Movie review: 那些年，我們一起追的女孩 (You Are The Apple Of My Eye)

Yes just finished watching another movie again. if you are wondering how I can watch drama and movie at the same time, no I didnt watch the drama at once but I follow each episode so I only watch an episode per week. This movie, literally translated as " Those years, the girl we chased together", is a big hit Taiwanese romance movie. Released in 2011, I've heard it from my friends since a few years ago but I wasn't interested in it. Now just because of some random interest I watch it and I regret why I didnt watch it earlier. Starring Kai Ko as Ko Ching Teng and Michelle Chen as Shen Chia Yi, YATAOME tells about a pure and light love story between two people in high school. Chia Yi is the most clever student in her high school in contrast to Ching Teng who is a troublemaker and lazy ass in studying. He keeps badmouthing about clever student and confuses why they are always studying. He and Chia Yi have been classmates since junior high school yet they didnt like each other. One day she forgot to bring her book but he lent her his book and instead took the punishment. She was touched and wanted to thank him; she decided to teach him even though he rejected at first but later on it became their habits. Through some time, their feeling develop towards each other. They didnt dare to know each other feelings and that's the bomb. They still keep in contact after entering the university in different city but then something happened and that makes them started to fall apart. Dont expect too much about this movie; this is a real story based on the semi-autobiographical novel of the same name by Taiwanese author Giddens Ko. It is made as real as possible and that's what makes me love this movie more. I never thought Kai Ko was this good since this was his debut movie and he was only 20 at that time. This movie shot him to stardom; he was an A-list actor before the drug scandal back in August happened. Luckily he was not jailed and he decided to go on rehabilitation by himself. Im happy and sad at the same time for him because he is still so young to have had a scandal in his early acting journey but it's better he was saved early. As for Michelle Chen, I never watch her movies or dramas before but she was great in this movie. She successfully portrayed the soft, kindhearted, and strong Shen Chia Yi. I even didnt noticed that she and Kai have 8 years gap! YATAOME worth all the awards and fame they've got. It tells what most of us have seen in the reality that sometimes when people have feeling towards each other, they just dont dare to confess and that can makes them lose the chance forever. Even though my preference is always a happy ending doesnt mean a sad ending can make a good story. To be honest I seldom watch a sad ending drama/movie but when I watch one, it should be a good one that I dont feel my time was wasted lol

Rate: 9/10

 Official trailer:

Drama review: 喜歡 · 一個人 (Pleasantly Surprised)

I really like this drama. Enough said. This satistfied my craving towards taiwanese drama after my shipping last year Puff Guo-Aaron Yan in Just You. At first, the tv station wanted to reunite Puff and Aaron pairing again in another drama called Fall In Love With Me but Puff turned down the role because she was busy filming for We Got Married Global Edition with Heechul and later it was taken by her groupmate, Tia Li. I didnt follow that drama; pretty much because Tia Li cant act (in my opinion). Then Puff confirmed for this drama with Liu Yi Hao as the male lead. This is a 22-episode drama; previously it was known as Love Myself or You. The title itself will be literally translated as "Like To Be Alone". It cant be considered as romcom because the female lead herself has a bad personality and she portrayed a strong woman but still has a little comedy in it. Puff acts as Du Kai Qi, a second chef, a manga lover who likes being alone. It was because of her dark past where his father was an alcoholic and even borrowed money from her friends without her acknowledge. She prefers to be alone; she feels that through that way, she doesnt need to think and care about other's feeling. Liu Yi Hao is Fu Zi Jie, called as A Jie, a top chef who came back from France but prefers to be anonymous due to his promise to his older brother in the past. He has a bright personality; he always helps and takes care of others. This time his parents beg him to stay for a while in Taiwan to work at their family restaurant because A Jie has been living abroad since high school. At the same time the restaurant, Figaro Cuisine, is also the place where Kai Qi works. Both Kai Qi and A Jie are childhood friends but she didnt recognise him and her current personality confuses him because he knows in the past she was a cheerful and kind person. A Jie then agrees to work at the restaurant as a new assistant; at the same time he wants to know why she has changed. The story goes on with the development of their feelings towards each other. Usually I like a drama because of good storyline and casts but this time, I just like everything about it. Literally everything. Not only the leads are great, but also the team in the kitchen is synchronised really well. Never have I seen in a drama where the second lead is very kind and even sacrifice his own love. Puff has always been one of my favorite taiwanese actress and this time she also didnt disappoint me. She changed her style from bubbly and cheerful personality in Just You to a dark and introvert one in Pleasantly Surprised. I was quite surprised at first because I thought she would be portraying a similar character again but turned out I was wrong. Her pairing with Liu Yi Hao exceeds my expectation, even now I like this pairing more than Puff-Aaron. Every time I see Liu Yi Hao, he has that charisma that can make people feel happy and calm at the same time. Ahead from that, actually I dont like his style in this drama where most of the time he wears anything floral from shirts, pants, and even ties; luckily he can pull it off. I cant imagine if there is another actor using the same style it was just a big NO. Besides I had my eyes on Jolin Chien as Cheng Hao Wei, the second male lead. At first he was annoying but then he turned to be the sweetest guy friend ever. I felt sad for him because he sacrificed his own feeling and pretended to be okay with it. The team in the kitchen is also great. Usually a drama will just focus on main leads and second leads; this one is an exception. The only thing I hate about this drama is that it was a bit draggy (yes, only a bit) in the middle but I can still tolerate it because of the sweetness and creativity. If you cant bear sweet things or cute romance, this is probably not your cup of tea. If you are, you must watch this!

Rate: 8.5/10

Synopsis:
Du Kai Qi is an aspiring young chef, her only interests are cooking and reading manga comics. She doesn't have many friends and don't want anymore. After enjoying her most delicious full course meal prepared by a chef named Louis, she snaps a picture of his signature from the plate and request to meet him. However a family emergency forces her to leave before meeting Louis. She looks to Louis's signature as strength and inspiration for her upcoming sous chef promotion test. On the day of her test the new restaurant intern Ah Jie, who has to decide the winner, chooses Kai Qi's rival dish over hers. Losing out on her promotion, Kai Qi makes instant enemies with Ah Jie. What she doesn't know is Ah Jie is her boss's son, her new next door neighbor, the chef Louis that she admires so much and her long lost childhood friend Fu Zi Jie who she had a close bond with.

full team!

Cheng Hao Wei - Cheng Le Xuan - Du Kai Qi - Fu Zi Jie

15-minute long preview:

Semi-holiday.

Yes exam has finally over yesterday! Fyi we only have one final exam per block; it was quite nice because you can get everything finished at one time but the preparation is just hellish. The material is all what we have learnt in one block. Now Im having a few days holiday and ofc it is nice xD there's a rumor saying TVXQ will have Asia Tour next year and this makes me super excited! I've seen JYJ a month ago and I need to see Homin to make it complete. Im pretty surprised that Im still here waiting for them to come back together even though 5 years have passed. Sometimes I keep wondering why should I wait for them this long? I cant find a reason why I should stop and even though this is very tiring, Im happy with my choice. #alwayskeepthefaith

xxrandomxx

Life's been good lately even though block exam is coming next week. The material is still abstract in my brain but Im trying to absorb as much as possible. I also realise lately I didnt blog that often anymore. Writing has become my passion and blogging is one of my way to explore more of it. Currently not following any drama, I think dramas in this period are not my style hence I just read the recaps from the blogs I usually follow. JYJ Asia Tour has ended a few days ago and the last stop was Bangkok. Im happy because I had the chance to meet them and see them singing live before they enter military service next year. Still I have never met Homin and that is one of my resolution as well. But rumors surfacing in some sns saying they will have an Asia tour next year. Actually I want to go to one of their 5 dome tours in Japan; too bad it is in the middle of the academic year. If they are really planning for an Asia Tour, Im going to come this time. Fingercrossed! xx

Movie review: 君に届け (Kimi ni todoke)

Maybe this is the second or third Jmovies I've watched because I never follow updates about the latest one. I was bored and randomly found this one in the popular movie list. Translated as From Me To You, this one is also an adaptation of the same name manga. If you've ever watched Jmovies or doramas, you will probably know that their style is more into teaching morals not only lovey dovey scene. Even their romance movies are not as lovable as Koreans but still I like their style. The same goes to this one. It's a romance movie but I didnt put my expectation as high as I watch Korean one. The story tells about a girl named Sawako Kuronuma, an honest and kind girl who have no friends. Her friends called her "Sadako" because of her similar appearance to the ghost in movie "The Ring". Everybody is afraid of her; there's a rumor said that when somebody looks into her eyes, they will get cursed. I feel pity for her at first, but her appearance is somehow scary with long hair and always looking down. Her world starts to change when a popular boy in the school, Shota Kazehaya, befriends with her. Mostly the movie tells about how she changes her personality from an introvert to the bright one. The self changing journey is really amazing because we all know it's not easy. I cry a few times when watching it especially when her friends defend her while she was being attacked by other girls inside the toilet. I cant say much about this drama; it's good to be one of your reference if you like heartwarming movie.

Rate: 7.5/10

 

 

Trailer (eng sub):

Drama review: 괜찮아 사랑이야 (It's Okay It's Love)

It's the last episode yesterday and this morning I directly watched it. Some people refer to this drama as It's Okay That's Love. It is too good to be true! I admit at first this wasnt at my drama list, mostly because I saw the promotional poster and I felt both main leads didnt have the chemistry at all. There's also another poster with them sleeping in a bathtub. Not only me who thought this way, but also most of the netizens. Gong Hyo Jin and Jo In Sung are both my favorite actor and actress, but their chemistry are more into bestfriend type. But yeah they have proved that Im wrong; I totally love this drama! The actors portray themselves really well and this GongJo couple's chemistry is just incredible. They dont make like they are acting; they just let it flow naturally and you will find that you really enjoy it. Jo In Sung is Jang Jae Yeol, a bestselling author with emotional childhood scar and Gong Hyo Jin is Ji Hae Soo, a psychiatrist who is not affectionate. He has the face of player; handsome and charming. He met Haesoo accidentally and both are not fond of each other since the first time they met. Jaeyeol has Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and a sleeping disorder where he can only sleep in the bathtub. One day Jaeyeol moves to a house where surprisingly Haesoo also lives there with a fellow sunbae Joo Dong Min and Park Soo Kwang, a guy with Tourette Syndrome. How they can be dating is also very awkward because they start dating not after falling in love with each other but before it. I find it weird since typically kdrama couples always start dating after they fall in love. There are also Jaeyeol's older brother, Jaebum, who has been in jail for 14 years because of murdering his stepdad and Han Kangwoo, played by EXO D.O., a boy who will take an important part till the end of the story. The twist will come afterwards where Jaeyeol's childhood emotional scars had actually made him developed a mental disorder (not only OCD). I like this drama not only because Im interested in psychiatry, but also because the premise is unique and they dont make the story easily guessed by the audience. Following the episodes you can feel that GongJo has irresistable chemistry making everybody loves them. Not to mention they had a lot of kisses and hugs in this drama. I thought they kissed more than 10 times. I would like to give a little spoiler here but this will reduce the interest in the story so I decide not to tell you guys xD This is indeed one of my favorite drama this year where actually I have watched Angel Eyes and Joseon Gunman till half of the whole episodes but I didnt manage to finish it because I felt they were too boring and draggy after the mid parts. Some kdramas are just ended that way; it was awesome from the beginning till half way but then they change the storyline to what I think is the dumbest one and I stop watching right away. I know everybody has their own preference in kdrama genres but you can start watching this one first and then decide whether you want to continue watching it. Very recommended and happy watching!

Rate: 9.5/10
Link to watch the drama: CLICK HERE 

Synopsis:
 Jang Jae-yeol is a writer of bestselling mystery novels and a radio DJ. Playful and a bit arrogant, he also suffers from obsessive–compulsive disorder. Ji Hae-soo is a psychiatrist on her first year of fellowship. Driven and ambitious with her career yet compassionate towards her patients, Hae-soo has a negative attitude towards love and relationships in her personal life. Once Jae-yeol and Hae-soo meet, there is much contention between them caused by their strong personalities and refusal to give in to each other. But slowly their bickering turns into love and they begin to learn how compatible they are. Jae-yeol and Hae-soo attempt to heal each other's deep-seated wounds, but their fledgling relationship takes a blow when they learn that Jae-yeol's mental health issues are more serious than they initially suspected. (wiki)

my favorite!

another favorite couple!

another secret....

 

The trailer (eng sub):

Park Yoochun. Dreams come true.

Hello peeps! This month has been a great one for me especially last Saturday because it was the day when my dreams finally came true. As you might have known, I've like TVXQ for years and even though they have splitted now, I still support five of them. So last Saturday I finally got to watch JYJ singing live !! I cant describe how happy I was when my father allowed me to go and on the D-day I was so so so excited. I also happened to listen to them singing during rehearsal since the venue was beside the female toilet and lots of the fans were standing there too. My bias from 7 years ago was Yoochun and has always been him ever since. The concert itself was awesome; even if I wasnt their fans I'd say the same things. Seeing them singing live was as good as listening to their recording songs. The set list was almost the same as the one they sang in Seoul concert, though one or two songs were missed out. I was really freak out when they came out to the stage that I lost my voice the next day. 16 August 2014 will always be my most memorable day ever.
PS: excuse the blur pics. I took those using my phone cam.

My bias !!!

Movie Review: 愛情無全順 (Campus Confidential)

the first post in August dedicated to this movie I watched in a long flight on my vacation. I've been searching for this a long time ago and good to know that they had this movie in flight. The title in Mandarin is "Ai Qing Wu Quan Shun" which is literally translated as "Romance Wu Quan Shun". The leading man is Chen Bo Lin who is one of my favorite taiwanese actors and starring as his lover is Ivy Chen. These two Chen have worked together several times before so Im looking forward to watch this. Story starts with Chen Bo Lin as Wu Quan Shun, a nerd in campus who is very genius; he can provide unlimited internet quota for the game freak in campus, hack some private internet websites, etc. Ivy as Liang Xiao Qi is the it-girl in campus that every man wants and every woman envies. She really hates the nerds. Her bestfriend is also another it-girl who just happened to fall in love with another nerd. She tries to convince her that it's wrong and makes her embarrassed but her friend says even though her bf is a nerd, he is kind and loves her sincerely. One day they accidentally fall together to a lake in their campus (I forgot the name) which is a legendary lake. People said if a man and woman fall together into the lake when it suddenly dried, they will be a couple forever. At first she didnt want to believe the story but then she searchs for the news happened in the past with the help of her new roommate. She meets with couples who have the same situation as her. At that time, she also starts to be friend with Quan Shun since he helped and protected her when she was being dumped by her bf. As time flies, she realises that actually the nerds arent that bad as what she thought before. Find a way to break the curse, she goes to China to find the ancient things which was said to be the curse breaker. There's a twist close to the ending which surprise me because it's something I've never thought before. Initially I thought this would be like other romance movies I've ever watched since you already knew mostly romance genre has the same formula. As usual Chen Bo Lin never disappoint me and he did reach my expectation. He is perfectly matched in this movie; he succeeded in portraying a nerd which is totally nerdy. As for Ivy Chen, I never watched any of her works and in this movie she's just a soso for me. I like this movie even I cant say this is one of the best I've ever watched. Put this on your list if you like romance movie.

Rate: 7.5/10

This is how different he looks.

The official trailer: