"Tokyo Tower"

Another Jun Matsumoto movie done in 2004 with Junichi Okada, Hitomi Kuroki and Shinobu Terajima. The story revolves around two college boys—Toru (Okada) and Koji (Matsumoto) who go for older women almost double their age. Toru fell in love with a socialite housewife, Shifumi (Kuroki) while Koji became involved with a plain housewife, Kimiko (Terajima).

The “May-December” affair as a theme is interesting but I find this one dragging. The scenes were devoid of excitement and the characters lacked the “fire.”

For me, Okada did not fit the role of a college student ‘coz he looks matured and his acting was so-so to think he’s the lead. Meanwhile, her partner, Kuroki, really looked class but her acting was also raw.

In fairness to Matsumoto, though he was too lean that time, his playboy character suited well with his looks and his acting was better off than Okada. Same with the character "Yoshida" who was also effective in her role as the other girl who got attracted to him. You can see in her the picture of a scorned woman. As to Terajima, her face was expressionless most of the time yet her character was a bit wild (what an irony). And like Okada and Kuroki, her interaction with Matsumoto lacked in passion thinking it’s an illicit love affair.

I guess, the title “Tokyo Tower” is not suited for the movie since the tower didn’t have any significance on the story. Yeah, Toru and Shifumi met when the tower was lit up and it also served as background when he decided to leave her but other than these, the tower was not anymore highlighted.

Therefore, if you don’t want to be pissed off, don’t watch this crappy movie.

“Batanes (Love Knows No Borders)”

At last, I’ve seen this movie after few months of waiting. When I first heard that Ken Zhu will be doing a movie here in the Philippines, I said, c'mon, that's unbelievable. But when F4 had a presscon in Korea in September, and he was asked about it, he said it's under negotiation. Thereon, I became ecstatic on the said the project.

Anyway, the story started with how Pam (Iza Calzado) met Rico (Joem Bascon) in Manila. When they became couple, Rico brought Pam in his hometown in Batanes, married her there and led a simple life. This romance is then cut short when tragedy struck Rico while he was fishing and died right there and then. But when the sea claimed his life, it cast out another one--Kao--a Taiwanese fisherman who encountered mechanical trouble with his boat and swam for his life. Kao didn’t know that he has set afoot on the island of Sabtang, Batanes. Incidentally, Pam was there to relive the memory of her late husband. At first, Kao was hesitant to talk to her not until she brought him to her place. That’s where a beautiful love blossomed.

Basically, the first hour dwells on the love story between Pam and Rico while the second half is devoted to her and Kao.

So let me start first with what I hated in this movie--it’s Pam’s hair. I swear, the choice of wig was horrible. And she looks awkward with it. I wish she just let her hair curled first since she is a career woman in Manila and then half-way, she used her real hair with extenders until waist. Anyway this length is typical for a country lass and looks more natural.

Second, I didn’t like how Pam and Rico first met. Her phone was snatched on her way to LRT and then she bumped onto Rico whom she thought was in cahoots with the thief. When she was about to call a police, he had a seizure. In real life, who would want a husband with epilepsy. I have nothing against about the disease but let’s be realistic. I know the scriptwriter wants to emphasize that her meeting with him was something distinct. It should have been better if he was the one who helped her to catch the thief…that’s more natural and courageous on the part of a guy.

And third, there were less “moments” for the two of them. Yeah, there was a kissing scene but they were on the bed. How I wish there was also a scene where they create memories together and at the same time used the beauty of the place to its full potential.

Meantime, there are two scenes that I love here--first, is when Kao wanted to swim back to sea to go back to Taiwan and Pam got mad at him. She was nagging in Filipino and Kao fought back in Mandarin. That was really cute. Second is when she was reunited with Kao on the shore. He said something like this: “At first, I didn’t want to talk because I thought there was nothing left for me, but then I met you…” Gosh, that was so romantic.

As to Ken’s characterization, Kao is a far cry from the Ximen we all knew. In “Meteor Garden,” he was a brat and cutie-cutie but here, he matured not just physically but an actor as well. His role is like tailored maid for him. In fact, I also fell for Kao here ’coz this character is sensitive and caring. He didn’t spoke too much words, but you can really feel his gentleness.

As to Iza, she acted pretty well and had chemistry with Ken. But I personally don’t like Iza to be the lead here. Period. I hope the role was given to other actress but due to scarcity of leading ladies in the country nowadays especially that match well with Pam’s profile, she is the best fit (though Judy Ann Santos was the first to be considered in her role).

In terms of musical scoring, it lacked drama as well in its theme song sung by Jolina Magdangal. Though there was one song by a guy which I find ok but I dunno the title. What I also like about chinovelas and jdoramas are its theme songs that match well with the story, scenes and pacing, as if you are virtually transported to another dimension, you know what I mean. This is again below my expectations.

Nevertheless, I would like to commend the movie’s producer, Ignite Media and GMA Films for without their initiative, who would have thought of this collaboration. I have lost my belief in Filipino movies but this time, it aroused my interest once more and made me go back to the cinema. I just hope there would be more project like this to help bring back the glory of Philippine movies. And of course, to Ken for believing in the project and squeezing it in his hectic schedule even though his management was against it in the beginning. Hsieh Hsieh ni! I hope this would not be his first and last project in the Philippines.

All in all, the movie has a perfect storyline...yes, it is beautiful but it could have been much better.

ZHU XIAO TIAN

I didn’t dare to watch any live shows of F4 when they visited the country in 2003 and 2004 ‘coz like I said, I was not their avid fan before. I only became one recently. So when I heard they will be having their second tourism promotion which was scheduled last October in Taiwan, I planned to go there. But then I didn’t know that in order to get a visa, you have to show proofs of financial capability unlike when I secured a visa going to China before. Hence, I postponed the trip. Even though I wasn’t able to watch them there, Ken instead was the one who visited my country, just to put it, hehehe. So when I heard that he will be having a fans day in Manila for the promotion of his movie “Batanes,” I hurriedly went to Trinoma last Monday (December 3) to see him in flesh and blood. Unfortunately, I didn’t read the instruction on the board so I wasn’t able to get a better view of him (sigh). I was just on one side together with other fans who didn’t also know about the set-up.

The show is scheduled to start at 6pm but it began 45 minutes late. And the worse thing, Ken was caught in a traffic jam for 2 hours going to the said mall so he came in almost 9pm. Since I was already enervated when he came out and my location made the matter even worse, I didn’t feel the excitement anymore. Nevertheless, from afar, his light complexion and stocky built were noticeable, yet dashing as ever .

It was just a pity that he catch colds and cough when he arrived the country so he was not able to perform on that event for his legion of fans. He was just interviewed by the host, received this “adopted son” thing from the province of Batanes, and then gave out autographs for his screened fans. That’s all he did that night. I felt sad for myself since my effort didn’t paid off.

Even so, I also noticed that the fan base of F4 in the Philippines did not wane since that occasion was jump-packed. What more if it’s the whole group, I could not imagine the crowd. When they last visited here, it seemed that the reception of their fans was not that warm compared earlier. I also remember that the husband of my cousin stayed in Taiwan in 2004, he said that F4 was not hot there anymore. So, I didn’t developed much interest on them any longer not until this year when something happened to my personal life. At least, when I started to adore them, their tourism project and the movie “Batanes” came along, that’s why my admiration for them is not yet late. I understand they are also planning to release a group album once more. And this year, Jerry, Vic and Ken are considered the top 3 highest paid male idol in Taiwan followed by Mike He and then Joe Cheng. So that’s what you called “has been,” eheheh…

In any case, I hope Xiao Tian will continue on believing with the Filipinos and look forward to see other Asian superstars in local productions. Won Bin, Matsujun, Xiao Mei, Xiao Zong…anyone there?!

"Bambino"

This jdorama is the latest treat from Jun Matsumoto that talks about passion and dream. It’s not a love story set in the kitchen but it’s about falling in love with the latter.

Jun Matsumoto as Ban or Bambino (name for a “newbie”) is a college student from Fukuoka Prefecture who had his training in a high-class Italian restaurant, Baccanale Trattoria, in Tokyo. In the beginning, he encountered difficulties because he could not catch-up with the pace of the kitchen staff. But when he adjusted, his training was about to end and he had to go back to school. Ban-chan’s determination and aspirations will then be tested as the story unfolds.
I thought I would not hear any words of wisdom in the story but there was on the latter part from Ban‘s former classmate, Shimine, it goes: “Only one day off and hard work the rest of the days, one day you realize you’ve gotten old. Work is important. People need to eat. But work is work, it should not be your whole life. You should enjoy the moment while you’re young.” Yes, we need to work but we should also take time to smell the roses. Ergo, it’s not bad to unwind once in a while, go to places, meet people, watch movies/dramas, read books, explore and so on. We do also need to understand life and find the purpose of our existence and not just work all the time.

And the second moral of the story is, it’s never too late to what you might have been. Like here, even though Tekkan (Baccanale’s big boss) is way beyond his prime and already stable, he still decided to venture to a new business in Italy, be a first-timer once more and learn again from there. Therefore, regardless of what age we are in, we should dare and continue to dream on for this lifetime is short.

Regarding Matsumoto, I dunno if his walking has somewhat improved or it was tricked ‘coz it seems he is not anymore “sashaying.” At least the director did something on this matter. In "Hanayori Dango" and "Bokuwa Imoutoni Koi Wo Suru", his model walk was very obvious. It’s very him and not the character.

One more, I also noticed his skin imperfections here when I thought it is that smooth. When I saw his interviews and performance over you tube after watching HD, gosh, he’s like the cutest guy to hit the screen ever… I considered him a demi-god then. But when I saw him in here, this belief thawed out.

As to his acting, matsujun has been improving ‘coz as a viewer, I felt his “force” here. As if I’m one with him, promise…But when it comes to his leading lady, they really have no spark at all. They act as if they’re like brother and sister. I dunno if this was intended because Ban still seems to be not serious with his love life.

Another thing that irritated me here is the CR guy whose behavior is kinda weird. It appears that he has a world of his own. He’s also a kitchen staff but does keep pace with the rest of his colleagues. He only spoke very few words, more on facial reactions, and when he delivered his advice to Ban-chan, he did it by singing. Crap! He’s horrible!

But if this guy is irksome, my golly wow, Katori and Masashi are otherwise. Two other handsome Japanese aside from matsujun and kimutaku, hakhak! I hope they will be given more exposures in other jdoramas.

About the presentation of the story, it has side comments, pauses and change of color to black & white on the beginning and latter part of every episode, quite novel for a drama, but I still like the traditional one.

Well, if “Long Vacation” is my most favorite drama to date, this is included in my least favorite dramas together with “Love Contract” and “Beautiful Life.” But then again, if you’re a fan Matsujun, this will do.

* photo credit to AF

"Beautiful Life"

This is a love story between a woman with disability and a male hairstylist. Japan’s resident heartthrob Takuya Kimura plays Okishima Shuji and Takako Tokiwa as Machida Kyoko. “Beautiful Life” was shown in Japan in 2000 and got many awards from the 24th Television Drama Academy Awards.

It was aired here in the Philippines recently over QTV-11 every weekend, from 1:00 - 2:00 pm. Since its time slot was during sleepy hours, I wasn’t able to view it in full. Nevertheless, I was still able to follow the story. Actually, this is the first drama that I’ve seen with this kind of love story--a hairstylist falling for a physically disadvantaged lady.

On the characters…I hated Kyoko because she’s just like into self-pity and most of the time, not true to herself when it comes to her feelings with Shuji.

Contrastingly, Kimura’s character here as Shuji is almost the same as Senna in “Long Vacation” who is also caring and open to the girl he likes. While his profession reminds me of the Taiwanese drama “The Magicians of Love” where 183 Club members also play the role of hair designers. But the latter were more dashing-looking compared to him 'coz he was low-profiled in the story.

Shall I say, the plot is heavy because it deals with a degenerative disease and no character was there to give a comic relief. Kyoko’s brother, Masao, even made the matter worse because he was overprotective to her to the point that he had become unreasonable. Though in the end, he realized that he was wrong. If not only for Takuya Kimura, I would not watch this.

I must admit that I didn’t enjoy this one, but I was carried away in the end. Hence, I do not recommend this unless you’re a fan of Kimutaku.

“Re Qing Zhong Xia”

I happen to encounter this series when I rummaged a Chinese store in Divisoria, heheh! When I saw Joe Cheng on the cover, I immediately bought it because I still had this “Joe fever” since I just finished watching “ISWAK.”

“Re Qing Zhong Xia” or “Summer x Summer” is a 12-episode series based on a Japanese manga "Nice Summer" by Yachi Emiko. It was shown early part of this year but it seems it did not do well in the ratings game opposite “Hana Kimi” starring Wu Zun of the boy group Fahrenheit and Ella Chen of the all girl singing group S.H.E.

The story is so light since it is story-oriented than character-oriented. No heavy emotional scenes but more on how a not so pretty girl attracted this famous handsome model.

Joe Cheng’s character here as Lei seems a bit crazy and a lil mischievous. I just observed that in this series and in “It Started with a Kiss,” he becomes wacky only in dream sequence (maybe his agency does not want him to be more of a comedian like Show Luo so as not to de-glamorize his image as a model) and his character in these two seems “gay-ish” (Mike He doesn’t like this, nyahaha).

As to her leading lady, Cai Yi Zhen who plays Xia Ya, her character is kinda irritating because aside from being ugly, she is also clumsy and loud. In reality, I think it’s hard to attract a popular and good-looking guy with this kind of personality. But with her, it came effortless, hahah! Well in this life, it‘s not always about outward appearance.

The scenes that I find cute…first, is when Xia Ya and Lei were walking holding hands along the street and the former saw the billboard where the latter was on it whose arm was around a partially-hidden girl. In real life, if this happens to me, of course I will feel very proud and exultant because it’s like a dream come true having one of the most fantasized guys as my bf. And second, when Lei taught Xia Ya how to do the catwalk on a busy street. That was so brilliant and at the same time romantic (sigh).

Tang Yu Zhe as Tian Guang Zhen was Lei’s antagonist here. I first noticed him on the preview of “They Kissed Again” (ISWAK 2) because he’s cute there and since then I begin to wonder who that guy was. But I only knew his name after watching this drama. Well, this is another cute guy to watch for.

Unfortunately, the copy of this drama that I bought has no subtitle, I only understand very minimal words such as why, what, where, thank you, sorry, happiness, because, but, right, therefore, 1-2-3...nyahah! Luckily, there’s this character half-way, an English guy who can’t speak Mandarin so I managed to understand some scenes. And even though I could not fully comprehend the dialogues, I could still understand the flow of the story because of the actions and reactions. But just to make sure, I downloaded it and chose some parts which caught my attention. At first, I thought I would not be tickled by the romance between Ou Yang Lei and Xia Ya. In the latter part, I became drawn to them but the story immediately came to a halt…tsk, tsk…

But then honestly, I am now biased with Ariel Lin after watching “ISWAK.“ I guess, this show would be a hit if Ariel Lin was the one who acted as Xia Ya. But many of you will suppose it is just like a sequel of “ISWAK” like Rainie Yang being teamed-up again with Mike He in “Huan Huan Ai” this year where most people think it’s like a sequel to “Devil Beside You.”

Well, I watched this show mainly because I have started to admire Joe Cheng. Again, like “Magic Ring,” this is a must-see for all his fans out there.

“E Zuo Ju Zhi Wen”

This is based on Japanese manga "Itazura na Kiss" (Mischievous kiss) by Tada Kaoru and considered the third most popular drama in Taiwan. It was aired in 2005 with Zheng Yuan Chang (Jiang Zhi Shu) and Lin Yi Chen (Xiang Qin) playing the lead.
The story goes…after an earthquake destroyed Xiang Qin's house, she and her father moved in with the family of her father's college buddy, Uncle Ah Li. To her surprise, the kind and amicable aunt and uncle are the parents of her cold and distant schoolmate Jiang Zhi Shu, a genius with an IQ of 200 whom not too long ago rejected her. With this close proximity, a cute romance will blossom.

Cheng fit’s the role of Jiang Zhi Shu because when he is not smiling he looks snob. At first, you will really hate him but in the latter part, his heart softens.

On Yi Chen, my impression on her was not good, especially after watching “Love Contract.” I realized that it was not only me who has this antagonism towards her, I guess most people do. But when I watched this series, I started to adore her, promise. She is not that beautiful but acting-wise, her brand of comedy is better than Yang Chen Lin and Ella Chen. She is simply funny.

Aside from her, Zhang Bo Han (Yu Shu ) and Jiro Wang (Yuan Feng) also gave comic relief to the story. Though at times, they seem to be annoying, lah!

The part that I like here is the hospital scene when Yu Shu was confined due to stomach ache. The three funny characters---Xiang Qin, Yu Shu and Yuan Feng joined forces which made that part totally hilarious. Another one is when Yuan Feng stole the food from Zhi Shu which was prepared by Xiang Qin. But the food didn’t taste good so he forced himself to eat it even though he already wants to throw up. His reaction was so funny.

The part that I least like here is when the character of Pei Zi Yu (Xu Wei Ning), entered the picture and she wants Zhi Shu and Xiang Qin to break apart. This girl is half-American and half-Taiwanese and beautiful…a very big threat to Xiang Qin.

Ironically, the title is “It Started With A Kiss” but the two main characters didn’t even have any passionate kiss. The title should have been it “It Started With A Letter” because that is the first scene and the letter also seems to be the reason why Zhi Shu realized that he is attracted to Xiang Qin.

I must admit that I can relate to the story, especially to Xiang Qin, because I see myself in her when I am attracted to a guy whom I feel also likes me. Here, Xiang Qin joined the Tennis organization just to be with Zhi Shu and even followed him in the restaurant where he works. Not only that, she did this miniature bakeshop painstakingly just to show her love for him. Aiyoh! It made me remember the stuff which I did for a guy years back…well, it paid off somehow, heheh!

I also understand that this series was shot in different seasons which resulted in goofs. But I didn’t notice that there were, actually the flow of the scenes was smooth and it looked natural. In other series, some details of the scenes were overlooked which resulted in obvious discontinuity. I guess, the credit here goes to the director, Qu You Ning.

As to the musical scoring, like most dramas that I’ve watched, I love its opening theme “Say You Love Me” by Jason and Lara. My first rap to hear in Mandarin and it sounds great. It reminds me of the theme in the Japanese drama “Long Vacation” which also has this hip and funky musical scoring.

Anyhow, this is a “must see” since its sequel “They Kissed Again” is currently airing in Taiwan. I am also looking forward to watch this one on DVD.

* photo credit to AF

“Ai Qing He Yue”

I am finally done with the 20-episode of “Love Contract” (“Ai Qing He Yue” in Mandarin). Outwardly, Xiao Feng (Ariel Lin) is a stubborn tomboy and the captain of the Kendo Club at her college. In her group of friends, she is the leader with her demanding nature and abrupt ways. Inwardly, however, Xiao Feng is a girl scarred by her past and searching for what she wants most--love. Her friends, Ah Kai (Zhang Rui Jia), Xiao Bai (Lai Zhi Wei ), Mu Tou (Lin Yi Hong), Xin Lei (Zhong Xin Yu), and, Xiao Xiao (Yang Pei Ting) don't know about that part of her past but they are all loyal friends to her…not until Xiao Bai and Ah Kai leave the Kendo Club for the Swimming Team. Nonetheless, the two are immediately regretful when the captain of the Swim Team, Ah Ken (Mike He), turns out to be a captain as grueling as Xiao Feng. One night, Xiao Feng announces to her friends that she wants “love” the most so what Xiao Bai and Ah Kai did, they devised a prank called the “love contract.” Written in it is that they will find team members for the swimming team to recruit but Ah Ken must court Xiao Feng. So that’s where the story started.

Honestly, among the series that I watched this is what I like the least. First, because the leading female character here is fierce and the guy is docile like the Korean movie “My Sassy Girl.” I pity the guy in this kind of set-up so I’m not happy with it. Second, the girl who plays this fierce character happens to be Ariel Lin whom I find unpleasant. I am bothered by the way she looks…it must be the eyes…though I find her cute.

But what irked me most here is the part where the three male friends of Xiao Feng mistook her for a Filipino maid. Take note, there’s a nationality before the word “maid.” This is racial slur from our neighboring country. I dunno if the scriptwriter or anybody behind the production has a big grudge on Filipinos. Or maybe they are indirectly referring to Ariel who looks like a maid, hahah! But this part is unnecessary and can be deleted in the story, it’s not even crucial to the succeeding scenes. Actually, this is the second time where Taiwanese looked down on Filipinos. I read somewhere that Zheng Xue Er who played Ye Sha in “Meteor Garden 2” was called “fei yong,” something like a Filipino maid because she is dark skinned and they don‘t like her for Dao Ming Si. Gosh, that’s very insensitive. I know Chinese people would not be happy if we say they stink. So I hope this remarks be avoided in the future so as not to result to more misunderstandings. I love Taiwan and it’s people that’s why I am hurt when they associate Filipinos as domestic helpers. Yes, I know that many of our countrymen resort to this kind of job because this is the only way they know to escape from poverty. But this is more dignified than stealing or selling your body, right?! And not all Filipinos are household workers, there are a lot of Pinoy professionals in every corner of the world because they are the most preferred by foreign employers. We have seaman, doctors, nurses, engineers, teachers who are sought after and doing well in their profession. It’s not only because we can understand and speak English fluently but because we have the right attitude that cannot be equaled by any race. And I’m proud to be a Filipino and will always be proud of my heritage.

Going back, there’s a part that I find here very amusing and that is the ending. You know why, it has three endings, it seems you will choose the more appropriate conclusion of the story and that’s very funny.

I heard that others consider this as an “Art” series because they said it is character-driven as compared to the typical Taiwanese series that are story-driven. I think their reason for this is the part where Xiao Feng became comatose after the accident which evoked much acting on the part of Ah Ken. Honestly, when my cousin and I were watching this part, we were both crying. The scenes were so heavy to the point you will not be able to contain it.

Nevertheless, the only reason why I watched this drama is because of He Jun Xiang who for me is the most dashing Chinese actor so far. Even though he was still lean during that time, his eyes and lips are very promising. I will not get tired watching him and hope to see more of him in other stories.

Obviously, I will not recommend this series but if you are Xiao Mei’s fan, you may give it a try.

* photo credit to AF

NEVER DIES

I became so high when F4 performed once again. It was held last October 28 at the National Taiwan University as part of their role being the country's new tourism ambassador. Unfortunately I wasn’t there (sigh), just watched it over the net.

Based on reports, an estimated of 4,5000 tourists from Japan and 500 from Korea availed of the “Meteor Garden” tour and the culmination of which is to see F4 performs. Take note, local fans and other fans in the region not included here. If the government only opened the event to other fans, for sure, that would be very festive.

I just noticed that their fame hasn’t waned but rather becomes more thrilling since they are more gorgeous than ever. Even only watching the video, I was also being carried away when they sang “Can’t Lose You” and “Season of Fireworks.” Before I can’t really understand why their fans were going gaga over them. Only after watching the whole “Meteor Garden” drama months back that I have become fascinated with them. I must admit, I am a late bloomer as always. But it’s not yet late. I attribute to them why I am being fascinated with chinovelas and jdoromas now, leading me to discover a whole new entertainment experience.

Others think that F4 has already been disbanded but according to their management, there is really no F4 to begin with so how come they would split-up. Yeah right, because F4 is just a group of boys in the phenomenal series “Mateor Garden” which is based on Japanese manga “Hanyori Dango” or “Boys Over Flowers.” From thereon, they were considered as a boy group.

But whether they are a group or not, they will forever stay…if not physically, for sure in our hearts. F4 YONG YUAN BU MIE!!!

* photo credit to asianbite

A WHOLE NEW WORLD…OF WORDS

Having watched ten chinovelas, I am gradually learning some Mandarin words. But I also bought this Mandarin Languange pocketbook to supplement my knowledge. I already know how to count from 1 to 10, to say hello “ni hao, ” to say thank you “hsie-hsie,” to bid farewell “zai-jan,” and to sing even in Mandarin which I could not do before, heheh.

I remember, I watch Chinese action drama when I was in my teens and try to understand what they are talking about. Hahah, that’s actually weird. But now, I can understand very minimal words, and that’s an improvement.

In studying other language, it is important to have a good memory and interest. If you already know some words then sentence construction is much easier. Thanks to my Nihonggo class in college…it helped me in analyzing Mandarin language construction.

Actually, it’s only the beginning. I am like a kid now learning how to speak my native tongue. But I am very enthusiastic to learn Mandarin having gone to China, Singapore and Indonesia (where some parts speak Mandarin). I don’t want to grope again. I would love to understand the heart of Chinese people and converse with them like any other fellow. Who knows, I’ll be back again in China, maybe in Shanghai or Beijing this time or travel to Taiwan. Why not?! Hao le, jia you!

PHILIPPINE PARADISE

Waaaahhh!!!! I am looking forward to seeing Ken Zhu in a Philippine production to be shown early December of this year. It is entitled “Batanes…Sa Dulo Ng Walang Hanggan, ” an independent movie under Ignite Films and directed by Adolf Calix.

From what I understand, he portrays here the role of a Taiwanese fisherman whose boat got a mechanical failure which led him to set foot on the so-called Philippine paradise, Batanes. There he will meet a beautiful young widow, played by Iza Calzado, and thus, a love story begins.

I wonder how these two lead characters would understand each other where one speaks in Mandarin and the other in Filipino. That’s what we have to find out. So if I were you, better not miss this one.

By the way, Ken is part of this Taiwanese phenomenal boy group “F4” who shot to meteoric fame after their series “Meteor Garden” became a hit in the region.

Being a Filipino, I am proud to hear that he fell in love with Batanes to think that he is already well-traveled. He didn’t know that there is a piece of paradise south of his country. I am sure he didn’t regret his decision to accept this offer in spite the absence of blessing from his management, Fu Long Entertainment.

Ken is used to being followed by paparazzis and fans everywhere he goes, but here he was totally surprised ’coz he became a normal person once again…he was able to do what he wants like driving a motorcycle without being hounded by reporters and fans.

Actually, Ken only had praises on the province, its people, his Filipino counterparts and the movie’s production team. That’s unimaginable from him because he is known for being snob and “mataray”. But here, he was humbled by the experience so he plans to do another production in the said place with the same team in the future.

Though I do not consider myself his big fan, I am very much excited for this movie. I obviously adore Taiwanese actors and seeing one in a local production is a whole new experience. I just hope it would be a resounding success so this would open-up for other Asian collaborations. Women ai ni, Xiao Tian!

* photo credit to pbase

“Ai Shang Qian Jin Mei Mei"

“In Love With A Rich Girl” is its English title but here in the Philippines, it was changed to “Senorita Mei Mei” when it was aired over GMA-7 years back. However, I didn’t watch it then, just only recently when it had its re-run at QTV-11.

This is a story of rich girl, Ai Bi/Albee (Joe Chen), who is pampered in all her life. But in a twist of fate, her mother was hospitalized while her father’s company went bankrupt and left them, leading her to strive on her own. To make the matter worse, her fiance, Huang Bo Cheng (Tian Jia Da) was snatched away from her by their common friend. Meantime, Wei Zhe (Jason Hsu), is a paparazzi who follows her everywhere she goes but soon will find himself in love with her. But his childhood friend, Justin (Huang Yu Rong), will stand in their way.

The story, though short, is neither heavy nor light. The plot only became complicated because the lives of Ai Bi’s housemates were played up to make it more exciting while Wei Zhe gives the comic relief from beginning ‘til the end.

I noticed that paparazzis/reporters are quite common in Taiwanese series. What I don’t understand here is why Ai Bi being followed by paparazzi, she’s not even a celebrity, only the daughter of a businessman, and her private life is being dug-up. Well, I guess this is a cultural thing.

The part where Ai Bi’s father left her to hide reminds me of “Yu Dao Ai.” From here, I guess it’s normal for Chinese businessmen to run away and hide after their company goes into bankruptcy, then resurface after they fix the problems.

What really caught my attention here is Ehlo Huang. It’s my first time to see him here, and I was mesmerized by him in the process. He’s really damn sexy. He has the bad boy look here that matches with his temperamental character. I swear, black attire suits him best. He also wore black in the latter part of “Ai Qing Mo Fa Shi” and indeed, he was overflowing with sex appeal.

As to Joe and Jason's tandem, I think they look good together and got a lot of chemistry.

So if I were you, try to look for this one. It is a cute series that can make you laugh and doesn't make you feel sad after watching.

* photo credit to AF

“Ai Qing Mo Fa Shi”

This is a romantic-comedy series starring another popular Taiwanese boy group, the 183 Club (composed of Ming Dao, Wang Shao Wei, Zhu Fan Gang and Huang Yu Rong) and Zheng Zhi Qiao of the Mandopop Duo “Sweety.” Aired in Taiwan in 2006, “Ai Qing Mo Fa Shi” (translated, “The Magicians of Love“) was a big hit that it extended to 22 episodes from the original 18.
It is an intricate love story revolving around hair stylists, Du Artz (Ming Dao), Lin Er Qi/Richie (Shao Wei), Fei Nan Du/Fernando (Fan Gang), Xiao Zhe Ming (Ehlo Huang), Bei Ruo Yi/Xiao Bei (Qiao Qiao), Lee Qing Kong (Adriene Lin) and models Ye Ke Lan (Sui Tang) and Emma (Sun Ai Hui). It also deals with competition between two salons--the traditional Zhong Nan and the modern Neo Image.

Though the story is nice, there are some parts that I find ridiculous. First, it was not established how Xiao Bei and Du Yasi’s grandmother met. They were very close but howcome their relationship attained that point? They should have met somewhere and bumped into each other. For example, Du Yasi is accompanying his grandma while pretending to be his twin brother, Du Yajun, who died in a car accident. Perhaps that looks more sensible. There is just a place called Kang Shou where Xiao Bei and Du Yasi go to visit her and I really cannot connect it. Second, Er Qi usually uses a motorcycle but half-way, he was seen driving a car. I think there were two scenes where he drives a car. And then suddenly, he goes back with motorcycle. It was not consistent. Third is the creepy one-eyed black creatures which appear every time Xiao Bei is locked up. The animation doesn’t look good, for me it’s disgusting…I even have goosebumps when I see it. Another, the brown jacket with number 23 in it. This jacket is earlier worn by Du Yasi when he saved Bei Ruo Yi from an impending accident. It is the only thing that she remembers before passing out Hence, it’s suppose to be Du Yasi’s but all of a sudden Er Qi used it without asking permission from the former. There should be a scene where he asked Yasi’s approval first before he left the salon to attend to an important matter. That’s unethical. Next is when Xiao Bei barged in to the salon to spread virus to Yasi’s laptop in order to get back at him. The door was not locked up and no one was looking after the place. It’s not logical. And lastly, the part where the people of Neo-Image have this informal meeting regarding Xiao Bei and then suddenly one turns on the TV and voila, the star tennis player is acknowledging Xiao Bei for her haircut and attributing her success to her. It will look more sensible if someone saw the news on TV and informed them about it. Lao Bei or Chou Mei should have done it. This is the same when the son of Er Qi, Xuan Feng, suddenly turned on the TV and the news about him (Xuan Feng) and Ke Lan was being shown again. That’s unbelievable.

I guess, the title of this one should be “The Magicians of Hair” and not “The Magicians of Love” because they are the virtouso of hair design, heheh…doesn’t sound good.

By the way, It was a revelation that hair/make-up artists in Taiwan are in general not homosexuals 'coz I'm just used to gay hairstylists in the country. Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against the third sex. Ergo, I find the theme of this story very novel.

I also noticed that it’s common there for celebrities playing good music with their hair designer, make-up artist or assistant. Like here in the story, famous hairstylist Du Yasi had a relationship with his assistant Qing Kong, another one is Fei Nan Du who got involved with two models. In real life, I heard Vic Zhou once had a make-up artist as his girlfriend, that was before Xu Wei Lun and Barbie Hsu; Raymond Lam who acted in “Ai Qing Xin Hu Xi” is currently dating his assistant; Jerry Yan was one time linked to his assistant, and two more celebrities whose names I cannot remember. If this is the case, I would also like to work there as assistant and be involved with any of those good-looking actors (in my dreams!)

On the other hand, I would like to comment on the leading lady, Qiao Qiao who played Bei Ruo Yi. Yeah, she acts well but I think she is misfit for the role. I know she’s very young, 17 to be exact when the series was shot and in the story, her character is also around that age. In my opinion, she doesn’t look good with either Du Artz or Er Qi. Her looks, being an artist, is very ordinary even if you put her tons and tons of make-up…no offense meant. It lessens the “kilig” factor. For me, it would be better if the leading lady in “Ai Qing Mo Jie,” Xia Yu Qiao (who I think is a little older than her) is the one casted here. She is pretty even without make-up and matches more with the two guys.

I was surprised to see Ehlo Huang here. I didn’t know he’s also a member of 183 Club. I first saw him in the romantic-comedy series “Ai Shang Qian Jin Mei Mei,” where he played a supporting role. There he plays Justin, a make-up artist, who fell in love with the leading character Ai Bi/Albee. I find him cute since then ‘coz he looks more Filipino than Chinese but wasn‘t expecting to see him again in this production. Though his character is almost the same as in “Ai Shang..,” this time he portrays the cute and funny hairstylist Zhe Ming. I just noticed his comedy style is like that of Show Luo. Well, I just hope to see him more…

Ambrose Zhu was also a pleasant surprise in this production. I’ve seen him played the lead role, like in “Lavander” and “Lao Shu Ai Da Mi” but here he portrays the antagonist, David Yao, also a hairstylist. Yet his character only emerged in the latter part. It’s good that he accepted the role for a change.

Actually, this is the first series of 183 Club that I was able to watch in full. I thought they were only a copycat of F4 so I tend to ignore them. I noticed that Ming Dao is hot in spite of his indigenous looks. A Taiwanese I met over Friendster told me that he has this aboriginal roots. Now I understand why he is being pitted against Wu Zun of Fahrenheit and Zhou Yu Min of F4, who are also active in doing TV series.

Meantime, Sam Wang’s character here is like King One in “Devil Beside You.” Though they are not that handsome, but man, you will also fall in love with them in the end, promise.

Apart from some absurd scenes, I can say that I have no regrets in watching this series. Now, I can say that 183 Club rocks!

* photo credit to sanlih e-television

“Boku Wa Imouto Ni Koi Wo Suru”

I have been trying to look for a copy of this movie and I was suppose to ask my cousin in Japan to buy a DVD copy for me. Luckily, I was able to download it in full recently. I encountered this movie after reading Jun Matsumoto’s profile ’coz got curious with him after watching “Hanayori Dango” in DVD (actually, my nephew convinced me to watch it). I became interested in the said movie because in English it means, “I Love My Younger Sister.”

“Boku Wa Imouto Ni Koi Wo Suru” is based on a Japanese manga with the same title. It is a Japanese production starring Jun Matsumoto of the popular boyband Arashi and Nana Eikura. Here, they play the fraternal twins who fell in love with each other. It is different from the usual stories of “brother-sister” falling in love with each other wherein later, they will find out they are not really akin biologically. In this movie, they grew up together, share the same room and study in the same school. Yori (matsujun) will then realize that she is attracted to her sister (Iku played by Nana to the point that he wants intimacy. Yori succeeded in his plans and soon, they became “lovers.” But another conflict comes in…their schoolmate Haruka Yano (Hiraoka Yuuta) has a big crush on Iku, while their other schoolmate Tomoka Kusonoki (Ayaka Komotsu) desires Yori. Hence, their love for each other will be tested.

I noticed that it is a “quiet” movie because I can’t remember if I heard any background music or noise, and the dialogues are less--more into facial expressions and body movements. But it goes well with the plot.

The scene that I like most here is when Yori reveals his true feelings to Iku by going to her bed one night and plans to kiss her. The lighting is like dark orange (sorry, I dunno how to describe it technically), no background music or noise, and the dialogues were delivered in whispered manner to the point that you cannot almost hear it. The director has skillfully translated Yori’s inner thoughts into action.

On the other hand, the part that I like least here is the last scene when they played rock, paper and scissors. I don’t understand what the director wants to tell the viewers.
Regarding the actors, I love matsujun but I just don’t like the way he walks because he’s like “strutting” his way on the ramp and it spoils the scene sometimes, heheh. How I wish the director also focused on this minute detail. As to Nana, she is beautiful and at times looks like Mao Inoue (Matsujun’s leading lady in HD) but I’m just bothered with her height, she is too tall for a Japanese and looks big for Jun Matsumoto who’s only around 5’7.

Nevertheless, the movie is basically a love story with unpopular plot. But for a change, not bad.

* photo credit to aibakaland/matsumotojun.net

"Lao Shu Ai Da Mi"

I’m still in the process of watching this romantic-comedy on TV. It stars Ambrose Zhu as Mi Yang / Rice and Tammy Chen as Qun Qun who were also the lead in “Lavander.” “Lao Shu Ai Da Mi,” literally translated as “Mice Loves Big Rice”, is a love story set on a resort.

Here, Ambrose plays Mi Yang, the handsome resort manager who has a cute and mischievous adopted daughter, Minnie. Tourist guide Qun Qun is his love interest who is also being wooed by the resort’s gigolo gym instructor/lifeguard Fei Yang (I dunno his real name but he was also in the series “Lavander”).

For commercial airing here in the Philippines, it is titled “Mouse Loves Rice.” So at first, I didn’t understand why the title. In early part, Minnie says that his foster father’s love for Qun Qun is like “mouse love for rice.” So I thought that’s the reason behind the title. But later, I discovered that the real title is “Mice Loves Big Rice,” with the word big before rice. In the beginning, I thought Minnie is not serious when she is saying that he wants to marry Mi Yang, his foster father. But when she starts to be seriously jealous with girls who show interest towards Mi Yang, that’s when I find out that Mi Yang and Minnie are the ones being referred to in the title. Minnie is sometimes called Minnie Mouse here and Mi Yang is called Rice Cake by another girl who got a crush on him. So there you go, got the connection. Very brilliant.

I also agree with other people who have watched this series that Minnie is kinda’ annoying. She feels that she is already grown-up, hahah! Actually, she can really pass as Ambrose’s daughter because they look alike.

Anyhow, hope to see more Ambrose and Tammy team-up.

* photo credit to TF

"Long Vacation"

This is the most “kilig-ever” (tickling) drama that I’ve seen in my entire life. And so far, my most favorite one. I tried to follow this story because when I saw its trailer over QTV-11, I was surprised to see Takuya Kimura here. I didn’t know he was that cute before. My first encounter with Kimutaku was when I watched a part of their TV program “SMAP X SMAP” over im.tv early this year. They spoofed “Meteor Garden,” but their set and uniform is like that of “Hanayori Dango,” and the F4 we all know (that is Jerry Yan, Vic Zhou, Ken Zhu and Vaness Wu) appeared to bully the one playing Shan Cai after receiving the red notice. That was really hilarious.

By the way, Kimura is a member of an all-male group called SMAP, which is handled by Johnny and Associates, the agency also responsible for Arashi where Jun Matsumoto belongs. And just a trivia, Jerry Yan is said to sign-up recently for the said entertainment group to penetrate the Japanese market and to be the next Takuya Kimura.

Anyhow, “Long Vacation” was shown in 1996 in Japan but after more than a decade, it hasn’t lost its flavor. Its basically a May-December love story between a 24-year old introvert Piano teacher, Hidetoshi Senna (Kimura) and 31-year old independent and outgoing former model, Hayama Minami (Yamaguchi Tomoko) who live under one roof. In the beginning there was animosity between them but later on they start to fall for each other.

The part I like most here is when Senna asked permission to kiss her and she agreed without hesitations. That was really cute and it tickled me to the highest level…promise. I also love it’s opening theme “La La La Love Song” and the scoring “Deeper and Deeper” because they both sound hip and funky and lighten the mood of the story. Unlike the usual drama, when the scene is becoming heavy, the background music is also heavy. This one is different.

Meanwhile, what I don’t like here is when I see Kimura wearing tacked-in polo and high-waist slacks. I dunno if this is intended because of his character is kinda‘ geeky. Though he looks his best when he is just wearing white shirt and jeans. I also didn’t like how the ending was made because it finished hastily. I hope there was more “moments” between Senna and Minami before it came to a conclusion. So I was just like asking for more.

At any rate, it seems that “Long Vacation” is an all-time favorite based on many praises I’ve read about it. From the storyline to the music, from the characterization to the actors, I bet this jdorama is worth your time. So, if I were you, do watch it.

* photo credit to nt2099.com

“Ai Qing Xin Hu Xi”

“Ai Qing Xin Hu Xi” (Love Multiplication) is based on Wang Wen Hua’s novel "16 x 57,” a bestseller book in Taiwan. Honestly, I was forced to buy a copy of it because I could not find other Chinese drama. I was not even familiar with the actors so I thought the story would be very dragging, but later on, I found myself hooked to it.

This series is relatively new, I discovered it was only aired recently in Taiwan. The main casts include Tammy Chen as Lin Jin Hui, Raymond Lam as Xu Kai and Alex Fong as Huang Ming Zheng (take note, Tammy Chen was also the leading lady in “Lavander” and “Mouse Loves Rice”).

It is a story where three different worlds collide due to a series of events--one of a stock broker (Jin Hui), another, an artist (Xu Kai) and the third, an executive (Ming Zheng). Jin Hui is a conservative type, career woman who is looking for a mature and financially stable guy. Ming Zheng, who is in late 30’s, is looking for a woman to marry but he is always busy with work. Xu Kai is a young guy who is not used to “one-on-one” relationship and does not believe in marriage.

Unknowingly, Jin Hui’s mother and Ming Zhe’s aunt are friends and they want the two to date each other. When Ming Zheng decided to court Jin Hui, Xu Kai came into the picture and doomed their blossoming relationship. Xu Kai got interested with Jin Hui because he sees in her the image of her favorite painting by French artist Renoir called “Little Aileen.“ Little Aileen has moody eyes yet pale face, somber look yet full of thoughts which is a symbol of contradiction.

In the process, she fell in love with the latter and dumped Ming Zheng. However, Xu Kai hasn’t broke up with her long time girlfriend, Fan Li Sha. This is where the conflict sets in. Meantime, Ming Zheng’s ex-gf, Sophia, came back from Britain to make amends, but he only wants Jin Hui. Cheng Ling, Jin Hui’s friend, on the other hand, is being harassed by her ex-bf, Richard, who only wants money from her. Her another ex, Sheng Xiong Chou, came back as well to rekindle their old flame. Each of them will be tested and their lives will be intertwined with one another to play up different emotions.

At first, I hated Jin Hui’s character here because she chose a young unstable guy over a financially matured one who has lots of issues in his self. But in the end she was vindicated because Xu Kai has become a changed man.

I like how the complexities among the characters were presented but what I don’t like is the part on Jin Hui’s sister relationship with Jin Gao. It seems forced and there’s not much excitement on their romance.

As a whole, I can say that this drama is very touching and is intended for mature audience.


*photo credit to ent.sina.com.cn

“Ai Qing Da Mo Zhou”

This urban love soap, "Magical Love" in English, is the first TV work by Taiwan’s hottest singing all female group S.H.E. in 2001 and was praised for the participation of Gao Yi Ping and Lan Zhe Long.

The story revolves around three friends--Zhu Li Ye, Hu Sha Sha and Ya Qi and how to achieve their individual dreams after graduating from high school. Zhu Li Ye or Juliet dreams of meeting her friend Romeo whom she met over the net. That certain Romeo is a senior student at Taipei University. Hence, she aspires to enter the University as a student to meet him in person. Ya Qi’s dream is to become an idol/movie star and marry an actor before reaching the age of 20. As to Hu Sha Sha, her dream changes every now and then, and she’s not even sure of what to do next.

These three girls live in a house owned by the family of An Dong Hai who works as a photographer in an entertainment magazine. An Dong Hai will then be torn between Ya Qi and Hu Sha Sha. But with Juliet, she is constant with her dream of meeting her Romeo. In preparation for the exams at Taipei University, she enrolled in a review center. There her paths crossed with Ling Tao (played by Lan Zhe Long) who works for the said center. Eventually, they became the best of friends and developed feelings for him. But Juliet soon discovered that her “Romeo” is in love with his so called “sister,” Wen Li. When this “sister-brother” relationship turned sweet, Ling Tao’s mother meddled and asked Wei Lin to back off. After Wen Li, Ling Tao is chased by Xiao Lan, a classmate during high school days. Yet in spite all her efforts, Xiao Lan was turned down by him because his love remains for Wen Li.

I just noticed that Lan Zhe Long acting here is very much amateur. It seems that he wore that poker face throughout the entire drama, I can not decipher whether he is happy or upset. But in all fairness, I realized here that he is cute as compared to “Meteor Garden” days where he was lanky and long haired. I now realized why Hsu His Yuan was smitten by him.

Similarly, with Ella Chen who portrayed as Zhu Liye, I think she is not that effective for the role, I don’t like her brand of comedy. Maybe because both of them were still newbies that time, hence they don’t know how to “emote”. But in fairness, I like Ella 'coz she gives me the impression that she is a down to earth girl in real life.

I also observed that the musical scoring is bland, or I can’t even remember if there was a scoring at all. What I also enjoyed in Chinese soaps are the songs even though I can not understand it...but music is a universal language, you just have to feel it.

“Ai Qing Da Mo Zhou” basically, is a simple story of love and friendship which has a “feel good” effect. If you are looking for some plain entertainment, this soap is for you.

* photo credit to AF

“Ai Qing Mo Jie”

This fairy tale-like drama series, “Magic Ring” in English, released three years ago, tackles love and fate.

Its main casts are Zheng Yuan Chang, Xia Yu Qiao, Qian Wei Shan, Wu Zhong Tian and Guo Feng.

Peng Xiao Jun, played by Xia Yu Qiao, left her Dad and work when she caught the father of the baby she is carrying in a compromising situation with a girl. On board a train, she met Du Jun Yuan (Wu Zhong Tian), who is being accompanied by her new girl Li Yu Qing (who looks similar like Guo Keting, his first love). When Xiao Jun was talking to the two of them, she was stunned by the ring wore by Li Yu Qing and borrowed it from her. But when she tries it on, the train encountered an accident which left many passengers dead. Luckily, she survived the accident and woke up in a hospital losing all her memories. Because of the ring, Du Bai Cheng (Du Jun Yuan’s father) mistook her for Li Yu Qing. The ring is the proof of being the fiance of the eldest son of the Du family, and said to be mythical. According to a legend, there’s a fairy leaving beside Laiying Lake who protects the gold which can make a ring. A boy was able to get there, made a ring out of the gold and gave it to his beloved girl. However, the boy died. He was caught beside the lake by his enemies who stabbed him behind. When the girl knew it, she put on the ring, ride the horse and go into the fire ‘coz they made their vow to the lake that they will love forever and won’t be apart.

A twist of fate happened when Du Bai Cheng treats her and loves her as his own daughter, and brought her to their mansion. This made the pregnant Xiao Jun experience the feeling of a warm family that she never felt before. Soon, Du Jun Yuan’s lawyer brother Du Jing Hang (portrayed by Zheng Yuan Chang) fell in love with her. But not long after, he got mad with her because he discovered that she is not the real Li Yu Qing. For the sake of his father’s health, Du Jing Hang asked Xiao Jun to go on pretending until Du Bai Cheng’s health become stable and after she gives birth to her baby. When the baby came out, Xiao Jun abides by the deal she made with Jing Hang and leaves the mansion. But on Jing Hang’s part, he does not want her to leave anymore. In the end, they followed their hearts desire and lived happily ever after.

I realized that Zheng Yuan Chang is handsome as you watch him longer. As to Xia Yu Qiao, her beauty is like a breath of fresh air...she has a very refreshing face on screen.

So to all Joe Cheng's fans out there, this is a must see.

* photo credit to AF

“Yu Dao Ai”

Xin Lie (Hsu Hsi Yuan), a girl from a wealthy family in China, and Qin Lang (Luo Zhi Xiang), a guy who came to Shanghai to find his father and pursue his dream of becoming an artist, meet by accident in a corner when her car and his bike collide. Later, they meet again when Xin Lei’s goes to the restaurant where Qin Lang works as a chef. Their relationship has moved to another level when she asked him to teach her how to make shrimp omelet for her beau, Shan Dong (Chen Zhi Kai). Unfortunately, Xin Lei’s family owned company goes bankrupt and her parents suddenly go into hiding leaving her only a plane ticket and a key to their house in Taiwan. To make matters worse, Yin Shan Dong breaks the engagement to abide by his parents’ wishes. Having no idea where to go, she decided to head to Taiwan and find the house which her parents left for her to stay. In the course of finding the said house, she and Qin Lang’s paths once again crossed. Much to her surprise, she then finds out that Qin Lang’s family has been living in the house for years. After much controversy, Qin Lang’s grandmother finally agreed to let her stay. Thus begins a magical love story…

This series is the latest from Da S after “Mars”. It was shown recently in the early part of 2007 and got high ratings. It was based on a novel with the same title by Giddens.

I am glad that Barbie accepted this project and see her once again in a love story. But I am still used to her as the one being oppressed, like Shan Cai and Qui Luo and not as a refined lady like Xin Lie. As to Show Luo, I find him cute in some angles and like his antics very much. I also discovered that he is also a good singer ’coz he sang the ending song here entitled “Ai Zhuan Jiao” (Love, Next Corner). That’s why after watching this, I became curious about him.

Nevertheless, like Zai Zai, I also love their tandem because they “connect” which I guess, one of the reasons why it clicked. I thought I would not enjoy watching this one, but in the end, I was left hanging. Well, I just hope the sequel of “Corner With Love” will push through next year and it will still be a resounding success. More power to Producer Angie Cai!

* photo credit to asos.cn

“Shen Qing Mi Ma”

“Shen Qing Mi Ma” literally translated as “Love Code/Password” or “Silence” for international release is a story about love, life and hope…

It stars Zhou Yu Min, Cantonese Singer-Actor Andy Hui, and Korean actress Park Eun Hye known for her role in the much coveted drama “Jewel in the Palace.”

The story is about a girl, Zhou Shen Shen (played Park Eun Hye) who loses her voice after a bus accident, Zuo Jun (Andy Hui) a childhood friend who promised to take care of her but finding himself in love with her, and Qi Wei Yi (Zai Zai), also a childhood friend who fell for her. It started when Shen Shen hid a letter in a bomb shelter wall near the hospital where she was brought for treatment and was eventually discovered by her fellow “Martian” Qi Wei Yi. By the way, “Martian” is their term for an alien friend. Not long after, they got along well and became the best of friends. When Qi Wei Yi realizes that she has a crush on her, he told Shen Shen to give him a response through writing and will open it in the Christmas of 2006 when they reach the age of 25. When that time is coming near, they bumped on to each other but unaware that they already met before. Eventually, they became friends once more but the sad thing is, Qi Wei Yi finds out the he is inflicted with liver cancer. Meantime, Zuo Jun is deeply in love with Shen Shen and will do anything just to love him back.

The concept of “Lucky Star” here is brilliant. It is defined in the story as a place where people goes once they leave this world and at the same time, a code made by a certain hand gesture to tell our departed loved ones how much we miss them and bless us. In the first part of the story, Shen Shen mother died in an accident and she was crying hard every time she remembers her. To console her, Qi Wei Yi told her about this “Lucky Star” and liked the idea. But in the latter part, she was again in despair because Qi Wei Yi goes to that place. So she made the “Lucky Star” hand gesture to signify that she deeply misses him.

But the lines that hit me in the story is from Uncle Zuo, it goes this way: “As long as we are alive, there should be no regret. Regret is what the people who are leaving this world say. It doesn’t matter if you can accomplish your goal or not. It’s more the fact that you try your best to accomplish it then there will be no regrets…If you have no dream, then you have to walk to a higher ground…you can try jumping. Look at the world from a high place…you will find that this world is very different from what you think. Look at the sky above your head, look at the people at your feet. Even if you have no dream, you should still have responsibilities.”

It tells us that life is beautiful even we are hopeless...By going places, watching movies/TV, reading books, talking with people, observing our surrounding, we would be able to realize that life is indeed wonderful and maybe we can make it much better.

Obviously, this is not a "happy ever after ending" story but I assure you, it's a very enlightening drama.

* photo credit to sonymusic.com.tw

“Zhan Shen”

This is the first Idol Drama that I was able to watch in full length and in Mandarin. This story is adapted from Japanese manga “God Mars” by Fuyumi Soryo. And take note, it won the “Favorite Drama of the Year” category in the 40th Annual 2005 Golden Bell Awards.

The story is about a naive artistic girl, Qui Luo (Da S), who was raped by his stepfather and a carefree and playboy Chen Ling (Zai Zai), who is haunted by the death of his twin brother Shen. These two worlds will collide and their differences will bond them.

Though I was really scared watching this because it is mixed with suspense, I do love the series because the leading characters here are two of my most favorite artists, Zhou Yu Min and Hsu Hsi Yuan.

There are three lines that struck me most here…First, Ling telling Qui Luo about “Mars”. According to him, “Mars prophecy says that a terrifying king will control the world and the world be ruled by Mars.“ Then asked, “What kind of world you think it would be if the world is ruled by Mars?!” But he was also the one who made the response, “The world is messed up anyway. It will collapse sooner or later. I also don’t believe that there is a great future ahead. So why not just come to a flashy and glorified end, doesn’t it sound better?! Why it hasn’t happening yet?! I wonder how the world is going…to end.”

Like Ling, I tend to be philosophical at times. I agree with him that the world is now messed up especially when you hear news about hundreds of fatalities due to natural disasters, suicide bombings, rampant corruption, deaths brought about by different diseases and so on, leading me to believe that the end is imminent. I was amazed 'coz he was able to articulate my world view. Likewise, it reminds me about some texts in the Bible that before the so-called God’s Kingdom will arrive, the earth will be ruled by evil. And in this lines by Ling, he just used “Mars” since it’s associated with force, darkness and blood.

In the end, these lines became romantic when Qui Luo asked him if he still believes if the world is going to end someday. He answered: “It is inevitable. It’s only a matter of time but we need to go on. Qui Lou, you have to be with me.”

If a guy you love would tell you those lines, promise, it will melt any girl’s heart.

Same with this one, again Ling on Qui Luo: “Before I always thought there was nothing to be afraid of in this world. But when I met you, I’ve got lot of things to be afraid of. What I’m afraid most is when you’re riding at the back seat of my motorcycle. I absolutely can’t make any mistake, I cannot lose you like that.”

And the last, from Fan Tong Dao who is a psychiatric patient talking to Qui Luo: “Don’t you know the theory that happiness is actually built from other people’s unhappiness?! To pursue your dreams, your mother had to work harder until she got sick due to fatigue. All happiness comes from other people’s sacrifices. In the end, happiness is nothing but a scam.

Yes, I definitely agree to him not because I’m a psychotic (heheh) but it made me realize that in order to make one happy or achieve happiness for that matter, it entails sacrifice at the same time.

I am sure after watching this series, you will love it like I do. It is deeply moving...

* photo credit to AF

"Er Mo Tsai Shen Bien"

I am lucky because I was able to hold a copy of “Devil Beside You.” I got interested in this drama because I encounter a lot of comments and opinions about this and the actors as well every time I access Youtube and other forums. The sad thing is, the story is short, only 14-episodes. I was left asking for more after watching it! So what I do is, I play it every now and then in my DVD player. Me, I’m the type of person who easily gets tired of some things. But in this case, I don’t get pissed and the more I watch it, the more I crave for it. Ergo, I highly recommend this series, especially for teens and yuppies alike.

Anyways, this idol drama is based on Japanese manga “Akuma De Sourou” (Devil Does Exist) written by Mitsuba Takanashi. It was a hit in Taiwan when broadcasted over CTV in 2005. The story started with Qui Yue (Yang Chen Lin) who dreams of confessing her feelings to her school crush, basketball team captain, Yuan Yi (Wang Chuang Yi). She then finally found the courage to confess her feelings to him but by a stroke of bad luck, Ah Yi did not see and walked passed her. When she looked up, the person standing in front of her was the troublemaker and the son of the school owner, infamously known for his devilish ways, Jiang Meng (He Jun Xiang). The devil gets what he wants, and the object of his desire is Qui Yue. Although having a cruel exterior, Ah Meng’s heart is kind and caring which truly touched Qui Yue. However, the big problem remains…Ah Meng is the son of the man Qui Yue’s mother is going to marry. Even though they were not related by blood, the issue is that the future stepbrother and stepsister are in love with each other.

I love the story very much because it reminds me a lot of “Meteor Garden”. It has a touch of comedy, there was a group of boys who likes to bully, and a girl who fights back. Also, I love the scoring especially, “Chou Na Ren” which sounds tough yet sexy, especially when it’s played during fight or fighting mode scenes. I also like “Ai Mei” ‘coz every time I hear it, it sounds like love is in the air and and “Li Xiang Qing Ren” which is a happy love song…and take note, they are both sung by Chen Lin herself.

I can say that Rainie here suits the role of Xiao Yue and in fairness, she does well in comedy. King One’s role here is much better as compared in “Silence” ‘coz in the latter, his character is kinda’ annoying. But here, I also fell in love with him. Meantime, Mike was the best choice for this story. I mean, for a newbie that time, he was able to carry that bad boy image needed for the role albeit he has this “angelic face.” And his eyes here, very sharp and really scary. But I also think Zhu Xiao Tian can give justice to the character because not only they were linked with Chen Lin and somehow look alike, the latter has this “naughty image” that fits well with the role. In case he was Ah Meng, then Mike would better fit Ah Rang, his younger brother in the story who tried to make himself notice by him through evil ways.

At any rate, it’s my first time here to get to know Xiao Mei as an actor…and later I realized that he is the most good-looking Chinese guy I’ve ever seen in my entire life. For me, he’s so H-O-T , as in flaming hot here. And everytime he smiles, it melts me. My Gosh, I want to know who is his mother! Heheh! But when I tried looking up for his pics over the net, he doesn’t look a bit of Ah Meng, I must say I was disappointed. Well, in some videos he does. I guess, he’s only telegenic, hahah! Maybe Zheng Yuan Chang, his showbiz friend, was right when he said one time in their show that Xiao Mei is too handsome in TV but not in real life...so he warned people out there not to be fooled by his looks! Waaahhh!! As for me, he looks his best with long hair half-tied. Nevertheless, after watching DBY and reading several stuff about him, I became one of his big fans in the Philippines, I swear!

I just hope that there would be a sequel on this. I love it!

* photo credit to AF

"Bai Se Ju Ta"

“The Hospital” is a 39-episode drama series that deals with politics, corruption and struggle in a public hospital. The story is based on a novel “Bai Se Ju Ta” written by no less than a physician himself, Dr. Hou Wen Yang.

Dr. Su Yi Hua, played by Yan Cheng Xu, is one of the main characters in the story. He is a handsome, young and skillful surgeon who values relationships with his patients but displays weaknesses when dealing with love (Bao Long here is a far cry from the Dao Ming Si we knew in the phenomenal series “Meteor Garden” 'coz his character has more depth here).

The other lead character is Dr. Qui Qing Cheng, a driven and ambitious surgeon played by Dai Li Ren, who became involved with TV reporter Ma Yi Fen. His ordeal began when he got her pregnant. Dr. Qui wants her to abort the baby because he is afraid to lose his family, but on her part, she wants to keep it. When Dr. Qui started to evade her, she decided to expose his “dark side.”

On the other hand, Zhang Diao Qiao portrays the character of anesthesiologist Dr. Shi Guang Xi. She and Dr. Su both attended the same medical school and eventually, had romantic involvement. However, when Su Yi Hua entered military service before he starts his residency, Guang Xi got involved with their professor Fei Xiang whom she loved more than the former (I think this part is similar with Bao Long‘s experience with his gf before he became a star). But then, this guy left her unknown reasons and married another girl. Her dilemma, she continues to love this guy in spite of what had happened between them and at the same time, loves Dr. Su who is trying to win her back.

Anyway, to those people who have watched this series will agree to me that the first half of the story is dragging, the pacing was slow and not much developments on the characters. Especially if you are not in the medical world, like me, you will not be able to appreciate it. But when the character of Xu Cui Feng (played by Xu An An) entered the scene, I knew she will stand between Su Yihua and Guang Xi because she acts like a spoiled brat. As what his father Xu Da Ming said in the story, she gets what she wants without really trying. However, Dr. Xu used her for him to perpetuate his power. Yet she made the latter part of the story light because of her antics. In the end, I’m sure you will love her character here.

At any rate, I am happy how the story turned out because Dr. Su ended up with Cui Feng. I did not expect this. It’s my first time ever to encounter a drama or story where the leading man ended up with a minor character (But not bad at all, I really hate Guang Xi because she is very cold until the end, she’s lifeless…what Su Yi Hua needs is someone who will complement his personality, and that’s Cui Feng) At any rate, this part tells us that a thing once important to us, maybe not at all important in the end. So just learn to accept that some things may not work for us and move on.

Meanwhile, I would like to commend Wu Meng Da who played Dr. Tang Guo Tai because he gave justice to the character. I think he has the most challenging role in the drama. In the story, he competes with Dr. Xu Da Ming for the Deanship. But due to his arrogance and temper, he did not get the post. So when he received the news that Dr. Xu was the one chosen, he suffered apoplexy and became useless. Even though he cannot walk and talk clearly, he still tries to do his job because he wants to hold on to power. Actually, it’s very challenging for actors to play someone who was hit by stroke yet continues to be arrogant. But in his case, he performed it very well to the point that you will feel disgust and at the same time, pity for him. By the way, I was surprised to know that during the filming of this series, according to their director, Mat Ng does not bring his script. It’s because he found out that when he goes home, he memorizes his lines by heart. I salute him, he's very professional.

As to Bao Long, he is choosy when it comes to accepting offers. I am very happy 'coz he finally accepted the series "Basketball of Fire" where he will collaborate with Wu Zun and Show Luo. My gosh, three gorgeous men in one show. Swear, this will be a big hit. I'll watch for it next year.

Going back, the characters here gave a human face to the otherwise “cold” setting as the hospital. The story tried to combine the “power struggle myth” and the “love myth” in this another face of life. I bet it will teach you many things about life and love.

Anyways, this is a must see drama for mature audience. And I’m sure after watching this, you will have a big smile on your face. : )

* photo credit to AF