:: Sixtwentyseven ::

Instead of watching a full drama series, I've decided to watch one of the various one episode TV special instead. Digging through the trough of SP that I have not touched, I've decided to watch Hitsudan Hostess first since it's was aired close to 2 years ago.

Histudan Hostess is based on the real life story of Saito Rie, who became Ginza's number 1 hostess despite being deaf. Kitagawa Keiko star as Saito Rie in this adaptation. Rie became deaf at age 1 due to an illness. Despite that, her mother attempted to give Rie as normal a childhood as possible compared to normal children. She also sent her to calligraphy classes when she was young. However, as she graduated from high school, she begins to realise that people still have prejudice against the deaf. Her family wanted to protect her by asking her to stay at home but she is determined to find her own footing. A chance encounter with a host owner lead her to join her club to be a hostess. Initially, she still had obstacles in her job but gradually began to excel in her job by communicating with her clients with pen and paper. "Hitsudan" means communicating through writing in Japanese. However, her mother disapproved of her job. Determined to prove her mother wrong, she strive to be Japan's No. 1 hostess.

I have not read the original novel by Saito Rie, but I would like to believe the scriptwriter has more or less followed the novel. Hitsudan Hostess does not serves to be heavy, but I was touched by the story, especially at the ending 15 minutes which is essentially the essence of the TV special. The ending footage includes the real Saito Rie as well, and I got to say she is a real beauty in person. But what I was more impressed was the acting of Kitagawa Keiko in this drama as she almost has no lines in the whole 90 minutes, save for a few. Even so, when she speaks, she has to speak creditably like how a deaf speaks, which I feel is pretty convincing. Most of her acting require a strong display of facial expressions, which for an actor requires some skill as well. I do think that in this aspect, she has pulled it off creditably. Of course, with as a hostess, Keiko is dressed in several beautiful dresses and kimonos, which is a great plus point to watch the drama as well.

Continuing with my backlogging of Jap dramas, the next show still lying around is Nagareboshi. As compared to Boss 2, which i took pretty long to complete, the time I took to finish Nagareboshi is somewhat much lesser. I will explain why later in this post.

Takenouchi Yutaka is the main lead Okada Kengo, a diligent employee in a local aquarium. All seems well on the outside for the Okada family, but Kengo's sister Maria (Kitano Kii) is sick with liver problems and needs a transplant. Due to Japan laws, only relatives are allowed to donate their livers to Maria, but all of them shunned away from the family. It is at this time that Kengo met Makihara Risa (Ueto Aya), a sex trade worker who is forced to pay off her brother's Shuichi (Inagaki Goro) debts. Risa is also facing problems with her brother's debts and his swindling ways. With both sides in desperation, Kengo trying to find a donor for his sister and Risa trying to start a new life away from his brother, they decide to enter a "contract marriage" where Kengo will pay Risa for her "donation" of her liver while Risa acts as his wife. But as go along the plan, they discover about that their feelings for each other is true.

This drama particularly reminds me of Bara no Nai Hanaya, not because of the similarity of the story but because of the usage of certain items and the pace of the story. For Nagareboshi, they used the Moon Jellyfish that links the two main characters together, as well as the shooting star to describe if their relationship will turn out as it is. (If you didn't understand, it's because I'm trying not to reveal too much). The pace of the drama, although slow for some, is just right for me. Anything faster and I'll feel the writers are trying to rush the story. Some dramas like Bara no Nai Hanaya can't be fast, and this is also true for Nagareboshi.

Another aspect I really liked about the drama is that every shot is beautiful. I especially loved the shots they took in Yamanashi, where Mount Fuji served the backdrop with a lake in front. The scene, taken in autumn, showcased the beauty of the spot with everything in red hues.

As for the storyline, of course I do think certain things are a bit far fetched, but a drama is a drama, so I wouldn't take all those things into account. Nonetheless, this drama does have its pulling strength. If not, I wouldn't complete it in 2 nights. Do watch it, as I think it's a beautiful drama.

And of course, Takenouchi Yutaka is pointlessly handsome.

Phew! I thought I would never write this article for some time! It has been a loooong while since I've last completed a Japanese drama (just did a quick check and realised my last entry for a Jap drama is in Oct 2010!!). Well, I'm just glad I've finished this one as I have tons of Jap dramas to backlog and waiting for me to clear.

Boss 2 carries on the story from season 1 where most of the cast members are still the same. Takenouchi Yutaka is Nodate Shinjiro, counsellor to the Countermeasures unit in the Metropolis Police Division (MPD) headed by Osawa Eriko (Amami Yuki). As compared to season 1, Toda Erika's character Kimoto Mami has reduced screen time and only featured at the beginning and the ending of the drama. In replacement of her character, two characters are introduced: Kurohara Rika (Narumi Riko), computer expert and daughter of the division police chief and Tadokoro Sachiko (Hasegawa Kyoko), forensics experts and a direct replacement for Kimoto Mami in the drama.

Similar to the first season, there is always a major case that will be revealed at the final few episodes while the other episodes are used to develop each character's story. In this sense, there is no surprise in Boss 2. However, the production team has managed to retain the uniqueness of the comedic acts in Boss 2, although I'd say, barely. Boss 2 also seeks to shift its focus towards the relationships between the characters as season 1 focused on each member and how were they chosen to join the Countermeasures team.

I'd say Boss 2 is a decent sequel to season 1. However, the storyline and the level of entertainment did not surpass the previous edition. That said, it is still enjoyable to watch and I'd definitely recommend the drama to be the drama to catch if you're tight on time. Maybe, just maybe...

I missed Superfly's My Best of my Life too much.....

p/s: Superfly's opening and closing theme ROCKS as usual.

Now how do I categorize Lan Kwai Fong? Judging from the movie poster, this is definitely a NSFW movie. And with that judgement, if you're expecting a movie with an intense plot and superior acting, I'd suggest you watch an art film instead, because this film is definitely not.

"Lan Kwai Fong"'s plot is mainly set in a fictitious bar "Club Billion" in the popular night district Lan Kwai Fong in Hong Kong. Boss (Sin Lap-Man), a retired triad leader frequents the club ran by Belina (Emme Wong). Steven (Z.O) run a alcohol distribution business who unexpectedly falls in love at first sight with LKF newbie Jennifer(Shiga Lin), a flight attandant. She is accompanied by her colleague Jeana (Jeana Ho), a fellow LKF newbie. Jacky (Jason Chan), a manager at the club, has his eyes on Jeana, but is always pestered by his girlfriend (Bonnie Xian). Lawyer Sean (Gregory Wong) sets his sights on Cat (Dada Chen), but Cat is the alpha-female who is only interested in looking for stand(s). Loberto(Gary Cheng) is the final piece in the casting, who pretends to be gay in order "play around" with unsuspecting girls.

As I've mentioned earlier, if you're looking for a plot then sorry to say Lai Kwai Fong is definitely not the movie to watch. It does have a loose plot of trying to tie the characters up together, but it is as loose as you can imagine. However, if you're looking for girls who bare their cleavage, boob-grabs by the male leads, stimulated intimate scenes, then you're only the right track. This movie only serves to shorten the bond between the M18 rating and the Cat III rating. The only difference being? There's no baring of boobs in this movie.

Perhaps, and ironically, the saving grace of this movie is actually the OST of the movie. Shiga Lin lends her voice to sing a nice little number called "I'm still loving you" which will totally throws you off. Shiga has a sweet voice and she pens the lyrics for the song as well. The other song from the OST is "Wonderland", sung by 24herbs featuring Janice Vidal. It's a song that fits the movie more with the dance-infused rhythm, cantonese rap and auto-tuning.

In summary, watch the movie for the intimate scenes but enjoy the songs more.

I think this is the first time I have ever shared an un-boxing of an album in here but I've recently gotten my hands on Brown Eyed Girls' repackaged album "Cleansing Cream". And I got to say, this album has to be THE album of the year based on both the quality of the songs as well as the physical appearance of the album. This repackaged album consists of a CD, a DVD, a desktop calender, 4 pictorial cards with each member's signature, a pictorial book and poster. Let me start with the physical album first.


One the first look of this album, you'll notice that the exterior texture of the album is in velvet cloth. I don't know if you've bought much physical albums, but for an album box to be covered in velvet, this has seriously impressed me. Previously, I have bought the Secret Garden's OST soundtrack box and that has already impressed me. But BEG's repackaged album has definitely up the ante.


The first thing when you open the box is poster. Although it is folded, the uniqueness of this poster is that both sides contain something. The picture above shows all four members in it, while the back list down BEG's album concept:

"Resistance For Freedom of Expression Through Music via Sixth Sense"



Next up are the autographed cards. These cards are placed in a nice little brown square envelope. When you open it up you can see the individual card of each member. Their photo is on one side while their personalised message with their signature is at the back. Unfortunately, i do not understand korean hence I cannot tell you what message did each member wrote.


I absolutely love this calender as this calender is packaged in such a way that it can be folded and kept like a normal book. In the calender there are 12 different cards which represent each month. Behind the calender are random shots of each member.



This, for me has to be the favourite part of the whole deal because it is the picture book! But before I give a sample of the picture, I shall show how the exterior of the picture book looks like.


The white booklet on the left is the pictorial book while the black book partially covered by the ribbon is where it contain the CD and the DVD, which is shown below.


Now back to the pictorial book. This pictorial book is of the highest quality and each page of the book is glossed with a layer of wax, hence making the pictures last longer. In the last few shots of the book contain actual performance shots as well as a picture which showed a group photo with their fans. A preview one of the pages of the pictorial book is shown below.


Overall, I'm absolutely amazed with the packaging of this repackaged album. The quality of the album is top notch and I definitely can say this album is definitely worth the money that I've paid for it. If you haven't heard the albums' songs, you can sample a few below.

Due to my recent craze with Apple of my Eye and taiwan cinema in general, I've decided to catch a few movies based on the nominations at the recent 48th Golden Horse Awards. One of the movies that caught my eye was Jump Ashin!, where Eddie Peng (彭于晏) was nominated for best actor and the movie's theme song was nominated for best soundtrack.

Jump Ashin! is based on a true story of a gymnast called Lin Yu-hsin (林育信). Coming from a single parent family with his dad dying young, Yu-hsin or Ah Shin as he's commonly known, lives with his brother and mother. Born with a natural agile body, Ah Shin chanced upon the school gym one day and decides he wants to join the gymnastics team. He soon turned out to be a natural and Ah Shin loves gymnastics as well. However as he grew older, his mother disapproves him continuing gymnastics and wants him to help her with her fruit business. To rebel against his mother, Ah Shin became a street punk. Due to an incident with his good friend Pickle (Lawrence Ko, 柯宇綸) and his drug addiction, Ah Shin was forced to flee his hometown and flee to Taipei. To survive, both Ah Shin and Pickle joined a street gang. However, all that changed when Pickle was killed in a gang fight. Devastated with the loss of his friend, Ah Shin decided to head back to his hometown and resume his training in gymnastics.

Right from the start of the movie to the end, you could see why Eddie Peng was being nominated for best actor. Make no mistakes, Eddie was very dedicated in this movie with his body trained to be as strong and agile as a professional gymnast. Also, his facial expressions in various scenes makes the character believable, which is a marked improvement since I last saw him in Hear Me (聽說). Lawrence Ko, as his good friend Pickle, chips in with the good acting as well. I was especially impressed with the scenes where his addiction kicks in as well as silently feeling sorry to Ah Shin because of the trouble that he has created.

With all the acting kudos given, the only part i was disappointed in was the later parts that showed the determination of Ah Shin trying to become the best gymnast again. This is especially so when the director tried to tease the crowd at the beginning and seriously shortchanged the viewers when he replayed that scene later in the movie. I was waiting for something more and yet he just skipped to the next scene. I do not know if I call this bad editing or a serious lapse in the storyline.

As for the nod for best soundtrack, I do have to say the lyrics of the song is very apt for the movie, in the sense that it sang about the struggles of Ah Shin. Okay, this may be due to my bias in "Apple of my Eye" but I wonder is that enough to win the award. Probably the judges heard something that I missed out.

I would give a good to very good ratings for this movie, since I did shed a few tears, but I still feel I was seriously shortchanged at the back for its rushed ending. It could have been better and I do think an additional 15 minutes worth of footage would not kill the movie.

雖然這首歌不是在<那一年,我們一起追的女孩>, 但是,我覺得看過電影的人, 都會有這個可望, 希望在平行時空, 他們是再一起的.

而這首歌,也一直在我耳邊, 因為在心底, 我也希望我有這股勇氣,說出我當初沒有說出來的話.

有個承諾, 也許你已經忘了一乾二淨, 但我帶現在,還是記得清清楚楚.

主唱：柯震東,陳妍希

作曲：李煊樂
填詞：李煊樂

你會在哪裡　現在你叫什麼名
密封了勇氣　落空決心
我摀著自己　外面世界不安靜（我摀著自己　不安靜）
而心很確定　想聽你呼吸（我確定　呼吸）

Love　把心扔到海裡（Love　嗚嗚～）
刻上愛的字跡　時光帶我去有你的地方

漂流著一千年都過了我在海裡頭（在海裡頭）
有一種見不到你就不回去的念頭（的念頭）
旋渦中聽見耳邊的風微微顫抖
滄海桑田　黑夜白晝（滄海桑田　黑夜白晝）

我隨著時間的方向一圈圈打著轉（一圈圈打著轉）
你會不會找到我將要在哪裡靠岸（靠岸）
如果有一天　撞上一個小缺口
我怕　沉入海底

我摀著自己　外面世界不安靜（我摀著自己　不安靜）
而心很確定　想聽你呼吸（我確定　呼吸）

Love　把心扔到海裡（Love　嗚嗚～）
刻上愛的字跡　時光帶我去有你的地方

漂流著一千年都過了我在海裡頭
有一種見不到你就不回去的念頭
旋渦中聽見耳邊的風微微顫抖
滄海桑田　黑夜白晝（滄海桑田　黑夜白晝）

我隨著時間的方向一圈圈打著轉
你會不會找到我將要在哪裡靠岸
如果有一天　撞上一個小缺口
我怕　沉入海底

漂流著一千年都過了我在海裡頭
（漂流著一千年都過了　在海裡頭）
有一種見不到你就不回去的念頭（的念頭）
旋渦中聽見耳邊的風微微顫抖
滄海桑田　黑夜白晝（滄海桑田　黑夜白晝）

我隨著時間的方向一圈圈打著轉
（我隨著時間的方向　一圈圈打轉了）
你會不會找到我將要在哪裡靠岸（靠岸）
如果有一天　撞上一個小缺口
我怕　沉入海底
如果愛有錯　也等的起

cr: giddens.tw

雖然,以上的照片是陳妍希,但是在"那一年"裡頭, 她的形象已經變成很多男生心目中的"沈佳儀"了.我其實是可以放其他女生的照片,但是我是因為這部電影導致我有這麼多的感想."那一年"真的觸動了我的心.我真的能與這部電影殘生共鳴.我明白為什麼九把刀真的這麼執著這部電影要用那個方向拍攝.

我星期六約了幾位朋友去看"那一年", 然後因為得知九把刀將出席書展, 所以迫不及待去書展聽他分享"那一年"感言.
如果你想知道內容,其實跟他這個部落post有點相似:

http://www.giddens.tw/blog/post/35928751

老實講, 看完"那一年"的時候,我的感動尺度還處於微感動而已.但我聽到九把刀的故事,他的思想,他辛苦的旅程,他為什麼要這麼鑑定的做這部電影時,我真的感動了.他的愛,我突然能理解.畢竟,雖然這種感覺跟他對沈佳儀的感覺有小小不同,但是感覺的元素還是是一樣的.那些年前,我也曾經有過類似的經驗.那女孩雖然不是我女友,但是我也曾經為她心動過.有緣,無分.

我買了九把刀"那一年"的書,也很慶幸在書展得到九把刀的親筆簽名. 更慶幸,我還得到電影"那一年"的宣傳海報.知道我回到家上網才知道只有首100位得到九把刀的親筆簽名才有海報.



已經決定了,我不會以平常的速度把"那一年"讀完;相反的,我決定慢慢閱讀,因為我相信我會在一次被九把刀感動.

謝謝你九把刀.

謝謝你寫"那一年, 我們一起追的女孩"

謝謝你決定勇敢拍"那一年, 我們一起追的女孩".

I realised through my reviews on the movies/dramas that I've watched, I've seldom review movies that are currently showing in cinemas. The last entry I could think of was Air Doll, and that is not even considered to be a current movie as it was aired in Singapore roughly a year after it was shown in Japan. But for this movie, You are the Apple of my Eye, something inside me was stirred, and I thought I should do an entry before it disappear.

You are the Apple of my Eye is a 2011 Taiwan movie based on the true story of the same name of a popular taiwanese writer, Giddens Ko(九把刀). In the movie, newcomer Ko Chen-Tung plays the lead Ko Ching-Teng, who is a prankster and does not like to study. Michelle Chen Yan Xi is Shen Chia-yi, an honor student who is very popular amongst the boys in her class. Due to an incident in class, Shen Chia-Yi is forced to monitor Ko Chen-Tung on the teacher's behalf and to tutor him on his studies. Initially, they cannot see eye to eye, but as time and events go by, their feelings for each other begins to grow. Upon graduation from high school, Ko wanted to follow Shen to the univeristy of her choice, but Shen fell sick on the examination day and did not do well for the exams. Hence they went to different universities. Even with the distance, they still kept in contact with each other. One day, Ko decides to organise a fighting competition within his campus to display his manliness in front of Shen, but Shen instead thinks that he is childish. Due to this, they had an argument and broke off. The next time Ko made contact with Shen was the Taiwan 9/21 earthquake, but by then the circumstances has changed. Nonetheless, the feelings have not.

As I try not to disclose too much of the details of the story, there will be spoilers within this post. So I hope I won't disclose too much and ruin your own experience in watching this movie.

If I thought Cape No. 7 is good, then I do have to put this movie slightly above Cape No. 7. Mind you, Cape No. 7 is the movie that transformed the Taiwan movie industry, proving to the chinese industry minimum that they can produce quality movies. The reason because I rate "You are the Apple of my Eye" highly is because it really connects on a personal level. Anyone who watched the show will know how the story is going to go and what the ending will be like. However, because the feeling is so personal, you will just feel it is as if the movie is answering the feelings you've hidden so long somewhere at the bottom of your heart. Personally, it did connect with me and some memories came back. If it didn't, I wouldn't have blogged this entry this early as well.

rating? 5/5 definitely.

p/s: do go to giddens' website http://www.giddens.tw for his views on the movie

Now this is something that is out of the norm. 2 movie reviews in a day! Well, I've seen my movie folder increasing in size and yet I'm not clearing it. Hence, I thought it's time to remove some so that more could be added later. I've decided to Haeundae due to the fact that Ha Ji Won is in it and apparently it's the first disaster movie S.Korea ever produced. Hence, i gave it a try and came out with mixed reviews.

Haeundae is about an impending tsunami that is about to hit the beach town of Haeundae. Kim Hee (Park Joong-Hoon) is a seismologist who is monitoring abnormal earthquake movements occurring off the coast of Haeundae. Due to his passion, he neglected his wife Yu-Jin(Uhm Jung-Hwa) and his daughter Ji Min(Kim You-Jung) does not recognise him. Yeon-Hee (Ha Ji Won) is an orphaned child due to the indian tsunami where she lost her father. Man Sik (Sol Kyung-Gu) was on the same boat as her father and feels responsible for his death due to his on board decision back then. Meanwhile, Man Sik's brother Hyeong-Sik (Lee Min-Ki) got involved with a female tourist Hee Mi (Kang Hye-Won) when she fell overboard a yacht. All the characters intertwined with each other when a mega tsunami hits Haeundae and changed their lives forever.

Now, I believe most of us should have watched at least a disaster film, be it a sinking ship ala Poseidon or an impending world diasater ala 2012. Now, I shouldn't compare these blockbusters to a first time offering like Haeundae but it's a bit hard to ignore when Haeundae puzzles me a bit. Let me describe the pros first.

For a first time offering, I'd say the computer graphics in Haeundae is pretty decent, also taking into consideration that this movie is a 2 year ago production. Acting by all the artists is pretty consistent and for once I was somewhat relieved that Ha Ji Won does not take up that much screen time. After all, the main lead is the tsunami and nothing else.

Which leads me to the puzzling point. Even though Haeundae is a disaster movie, I thought the director took too much time to develop the plot regarding the tsunami. Instead, he spent more time trying to sort out the emotional plots between Yeon Hee and Man Sik. When you spent air time on human developments, especially for a disaster movie, you technically removing time from the main plot. This point in particular leaves me somewhat frustrated as I'd expect more action with regards to the natural disaster. Instead, it really shows what a tsunami is all about: coming in a rush, and pulling everything away with the same speed as well. This itself left me rather disappointed.

Although Haeundae is a good production, future offerings should take focus on what they want, action or human emotions. And even the human emotions left me shortchanged as the ending was pretty rushed again. A good effort, but more could be done.

For a start, my knowledge on Thai movies is still pretty shallow as I don't fancy thai horror. Instead, I prefer their lighthearted comedic offerings. The Bedside Detective was introduced by a friend who happened to catch it during his holidays.

Jock (Sunny Suwanmethanon) is an amateur inventor who loves to dismantle and fix stuff together to create a new invention. However, his inventions are not always practical. After a failed business venture due to one his inventions, he found his calling as an private detective. He specialises in capturing married spouses who swayed in their marriage. On a particular case, he was supposed to catch a husband in action with his mistress. However, it was love at sight when Jock met Nampan (Pattarasaya Kreuasuwansri), the alleged mistress. As his sidekick Jack reminded him about the codes of conduct of a PI, will Jock be able to continue his job and not fall in love with Nampan?

I wouldn't say this movie is the best I've watched, but it isn't the worst that I've watched for thai movies either. At the very least, it has managed to entertain me somewhat with its lightheartedness. However, I do have to say that the plot is as thin as it could be. And you can roughly guess the ending without much thinking. However, this movie is not meant to be dense; it is meant to entertain you with some slapstick humor and somewhat bizarre scenes.

I am not familiar with both the male and female leads. In the movie, Sunny Suwanmethanon gives me the feeling that he's the oktaku (japanese word for geek) that he's supposed to be. Pattarasaya Kreuasuwansri, or Peak for short, due to this movie being her maiden project, does look a bit stiff in her acting, or maybe the lack of it. However, it not that bad a debut that I've seen. Decent, but not impressive. I do give the stylist some credit as she/he has really managed to get some clothes that fit Peak's vixen character though. In this movie, the show stealer is neither of the actors or actresses but it's the dog, James Bond, who stole the show. She is irresistibly cute and is the show stopper every time there's a scene with her it.

In summary, I do feel this show will suit you if you're pretty bored and needed some entertainment. But even if you missed it, I don't think you've missed much too.

Hmm.

How should I describe this drama? How do I describe a drama that is so addictive for me that I spent 4 days after work just to finish all 16 episodes. How do I describe a drama OST that I love so much that I've practically put it on loop.

Lee Yeon Jae (Kim Sun Ah) is an average salary worker in a tourism agency who is always bullied by her boss even though she has worked there for over a decade. One day, she got into a minor accident and through a hospital checkup, she was given the news that she has only a few months to live. Hence, she decides to forgo her petty job and live life to the fullest, doing things that she has restricted herself before. It was during her vacation that she coincidentally met her department head Kang Ji Wook (Lee Dong Wok).

What really got me hooked on the drama isn't the melodramas that Koreans are famous for: the extreme crying and draggy plot. Instead, Scent of a Woman went the other direction. By informing the viewer in the first episode, you should be expecting the main character to die some point in the drama. Hence, instead on focusing on death, the drama focus on life, and how to live to the fullest and making sure that by the time your time is up, you wouldn't have regretted that you haven't tried to live. Also, the drama remained to be witty, while crying scenes are inevitable due to the fact that the main character is dying. However, it is not doom and gloom throughout; rather, they tried to lighten the mood to great effect.

I also like the drama that the "bad" characters aren't exactly bad, just that they didn't know how to be nice. (Don't they all portray chaebols to be? =/). Kim Sun Ah as Lee Yeon Jae is a natural for the character and based on the crying scenes, where you could really see her tears and sadness, I'd have given her a AAA moody's rating. Lee Dong Wok on the other hand is an unfamiliar face to me and it's no wonder as he has just finish serving national service. Scent of a Woman is his comeback drama and I do think he made a right choice. His acting is decent but one thing that attracted me was his smile. Somehow, when he smiles, he just gives me a warm feeling.

Overall, although I'm no melodrama fan, but I was really love this drama for a few reasons: good storyline, good pace, nice ending, excellent acting and lastly, a great soundtrack. I've introduced JYJ Junsu's You're so Beautiful in my last post. This time round, I wanna introduce JK Kim Dong Wook's Bucket List, another song featured in the drama. It's a slow number, and Kim's voice just takes your feelings to another level.



Really give this drama a go. There's a reason why I would forgo sleep just to finish watching it.

I'm so in love with this song simply because the lyrics is just beautiful... And I love the drama that this song came from. Yups, I assure you that the review of Scent of a Woman is coming up.

In the meantime, take some time to listen to this beautiful track by JYJ Junsu as well as looking at the lyrics.

Lyrics:

지금 난 너의 눈을 보며 운다 네 맘을 보며 운다 애써
jigeum nan neoui nun-eul bomyeo unda ne mam-eul bomyeo unda aesseo

해맑게도 쓴웃음 짓는 그 표정에
haemalg-gedo sseun-us-eum jisneun geu pyojeong-e

너를 담아두고 싶다 바보같이 예쁜 꿈들과 어설픈 모습을
neoleul dam-adugo sipda babogat-i yeppeun kkumdeulgwa eoseolpeun moseub-eul

하루하루 네 모습이 추억을 만들어
haluhalu ne moseub-i chueog-eul mandeul-eo

나 기억해 네 여린 손 흩어진 머리까지도
na gieoghae ne yeolin son heut-eojin meolikkajido

(Forever you) You are so beautiful 내 가슴에 밀려와 스며와 다가와 번진 네 상처도
(Forever you) You are so beautiful nae gaseum-e millyeowa seumyeowa dagawa beonjin ne sangcheodo

(Forever you) You are so wonderful시린 네 사랑도 네 눈물도 내 아픔 상처를 지우죠
(Forever you) You are so wonderful silin ne salangdo ne nunmuldo nae apeum sangcheoleul jiujyo

널 사랑한다 널 사랑한다
neol salanghanda neol salanghanda

이제는 너를 안아주고 싶다 그 차가운 세상 끝에 홀로 서성이던 널
ijeneun neoleul an-ajugo sipda geu chagaun sesang kkeut-e hollo seoseong-ideon neol

하루하루 내 사랑이 네 맘을 위로해 상처난 네 가슴에 내 기억들을 담는다
haluhalu nae salang-i ne mam-eul wilohae sangcheonan ne gaseum-e nae gieogdeul-eul damneunda

(Forever you) You are so beautiful 내 가슴에 밀려와 스며와 다가와 번진 네 상처도
(Forever you) You are so beautiful nae gaseum-e millyeowa seumyeowa dagawa beonjin ne sangcheodo

(Forever you) You are so wonderful시린 네 사랑도 네 눈물도 내 아픔 상처를 지우죠
(Forever you) You are so wonderful silin ne salangdo ne nunmuldo nae apeum sangcheoleul jiujyo

널 사랑한다 널 사랑한다
neol salanghanda neol salanghanda

한 순간조차 잊지 말아요 얼마나 얼마나 사랑했는지 기억해요 for you
han sunganjocha ij-ji mal-ayo eolmana eolmana salanghaessneunji gieoghaeyo for you

(Forever you) You are so beautiful 내 가슴에 밀려와 스며와 다가와 번진 네 상처도
(Forever you) You are so beautiful nae gaseum-e millyeowa seumyeowa dagawa beonjin ne sangcheodo

(Forever you) You are so wonderful시린 네 사랑도 네 눈물도 내 아픔 상처를 지우죠
(Forever you) You are so wonderful silin ne salangdo ne nunmuldo nae apeum sangcheoleul jiujyo

널 사랑한다 널 사랑한다
neol salanghanda neol salanghanda

네 기억으로 살고 싶다
ne gieog-eulo salgo sipda

credits: pinkrazy@wordpress

After 3 consecutive weekends of watching, I've at last finished watching City Hunter! Yeah, I got to agree I'm a bit slow on my updates on ANYTHING, but after some time, I've come to realise that even watching dramas/movies/etc require a certain set of mood and hence the slow reviews that are produced. Nonetheless, I've finished the drama and hence my take on the drama.

"City Hunter" takes place in modern Seoul 2011 where Lee Yoon Sung (Lee Min Ho) is an MIT-educated graduate who is being recruited into the Blue House. Lee Yoon Sung however, is City Hunter, who is raised by Lee Jin Pyo (Kim Sang Joong), an ex-military intelligence agent who was betrayed by his country and plot to seek revenge. Hence, Yoon Sung sought to seek revenge for his father and put those involved and bring them to justice.

Hmm where do I start? I do think the production is one of the best so far for this year. Lee Min Ho is at his best for City Hunter, and his role is not the easiest for sure with all the action moves. Park Min Young is irresistibly cute as Kim Na Na, a special agent in the Blue House in charge of the protecting the president and his family. I got to specially mention Lee Gwang Go in the drama as he's the one who always provided me with laughter in Running Man.

Overall, City Hunter has one of the best usage of its supporting cast due to the fact that they must focus the story on the 5 different characters where City Hunter is planning to take revenge on. This gives all the supporting cast ample screen time as well as helping to develop each character as the drama goes on. For this I must laud the scriptwriters for ensuring that each character is well thought of as well as closing potential loopholes in the drama.

Comparing to the action dramas I've watched so far, in terms of preference I'll rate City Hunter to be above Athena: Goddess of War, but for it to beat Iris, it'll be a tall order.

Of course, the drama OST will play a part in carrying the emotions of the drama. Although Jonghyun's "So Goodbye" and Kim Bo Kyung's "Suddenly" are good tracks, the one that really caught my eye is Yim Jae Beum's "Sarang". Just listening to his voice, you'll be able to hear the emotions he's trying to portray.



Do give City Hunter a watch. I would recommend it!

It has been a long time since I last shared a song with all. The first time I noticed Huh Gak was when he was featured in the OST of "The Greatest Love" and his song earned pretty good reviews as well as online sales, managing to stay in bugs.co.kr daily top 10 chart for quite a few days. Recently, he released his first mini album and his first hit single is "Hello". Even though the title is "Hello", it's actually a sad song about a guy who longed for the girl who left him. The first time I've heard this song I was just blown away...

I'll just end here to let you enjoy the song.

Lyrics:

우리 헤어지면 안되잖아
uri heojimyon andwejana
우리 이별하긴 이르잖아
uri ibyor-hagin ireujana
이렇게 날 떠나가면 안돼요
iroke nal ttonagamyon andweyo
내가 하지 못한 말들이
nega haji mot-han maldeuri
아직 너무 많은데
ajik nomu maneunde
이대로 날 떠나가지 마세요
idero nal ttonagaji maseyo


그대이기 때문에 난
geude igi ttemune nan
정말 그대였기 때문에 난
jongmal geudeyotgi ttemune nan
이대로는 이대로는 난 안돼요
ideroneun ideroneun nan andweyo
내가 살아가는 이유는
nega saraganeun iyuneun
오직 그대뿐이죠
ojik geude ppunijyo
제발 나를 떠나가지 말아요
jebal-lareul ttonagaji marayo


그대는 내 사랑 그리운
geudeneun ne sarang geuriun
내 사랑 날 사랑했던 사람
ne sarang nal saranghetdon saram
이제는 만질 수 없지만
ijeneun manjil su opjiman
내가 그리운 만큼 그대도 그리운가요
nega geuriun mankeum geudedo geuriun-gayo
내가 미칠 듯이 사랑했던 그 사람 hello
nega michil deusi saranghetdon geu saram hello
The person that I loved crazily, hello

사랑했기 때문에 난
saranghetgi ttemune nan
정말 사랑했기 때문에 난
jongmal saranghetgi ttemune nan
죽을 만큼 죽을 만큼 힘드네요
jugeul mankeum jugeul mankeum himdeuneyo
죽지 못해 살아가고 있는
jukji mot-he saragago inneun
내가 보이나요
nega boinayo
제발 내게 다시 돌아와줘요
jebal nege dasi dorawajwoyo


그대는 내사랑 그리운 내사랑
geudeneun ne sarang geuriun ne sarang
날 사랑했던 사람
nal saranghetdon saram
이제는 만질 수 없지만
ijeneun manjil su opjiman
내가 그리운 만큼 그대도 그리운가요
nega geuriun mankeum geudedo geuriun-gayo
내가 미칠 듯이 사랑했던 그 사람
nega michil deusi saranghetdon geu saram

겨우 이대로 끝날 거라면
gyou idero kkeutnal goramyon
정말 마지막이라면
jongmal majimagiramyon
지금 돌아가
jigeum doraga
그때로 서로 몰랐던 그때로
geuttero soro mollatdon geuttero
너무 늦어버리면 너무 늦어버리면
nomu neujoborimyon nomu neujoborimyon
내가 살아가는 게 너무 힘이 들어
nega saraganeun ge nomu himi deuro
날 버릴까 봐
nal borilkka bwa

겨우 이대로 끝날 거라면
gyou idero kkeutnal goramyon
정말 마지막이라면
jongmal majimagiramyon
지금 돌아가
jigeum doraga
그때로 서로 몰랐던 그때로
geuttero soro mollatdon geuttero
너무 늦어버리면 너무 늦어버리면
nomu neujoborimyon nomu neujoborimyon
내가 살아가는 게 너무 힘이 들어
nega saraganeun ge nomu himi deuro
날 버릴까 봐
nal borilkka bwa

Credit
Hangul :: Melon Music
Romanization :: Chichan-Onew
English Lyrics :: pop!gasa

Just realised I haven't been updating much on this blog. Well, the recent months has been a bit trying in terms of the stuff I'm watching due to various reasons. Yea, I could see the amount of material I have that I want to watch but for some reason don't feel like starting. Nonetheless, I've decided to watch Suck Seed since I've caught the trailers in local theaters and the movie started showing last week.

"SuckSeed" tells the story of Ped (Jirayu La-ongmanee) who first meets Ern (Natcha Nualjam) at primary school. Ern and her parents move to Bangkok and Ped soon forgets all about her, preferring to hang out with his friend Koong (Patchara Jirathiwat). They meet up again in middle school by which time Ern has become a talented guitarist. To get Ern's attention as well as attract other girls, Koong, Ped and X (Thawat Pornrattanaprasert) decide to form a band. The only problem is, they don't have a great deal of talent. (Credits: The Nation)

Suck Seed may not have the same genre as Bangkok Traffic Love Story or Hello Stranger, where the love stories in the movies are more for adults rather than teenagers. Instead, having a high school setting, it vears towards "Season Change" (see my previous post). However, one drastic difference between Suck Seed and Season Change is that Suck Seed has a very dependable OST to back on. Being a movie about forming a band, songs are essential in the movie and for this Suck Seed doesn't disappoint. In fact, in the official trailer, they have cleared shown who are the artists featuring in the movie, which will entice more people to watch the movie. Also, these musicians make their cameo in certain to further describe the characters' emotional thoughts.

If I were to review based on the storyline alone, the Suck Seed would have been just another teeny-popper movie that has passed and gone. However, due to the heavy usage of music in the movie, it has clearly distinguished from the rest of the contenders to stand out alone. Also, I thought it's a good way to introduce Thai music to foreign audience who doesn't know much about them. I've shared a playlist that featured the songs from the movie below:

http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLF8AAA78C1D0B070B

For those in Singapore, it's still not too late to catch Suck Seed in the cinemas! Do catch it if you can!

Thai movies (not the horror genre) are beginning to have a following in Singapore following the relative success of "Bangkok Traffic Love Story" and "Hello Stranger". My interest in thai movies are also piqued as well due to the rom-coms movies that the distributors brought in( think the above 2 again). Hence, through some you-tubing, I've managed to catch of "Seasons Change" that was shown in Thailand in 2006.

Seasons Change talks about a high school student, Pom (Witawat Singlampong), who decides to enroll into a music college to follow the crush of his life, Dao (Yuwanat Arayanimisakul). However, his father objects his decision as he fears for a hard life ahead for his son. In order to cover up his entry into music college, he asked Aom (Chutima Teepanat), the daughter of his father's doctor friend, to help him cover up the enrollment. As time goes by, Aom becomes his best friend in college. However, that relationship becomes complicated when Aom starts to fall in love with Pom and Pom has to decide between the orchestra or the band with his friends, as well as whether to accept the scholarship to study overseas.

While I do like the movie for its easiness and the use of the three seasons in Thailand to split the intervals up, I do have major grouses with the movie. Before I review the parts I didn't like, let me mention the things I liked about the movie.

I'm generally pleased with the main leads in this show. Witawat Singlampong is the kind of guy that girls would naturally swoon over due to his boyish looks and creditable acting. For the female leads, although Dao (Yuwanat Arayanimisakul) is the main crush, the character that stands out for me is Aom (Chutima Teepanat). If you find Chutima Teepanat familiar, that's because she acted in Hormones as well, as the girl who rejected her nerdy friend's affection. Her acting is pretty natural in the movie.

That said, I do feel the movie has a few flaws that sort of ruin the movie a bit. Firstly, because of the weak storyline (basically it's kind of direct), there isn't much areas for the actors and actresses to perform. The movie is easy on the eye yes, but if you're looking for good acting, then this movie ain't for you.

Secondly, I personally do not like the ending one bit. Yes, I do know where this story is heading to but I thought the ending is really rushed. The director doesn't look interested in answering some questions in the movie. The rushed ending doesn't help in the weak storyline.

Lastly, I apologise to the fans of Yuwanat Arayanimisakul as I really felt that she's a vase in the whole movie. Not many lines for her, just need to make sure that she looks pretty in the movie and that's about it. She definitely wasn't given a chance to expand her role more and her interactions with Pom is minimum, which gives me the feeling of why she even start to like Pom in the first place.

Overall, the pictures are scenic and as some reviews online has said, it will resonate with the young. However, I do feel that the movie comes out a bit short when it has the potential to be more. But, it's a nice movie to watch on a lazy weekend when the rain is pouring outside.

The only problem, I watched the movie on a hot afternoon. Sigh.

It has been some time since I've last touched J-Pop and I thought it's time to check out what I've been missing so far. And I was pleasantly surprised to find this gem of a song when I was surfing one of my favorite fan blog. Take five minutes to listen to this song as I thought the lyrics is really meaningful.



credits: port87

As I've mentioned in my previous post, the review for The Greatest Love will be out asap, and since I've just finished the drama, I thought I should review it while my memory is fresh.

Gu Ae Jeong (Gong Hyo Jin) was formerly a member of a 4-member girl group National Treasure Girls who had a hit single and was top of their peak. However, they broke up 10 years ago and Ae Jeong, who was the leader of the group, took most of the blame. Although she was an honest artiste, due to her past controversies, she was struggling in the entertainment business. Dok Go Jin (Cha Seung Won) on the other hand is a top star in the country and adored by many. He has a top star girlfriend Kan Se Ri (Yoo In Na), who was coincidentally a former member of National Treasure Girls as well but has a grudge against Ae Jeong. Gu Ae Jeong's life began to change when she met Dok Go Jin in bizarre circumstances. As Dok Go Jin began to get more involved with Gu Ae Jeong, his feelings for her began to develop. Yoon Kye Sang stars as Yoon Pil Joo, who falls for Ae Jeong and agreed to star in a couple making variety show because Gu Ae Jeong is in it.

Well, I guess you can clearly say that I love this drama to bits since I'm rather prompt in the review as well as introducing the soundtrack first before the drama review is even out. The Greatest Love does impress me on some points.

Gong Hyo Jin is an unfamiliar actress to me as this is the first drama I've watched that has her in it. A more interesting note I feel is that although Gong Hyo Jin is fresh looking, if you want to compare the practicality of dramas, especially with Yoo In Na as the 2nd female lead, Gong Hyo Jin does seem like a surprise choice for a lead drama. However, after watching the drama, I began to understand the casting reasoning. Gu Ae Jeong is a character who has undergone hardship in her work. Yet, she always takes it head on and honestly works her way in the entertainment industry. As such, having a too outstanding actress for this role may be a little appropriate.

Cha Seung Won on the other hand is not so unfamiliar to me as I've seen his uber cool character in Athena: Goddess of War. However, this is the first time acting in a comedic character and honestly, he almost made me choke on my water with his antics in the show.

Overall, the drama really surprised me. In a way, I wasn't expecting much from the drama but hell did it entertain me. I was laughing in practically every episode and the drama is well written. The drama does not rush with its plot and I thought each character in the show is given ample areas to develop in the show. Checking online, I found out out that the scriptwriters for this drama is the same as My Girlfriend is a Gumiho. No wonder I enjoyed the drama this much.

And oh, the songs in the drama is very well inserted in the scenes and hence created the desired effect for the scene. Besides G.Na's "Because You Are My Man", the other song frequently featured is definitely National Treasure Girl's "Du Geun Du Geun", or "Thump Thump" in English, signifying the sound of our heart beat. The original singers of the song is Sunny Hill and taking this opportunity, I should highlight the extreme contrast of the OST song and the single Sunny Hill is currently promoting.

Do note that the girls in Du Geun Du Geun are not Sunny Hill but the actresses in The Greatest Love.



VS



Do watch this show as I would put it as a high priority drama to watch!

Recently, I'm watching a new Korean Drama called "The Greatest Love" (and I assure you the review of this drama is definitely coming up next!) and I just thought this song by G.Na is just so nice.

The feeling I get from this song is the same when I heard Baek Ji Young's "That Man" in Secret Garden. I just thought the lyrics suited the plot to a T.

So without ado, I present to you the 2nd main song for one of the hottest drama for this summer.

Lyrics:

내 눈에 뭐가 들어 갔나봐, 그래서 자꾸 눈물이 나나봐
Nae nune mweoga deureo gannabwa, Geuraeseo jakku nunmuri nanabwa
가슴한쪽에 꼭 숨겨두었던, 어떤 한 사람 눈치 없게 또 눈물이 데려와
Gaseumhan jjoge kkok sumgyeodo eotteon, Eotteon han saram nunchi eopge tto nunmuri deryeowa

들을 수 없어도, 내 맘 듣지 못해도
Deureul su eopseodo, Nae man deutji mothaedo
내 눈물이 전하는 사랑, 언젠가는 들어 주겠니
Nae nunmuri jeonhaneun sarang, Eonjenganeun deureo jugenni

내 사람이라서 내 사랑이라서
Nae saramiraseo nae saramiraseo
보내고 보내도 아직 너는 남아 날 울려
Bonaego bonaedo ajik neoneun nama nal ullyeo
내 사람이라서 아직도 난 니가 그래서
Nae saramiraseo ajikdo nan niga geuraeseo
이 못난 눈물을 멈출 수가 없어
I motnan nunmureul meonchul suga eopseo

내 가슴소리 들리지 않나봐
Nae gaseumsori deulliji anhnabwa
멍청한 눈물 흐를까봐 또 억지로 참아봐
Meongcheonghan nunmul heureulkkabwa tto eonjero chamabwa

왜 듣지 못하니, 왜 날 보지 못하니
Wae deulji mothani, Wae nal boji mothani
뒤돌아봐 내가 있잖아, 사랑한단 말이야 바보야
Dwidorabwa naega itjanha, Saranghandan mariya baboya

내 사람이라서 내 사랑이라서
Nae saramiraseo nae saramiraseo
보내고 보내도 아직 너는 남아 날 울려
Bonaego bonaedo ajik neoneun nama nal ullyeo
내 사람이라서 아직도 난 니가 그래서
Nae saramiraseo ajikdo nan niga geuraeseo
이 못난 눈물을 멈출 수가 없어서...
I motnan nunmureul meonchul suga eopseoseo...

얼마나 더 아프면 나를 바라봐 줄 수 있니
Eolmana deo apeumyeon nareul barabwa jul su inni
얼마나 더 눈물 흘리면 사랑해 줄거니, 안아줄 수 있니
Eolmana deo nunmul heullimyeon saranghae julgeoni, Anajul su inni~

내 사람이라서 내 사랑이라서
Nae saramiraseo nae saramiraseo
눈물이 더는 널 놓아줄 수 없대 미안해
Nunmuri deoneun neol nohajul su eoptae (saranghae) mianhae
내 사람이라서 너를 포기할 수가 없어
Nae saramiraseo (saramiraseo) neoreul pogihal suga eopseo
제발 부탁이야... 내 맘을 들어줘 제발 부탁이야... 더 멀어지지 마.
Jebal butagiya... nae mameul deureojweo Jebal butagiya... deo meoreojiji ma.

English:

I guess something went in my eye, that’s why I keep crying
The tears bring the man that I’ve hidden deep in a little corner of my heart

Even if you can’t heart even if you don’t listen to my heart
Will you someday listen to the love that my tears convey

Because you’re my man because you’re my love
Even after I’ve sent you even after I’ve sent you you’re still left here in my heart and you make me cry
Because you’re still my man because to me you still are
I can’t stop these wicked tears

I guess you can’t heart the sound of my heart
Because I was scared that the stupid tears would flow I force myself to hold them in

Why can’t you hear why can’t you look at me
Look back I’m here behind you, I love you you dummy

Because you’re my man because you’re my love
Even after I’ve sent you even after I’ve sent you you’re still left here in my heart and you make me cry
Because you’re still my man because to me you still are
Because I can’t stop these wicked tears…

How much more do I have to hurt before you look at me
How many more tears to I have to spill for you to love me, for you to hold me

Because you’re my man because you’re my love
The tears say that they can’t let you go any longer I’m sorry
Because you’re my man I can’t give up on you
Please I’m begging you... please listen to my heart I’m begging you... Don’t go further away.

credits:Jineun(ENG)@KpopStarLyrics

Well I thought I'd never post this entry at all! I've finished watching this drama for some time and I just procrastinated on creating this entry. Let's just assume my lazy bug has bitten me. Nonetheless, this entry is created!

I've got to say that God of Study is a bit old and my review may be a tad too late. But due to the fact that it is currently airing in Singapore on a mandarin cable channel, I thought it may be appropriate to air some comments.

I was attracted to the show primarily for two reasons: The adaption of Dragon Zakura and the actors in this drama. Kim Soo Ro stars as Kang Suk Ho, a lawyer who took up a job to review the conditions of the school. After learning about the conditions of the school and the very fact he himself was reformed by a former teacher who didn't give up on him, he decides to save the school by creating a special class promising admission to the most prestigious college in Korea, "Chun-Ha-Dae University." Hwang Baek Hyun (Yoo Seung Ho), Gil Pul Lip (Go Ah Sung), Hong Chan Do (Lee Hyun Woo), Na Hyun Jung (Park Ji Yeon) and Oh Bang Goo (Lee Chan Ho) decides to join the special class due to various reasons. The story tells about the dedication and hardships they have to go through to achieve the dreams that they want.

In terms of actor lineup, for a school drama, I would consider it to be an overkill. Kim Soo Ro is an accomplished actor and you may remember him as the "game master" in the variety show "Family Outing". Bae Doo Na is Han Soo Jung, a dedicated teacher who always thinks about her students. Bae Doo Na should not sound unfamiliar to Japan drama fans as she has lots of work in Japan. Perhaps, her most daring role to date is her role as an inflatable doll in "Air Doll" where there are scenes where she is naked. Park Ji Yeon is a member of popular Kpop group "T-ara" while Go Ah Sung is the main lead in the Korean movie "The Host".

That said, while the average ratings for the drama in Korea is pretty impressive, I am less impressed with the adaption of Dragon Zakura. Of course, the writers tried to relate it to the Korean way of excelling. Also, there are some changes where it is different from the Japan version. I have nothing against the changes. However, after watching both dramas, I'd still prefer the original version due to a couple of reasons.

For the Korean version, I thought that the tips that were given in the show is somewhat ambiguous as compared to the Japanese version. I gave this part my benefit of doubt as I do not know the Korean education structure. However, I still thought that the Japanese version seem more precise, focusing on certain areas that viewers can easily catch.

Another reason, although somewhat biased, is that I still feel the actor lineup for the Japanese version is just too strong. Kim Soo Ro really is a good actor, however against Abe Hiroshi, Abe's acting is more natural due to his smugness. Student-wise, I think of it as a tie but I was hoping the writers should develop each student's sub-plot in a better way. The flow for the Japanese version seems to be smoother, while the Korean version gives me a snip-shot feeling.

Make no mistake, overall, I enjoyed watching this drama. However, due to the fact that I have watched the original version before, this version left me with a short feeling.

Probably that why, I procrastinated.

After a long long hiatus of not uploading stuff, decided to upload this performance by 4minute simply because the colors look stunning. As always, reconverted their performance from another file type to a more managable avi version for those with small hardisk.

Screencaps:



File:[perf] 4minute Heart to Heart (110514 MBC MuCore).AVI
Size: 126MB

Sharing Links:

.001 file
.002 file

Use either HJSplit or 7Zip to join the files.

Enjoy!

Phew.

I think that will be my expression when I've just finished watching Athena: Goddess of War. Frankly speaking, I thought I'd never finish this drama, not on the fact that the drama is not entertaining but rather on the fact that there are so many quality programs out there that attract my time to watch them. Korean variety programs like Running Man & We Got Married, has particularly got me hooked on. However, I've managed to finish Athena and provided all with my take on the drama.

Athena: Goddess of War is the sequel to the ever popular 2009 drama IRIS, which featured Lee Byun Hun and Kim Tae Hee. In Athena, they have managed to snag a top actor to helm the drama in the form of Jung Woo Sung. Jung Woo Sung is Lee Jung Woo, an top NTS agent who falls in love with Yoon Hae In (Soo Ae), a supposed Black Agent but is in fact an Athena member. Son Hyuk (Cha Seung Won) is the main leader for the local operations of Athena who is under the disguise as a section chief of the CIA. Another actress of prominence is Han Jae Hee (Lee Ji Ah), a NTS agent who is a former lover of Jung Woo but is separated due to her father's insistence of a breakup.

If I were to describe Athena as a sequel to IRIS, I think it would be inappropriate. Yes, Athena was scripted to continue from IRIS, and both stories do share some common characters, like the President, the North Korean Diplomat Park Chul Young and Seon Hwa, a former agent who started a new life in New Zealand. However, that's where the similarities end. The new writers did not fully describe the roles of Chul Young and Seon Hwa in this drama and they left an open ended ending with regards to the development of Seon Hwa. That, I feel is a bit disappointing as it is possible to not introduce Seon Hwa in this drama at all.

The second more disappointing aspect of the drama is the ability to capture the audience. Granted that they promote Athena as the "official" sequel to IRIS (I put in " " due to the fact that IRIS was produced by KBS while Athena is produced by SBS), one would naturally compare both dramas. Athena, to me personally, is a drama that does not skimp on the actions and locations, but however fail to address the various loopholes in the plot. There were a few situations that was quite unreal and does not exactly make sense. Also, IRIS managed to keep the suspense right until the end while Athena revealed its main plot pretty early in the drama, hence that mysterious aura is gone and viewers may not be kept. After all, comparisons are bound to be made.

Of course, not all is bad and Athena is still a very good production. The choice of actors are good and I would choose the characters of Son Hyuk and Kim Ki Soo(Kim Min Jong) as the standout characters of the drama. It's hard to compare Lee Byun Hun and Jung Woo Sung as they're both very, very outstanding actors.

As for the actress, I think most would focus on Lee Ji Ah due to her recent marriage scandals (go google it). That aside, I think she has more room to express herself in this drama as compared to Soo Ae. For some reason, I thought Soo Ae has few expressions. Perhaps it's her role in this drama.

As always, there is always a nice song for a good drama and this time round, Taeyeon of SNSD gets the plaudits for her song "I Love You". Unfortunately, that's also the only song that caught my attention in the whole drama. You can sample it below.

I got to admit, after watching IRIS, my conception of Korean dramas has changed a lot. Yes, I got to acknowledge that I'm a bit slow in watching this drama since it was air-ed slightly more than a year back, but the reason of me catching this drama is so that I could start watching Athena: Goddess of War. Tsk.

So let me start by giving the final score first. On a scale of 10, I think I could give this show a score of 11. The scriptwriters of IRIS is excellent and probably it'll a bit hard to beat this drama.

Lee Byun Hun stars as Kim Hyun Joon, who together with Jin Sa Woo (Jung Jun Ho), his best friend in the special forces, are brought into a top secret organization known as NSS. Choi Seung Hee (Kim Tae Hee) is their team leader, whom they both fall in love with due to different circumstances. However, their lives changed forever when Hyun Joon is given an individual task to assassinate a top North Korean political figure in Hungary. He got injured in the process and was instead being ordered to be silenced by an organization called IRIS. Hyun Joon is determined to find out what IRIS is and why he is being targeted.

This drama is really taxing on the actors in this show. Of course, being a thriller drama, one would expect a lot of gun battles and fighting scenes. However, scenes like special forces training by dragging a tyre behind, as well as Kim Tae Hee being flung around in various scenes. This is indeed trying on the actors and I got to applaud them for their efforts.

I got to specially mention Kim Tae Hee in this drama as I really thought she did very well in the drama. Her chemistry with Lee Byun Hun is flawless and it showed in the couple scenes that the two have together. Lee Byun Hun, as an international actor now that he has acted in foreign movies, gives a solid performance as well.

If there's a sore point in the drama, it may be that the scriptwriters may have original planned to keep this drama at 16 episodes since the majority of the story is based on one incident (trying to not provide spoliers). Beyond 16th, the rest of the story is simply trying to tidy things up regarding the organisation IRIS, but they didn't do much in that aspect as well. Probably, they were already thinking of a sequel to the drama, which is in the works for release in fall 2011. However, that brings it to the second point: The way they end the drama, how is Lee Byun Hun gonna contribute to IRIS 2 at all? (go watch the drama and you'll get what I mean).

But overall, this scripting errors should not deny the fact the drama is well written, well paced and the action is tremendous. A must-watch if you have the opportunity to do so. And oh yeah, I broke my 16 episode limit for Korean dramas.

Edit:

I got to add more stuff here. I forget to mention the OST is solid as well and Baek Ji Young gives me the chills when she belts out these ballads. She's truly the queen of OST soundtracks.

Baek Ji Young - Do Not Forget (IRIS OST)

As I listened to more and more Korean songs, I can't help but feel that Chinese songs are getting more and more repetitive, in terms of rhythm or lyrics. While Chinese songs feature more of ballads and songs about love, Korean songs are more about beats and the lyrics are diverse in genres. A good example is 4minute's HuH, and this song "Going Crazy" by Song Ji Eun.

Ji Eun is from Girl Group "Secret" under TS Entertainment. With the recent success of their newest single "Shy Boy", Ji Eun changed her image for her own album "Going Crazy". "Going Crazy" talks about a girl who is being stalked by a stalker who follows her every move and basically freaks her out. The song is backed by TS trainee Bang Yong Kook, whose husky voice belied his young age. Even though Bang is a trainee, he has extensive experience in the underground scene.

Check out this alternative MV especially for KBS Music Bank.

Lyrics:

사랑이아냐이건사랑이아냐너의집착일뿐이야
sarangi anya igeon sarangi anya neoui jipchagil ppuniya
어디있든지내가무얼하든지무서워나를바라보는넌
eodi itdeunji naega mueol hadeunji museowo nareul baraboneun neon

너의그림자를따라밟다난전화를걸어
neoui geurimjareul ttara barpda nan jeonhwareul georeo
네떨리는숨소리에짜릿해져버려
ne tteollineun sumsorie jjaritaejyeobeoryeo
빨라지는네발걸음따라뛰는내심장
ppallajineun ne balgeoreum ttara ttwineun nae simjang
미칠것만같아어두워지는긴밤
michil geotman gata eoduwojineun gin bam
너의집앞불꺼진가로등밑에서
neoui jip ap bul kkeojin garodeung miteseo
너를본다네방창문틈에서
neoreul bonda ne bang chang mun teumeseo
밤이끝날때까지날찾아봐
bami kkeutnal ttaekkaji nal chajabwa
어서나와숨막히는숨바꼭질을계속해
eoseo nawa sum makhineun sumbakkokjireul gyesokhae
넌절대내게서떨어질수없어
neon jeoldae naegeseo tteoreojil su eobseo

미친거니왜그러니이제그만나좀내버려둬
michingeoni wae geureoni ije geuman na jom naebeoryeodwo
네가보여숨이막혀내눈앞에서좀사라져줘
nega boyeo sumi makhyeo nae nun apeseo jom sarajyeojwo

넌날절대벗어날수없어넌날사랑할수밖에없어
neon nal jeoldae beoseonal su eobseo neon nal sarang hal subakke eobseo
도망쳐봐 (I don’t wanna see you)
domangchyeobwa (I don‘t wanna see you)
네가어디에있든지난볼수있으니널알지깊숙이
nega eodie itdeunji nan bol su isseuni neol alji gipsugi
넌날절대벗어날수없어넌날사랑할수밖에없어
neon nal jeoldae beoseonal su eobseo neon nal sarang hal subakke eobseo
이제날봐 (I Don’t Wanna Cry No More more)
ije nal bwa (I Don‘t Wanna Cry No More more)
I Don‘t Wanna Cry No More more

사라져버려그만좀꺼져버려정말숨도못쉬겠어
sarajyeo beoryeo geuman jom kkeojyeo beoryeo jeongmal sumdo mot swigesseo
어딜가든지내가어디있든지무서워나를따라오는너
eodil gadeunji naega eodi itdeunji museowo nareul ttaraoneun neo

수백번이고수만번이고
subaek beonigo suman beonigo
전화를걸었는데왜왜넌대답이없어
jeonhwareul georeonneunde wae wae neon daedabi eobseo
잊었니? 우리만난지벌써천일이됐어
ijeonni? uri mannan ji beolsseo cheoniri dwaesseo
네가좋아하는선물을준비했어
nega johahaneun seonmureul junbihaesseo
네가자주가는거리에앉아
nega jaju ganeun georie anja
널기다리고있어내사랑을알아?
neol gidarigo isseo nae sarangeul ara?
집착이라말하지마사랑을몰라넌
jipchagira malhaji ma sarangeul molla neon
미쳤다고말하지마내맘을몰라
michyeotdago malhaji ma nae mameul molla
넌절대내게서떨어질수없어
neon jeoldae naegeseo tteoreojil su eobseo

미친거니왜그러니이제그만나좀내버려둬
michingeoni wae geureoni ije geuman na jom naebeoryeodwo
네가보여숨이막혀내눈앞에서좀사라져줘
nega boyeo sumi makhyeo nae nun apeseo jom sarajyeojwo

너도날원하잖아나를사랑하잖아나를도망치지마
neodo nal wonhajanha nareul saranghajanha nareul domangchiji ma

헛소리좀집어치워정신차려그만좀해이제나를놓아줘
heossori jom jibeo chiwo jeongsin charyeo geuman jom hae ije nareul nohajwo
이건아냐사랑이아니야 (아니야)
igeon anya sarangi aniya (aniya)
내게상처뿐이야이러지마 (넌이러지마)
naege sangcheoppuniya ireojima (neon ireojima)
널사랑했지만이제는아니야너의기억에서날잊어줘
neol sarang haetjiman ijeneun aniya neoui gieogeseo nal ijeojwo
I Don‘t Wanna Cry No More

credits: geniskencur@friendster

Judging from the past few posts, I bet anyone has realised that I have not been watching nor reviewing any Japanese dramas. I'm glad to say I've managed to finish just one of the many j-dramas lying around in my storage and hence providing my review on it!

Gaikoukan Kuroda Kousaku or Diplomat Kuroda Kousaku is the sequel of the movie Amalfi, which was produced in conjunction with the 50th anniversary of Fuji TV. Kuroda Kousaku is a Japanese diplomat working overseas in the Central Americas Bureau. The story starts in Mexico where an incident 11 years ago caused the death of his friend's wife, and Kuroda feels remorse for not protecting her. However, when the friend Shimomura came to meet him in San Francisco and subsequently committed suicide, it left Kuroda with a lot of question marks. Kuroda's suspicions increased when he spotted someone who looked uncanny like Shimomura at the airport after the incident. Kuroda decides to fly back to Japan to uncover the mysteries.

If I were to say Amalfi is well written, then I would comment that the scriptwriter for Gaikousan Kuroda Kousaku is excellent. From the first episode, the story is instantly grabs your attention and by the time i watched the second episode, I was left wanting to know more. Japan has excellent authors for thrillers, and this is no different. The story is well panned out over 10 episodes, and each episode will let you to have something to think about before watching the next episode. Oda Yuji as usual gave a solid performance as Kuroda while Shibasaki Kou, who acts as his partner detective Ogaki Rikako, puts in a confident performance. An added bonus to the show is the appearance of Lee Byung Hun, who is Kuroda's childhood friend and US informant. His lines were delivered purely in English and I must say his English is pretty good.

An excellent detective thriller as expected and if you have the time, you must catch it! A pity though, that the average rating for this drama is only 10.4%.

I don't usually watch Korean movies for the same reasons as to why I do not watch Korean dramas that last more than 20 episodes. However, recently on a trip to my local cinema, a trailer caught my eye. I thought the actor looked familiar and he no other than Won Bin. And to think Won Bin starred in an action film, got me interested to watch this movie, Ahjussi or internationally known as The Man From Nowhere.

An ex-special agent CHA Tae-shik's only connection to the rest of the world is a little girl, So-mi, who lives nearby. Her mother, Hyo-jeong smuggles drugs from a drug trafficking organization and entrusts Tae-shik with the product, without letting him know. The traffickers find out about her smuggling and kidnap both Hyo-jeong and So-mi. The gang promises to release them if Tae-shik makes a delivery for them, however it actually is a larger plot to eliminate a rival drug ring leader. When Hyo-jeon's disembowelled body is discovered, Tae-shik realizes that So-mi's life may also be in danger. Tae-shik becomes enraged at the prospect that So-mi may already be dead and prepares for a battle, putting his own life at risk.
credits: Yahoo! movies Singapore

I'd say that the movie's plot is pretty straightforward being an action film. You shouldn't expect any surprises in the show, but I thought the show started a tad slow. The only time when the movie really picked up is already past the 20 minute mark, enough time for me to make a few yawns. However, beyond that, the action is superb and the fighting scenes are very choreographed and precised. In Singapore, the local censor board has given an NC-16 rating, meaning people below the age of 16 are not allowed to view the movie. I could understand the reason as there are a few disturbing scenes as well as the realistic portrayal of blood spurting out of wounds. And I have yet to mention the bone breaking scenes during the fist fights.

Having said that, this is definitely a man's movie and the ladies would watch swooning about Won Bin's looks and his incredible physic. However, I don't the ladies would love the violent scenes unless they're a fan of it as well. A special mention has to be given to the little girl who acted as So-mi. Kim Se Ron is really natural in the role and she gave a very matured performance for a child. It is not surprising that she won the Best Newcomer Award at the 2010 Korean Film Awards.

The movie has already opened in cinemas in Singapore.

Seeing the disaster pics coming from the 8.9 Magnitude earthquake that struck Japan is saddening enough.

However, seeing these comments coming from some people really makes one's heart boil with anger. Why can't people just spare a thought for those who are experiencing hardship due to mother nature?

Please. Just spare a thought for others. I ask no more.

A Chinese victim who experienced the tsunami clearly stated what humanity should be all about.

http://dreamsinapie.tumblr.com/post/3816948641/translated-message-from-a-chinese-sendai-tsunami

At last I've decided to finish a movie that I've put it aside for so long! Actually, I was actually looking forward to this movie due to the excellent soundtrack by Ikimonogakari, who provide both the starting and ending theme for the movie.

Toki O Kakeru Shojo is actually not a new story and there are various versions to this story. Just before this version, there is also an animated version which was launched in 2006. In the live version, Naka Riisa is the female lead Yoshimaya Akari who went back into time to help fulfill a wish that her mother had asked her to fulfill on her behalf. Back in time, she met Mizorogi Ryouta (Nakao Akiyoshi), an up and coming film director, who helped her along the way.

Toki is the typical time traveling movie where the character will go back in time, attempts to change history along the way and falling in love. However, one thing Toki definitely doesn't try to explain is the settings for the 1970s, as well as the difference in the people etc. In fact, it tries to keep these thing minimal so that the audience can focus on the main story itself. I do have to say the storyline seems a bit weak throughout and since it's fiction, there are some parts of the story that you may find it unbelievable or amusing at best. Hence, if you're heavy on details, do give Toki a miss, because that's what you aren't getting.

Instead, what you're getting is good acting from the main lead. Although Naka Riisa is young, she is very mature in her acting and her acting credibility stems from the variety of roles she has already attempted. Nakao Akiyoshi is also experienced since he started off as a child actor and has been acting since then. However, because of the fact that I've seen his dramas and movies through the years, this movie does not help him to shake off the schoolboy image even though his role is an up and coming film director.

Nonetheless, Toki o Kakeru Shojo is an enjoyable film to watch. And oh, I must share the soundtrack as well as they are excellent songs by Ikimonogakari.

I've just realized I've not been updating my blog for a very very long time. With the lunar new year passing by and all the feasting on new year goodies, adding the fact that my interest in J-Dramas suddenly dipped to new lows, the amount I'm reviewing or the amount of dramas I'm watching has greatly reduced. Instead, I'm watching more Korean stuff and watching more Korean variety programs which is really very interesting.

One of the dramas I've just completed watching is My Princess starring Kim Tae Hee as Lee Seol and Song Seung Hun as Park Hae Young, heir apparent of Dae Han Group and a diplomat for the government. Lee Seol is an orphan who was separated from her father when young due to her father's accident. What she didn't know was that her father is actually a crown prince who lived a life of running away from enemies. When Lee Seol was identified as the princess, Hae Young was shocked to find out that his grandfather is donating his entire estate to aid the formation of the monarchy. As he was charged to teach Lee Seol the proper etiquette of being a princess, he finds himself drawing closer to her. Yet, his heart is torn to the fact that he is about to lose his inheritance to her once the country vote for the formation of the monarchy.

I really liked the cast for this drama as Song Seung Hun, who rose to fame in Autumn in my Heart years back, is really a hunk. Kim Tae Hee, who is already in her 30s but looked really fresh in the drama. The main cast is also well supported with the likes of Park Ye Jin, who is Oh Yun Ju, the executive director of the monarchy foundation but opposed Lee Seol from being the princess; and Ryu Soo Young, who is Nam Jung Woo, a university professor specializing in Korean history who loves Yun Ju and is keen for monarchy to be formed.

Even though the cast is strong, I do feel that the script is a bit weak, especially at the end of the drama. 16 episodes for this drama is just about right, but I do feel that the ending is a bit rushed, with the last episode trying wrap the relationships between the cast members. The role of Park Hae Young's father, which is pivotal in the drama, isn't well developed at all in the drama and I thought it was disappointing aspect. But with romance as the main theme of the drama, Kim Tae Hee and Song Seung Hun doesn't disappoint. The chemistry between them is natural and Kim Tae Hee is extremely lovable in the drama. After all, this is what we should expect between 2 established artists.

Finally I've finished watching Secret Garden... I absolutely love it!!! But this song from the drama really takes the cake. It's the same as my BGM currently, but at least there's the translated english lyrics in this fanmade MV.





Note that the rhythm is the same, but the lyrics is totally different.