:: Sixtwentyseven ::

The first time I saw this MV without watching the drama, I could already feel the emotion in this song. To me, this is already one of the best OST song for the year as well one of the best songs for Huh Gak.

Lyrics:

이대로 끝나버릴 것만 같아서
idaero kkeutnabeoril geotman gataseo
그대가 숨어버릴 것만 같아서
geudaega sumeo beoril geotman gataseo
자꾸만 보네요, 그대만 보네요
jakkuman boneyo geudaeman boneyo
멍한 바보처럼
meonghan babocheoreom

이렇게 커져가는 마음이 난 두려워
ireoke keojyeo ganeun maeumi nan duryeowo
오늘도 모른 척 그댈 지나치려 해도
oneuldo moreun cheog geudael jinachiryeo haedo
눈물이 흘러서 내 심장이 터질 것 같아서
nunmuri heulleoseo nae simjangi teojil geot gataseo
이젠 그대 얼굴 그대 이름 온종일 그리는데
ijen geudae eolgul geudae ireum onjongil geurineunde

사랑해요 그대
saranghaeyo geudae
그 아픔까지 함께할게요
geu apeumkkaji hamkkehalgeyo
힘든 이 세상에 날 웃게 해준 한 사람
himdeun i sesange nal utge haejun han saram
혹시나 그대 내게 오는 길 어렵다면
hogsina geudae naege oneun gil eoryeob damyeon
그냥 서 있어요 내가 그대에게 갈 테니
geunyang seo isseoyo naega geudae ege gal teni

이렇게 커져가는 마음이 난 두려워
ireoke keojyeo ganeun maeumi nan duryeowo
오늘도 모른 척 그댈 지나치려 해도
oneuldo moreun cheog geudael jinachiryeo haedo
눈물이 흘러서 내 심장이 터질 것 같아서
nunmuri heulleoseo nae simjangi teojil geot gataseo
이젠 그대 얼굴 그대 이름 온종일 그리는데
ijen geudae eolgul geudae ireum onjongil geurineunde

사랑해요 그대
saranghaeyo geudae
그 아픔까지 함께할게요
geu apeumkkaji hamkkehalgeyo
힘든 이 세상에 날 웃게 해준 한 사람
himdeun i sesange nal utge haejun han saram
혹시나 그대 내게 오는 길 어렵다면
hogsina geudae naege oneun gil eoryeob damyeon
그냥 서 있어요 내가 그대에게
geunyang seo isseoyo naega geudae ege

아파도 웃음이 나요
apado useumi nayo
그대만 생각하면
geudaeman saenggaghamyeon
견딜 수 있죠 버틸 수 있죠
gyeondil su itjyo beotil su itjyo
나는
naneun

사랑해요 그대
saranghaeyo geudae
그 아픔까지 함께할게요
geu apeumkkaji hamkkehalgeyo
힘든 이 세상에 날 웃게 해준 한 사람
himdeun i sesange nal utge haejun han saram
혹시나 그대 내게 오는 길 어렵다면
hogsina geudae naege oneun gil eoryeob damyeon
그냥 서 있어요 내가 그대에게 갈 테니
geunyang seo isseoyo naega geudae ege gal teni


Credit
Hangul :: Bugs Music
Romanization :: KyungMi at kromanized.com
English Lyrics :: pop!gasa

I guess I've gained a bit of momentum in watching dramas since I'm coming up with this review pretty quickly but workload + long holiday weekend sure does the trick since I've finished through this drama in 3 days. Big first attracted me due to the OST with a solid ballads from Huh Gak, Davichi, Noel, B2ST and Suzy from miss A. I'll tell you more of my thoughts on the OST later but first I'll give my views on the drama.

Big is a fantasy story whereby 2 persons swapped souls with each other after an accident. Seo Yoon Jae(Gong Woo) is a doctor who met Gil Da Ran (Lee Min Jung) through an accident at their friend's wedding. They gotten together after the accident and was on the way to marriage. However, doubts began to show in Da Ran after Yun Jae seemed hesitant. Kang Kyun Joon (Shin Won Ho) is a transfer student in the school Da Ran is teaching and they met through an incident that Da Ran has accidentally taken his umbrella while alighting the bus. On the day Da Ran wanted to confirm Yoon Jae's feeling towards her, Kyun Joon drove her to the suburbs to clear her head. On his way back however, he met with an accident which includes Yoon Jae and by miracle, their souls swapped bodies.

My view of Big is somewhat mixed after watching the whole drama. In the beginning, I thought Big started with promise. But as the drama go by, I did have this feeling that the scriptwriter was beginning to lose the direction it wanted to take. I guessed by feeling was summarized by the last episode which does not closes the story but instead sought to confuse the viewer further. As much as I want to voice out my opinion of the ending, I guess it's best to leave it offline so that I do not leave any spoilers in this post.

Another incident which irk me a bit was the lapse in the scenes in the drama. For example in episode 2, where Ma Ri (Suzy) was carrying her luggage and speaking to Da Ran first and later to Yoon Jae, she walked away without her luggage after they have finished speaking. Another is in the last episode where both teachers Ae Kyung and Na Hyo Sang were announcing their marriage and hints of pregnancy, the next scene showed the incident one year later with Ae Kyung still heavily pregnant. Err hello?

As mentioned in the beginning, the OST of Big is of top quality with songs from Huh Gak, Davichi, Noel, B2ST and Suzy from miss A. However, i was disappointed with the usage of the songs in the drama save for the a couple. In my last review, Queen In Hyun's Man technically speaking has 3 main songs that the drama uses the songs very well to invoke the emotions of the viewer. However, comparing with Big, I do think Big has come out short in this area. Davichi's Because of you is used frequently in the drama and appropriately as well, same goes for Huh Gak's One Person. However, I do find B2ST's Hateful Person as the ending theme as a odd choice given the fact that the drama does not always end on a "cheerful" mode and the song by B2ST is generally upbeat. The song "If it's Love" by Noel is an excellent song by itself but surprisingly is used sparsely in the drama. Maybe having just a few solid songs in the drama will do the trick but when you have 5 quality tracks in your OST, maybe the sound director lost its direction as well.

Nonetheless, I need to comment on the quality of the soundtrack. Huh Gak really nailed this track "One Person" that the track was the song I start on my playlist for more than a few days. I think this song touches the heart really deeply and you can feel the emotions of the song.



The other song in the OST that impressed me a lot is Suzy's "I still love you". The song impressed me not with the rhythm nor the lyrics, but the vocal range that tested Suzy. Her previous OST tracks did not exactly impress me but I do think this is her track to date. But if you want to compare about emotions, then I do feel Suzy is somewhat lacking a bit in here.



Speaking about emotions, Davichi is clearly not lacking in this area. Besides Huh Gak's "One Person", this is the only song that I feel they used it to effect in the drama. In the latter of the drama, they released the male version of the song with Gong Yoo as the singer. They used the song as well for one particular episode, but I didn't feel the effect as much as Davichi's version.



Noel's "If it's love" is one song I do feel they used it too sparingly in the drama. No doubt Davichi's and Huh Gak's songs are more appropriate in the drama, "If it's love" is still suitable in some of the scenes.



Lastly, the song that I feel did not really fit into any part of the drama. "Hateful person" is a nice, cheery feeling track but hey, I think I've seen more tears than laughter in this drama. Oh well, it's still used as the ending track for most episodes.



Overall, if you'd ask me should I watch the drama, I'd still say yes. Or at least listen to this OST, because it's really filled with excellent tracks. And oh, should I mention, I absolutely love Lee Min Jung in this drama, for some reason. Maybe like what she said in the latter episodes, she must be crazy.

Yoo In Na at last stars in her first drama as a lead! Or I'm more excited because I'm looking forward to the chemistry between Ji Hyun Woo and Yoo In Na ever since both of the declared their love for each other after the drama ended its production. The rumours of their relationship really started when Hyun Woo suddenly made a confession of liking Yoo In Na during a fan meet.



Then slightly over a week later, a reporter managed to spot Hyun Woo and In Na dating with their hands held together. After which, In Na decides to announce their relationship during her regular radio show.



Even though I'm already interested in watching this drama due to the fact that it's In Na's first starting role, after these real life events unfold, I seriously want to watch the chemistry between Hyun Woo and In Na in the drama.

In summary, Ji Hyun Woo stars as Kim Boong Do, an official who is close to the kind and loyal to the disposed Queen In Hyun. In trying to uncover the atrocities of the evil ministers, he is being hunted by the enemies and was almost killed, if not for an talisman that his servant has gave him. Amazingly, the talisman acted as a time machine and transported him 300 years into the future to the modern world and the first person he encountered is Choi Hee Jin (Yoo In Na). Hee Jin is a down and out actress who had just managed to snag a big role in a historical drama. Coincidentally, she is assigned the role of Queen In Hyun. Is this just a coincidence or are they just fated to meet, even though they are 300 years apart?

After knowing the relationship between Hyun Woo and In Na in real life, I must say watching this drama is akin to watching their own love story unfold. If the scenes are acted based on the exact timeline of the production, you could really see the camaraderie developing between the 2 leads until it becomes not just teamwork but the natural connection they have between them. And the outcome is a performance that is highly connectable due to their real life connections.

However, the show is not about the love story between the two leads but also the excellent OST that accompanies the drama. Just like Padam Padam earlier where the OST alone attracted me to watch the drama, Queen In Hyun's Man does the same effect as well.

Another Time, The Same Sky is sung by 8ight's Joo Hee and she gives a highly polished effort in this song. This song is used frequently in the drama to describe the pains the female lead felt when pinning for the person she loved who existed 300 years ago.



Just Once, sung by 4men's Young Jae, is more about the guy's feeling. Just like the title, just one more time, I want to see you again and the song is used in the drama to convey the feelings of the male lead.



I'm coming to see you, sung by Deok Hwan, tells the story between the two leads and their desire to see each other all the time. Personally, Deok Hwan is rather unknown to me. However, the first song in the drama that caught my attention was actually this song, and I especially love the effects the song has on the scenes where both the male and female lead meet each other.



Overall, this drama by its own is already a good production and i especially love Yoo In Na's cutesy image in the drama. Okay, I got to admit she is my bias in terms of the actress I like but her crying scenes in the drama are really top class and some of the scenes she really cried hard, which is not easy at all. Coupled with the real life incidents unfolding after the drama ended its production, this makes Queen In Hyun's Man a drama that should not be missed.

Enomoto Kei (Ohno Satoshi) is a security "otaku" working for a security firm, devoted to improving the securities system on a daily basis. He is not an easy person to familiarize oneself with, always collected and calm, unapproachable, a maniac in Physics, Science, Architecture and profound in other basic theoretical foundation. He is certain and proud of the fact that there is no key which he cannot unlock.

One day, Kei is asked to help reveal a mystery behind a locked room murderer. While he lacks any interest in solving the mystery, he is inevitably intrigued by the term, "Closed Doors" and decides to take on the position. He works side by side with Aoto Junko (Toda Erika) and Serizawa Gou (Sato Koichi), who are lawyers working at a major law firm. Junko is pure and forward, acting upon her instincts while Serizawa is a prideful elitist who sees time as money, and therefore, will not take on any job that is unprofitable.

Possessing a vast amount of knowledge and acute insightfulness, Kei is able to unlock the closed doors and unravel the secrets leading to the solution. (Credits: Dramawiki)

I have actually started this recent drama (Spring 2012) based on my friend's recommendation that this drama has really got him hooked (well, part of the fact is that my friend is crazy about Toda Erika). But nonetheless, once I've started on the drama I am hooked as well (not by Erika though).

Kagi no Kakatta Heya is different from other Japanese detective dramas as it purely focus on locked room cases. Locked room cases are cases whereby a crime has occurred and on the front there seems to be no way to enter or exit the crime scene. And it is this mystery theme that got me hooked to this drama. Each episode will conclude one case (with the exception of the last case of course to end the drama with a climax) and that's the plus point for Japanese dramas in general as it is short and sweet to the point.

Ohno Satoshi is a member of Arashi, who has also provided the ending theme for the drama but he is unfamiliar to me as I did not manage to catch any of the dramas he starred in. However, as Endomoto Kei, Ohno Satoshi did a pretty decent job by keeping a straight face throughout the drama, no easy feat mind you. Toda Erika and Sato Koichi provided the laughter in this drama with in some witty moments, making this drama not as serious as it can be.

Throughout the drama, they have also invited well known actors to act as the main lead for the story. Tamaki Hiroshi, Shida Mirai, Aibu Saki are just some the well known names that acted in this drama, bring it additional star power.

Overall, this drama is really enjoyable and it has been some time since I've watched a drama and wanting to straightaway go on to the next episode. 16% rating during its run? Justifiable.

Continuing with my never ending list of dramas to catch up, I've decided to choose a more recent and light hearted drama to watch. Boku to Star no 99 Nichi is Kim Tae Hee's first japanese drama. Although Kim Tae Hee was introduced to the japanese public through IRIS, that was essentially an imported drama. This drama is her first japan feature.

Boku to Star no 99 Nichi is a light hearted drama comedy about a bodyguard and the star he is supposed to protect. Namiki Kohei (Nishijima Hidetoshi) is a 40 year old part time bodyguard who seems to have no dreams of the future and is easily bossed around by his family and boss. Han Yuna (Kim Tae Hee) a top korean star invited to act in a drama. Their fate crossed when Namiki is assigned to protect Yuna for 99 days. As Kohei and Yuna come closer and closer to each other, they begin to fall for each other. What will happen after 99 days? Will they go their separate ways?

For the start, Kim Tae Hee looks absolutely fabulous in here. I'm also very impressed with her command of Japanese as usually foreign artists will be struggling with the command of the language, especially with the amount of lines a main lead will have. However, Kim Tae Hee, together with Taecyeon of Korean boy group 2PM, perform admirably for their grasp of the language.

Nishijima Nidetoshi is not unfamiliar to me as I've watched another drama that he starred in. The only difference is that the former drama has a more serious tone while this is the first time I've seen him in a comedy drama. I thought his performance was good, but probably not spectacular enough. On the other hand, the 2nd male lead, Sasaki Kuranosuke, who acted as a top japan superstar Takanabe Yamato in the drama, stole the scenes in the drama with his larger than life comedic acting. However, this is what I expected from Sasaki Kuranosuke because he is a very versatile actor who is really good with his facial and body expressions. And he clearly deliver in the show because all the comedic moments are created by him.

I wouldn't say the drama is exciting nor unexpected. However, the quality of the production is still high and the overall story holds, with few loopholes here and there. If you're looking for something unexpected, this is clearly not the one for you. After all, you do not do something unexpected in romantic comedy dramas.

I would say people would definitely be drawn to this drama due to the Kim Tae Hee factor. I'd say this because besides looking absolutely radiant in the drama, Kim Tae Hee offers something different from the japanese actresses. In a way, because she's a foreign actress, it was refreshing in a way. Do catch the drama if you have not done so!

Recently I chanced upon this song and I thought the lyrics to this song is really beautiful. If you are the recipient for this song, I believe you'll shed tears of joy.



Better Me

主唱：薛凱琪
作曲：江海迦
填詞：小寒

遠處海港傳來陣陣船笛
我一直飄零到被你揀起
如今望著反映窗戶玻璃
有個我陌生又熟悉

I can Smile a little more
Sing a little more
Feel a little more
全因為你

說好了要為幸福　一天天地練習
練習 Laugh a little more
Love myself a little more
要學會更加善待我自己
為你我變成了　Better me

甚麼距離都不算是真的分離
想念和默契能代替一切言語
有一天生命會老去　還好謝謝有你

在你眼中　I see the better in me
Coz I can Smile a little more
Sing a little more
Feel a little more　全因為你

說好了要為幸福　一天天地練習
練習 Laugh a little more
Love myself a little more
要學會更加善待我自己
為你我變成了　Better me

就是那麼神奇
從前的錯都有意義
教我拋開所有猜疑　也許
我也美麗　值得一個奇蹟

我的眼淚會墜落
絕不是因為懦弱
而是感謝天讓我遇見你
不然今天就不能　如此地有勇氣

Now I promise to you
And I can swear to you
為你我　一定加倍　珍惜*我自己
做一個值得你　驕傲的　Better me
一個值得你　愛的Better me

Recently I was chatting with my friend regarding J-dramas and K-dramas and we talked about the dramas he has yet to watch / catch up. I was telling him about my backlog and he basically rolled his eyes and told me to get on with it.

Well, I had to start somewhere and so I've decided to watch the shortest drama in my backlog list. Killer K is a 3 part series by CGV and it stars rookie actress Han Groo as the main lead Cha Yeonjin. Killer K talks about a girl where one incident one night changed her life from being an high school girl to become an assassin bent on avenging her mother's death after personally witnessing her death. However, the agency that she works for more than meets the eye and eventually she will be the one who will stop all this.

Firstly, I'll need to give a special praise for the production team for creating a high production 3 parter series where the action for each episode is evenly spread out. Of course, for a 3 part drama series there're bound to have certain areas that they have to rush through but I'm not complaining about it as the fighting and gun scenes more than make up for it.

I'm also surprised with some content within the drama where as a drama serial and Korean TV in general that they actually allow full topless scenes and simulated sex scenes in the drama. Given that this is a midnight drama, but given the knowledge I have regarding Korean content on TV, this is really surprising. Not only that, the blood squirting from wounds really reminds me of the movie Ahjussi, but of course on a tamer nature. Nonetheless, these details actually helps to increase the realism of the drama.

A special mention has to be given to Han Groo who's more well known to be a singer than an actress. My first contact with Han Groo was in music shows, where she is debuting as a rookie singer. But after finishing this drama, I can safely say she can find her path in acting as well as her performing as the main lead is thoroughly convincing. She can also branch out to be an action star as her fighting skills within the drama is convincing and there are not that many female action stars within the Korean industry.

In summary, this drama is really kickass and worth a watch. Do catch it while you can! And now to my other dramas......

Looks like I have really procrastinated on my backlog as I haven't been watching the movies and dramas still lying around in my inventory. But I did have a chance to catch a jap movie today and decided to choose Bayside Shakedown 3, as I've almost forgotten I have this movie lying in wait.

Shunsaku Aoshima (Yuji Oda) is promoted to section chief and is also in charge of supervising the shifting of the Bayside precinct police station to a new state of the art building. On the shifting day itself however, the station first received a call of a bank being broken into and later, a public bus being hijacked. What is strange about the 2 cases however is that in both instances, nothing is stolen from the bank and passengers on the bus respectively. Aoshima and his team, already busy with the shifting of the new office, has to take on these 2 cases. Things, however become complicated when the police chief, while inspecting the new building, discovers 3 police guns went missing while the shifting was carried out.

What I love about Bayside Shakedown series is that they have managed to retain the whole original cast from the first time when the drama serial was aired in 1997 till now in 2010 where the 3rd movie was produced. Furthermore, a drama special and the 4th and final movie are being planned to conclude the movie. As such, if you watched Bayside Showdown before, you wouldn't feel lost with a change in cast members.

However, with this 3rd edition, I do have a few grouses with the movie. Although the movie was paced in a appropriate manner throughout, I thought the starting hour of the movie was a bit slow for my liking. Thankfully, things starts to pick up thereafter. As usual, Yuji Oda and Eri Fukatsu put in creditable performances in this movie and the huge supporting cast makes this movie an enjoyable movie to watch. The director also follow previous editions but giving the slow parts a lighter touch with a tinge of comedy in it. However, the slow first half pace really got to me by the time I crawl to 59 minutes into the movie.

Overall, the movie is still an enjoyable watch, but I do feel previous editions were done better.

Love is a romantic story directed by Niu Chen Ze who also acted as one of the characters in the movie. Love tells a story about 8 intertwined characters and how each of them overcome their problems with Love.

A Taiwan tycoon Mark (Zhao Wen Ting 趙又廷) has a relationship with a socialite Yi Rou 柔伊 (Shu Qi 舒淇). However, due to his past and childhood, he can't commit to the relationship. This upsets Yi Rou, and she promptly hook up with her lover Lu Ping 陆平 (Niu Chen Ze 钮承泽). On the way out of the hotel where she met up with Mark, Yi Rou pumps into a butler Xiao Kuan 小宽( Ethan Ruan 阮经天) who took a photo of Yi Rou. Xiao Kuan is the brother of Yi Jia 宜珈( Ivy Chen Yi Han 陈意涵), who in a drunken stupor, had a one night stand with Ah Kai 阿凯(Peng Yu Yan 彭于晏), who happens to be her best friend's Xiao Ni 小霓( Amber Guo Cai Jie 郭采洁) boyfriend. Worse still, she got pregnant from the incident. Xiao Ye 小叶(Vicki Zhao Wei 赵薇) is a housing agent in Beijing, who happens to serve Mark as a client. However, they did not hit off well from the start and by a coincidence of events, Mark has to play the role of Dad for Xiao Ye's son. What sparks may fly between the two? Love is a story of these eight characters and the sequence of events that will test each of them.

First off, I got to say that Love definitely has some loopholes in the plot. There are several circumstances that in this modern world, I doubt thing will occur in such pace. One particular loophole was at start where there's a scene whereby Xiao Kai riding a bicycle accidentally bumped into Mark's car at a traffic junction. As Xiao Kai rides off the bicycle after the accident and Mark drove past him, Xiao Kai miraculously disappeared from the scene.

However, I do appreciate the effort by the director to try to establish the links between each character right at the start of the movie so that you roughly know the part each character will take in the movie. Also, the acting by each actor and actress is top notch, although i have a bit of reservations for Zhao Wen Ting. Just felt that he is a bit stiff in the movie.

Nonetheless, the movie is a good feel movie and you have a rough idea of why love is the reason we all exist. Not to mention that this movie has a great song sung by Yoga Lin You Jia 林宥嘉.

After catching up on a few japanese dramas/specials I thought it would be nice if I catch up on a korean drama as well. Of all the dramas still pending in my stash, I've decided to watch Padam Padam first.

Padam Padam caught my eye not because of the lead actor or actress, but because of the OST that I happen to listen randomly. I think I've mentioned before that if the OST of a drama is good, most than likely I will watch the drama. And this proves true for Padam Padam, where the OST really caught my attention. So for this time round, I thought I should introduce the OST first and I leave my reviews for the drama later.

The first song that caught my eye is the first OST from the show. The song is sung by Noel, a 4 men vocal group who recently made their comeback after a 3 year hiatus. I was introduced to their song albeit randomly as well and since then I never turned back. The title of this song is called "To Live" and the song fits the sorrow of the main character who is innocent but the whole world doesn't believe in his word.



The second song of the OST is sung by Jea from Brown Eyed Girls. The title of the song is "Fool for You" and it talks about the sweet and innocent love of a girl for a guy. For your info, Jea is a very talented artist who composes as well as produce songs for other singers as well as for her own group. I also love Jea's voice and I do feel her voice suits OST tracks very well.



The third song of the OST is a powerful track sung by Hwanhee. The song, "Don't Go", is about wishing a lover's well-being as it tells the pain of the ended relationship. I don't exactly touch Hwanhee's songs as it did attract my attention but this song definitely did. It was very well used in the drama especially for emphasizing the emotions of the male lead. Of all the tracks, I think this is the most powerful track in the OST although Noel's "To Live" is a close second.



The fourth song of the OST is a slow ballad by Kim Yeon Ji, who is formerly in the now-defunct group Seeya. Compared to Jea's "Fool for you", "Love is Right" is more mellow, but not lacking in emotions.



The last song of the OST is by a group called F.I.X, and the song they sung is called "Because it's you". Although the lyrics highlights the pain felt from a lover who is gone (spoiler alert!), I would say the song is applicable to any scenario, be it death or the person is going away for a period of time for work, study etc.



And if you think you still doesn't have any idea what this drama is all about, I think the clues in the OST track can somewhat point you in that direction.

Padam Padam is a french word for "to thump", and this drama exactly talks about the heartbeat of love that is so strong that it can withstand the obstacles that stood in its way. Yang Kang Chil (Jung Woo Sung) was wrongfully accused of a murder and he spend 16 years behind bars. In the prison, he met a fellow inmate Geok Soo (Kim Bum) who claimed that he is his guardian angel and told him that 3 miracles will happen to him, hence asking him do not give up on life and the world. After his release, he went back to his hometown Tong Yeong to patch things up with his mother due to his conviction. There, both of them worked as handymen and at this time he met Jung Ji Na (Han Ji Min), a vet who hired the both of them to renovate her animal hospital. Through their interactions, Kang Chil began to fall in love with Ji Na, but he doesn't know how connected Ji Na actually is to his conviction. Will their love withstand the obstacles ahead?

The last time I watched any Jung Woo Sung drama/movie was Athena, and to be frank I feel Athena wasn't a good performance from him. He was okay, but I do feel that the drama can do much more from his acting. However, Padam Padam trully tested Woo Sung's acting and I got to be mightily impressed with Woo Sung in this drama. As a thug, he was convincing enough when he terrorised his mother when they first met. As a lover, he became soft and gentle. And when he realised he had an illness, he broke down and cried. The crying scenes in particular, left a deep impression on me. Jung Woo Sung, Han Ji Min and Na Moon Hee, who acted as Kang Chil's mother gave solid performance in the drama. There were a few particular scenes that required one take and the actors and actresses had to synchronize their emotions and crying scenes in one take. 2 instances impressed me a lot: 1st was between Kang Chil and Ji Na when Kang Chil told her to visualize the scenarios where he was in pain and gave her his decisions and instructions should he leave this world. 2nd would be the scene between Mother and child where Kang Chil's mother chided him for losing all hope and trying to send everyone away from him.

Besides the crying scenes, I was also impressed with one scene in particular where Kang Chil was knocked down by Ji Na's car early in the drama. I think this is the first time where I see a scene that was shot from the victim's perspective. I do not know if there are any camera effects but if there aren't, then I'm impressed with the stuntman for that scene.

Overall, this drama is really entertaining for me although at the end I thought they dragged the drama a bit. I really give the OST in this drama 5 stars and for the plot itself I will rate it very highly. Oh did I mention Kim Bum's hot 6 packs and the Kim Tae Hee-aura Han Ji Min as well?

Do catch this drama as I think it's a very good drama.

Hello everyone and Happy New Year to all~~

I've just realised that I didn't put any Xmas greetings nor New year greetings, hence the late shout out.

Well, I thought I'd start of the new year by continuing what I did last year by reducing the back log of J-dramas. I thought I should start off with something short hence I chose Juunen Saki mo Kimi ni Koishite. Afterall, I'd consider this drama on the light side.

Juunen Saki mo Kimi ni Koishite, roughly translated as I'll Still Love You In 10 Years talks about a time travel story. Onozawa Rika (Ueto Aya) works as a editor for a book company and is in charge of an up and coming author Hidaka Koji (Gekidan Hitori) and demanding accomplished author Hamada Azusa (Watanabe Eri). One day, she suddenly meets a mysterious man Maruyama Hiroshi (Uchino Masaaki) who is stalking her. When she confronts him, Hiroshi told her that he is her husband from 10 years in the future and ask her not marry him when the current him proposes to her.

Ever since Ueto Aya broke away from her cutesy roles like the ones in Attention Please!, I have been following her dramas like Zettai Reido and Nagareboshi. I used to hate her acting in those cutesy roles, but Zettai Reido really changed my opinion of her. I do think her acting has matured as each drama goes by. We do know she can't survive on those roles when she matures, but at last I feel she is giving her performance the credit that it deserves.

In Junnen, Aya continues to produce an assured performance in the drama. I do think that the plot is as stretched out as it can be given that it's only 6 episodes. The ending is of course predictable, given that we all like nice endings, but nonetheless the drama is still worth the watch. Uchino Masaaki also gave a solid performance in the drama, especially in the various scenes where the younger and older him interacts with Rika. If you find Uchino Masaaki familiar, he appears in JIN as well.

Oh, I absolutely love the song "Time of Love" by Crystal Kay. I thought the song compliments the feelings that the drama should evoke.

You can sample the song below: