[K-Drama Review] Uncontrollably Fond

Melodrama is not my cup of tea. I don’t like how angsty and intense it could get. Melodramas tend to heighten all kinds of emotions that my logical brain will automatically dismiss it as something that is not even possible in real life. I steer clear of melodramas but it doesn’t mean I don’t watch them. I make exemptions if a favorite actor takes on a lead role in a melodrama and I would turn a blind eye on the plot if it meant I could have my dose of Oppa awesomeness.

[K-Drama Review] Signal

Signal is definitely the best of 2016. The sixteen hours or so I spent watching it is definitely worth it. The rave about it on blog reviews are seriously overwhelming so I decided to watch half of Signal on work nights (and even sneak a peek during a conference. lol) and binge-watch the remaining half on a weekend. It caused abnormal sleeping pattern this week, larger than normal eye bags and moody attitude at work but damn was it worth it. I don't regret any second of it. In a year of generally poor choices in terms of Korean dramas I watched in their entirety, Signal saved the year for me. (well, technically I just finished watching it and it's now 2017. heh) I was ready to take a break from Korean dramas but Signal brought back my love for it enough to get myself back to blogging. Oh yeah!

Pure Love and plot twist

Pure Love aka the Philippine remake of the Korean drama 49 Days aired its final episode last Friday and whaddayaknow, the production team made a major plot twist that is different from the original. A lot different that it's worth blogging about.

The girl who went through the 49-day journey lived!

of book series finale

Poet Geoffrey Chaucer once penned the phrase, "All good things must come to an end", in one of his many works and I agree with him wholeheartedly. Nothing in this world lasts forever. There is an end to everything, even the good stuff.

Out of the many things that I considered "good stuff", books are on top of my list. Books are the best stuff that man ever created and I'm not ashamed to say that I'm a huge book nerd. 

[K-Drama Review] Marriage Not Dating

August of 2014 is a good month for K-Dramas. Most of the shows that aired this month had a good start, maintained the quality and ended on a happy note with no lingering hard feelings. Some of the dramas I looked forward to in my Drama Expectations 3 were among them. But what I'm here for is not to write about those dramas but another one that made me write the introductory sentence above and that drama is none other than Marriage not Dating. It's a weirdly phrased title, I know, but my momma told me not to judge a drama by its title or something like that.

Fangirl goes K-Indie

For the last two months I've distanced myself from KPOP 'cause I felt a sense of dejavu with the recent departure of Kris from the group EXO. I guess history really does repeat itself and before I sink too deep into despairland like that time with TVXQ, I decided to take an indefinite break from listening to their songs and KPOP in general. If idols can go hiatus, well what's stopping a mere fan like me from taking one myself.

Spoiler Alert!

"Spoiler won't stop people from buying the book, they never have - all it will do is diminish their pleasure in the book." - JK Rowling

The Harry Potter creator released that statement around the release of Deathly Hallows and she couldn't say it better than that. I remember I banned myself from accessing the internet until I finished the book for fear that the finale of my Harry Potter journey would be ruined by spoilers posted online. That was seven years ago and the internet has changed a lot, internet trolls are everywhere nowadays. Those trolls spout out spoilers like their lives depended on it. Apparently the warning "Spoiler Alert" are not part of their vocabulary.

Drama Expectations 3: The Blasts from the Past Edition

I like counting my chickens before they're hatched... at least when it comes to my dramas. So here I am again with another Drama Expectation of doom!

2014 started out great with You From Another Star and with it alone I can say that 2014 is a good year in dramaland. It really does boil down to that one awesome drama that will have a special place in your heart for the interesting plot and stellar performance from the cast. Then there's Bride of the Century that was quite a surprise but more of that in my year end review. For now I will write about the dramas that I am looking forward to watching because what's a year in dramaland without the dramas that got me at the edge of my seat in anticipation even before it aired.

LSS: The Fault In Our Stars

My twitter news feed is filled with The Fault In Our Stars (TFIOS) related news nowadays and that's easily explained by the fact that the movie is just around the corner. The movie is set to premiere on June 6 and fans all over the world are atwitter about it. Fans are excited to see if the movie will live up to the book which, according to most readers, was a major cry fest. As for me, I have other reason why I'm looking forward to watching the movie.

Five things I learned about blogging (A 5th Anniversary Post)

Five years ago I started this blog out of boredom and I didn't really expect that it would go on this long. Over the years I have watched my blog evolved from a strictly personal blog to a place in the Web where I write my thoughts on dramas, movies and just about anything I feel like writing about. Five years is long enough time for me to pick up a few lessons in blogging and I'm going to share it here in my anniversary post.

Mystery behind fave author's drama preference finally solved

Reading and watching Asian dramas are two of my hobbies. Books and dramas keep me company late at night and when I don't feel like going out. I mostly read books written in the English language and most of the dramas I watch are Korean. I read Western stuff and I watch Korean stuff, I drew a line between those two and it has always been that way until last year...

[K-Drama Review] Mimi

I was excited for Mimi for only one reason and that reason is Shim Changmin. No more, no less. The last time I saw Changmin in a drama was in 2011's Paradise Ranch and I am curious to know if his acting improved or stayed as stiff and cringe-worthy as before. Of course, I also can't miss the chance to fangirl over Oppa. I dived into Mimi hoping against hope that I will get a good drama out of this one. I can even forgive a bad drama if I can see a newly-improved Changmin. Fingers crossed!

Let It Go: The fangirl's favorite version

Weeks after I saw the movie Frozen, it has become a massive global hit and the song “Let It Go" is now a worldwide phenomenon. It's not only because the movie and the song both received awards from Oscars but because the song is strangely addicting. If you go around YouTube, there you'll find thousands of covers and parodies of the song in different languages and different singing styles. I, myself, like to watch the funny ones with nonsense lyrics (translations).

12 Things I Learned About EXO (An EXO's Showtime Review)

In 2012, it was through a friend that I learned about EXO and because they were SM Town's maknae group I couldn't help but be curious about them. When they made their comeback with "Wolf", I was one of the thousands of fans who cheered for them.

From the day I watched Mama until they released Growl, I'd say I am an EXO fan but not to the fullest extent. I need to watch them in their own variety show so I can truly say I am EXOtic. Then came EXO's Showtime. The show that I've been waiting for. I anticipated the premiere more than I have ever anticipated other shows before. I am eager to know how they interact with each other and just how fun they are as a group.

[Review] Dad, Where Are We Going? Season 1

Shows come and go. Some air for a couple of years and some for only a few months but, inevitably, it will come to an end. It's the nature of things in showbiz. Whether a show ran for 20 years or for 3 months, I always believe that it is how the viewers connect to the show that makes it immortal more than the ratings or any other aspects. Who else would spread the love around but the viewers, right?

A Decade of Asian Dramas

This year marks my tenth year of being an Asian drama fan. It's been a decade since Meteor Garden graced my television screen and spurred a passion in me to obsess over fictional worlds and characters unique to Asian dramas. Over the years the pile of fave dramas, fave actors and favorite genres have accumulated in my drawer of good stuff that I almost didn't notice that I've come back full circle to my predicament ten years ago. That is to wave the second male lead flag knowing he will never get the girl at the end. Yes, the second male lead syndrome is strong with me.

A crackless 2013 in Dramaland

I feel like Kdramaland has betrayed me big time this year because when I was asked what's my top 3 korean dramas of 2013, I had to stop and think hard on my answer. After a full minute I am still not quite sure with my answer, I even asked if it's okay to include a Japanese drama? pfft!, I knew right then and there that 2013 is not a happy ride for me in Kdramaland.

It came to a point where I can't even call a certain drama a crack no matter how much I enjoyed watching it. I am always searching for that one tiny ingredient to make it click but I couldn't find that in any of the drama I watched this year. I also have a serious case of second lead syndrome. That's the problem when one writes a swoon-worthy second lead that overshadowed the main lead. It's just natural to root for the guy who will never have the girl, fist pump and all! Maybe that explains why I didn't write even a single drama review this year... or maybe I'm just lazy.

Very Merry Xmas from Tohoshinki

Very Merry Xmas, everyone!

I'm so excited for my boys' comeback in Korea to celebrate their 10th year anniversary! Wee~~~ A decade of beautiful music, jam-packed concerts, awesome music videos, hilarious variety shows, addictive dramas and a lot more. I love these guys so much that no matter how rough the road is, no matter how much tears I shed, I'm still keeping my faith.

TVXQ's anniversary will be on the 26th but they will have their comeback early in January next year so for now I'm going to quench my thirst of Dong Bang Shin Ki awesomeness with this beautiful song. It's season appropriate!

[Movie Review] The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

Waiting is normal for a fan. Be it waiting for a new book from a favorite author, a new album from a favorite artist, a new season of a favorite show, the next installment of a movie series... once a person brand herself as a fan, it goes without saying that she should have the patience to wait for what comes next.

It is never easy. Especially if what you're waiting for is a follow-up movie adaptation of a book trilogy you've read a long time ago. It's like torture.

But waiting comes with a reward. The feeling of finally being able to check a movie off your list is strangely gratifying. What more if the movie is not just good, but better than you think it would be. That everything you imagined while reading the book is faithfully translated and the movie still has a lot to offer. That's what happen with The Hunger Games: Catching Fire. It's awesome! It's definitely worth the wait!

TEAM CHILBONGIE!

It is said that you're not a true Answer Me 1994 fan if you don't choose which team you are part of, no in-between, no protecting your shipper heart. It is full on dance of joy or a weeping mess at the end of this drama. So let me say it out loud that I am TEAM CHILBONGIE! For better or for worse.

Even before I started watching Answer Me 1994 I am always Team Chilbongie or to be precise, Team Yoo Yeon Seok. I like Yoo Yeon Seok, I like him a lot. He played undesirable characters before (Architecture 101, A Werewolf Boy, Gu Family Book) but I never really had the heart to truly hate him even if he tried his hardest. How can I hate that pretty face, right? (and yes, I am shallow. HAHA) What I did is the opposite, I became his fan and I waited for drama production companies to offer him a leading role because that face and talent is male lead material. Anyone who said otherwise will be dead meat. Lol

When news broke out that he got a part in Answer Me 1994, I got uber excited. This is it! Finally! Yoo Yeon Seok as the leading man... or is he?