of heart too. It isn't that obvious at first. Hihi. Chu Wunseok is the apple of Taehui's eye. He is the perfect bachelor with looks and all. But he is your typical guy who would do anything just to achieve greatness in the corporate world. In the end he learns a lesson. He learns to love truthfully. That made me like him in the end too.

The twist and turns in this story made me hang on my seat. That's why I love Kdramas so much. They turn a typical story to something more interesting than that. I hope dramas in my country develops into something like this (or better) in the future. I'm starting to see some good ones nowadays. I'm hoping for the best for our local industry.

What made me happy also about this drama is that I was able to go to one location where they shot a fun scene between the four main characters. LOTTE WORLD! My first visit was not good at all with the rain and scnow. My second visit there was better. I go to see where they shot the scenes I saw in the drama. I was also amused to see a video showing those scenes being played repeatedly on all waiting areas for all the rides. NICE!

I also love the songs! They have all kinds of songs for this drama and there's also some trot songs. I recommend the soundtrack of this drama! (^_^)

I'm rambling again. One thig is for sure. I love this drama! Thanks again to KBS!

Master of Study (Kdrama)

2010-04-16T20:17:00.004+08:00

It ended its run on KBSWorld last Apr. 6 and I was fortunate to see it. I actually started watching this drama from ep. 6 but I quickly understood the pace of the story.

When I first heard of it and saw a preview of it I was interested already, I wasn't just able to watchit from start because I thought it didn't start yet on cable. LOL

So it is about 5 students who are at the bottom of the class who were were taught separately through a special class that would help them make it to Cheonha, Korea's no. 1 university. They were trained hard, given special techniques for study and undergone numerous study camps to hone their skills.

In the end 2 of them got to Cheonha to the amazement of its teachers. The other three pursued their own dream, bringing along with them everything they learned from the special class.

This is a must-watch for students and teachers. Wish I was still a students when they made this drama. But I still appreciated it. The tips may help me in the future just in case I decide to study again. teachers would want to imitate the teachers in this drama too. They are creative in their way of teaching and have genuine love for their students. It really shows that a great bond exists between the teachers and its students.

I actually adored all the characters especially Yu Seungho as Hwang Baekhyeon. He has truly gone a long way from his acting debut as a spoiled brat kid in the movie THE WAY HOME. That movie brought me to tears. It was a story about a city boy who is forced to stay with his grandma in the province. Coincidentally in this kdrama, he also lives with his grandma, but not as a spoiled brat teen. Gosh, his moments with his grandma made me cry again. Huhu! I miss my mama too.

This series just shows us that everybody has skills to reach their goal, you just need to hone it. Nobody is really born dumb, we only have different strengths and need different ways to hone the skill.

I also love the OST especially the song by T-Max and Luna fr f(x). Loved the whole OST!

I'm gonna miss those kids...Baekhyeon, Pulip, Changdu, Hyeonjeong and Bonggu.

I think I need to rethink this path I'm heading on. (^_^)

Silence (Cdrama)

2010-03-03T00:23:00.003+08:00

Late review again, I thought I posted this already. This review hibernated first in my USB.

For people who have somebody to love, why should their lives be short while others who don't have anybody have longer lives. A pity it is for this story I'm about to share. fate did cheat on our main protagonists. (I'm getting goosebumps right now!) But as others would say, that's life!

It was this drama that made me fall in love again with Vic Zhou aka Zaizai. he still portrayed a quiet and somewhat cold character just like his famous role as Hua Ze Lei in Meteor Garden. His character here named as Qi Wei Yi, transforms to warmth from coldness when he meets Zhao Shen Shen (park). The thing is, they already have a history together when they were still children. They already experienced love for eachother even for only a week their long separation. They met at a hospital after Shen Shen became mute because of an accident, while Wei Yi was confined there because of a broken leg.

They actually made a promise to meet again on Christmas 2006 but fate made them meet earlier than that and it was really a funny meeting at first. The first few episodes were really hilarious because Shen Shen had some arguments w/ Qi Wei Yi without knowing that they knew eachother before.

It took until the middle of the whole season before both knew their identity. But the nice thing about this was even though they did not know their true identity (for being friends before), fate really drew them to each other. They really felt something...like a connection perhaps. The wonders of first love. Right. ^_^

But what hurts with this relationship is that both of them were loved by someone else for many years already. How could several years equal up with a 1 week first love? It's not worth it, for those who don't believe with the magic of true love. Even though it took such a long time before they saw eachother again, they were really meant to be together.

But fate was also harsh in a way. Just when Qi Wei Yi realized that Shen Shen was the girl he loved back then, he then discovers that he has liver cancer. He wanted to hold back his feelings so that it won't cause tears for her. But the more he tried to do that, the more he wanted to oppose it as well. Sigh. But at least for the last 3 months that Qi Wei Yi had to live, he experienced life...a truly better life than the one he had before. It was a life full of love and purpose. It wasn't a waste. In the end he left Shen Shen, but it was not all in vain. It was him that made Shen Shen talk again. But to put it in a humorous way (sorry to break the mood) the words she uttered for the while season was "Qi Wei Yi", "I Like You" and "I Love You". LOL. Add up the "Ah" word too. Hihi! But that'sthe point, she was able to speak again because of Wei Yi.

I really loved it over all. The first thing that caught me was Vic Zhou's hotness in this series! he was still the quiet type but he showed a fun and loving side too. So gone are the days when he was serious all throughout (remember Meteor Garden)...he really showed different sides here. I truly fell in love with him again! I also love seeing him wear business suits. It looks so good on him! I also admire Park Eun Hye! I'm not jealous of her...yey! She's so pretty! Would you believe she is 3 years older than Vic Zhou? (That sounds familiar...hmmm. ^_^) Or that she was born on 1978? She looks so young! I evenm thought she was younger than me! Actually they both remind me of Sandara Park and Hero Angeles. LOLzzz!!! Enough, enough! But truly I hate sad stories, especially sad love stories. But this story is an excemption. The plot may have been used several times already, but the series had a very fresh take on it. I just blame it for making me cry so much! I started to cry when Qi Wei Yi's father finally realized that his son is dying soon. Then my tears flowed like a river when Shen Shen met Qi Wei Yi again in Qingdao, after the swimming pool competition. When she started to talk, I cried so hard! Sigh! The more I cried when Qi Wei Yi fell into the pool because of his weakening body. Huhuhu! Hate this series for making me cry, but I love it! Hehe!

Terms of Endearment (Kdrama)

2010-03-03T00:19:00.002+08:00

Another late review of mine. It was sleeping for so long in my USB. I thought I posted this already!

I'm trying to recall this encore drama that I got to watch every Sunday morning in KBS World. It starred Han Ga-in (Witch Yoo Hee) and Song Il-guk (Jumong). It had many familiar faces that I've seen in other dramas too.

Main story evolves around Han Ga-in's character. She elopes, gets pregnant and gets dumped before marriage. I forgot what happened to the baby. I think she suffered a miscarriage. But anywho that's how her miserable life started. She losther former true love. She even had to stay away from her parents. Her only confidante was her sister. Her sister seemed to have a better life at first, but it changed when she had a divorce.

Basically it shows the most common problems of women today. But it showed thattheir life can still be improved after such hardships.

The flow of the story was mostly drama. It was your usual family drama.

My fave part was when Song Il-guk came into the picture. He's the best guy anybody would want. He healed the emotional wounds of Han Ga-in. Eventhough they had problems when Ga-in's past was revealed, it still had a happy ending.

There was not really striking about this like other Kdramas but the realism it implied made it a good watch for women all over.

All About Eve (Kdrama)

2010-03-03T00:14:00.004+08:00

One of my reviews that I did before...and has been living (and forgotten) in my USB for such a long time already!

This is one of the few dramas I have watched in its Philippine-dubbed form. I really paid attention to this every night at our local channel even though they just showed bits of it each day. Gah. Blame it on commercials.

Anyway, it did resemble the usual formula I got to see from our local dramas. The fighting of 2 women over their career and love is a usual scene already. What made this different maybe was the world they were in. It is the media world rarely seen in dramas. I just can't belive I got hooked.

The scene I'll never forget was the ending. It was tragic in a way for the female antagonist but it seemed the right ending for her so that she could start a clean new life. Sigh.

I haven't tried watching the Philippine version because the teasers did not make me happy about it. I don't know if they have done justice to the story. I bet they added more elements that we viewers in the Philippines are tired of already. Sigh. I hope not!

Taming of the Heir (Kdrama)

2010-02-24T20:51:00.003+08:00

It is also known as THE INVINCIBLE LEE PYEONG-KYANG. It ended its run on KBSWorld while I was in the land of Kdramas. So I wasn't able to watch the last two episodes. Sigh. I haven't seen anything online yet. Maybe I'll try in the coming days.

I still have lots to say about this drama so better blurt it out now than forget it later on.

First of all is about Wu Ondal aka Ji Hyunwoo. Kyaaaaaaaahhhhhh!!!! He looks just like Rain-oppa!!!! So after having this first thought that he didn't look good (like how it was with oppa), he became hot afte a while!!!!! Must be the eyes. Oppa had it, so he also has it. LOL And I didn't know he was a member of THE NUTS who sang "Kissing in the Sea" that was played in my fave variety show "2 Days and 1 Night". I still don't know if he is the vocalist or what. Whatever. So he looked like oppa...he even acted cute like oppa! So he's acting was good for me! Hihi!

About Lee Pyeongkang or Pyeonggang (in the English subs) aka Nam Sangmi...I really like her! I liked her in BAD FAMILY (where she acted with Heechul-oppa) or WANTED: PERFECT FAMILY (as dubbed by GMA 7 here in the Philippines). She also appeared in a video with another love of mine...Lee Seunggi! But I still don't hate her!!!! Haha!!! She really is good on acting, especially comedy! So she is also a thumbs-up for me.

The Wu Ondal-Lee Pyeonggang love team made me giggle. It brought back the "kilig" feeling in me. It was like I was watching FULL HOUSE. Yeah aside from the fact that Ondal looked like Rain-oppa, the love story line was sort of similar. I think if I see another Kdrama with the same format...I'm gonna hate it already. But this time around it was still fun to watch. There was also this love-square thingy. That love-hate relationship still made me enjoyed it.

Aside from that I loved how the story took place in a golf resort. I didn't have any idea about golf before. I didn't even understand why other people like golf. I like sports like Basketball better coz golf is so quiet. But now I came to appreciate the sport, just like how my idol Chris Tiu loved it. But my only concern is...does the caddy really turn the table for a certain player? So if it is like that (just like what happened to Ondal and Pyeonggang), how could golf players stand with their own skill if they rely on a caddy? That's what I haven't figured out yet. That will be another story.

I also can relate regarding the outsourcing issue. It is very personal...and it is so significant to my situation right now. But there was a difference with the Kdrama and in real life. That will be another story too.

I would also like to note that it was fun to watch Ms. Je (Ondal's step mom) be a villain, and the same time be a loving wife to Ondal's father. I thoiught her character was gonna be a plain villain. It was fun to see her be purely in love and the subject of normal villagers pranks. Haha!

Je Yeongryu's eyes are so fierce. It is kinda scary to see him smile. I wonder if he had a nice role guy before this drama! Haha!

I want to comment also about Seo Doyeong's character. I loved him before in Unstoppable Marriage, a comedy sitcom that ran on KBS World every afternoon. Him as Edward Scwartz was mysterious at first then he became the good-to-be-true guy for Pyeonggang. But just like any other Kdrama I saw especially like Full House...it is the nasty guy that wins the main protagonists heart. So we feel sorry for this kind of character...again.

Well, I dunno what happened in the end. So I'll just leave that in the air. At least I voiced out my previous feelings about this drama. I can really say that I LOVED IT!

I miss it already! I have so many other dramas to watch! They're all piled up again! Kyaaaaaaahhh!!!

The Queen Returns (Kdrama)

2009-12-16T21:23:00.006+08:00

It ended its broadcast on KBSWorld yesterday. It had 16 episodes, and I missed 2 episodes when I went abroad. But the continuity was still there.

Before I forget everything...I have to write down my thoughts about this Kdrama!

To summarize...it is about two ballerina friends (friends? haha!), Dogyeong and Gongshim. Dogyeong who is more priviledged than Gongshim, bosses her around. fates become twisted after their graduation because of one incident, when Dogyeong's first love Chan Woo went abroad. Dogyeong marries Bonghui, Gongshim's first love...while Gongshim goes to France to further studies on Ballet...which should have been given to Dogyeong. To make matters worse...after 17 years...Chan Woo goes back to Korea and gets linked with Dogyeong (now Marsha Jang) who just came back from France. Another complication. Twisted fates! Dogyeong ends up being a problematic wife and mother and Gongshim becomes a high-class ballet professional!

I don't wanna spoil things up...kinda twisted to narrate everything. To tell the truth, the whole story had Dogyeong as a protagonist and Gongshim as an antagonist eventhough in the past it was reversed. Those flashbacks could make you angry at Dogyeong. But in general I sided with Dogyeong for the present. I wanted her to end up with Chan Woo again. But since she was already married to Bonghui, even with numerous complications...I knew the end would have them back together. But I was hoping for a reversal. LOL

It had its own funny and sad moments. I may not have stared at the TV screen for most of the time while watching it...but still I understood everything that happened. Haha!

The ending was great for me. Good thing they decided on an open ending for Chan Woo and Gongshim. We don't know if they met again. Well for Dogyeong and Bonghui...Bonghui finally got hold of his "Navigation". Haha!

I would be looking forward to the new Kdrama replacing the sched of this Kdrama...The Taming of the Heir...hmmmmmm. Hehe!

Lee Seung Gi Sang His Own Version of Brilliant Legacy's Theme Song

2009-12-16T18:09:00.003+08:00

The Person Living In My Heart 내 가슴에 사는 사람 during his Hope Concert last Dec. 12, 2009.

Credits to yepu94@youtube for the vid!

This is no fancam! It looks like an original concert video! LOL

When I first heard the song...I seriously thought Seunggi sang it. But it turned out to be by MC the Max. Haha! My bad. But now...thanks to the Hope Concert, we finally heard his own version! He deserves to sing it...because it was his super hit drama! Wohoo!!!!!! And I love his version too!!! Wish somebody can convert it to mp3 format...or I wish he releases a live album!!!!

I miss Shining Inheritance now...my officemate is on a Shining Inheritance craziness right now ever since I lend my copy to her. So everything is coming back to me. Haha! LSS and the love...haha!

Shining Inheritance Van

2009-11-09T23:02:00.004+08:00

While I was driving to work this morning, along the intersection of one of the most busy streets here in my place...I saw a van passing by the opposite side that was FULLY decorated with an image of SHINING INHERITANCE (yeah, the main pic GMA 7 shows every night with the faces of Lee Seunggi and Han Yoo Joo...LOL). It was sooo cool!!!! So it was a GMA 7 van...but what the heck was that van doing in our area? Was it being used by a news crew (and some kind of situation was brewing up somewhere where I live?)...or was it just roaming around to promote the drama? LOL. I was just amused...but I hated the fact that I wasn't able to take a pic of it. Grrrrrr!!! I might get hit, you know. LOL. It would be nice if I own that. Haha! But of course I would rather have one decorated with DBSK images or the "2 days and 1 Night" cast photos (Of course with Lee Seunggi!!!!).

Brilliant Legacy/Shining Inheritance (Kdrama)

2009-10-17T22:09:00.003+08:00

Sun Woo Hwan...I can't control it anymore!!!!! SARANGHAEYO!!!!!!!

My love for Lee Seunggi grew stronger because of this Kdrama. Yes, I checked this out because of him...but my love is stronger than ever! *hides from Changmin*

It was hard for me at first to see Seunggi playing a bratty guy. I was so used to his smiles at "2 Days and 1 Night", and to think he was the "helpless" one in that show. Seeing him throw money at people and throwing punches was something new to my eyes. I gotta say he really acted well! I dunno if my eyes are just biased. But this is way better than his first drama appearance (Chil Princesses) which I only had a glimpse of him and never watched it again (I got annoyed with the girl).

Glad I liked Han Yoo Joo too...if not I might have destroyed my TV monitor. Thank goodness to great leading ladies like her. I won't have a problem watching her with Jaejoong in "Heaven's Postman" (but when will I get to see this?).

About the story...inheritance with this kind of twist is something new to me too. No wonder I got hooked with it. It's cliche to fight over inheritance between families, but not with strangers. So this really took us to a new route about that topic.

But the "bad-guy-turn-good" is cliche already, as well as the love rectangle that involved the characters in this drama. I've seen that kind of love plot in other dramas like Princess Hours, My Girl, Full House etc. That's the only low point I've seen.

Kudos to Baek Sung Hee for having that evil wicked face. She's so cool for being that wicked stepmother. Haha!

I'm up to no good already. Rambling here and there. LOL.

The OST was the best too! Loved all songs and BGMs.

My Girl (Kdrama)

2009-08-26T20:10:00.005+08:00

It's been a while since I finished watching this. I knew it, I'm gonna forget every detail of it. Drats. Now I'm gonna just react on what I could remember.

There is one review that I won't ever forget about this. One viewer said that he/she did not like this drama because all that Yoo Joorin did in this Kdrama was lie. It's true, she did lie most of the time...except in the end when she confessed her love to Seo (what was his name again? Played by Lee Dongwook).

I did enjoy this drama. It had its own funny and dramatic moments. I think the plot was unusual, so that was a very big plus for it. To pretend as cousins and end up as lovers was really a tiring but romantic way to end up together. Haha!

Although Lee Dongwook does look stunning, my heart went for Lee Jun Ki who played as Seo Jungwoo. Aside from his looks, his character was so loveable. He may had many girls in his past, but his heart was really captured by Yoo Joorin. I would have wanted them to end up together, but the plot says NO. LOL. I really love playboys being good boys because of one girl. Awwwwwww!!!!

Hot Shot (Cdrama)

2009-08-11T18:45:00.003+08:00

I was just able to watch til episode 8. Drats. I lost passion to watch it online. Blast my dvd.

But I loved this series. It gave life to my fantasy of having a series mainly about basketball. I wanted a live-action version of SLAM DUNK, but this one was certainly close to that.

I truly loved Show Luo as the haughty Da Ying. He truly fits the role. He's like Sakuragi. He's full of air but has no solid skill on basketball. But he truly has innate talent. And it increased episode after episode.

Jerry Yan may be old already, but he still can pull of his character as a university student/basketball star Dong Fang Xiang. He's definitely the Rukawa in this series.

Wu chun's role as a stalker wasn't really that impressive. I dunno about the second half of the season, but he just pops up out of nowhere with his brother for every episode in the first half of the season. So he was still a mystery...but obviously his motive will surely be revealed by the end. LOL.

So from what I've seen. The games were exciting. It was as if I was watching the UAAP. Da Ying also gave me that same shameful feeling I had for sakuragi. That shameful feeling that makes you wanna close your eyes for something embarassing might happen to him. Haha!

But seriously... I like W for Da Ying...nobody else....if it would be another gal than me. Haha!

Gokusen 3 (Jdorama)

2009-08-11T18:09:00.005+08:00

I strongly disagree on putting up this sequel. It just repeated the previous encounters from Season 1 and 2. Season 1 could support the whole GOKUSEN series for future generations. I must say they were just used to promote JE talents. Of course you can't blame that on the first one cause it is the first. But as you look closely on season 2 and 3, both had JE talents as their leads. With a repetitive plot and new actors., it is obvious what they wanted to do.

Anywho, I still enjoyed this though. I grew fond of Kamiya-kun (who didn't really have a big role except for one special episode focused on him). Kazama Ren who's the tallest out of all of them was cool for me too.

Yankumi looked as if she never aged. She'll always be an inspiration for me because her passion for her students never changed. But please, no more sequels. Enough is enough.

Boys Over Flowers (Kdrama)

2009-08-11T18:04:00.001+08:00

I am so late for this review. It's been a while since I watched it on KBS World. But thanks to ABS-CBN I got to see parts I haven't seen on KBS.

I won't get on the details anymore. I'll just go straight to the point. I really did not like the cast at first. I thought of them as no match for the Hanadan version. But after watching them, I got to love them. I even loved Yoon Ji Hoo played by Kim Hyun Joong. But he still won't beat my love for Domyouji Tsukasa played by Matsujun. Hehe!

This Korean version had the edge on how they presented the story, as per my supervisor, and I agree with that. The whole story became more dramatic and had their funny moments on the side. To compress season 1 and 2 of hanadan work for BOF.

But the only thing I hated from this was the ending. Every good story should have a good ending. This ended like BLAH. As in BLAH. You would say..."that was it??????" Hanadan ended with grandeur. It ended with a movie and you were sure what happened to the couple in the end. So that was my only complain though. But Hanadan will always be the best for me but Meteor Garden was certainly my first love.

Smile - Episode 11 (finale)

2009-06-30T16:22:00.003+08:00

thanks to smile_jdrama@LJ

If you are going to set-up a multicultural restaurant, why wouldn't you include Filipino food, if you're half-Filipino to begin with? Gah. Or maybe the chairs we're blocking the menu. Just let me whine.

No tears shed for this episode!!! Wohoo! Even though there were very sad moments before the ending. I never cried since I knew something good SHOULD happen in the end because if not...I'm gonna bash the writer. Joke!!!! Thanks for making me SMILW in the end!

After 6 years, all they needed was one testimony from Seiji's kin...father perhaps? I think so. What the heck was it? At least it made the reversal. Wooooh!

Now I'm eager for the subbed video! I'll be waiting from Stormy Team!

Aaaaahhhhh!!! Vito with really really SHORT hair!!!! WOOT!

I'll make a better review after I see the subbed version.

But a friend of mine who haven't watched the show yet and to whom I hasd the chance to share this dorama wondered why on earth didn't Vito try to learn more about his roots...as in Filipino roots? I would have wanted that too. But the basic story here wasn't about being Filipino, but about how you live with discrimination. So it should apply not only to us Filipinos but other nationalities as well. So this is not a story about Filipinos, it is a story about everybody in the world. Now I can contest that to my friend.

SMILE - Episode 10

2009-06-26T21:54:00.003+08:00

Credits to Konoban

Oh shoot! So many things I need to understand! But there is one thing i can conclude...Vito wanted to plead guilty. The guilt was so heavy on him.

I can't imagine how one episode would be able to conclude everything. It seems there is so much more needed to be shown. Sigh. It's kinda sad to know it's almost the end. I even didn't get to see Vito smile in this ep. Only a smirk. Sigh.

What I'm interested about is how the jury decided the case. I wanted to understand their opinions, especially the cute guy's opinion. LOL. It seems his opinion was important. But what I don't like is how subjective they can get. It's kind of obvious that personal feelings do affect their decision. For example, the sympathy of the pregnant woman to Hayashi's mother and the feeling of the other woman towards Hana-chan father. Sigh.

So the last episode is just around the corner! Let's hope for something better in the end! Hana-chan will finally appear in 2015! Wohoo!!!!! Ja ne!

SMILE - Episode 9

2009-06-20T20:54:00.003+08:00

Embed from Konoban.

Oh wow, the end in this episode was the bomb...in a happy and sad way. But most of the scenes were centered on the hearing. Kinda boring because I can't understand what they're were saying. Thank goodness there were some actions that were understandable. Both sides got their share of positive points though. I couldn't understand Kazama-san's turnaround argument (I think it was about the scene when Seiji-san hit a guy, the part when he goody image was changed to bad again. Argh), but for the opposition they were able to show how weak one witness was. i was impressed with that though even though I hate him so much.

I'm amused also with the jury. My first time to see a jury with so much varied personalities. I wish I could understand what they were saying and how the heck they were picked for that position.

I was wondering also about the first meeting between Vito and the police who always accompanies him. I though the police might have thought that Vito looks too good and handsome to be a criminal. LOL.

I cried also when Mrs. Machimura shared her statements about Vito. Waaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!

Before I go...I think even Kazama-san got amused with hana-chan's cute expressions, especially the one she always does for GANBARE! Haha!

Hana-chan...fight-oh!!! Vito-san...fight-oh!!!

2 more episodes to go???? Thanks again to smile_jdrama@LJ for the raw vid!!!!!

Smile - Episode 8

2009-06-10T10:44:00.004+08:00

Embed from Konoban

Finally I got to see episode 8. This is it! We now know the real reason he gets in jail til 2015...or so I believe. Would there be anything else? This was another upsetting episode...the only positive scene here was the Mt. Fuji scene. Suteki na!!!!

We still get to see Vito smile though...it wouldn't be SMILE without his smile. LOL.

I'm still curious about he lady who visits Kazama-san frequently. Who is she??? I wan wondering she's related to Vito? Or maybe not. Maybe related to Kazama-san about someting. Hmmmmm.

I was just enraged when those policemen in black (or whatever they are...SWAT?) came charging through the windows of the tea house where Vito and Hana-chan were last seen together. What he heck! Kazama-san was gonna let him out quietly and here goes those peky detectives. Errrrrr!!! What is he anyway? Is he a mass murderer to be dragged out like that? What the heck!!!!

Ohhh...so we now see Vito in the cell...in 2009...so up to 2015? Oh bother.

Vito in a suit!!!! LOL. I was kinda curious about the group of people the judge met before the trial. Are they the jury? What a variety pick for jury people. LOL.

Okay...we only have a few eps left...so Hayakawa Vito....FIGHT-OH!!!!!!! Ganbarimasu!!!!!

I also want to express my thanks to the STORMY TEAM for finally approving my request to be part of their community in LJ. At least I'll be able to see subbed videos now!!! Wohoo!!! Arigatou gozaimasu!!!!! I'll be watching a subbed ep. 3 vid later!

Smile - Episode 7

2009-06-02T18:43:00.005+08:00

As others have said..this is the main turning point in the series! No wonder...it's mid-part already for the whole season!!! Kyaaaa!!!!

There are 2 main turning points...the one in the middle and the one in the last. Gosh...we get to know the reason why Vito is in the cell in 2015. That's my guess. It seems connected with that.

For one second I found Hayashi Seiji cute...and then...well. Shattered dreams. LOL.

I wish Vito wera something other than the green coat he always wears though.

Credits to: smile_jdorama@LJ

I'm still awaiting for the subs (crossing her fingers that storymysubs will accept her request)!!!!

Smile - Episode 6

2009-05-27T18:34:00.004+08:00

Credits: http://konoban.com (raw)

Made me cry again! Sob sob sob!!!!!! We're halfway already...so I'm judging this will go as far as episode 11. Let's see!!!

I forgot to greet Vito...Belated OTANJOUBI OMEDETOU!!!!!!!! He celebrated his b-day on May 19. That's why they celebrated his birthday last episode before the tragedy happened.

I'm glad the issue with Machimura Foods seems okay now...I hope. But someone's life had to be sacrificed in order for that to happen. Huhuhu!!!!

I hope scenes when the three friends are always goofing around will always be prevalent in this drama...just my luck...I know it won't happen.

Pushing to the 2015 scenes...we see Kazama-san trying to find a book for Vito about food...I saw a book with a Philippine flag on it...but it was not the one picked-up by Kazama-san. LOL. Just wanna share. We also get to hear Hana-chan's name in another scene...but I can't understand what it meant. Vito seeemed sad. Huhu!

I'm scared when Hana-chan got cornered by Hayashi Seiji. Nooooooooooooooooo!!!! But the preview for the next ep made me relieved anyway.

Seiji saying "Arigatou" to Vito? I wonder what that meant. He's gonna be cornered by I-don't-know guys!!! Can't wait for the next ep!!!

SMILE - Episode 5

2009-05-20T00:08:00.005+08:00

No subs still. I know it is not that easy to sub these doramas. I don't wanna rush the subbers. But I know everyone wants to understand everything about this dorama asap. At least there are still raw files, I can go on with this for now. Thanks again to http://konoban.com But I just screwed up again on clicking the vid two times within the day. That's why I only got to see half of it now. I'll just wait another time to watch the second half. For you guys, remember that Megavideo only allows a total time of 72 minutes a day, after you clicked it twice and reached that limit, you still need to wait 54 mins after that. I have to sleep now!

So from what I've seen the only striking thing was the comeback of Uchiyama!!! Oh sorry, it's Hayashi Seiji!!!! Omo!!! He's so scary! I got used to seeing Shun-kun as a good boy after his role as Uchi in Gokusen. Come on just look...Rui Hanazawa of Hana Yori Dango...Detective Conan...Sano of Hana Kimi...these are plain good guys! Gosh! And now he's back as a bad boy! He can transform anytime. Kakkoi!!!! It's so scary when he says Vito's name...."Viiii-to-chan" LOL.

There was a cute moment though between the three friends. better watch out for it! Haha!

Machimura Foods is still struggling too. I don't know why reporters stay all day and night in front of their house. How severe did their production cost the whole of Japan for such attention? But Vito and the others just live normally inside their house. LOL.

The pacing seems slow right now...or maybe because I don't understand the details. It's about half of a whole season already so maybe something will come up soon.

Still no sign of Hana-chan and the others in 2015.

I'll just watch the second half in a later time. Ja!

---------Update--------------

I just watched the last part. That was so terrifying!!!!! Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!

SMILE - Episode 4

2009-05-13T18:19:00.006+08:00

No subs for this too. Credits to smile_jdorama@LJ

I just reached 24 minuetes of this part (since I was watching from megavideo, and it limits watching time of 72 minutes only, and I have watched the previous episode on the same day. Drats.

Well, from the way things are going...Hana-chan is still the bravest girl I've seen. I really need to learn from her.

Vito gets a hitting from his friend's mom. Sigh...poor Vito again!

I like how they coincide scenes from the future and the present. I rarely see dramas like that. Interesting way of developing the story.

I still don't know who the heck the guy is, the one Hana-chan is acquainted with. he already meets Vito, but no signs in the orig language that they say anything about his relation to Hana-chan.

Hayashi Seiji is back!!!!!!

*********Update***************

After watching the subbed version from STORMY TEAM...so many things were revealed! So it seems somebody else was behind the food poisoning...I thought it was those two pesky prosecutor/detective.

Hana-chan is just a friend of the guy from the Welfare ward. How sweet he calls Vito readily as Hana-chan's BF. Hana-chan is really cute being giggly about Vito. So she was backed-up by the others. Haha1

So They had different tasks to do to help ease the company's status. How interesting.

Ito Kazuma keeps relating something about his life to Kimchi. Something about Korea? Hmmmm...

Vito gets a lawsuit from Rina-chan's mother! How awful. At least I know how that will end.

I have to finish ep. 5!!!

SMILE - Episode 3

2009-05-13T17:36:00.005+08:00

No subs yet. Thanks to http://konoban.com!

It's been 2 weeks already and no subs yet were released, so I just went and watched the RAW version again. Kinda hard not understanding everything. At least we get to know what happens. I'll still be waiting for subs though, either by http://arashi.vox.com or by STORMY SUBS. Ganbatte ne!

From what I understood, it seems the one who initiated the cruel set-up of food poisoning from Vito's work was the two filthy detectives/police (whatever!). So obvious. So they did it for revenge? They are so low!

We see a development in the relationship between Vito and Kazama-san. Also between Vito and Hana-chan. Sigh. Things get complicated again in the end.

Not so much to say coz I think I am lost for words for not understanding everything. But highlights would be Kazama-san's TV guesting, Vito-Kazama pair-up to save a mini-mart and another great move by Hana to get Vito's heart. Hehe!

Who the heck is the guy who fetches Hana-chan? I can't get he detail yet!

-----------UPDATE----------------

I finally got to see the 3rd ep with Subs! Wohoo!!!! Thanks to the STORMY TEAM. So I finally understood everything.

- So Kazama-san was just nervous when he guested on TV...I thought he hated the other guests. LOL

-Shiori-san seemed to gain fame from the TV guesting. Hehe!

-The okaa-san of Rina-chan didn't just push Vito away because of the food issue...because of his race too. Argh.

-Hana-chan was jealous of Rina-chan. (or Rika?) Haha!

-The resto manager that was supposed to hire Vito (before meeting Kazama-san drunk) was kind to Filipinos. Sigh.

-Kazama-san kinda hated the fact that a Japanese resto was serving other food like Korean kimchi...I wonder why.

-Kazama-san was supposed to reveal someting to Vito about his origin...so something about his race?

-Vito covered-up for Hayashi Seiji!!!

-So who was behind the food poisoning? I thought it was the two pesky inspectors!!! Not? Hmmmm....

SMILE - Episode 2

2009-04-29T01:21:00.002+08:00

:) two-1

Thanks to Konoban.com for the video above! Thanks also again to the grandest efforts of http://arashi.vox.com for subbing so fast! Wish I can contribute to the Jdrama community like that!

I just finished watching episode 2 of SMILE (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=woLzT-f6-qA)...so before I sleep I need to say something.

This is the first among the many heartaches Bito (let's just use this spelling since the subber uses this also anyway) will be facing. He just survived one...and then another comes his way. That's what dramas are about. And to think we know after 5 years...he still has a dilemma. Everyone does. But hey...how long will he stay in that cell???? I just can't wait for the resolution.

Forgive me for slight spoilers. Anyway, I gotta say Hana-chan played by Yui Aragaki is now my idol! She's such a great stalker!!! Haha! i have to learn more from her! LOL! And she's so brave!!! To think what she has gone to to save the guy she loves. Awwwww!!! Bito is still oblivious to the fact that Hana likes him so much! Kawaii!!! And to think Hana liked him since she was a kid! How old Hana is anyway?? Bito was a teenager already when Hana was still a kid. Hmmmm....

Anyway...I am hoping Bito's parents will show up in one of the episodes. I'm assuming they are not dead yet. Just like in Filipino telenovelas, who you presume as dead will suddenly pop up alive somewhere in the series. LOL!

It remains a mystery as to how Ito kazuma fought with Bito till the end...since at first he was reluctant to take him under his wing. Could be somthing interesting to know. Hmmm...

So again...FIGHT-OH Hayakawa Bito!!!!!! Now I know why Bito uses a Japanese surname.

SMILE - Episode 1

2009-04-21T23:00:00.002+08:00

:) one-1

Thanks so much to http://konoban.com for sharing this video! It has no subs yet (update, now it does, 05/11/09), but I still took the time to watch it in its full original glory!!!!

Of course, firstly I loved how Matsujun looked! He's still hot as ever! He got a tan too, so maybe they could emphasize he's being half-Filipino. But heck, not all Filipinos are tan now anyway.

The story looks really heavy. We see the first part which is actually a future scene already...in a cell. So would that really be Bito's future? Let's see. So the current timeline is really 2009, but they showed a scene for 2015 already. I HAVE A DREAM.

Sa mga fellow Pinoys diyan...alam kong medyong masakit malaman na ipapakita nila na naghihirap masyado ang isang half-Pinoy sa Japan. Ang aking wish lang ay may positive result ito after mapalabas ang buong dorama. Sa tingin ko, kung sino man may gawa ng story na ito...may concern sa mga may ibang lahi. Di nila gagawin ito...na pinapakita pagmamaltrato ng ibang tao sa katulad ni Bito sa Japan...kung ala silang mensahe na maganda na gusto iparating. Tsaka kung wa paki sila sa story, bakit sila kukuha ng isang top-notch actor na katulad ni Matsujun di ba? Ang guwapo pa! LOL! Kaya sa gumawa ng drama na ito...saludo ako sa kanya!!! Alam ko in the end...kaya SMILE ang title...dahil ipapakita nito ang positive side sa mga half-Pinoys at ibang lahi. SMILE naman diyan!

I'm waiting for the subbed version!!! I don't understand all the details...but at least I can understand the basic plot! I'm so happy I got to watch it already! I'm wishing for some comedic scenes, but I know Matsujun may not make me laugh here this time. But still I know I'm gonna love this dorama since it has a story that a Filipina like me will be able to relate to. Thanks for showing a story like this! I know they will show something positive in it! Fight-oh!

**********UPDATE***************

I was able to watch the subbed version last week thanks to http://arashi.vox.com. Here's the link of the first part. You'll get to know the rest after this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X7l2IIdYMaE

It hurts more after understanding evrything, nonetheless I still feel grateful Matsujun took on this role. To take on a role that is so far from his pretty boy roles before just shows that he is really maturing as an actor. And to think he's half-Filipino in this new roel, which makes me happier than ever! Can't we just get married? Hehe!!!! ^_^

SMILE Interview

2009-04-03T18:22:00.000+08:00

Credits to: asiangreencake@youtube

It doesn't have subs but according to KaychanCR13:
1st they were talking about what they might call each other, and the older guy said Matsun, the Jun said i havnt been called that since highschool. then at around 1:42 they start talking about when they smile the most. and the girl i the middle says on the ride home from the filming "Smile" (then jun makes a comment about "are you really that happy to get away from us? *he is such a tease* and then she says in the car she likes to do air drums, then the older guy says he likes to play air base, then Jun said we could start a band and i would be air guitar ^_^

It also shows a preview of their shoot...Matsujun is seen working as a delivery boy I presume. Wai!!! He's so cute with his new hair! I love it so much! can't really wait for it!!!! ^_^

SMILE (My first reaction)

2009-03-21T20:10:00.000+08:00

Yes, si Matsujun aka Matsumoto Jun ng Gokusen/Kimi wa Petto/Hana Yori Dango/Bambino! and member of Arashi na love ko!!!!! Naiiyak ako...alam kong late ko na nalaman kaso naiiyak pa rin ako sa TUWA!!!!!!!! Kasi kahit papaano diba, may relation naman sa atin yung gagawin niya na bagong Jdorama!!!! Heto details na nakita ko:

Jun Matsumoto and Yui Aragaki will co-star in a new TBS drama series titled "Smile." Takayuki Takuma ("Hana Yori Dango") is handling the script, though he is using his real name rather than his usual pen name of Mikio Satake.

Matsumoto plays a half-Filipino (Hayakawa Bito) whose father has died and mother has disappeared. Despite his misfortune and the issues he deals with, such as race, he lives his life positively with a constant smile.

Similarly, Aragaki plays a young woman living cheerfully despite losing her ability to speak due to an accident. Her character is said to be modeled after a real actress in the theatrical troupe that Takuma runs.

The supporting cast includes Kiichi Nakai as a lawyer who watches over Matsumoto and Aragaki.

"Smile" will air on Friday nights at 10:00pm, starting in April 17.

credits: http://www.tokyograph.com/news/id-4418

Kala ko gagamitin nila ang kanta ng Arashi na SMILE din ang title. Bakit hindi??? Kay Shiina Ringo na song ang gagamitin. Ohhhhkay lang!

Hmmm...ibig sabihin lang nito they think na guwapo talaga ang labas ng combination ng Jap/Fil...hehe!

Excited na ako! Aabangan ko talaga ito (as always...ehem!!!)

One blogger wondered...mag-Tatagalog kaya si Matsujun? Abangan! Di ba sila nag-shoot ng ibang scenes dito man lang???? Waaaahhh! Gusto ko siya makita!!!! LOL!

Hay basta...I'm just happy na they decided to include some Filipino element in a Jdorama. This better be a good portrayal! Si Matsujun kinuha nila eh!!! I just hope that they won't hurt our pride in this. But since the title is SMILE...so it should have a positive side to it, ne? Kyaaaaa!!!

Sabi ng isang blogger, para daw emo. Ngumimgiti sa labas, pinapatay naman sa loob. Sobrang drama ba ito??? Hay naku! Medyo nag-aalala lang ako sa race issue. Hope they do it properly. Bakit kaya half-Pinoy? Dahil ba sa naging kondisyon dati sa war? Let's see!

Naalala ko tuloy motto ni Soujiro Seta ng Rurouni Kenshin: "No matter how much pain, how much hatred, the only thing I can do is SMILE." Whoah!

Official Site (Jap version lang): http://www.tbs.co.jp/smile09

SMILE Teaser and Photoshoot

2009-03-21T20:06:00.000+08:00

Here's the cast of SMILE during a photoshoot. Again, it does not show much. But I'm glad I get to see bits of pieces of it. I just can't wait for it!!! Lovin' Matsujun more and more!

credits: chio258@youtube

As I have said...I'll be following the developments of this drama closely since it would be the most significant Jdorama of Matsujun to me so far.

It really is a teaser. Does not show much...just their smiles and sorrow. We get the picture now from that.

Credits: lorelein8@youtube

Here's a news clip regarding the dorama. Doesn't show anything really. They were just reporting about the drama. I just understood "Firipin" which means Filipino and some other Jap words. LOL.

Credits: lorelein8@youtube

My Most Fave Scene from Bambino!

2009-03-21T19:01:00.000+08:00

Advice to Ban Shogo aka Bambino -

I'll forever treasure this scene because it helps me persevere in my job. Fight-oh!!!

Princess Hours and Full House (Kdrama)

2009-03-21T18:38:00.000+08:00

*I intended to focus on Princess Hours only, but in the end I ended up reviewing both Kdramas because of the similarities*

I knew it! I knew it! Time and time again I was always right! I shouldn't have tried to watch this show! Well, because now I'm still addicted to it eventhough I finished the whole series already. Drats. I'm still stuck in the palace. I can't get out. I have to get out! I feel as if I'm one of those servants that keeps saying "De, mama" (is that right? I dunnot the spelling!).

I did not want to watch the show initially because they were high school students. Okay the characters are, but the actors and actresses are not. Wahahahaha! Yipee! Well for your information the actress who played Shin Chae-Kyong (Janelle in the Phil. dubbed version) was born on Oct. 3, 1984. While the actor who played Lee Shin (Gian) was born on May 16, 1982. Also, would you believe the actor who played Lee Yool (Troy) was born on the year 1980! he does not look like someone with that age! i mean I'm sure they were at least 2 years younger when they shot the series, but still! He loks so young!!! Anyway, as for Min, she was born on the year 1981. Yehey, at least I'm younger than them! LOL!

Okay, okay, enough with the age! At least after watching it I knew I still can relate with it.

The series has so many similarities with Full House, which is another Korean soap. First of all, I both love them. Hehe! Next, both the lead actors were not my type at first (Rain and Lee Shin), but the longer I looked at them, the more I realized that they are really good looking. take note, both of them also have very small eyes that seems unattractive at first glance only. But when they smile...yey! Hehe!

Next, let me focus on the pesonalities of the lead characters. I'll go first with the lead female characters of both shows. janelle of Princess Hours and Jessie of Full House are both lovely caharcters that are perky, funny, clumsy and seem immature. Both of them are also unloved at first by their object of affection (Huhu!). But because of their sweetness, they eventually won their hearts.

Then let me compare similarities between Prince Gian of Princess Hours and Justin of Full House. Both are very popular with the girls (duh, one is aprince and the other is an actor). They are also coldhearted, haughty and loves to tease their partners (Janelle and Jessie). Both also have problems with a girl they really want initially (lorraine for Justi and Monique for Gian). Both of them also has a problem with their father. Justin wants to prove that he can really be independent while Prince Gian wants to show that he really has potential to be the next emperor for South Korea.

Next focus would be on Monique of Princess Hours and Lorraine of Full House. Both characters are lovely, sophisticated and talented. The exact opposite of the other female lead characters. Both also love the lead actors (Prince Gian and Justin) but they have problems with them. Monique does not want to get married with Prince Gian because being a princess would hinder her dream to become an international ballerina. As for Lorraine, actually she was really in-love w/ Luigi (their friend) initially. It was too late when she realized her love for Justin.

Lastly, let me discuss regarding the 2nd lead actors for both shows, Prince Troy and Luigi. These guys both possess ideal characteristics that any woman would swoon for. Both are sweet, gentle, caring, sophisticated, rich, handsome etc! But unfortunately the woman they love have eyes for someone else. To think that particular guy is portrayed as the opposite of their sweet personality! It seems that the sweet guys don't get the girl? Not actually, but maybe because it is cuter to watch a haughty guy being changed into a sweet guy because of the love of a woman. Ayiiii!!!! Yeah, you may feel sorry for Prince Troy and Luigi but that's how the story goes.

I'm finished with the character comparisons. Let me now move to the plot comparison. Okay, I may have revealed some already in my character description. Both shows have a forced marriage involved. The Full House couple must comply with a contract (that was made due to the confusion made regarding the ownership of FULL HOUSE). As for the Royal Couple of Princess Hours, they were victims of an arranged marriage planned by their grandfathers. At first, both disliked each other, but as the story moved on, they eventually realized their feelings for each other. Of course, you can't miss out the frequent bickerings between the couples. Both shows also have the "Love Square" conflict. The issue of divorce was also brought up for both couples. But of course it did not push through anyway. Different setting, sifferent characters but same love story that will truly leave a mark on you. Plus, both have a very nice soundtrack that will make you want to play it again and again.

Something About 1% (Kdrama)

2009-03-21T18:35:00.000+08:00

I should have written this ages ago! Anyway let me go on. This is a story about dada, a normal English teacher in Korea and her unexpected fate with Jae-in, the grandson of a very well-known business tycoon. It was just a setup at first by Jae-in's grandfather because he liked Dada's personality when he first met her on the MRT. So he tried to lure his grandson for her in a very odd way. Well, at first I'm not sure if he did this for the sake of love or for the sake of money. Either way, I don't want to get into the details anymore. LOL!

I just wanna say that I really really loved how the story progressed! It reminds me of Full House (with Rain Bi-oppa and Song Hye Gyo) because Dada and Jae-in always fought with each other. The usual love-hate relationship, but I loved it anyway.

There were episodes that seemed stressful for me though. Like the time they did not talk for a long time due to the disapproval of Dada's parents about their relationship or that time when they argued because...of a lot of things. LOL!

I also want to make a special mention to Dada's oppa...the doctor! He's so cute! I don't know his real name though. dang! But he's so cute! Hihi!

But I have to say, the story lost its magic touch after Dada and Jae-in got married on episode 19. Episode 20-26 were just like fillers and focused mostly on the relationship between jae-in's cousin and Dada's sister. I personally think it should have ended on ep. 19. Oh well.

I want to give a comment on Jae-in...well about his hair...I reaslly don't like the style of his hair! Come on, if you haven't seen it, it is all messed-up like a broom. LOL. Exag! Not really, but it is kind of disheveled. The thing is, after watching him for so long, I got used to it and eventually I liked him in the end. I realized he was cute and I loved his smiling eyes (reminds me of Rain-oppa, I did not like him at first too).

I would like to note also that there were some scenes when I did not like Dada's acting. It was during the time she had fights with Jae-in. Well there were times that her expression was dry as if she does not have energy when she made up with Jae-in. There was Jae-in, full of life when everything went fine while Dada was...I said that already. LOL!

Okay, okay...its all jumbled up already. But in general I loved the series because of its plot (eventhough it is a used formula already). The perfect romance-comedy story for anyone!

Witch Yoo Hee (Kdrama)

2009-03-21T18:32:00.001+08:00

Don't expect me to remember all the details. I'll just give a general reaction because it was a while since I got to watch this drama.

Storywise, it was entertaining enough to see a witch-like character change into a princess. To think it was a normal guy who helped transform her! He was like a prince hiding in a chef's body.

Although I would have preferred Johnny Kruger for Yoo-Hee than Moryong. But to think Moryong won over such a hot guy like Johnny! On the other hand I sympathize with Hye-bin's haracter. She was so patient and loving. Can't blame her anything because she love Moryong very much. I could just blame her for not getting angry in the first place. But I admire her character. If it was another woman, gosh, it would have been war already!

About Kim Jeong Hoon's character, I was so disappointed! It wasn't a good character at all. his "Princess Hours" role was way much better! That's where I loved him, as Lee Yool.

Most of the time it has funny moments especially those of Yoohee and Moryong. Special mention should be given to the girls who were infatuated with Johnny. Haha! I enjoyed their fights!

The ending was kind of bland though. It was like..."That's it?". So it lacked something for that part. It seemed they wanted to end it quickly. LOL.

But still I loved it. I recommend it as a "must-watch" for Kdrama fans.

Sangdoo, Let's Go to School (Kdrama)

2009-03-21T18:28:00.000+08:00

It all started to go bad for Sang-doo when he didn't show-up upon the call of his friend to go to school.

I forgot all the specific details of this drama but I didn't need to watch all episodes to understand the whole story.

If I can sum it all up, the best way to describe it is by giving it a title like "The Very Devastating Life of Sang-Doo". It was so tragic that only death could give him peace with his loved one. It was really so sad. I did sheda tear for some scenes.

The cast was good too and I was happy to see many familiar faces. There's my Rain-oppa, Jeong Aeri of "You Are My Destiny" (Saebyeok's adoptive eomma), Jeon Hye-Bin from "Witch Yoo Hee" and "First Love" (Banjun Drama wd DBSK's Yunho and Yoochun), Lee Donggun from 'lover in Paris" and the girl from another DBSK Banjun Drama "Tokyo Holiday" and "Finding Lost Time". The new faces seemed okay too especially the child who played as Bori. She was really a darling.

It was so dramatic but I still tried to watch it eventhough I know I might feel so sad. It had its share of comedic acts too that made me laugh so hard. So ironic. Hehe! The ending was so relieving though but it was still sad. Waaaaaaahhhhh!!!!

It is a thumbs-up for me! I enjoyed all the episodes I got to watch of it.

Hanazakari no Kimitachi e (Jdorama)

2009-03-21T18:16:00.000+08:00

Nosebleed to the max!!! With all the cute guys around, I would have fainted if I was there myself. Shun Oguri and Shirota You were my early favorites already, and to see them together in one Jdorama made me so happy. What made it better was that I have an addition to my TO-DIE-FOR-HOT-GUYS which are Ikuta Toma and the actor who played Minami (Hiro Mizushima)! Weeeee!!!

I also noticed that Shirota You and Ikuta Toma looked like brothers. Must be the genes or something. They have the same features except that Yuu-sama is taller than Toma-sama and that Yuu-sama has sharper eyes. Hehe! Kawaii!

The Ashiya-Sano pair reminds me of Azumi and Nachi from the movie "Azumi", well because Ashiya looks like Azumi and then Nachi was also played by Shun Oguri. LOL!

Aside from the characters that were really lively and animated compared to the TW version, I also loved the music used for it. My most fave is IKEMEN BOOGIE, the usual music you hear at he into and before the episode ends. The use of brass instruments gives out a happy feeling for anyone who hears it. It inspires me a lot. It makes me wanna dance Boogie! Hehe!

Well, I can't make a final comparison between the TW version and JP version unless I watch the whole TW series (still pending on my list). But so far...I really really love the Japanese version because they retain the anime appeal of it. At least even I'm now older, It's still like I'm watching anime. Hehe! Not that I agree anime is for kids only...but a live version gives it a realistic feel for some aspects. Haha! ^_^

Coffee Prince (Kdrama)

2009-03-21T18:09:00.000+08:00

The formula of a love-hate relationship was implemented on this series...reminds me of "Full House" and "1% of Something", but I haven't got tired of it yet.

I do not want to give out a summary of it anymore. Just wated to share the points I liked about it.

1st, I love Lee Seon Gyun!!! The first time I saw him, I knew I was gonna love him because of his eyes and smile. He actually came to the Philippines to film "Romantic Island" w/ Eugene/Yoo-Jin Kim. Too bad I didn't see them. Huhu! To think they filmed it in Boracay around after a month I visited that place. Drats!

I also saw other familiar faces like Yoon Eun Hye (Princess Hours), Sambaek of "Unstoppable Marriage" and Sua's ohmoni in "Likable or Not".

The main thing you would love about this is the fact that here is a hot bachelor, with everything a woman could ask for, who fell in-love with a girl that looks like a guy. He actually thought this girl was a guy and he feared about being homosexual. That's true love! Sigh! It was really fun to watch Han Kyul being giddy about Eun Chan. So cute! His tells it all!

Hana Yori Dango Season 1 & 2 (Jdorama)

2009-03-21T17:53:00.000+08:00

*My reaction after viewing the first few episodes of season 1. Originally posted in my Tabulas account*

I know it is all about F4 (remembering the Meteor Garden phenomenon)...but I loved this even before watching it because it has Matsujun as Domyouji Tsukasa (counterpart of Jerry Yan's Dao Ming Tse) and I so love him to the max!!!! Okay he may not look as gorgeous as he was in Gokusen (the hair! I love the long hair!) but still his eyes can make you melt. Hihi!

I also love Inoue Mao as Tsukushi Makino. I don't hate her even though she is so close to Matsujun. LOL! So that makes my viewing experience enjoyable. I don't need to throw things at my television screen when I see them together. LOL LOL LOL! Hahahahahaha!!!

I don't want to make comparisons yet between Hana Yori Dango and Meteor Garden yet. Haven't finished season1 yet (drats...my local channel is slicing it to bits everyday, gotta get the dvd quick! I have season 2 already though...but I don't want to watch it first...I'll wait...new york new york....)

*After watching both seasons, posted in Friendster*

Domyouji Tsukasa no baka! He made me watch the story of F4 again! LOL! But really...it was a whole new experience and I loved it!! Doushite? Because Matsujun plays the counterpart of Dao Ming Tse (yeah Jerry Yan's role in Meteor Garden). Well it is so familiar with his role in Gokusen as Sawada Shin. But as for Oguri Shun (who plays Hanazawa Rui)...his role in HYD is way different than Uchi of Gokusen.

Anyway some scenes would already be familiar to those who eagerly watched Meteor Garden before. But don't expect the same sequences and reasons behind those. I dunno which is more loyal to the anime/manga though. But the very big difference is that in season 2, Domyouji did not suffer amnesia for the most part of the season(it was the main factor for Meteor Garden season2)...but only for uhm...2 episodes. Hehe! Also if MG shot their initial episode for season2 in Spain, HYD2 shot their initial ep in New York (tan-tan-tananan)! Also I forgot to mention a very important event in season 1 for HYD...we have T.O.J. or the Teen of Japan contest! You don't have that one in MG! It was hilarious...promise!

See Domyouji bully other people...see him get punched by 3 different girls...see him destroy the cafeteria...see him walk like a model...see him become tense because of Makino...see him become giddy also because of Makino...see him chase Makino after an "accident"...see him fight with a monkey-girl...see him laugh...see him cry...see him make himself silly...see him eat a very old cookie...see the change of his curly hair in season 1 and 2...see him make the final episode of season 2 so GRAND...see him sing the opening song of season 1 and 2(not included though...just imagine...he is one of them...promise)...accck there's too many! Just find out for yourself! LOL!

You'll also love the catchy songs of Arashi (I told ya Matsujun is one of them) and the insert song of Utada Hikaru in season2 entitled "Flavor of Life".

All jumbled up...gomen gomen! Hehe!

HANADAN FAVE SCENES

*originally posted in my Tabulas account*

Finally I was able to finish both seasons! Whew! I could have done it in days if only work did not hinder me to do so. Anyway...I learned to love Matsujun's short hair look (well it became better in Season 2)...he looks kawaii in any kind of hairstyle! Yahoo!!! Sugoi sugoi! Shun Oguri too was a hottie...but Matsujun is still no. 1 for me. Wehe! Neway let me share some of my fave scenes in season 1:

1. When Domyouji asked Makino out on a date...the "Hemingyay" scene.

2. Domyouji's reaction upon seeing Makino on the street (this was a time after their accident kiss) because his smile was kinda cute for me.

3. Tsubaki onee-chan's rescue operation for Makino against crazy Domyouji (hehe!)

4. The Ebisu Garden date disaster

5. The cafeteria scene when Domyouji admitted kissing Makino (upon seeing the newspaper article)

6. Domyouji's sacrifice for Makino against Sakurako's goons

7. Okami-san's neverending daydreaming

8. Nishikado's revenge against Yuki's ex

9. Domyouji getting hyped by his and Makino's horoscope connection

10. The "Teen of Japan" contest

11. Makino's training for T.O.J (Domyouji was superb in every activity)

12. The mere entrance of F4 and Makino before the T.O.J. contest (waahhh...that walk was kakoi!!)

13. Makino confessing to Domyouji before his flight to NYC

Season2 fave scenes:

1. Makino lost in New York

2. Shigeru-san singing at Domyouji's birthday party

3. Domyouji barging in Makino's new but wretched apartment

4. Domyouji helping out Makino's bro to win a girl's heart

5. Domyouji getting giddy upon hearing about Makino's stay in their house

6. Tama-san standing up against the Witch (Mrs. Domyouji)

7. Yuki showing Nishikado what Sarah wanted to show him at 6 am

8. Shigeru telling her parents and Mrs. Domyouji that she wanted to postpone the marriage with Domyouji (of course it was a lie, for Domyouji and Makino's sake)

9. Makino trying to help Domyouji remember her when he suffered partial memory loss

10. Domyouji's rescue mission for Makino during the snow storm

11. The grand proposal...kakoi!!!!!

Although...there were more depressing episodes in Season2. Gosh...how I was able to stand those episodes...with their bickering and all. Hehe! That is why I wanted to end it fast. Haha!

Kimi wa Petto (Jdorama)

2009-03-21T17:48:00.000+08:00

*Originally posted in my Friendster account*

This show is about the relationship between a pet and it master. You have Iwaya Sumire, an elite graduate from Tokyo University who currently works as a journalist for a top Tokyo newspaper, as the master. She was always seen as expressionless, like a Noh-mask or a kokeshi doll. She seemed to be a very dull person who is always calm and composed. But everything changes when her pet Momo enters her life.

What is Momo? Or rather...who is Momo? Momo is acted by Matsumoto Jun of the Gokusen and Hana Yori Dango fame. Yup, you heard it right, he is Iwaya's pet. He literally acts like a dog...how did that happen? You just have to find out. But this kind of setting develops a very complicated kind of relationship...a very unexpected one. And you'll be surprised as to how Matsujun acted out his role! Very different from Sawada Shin and Domyouji Tsukasa! But of course it was really entertaining...lots of humor! Haha!

Bambino! (Jdorama)

2009-03-21T17:37:00.001+08:00

*A before-and-after review, posted originally in my Friendster and Tabulas account*

I just started watching the first episode...and my oh my...it was full of suspense! This new series stars Matsumoto Jun of Gokusen, Kimi wa Petto and Hana Yori Dango.

The show is about an aspiring Italian chef named Ban Shogo from Fukuoka who goes to Tokyo during his break for some serious training. The city restaurant where he will work for is called Baccanale Trattoria. This is where Ban-chan experiences the difference between the provincial life and city life as a chef. He was very confident about his skills when he was in his hometown, but he realizes that he does not have enough of it after experiencing the very fast-paced work in Baccanale's kitchen. Pressure mounts up...everybody thought he'll give up but he has a very strong will to continue on. He'll have to stand against the pressure of the work and the annoying behavior of his co-workers (especially the guy named Katori, I hate him! But okay he has his reasons).

Ban Shogo then gains the new nickname "Bambino" or "Bambi" courtesy of the head chef. In Italian it means you can't do anything on your own or you're like an infant who knows nothing. Ban or Bambi must start from scratch to gain new cooking skills that would take him to greater heights.

Expect mouth-watering dishes to feed your eyes...makes you wanna eat everytime you watch! You'll also get to learn some Italian words..hihi! Bene!

"We can make it true! Hontou no..."

After watching the series:

Finally I was already able to watch all 11 episodes of Bambino! thanks to d-addicts.com and Band of Nuts!!! I had a fantastic journey in the world of Italian cooking! Thanks God that pasta is a main Italian dish...because that's the only dish I can really cook. Haha! Plus points since Jun Matsumoto is the star of the show! Woohoo!!!

This was really the perfect opportunity for me to watch this show since it tackles about work and dreams. Ban faces lots of frustrations on his journey to become a great chef. He fails...he succeeds...he wanted to quit but he endured. I'm feeling lots of frustrations in my job right now...but this show somehow helped try to hang on. Okay I'm not a cook...but any kind of work can relate to the nature of the problem. It just means everybody is the same. No matter how different your line of work is...you get the same problems.

I don't know if I have the same feesling as Ban with regards to working overseas. He felt the calling of Italy for him...I dunno if Japan is calling me like that as well. I really don't know. But I do hope I have total freedom to do what I feel. I'm also a bambino. I don't want to waste any opportunity. I don't want to sit all day and book flights. I want to do something else. But like Ban...I'll try to endure first the work upon me...then once decided I'll just have to hop on to the next. Hope I really get there.

I almost cried while watching he "farewell ceremony" scene of episode 11...especially when it the time came for Ban to eat Oda-san's dolce! Waaahhhh!!! He really touched everybody's heart at Baccanale. Even Katori's farewell made me sad. Masashi-kun crying was funny though...but to think I liked Katori in the end. He was the one who punched Ban at the beginning!

Another worth mentioning is Ban's struggle to get Nogami-san's approval as a good waiter. I was really nervous with every scene he had with Nogami-san. Irate!!!!!! But thank God he succeeded to prove his worth. I became happy when Nogami-san became cheerful around Ban. Awwwww!!!

I also want to mention Eri. I thought I was going to hate her. Thankfully I did not. I'm glad Matsujun had good leading ladies so far...women you won't hate. Women around Matsujun you can stand watching.

Well...well...well...I wonder if they're gonna show a season 2 for this. But as it is...it was a very nice drama. Every episode made me excited. Gonna miss those "Bene!". I want to cook some pasta again! Mahn...they showed many seafood pasta...seafood which I can't eat...how kind!

I'll be looking forward to Matsujun's next dorama!!!

You Are My Destiny (Kdrama)

2009-03-21T17:12:00.000+08:00

*My review when I reached the mid-part of the series. Originally posted in my Friendster account*

I had to say something before I explode. I WANT TO KILL KIM SUBIN!!!!! Her name should be Subin-itch or Kim Subitch! Aaaaacccckkkk!!!

I think this Kdrama resembles the theme that makes Pinoy telenovelas going and going (or dragging perhaps)...it's the cinderella-like formula. Yeah you have poor Jang Saebyeok beaing beaten up to pieces...este being challenged by life's obstacles in family, friendship, work and love. It's a cliche...but I dunno why I still watch this show.

I have to note that it has so many hateful characters...especially the moms!!! ALL the moms were so hateful for the first few episodes...it's a shame for real-life moms to see them like that...and it's the dad who are the ones who deserve respect. Thank goodness Mrs. Kim (mother of Nayeong, who donated her eyes to Saebyeok) became loving, but was still too emotional. But the other moms are still problematic.
And there's Kim Subin...the leading contravida, who you can mistook as a very very decent lady. But her love for Kang Hosae (who happens to like Saebyeok) corrupts her decency, or perhaps makes her pull out her mask and show her true self. Pweh! But infairness...she shows signs of guilt when she does something bad. But she can't accept the fact that Saebyeok can beat such a smart, classy lady like her. Beh!
But the thing is, I'm bound with the story already...that's a disease for people who love dramas. That's why no matter how hateful other characters are...you want to watch it. Besides I want to commend Yoona-ssi. I really have a soft spot for her. Thaks to Yola! Thank goodness she's the lead character...that's why I still love the show. And thank goodness there' no Micky Yoochun (or any DBSK member) in the show...because that may spell trouble again.I love Hosae-oppa and Taepung-oppa too!

So I'll be cheering for Saebyeok so that she can live happily-ever-after until the show ends. If she does not keep her prince with him, I'll snatch him from her! LOL!

Prince Hours S/ Goong S (Kdrama)

2009-03-21T17:07:00.000+08:00

*Review I made before even finishing the whole series! Originally posted in my Multiply/Friendster account*

I'm currently at the 4th episode of this spin-off from Princess Hours (Goong). Of course it is still about royalty in Korea but from a simple-guy-turned-prince perspective. The main character Lee Hu is played by popular singer Se7en. Hu was just an ordinary delivery boy of Chinese noodles when suddenly his royal heritage intrudes in his wacky life of motorcycle battles with other delivery boys. Now you can imagine how a street guy like him will be in the palace. Yeah..total chaos. Imagine his wacky ringing tone being played while in a middle of a conversation with the Queen. Unruly phone calls he gets also got overheard by royalty. Haha! You'll also see him wobble so much food in front of royalty. So much more!

It has some similarity with Princess Hours since it was made by the same production team. But this is not a direct sequel. But some characters like the ossan (old guy) who was always by the prince's side before is back in this series. As well as that beautiful lady instructor of Shin Chae-kyong (Janelle).

I happen to realize similarities between Lee Hu and Lee Yool (Prince Troy) in the first one. Also Lee Jun, who is Hu's rival for the throne, looks similar too with Lee Shin (Prince Gian). You won't also miss the poor-girl-meets-prince plot since our princes get entangled with a palace servant. Hehe! And you also have that irritating social climber lady. How everyone will end up? Well Hu is smitten by social climber lady's charm...but she is engaged with Jun,who seems interested with palace servant, but palace servant seems to like Hu, who was her former classmate. Whew! What the heck!

They also brought back the Teddy Bear dioramas! You know...the ones shown after every episode...so kawaii! The OST seems nice too...epecially that they have "Remember" by Tohoshinki/DBSK...hihi! I also love the BGMS!

Ok...16 episodes to go...I'll have to work hard! Hihi!

Likable or Not (Kdrama)

2009-03-21T17:04:00.000+08:00

*Tagalog review, originally posted in my Multiply/Friendter account*

Grabe!!! Never ko naisip na maadik ako sa drama na ito...promise!

Well kasi I just tried watching it last year...dahil alang magandang palabas sa TV. Pag ganoon 3 channels lang ang pinupuntahan ko...ARIRANG, NHK or KBS WORLD. So heto may nakita akong kdrama sa KBS World (ito nga)...at sinilip ko lang naman. Eh di nagets ko na yung story...pero di naman striking. Sabi ko pa nga sa sarili ko..."Ano ba yan, parang mga Pinoy drama din!" Parang ganun kasi formula...si ganito nagpakasal kay ganiyan dahil sa pera, si mother galit kay 2nd wife dahil 2nd wife nga siya ng anak niya na na biyudo, may impaktang spoiled na nakakainis, may sabunutan dito at doon, isang dibursyadang naghahabol dun sa dati niyang asawa, si gurlalu di maka-get over sa lalaking nang-iwan sa kanya...etc etc!!!

So yun nga...pero every night after dinner nagmamadali ako sa TV namin para makita ang latest chika sa drama na ito. Kahit di ko masimulan okay lang...basta may mapanood. Kahit nga may namimiss akong episodes naiintindihan ko ang story. Minsan ilang araw na ang lumilipas na di ko napapanood ito...tapos pagnood ko ulit yung last topic na nakita ko yung pinag-uusapan pa rin nila! Haha! Ganoooon kabagal!

Pero ayan nga hanggang last episode eh sinubaybayan ko ito. Di ko inexpect na magiging fave ko siya. Napamahal na sa akin ang lahat ng characters dito. Ang maganda kasi dito...parang lahat sila bida at kontrabida. Okay hindi lahat...pero in a way ang mga kontrabida nagiging bida din. Di sila yung usual kontrabida forever na pinatawad na lang sa huli dahil mabait yung bida. Basta may ginagawa silang iba sa story that will make you love them talaga.

Grabe first scene pa lang ng last episode kanina napaiyak ako!!! Ano ba yan!!! Kahit alam ko naman ang mangyayari...ayan...napaiyak pa rin ang mata ko!! Pati sa last scene kung saan lahat sila dang saya...nakiiyak ako sa tuwa. Ano ba yan!!! Neway, mamimiss ko silang lahat!!! Fan na ako ni Baekho at Danpung!!! LOL!!! Hihi! Love ko ito kahit lagi ito ang dahilan kung bakit dang late ko mag-ayos bago matulog (lalo na pag ang pasok ko eh 530am kinabukasan...haha!).

Mamimiss ko din yung theme song..."Tell me...I love you...forever..." na kinanta ng napakacute na boses. Di ko alam sino yun eh. Wehehe! Aakalain mong anime pinapanood mo...hehe!

Next stop would be You're My Destiny with Yoona (aka Yola...hehe!)...parang gusto kong panoorin!!! mahihirapan na naman ako after dinner! LOL!

Konnichiwa!!!

2009-03-19T17:56:00.000+08:00

Finally I was able to start out this new blog of mine. I was planning this blog months ago already. I couldn't just squeeze all my thoughts on Jdoramas/Kdramas in my other blogs so I decided to make yet again another blog. It's okay...as long as it is organized I'll be happy.

Well, what fired me up after several delays? Well it is the new of Matsujun's new Jdorama SMILE that made me put this up finally. Well it is his character that made me happy because he'll be playing a half-Filipino/half-Japanese guy!!!! At long last after BAMBINO! that aired last 2007, he's back with a new dorama and it has some Filipino element in it! Makes me happy to have some connection with him now! That's why I've gone bonkers since last night (my PC even died on me, maybe because of exhaustion from my craziness). To think this news has been roaming around since last night (so I'm just sooo late). But it is still due for April so at least I have one more month to prepare. I'll be following every detail of it that's why I had to put this up now!

Well of course aside from that I'll be posting my past reviews (plain reactions actually, don't expect expert reviews here) of the shows I've seen already. I've been typing them all for months already. Hehe!

So that's it for now. I'll put all my thoughts soon!

If you're wondering why I've put up Matsujun's photo...well because he's my main man when it comes to dramas. I've loved him since Gokusen, and nobody has replaced him yet for me in that category. Aishiteiru!!! I may love him forever!!! Hihi!

So I'll be adding more info SOON!