This Drama was heavy, heavy, heavy. For a sageuk themed drama, with the glamour of a King and his followers... this had a fantastic story to tell.

Before checking this out, you, the viewer need the proper mindset before committing yourself into watching this drama (unless you are already into this kind of drama). Why? Because this is too far away from being romcom or light. There are witty scenes where you find the "funny" but not so much, because it would be obliterated in a second by the realism of the situation the characters are in. Watching this drama was heart racing, mind boggling and most of all tear jerking if you get to finish this in one go.

It was also frustrating being in the perspective of the king - because a person with so much wealth and power could be so helpless at the same time. *sigh*

My favorite character here was King Sejong - Han Seok Kyu's portrayal of him was so convincing that my heart was moved every time he does or say something. His decisions throughout the drama was really something, because it amounts to the lives that revolve around him, one mistake means the death of someone and one right thing could lead to the abundance of the entire nation. His role was really something and his acting was so deep into the character, I tend to forget that he was only acting about the agony of a king who cherished his people.

Then here comes the King's person: Kang Chae Yoon and So Yi.
These characters were portrayed by high fantastic artists - Jang Hyuk and Shin Se Kyung. Their roles were vital and important for the success of the king's plan and well... the ending was very dreary but there's that sense of fulfillment despite everything they have gone through. All in all their characters made this drama an unforgettable one.

The music isn't that catchy or is something that would stick to your head forever, but it does add to the drama. As for the re-watch value, I would not want to re-watch this lest I want to depress myself or stress myself all over again, but over all this drama is still dear to my heart. I loved this drama and would highly recommend it to those who love watching sageuks involving historical documentations.

Tree With Deep Roots - will move you, haunt you and make you change your outlook about your given language. Because this drama depicts history and the people who sacrificed a lot to make things possible.

Leia Mais

The very first sageuk drama I have ever experienced. I can’t believe I was able to finish all those episodes along with my PARENTS. Yes. I hooked my parents into the Kdrama world with this show. If my parents loved this, then I’m betting you would too.

Jang Geum is not an ordinary drama because it was actually based in real life. In history, she is known to be a palace cook turned into royal physician but of course, like all history books made drama, producers has their ways in tweaking with the story line so a lot may have been changed. Setting that thought aside, I have enjoyed all 60 episodes of Jang Geum because in every episode, there are always different conflicts. In which will be solved on the next episode or the next. It keeps me on my toes and I just couldn’t help but get addicted to it. I like the thought that Jang Geum had great mentors so she could become the person whom the king trusted her to be. Then she also had different support systems: mainly King Jungjong, Capt. Min Jung Ho (the love interest), Yeon Saeng (her best friend), Lady Han Baek Young (her mentor) having this people around her she was able to survive the harsh world within the palace. Set things straight and become the Dae (meaning great) Jang Geum that she is known up to this date.

Oh and yeah, not to forget the romantic moments between Jang Geum and Jung Ho. Watching them in all those lovey-dovey moments was worth every tears I’ve shed for this drama.

Leia Mais

As I watched through the whole thing with some annoying distractions, I was able to finish it with a big fat smile and an urge to punch someone.

The film was really violent, but not in the violent notorious way. It was rather light for a violent film and with some comedic touches on the sidelines which wasn't really out of place. The graphics and effects were great. The setting, music, plot… especially the cast was perfect. I wouldn't want anyone else to be casted on this film.

Definitely Oguri Shun has rocked this film!

I am an Oguri Shun fan but I'm not rating this for being biased, the rating for me fits the whole movie because it was THAT COOL.

Leia Mais

So far it is still my ALL TIME FAVORITE Korean drama series. I even re-watched all 16 episodes for I don’t know how many times in the past 7 years. Another thing that won me over was the OST. It just sticks in your head that you would want to hear it over and over and over again.

Although some people had commented it becomes all stale and boring in the long run, I don’t see that. All I see is Song Hye Kyo and that cute chemistry she had with Rain. The bickering and never ending I-hide-my-feelings-because-I-think-I’m-falling-for-you-now charade is what made me love it more. It was a romantic comedy which made me laugh my ass out and then squirm in the insides for the main character’s cat and dog antics.

I’m starting to like you. You’re starting to like me. BUT we’re SO not going to tell each other about these absurd feelings.

That's the whole concept of the main character's convoluted feelings.

In Full House, it was all fair in love and… eerrr debt? That’s how everything started. A contract (oh what a cliché!) and the jealousy induced acting between strangers. In the story, the ever bright Han Ji-Eun is a wacky lead female which lead to a ridiculous story line. Crazy as her character is, Lee Young-jae is the logical one but eventually becomes irrational when it comes to Ji-Eun.

Leia Mais

I have been thinking so much about the title, because it never really made sense to me even at the very end. Why the title? Koreans has this weird way of putting in titles to their drama which sometimes doesn’t make sense (or maybe it's just the translation?). I will dwell on title confusion some other time, but for now, let me talk about the drama.

Save the last dance is melodramatic so don’t expect yourself to smile all throughout the episodes because, I’m warning you in advance, you won’t. There would be action scenes in which I have noticed in most Korean melodrama series, they never cease to insert any fist-fighting-kick-ass-moves to make a statement that this is where all troubles began. Then after all these, the romantic moments come in along with conflicts.

The story revolves around two different people who have an entirely different family background: Kang Hyun Woo get’s the dose of amnesia, while Ji Eun Soo helps him recover his memories. In that period of time, romance blossoms and when things were going smoothly for both of them something tragic happens in Eun Soo’s end. Then the plotline gets pretty much out of this world after that.

I like how the story ran not letting you know what would happen next. The twist and turns at the ending and the portrayal of the characters were a bit refreshing after watching too much rom-com with predictable sub-plots. It’s quite amusing to see them running around, chasing something which may or may not be there because in truth, they’re just confusing themselves for the things they’ve done to each other.

Another highlight of this drama is the sound track. If it’s possible to be in love just because of a song… then I was probably already in love when I was watching this drama. The main theme song had a very nice composition and the lyrics (yes it was translated to English as well, that’s how good the song is) was simply love.

What made me recommend this drama are the story line and its romantic moments. That hooked me into the drama big time, then throw in the OST, ah… just perfect.

Leia Mais

The Kmovie would have been a good queer film if not for the plot. I watched the movie earlier with a friend and am not surprised as to why 1million viewers tried to watch this film within two weeks. How could four-hot-good-looking-irresistible stars not garner these amount of fans?

In this movie, what was really interesting was how each character had their own story to tell. I'm also glad that the director and producer gave the chance for these characters to show their own side of the story. The movie is quite long, with bits of musical pieces in between that I almost thought it was going to be like a broadway musical show up to the end.

Joo Ji-hoon (from Goong and Mawang) who played as Kim Jin Hyeok, Antique's owner was the most complex character in the lot. He had this terrible past which he doesn't have closure with up until he made up the Bake shop. Jin Hyeok do not actually like sweets because of an incident 20 years ago. The only way he could move on from that was to catch the person who inflicted trauma in his past but the story does not only revolve around him. There's more...

Kim Jae-wook (from Coffee Prince) as Min Seon-woo, the gay Patisserie (my favorite character) was VERY queer, charming, hot and definitely devious when it comes to making men; straight or gay fall for him. Only Jin Hyeok is the exception for some certain reason related in the past (again). He is the only guy who is able to resist his charm thoroughly up to the present but there would be some side story between their friendship and how things work out in favor for both of them in the end.

I loved the way Jae-wook presented his character, it seemed so real and not icky to watch all. There were several kissing scenes with a guy in this movie to show how gay his character really was. What fascinated me more was that before I actually watched the movie, I have read several comments from him as to how he was able to portray the character in a realistic manner. During the filming sessions, he admitted that he was having a very hard time internalizing his gay character because in reality he wasn't gay. What's more interesting is how it seemed so natural on screen, you wouldn’t even think he was uncomfortable with the whole process. He was so darn convincing that I would think he was gay if I didn't know any better.

Yoo Ah-in (Sungkyunkwan Scandal) as Patisserie apprentice Yang Ki-beom, a punk kid who wanted to eat cakes and is running away from something. The kid is an insistent worker, stubborn but has a high respect for Seon-woo and would only acknowledge him as the best Patisserie in the whole world. He also has a sweet tooth that he became the official taster for the bake-shop.

Choi Ji-ho as Nam Soo-yeong, the guy who is unbelievably stuck with Jin-hyeok. He is the son of the Kim's house nanny and became Jin-hyeok's body guard in the process. He may be a bit slow, and could have been affected by the charms of Seon-woo but he has a great respect and kin-ship affection (not in a gay kind of way) towards Jin-hyeok. He always sees to it that he will be able to cater the needs of his young master.

There are other characters that have their own roles, but it would be too tedious to mention them one by one. Over all the movie's quirkiness is thanks to these four wonderful guys. They have brought the entire film to the best of its ability that even in its 109 minutes, did not once made me feel it was draggy or boring. The mixture of humor and suspense was perfect, even the soundtrack fit so well with the whole movie. There might be some several graphics that was a bit too exaggerated but the colorful atmosphere and acting took that tiny glitch away.

The movie may not show any love interest between a man and woman, but it would certainly show how people could connect deeply with each other no matter how one is scarred from the past or has a marred future. It only shows that in the end, everyone would be able to cope up with their own personal demons.

A must see movie for those who has a queer eye and a different perspective in life.

Leia Mais

I have been a Haruma fan after watching Bloody Monday. He always left me with the impression of a very refreshing guy and that goes the same way here in this movie.

Kimi ni Todoke is one of the sought out japanase manga these days. Even my cousin (who is an adult in his own right and definitely a straight guy) enjoyed this movie. He professed on watching the anime, while I opted on reading it since the manga production is much faster than that of the anime version.

As for the movie, like almost every Japanese film I’ve seen, it had a slow pacing at first until things build up to the point where you couldn’t stop watching anymore and just get totally hooked up. The story is very simple, boy likes girl, girl likes boy… we all know how teenage romance could get going.

What makes this movie different?

I would have to say that it’s Sawako’s character. In teenage romance stories, there are the usual girls who are the brassy type: loud, war freak or popular. There are those opposite characters as well: very quiet, aloof because she’s shy or because she has lots of family problems or was being abused in all kind of things or she’s plainly an anti-social person.

In Sawako’s case, (the protagonist in this movie) has a peculiar character. She has no family problem since she’s very much loved by her parents, she has no image disturbances only that she’s being usually mistaken as a curse giver thus the SADAKO nickname came about and she’s not poor either so financially she is stable. So basically she had no flaws when it comes to her personality background. So what’s so interesting about her? The protagonist is a misunderstood person. She gets ignored but not bullied, she tries to blend in and be friends with everyone but instead is feared upon. Sawako is actually a nice person but she just don’t know how to show it properly.

That’s where this bubbly Kazeha guy comes in. He alters Sawako’s tiny universe and thus the high school romance begin.

I would say the manga is more detailed when it comes to projecting how these main two characters feel. What they are thinking are made in tiny thought bubbles that cannot be used in the movie because that would just be weird.

Cinematography was very simple because the setting was always in the school grounds and yet the angles and perspectives gives out a bigger impact on the viewer. As for the soundtrack, it was synced in properly with all the scenes and the choice of music if very appropriate for a soft themed movie.

Leia Mais

I have finished this Kdrama on it's first airing. It was quite a sensation back then. Goong has 24 episodes all in all. The setting was beautiful, you can see the Korean culture in a splendid way. The cast were also great, sound track just perfect for every scene and the palace was definitely nice. This drama was taken off from a Manhwa which is considered as the Korean comics. They have used the plot almost similar to the original story line, I say almost because as the usual way of every drama/movie makers which takes stories from books, they mangle a lot of things and change it unnecessarily. I hate it when they do a lot of changes from the original story. It ruins the original writer's thoughts.

The beginning of the show was really cute, and Yoon Eun Hye as Shin Chae-gyung the leading lady role was just funny. Her character was a normal teenage high school girl who was clumsy, a bit stupid, always smiling, getting into tons of trouble and yet has a pure heart. Her life drastically changed after meeting Shin, the crowned prince and over hearing him propose marriage to a girl. Then she was thrown into an arranged marriage with the crowned prince after finding out the marriage agreement which was done by her grand father and the king's father when they were born.

This is a show where I started liking Eun Hye as an actress. Joo Ji Hoon who played as Shin, her leading man was also gorgeous for a Korean guy, although his eyes is too squinty for my taste. I still liked his character, the seemingly uncaring guy, but deep inside he just thinks too much of others.

Kim Jeong Hoon who acted as Lee Yul (Shin's supposedly cousin who wants to take his throne away) was cute and my heart went out for him as he was that guy who had to endure an unrequited love when all he wanted was for Chae Gyung to love him back that's why he wanted to be the crowned prince. Lasty Song Ji Hyo who acted as Min Hyo Rin was just perfect. She was the girl that Shin first proposed to before getting married to Chae Gyung, she seems to be the cold girl who acted like there was nothing that could ever bother her, but deep inside, her heart is crumbling to pieces as she watches Shin fall in love with Chae Gyung little by little.

As the story progressed, there where some draggy moments that I have overlooked because the setting and music was just beautiful, and I can't just help my self but watch it even if the lines have been too redundant. The ending was gorgeous for me because of the setting once again, but story line wise it was quite bland for my taste and went way off with where the whole story was really supposed to be. It gave me a sense of confusion which I didn't really like. Although I felt this way towards the ending I am still giving it a 9 for compensating with other areas in the drama that I have already mentioned which is also essential for making this a top rated Kdrama.

Leia Mais

It’s one of those very bittersweet films that you’d cry with and yet say… “Damn, that was such a beautiful film.” I said that and will say it again.

Love Letter was a beautiful film in a wonderful setting and great plot lines. Though it was confusing at first, it still gives you a slight thinking that it has a reason for being like that. Then once you get to understand what in the world is happening, you’ll get to unfold what it was all about and why.

The film was very simple, not too dramatic or mind boggling. It didn’t even have any CG effects in it but it will show you extremely good actors, great story in the back ground and a really nice soundtrack to come along with everything. It also has this softness that has melancholy written all over the story but the sweetness seeps in with everything until it’s late to realize that you’re caught up with the story and would want more.

This left me weeping at the end but made me feel good at the same time. It surely made me want to recommend it everyone.

Leia Mais

Watching this drama and rating it would depend on one's mood and/or liking.

In my case, I was in a mood for a low-key-rom-com drama which does not require me to think too much. Ta-da! Ma Boy was perfect. I couldn't help myself from smiling from one episode to another.

I may like the drama but of course it is far from being perfect. There are scenes that made me want to cringe and fast forward due to unnecessary airtime of mischief but since this is supposed to be a light story... I sucked it all in and enjoyed the whole show for what it could offer.

Be reminded that this is a high school gender bender story where Boy Dresses up as a Girl while Girl keeps his secret for him. It's light, funny and cute. Not to forget that the boy is really good looking and dances so well. Music wise, as per young k-pop idol themed drama - you already know what to expect... but wait! There's more.

The drama may be light but the characters has their own story to tell. Thus making this drama more interesting than what the plot line let's us perceive. I also like the fact that the young actors and actresses suits their role. Who wouldn't fall for the plain looking girl paired up to pretty boy scenario without the perfect casting? Even the mean trio of male/female fans for each idol was the right fit. I couldn't imagine anyone else being casted for the roles, including the main ones.

I am surely recommending this for those who's craving for something light, cute and funny to watch.

Leia Mais

Nobunaga’s Concerto isn’t your ordinary time travel drama where the main character is looking for a way to get back home but instead he decides to live accordingly to the time he was thrown into and do his best.

When I watched this drama, I had a mindset that this was going to be a series full of mishaps, comedy and light mood scenes because the main character had to pretend to be someone who was a powerful Samurai Warlord during the Warring States Period. It did somewhat meet my expectation but what surprised me was the way they incorporated the serious into the funny. The mood tones of this drama was very much well mixed. If you parallel it alongside the real Japanese History before and during the Tensho Era, it does makes sense and goes accordingly to history, only it was elaborated in a very fictional way thus the comedy blends in. I also learned that this drama was also a manga adaptation, I haven’t read the manga yet but I did enjoy this live action.

Oguri Shun as Saburo/Oda Nobunaga was funny, annoying and at the same time full of wisdom when he sets his mind into it. This was another drama than Shun nailed since he had to act 2 different characters at once. It would have been hard for an average actor to internalize that but watching him here, it was like a breeze turning from one klutzy idiot to being a ruthless samurai.

The other characters I liked are:

Shibasaki Kou as Kicho, she’s the wife of Nobunaga, a very fierce woman who tries to hide her affection from her husband. Her acting complements well with Shun and they definitely have this chemistry going on, regardless if Shun is acting as the fake Nobunaga or the real one.

Mukai Osamu as Tsuneoki Ikeda, Nobunaga’s right hand man. Aside from being good looking all throughout this series (yes, he is good looking so please do not contradict my feelings for the guy, he’s been a long time crush now since Nodame Cantabile *fan girl mode on!*) he had a good role portrayal. I still can’t believe he was duped by the Saburo and he was able to unknowingly assist the guy into being the legit Nobunaga he can be. I liked Tsuneoki’s personality where he follows head in line with his heart and does things smartly and not being rash about his decisions.

Fukiji Naohito as Hanbee Takenaka, this guy! I’m really amazed that the drama is supported by veteran actors like Fujiki. So him, being casted in the later episodes is a bonus for me. I like his role as a tactician and how he worked with Saburo along the way due to his dreams of peace and unity for the whole of Japan.

Issei Takahashi as Nagamasa Azai, his character is someone I could not hate despite the fact that he and Nobunaga are fighting each other's clans. His acting style and the way he shows his emotions in this drama was something that was really heartfelt. This gave way to a special spot for Takahashi in my own heart.

Yamada Takayuki as Denjiro/Kinoshito Tokichiro/Toyotomi Hideyoshi, maaaaan… this guy has so many names and aliases. I loved his vengeful character and still looking forward to the things he is about to do. I will not say more anything about his role because that in itself will become a spoiler. What I would leave here though is that he was awesome in this drama.

The drama is basically re-watchable, specially the slap stick comedy scenes. It made me laugh out loud to see some of the casts who looks intense at first but becomes idiots the next second. Then there’s also the music. I really love how the Japanese industry inserts there OST into the whole series. It makes everything more colorful and sets off all kinds of feeling or mood depending on the scene.

There is still so much I want to say about this drama but I can’t really put it here due to spoilers, so if some is reading this and want to discuss or do not mind being spoiled, please do send me message. Over all, I am recommending this to those who are interested into Japanese entertainment and its history.

Leia Mais

The movie starts off with Mina going to the motion of a normal high school student only to realize after a couple of minutes into the movie that she, does not interact at all with the people around her. She's indifferent from everyone.

Then all of a sudden her life is being infiltrated by an annoying man... she learns to adore. The amateur photographer was kind of a mystery as to why he was like that towards her but the story develops towards the end.

Not to forget that there is also that mother (a definitely cool one) who tries to help her daughter in every way she can. I definitely love the way she showed her affection towards Mina and her sacrifices for her. This movie was not just a story about love between a man and a woman but it also shows the love between a mother and daughter.

What I like most about this movie is its subtlety in the dialogues and the small clues as what could happen in the end. I had this small notion that something was up with the guy or the mom, only I can't pin-point what until the very end of the film.

...ing is a very heart warming, tear-jerker movie that I have sworn not to watch for the duration of 2009. I tried to stir away from sad movies as much as I could, but what can I do? I'm just an addict to good story line films and this is definitely one of them. How can anyone pass it up? This film is a 2003 production but I only got hold of it 6 years after. It actually came out way before Kim Rae Won's "My Little Bride" with Moon Geum-Young. Here in this film, the leading actress looked so familiar, so when I looked her up that's when it clicked as to where I have seen her first. It was in "I'm a cyborg, But that's ok." her co-star in it was Rain.

Kim Rae Won never seize to amaze me when it comes to acting. He could be cool, he could make you smile and most of all, his crying definitely gets on to you. A very effective actor, that I am very sure of.

To finish this off, the cinematography was perfect. The music vaguely reminded me of the sound track from the drama series coffee prince, and it worked perfectly well with the movie. The actors were an A plus for their acting and the story line... as I have already mentioned above was one of the best stories I've liked so far.

I'm definitely giving my two thumbs up for people to watch this.

Leia Mais

When I first tried to watch this film, I was on my way home riding a plane and was 6,000 feet off the ground. 10 minutes through the film, I started to realize that it was rather a sexually explicit movie. My seatmates by the way were a bunch of old people. I was so embarrassed to find out that the movie I was watching was something not appropriate for the public eye. Ack!

Setting aside my embarrassment, I watched it at home again without any kids or grannies around.

To be honest, this was the first film that I have appreciated Ando Masunobu in. I've first seen him in "Synesthezia" with Aoi Miyazaki, but I didn't like his character there too much. Here in Sakuran I loved the way he acted as Seiji who was the "keeper" or "care-taker" of the Oiran, (the highest ranking female prostitute in the house) which was eventually transferred to Kiyoha (Anna Tsuchiya). I loved the way she played the hot headed TOP Woman. Even though she wasn't the Oiran yet, she already had the attitude of one. She was spunky and feisty for a woman who lives and breathes the life in a brothel. Though this was her role, her life as an Oiran in the making was bitter and sad, she's witty and beautiful but was kept in a container, thus her life is compared to a goldfish in a bowl.

The story was manga based, so it had a bit of a shoujou-ish plot line going on. Nonetheless, it was a great movie. The ending was just my taste, the setting was perfect and beautiful, as well was the over all cinematography. Everything was vibrant with hues such as red... red... and more red. I think that color has so much significance for this movie. It makes sense that the bright colors used for the film was very appropriate for its theme. The sound track was fit for the whole movie and it has caught my attention so much that I researched about the singer Shiina Ringo and discovered the band Tokyo Jihen, hence I now have the collection of their songs.

I have already re-watched this Movie several times and would re-watch it again in the future.

Leia Mais

This drama, I have no idea why I took the liberty of putting it in my list of “To Watch” dramas for the year of 2009-2010. This is one of the most melodramatic drama’s I’ve seen for that year.

It have made me cry a bucket but it was all worth it. Having seen the show made my sense of Kdrama more diverse, since I tend to choose rom-com to genres like this. My heart is just weak like that, but this show made my threshold on tears much stronger… or so I thought until I saw Cinderella’s sister and 49 days. Heh.

This drama would always be dear in my heart because of the story line. It may sound unbelievable or ridiculous or even annoying for some because everything was such a mess. The main character’s past was so jumbled up that the future became dim for them. You would tend to watch and wait and watch some more, thinking, when would it ever stop?

Until one day, things would just fall into their proper places.

The ending wasn’t that satisfying for me but the whole journey of the drama was worth it. Once again, I got my mother crying out of this drama and she had to point her fingers at me "again" for doing so. I so love my mom when she does that but still continue on watching anyway.

Acting wise was superb, so maybe that’s what got me hooked after seeing the first episode.

Leia Mais

A really funny movie starred by 5 outstanding actors including Oguri Shun. I can't help laughing through out the duration of the film.

Why? As the five characters slowly investigate among themselves the truth behind the death of their gravure idol during her 1 year memorial anniversary, they unfold each other's personal lives and connection with the dead idol. During this time, they are all cooped up in a small apartment formulating reasons as to what really happened before and during the time of their idol's death.

If you think this is a boring film, well watch the movie and think again. This isn't your average film full of talk, mystery and well… more talk. This is one of those films that would make you scratch your head in the beginning, then seat straight-look-forward-to-screen in the middle and finally say "So that's what happened" in the end.

Its very entertaining to watch not that their acting was over the top, it was simply perfect. Every character portrayed themselves so well. The way they analyzed each other, puzzled things together and draw a conclusion to each scenario... it was very smart and witty. There were flashbacks to give a better visual of the scenarios they come up with and that definitely helped in building up the story and make the unfolding of the mystery more fun. I give kudos to the writer of this movie who made everything interesting.

Cinematography wise, it wasn't much since the focus is more on each characters who are talking inside a small room and as for the music I wasn't able to remember it much but it did somehow help as a background to build up the mood of the film.

Recommending this to those who like watching films which are more on the conversation side with mystery and comic relief on the side lines. BTW, there's no other film that I could compare it with since I think… it is one of a kind.

Leia Mais