J-Music: One More Time, One More Chance

If you still havent catch the Anime Movie - 秒速5センチメートル, hopefully its soundtrack will move u to consider. （Watch Veoh Video - Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 with english subs)

The music is beautifully and aptly inserted into the movie, projecting a sense of lost dream, memory of nostalgic innocent romance ... life and love as we know it, described perfectly in a hauntingly pretty song 「One more time, One more Chance」in Part 3 of the video (Download), by Yamazaki Masayoshi

One more time, One more chance - Yamazaki Masayoshi

Overview: Hotaru no Hikari

Just Finished another older Japanese Drama (ホタルノヒカリ) : Hotaru no Hikari

Synopsis/ review

Hotaru works for a famous interior design company and the show goes on to reflect how Hotaru's private life is totally the opposite of what she displayed in office - a modern able professional who is in control and meticulous of her work.

In reality, she rented an apartment and lived alone. When she isn't working she's mostly lazing in training wear and absolutely not interested in housekeeping (which is an utter mess!). The story started off with her showing no interest in men or having a relationship. In fact, she isn't interested in anything. "I'd rather lay around than fool around," is her motto.

Her landlord is a bar owner, and one day his son, who has just separated from his wife, decides to move back to his parents place to "clear his mind" and think things through by himself, not knowing that someone is already living there. As he entered the apartment, he was shocked at the mess, and most of all stunned that his employee Hotaru is the tenant! As Hotaru had a "forever contract" with his father, he had no choice but to stay in one of the spare room instead as a temporarily solution as he had no place else to go.

The whole 11 episode shows the interesting and humorous composition of the 2 completely opposite personalities living under one roof. It slowly developed into a mentor relationship as the story developed and explored the roller coastal ride of Hotaru when she fell in love with her colleague, or was she falling in love with love?

While some scenes of her in her jerseys are overly exploited and "stale", yet the series is light hearted and captivating in its humour. The nicknames that the manager gave her had me laughing quite a bit ( such as when he called her a "Kame-onna"- tortoise woman and "Aho-miya" )! The plot carried through mainly through the eyes of very innocent Hotaru has sucessfully made the characters more endearing than annoying.

All in all a good drama and I had good laughs throughout! Worth your time to watch!

Overview: Zettai Kareshi/ Absolute Boyfriend

On another note, been following Japanese Drama and I am amused that the production station has adopted "Zettai Kareshi" (Absolute boyfriend - 絶対彼氏) from Manga to TV series!

The manga's theme is only suited for mature audience but one can safetly assume that the script writers would have tone it down and make it viewable by all audience. Anycase for starters, they have already made subtle changes to the story from a high school student to a working professional.


"Night Tenjo" (the Absolute boyfriend) is kinda cute in manga, so its hard to imagine a real person playing that role. Oh well, looking forward to it being sub and uploaded soon!

After watching all the Japanese drama, I am constantly amazed at how Japanese guys seem to be able to get away looking cool with slight permed hair locks. Chinese guys just look plain weird. Even the most fashionable Taiwanese guy still looks biazzare with permed hair. Of course my husband being typical old school male thinks the Japanese boys look sissy and spend way too much time on their appearance (esp those who pluck their eye brows) but I am straying here...

I am just intriged at how some (even guys on the streets) can look so good in those dyed wavy curls. Is it their features or just the stylist? Has to be the features i think...

Anycase, to watch the first episode of Zettai Kareshi with english subtitles here. Thank you its finally out!! Yahhoooo!

Overview: Fated to Love You

Just started on this new Taiwanese drama that is currently still airing.

Mandarin title: 命中注定我愛你
English Title: Fated to Love You / Sticky Note Girl

Initially had thought that this could possibly be another those lousy slap stick crap but as far as the first 5 episode that has been airing, they have proven my guess wrong. The script is pretty funny although as usual, typical Taiwanese drama like to insert some anticlimax unnecessary portions which i typically fast forward. Still, this is one of the funnier ones I have seen to date.

Ethan Ruan (as Ji Cun Xi) is a better actor than in some of the previous dramas I had seen him in and his expressions are pretty comical. There was a scene in Ep 5 where he was jealous of a "supposedly" father (priest) that was encouraging his wife and he mumbled.. "加油嘞. 加什么油？哪里加？！" had me guffawing quite a bit...

Baron (as Dylan) is probably the better looking of the two. Think most girls are crazy over him and evreyone has been complaining that his airtime is too little. While Ethan has been pretty natural, Dylan comes across as still alittle stiff at certain times, though I have to admit his smile is rather captivating and his role as the "confidente" is rather likeable and mass appealing.

Taiwanese comedy drama has a a tendency to often kill a good script with overdramatic and over the top antics and lame jokes. I really am hoping this series wont be so. Will keep watching and make my judgement later.

Overview: New Heart

This is a relatively new Korean Drama which has finished airing in Korea.

Korean Title: 뉴하트
English Title: New Heart

Synopsis
This drama focuses on the growth and sufferings of the heart surgeons who work in the thoracic surgery department.

Lee Eun Sung graduated from a newly established medical school in the provinces. He applies for a job at the hospital and has high hopes of becoming a great doctor. Nam Hye Suk graduated at top of her medical school. She is an absolute fundamentalist but starts to show her humane side once she gets to know Eun Sung.

The problem is Choi Kang Gook just became the new head of the Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery. He believes that only doctors can save people's lives and is a genius but he is also a stubborn surgeon who does not care for hospital policies. Only Eun Sung and Hye Suk apply to work in his department. "

My reviews

I had stumbled upon this medical doctor series accidentally. Yet I was completely glued from ep 1 to 12 at one go..I couldnt stop and when I finished ep 20, it left me with a good feeling.

As far, its a pretty tight series with all the hospital politics and the schemings by the different professors to gain an edge in their professional ladder climb. I found this definitely better than the new seasons of Grey anatomy which I have stopped following as it got more and more boring. G.A should just stop overdoing and focusing on all those inter-love romance thing.

New heart basically starts with Professor Choi as an outcast (as punishment) in a remote rural hospital as he had openly disagreed and went up against his senior/ colleagues about a patient's case back (when he was in the city major hospital). By chance while being treated for wounds due to a brawl, he saved a life threatening patient. The junior doctor (Eun Sung) who almost misdiagonised the critical case witnessed Choi's act and was immensely impressed with Choi's skills. Eun Sung found himself to be inadequate that he couldnt even read an Xray properly. From there, inspired to be a thoracic surgeon and to be the best, he decided to apply for a position in the famous city hosiptal despite his low chances of being accepted. His journey begins from there.

Due to political changes and influences, Choi was being asked to returned to be a new head by the new director whose only idea is to further enhance the brandname and rid itself of "non revenue making" departments such as the thoracic department. This clashed severly with Choi's single mindedness to only save lifes at all costs without care of his peers feelings nor respect for hospital regulations. Choi's actions quickly made him a perm target for hospital politics. The ep explained Choi's behaviour briefly in that Choi had an old "score" with the medical world, which was to avenge his falsely accused father through his "godly" skills. To do so, Choi took it upon himself to perform all the difficult and "impossible" operations, offending many along the way, and whom wished and plotted for his fall from grace.

Eun Sung made it to the same famous city hospital only to be severly ostracised due to his humble and non prestigious university background. The drama focuses on his perservances and how his caring heart affected his peers around him, especially the unfeeling female colleague, Hye Suk who also happened to be his only peer in the same batch.

Much of the story revolved around the struggles of the various doctors and how they overcome the difficult situation they are often placed in. Romance is not the main essence in this series. Rather than making love the main theme, instead relationships (friendship, family ties) are weaved in and out to give viewers a sense of appreciation to the predications and sacrifices of thoarcic doctors without coming off like a preach. Towards the last few episodes, we also see how the the friendship between Eun Sung and Hye Suk slowly blossoms into something possibly more.

I love Professor Choi character. He is often in dilema, complex emotional situations and I simply love the chemistry he had with his surborinates especially with Eun Sung, that often quite have me laughing loudly. I certainly would put him to be the rock of the whole drama and without fail, the actor had brought the charactor to life vividly with ease.

While this isnt one of those tear jerking love drama, I reckon it is still a series worth your time.

K-Music: Goong/ Princess Hours OST

One of the most addictive Korean drama series to date.... Goong (Princess Hours)! Not only do I love the drama, I absolutely adore the 2 disc CD soundtrack I have gotten in HMV today. Not sure if I got the English titles correct since I bought my cd in HK - hence the cover only indicate the Cantonese title.

There are alot of good songs in there but as usual, here are some of my favorites to boot!

1. Track 01-Perhaps Love (Download)




2. Track 02- 你....我都是傻瓜 (Download)




3. Track 11- 无法触及的心 (Acoustic) (Download)