Japanese Pride

The long weekend is almost over.  Typically I would spend a great time watching Korean drama, the marathon way.  This time, I opted to search for a Japanese drama since they are usually short.  The problem I have with Japanese dramas though is that I usually get bothered at times with actors especially when the drama is lifted from a Manga (japanese comics).

I found this drama out of comment thread from online streaming sites where I usually watch Korean, Taiwanese and Japanese dramas.  The drama is entitled Pride which stars Takuya Kimura whom i think resembles Korean actor Lee Min Ho.

I don't know what took me so long to find this drama.  The story centers on Haru (played by Kimura) a talented hockey player who appears to be cold until he met Aki (played by Yuko Takeuchi).  Haru and Aki agreed to be a couple until Aki's boyfriend (Natsukawa) returns.  She has been waiting him for 2 years despite of no communication.

Both consenting to be in this game,  Haru and Aki actually developed real love.  Unfortunately, Aki's boyfriend suddenly returned which signaled a game over of this blooming relationship.   This actually breaks my heart for Haru.  I know that Aki, only by a long lost promise of marrying his boyfriend upon return, is choosing Natsukawa but deep inside her she has truly learned to love Haru.

The story has a simple plot.  It slowly unfolds each of the main and supporting characters in every episode.  The chemistry between Kimura and Yuko worked as I wish they are for real.  I also like it that Japanese dramas develops stories fast such that a dragging and boring drama would be obvious.  There is not much prolonged agony and sorrow.

I like this drama, I don't know why it took me a long time to discover it.  Good thing that it doesn't look that old.  I also find Kimura interesting, he looks so well (ahem read as 'hot') and equally good in portraying his role.  To date, I only have Shun Oguri in mind whenever i think of Japanese actors to like and now Kimura is an addition.

If you are looking for something to watch, take time to watch Pride.  It's a feel good drama, certainly you will fall in love with Haru and Aki's love story.

City Hunter

One of the high rating TV series in South Korea dubbed in Filipino is currently airing over at ABS CBN.  City Hunter stars the very popular 이민호 ( Lee Min Ho) from the successful Korean version of Japanese manga Boys Over Flower and 박민영 (Park Minyeong) of Sungkyunkwan Scandal.

I have finished watching this drama through an online community that subs Korean dramas.  I love watching Korean dramas. Typically the production set speaks of the quality of the drama.   Judging from the location shoot and the the effects used, it is no doubt that this drama is bragged as one of the most expensive series last year.

A lot of dramas in aired in South Korea and even in Taiwan are either lifted or inspired by Japanese manga (cartoon comics) and City Hunter is no exception.  For the series in Korea, the plot was given a little twist by including events that South Korean audience can relate like the bombing that happened when the South Korean President and his delegates visited Burma, there is really a similar event that happened in the past.  While the manga had a detective playing the City Hunter role, in this series, the City Hunter is more like a vigilante who turns over criminals to the city prosecutor. 

If you read on the history of South Korea they fought poverty with much passion.  They are also guarding their democracy and is in constant fight against graft and corruption.  The story  revolved around the problem in corruption tucked in what we call 'public service' in a democratic government, something that the City Hunter is avenging on.  With this, City Hunter allowed its story to unravel not just as a love story but also something that has social relevance.  A sidelight of relationship realities on trust, loyalty, compassion and love within family and friends are also present.   

What interest me most during the entire series are the showcase of the advancement of South Korea.  From locations, technology, cars, architecture and infrastructure. The locations and interiors of the City Hunter (Lee Yoon Sung played by Lee Min ho) and his father Steve Lee's house are just amazing. The pictures below show show Lee Yoon Sung's living room and his father's office-house.

Although this is of course a fiction, the series also showed how advanced the communications is in South Korea.  In several scenes Olleh, the new lifestyle application born with the merger of KT and KTF telcos in South Korean, has been shown as customer partner with their information need.  Talking about coverage and speed of data, i think the data speed in South Korea is faster.  Last year, it was surprising for me to see commercials of telcos highlighting the difference that LTE brings in your data connection needs. Not to mention how almost everything can be ordered over the phone or online.

I have also noticed that rather than using foreign high end cars (which actually is a status symbol in South Korea if you own one) they have used some of their latest cars from Hyundai and Kia. 

Lastly, what interests most of the viewers (and I am not really an exception to this) is the presence of Lee Min Ho as the City Hunter.  How can a city hunter be as fashionable as he is:

From hairstyle, shoes, jackets and pants, the combination and colors can only be pulled off by someone like  Lee Min Ho.  He just turned face mask into a piece of fashion accessory.

Overall, i think the City Hunter is a good watch.  It definitely will give you some sort of adrenalin rush in most episodes.   I really like the way they have neatly showcased some of the Korea's bests in the story.  This surely will keep the hallyu effect (Korean wave).   I am no movie or drama expert but I typically like feel good stories. Though the ending is a bit hanging, City Hunter kept me glued on my laptop screen from start to finish.

Drama Review: You're Beautiful

The Main Casts:

• 장근석 Jang Geun Seok as Hwang Tagyeong
• 박신혜 Park Shin Hye as Go Minam/ Go Minyeo
• 이홍기 Lee Hong Gi as Jeremy
• 중 용화 Jung Yong Hwa as Kang Shinwoo
• UEE as Yoo Heyi

Brief Synopsis:

Another Korean drama that I regret not watching as soon as the DVD hits the market is 미남이시네요 (Minamishineyo) literally "You're a handsome man" or "You're Minam". The English title however as released is ‘You’re Beautiful’.

The story of the drama revolved around the popular boy band A.N.JELL who is in search for an additional member. The complication starts when the supposed new member 고미남 (Go Minam) got cosmetic surgery problem causing his younger twin sister 고미녀(Go Minyeo) to temporarily replace him while he recuperates from corrective measures done in the US.

Being a girl who grew up in a convent, aspiring to be a nun, Minyeo had to adjust to this new role she is about to take part; a gender bender debuting as new member of A.N.JELL --Minam. Despite resistance from A.N.JELL lead 황태경 (Hwang Taegyeong), Minyeo has been received as new member along with two other member Jeremy and 강신우 (Kang Shin Woo).

The three boy members learned that Minyeo is in fact a girl and all ended up liking her. However, Minyeo fell in love with Taegyeong. They became closer day by day, Taegyeong getting used to Minyeo’s honest and pure personality. A love triangle is formed with the entry of 유헤이 (Yoo He Yi), a famous young actress dubbed as the national fairy. She developed feelings for Taegyeong. She learned about Mi Nam being a girl and used the circumstance to get hold of Taegyeong to form a fake relationship with him entangling Minam and Shin Woo who secretly roots for Minam.
As the real Minam comes back, Minyeo has to go back to being her true self.

As if it would mean finally being Taegyeong’s girl, the love story had a twist with Taegyeong hating her for a moment as he learned that Minyeo and Minan are the twins of the composer whom her mother loves so deeply. Minyeo’s father is the person who caused his abandonment by his mother모화란 (Mo Hwa Ran) at an early age. It was later on revealed that Hwa Ran, who is also a famous singer, had a one-sided love for Minyeo’s father. The truth behind the song ‘어떡하죠’ (Otteokhajyo – What Should I do) is that it was composed by Minyeo’s father for her mother and not as a song for Hwa Ran as she claims. Taegyeong still ended up doing a remake of the song not for her mother (as she is insisting) but a song that he sings for A.N.JELL. In the end, Minyeo and Taegyeong succeeded in their love.

My Review:

Although I must admit I was very reluctant to watch this drama, my impression made a great turn around. This drama ended December 2009 and I snubbed it as I see Coffee Prince from the plot not to mention, I have this little dislike of Park Shin Hye. After watching it marathon for almost 2 days, I realized it fits all my criteria for a favorite drama.



You’re Beautiful has a simple story. It doesn’t have much of evil works from an antagonist. The story is so light, something that I can actually relate being a fan of few Korean Pop Idol bands. The plot maybe a mixed of several drama I have watched but I think the casting was good enough to keep me interested all the way.

The characters were neatly blended in the overall story. The role of Park Shin Hye reminds me of course of Eun Hye’s role as Eun Chan in Coffe Prince but nevertheless I think she also played the role well. It’s good though that her ‘true gender’ has been discovered early on, so that made it a little different from Coffee Prince but quite similar to Hana Kimi.

The original members of A.N.JELL did not really captured my interest on the onset. They were good looking but nothing spectacular really but as I watched the drama, interest on Taegyeong’s character grew on me. Geun Seok played Taegyeong’s role well as a snob leader with distinct charisma. If there is anything that I like with him purely, it’s his voice. His deep big voice, is commanding making him a good choice for the character.



I am surprised to know that Geun Seok is the same guy who played the young emperor lover of actress Ha Ji Won in the Korean period drama Hwang Jini. Honestly, I am annoyed with his nose; it also made him look different from his previous role. It puzzles me if he had cosmetics done on his face because he looks a bit stronger compared to his face during Hwang Jini. But it doesn’t really matter; I like how he played the role and he somehow had this chemistry with Shin Hye. For some reasons, I see some images of Lee Min Ho with his acting.



The dorky character of Hong Ki as Jeremy was one of the best sidelights of the drama. Hong Ki was cute and funny. I could very well relate him to the character of Jiro Wang in Hana Kimi when he almost fell in-love with a fellow guy not knowing that Ella is actually a girl. It’s just that I find him cuter than Jiro when he shows that confused cum worried face look.



Shiwoo’s character is also reminiscent of the famous Boys Over Flower’s Ji Hoo. Made me think Yong Hwa can also play the said role from BOF. He was effective with his character and I actually find him more masculine than Hyun Joong . Though it may be sad that another good boy is rejected by the main girl character, on a personal note I would also make the lead girl character choose Taegyeong but the story wouldn’t be as interesting without Shiwoo.

What added to my surprise is the fact that all the boys can sing. All along I thought they were all just acting though I know Hong Ki is from FT Island. Yong Hwa apparenty is also from boy band C.N. Blue. But the biggest surprise of them all is Jang Geun Seok, whom I am completely clueless as to his ability to sing. I love his speaking voice and was thinking the singing voice is a ghost singer. After doing some online research I learned that he does sing well and has released singles for advertisement. Suddenly I became interested with Geun Seok, I totally love all the songs he sang in the drama, from his own version of 어떡하죠 (Eotteokhajyo) – ‘What Should I do?’ to his neat rendition of Without Words which was the first song they sang on stage with Minam. Goodbye is also a pleasure to my ears; in fact even his Fly Me to the Moon rendition in one of the scenes where he played the piano was really good too.

People may find it boring and old plot but this is the type of drama that I love to watch. Light and feel good --just like It Started with a Kiss, Coffee Prince, Boys over Flowers, Love Concerto and Shining Inheritance to name a few of my favorites. All of these dramas were big hits and in most cases number 1 in TV ratings. On the contrary, You’re Beautiful aired alongside the very successful action drama IRIS. This explains the ratings that it got from TV viewership. Well at least it gained popularity on-line being one of the most viewed and talked upon K-drama over the internet.

If you are someone who wants to be entertained, then I recommend you watch this drama.

Love U by Howl and OSTs Etc.

One of the reasons why I like Korean dramas are the good sound track that goes along with it. This is one of the factors that I consider for marking a drama my all time favorite. To date, I think I only have It Started With a Kiss (ISWAK) and Princess Hours (궁 - Goong)as dramas with fantastic OST. That means not just one or two songs are favorited but most of it.

Of the recent dramas that I have finished watching, I think the Boys Over Flowers (꽃보다 남자 - Kkotboda Namja) is one of those dramas that I may have to go up with ISWAK and Goong in my own level of drama ranking. My most favorite drama OST gets to have its own playlist on my iPOD.



I love listening to most of the songs from Boys Over Flower's OST and it earned a playlist on my iPOD =) the playlist includes the following songs:

- Love U by Howl
- 알고있나요 (Algoittnayo - I Know) by Someday
- I Know (Sax Version)
- Stand by Me by Shinee
- 내 머리가 나빠서 (Nae Moriga Nappaso - Because I'm Stupid) SS501
- Paradise by T-Max
- 아쉬운 마음인걸 (Ashuiun Maeuminkeol - Yearning of Heart) by A'ST1
- Lucky by Goo Hye Sun

Of these songs, i really like the one sang by Howl. Now I get a recall from this name. Revisiting Goong OST he is actually the guy in the duet Perhaps Love and the one who sang another song entitled Stay. I get a little trivial with his name, how come his name is Howl and he seems to be good in singing OSTs but I never actually saw him in any TV performance nor did I heard of his own album. Behind that really good voice is this face:



I love this guy's voice. He is good at singing ballads, his voice is the type that can serenade your heart. Now, it makes me want to see his live performance. I'd better do a little research about Howl, he seems to be an artist worth listening to.

Autumn Concerto

For the past weeks, ever since I have discovered the Taiwanese Drama Autumn Concerto, I am all in anticipation of what will happen to this drama which is still airing. The drama is on its way to Episode 12 this coming Sunday. I must say that right after ISWAK and TKA, this is the next Taiwanese Drama that got me so hooked.



The pacing of the drama is faster than I thought. I have always known Taiwanese drama to drag but this one is really fast. Well it's still on episode 12 who know if it may end up at episode 19 or 20 but I have been reading discussion threads saying this drama will end at episode 13.

I will surely make a full review of this drama afterwards, meantime there is nothing much that I can say except that Vaness Wu is one hot father in this drama =)