"Dong Fang Zhu Li Ye"

Based on Japanese shoujo manga "Tokyo Juliet" by Miyuki Kitagawa, this Taiwanese drama talks about power and dream.

At the age of five, Lin Lai Sui (Ariel Lin) drew the “Little Daisy” for her mother and entered it in a contest. However, the design was stolen by Chu Xing (Simon Yam) and this incident broke up her entire family. She then vowed not to fall in love until she beat him in the fashion industry. Not too long after she met a guy by the name of Liang (Wu Zun) and every time their paths cross, she would always feel warm. One day she found out that he was the little boy whom she met in party and the son of his number one enemy, Chu Xing.

This drama is kinda dragging and tends to be predictable especially with the coming and going of new love rivals. Hence, there’s a never-ending jealousy between Sui and Liang.

What I like in the story is the part where all the guys who got involved with Sui became her friends in the end. I really find this cute and novel for a drama.

In reverse, what I hate is when Sui went to far away place later in the story. This reminds me of S.H.E.’s drama “Reaching for the Stars” and gives the story a very predictable outcome.

As to the actors’ performance, Ariel is really a good actress and she can separate herself from the character like in her other dramas. I also like her “chemistry” with Wu Zun, same with her other leading men--Mike He and Joe Cheng. They seem to act like a real couple.

This is Wu Zun’s first acting project which doesn’t require him to act that much. What he only needs to do is to establish a connection with Ariel which he nailed.

Simon Yam as the antagonist has the most challenging role in the story. He is really detestable with the way he smirks, walks and talks. He also look like a fashion designer with the way he carries his outfit…actually, he looks sexy even his age shows.

Evidently, I don’t advocate this series but because I have come to love Lin Yi Chen and Wu Zun, I finish this off.

* photo credit to AF

"Hua Yang Shao Nian Shao Nu"

This is the Taiwanese live-action adaptation of the Japanese manga “Hanazakari no Kimitachi e” written by Hisaya Nakajo. Done in 2006, it stars Ella Chen of the girl group S.H.E. as Lu Rui Xi, and two members of the boy group Fahrenheit, Wu Zun as Zuo Yi Quan and Jiro Wang as Jin Xiu Yi. This version focuses more on the love triangle among the three characters.

The story goes…After watching a high jump competition on TV, Lu Rui Xi was so inspired by a high jumper named Zuo Yi Quan that she decided to flew all the way from the States to Taiwan to transfer to his school which happened to be all boys. So, she disguised herself as a boy to get accepted. Luckily, Rui Xi ended up being Quan’s new roommate.

But from the very first episode, he already discovered that Rui Xi was actually a girl when he accidentally touched her chest. However, he kept this secret to his self. She was also unable to hide her female identity from the school doctor Mei Tian since he is gay. Meanwhile, their other classmate Xiu Yi started to question his own sexual orientation when he found himself having feelings towards Rui Xi.

Ella did a great job as Rui Xi, showing her funny and boyish side. Contrastingly, Wu Zun didn’t give justice to the role of Quan though physically he really looks like an athlete. But I understand that this character is aloof and soft-spoken, but here, he seems to be outgoing. Jiro Wang’s personality matches well with Xiu Yi’s character but he was not that wacky here as I expected him to be. While Tang Zhi Ping as the gay school doctor Mei Tian did the excellent job portraying the feminine side of the character except for sporting the long hair wig. I think in the manga, this guy is a discreet gay so no need to put on extensions.

By and large, this series is not that amusing with the absence of crazy scenes. The storyline is great, but this TV version is dull...

* photo credit to AF

"Hana Kimi"

This is the Japanese version of the comic series of the same title broadcasted last year. It features Horikita Maki as Ashiya Mizuki, Oguri Shun as Sano Izumi and Ikuta Toma as Nakatsu Shuichi. This even won the best drama in the 54th Television Drama Academy Awards.

Well, Maki did a great job in portraying Ashiya. I just wished that her hair was styled so she would really look much more of a boy.

Shun as Sano reminds me of his role in “Hanayori Dango” as Hanazawa Rui who is also aloof and a man of few words. I guess he gave justice to the character but his romantic side was not again emphasized.

Toma as Nakatsu was so hilarious. His style of comedy is actually better off than Jiro Wang who was his Taiwanese counterpart and he’s even more handsome.

I never expected that I will enjoy this one. I always thought that T-dramas are much better than Japanese. I do enjoy the scenes where dozens of students coming-up with wacky ideas and doing random and ridiculous things in the background. The three dorm leaders also had a big involvement in the story which added more entertainment. Basically, how the story was presented seemed more logical and the characters are like fresh from the manga.

To those who prefer the love angle, better watch the Taiwanese version but if you want fun-filled entertainment, Hana Kimi-Jap is the best!

* photo credit to dramawiki

"Yukan Club"

Based on the comic with the same title by Ichijo Yukari, “Yukan Club” was aired over NTV in Japan during the last quarter of 2007 and won the Best Drama Award in the 13th Nikkan Sports Drama Grand Prix.

This is a typical Gakuen (school) drama like “Meteor Garden” ,“Devil Beside You” and “Hana Kimi” but this time it’s a bunch of affluent high school students who solve crimes as their past time. Their mantra is: “Turning impossibility to possibility.”

I must admit, there are some scenes here that I find dragging but there are parts where I rolled over laughing. I love the character of Kenbushi Yuri played by Minami because she is so wacky while on the guys, I find Yokoyuma Yu who portrayed Kikumasamune Seishiro cute.

But what really drawn me to this series is Mike He (Taiwanese Male Idol) who guested in episode 7 as a royalty. Aside from being his big fan, I was also curious how he would speak in Nihonggo. In the story, he was teamed-up with the Suzuki Emi’s character--Kizakura Karen--who has this dream of marrying into a rich family using her attractive body and style. For a beginner in a new language, I admire Mike’s boldness in accepting this offer and he nailed it.

Overall, the series is still worth watching because of its humor. Xiao Mei is just an added treat, especially to his fans.

* photo credit to dramawiki

"Death Note" (The Movie)

The Death God dropped a notebook in the human world and picked up by a genius, Light Yagami. It says: “The human whose name is written in this note shall die…” Ergo, it is a notebook the determines people’s death.

I haven’t tried reading the manga nor its synopsis so I thought this was one scary live-action movie like “The Ring” hence, I was hesitant to watch it. But then, after watching it, I was impressed by the story. No wonder, this comic sold more than 24.5 million copies around the globe.

The film opens with news telling that killers, corrupt politicians, and all kinds of slime who have beaten the system are dropping like flies from mysterious heart attacks. People interviewed on the streets have mixed reactions on this matter, some appreciate what the killer has been doing while others see him as nothing more than murderer. And then, the story goes back on how Light found the notebook and the first casualty. Not long after, he begins to feel a celebrity status thus feeds his ego which leads him to execute more killings. However, the book has a set of rules to be followed to achieve ‘death’. Overwhelmed police asked the help of “L” to hunt this mysterious guy who resort into this kind of killings. But when authorities start to hunt him down, Light transformed into a “villain.”

Well, the story mainly shows that power corrupts man. Like some people who are new in power wherein the beginning, have this agenda to help the needy and make a difference in people’s lives. But once “power” sync into them, they will start to crave for more power, making them prone to corruption. Same with this story, Light wants to annihilate the crooked elements in the society but he doesn’t know, he starts to become one. What an irony. Hence, I found the story brilliant and at the same time, serves as a reminder for all of us.

Definitely this movie is worth checking out if you don‘t have time reading the comic series.

* photo credit to flixter

"Kindaichi Shonen No Jikenbo" (v.3)

I grabbed a copy of this one (also known as “Files of Young Kindaichi) because of Jun Matsumoto ’coz I thought it is one of his newer series but I was wrong…he was much younger here.

Based on a manga with the same title, “Kindaichi Shonen no Jikenbo” has only nine installments but it’s not new mystery per episode. Episodes 1 & 2 deals with “Captain Ghost”; Episode 2, “Coin of the Dead”; Episodes 3 to 5, “The Butterfly House”; Episode 6, “The Photographer”; Episode 7, “Cerberus: The Guard Dog of Hell”; and Episodes 8 & 9, “The Lucia Castle.”

The protagonist is Kindaichi Hajime (Matsumoto), grandson of the famous detective Kindaichi Kosuke, who has an 180 IQ. The story is a mix of suspense, mystery, thriller with bits of romance and comedy. It is full of flashbacks to show the background of the crime and the way it was perpetrated. This is the third live series version made in 2005, where the first one was done in 1995 having Tsuyoshi Domoto of Kinki Kids pop group in the lead role and the second in 2001 with Kazuya Kamenashi of Kat-Tun. However, I can’t compare this third version with the two earlier because I haven’t watch it.
Kindaichi’s female counterpart is Nanase Miyuki played by Suzuki Anne while Naitou Takashi portrays Kenmochi Tsuyoshi, his uncle policeman, who also help them in solving mysteries.

The part that I find cute here is when Kindaichi asked Miyuki, aboard a ship, to raise her hands (like what the characters of Rose and Jack did in the movie “Titanic”). But when she did, Miyuki discovered that behind her, Kindaichi and Kenmoshi were the ones doing the infamous pose, hahah!

The most creepy part in the series is seeing Ruri, the little girl, and his father, Madarame Shimon, in separate incidents, dead. That was so eerie!

At any rate, I tend to fast forward because some scenes really freaked me out and I was watching alone at night. So if you are into scary things, this series is the best for you.

* photo credit to blackholereviews

"Kimi Wa Petto"

A 2003 Jdorama of Jun Matsumuto based on Yayoi Ogawa’s manga series of the same name, “Kimi Wa Petto” (“You’re my Pet”) is another May-December affair love story but with a different twist. Matsujun plays 19 year old Goda Takeshi, a stow away rich kid, who was found unconscious inside a box by a 28 year old office lady Iwaya Sumire. She then nursed him back to health but after recovering, Takeshi doesn’t want to live Sumire’s place anymore to the point that he will do everything. He offered her to be her brother or even bodyguard, but she…decided to have him as a pet. So she promised to take care of him but he won’t have any rights and will just obey everything she says. Sumire baptized him as “Momo” which was also the name of her beloved childhood dog. With their proximity, a cute love story develops.

Some may view the plot weak, unrealistic, annoying and weird but manga stories usually goes beyond the norms, even exaggerated, yet remains grounded which makes it more exciting.
The struggle here is about a Western educated, elegant lady who has a trouble having relationships with men while there is rich kid who is longing to be loved…and these two worlds found comfort on each other.

Viewers should not only look at the master-pet relationship between the two but should go beyond. When you look at it this perspective, there is a mutual need that exist between the two which makes the story alive. For Sumire-chan, Takeshi can drop all and still be needed. To him, Sumire can be dominant, rude, weak and spiteful without the pressure.

Nonetheless, this is a cute love story where in the end, you will find yourself loving it.

* photo credit to asiandramaresource

"Pride"

Done in 2004, “Pride” deals on the sport of ice hockey and the game of love. Takuya Kimura plays the main character Satanoka Halu, the captain and star player of Blue Scorpions, who is very passionate on his craft yet indifferent when it comes to issues of the heart.

Halu’s refusal to conform to the methods of his team’s new coach, Yuichiro Hyodo, resulted to an antagonistic relationship between them. While Murase Aki (Takeuchi Yuko), an office lady from his team’s corporation, slowly changes him and would make the type Halu would fall for. These conflicts in the main character’s career and personal life would make the story grows in you.

As to the actor, I observed that Kimutaku’s appeal hasn’t waned over the years. How he “connects” with Yuko is like his chemistry with previous leading ladies. While Yuko reminds me of Matsu Takako, the actress who stars with Kimura numerous times.

Regarding the scoring, almost all Queen’s songs were used in this drama such as “I Was Born to Love You,” “Bohemian Rhapsody,” “We Will Rock You,” “We are the Champions,” “Too Much Love Will Kill You,” etc. which are suited with the love angle and fantastic hockey actions. But I say, it would be better if the songs are original to have more impact.

I noticed that Halu’s favorite expression here is “maybe” and I find it unusual for a leading actor in a drama to have his favorite word. This became funny when little Wataru imitated this catch phrase and he replied “must be.”

Nonetheless, this show is a pretty good one. If you ask me if this is worthwhile, I’ll say maybe nah, must be…heheheh!!!