Review: Triangle

First Impression

Synopsis: It’s a drama about three brothers who were separated for more than 20 years and later met with no recognition of each other. The eldest Jang Dong Soo has become a police officer diligent in finding his lost brothers and to take revenge to the people who have caused their father's death as an activist leader. The middle child Jang Dong Chul grew up as Heo Youngdal, a known gangster who apparently lost his childhood memories; while the youngest Jang Dong Woo lived as Yoon Yang Ha who was adopted by Chairman of a Casino and was raised to be the heir. Will they be able to make up for the years lost and fill the gaps between them for a reunion?

Strengths:

Its strengths are what I absolutely love about this drama. Probably one of the strengths which is the reason why I favored it mostly is the actors and the sequencing that was excellent to my standard. Since I have been following it from the beginning, I have heard various comments and opinions regarding this series in both extremes. Some viewers even make fun of the small details and some would tend to overlook them because some simply enjoy. To me, it has been very effective because I’m in that category of those who would fall to compliment it first before taking notice of the weak points. So, I would like to further discuss the strengths of it.

Fated to Love You First Impression (Episode 1-6)

In a nutshell: This is a Korean remake of the Taiwanese drama called Fated to Love You starring Ethan Ruan and Qiao En which was aired back in 2006. For the Korean counterpart, it led Jang Hyuk as Geon and Jang Nara as Kim Mi Young.

The story is about the entanglement of life between two individuals who met by chance in Macau after much confusion with the room number of the hotel where they both were checked in, but with different partners who eventually dumped them both. After spending a night together, this is where it all started.

Comments:

I haven’t watched the Taiwanese drama online but I remember catching up few episodes at the local channel where it was aired back in day (that sounds really old and odd to me speaking of which). So, I think that it’s a good thing because I will be able to predict less of the story and feel surprised with the events that could happen next. However, since I decided to watch this one and to be honest, curiosity is a normal phenomenon to happen since I’m fidgety at wanting to know what could happen afterwards though it might spoil me, I checked some clips on youtube. But of course I won’t spoil it here myself. And now I start to imagine my thoughts which I can’t divulge, “Ohhhh…” Anyways, I’m sure that if you can relate to it and you feel that you have the telekinetic power to reveal what it is, comment below. But that’s not the point I’m talking, because I’m excited to go all out and discuss it with you but I’m just weird like this that I can’t seem to know how and where to begin. I will just leave it to the fate, in the hands of the scriptwriter whatever that shall be revised and decided to be pursued from the original story.

Review: Witch's Romance

First Impression

Halftime Report

In a nutshell: A romantic comedy series between a 39 year old career woman Ban Ji Yeon and a 25 year old medicine student and part timer Yoon Dong Ha. 

I just finished this drama last week and I have been setting aside my commitment to write a review because I can't believe that it's already over. But now it's really sinking in that mondays and tuesdays will never be the same again, I think that it's time to make one. 

Throughout the series, there was never a dull moment that was wasted. I don't have anything to dislike about the series, even with the presence of "polar bear" because it became an affirmation regarding the romance shared by Ban Ji Yeon and Yoon Dong Ha. Furthermore, I thought that he wasn't a bad person after all, contrary to the hateful things that has done to Ji Yeon which damaged his image. Also, I felt sorry to him that he was late to be back for her. 

SBS Variety Show: Roommate

                           

I didn't expect my viewing habit to be loaded with plenty of currently airing shows from Korea and I feel a bit absorbed in watching them. So I came across this variety show since a lot of mentions about it has been made in my timeline. First, the familiar names Lee Dong Wook, Park Bom, Chan Yeol were tagged together and to me these are the few ones I could recognize so I was curious what must have this show has to offer for putting all these people together? Basically, the concept of it is to create a home for celebrities where they would go back to after a busy long day. So we have the rock music icon in the 90s, Shin Sung Woo who's taking part as Chan Yeol of EXO's roommate, supermodel & fashion enthusiast Lee So Ra who's roommate is the 4D or 4 dimensional personality Park Bom from 2ne1 and Song Ga Yeon, a sports driven 19 year old who has a very pretty face but with a  tough personality because of being a Road FC Fighter. Other roommates are actors & flower boys Park Min Woo & Seo Kang Joon. The pairing of Orange Caramel's Nana and actress Hong Soo Hyun is another matched upbeat & straightforward personalities. The unexpected and the probably the most opposite looking partners are the handsome actor Lee Dong Wook and comedienne Jo Se Ho yet they clicked so well in terms of humor and energy.

First Impression: Witch's Romance's Yoon Dong Ha, Park Seo Joon

I feel lucky this season and that K-drama gods has been so good to me as I found myself watching three series that are currently airing (Angel Eyes, Triangle, Witch's Romance). All of which are I'm excited to update everytime and the reason I think is that,as much as my preference is concerned, they are watchable. However, I also want to start so many dramas because of the promising competition and plot but I haven't found a time yet for follow up thus for now, I'll have to enjoy myself indulging to this madness without having to overwhelm my viewing habits. Other shows that I'm considering are Dr. Stranger, Big Man & You're All Surrounded. But, I'll talk about Witch's Romance first because it makes me grin to have found an underdog that is right down my alley. 

So what is it all about? This series is a remake of the Taiwanese drama called My Queen starring Ethan Ruan in the cable channel tvN, which is a story of a woman older by 14 years to a man whom he had an entangled fate with. When I say fate, I won't go through the details because we all know how fate works in Kdramas which is an infinite of possibilities so as much as I can, I wouldn't spoil it to my readers nor elaborate it because I think it's nothing special. I'm not really interested by the plot itself nor the cinematography but I'm most interested with the man who played the role of Yoon Dong Ha, Park Seo Joon. But before I start spazzing about his endless charm and charisma, let's look at the apple of his eyes, Ban Ji Yeon played by Uhm Jung Hwa. Surprisingly, these two have a chemistry together which is amazing and extraordinary. But for me, I give credit to their skills in portraying their roles because to be very honest, this is an unexpected pairing but it could work and it did. Maybe we can give credit to the writer, director and the production as well? Because of the tremendous job of making this happen with the casting. Nonetheless, the most amazing feat for this drama to be proud of for me, is 2014's rising star, Park Seo Joon. Yes, and I already gave that title to him because he deserved much recognition. Haha.

First Impression: Triangle

                                       

Genre: Action, Family, Melodrama

This drama first caught me at Kim Jaejoong and Lee Bum Soo working together again even though I haven't seen their first project together which is Dr. Jin. Im Si Wan's casting probably became one of my reasons too to keep an eye on the showing date and such. This drama has only become a candidate out of so many interesting dramas I've had in my mind, but I really wasn't so sure whether I'm really gonna make time for it or not. Nonetheless, I've had my first impression with the trailer and that's when I decided give it a try.

What was about the trailer? Even though it was only a clip and there was just a few seconds shown, I've seen a matured Jaejoong (Heo Yeong Dal) as an actor in a role of a gangster and I had the gut feel this is going to be different from the past projects he's done. So please don't disappoint me.

Drama Recommendation: Angel Eyes

Characters:

·         Lee Sang Yoon – Park Dong Joo / Dylan Park

·         Kang Ha Neul – young Park Dong Joo

·         Goo Hye Sun – Yoon Soo Wan

·         Nam Ji Hyun – as young Yoon Soo Wan

·         Kim Ji Suk – Kang Ji Won

·         Seungri – Teddy

In a nutshell: This is a melodrama about Yoon Soo Wan (Goo Hye Sun) and Park Dong Joo’s (Lee Sang Yoon) love for each other in the past 12 years,  and the fate that they have to face after so many years that passed by.

Review: Ashita, mama ga inai (Tomorrow, mom won't be here)

First Impression

Episode 6

Synopsis: The story is about children who have found shelter, purpose and direction, friendship and family through Kogamo no Le, an orphanage headed by a middle aged man named Maou. The kids have different backgrounds of where they came from, and for the essence of it in the drama, the issues were resolved one by one as they go through challenges and growth at such a tender age.

Just a brief background of the series, the story has raised attempts by the government or group of people who are against its broadcast to put an end to it because it involves violence, child abuse and mental disorder which isn't an acceptable issue that the country is facing. Fortunately, they were able to wrap it up even with the said attempts to halt its airing.

K-drama Updates that made me Giddy!

Jang Hyuk and Jara to Reunite in Fated To Love You

I still can't believe this is happening because Jang Hyuk and Jang Nara together just brings back so many childhood memories. Bright Girl is one of the oldest kdramas I've watched in the early 2000s on our local TV channel. But I've only remembered who the characters were in restrospect after being finally immersed in the business. This is a squeal worthy news and even though I'm not a fan of Fated To Love You, as an adaptation of the Taiwanese drama, count me in because the two actors are in my generation of classic & legend.

Ashita, Mama ga inai Episode 6

If there is one j-dorama that I would gladly recommend this season, that would be Ashita, mama ga inai or Tomorrow, Mom Won't be Here. I have given out my reasons in my first impression that I have made regarding episodes 1-2. Well, recently I have also finished Shitsuren Chocolatier, and if I were to recommend it, that is for entertainment & grandiosity. But for Ashita, I would recommend it for the unique storyline, the adorable characters, and the bond, innocence and maturity of the kids. But what is taking me so long to watch is that gooddrama dot net has just recently uploaded all remaining 4 episodes. Yep it's sad we only got 4 episodes left, nonetheless, I know that this is going to be a memorable j-drama. So I first manage to watch episode 6 and I've decided to write down my review about it since I have so much time on hand.

Shitsuren Chocolatier (The Finale)

First Impression

Episode 8

Episode 9-10

So the roller coaster ride of emotion has finally reached its finale which I thought is the start of more good things to come for Souta (Matsumoto Jun). I liked the concept of the ending. Souta became properly heartbroken, Saeko decided to face her reality which she has long ignored by running away and by indulging herself in chocolates. I’m happy for the characters, and overall, I had the realization as well that instead of wishing to see them change from being immature to a responsible adult, it’s better for the drama to show first the instances that made the characters who they are. Basically, I have so much good things to say probably because I liked how it ended.

Shitsuren Chocolatier Episode 9-10

I don't know how the drama does this to me. Despite the given stupidity of the characters in their own ways, I have a deep sense of appreciation whenever they reflect on their actions and their thinking like a normal person would. Souta became aware of the mistakes he's done and is even confused if the love he has for Saeko is wrong or bad. Nonetheless, he knows the obvious thing that is they are committing adultery but he's just crazy about her, he doesn't know how to justify his actions other than his long due love for Saeko. On the other hand, Kaoruko-san has realized how unpleasant she comes out in front of others, most especially to men. Saeko has become instrumental in that process for Kaoruko-san to attain that self awareness. She was stunned by how Saeko would guess the personality of the person she's talking about, but the most exciting and the most surprising part is that she's affected by Sekiya's cold shoulders in his text reply "in detail". Though I also want to know the point of view of his, he really doesn't show interest on her or maybe I misunderstood him as well. Sekiya is somewhat a passive personality who would be sensitive and he wouldn't exert himself to people who doesn't show concern to him. Thus, he distanced himself from Kaoruko-san. Given in the first few encounters, she talked so much about Souta and her displeasure on him, who wouldn't be pushed away? However, the fact that he agreed to an invitation by Kaoruko means something. Seeing how complicated the characters are, it makes them more human in-spite of all the crazy attributes they got.

Review: MIMI

HalftimeReport

I finished this mini series last night and I found a great motivation to make a review about it today. So after finishing the film, I kind of felt withdrawals which is bizarre because I thought it's an average story, and the acting was lacking immensely despite how they look amazing onscreen. I thought Changmin was cute, handsome, passionate but in most of his acting moments, stiff and dull. On the other hand, Moon Ga Young is satisfactory though, there is still so much to improve in her acting. I found the supporting casts commendable though, like the creepy guy in front of Min Woo's apartment and the death angel or something like that. I was happy by the performances of the supporting casts and that includes the girl who has the ability to guess apartment's passwords that trespass on Min Woo's place but for a good cause - which is perhaps, concern? Maybe the withdrawals was because of the excellent execution of the reunion scene at the last episode in the latter minutes by Mimi and Min Woo. It was the only time that I saw Min Woo come to life through the expressive eyes of Changmin. To be honest, I didn't expect him to deliver the scene that well so at the same time, I was proud of him because I felt him and his emotion coming together so I was like, finally this is what made it worth watching. I had that kind of reassurance that I made the right choice to watch despite not being my instant favorite from the start.

Shitsuren Chocolatier Episode 8

I wanted to update what has been going on in this drama so I'll take advantage of my mood to do this. For the past three days, I managed to catch up from episode 3-8 so I was feeling happy and accomplished because I have so many reaction regarding the characters and the development of the story. Obviously, if you're exposed to the Shitsuren fandom, you would notice that a lot of people have mixed emotions regarding this drama - which I don't question why because it's as good as it is bad. So let me talk about the good as well as the bad points in this series which are influential on how you see it in totality. Let's do this!


The pathway of romance in this drama is introduced early and is pretty much all about this series. It all started with a heartbroken guy, Souta who studied in Paris to be a Chocolatier, inspired by his ex girlfriend or lover Saeko, who was passionate towards chocolates. When they broke up, he wanted her to regret her decision of not choosing him. So he was driven by such thought to be successful. Basically, it's where his inspiration in making chocolate comes from. That premise is very clear, right? However in this drama, a series of  events or should I say foolishness happens in every single episode because of unrequited love by Souta. So now, I'm at episode 8 which I hoped would finally make him - the heartbroken chocolatier - break free from his first love. But that was too much for my expectation. I should have known better by now that he has a very wide range of imagination, it's ridiculous! I wonder when will he get better for himself. I was really disappointed, so I vented out a portion of that on twitter but isn't enough to suffice my emotion. Hence, I'm here.

In A Good Way Episode 16

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I haven't found any In A Good Way episode as fascinating as this one. The peers of both Jia En and Liu Chuan were both really curious about the progress of their relationship at this early stage. Hence, they talked about the "bases" to which Jia En responded blankly and Xiao Wei as a "baseball game?". Then Bai Xue is discovered to haven't been kissed in her life while Tracy is really the liberated or shall I say the perverted friend. Anyhow, I love the diversity of everyone's characters because it means that they could provide something into the group that is special and supplementary to others. Meanwhile, the boys, A Qing and Ri Qi are naughty talking about the bases with Liu Chuan wherein he responded "love is not a baseball game" which was smart. The principle of "LiuChuanism" is something that I really admire and that will never wither. Not just because it's a responsible foundation for any relationship but because it's rational and thinking independently. Him saying that when a situation comes, he's confident to act according to his own judgment. Anyhow, I find the whole execution part of the scenes amusing because it is still considered as innocent and a childlike one compared to the real thing. But another thing is given to this drama, it's hilarious!

In A Good Way Episode 15

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I still need to catch up with In A Good Way which I never imagined to be doing because I love this drama, however it has occurred to me that I have to marathon 3-4 episodes for a week. Hopefully, I'd catch up with episode 16 so I could finally be back on track. I wish.

So going back to this episode, aside from the obvious that is Liu Chuan and Jia En finally together, Ren Wei has been really strange which we all know the reason why - he has finally seen the worth of Jia En in his life. But what could be done when Jia En now belongs to someone else? As a good friend, the least yet also the best thing he could do for her is to be happy and adapt the attitude that Bai Xue has towards the relationship of two which is positive. If I were to advise Ren Wei, that is to hang out more with Bai Xue so his crush could be by his side and that there would still be rainbows and sunshine upon him no matter how its hard. But instance just shows the difference between the two feelings - love and admiration. Because there is a different approach between them and heck, you could be attracted to anyone you see around but you could feel something that is special to the person you love. I feel sorry for Ren Wei but I'm also happy for Jia En and Liu Chuan so I guess I could start talking about them endearingly.

In A Good Way Episode 14

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Episode 14 is a disappointing episode to me because I didn't expect the consequences after consequences that happened. Though it is possible, I feel that it was an act to finally force the development of the OTP. I'm happy for those two and those fans who were pleased in this episode. But I'm indifferent in my thoughts because I simply did not want this kind of romantic confession to be overdone which you will be seeing in the latter part of this episode. To be honest, I wasn't paying attention because everything was just so cheesy and it goes against the subtleness of this series. However, I know it's about time but I believe that they could have done a better job in letting Liu Chuan know what Jia En really feels. Furthermore, I felt kind of irritated at Liu Chuan in this episode because he was just really stupid - for leaving the treasure hunt club with no explanation in the midst of chaos. Because of that, I wanted to join Bai Xue and Ren Wei in cursing him from behind. Do you believe that love really makes you irrational? This is proven to be the same case to Liu Chuan because he wanted to save Jia En but at the same time, turned his back to his friends. He's annoying, isn't he?

In A Good Way Episode 13

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I’m a huge fan of this episode despite reading few negative comments about it because the momentum of the long and electrifying hug shared by Liu Chuan and Jia En was basically not followed up in this episode. But we all know how this drama works right? It’s a work in progress and I’m sure the cliffhanger in the end of episode 12 won’t be put to waste in the future. Patience is indeed a virtue to achieve the pleasure of having Liu Chuan and Jia En to finally express their love for one another. If you’re going to seek for the development of the OTP in this episode, you won’t be able to enjoy it as much as I did. I’m glad I wasn’t floored in anticipation because it would be disappointing to me as well like what happened to others. There were more plenty amazing shots than a one lacking element so to me, it was still a great episode. Furthermore, the supporting casts were once again highlighted so I have no problem even if Liu Chuan and Jia En were being pushed aside.

First Impression: MIMI

Synopsis: 

It's a suspense thrill drama about a web toon artist, Han Min Woo (28) who temporarily lost his memory of the past 10 years. He started to feel symptoms of headache since he saw a calendar from 2003, 8th of December. Since then, he never knew how to continue the story of December 8 to move forward. Because of that, he decided to meet the person who would help him solve his problem - that is his blank memory of the past 10 years of his life.

In 2003, when he was 18 years old, he's had his first love named Mimi. But then they were separated when Min Woo and his mom moved out of the town to live elsewhere due to financial problem and he had to quit school as well because of that.

Thoughts:

The writing, cinematography and the story exceeds an average Kdrama but I can't say it's a perfect one. I love Changmin but he was a bit stiff with his facial expressions and his lack of acting experience was still apparent. Also, since he's a singer who isn't very good with lip sync, he had a hard time channeling raw emotions in acting unless the emotion is on his nature and character. Nonetheless, I would give him a passing grade because of his mysterious aura and good visuals as Min Woo. Somehow, I could see his character in him but sometimes I was hoping he'd unleash more of his facial point. Even so, he's good at acting pissed or mad. Haha, I don't think it's a talent but a nature in him.

Magazine Photoshoot: Grazia feat. TVXQ

GRAZIA KOREA 2014 Vol.24 동방신기

credit: Grazia Korea

I was left speechless when I saw the end product of this photo-shoot. Furthermore, I just can’t help myself from flailing over the video I posted above featuring TVXQ’s Yunho and Changmin. It’s is a mini clip of the behind the scenes while doing the best thing that they are good at which is being attractive. I can only grin in appreciation of these two boys as they put on their charisma and model-like attitude on the shoot. I love Changmin’s mood which is relaxed through the vibes of just having fun; but I must say that Yunho, though I am biased with Changmin, really projects naturally in front of the camera. I don’t know, I thought his facial expressions do have presence and his eyes are expressive but  he couldn’t use them in his dramas (why though? He’s good at it when dancing but on the other end of his talent which is acting, he can’t do the same thing). Anyway, Changmin is that bit shy and aloof, nonetheless his height is suited for being a model and his face is also very handsome. I guess it’s where his charm comes from – being true to his nature even in front of the flashing lights.