Dramaland seems to have slowed down...

... or is it just me?  Hmm. I am contemplating my first sageuk but we shall see. I did try to watch Emperor of the Sea when it was hot but I couldn't even last 5 minutes. What's fun about watching people ride horses?

I guess I will try I'm A Flower, Too and 1000 Days Promise when they air but I can already envision myself dropping them at some point. I still have to finish Greatest Love (yeah, yeah, the last two episodes have been on hold forever), Romance Town (I might just watch the final episode), Scent of A Woman and Protect The Boss. Then there are a bunch of Japanese dramas I have on hold. I can't even say, "So many dramas so little time" because even when I have the time, I still don't watch them. What do I do when I have time to kill? HMMMMMMM,

Zenkai Girl Episode 7

I got to watch it live today and it was a good one - very emotional. Although the Pitaro's Mama story has proven to be rather undramatic but it's all good.

Pic credit as tagged.

Wakaba has issues (Zenkai Girl Episode 6 spoilers)

When she remembers what Shota said to her while she was sleeping i.e. that he likes her, she runs over to this place, the whole time remembering all their moments.

She gets there to find his ex wife there. She hides and eavesdrops on the convo (Samao also shows up) then her phone rings announcing her presence. She takes the call and appears before the three. And because she's mad at the situation (ex-wife and stuff), she looks straight at Shota and tells Shindo that she will marry him.

Episode 7 preview now has her flaunting her engagement ring to Shota. At this point she knows for a fact that he likes her. Ugh, what's her problem? Too much pride, that's what it is.

Wakaba's Brain (Zenkai Girl Ep 5 SPOILERS)

Who does she love? She wants to think of Shindo but all she can think about is...

Stop fighting it, Girl. :D

There were emotional scenes today... need subs. But I do understand "I like/love you." Hehehe... he confessed! Too bad she wasn't awake. 

Bitch, keep your filthy lips off him! I actually don't mind Soyoko but don't be such a perv and steal a kiss from a sleeping man - especially one who hasn't previously given you permission, Missy!

And of course, Wakaba had to see it. lol. Close your mouth - a fly might enter it.

And now Shota's ex is back in town. What kind of drama will she bring? :D

Back to this episode... I like the dress she wore when she met Shindo's mother.

But of course, Shota had to be there to see it. lol

Anyway, looking forward to next week.

OMG, I'M IN LOVE!

I just might be recapping my first jdrama. It's so awesome! I LOVE IT!

It's called Zenkai Girl and I will talk about it later. But it's LOVELY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! They have fantastic chemistry. It is love.

Next week is going to be good!

One of my favorite songs...

... and I wonder if this is more of my current philosophy which is why in Lie To Me I would prefer he get back with his ex? I wonder if I watched MNIKSS for the first time this year... I wonder if I would hate his ex at first sight like I did when I saw it 5 years ago.

But then again, maybe not. Maybe it's just because actor chemistry aside, the writer hasn't really given me a reason to want them to be together like say Kang and Ji Hyun or Yoon Sung and Na Na or even Soon Geum and Gun Woo even though he's being an ass right now (still haven't watched ep 8 of RT yet, though).

Hmm... this is what happens when I watch too many dramas at the same time. But speaking of OTPs, I'm not even sure who the OTP of Asuko March is but I guess I can take either guy.

She has all her romantic angst with one guy but you can never trust jdramas. They can have the girl have all the romantic drama with a guy for 9 episodes then in the last 2 episodes, she realizes she really loves the guy who's been a good friend the whole time. So with this drama, I'll just be a casual viewer with no ship. 

Eek!

I started watching Nagareboshi last night and yikes, the brother is so creepy. Makes me want to stop watching. Basically, it's a romance between a guy trying to save his sister and woman who's been pushed into sex work by her creepastic brother. He keeps on gathering debt and putting it on her shoulders to pay. Although I don't get why she does pay.

So...

Dr. Champ provided some spoiler pics and I can't say I'm excited. LOL I was beginning to wonder if I'd become dead on the inside since there were other people screaming about it while I was like, "Oh, so there they are." I already expected this turn of events this week anyway. Their romance is still boring as hell but I'm watching. Right now, I enjoy posting about it more than watching it. I will try to finish it, though. I almost didn't watch it this week. I just know that if I pile them up, then I will definitely drop this drama or skim through the rest. Which is why I try to watch two a week.

I'm like 3 episodes behind on Dae Mul but I hope to catch up soon. In the mean time, I picked up a Japanese drama called Yamato Nadeshiko Shichi Henge.

It's one of those manga-to-drama adaptations and is about a "ghoul girl" type character moving in with four hot guys. lol. Why are so many mangas like this? Anyway, I've seen the first episode and it's cute... and I've begun to root for the couple which means that I am NOT dead on the inside. YAY! Kame used to scare me with his pencil-thin eyebrows but I guess I'm used to it now.

So basically, it's the story of a girl who thinks she's ugly (a guy she confessed to four years ago called her that) so she hides from the world and a beautiful guy (women stalk and harass him because of his looks). So it's all about inner beauty and all that since he places no stock in his looks while she places too much in hers even though she's obviously not ugly. We already had a make over in episode 1 where the lead male stared at her beauty. But she's going back to her "ghoul girl" look soon. She sleeps in a coffin and her room is covered with skulls and the like. LOL. But it seems sweet.

'caps found through google. 

Out of Sheer Boredom...

... I've decided to create a post with all my drama ratings. As well as perhaps write some reviews like I did for Nodame Cantabile. I must really be bored.

Gosh... is this going to show me just how much of a loser I am when I list ALL the dramas I've seen? lol. Should be fun and a good time waster.

I guess boredom makes me post in a blog no one reads?

2010 kdramas I've watched so far:


Pick the stars/Wish Upon A Star: Started off well. About a materialistic girl who ends up having to take care of her siblings after her parents are murdered. Fun and cute till it went bad. However, they gave us a nice ending. It's a shame that they ruined the drama but I didn't feel like I wasted my time... it was on to the next drama.


Birth of the rich. About a poor guy who believed he was the son of a rich man and was on a quest to find his father. Got some negative comments on dramabeans (but who cares?) but I really enjoyed it at first. It got extended because of the good ratings and to be honest, because subs were kinda slow, I won't say I completely finished this drama... it didn't end as well as it began but it was alright. It was on to the next drama.


Oh My Lady. Had an interesting looking couple and seemed cute and nice enough. About a spoilt brat idol and the ajumma who lives with him and takes care of the daughter he never knew he had. The first episodes were boring to me. But I liked both actors and stuck it out. It got a little better when they kissed in episode 6 (lol) but extremely slow with very slow progress and they forgot there was a romance till the last episode. No pay off in this drama. A waste of time. BAD!


Prosecutor Princess. I watched half way through and lost interest. I didn't mind that she was very materialistic and such but I didn't like the main guy (and whatever secret he was hiding) so one day, I just lost all interest. LOL. It happens like that sometimes.


Coffee House. About a crazy writer, his publisher and a girl who becomes his secretary. I was entirely addicted to this drama and it ended the way I wanted. There are things that the writers should have handled better. For instance, he left because he needed to deal with issues he had with his past. When he returned, there was no mention of them at all. He didn't even say, "Now, I'm okay." Sure he was back and his actions showed he'd moved past them (driving, cell phone) but I would have loved him to vocalize it. A little clarification on if his wife committed suicide or if it was an accident. It looked like suicide but I would have liked to hear them say for sure. Also it would have been nice if the characters had told us if they really had liked one another "10 years ago" or not. It looked like he might have but we don't know about her. Also far less time on the secretary and more time on the final couple. All these things probably should make me like it less but I absolutely loved the chemistry between the main couple -that's what kept me hooked on this drama. Not the plot but the chemistry.


2010 twdramas:
Down With Love. I didn't expect to like it but I enjoyed it. It was not an addiction for me (CH was the only one) but it was simple and cute. And the couple had chemistry.


PS Man. I just saw like two middle episodes. I planned on watching but boy was it dragging. Not going to bother with it.


Zhong Wu Yen. I like Cheryl after My Queen but the characters in this drama are really annoying - especially the guy so I lost interest real quick. Only saw 1.25 episodes.


2010 jdramas:
Yankee-kun to Megane-chan. Haven't finished it yet because I chose to wait for subs but fun and silly so far. Will probably finish it.


Natsu no Koi wa Nijiiro ni Kagayaku. So far so good. About an unsuccessful wannabe actor and a single mother. One thing I like about jdramas is their stories are often about average people. Unlike kdramas (and twdramas) where some rich guy and poor girl hook up. 


Tsuki no Koibito, I saw the first episode and it wasn't bad. But the reviews are terrible so I've been turned off big time. Maybe I'll try it for myself later on. 

Funny.... I was quite excited about Hotaru No Hikari 2...

... but the plot doesn't make sense!

Fine, they didn't kiss at the end of the first season. It was odd but somewhat understandable considering the plot of the drama.

However, six episodes into season 2, they still haven't kissed. What kind of relationship is this?

For starters, they agreed that they loved each other at the end of the first season. At the beginning of the second season, three years had passed and apparently, Amemiya had been working abroad the entire time and didn't contact or respond to any of Bucho's letters and what not. So three years, no contact. Why did she do that? No explanation.

She moves back into their home and next thing I know, he proposed they get married. What? To someone you haven't even had any relationship with in three years? And not because she was in a coma but because she just didn't reply?

Fine. Bad enough. Now they are "working towards marriage" a marriage without passion it seems, because 6 episodes in, there's still no physical intimacy despite the fact that they actually live together.

I've only seen 3 episodes so far and while it's funny and still has the Season 1 vibe, the fact that their romance is still like this is off putting for me. So for now, it's on the back burner. Will I pick it up again? Remains to be seen.

OMG, I am freaking hooked...

... on Long Vacation. I've been watching, re-watching and watching again. GOSH. It started off hilarious and funny, I think there was a slight lull in episode 4 or so, got back on track and ended up wonderfully.

GOOOOOOOOSH! I only recently began to watch Japanese Dramas and just saw this 1996 classic. And even though the clothing is outdated, the drama itself isn't. I'll be back with more later because right now, I have to try to catch my breath.

I am absolutely and totally in love with Nodame Cantabile

Nodame Cantabile is a Japanese drama based on a similarly titled manga. From what I understand, the drama only spans the first 9 volumes of the manga so I suppose there's a lot more story left. Apparently, there are 18 volumes and it's yet to be completed.

The drama is set in a music academy where the title character, Noda Megumi, is a 3rd year student and her love interest and the love of my life, Chiaki Shinichi is a 4th year student.

So why do I love this drama so much? It's freaking adorable. Like the other dramas based on mangas I've seen (It Started With A Kiss, Hana Kimi), the male lead is very straightlaced while the female is quite psycho. In many respects, I found this drama to be quite similar to ISWAK although they tell entirely different stories.

Chiaki is a genius pianist who follows the rules but not his heart. He's got the technique down and is quite a brilliant player but doesn't add much 'life' to it. Even though he's talented in both the piano and the violin, his dream is to be a conductor. This character is played by Tamaki Hiroshi and I must stay that he makes my heart flutter. I ended up watching another movie of his (Heavenly Forest) because I just needed more and even though he was cute in that, it was nothing like he was in Nodame Cantabile. I think it was a combination of his haircut, lighting and just the character he played. Yum.



Technically, he isn't as good looking as say, Wu Chun or Won Bin. Plus I think he looks at least 5 years older than his actual age of 27, but there's something so damn HOT and sexy about him. Plus his lips are just to die for.


Nodame is also a genius pianist but she lacks organization. She plays her piano with feeling but no technique in the sense that she never follows the sheet music but instead, lets her emotions rule. So in the end, she plays very sloppily. Anyone listening to her can tell that she's extremely talented but lacks discipline. In addition, she isn't ambitious and even though she attends a music academy, dreams of becoming a kindergarten teacher. I found her character quite sweet and not as annoying as I would have expected. She wears her heart on her sleeve and makes her feelings known like most of these characters normally do but it was quite endearing in her case.

So the story is pretty much about how these two different characters meet, interact and change each other for the better. Yeah, typical but it works.

I remember trying to watch Devil Beside You but I found it so animated that I got turned off. This drama is also very animated but for some reason, all the exaggerations really worked here.

I don't know why but I think a lot of it had to do with the actors and how much they appeared to enjoy playing these over the top characters. For example, the lead female character in My Girl was technically less over the top than Nodame was, yet, she appeared less natural to me. It might have a lot to do with the fact that the characters in My Girl were regular people unlike the all around craziness in Nodame.

In addition, even though Chiaki was the most normal of the main characters, he was also quite crazy. In shows like Hana Kimi or even in a story like David Copperfield, the male protagonist is pretty much boring while all the surrounding crazy characters make the story alive. In this drama, Chiaki also brought a lot of life to the storyline. The actor, Tamaki Hiroshi, as I already mentioned was beyond gorgeous on screen but in addition to this, the anime features like the way he twitched his cheek when something was awry, the way his eyes rolled back and he started to shake whenever he remembered his near-plane crash from childhood and even the way he tilted his head and 'fainted' when something nuts happened, cracked me up endlessly. And boy, did I mention he was so cute? From their NGs, they seemed to really enjoy their roles. I really loved how the entire crew would burst into a chorus of "aye" whenever an actor messed up.

Other characters in the drama cracked me up. Stresemann who was supposedly German but obviously played by a Japanese actor was beyond hilarious. I don't even know how the other actors managed to keep a straight face around him. His accent and manner of speech were beyond hilarious and his dialogues were virtually priceless. Even though he was such a creepy, dirty old man, I found his character the most memorable. I just loved his NGs:

Ryutaro was a character I grew to love. He started off as the stereotypical bleach blonde rocker dude uninterested in classical music but turned out to be one of the most responsible and caring characters in the entire drama. It was cliche in the sense that he eventually grew to respect classical music but his storyline was very well done. His was the character I would love to be friends with in real life.

Masumi, the gay guy with an afro and a freakishly weird moustache was also a sight for sore eyes. Other than his 70s clothing and platforms, he was so hilarious in his quest for Chiaki's love. One of my favorite scenes was when Chiaki walked into Nodame's apartment while Ryutaro and Masumi were there. This was early in the series when Nodame and Masumi agreed to a duel for Chiaki's love (lol) and when he (Chiaki) walked in, Ryutaro informed him of their fight. Chiaki said, "I can never be attracted to a woman like Nodame (whose face had been badly painted by her opponent)." Then he pointed at Masumi and said, "And... and, isn't this one a man?" Masumi's reaction to that comment was killer.

I thoroughly enjoyed the music (even though I have no ear for it) and orchestra (created by Stresemann featuring all the misfit underachievers at the academy) and the storylines about friendship were great. If I could change anything, I would add a lot more romance between Chiaki and Nodame. Even though their hug was touching, I would have loved to see more romance than this:



In addition, even though it was quite obvious that Ryutaro was going to hook up with fellow violinist, Kiyora, their storyline wasn't very well developed. It went from sexual tension to him saying he loved her to them waking up in bed together. Yes, there were other scenes in between but it would have been nice to see some real development between them.

There will be a two-hour sequel airing in January 08 and even though I doubt Ryutaro/Kiyora will appear, I hope it focuses on Chiaki and Nodame's romance.

All in all, I loved Nodame Cantabile :) I love this so much that I seriously considered writing a fic sequel like I did for MNIKSS but since this is a manga, I guess there already is a continuation to the story. But hey, I might still do it.

People often ask me why I enjoy Asian Dramas so much and Nodame Cantabile is a very good example why: they can be so delightful.