K-Drama: You Who Came From the Stars/My Love from the Stars

Annyeong!

2014 was the year of Kim Soo Hyun and the comeback of Jeon Ji Hyun. Would you agree?

To top my list, it is the Korean Drama: YOU WHO CAME FROM THE STARS.

Honestly, when this aired in 2013, I really had no intention of watching it probably because the poster came out dark and boring. I wasn't able to recognize Jeon Ji Hyun, (Kill me now..) and with all honesty too, I don't know Kim Soo Hyun back then.

Okay, okay. I am a Korean Drama fan but I really don't know all the stars! I can only name a few, bummer.

This was aired in 2013-2014 but I only got the chance to watch it DECEMBER 2014 right after Christmas. Such a lame fan. Some of you might be wondering why.

I played episode 1 for more than 5x! Either I fell asleep or I find it so boring but right after Christmas, I found myself bored even more so I gave the series a chance, my 6th attempt. And with all honesty, from episode 2 to 21, I haven't slept for more than 4 hours! I got hooked and fell in love over and over again.

YOU WHO CAME FROM THE STARS starred Kim Soo Hyun and Jeon Ji Hyun. If you are familiar with My Sassy Girl, the most popular movie back in 2001 where my fantasy for Korean flicks began, she's that Sassy Girl. She also starred in the movie Il Mare, which already has the Western counterpart of Lake House. She's that popular huh! Anyway, Kim Soo Hyun on the other hand debuted in Dream High, year 2011 where his role was a laid back farm boy. Soon after, he became King "something" in the drama Moon Embraces the Sun. I wasn't able to watch the "Moon..." because it seems to be so periodic for me. But after seeing him in YWCFTS, I might give it a try! He is such a darling!

YOU WHO CAME FROM THE STARS is not your typical drama. 

The casts:

Do Min Joon played by Kim Soo Hyun is an ALIEN! What, an alien?! Yes, really.
Cheon Song Yi played by Jeon Ji Hyun / Gianna Jun / Jun Ji Hyun is a top-billed artist at her peak.
Lee Hi Kyung played by Park Hae Jin is the son of S&C group and has a big love for Cheon Song Yi.
Yoo Se Mi played by Yoo In Na is Cheon Song Yi's friend and a secret admirer of Lee Hi Kyung

Let's begin. Let's do this!

If you still haven't seen it, well, you're missing a half of your Korean Drama experience! 

Overall Review

(setting it to 10 as being the highest)

9.6/10 

Do Min Joon is again, an alien who have lived on earth for 400 years. He changes his identity every ten years because his physical appearance never changes over the past 400 years that he was been living on earth. He became a banker, lawyer, doctor, military, meteorologist and in the present time, a professor. The story between him and Cheon Song Yi started on his last 3 months on earth.

   
He was living a peaceful life for the last 400 years but was disrupted when this top actress Cheon Song Yi moved in and became his neighbor in the apartment where he lived. Right then and there, his life changed, from the peaceful Do Min Joon to a distracted alien Do Min Joon.

Cheon Song Yi is loud, playful, not really a smart ass talent but she's popular, pretty, talented and hailed the billboards of Korea. They were neighbors but not the typical kind. On their first meeting, Cheon Song Yi had a smirk on her face thinking that Do Min Joon was a pervert. If you have seen this, this is really a funny scene! Anyway, Cheon Song Yi always get into trouble and intrigues because of her personality. And that's when the cutest alien living on earth came in.. to the rescue!

At the every end of the drama episode, there's a little portion wherein Do Min Joon tells his story like a diary. He's the cutest.

This drama made so much sense to me in Episode 4. That long, huh! But I fell in love with it since that last part of Episode 1. 

My Review:

I will not tell the story because where's the sense it watching if you can read them here already, right?

I WANT AN ALIEN!!! Kidding aside, the drama You Who Came From the Stars is not your ordinary drama where you cry, get involved and fall, laugh and brings in so much hate. During the whole drama, I haven't cried! Why? Because I am so in love with the story that it's too difficult to cry especially when you know that there's too much love!!!

Do Min Joon's character although in denial has so much love for Cheon Song Yi! Even though he seems too cold over Cheon Song Yi, he is always there to rescue her whether directly or indirectly. This guy showed too much compassion even on screen that even the viewers make it so difficult to resist, how much more for Cheon Song Yi?!

This drama will make you fall in love. Definitely!

Overall, no wonder it was the hottest drama for 2014. It ranked up in its ratings. The story is out of the ordinary, the lines are hard to resist, the sequence is just so perfect and the drama itself talks so much sense. The acting of Kim Soo Hyun and Jeon Ji Hyun came out so natural, it's like your watching them from your seat and not from the screen.

----

Disclaimer: I don't own the photos. Credits to owner. Thank you!

Read More

K-drama: Playful Kiss Review

Ahhhhh!! Talk about a lame Kim Hyun Joong fan. Ok, that's me.

I know for a fact that this korean drama was aired years back, but just to give you a hint on how lame I was, I just watched it last week.

Anyway, here goes.

Overall Rating

4.0 STARS

(as 5 being the highest)

Last 2010, if I remember it right, my housemates watched this on DVD but I never got to join them. I just heard them laughing and have this *kilig factor* (insert: my housemates are real men). It got me interested but since I was so busy back then, I wasn't able to watch it right away until last week.

The poster itself didn't entice me at all. It looked like a poster for some branding endorsement and not for a korean drama that would make your heart fall. LOL. Although I knew that it was the Korean version of ISWAK and ---- err, forgot the Japanese title. But then again, it proved me wrong. There's more to it than meets the eye.

Characters

Kim Hyun Joong as Baek Sung Jo

Jung So Min as Oh Ha Ni 

Lee Tae-sung as Bong Joon-gu

Lee Si-young as Yoon Hae-ra

and a lot more!

Overview

Baek Sung Jo is a cool geek. He's a walking encyclopedia who knows almost all sorts of stuff except his own feelings. *cheesy* On the other hand, Oh Ha Ni is a go-getter but poor in academics, she knows what she wants and she knows that she's really into Baek Sung Jo. What do you think, does opposite really attracts? Hmm.

Oh Ha Ni is a stalker and is really a self-confessed Baek Sung Jo fanatic. She follows him on school and even wrote a love letter. But Baek Sung Jo, the-hard-to-get-rich-smart-guy is a sucker for a lousy and no-brainer Oh Ha Ni. Until one day, both of them were caught in a situation that they both couldn't escape, it was when Oh Ha Ni and her father was forced to live with his friend (Oh Ha Ni's dad) since their house was wrecked by an earthquake. Look at how fate made them closer, the best friend of his dad was Baek Sung Jo's dad. WHAT A SMALL WORLD. A happy small world for Ha Ni while a disastrous small world for Baek Sung Jo. Watch it yourself and see how these two different worlds collide!

There. I guess that would be an enough background for you to get curious :)

 Review

Playful Kiss is surprisingly entertaining, sweet and filled with unexpected excitement. It may have light moments but not considered as dull. The characters played by Kim Hyun Joong and Jung So Min were portrayed well. I didn't even expect that they would have this strong chemistry on screen. I love them really! I laughed a lot, got lost in a whirlwind of emotions, smiled and cried. I played rewind a couple of times for that episode below, oh my! Baek Sung Jo is so sweet, cool and gaaaah, makes me crazy!

My entire experience of the Playful Kiss Drama was awesome! I will never ever ever get tired of watching it over and over again.

Kim Hyun Joong <3 Jung So Min was indeed one of the best team up ever! I love it to bits.

How was your Playful Kiss experience? Did the Baek Sung Jo / Kim Hyun Joong magic hit you? Well, it did - to me! :)

----

Disclaimer: I don't own the photos. Credits to owner. Thank you!

Read More

All-Time Favorite Korean Drama List

Annyeong Haseyo!!

From the greeting above, you already know what to expect from this blog entry. *fan girl wave* I've been wanting to write about my favorite Korean drama series and movies but I couldn't squeeze in a lengthy review. You know, I wanted to write soooo much about it so I need hours to do this! LET'S GO, LET'S GET IT ON! AJA AJA, FIGHTING! *eyes on my co-fan girls*

Being a fan girl of Korean drama series and movies didn't began just like that. Way back the late 90's when the gorgeous men of F4 or better known as the Meteor Garden (Taiwan) hailed the national television here in the Philippines, almost every household couldn't resist the asian telenovela craze. Wuhoo! I was in highschool back then when the Asianovela Craze started. From there, other Asian countries shared their home-grown talents in other neighboring countries, especially to the Philippines.

This entry post may include drama series from other countries that left a strong impact in my heart. Heart talaga? Haha! And definitely, no particular order. I will be posting a review for each or probably things that I can remember about the series. Some dramas were watched like a long time ago so my memory will not be as good anymore but I will do my best to do a writeup that would give justice to the films. Haha! Comments, suggestions and violent reactions are always welcome.

First on my list would be the Korean Drama that made me laugh, smile and cry countless times. Can you tell me which Korean series is the picture from? Wee.

FULL HOUSE (2004)

Rain and Song Hye Kyo really touched the heart of so many with this masterpiece. It's a cat and dog film who always ends up fighting, arguing and hurting each other's feelings but behind those petty fights is an in denial love waiting to be uncovered. Full House will be a forever favorite. I even watched this more than three times and still, it didn't fail to make me laugh. Good times, indeed! This was first aired in the Philippines by the GMA Network, and years later they made a Philippine version of this. Pretty good but still, nothing beats the original.

The OST of Full House was also amazing. Until now, I've been keeping them in my playlist in my music player and phone. It always reminds me the wonderful storyline of the series.
--

  
GU FAMILY BOOK / LOVE STORY OF KANG CHI (2013) - NEW!!! JUST IN!

See full review here: http://chocolatestardust.blogspot.com/2013/08/k-drama-gu-family-book-love-story-of.html


PRINCESS HOURS / GOONG (2006)

 








The epitome of beauty and being handsome during those days was the Prince and Princesses of the Princess Hours. Admit it, you wanted to have that life sized bear that Ju Ji-Hoon gave to Yoon Eun-Hye. Eun-Hye played the role of an ordinary girl who became a princess. The story of the Princess Hours won't break your heart until the 14th or 16th episode, so prepare yourself for a good laugh in the early to the not-so-later episodes. You will fall in love with the characters over and over again and somewhere in the middle, you will wish you were Shin Chae-kyeong. Haha! I can still remember back in college when me and my classmates discuss the episodes during class, fan girls!! :)

Same with Full House, Princess Hours do have a beautiful soundtrack. Super love!! Enjoy!
--

YOU'RE BEAUTIFUL (2009)

Honestly, I couldn't even remember how many times I've seen this drama. You're Beautiful is generally beautiful. The casts, their on-screen characters, the story -- everything! It is just so perfect. At first, I was really hesitant to watch this maybe because Jang Geun Suk looked gay or some sort of whatever but when I have survived half of the first episode, I just couldn't help it, I think I have finished it in one day. OMG. The boyband AN.Jell was a phenomenal band, the story actually revolved around them. Well, your eyes are on feast while watching this. A lot of the scenes will make you laugh, fall in love and would break your heart. Every episode is worth watching.

This is definitely one of my favorite dramas of all time! 
--

ROOFTOP PRINCE (2011)

I have posted a full page review on this, so that only means it really has a great impact on me. You can read it here: Rooftop Prince Review

The happy scenes are just irresistible. From the bodyguards to the love team, it was full of passion, love and excitement. Nonetheless, I enjoyed watching it and I hope you would too if you haven't seen it yet. I can guarantee that after watching the whole series, you would feel like watching it all over again (like I did).

Well, Rooftop Prince is definitely a must-see Korean Drama!!

--

COFFEE PRINCE (2007)

Another Yoon Eun-Hye series. What is not to love about her? This is actually the first series that I saw her with that short hair. I laughed a lot and cried a little. Coffee Prince was sort of a feel-good drama for everyone to see. It's light yet brings out the strong character of each cast. By just looking at it, if you haven't still watched it, you will be thinking that it is an another-gay-flick, but no, there's more to it than meets the eye! Another thing is Gong Yoo is love. Need I say more?
--

SECRET GARDEN

Hyun Bin and Ha Ji Won gave me sleepless nights for this! At first, it was a bit confusing but as the story went on, a special love was seen throughout. I laughed, cried and got eye bags too. I supeeer love the twists and everything about their love. Such a beautiful love story! Must watch! :)

 


PERSONAL TASTE/PERFECT MATCH

Cheers for the brilliant actor named Lee Min Ho. I can't deny it, I'm a major fan. Hehe! Btw, I have watched almost all of his series/movies except for Faith. Anyway, this is yet another masterpiece. Personal Taste (Korean Title) is sweet, undeniably charming and packed with surprises. I love the transition! I love the roles of the characters, Lee Min Ho being an Architect (and a trying hard gay) and Son Ye Jin as a furniture maker. I love series which is related to the arts and crafts. Although there are parts of the story that is a bit too slow, well, that's pretty normal for a Korean drama. Overall, both actors were pleasing to the eyes, no dull moments!

The OSTs are to love as well :)
--


BOYS OVER FLOWERS (2009)

Look at that photo!! Can you imagine other guys portraying their roles? Me, no.

Generally, Boys Over Flowers made me crazy although I've seen Hana Yori Dango and Meteor Garden before, still, BOF got me hooked up and made me suffer with those sleepless nights. Haha. Some parts may come so dragging and full of angst but the Jan Di and the guys are too charming to hate. It's a Korean Drama with lesser evil. The OST, story, actors and everything in between made me love this series to bits.

PLAYFUL KISS (2010)

See review here, newly posted: PLAYFUL KISS REVIEW
How I love Kim Hyun Joong and Jung So Min!

CORNER WITH LOVE (2007)

Sorry, this isn't a Korean drama rather it's a Taiwanese series set in Shanghai. I had really no plans of watching this before but out of boredom, I did. Well, I'm just happy I got bored because I was able to see a funny drama with lots of twists. Show Lou and Barbie Hsu (San Chai in Meteor Garden) starred in this romantic comedy. The usual, Barbie was rich and Show was poor. The love didn't develop that fast, it was slowly but surely (as they say) but despite the slow transition of the story, the love was worth it. Corner with Love was hilarious, weird yet lovable and nonetheless, worth watching.
--

This quote was stuck in my brain until now: If something doesn't belong to you, you won't be happy even if you get it. - Grandma

-----------

Obviously, I'm into Romantic Comedies. Haha! 
Happy watching What do you think? :) Thanks for dropping by!!


Anyway, here's more:
I just don't have the luxury of time to write a detailed review for each, but will do, soon!

Korean Drama:
To The Beautiful You
Save the Last Dance for Me
My Girl
Love Rain
Mary Stayed out All Night
Spring Waltz
Sweet 18
*still thinking*

Taiwan Drama:
Fated to Love You
Devil Beside You
 ISWAK

Japanese Drama:
One Litre of Tears (literally!!!)
Hana Yori Dango
Hanazakari Kimitachii

Again, thank you for dropping by!!

Read More

K-drama: The Rooftop Prince Review

OKAY. For a Kdrama Fan, I am too late for this review because I just watched it the other day. Uh-oh.

Rooftop Prince or also known as The Attic Prince is a time travel drama with lots of love in it. Unlike other bloggers, they gave a mediocre rating for this show, but me, NO. This drama deserves more, probably 4.5 stars. Close to perfect? Definitely. It's even part of my all time favorite kdramas :)

Overall Review

4.5 STARS

  (as five being the highest)

The plot is simple and very light to watch, no grudges or whatsoever although there are villains in the story (not new to a Korean flick) but they are not much to hate compared with other dramas' villains that would make your head ache.

Characters

Main Cast

Micky Yoochun (Park Yoochun) as Lee Gak / Yong Tae Yong
Han Ji Min as Park Ha / Bu Yong
Lee Tae Sung as Yong Tae Moo
Jung Yoo Mi as Hong Se Na / Hwa Yong

Others

Lee Min Ho as Song Man Bo (Lee Gak's retainer - Crown Prince's tutor)
Choi Woo Shik as Do Chi San (Lee Gak's retainer - palace eunuch)
Jung Suk Won as Woo Yong Sul (Lee Gak's retainer - Crown Prince's personal bodyguard)
Ban Hyo Jung as President Yeo (Yong Tae Yong's grandmother)

The Beginning

It all began during the Joseon Era, a Korean dynasty dated 300 years back from the modern time when the Crown Prince is all set to find the "love of her life". Crown Prince Lee Gak (the super in love) is then married to the Crown Princess Hwa Yong. Hwa Yong has a sister named Bu Yong who became their assistant in the palace. Bu Yong was supposed to marry the crown prince but her sister, Hwa Yong accidentally/intentionally burnt her face with an iron.

They lived a happy marriage until the Crown Princess was murdered mysteriously. Prince Lee Gak got depressed that he really wanted to solve the murder case of his princess. He even searched for the best team to undercover the case, they were Song Man Bo, Do Chi San and Woo Yong Sul (who would complete the Joseon's version of F4 or should I say Power Rangers). They are definitely the cutest line-up for the search of clues and solving the mysterious death of the princess. From there, the story of the Rooftop Prince started.... *spoilers ahead (but just a little)*

While they were doing the investigation, they found a clue that the answer is somewhere hidden in the middle of the forest. They went there together with prince Lee Gak but to their surprise, a group of bad people started attacking them. They rushed their horses to get rid of the arrows that were being thrown to them only to find out that it was a dead end... Fast forward to the 21th century... *()$&@@".,?! eeeck* next thing they knew, they were in Park Ha's (Bu Yong's reincarnation) rooftop.

Who wouldn't be surprised to see ancient people in your rooftop? Haha! Well, they are pretty good looking but still, it's not a good surprise! I love how the plot made some sense :))

The Review

1. The story of the Rooftop Prince is not common. It is indeed full of surprises, u-turns and even great revelations. Although the cast are multiplied in each episode, all of them were relevant in every scene. Hmm, except for Mimi and the other housemate of Park Ha, which I don't know what happened to them. But generally, it caught the viewers' attention. Also, the connection (story) that took place in Joeson and the 21st century was given justice. The director came up with a good ending. For that, I will give it 4 stars of 5 being the highest.

2. The happy scenes are just irresistible. From the bodyguards to the love team, it was full of passion, love and excitement except for the villains of course. Tae Yong and Park Ha are just two lovely couples. They give me reasons not to put down my iPad every time they are on que. I just fell in love with the thought that FATE would bring you to the person who's really meant for you even it would take a hundred years or forever perhaps. Aww! Although they aren't even part of my favorite KDrama couples, they definitely pulled it off. Now, they are on my list! I love them so I'll given them 4.5 stars.

3. The office set-up and family connection. Hmm, a bit okay. Some scenes were a bit off and I just can't connect it with the whole plot. It took so much time in the drama and it kinda bores me at some point. 3 stars for the effort.

4. The villains were kinda "trying hard" to play the witch part. At some point, I hated Se Na and Tae Moo but most of the time, they irritates me. They do things repeatedly. Hello, writer! :) 3 stars again.

5. Lastly, the OSTs Hurt and Happy Ending were perfect!

Nonetheless, I enjoyed watching it and I hope you would too if you haven't seen it yet. I can guarantee that after watching the whole series, you would feel like watching it all over again (like I did).

Disclaimer: I don't own the photos, just got it from the real owners via their respective websites. Thank you.

Have you watched it already? Tell me what you think!

Other recommended k-dramas: Full House, You're Beautiful, Boys over Flowers, To the Beautiful You, Coffee Prince, Princess Hours/Goong, City Hunter, Personal Taste/Perfect Match.. to be continued *still recalling*.

Read More