City Hunter

I just had to drop in real quick and mention that the new drama with Park Min Young and Lee Min Ho (EEEEPPP!) is finally airing on May 25th!!! I hope everybody is as excited as me for the release of this drama! I'll definitely post recent news and articles on this new drama!

Drunken to Love You's Ratings Skyrocket in Taiwan

Drunken to Love You, a.k.a. Love You's ratings have skyrocketed in Taiwan, starring Rainie Yang and Joseph Chang. The new Sunday night drama has brought terrific ratings in all of Asia and the United States. After reading the synopsis, originally I didn't have any interest, but after seeing such good ratings, I'm reconsidering giving this new drama a second chance. People are saying this is the best idol drama these couple of years from Taiwan, but who knows? Maybe I'll give it a chance and watch it sometime...

Jiro Wang Replacing Wu Chun for Sunshine Angel?

According to recent articles and tabloids, Jiro Wang of Fahrenheit is rumored to replace fellow bandmate Wu Chun for the main male role in upcoming drama Sunshine Angel. The drama was originally planned to be released in May of 2011, but because Wu Chun dropped out, claiming the script 'wasn't good enough,' the release date is going to be postponed due to extra unexpected filming.

Jiro Wang will be accompanied by Rainie Yang, who is cast for the lead female role in this new drama. Previously, audiences saw Jiro and Rainie together in the drama in 2008 I believe, ToGetHer. From this drama a few years ago, the couple is definitely compatible. Here's to hoping that nobody else drops out!

Lee Hong Ki in Upcoming Drama: Muscle Girl

I have to say, I practically screamed out loud when I saw this article...

F T Island's Lee Hong Ki to Star in Upcoming Drama Muscle Girl

I'm so incredibly excited I'm about to pee my pants....but let's drift away from that. A few months ago when I watched Lee Hong Ki play the funloving part of Jeremy in the Korean Romantic comedy along with Jang Geun Suk and actress Park Shin Hye, I was completely dumbfounded by his adorable personality.

This drama, however, isn't Korean...it's Japanese! So therefore, it makes me wonder...are we going to get the chance to hear Hong Ki speak Japanese? or...is he just going to speak Korean with a translator or an understudy?

According to some news websites, the first episode aired on April 19. However, unfortunately I do not obtain the skill of being able to speak or comprehend Korean, or Japanese for that matter, so I guess I'll just have to wait for the subs to come out...I guess I really should catch up on my Korean! 

  

The female role in this comedy is played by Ichikawa Yui. From the photos in news articles, our heroine in this upcoming drama is downright gorgeous. It definitely makes me jealous! I can't wait to watch the first episode! I hope it won't be a disappointment!

Wu Chun Quits Sunshine Angel

Wu Chun quits the cast of Sunshine Angel, a Taiwanese drama that was supposed to be released May 2011. I am personally disappointed, because the heroine of this story was cast to be Rainie Yang, and the duo looks like a superstar couple. He claims to be "too busy" and that the "script is not well written." Hmmm....gets me a little bit suspicious... filming had already began and he just quits? As much as I love Wu Chun, I think it's just a little bit irresponsible, but I guess we'll just have to wait and see!

ToGetHer: Sweet As Pie

ToGetHer is one of the first dramas I've watched, and I absolutely adored it. ToGetHer was another one of those dramas with a hint of innocence mixed with the typical story of boy-likes-girl;girl-likes-boy. In my opinion, Jiro Wang and Rainie Yang did a fantastic job in the film.

It also has that heartwarming factor that leaves you satisfied. The storyplot was terrific, with just the right number of events. The beginning, I admit, was a bit slowgoing, but it kept rolling as the drama went on.

Besides having the whole love story, it also shows the audience that sometimes, when you that the people around you are just there to annoy you (for example, parents,) they really do care about you, you just may not see it. Besides the two main characters, the additional cast added to the superior quality of the film. This is one of the few films that truly touch your heart.

Love Buffet: Disappointed Yet Again

As much as I love Arron Yan, this drama was also, unfortunately, a disappointment. I've realized that recently, I've been constantly let down (as shown in previous posts,) so I decided not to keep my expectations high or let my spirits rise so I won't be disappointed. However, seeing that my beloved Arron Yan was cast for this drama, I couldn't help but be ecstatic for this drama.

Usually, I'm a pretty heavy crier when it comes to dramas and movies, but in this one not even a hint of sympathy was shown. The beginning of the drama and the end of the drama were actually pretty impressive and well thought-out, but the middle of the drama was just plain awkward. Actually, pretty much the entire film was just plain awkward.

This drama gave hints that Xing Yi Cheng (Arron Yan) was somewhat like Xiao Feng's (Yu Hong Yuan) soulmate, and he was the one there for her constantly, she unfortunately fell in love again with Xing Da Ye (Calvin Chen.) The plot, in my opinion, didn't leave me satisfied. In the end, I found myself saying, wtf? However, the ending scene was very well made, and shows the polished yet cool side of Calvin Chen.

Romantic Princess: Undescribable

In total honesty, Romantic Princess was, unfortunately, a disappointment. Seeing the cast for this drama, I have to admit, I was pretty excited. This drama's cast included so many famous actors from Taiwan- the ever-adorable Angela Zhang, Fahrenheit's Calvin Chen and Wu Chun, and Genie Cho. And then reading the synopsis, that brought my spirits up even higher. However, when I actually watched the drama, I was unfortunately disappointed.

The film starts out with Angela Zhang, playing Xiao Mai, who is actually the heiress of one of the richest families in Taiwan, but is lost within her first years of birth and adopted by a loving but poor couple. Her biological grandfather is the head of an aristocratic wealthy family, and ends up finding her with this couple. He takes her back to his palace of a home, where she eventually lives. There, she meets the SouthWind boys, who are studying to inherit EMP's (Xiao Mai's) huge company. (EMP's company is like the Walmart of the U.S.)

The whole drama consists of many eventful situations, which consist of a prank from her grandfather and a whole mess of confusion. Xiao Mai ends up in love with NanFengJin (played by Wu Chun,) and they start a new life together.

The entire story, although without a very spectacular storyline, had a couple good moments. Like most Taiwanese dramas, they used comedy throughout the film, and in the end showed what every girl dreams of- a castle, pretty dresses, and a Prince Charming. It wouldn't hurt that her Prince Charming just happened to be Wu Chun, either! On a scale of one to then, though, I would have to say that I only give this drama a five because of those awkward moments and some not-so-hot acting. Although I didn't enjoy this drama as much as I'd expected, it does give the sense of optimism of a 'fairytale ending.'

Hana Kimi Taiwan: Too Cute!

For starters, I love the blended mix of the cast in Hana Kimi Taiwan. Ella Chen, who played Lu Rui Xi, brought the cuteness and innocence aspect into this film. Then on the other hand, Wu Chun, who played the role of Zuo Yi Quan, showed off his cool attitude, with another one of those cold on the outside but sweet on the inside characters. Then on the other side of the planet, we have the too cute Jiro Wang. He's so naturally outgoing and fun loving that it just shows in his character.

I had a lot of fun watching Hana Kimi, just because of the goofy nature of the film. As I mentioned before in the review of You're Beautiful, I'm not a person who's too fond of gender benders, but this one's another exception. However, although all the actors did overall commendable jobs on playing their characters, I feel as if Ella made Rui Xi a little bit 'too cute.' Sure, she's supposed to playing a girl playing a guy, but it makes you think...

The story plot begins with Rui Xi five or so years ago, as an overweight teenage girl. One day she's watching TV, and she sees Quan high jump, and she gets inspired. So in the end she loses weight and is determined to meet him. However, he goes to an all boys private school, so she has to get in as a guy. She faints one day, and Quan is about to take her to the infirmary but then discovers she's a girl because he accidentally feels her boob (imagine how awkward filming that would've been...)

One part that constantly had me laughing was that Jin Xiu Yi (played by Jiro Wang) developed a crush on Rui Xi, when she's supposed to be a guy... So through the entire drama, he's conflicted with his feelings because now he thinks he's gay, when he's not, but technically is. Even though I adored this drama, there were a couple parts that were quite awkward, but we'll forget about those.

This whole drama demonstrates sacrifice for the ones you care about. To me, that's truly something that's really important. It does have a lot of exxagerated humor, though, so if you're not a fan of it, I probably wouldn't recommend it for you. It's one of my personal favorites!

You're Beautiful: Just Lovely

I really had a good time watching You're Beautiful. I was captured from the beginning. Honestly, I don't personally like gender benders, but this one was an exception. There were a couple spots that were iffy, but overall I thought it was pretty good. I do have to congratulate the cast of You're Beautiful for an amazing job of showing truly how important it is to have people by your side, whether it's bandmates, family, or friends.

Park Shin Hye plays a clumsy teenage girl studying to become a nun, in the countryside of modern Korea. However, her brother, Go Mi Nam, is pursuing to become a famous singer so that he will be able to find his mother. After some funny events, Go Mi Nyu pretends to be her brother so that he can pursue his dreams. While she's there, she meets the bandmates of A.N.Jell: Hwang Tae Kyung, Jeremy, and Kang Shin Woo. Personally, I love Jeremy the most- he's so adorable and funloving. I also think that Lee Hong Ki did a fantastic job of playing Jeremy, which also is a lot like his personality in real life (at least from what he shows to the public, hmm...) Go Mi Nam ends up caught by Shin Woo and Tae Kyung, and concludes in her getting involved in a complicated love triangle, but leaning towards the cold neatfreak Tae Kyung.

Throughout the entire drama, there's a lot of extreme humor, which I happen to be a huge fan of, and huge exxagerations, but hey, I'm not complaining. Go Mi Nam, (or Mi Nyu, which is who it really is) goes through a lot of difficult situations, but with the help of her bandmates, she is able to get through them. However, what originally began as Shin Woo liking Mi Nam, then turning into a love triangle with Tae Kyung, ends up in Jeremy liking her too! But in the end, like how all dramas end, Mi Nyu ends up with Tae Kyung.

Overall, I really enjoyed this drama and had a lot of laughs, but I think that Jang Geun Suk could've done a much better job in playing Tae Kyung, but that's just my opinion. This story is truly a great one with a big pot of jealousy, innocence, love, and the importance of family.

Dream High: Somewhat a Disapointment

Overall, Dream High was not as good as I'd expected it to be. Warning: unless you are a Kpop fanatic, I don't recommend this drama! After reading the other posts from other blogs and researching the ratings, I had high expectations. However, I was dissapointed by the end.

The beginning was somewhat sweet and sour. It was nice seeing the famous stars from Korea like Wooyoung, Taecyeon, IU, and Suzy, but in my opinion, the storyline was not very well written. Suzy played a poor student studying classical music, I'm assuming to become a professional opera singer, who was originally destined to study abroad in America and attend Juilliard. However, her father disappeared for a period of time and left Go Hye Mi with her ever-adorable little sister. She meets Jin Gyuk (Taecyeon) at a run-in when the loansharks are chasing her, and plays her prince in shining armor.

After a long series of events, Go Hye Mi, Song Sam Dong (a country bumpkin played by Bae Yong Joon,) Baek Hee (Ham Eun Jung,) Go Hye Mi's ex-best friend, Kim Pil Sook (IU) and Jason (Wooyoung) end up going to Kirin Art School, an academy for students aspiring to be stars.

Just like Playful Kiss, this drama was a blended mix of all different tastes. The one portion of this entire drama that I enjoyed the most was the naive relationship of Pil Sook and Jason. Just watching them gave me inspiration. Their relationship is the one part of the drama that is evident to be well thought out and developed. The actors also did a terrific job of channeling their characters and truly telling a unique story of sacrifice and love. Bravo, IU and Wooyoung!

The ending/finale of Dream High wasn't as I'd expected, but then again neither was the entire drama. From my point of view, I don't think that Sam Dong should've ended up with Hye Mi. Although the drama was an utter dissapointment, I do have to admit that the way they demonstrated how competition can bring out the worst in people and make an innocent person turn into a monster deserved a standing ovation. According to news sites, they are making a Dream High 2 with a completely different cast, but now I know not to raise my expectations.

Playful Kiss: Somewhat Bittersweet

Playful Kiss has to be one of my all-time favorite dramas. It's got every flavor mixed together to create a heartwarming blend that is favorable to everyone's tastes. It really altered my feelings about 'just another high school crush.' From past experience, when you're young and you like someone, you feel so strongly that it consumes you. In Oh Ha Ni's case, played by Jung So Min, liking somebody with a cruel persona, but actually can be a sweet guy, is really frustrating, especially for three years! After writing him a confession letter of her love, he returns it to Ha Ni with corrections. Imagine if this happened to you- you'd probably just want to give up, right? Not Ha Ni! Of course, you have to also remember the fact that this isn't real (something I happen to be horrible at.) However, it gives a sense of optimism that sometimes, things can work out the way you'd never expect them to, and when you persevere, it usually results in a happy ending.

Besides just focusing on the whole love thing, it also puts the role of a loving family into effect. Baek Seung Jo's mom is the ideal mom- she's cool, caring, and sweet. Sometimes she may make mistakes, but in the end, she truly cares about the happiness of her son. The aspect of having the support of a loving family is also shown with Oh Ha Ni's adoring father. Every single decision he makes, they always have Oh Ha Ni in consideration. Everything he does is for Oh Ha Ni. It really shows you the importance of having somebody being beside you through your life, caring for you.

This drama made me laugh, cry, and gave my several 'aww..' moments. Bong Joon Gu, played by Lee Tae Sung, showed me how even when you think that you really want this one specific thing or person, sometimes it can blind you from what's in front of you. His loving personality made me realize that the saying 'when one door closes, another opens' really is true. Oh Ha Ni's loyal friends, Dok Go Min Ah, and Jung Ju Ri made me wish that I had friends like these to support me my entire life. People come and go, but the real friends are the ones that stay.

Although I loved this drama inside and out, towards the end, I began to lose interest. The beginning had a touch of innocence, but when it geared toward the end, it began to lose a little 'something something.' However, with Yoon Hae Ra, played by Lee Shi Young, it gave the somewhat sour taste of jealousy. Hae Ra, on one hand, is beautiful, smart, and talented, while Oh Ha Ni is sometimes cute and never intelligent. Although from just common knowledge, you could be able to tell that Seung Jo and Ha Ni would end up together, you still see satisfaction when they really do.

In the end, this drama left me a bittersweet taste- some parts and episodes were just awkward, and the two characters, in my opinion, didn't look good together. However, seeing their innocent and cute relationship bud left me with a heartwarming feeling of satifaction. I watched this drama a couple months ago, but I would still rewatch it again and again.

For Starters

Recently, I've become overly obsessed with Asian dramas and music. I don't know what part about it that does, but something just gets to me. I love the whole idea of still being an American while also having a connection to where my parents are from. Okay, so that sounds totally nerdy, but it's true! I used to watch them with my parents when I was younger, but being the little third-grader I was back then, I never understood what was going on, asking "What's going on? What happened??" every couple minutes. Needless to say, my parents were quickly annoyed. But lately, I've resumed watching, and I feel like I've discovered a whole new world! (I know that sounds cliche, but let's move away from that..)

Anyways, as of now, my goal is to basically blog about whatever I've seen recently, or even any news about some artists or actors/actresses. And before you misunderstand, let me say that it's not to gossip or whatever-THIS IS NOT A GOSSIP BLOG- it's just to somewhat have a perception of what's going on in their lives. Another reminder is that we all have our own opinions! For example, if in a certain episode, I criticize something, you may not always-or at all, even- agree. Therefore, the comments section is their for readers to share your own opinions and points of view.

I'm pretty new to this blogging thing, but I'm going to do the best I can to try and make this a success. And no, I'm not getting paid to do this or anything, I'm doing this simply because I want to share my love for art and music to the world. I hope that many people will read my blog and enjoy it, not because I want a lot of followers, but simply because I want to show the world this aspect of my culture.

Also, I tend to be a more romantic comedy kind of person, but I'll do my best to expand this small range into something bigger. I apologize ahead of time if I do end up biasing a certain genre or country's dramas, but I hope you'll know that it's definitely not on purpose! And one more thing- being the Taiwanese girl I am, I do tend to watch Taiwanese dramas simply because I am able to understand the language! I mainly watch Korean and Taiwanese dramas, but as I mentioned earlier, I will do my best to extend my taste range.

Because I'm not a perfect writer or blogger, I hope that if any questions or concerns arise, you'll notify me and give me recommendations for how to improve. Also, I hope that if you have certain requests for me to post about certain dramas or artists, you'll also let me know by either posting a comment or sending me a quick email at thedramablogger@gmail.com.