Review: Boys over Flowers

Year Released: 2009
Genre: Romance, Comedy, Drama
Title: Boys over Flowers
Category: South Korean Drama

Web Summary: Shin Hwa School is a school for rich people, attended by Goo Jun Pyo, the heir of the global corporation Shin Hwa Group, Yoon Ji Hoo, So Yi Jeong, and Song Woo Bin which form a gang called F4. Jun Pyo, the leader of F4, is the main ruffian.

Geum Jan Di, who is not from rich family, ends up attending Shin Hwa School when she saves a boy from jumping off the rooftop and is given a scholarship to quiet down all the publicity the incident has caused. The entire school worships the F4 except for Jan Di. However, she holds a certain soft spot for Yoon Ji Hoo, who appears to be different from the other three. Jan Di finally speaks up against F4 to defend her friend, Oh Min Ji. From then on, she becomes Jun Pyo's main rival. Almost every time Jan Di is bullied, she is helped by Ji Hoo in some way. Jan Di and Jun Pyo's rivalry intensifies, but at the same time it is a source of amusement for him as Jan Di has now caught his attention.

The story develops and Jun Pyo slowly starts falling for Jan Di. On the other hand, Jan Di's attention is on Ji Hoo, her savior, but ultimately, as the story progresses, her heart is with Jun Pyo. The couple faces many obstacles as they continue to struggle for their love, but eventually they find their way back to each other.

JM's Review: Probably one of the best dramas i have ever watched. I admire how detailed the sets and how precise the characters are. Even though this is a remake of the Taiwanese and Japanese versions, it still has its own unique plot that makes it differ from the other two. I couldnt take my eyes away from watching it. I will honestly say that i spent the whole day watching this drama. It has a total of 25 episodes in which each episode is approximately an hour. It doesnt bother me because i get so immersed into its storyline. Jan Di (played by Hye Sun) is a very good actress, she portrayed her character really well and the romance in this drama is not your typical mushy type boring thing. It really makes you anticipate for more. I think the only downside to this drama is the ending. It doesnt really make sense why they all stared at the beach during the final episode. >___> but other than that, it is absolutely wonderful.

Final Verdict: Superb! Stupendous! Amazing! A really great drama and is worth the time to watch~

Overall Rating: 9/10 (i did not like the ending, it was confusing and boring the rest are magnificent)

Recommendable? THUMBS UP! A must watch on every drama fan's list!

Review: How to date an Otaku Girl

Year Released: 2009
Genre: Romance, Drama
Title: How to date an Otaku Girl (Fujoshi Kanojo)
Category: Japanese Movie

Web Summary: College student Mutou Ookawa catches a glimpse of Ametani Yuiko, his co-worker from a former part-time job and falls immediately in love. Summoning up his courage, he eventually confesses his feelings to her and she responds “…but I’m a fujoshi.” Mutou not having the slight clue what “fujoshi” means, immediately responds “That’s OK!”

JM's Review: I was intrigued because of the word "Otaku" since i am a bit of an otaku myself. I expected a lot of weird language only Otaku's know about. A fujoshi basically means someone who loves the relationship between both men or in other terms a "yaoi fangirl". Its funny to see someone without a clue on the nature of fujoshi's while having a relationship with one. This is more on the light romance side. It has a bit of comedy too and will make you smile. I dont think non-otaku fans will enjoy watching this. You may think that this is weird and that the main character is weird. Thats the point of the whole movie, regardless whether or not you enjoy the same things, as long as you love each other you will try to understand one another.

Final Verdict: A really sweet and unique movie to watch. Definitely fits the title perfectly.

Overall Rating: 7/10

Recommendable? Watch this when you feel like there are no people who can understand you. It will really make you feel good and will give you hope~ Also recommended to those guys whose girlfriends are into these kind of stuff.

Review: Annie B.

Year Released: 2004
Genre: Romance, Comedy
Title: Annie B.
Category: Filipino Movie

Web Summary: Annie who comes from a poor family is the epitome of an active and lively teenager. Fernando is the owner of an ad agency. The story begins when Annie halts Fernando's wedding thinking it was Fernando who got her sister pregnant. It just so happened that Fernando and Annie's sister's BF share the same name. The two meet again when Annie auditions for a TV commercial. Despite their rocky start, the two get to know each other.

JM's Review: I absolutely loved this movie. Its funny and sweet. It depicts the love between two different worlds. Annie comes from a poor family while Fernando comes from a rich family. I love how quirky Annie (played by Jolina Magdangal) is. She is unpredictable and a bit idiotic but she can put a smile to viewers faces. Fernando is the typical rich man but minus the arrogant nature (played by Dingdong Dantes). He is sweet and will do anything to contradict his controlling and poor hater father. I had a barrel of laughs while watching this~ Its fun~

Final Verdict: A really good movie to watch! ^^ If you want to laugh a lot.

Overall Rating: 8/10

Recommendable? Definitely~ I recommend this to people who want to try something new just like how unique Annie B is~

Review: The 1st shop of Coffee Prince

Year Released: 2007
Genre: Romance, Comedy, Drama
Title: The 1st shop of Coffee Prince
Category: South Korean Drama

Web Summary: The life of Go Eun Chan (Yoon Eun Hye) is not easy; she works many jobs to pay off debts and even gave up her feminine image. Choi Han Kyul (Gong Yoo) is the heir of a big food company, but his grandmother wants him to settle down, so she arranged many dates for him. After Eun Chan bumped into Han Kyul and was mistaken for a boy, Han Kyul decided to hire Eun Chan to be his gay lover in order to avoid the arranged dates. Desperately in need of money, Eun Chan had no choice but to accept. Han Kyul's grandmother also made Han Kyul in charge of a filthy coffee shop in danger of being bankrupt. Eun Chan begged to work at the coffee shop, and not long after, feelings start to spark, except, how would Han Kyul accept his "homosexuality"?

JM's Review: When i first watched it i will honestly say that i felt it was a bit boring. The story of Eun Chan and Han Kyul is sweet but it lacks some spark to make the viewers want to watch it again. I personally would watch some of its episodes but i feel that the story takes too long. There are a lot of gender bender type dramas and i think this one is not so amazing as i first thought it would be. Dont get me wrong, i love how they all portrayed their characters, its just that the main characters are a bit boring for my taste. There are tender moments which makes me want to cry but sometimes it just gets a bit cliche.

Final Verdict: So-so drama. It has its sweet times and funny times but it doesnt make watchers want to rewatch it. *le grin*

Overall Rating: 6/10

Recommendable? I would recommend this to some people who have patience since it has 17 episodes. If you are a first timer to watch a drama, i would not recommend watching this as your first. ^^

Review: Skip Beat (Extravagant Challenge!)

Year Released: 2011
Genre: Romance, Comedy
Title: Skip Beat (Extravagant Challenge!)
Category: Taiwanese Drama (ongoing series)

Web Summary: Gong Xi sacrificed her life to support her boyfriend, Bu Puo Shang, so he could become a successful singer. One day, Shang suddenly breaks up with Gong Xi, leaving her with nothing, and Gong Xi vows revenge. She decides to delve into the entertainment world and become even more successful than Shang to get back at him. Gong Xi therein meets Dun He Lian, another actor in her agency, who helps motivate her to become a top entertainer.

JM's Review: Should i lie and tell you that it was not Super Junior who drove me to watch this? *le grin* Anyway, i admit, i was intrigued because Donghae and Siwon were casted as the lead characters but after watching it for quite some time. I actually enjoyed watching Gong Xi (played by Ivy Chen) and Qin (played by Bianca Bai) more than the guys. I have read the manga and i must say that i am impressed at how the director of this drama pulled it together. Its amazing how Ivy portrays that slightly insane character. *bravo*

I love how annoying and idiotic Gong Xi is yet she turns out to be a genius actress in the drama. Its not yet complete and i am always anticipating what comes next. Donghae might be a good guy in real life as a member of Super Junior yet he is a great villain. Siwon is also a great actor and he fits his role perfectly. I love this drama to bits. *dances* I hope it doesnt end soon. Since im still at the 10th episode.

Final Verdict: SUPERB DRAMA! Really funny yet exciting. (No, its not the bias side of my brain which keeps complimenting this drama) Its really good if you watch it.

Overall Rating: 9/10 (Super Junior hotness + Ivy Chen's superb acting = eyegasms)

Recommendable? Should i just force it in your faces? *le grin* Watch this. Its definitely worth it.

Review: 200lbs beauty

Year Released: 2006
Genre: Romance, Comedy, Drama
Title: 200 lbs Beauty
Category: South Korean Movie

Web Summary: Hanna is the famous Korean pop singer. She suffers from having extremely poor self-esteem, as she has been ignored because of her appearance. At last, she makes the decision of a lifetime to have full-body plastic surgery.

JM's Review: This is the first ever Korean Movie i have watched. At first i thought that it was weird to promote Plastic Surgery but after watching it, i learned about the pain of the main character, about how she lingers at the sidelines and watch someone prettier take the limelight. I know its not easy being fat, most of the people with issues about their weight tend to suffer from really low confidence. No matter how talented they are, they will be ridiculed by others because of their weight. Just like Hana, she is a very good singer, all she needs is a lot of confidence in herself. The actress Kim Ah Jung portrayed the character really well. She is very funny in an awkward way. I love how she always exaggerates her facial expressions as she plays Hana. I literally cried during the time when she confessed to Sang Jun (played by Ju Jinmo) that she was Hana and that when he broke her heart is more painful than what she went through. I felt bad when her character had a fight with her best friend just because she doesnt want her to have the same fate of being hurt. Can i has another tissue? *le troll face*

Final Verdict: A really classic comedy, I never regretted watching it and i will always would want to watch it again.

Overall Rating: 8/10 (Because i still feel that its wrong to turn to plastic surgery regardless of how bad you feel about yourself)

Recommendable? Definitely, I recommend this movie to those who want to laugh a little and try to forget about some of their life's troubles. :)

JMsays: Nice to meet you all

Nice to meet all of you, my current and future readers. I am JM. I am a striving writer from the Philippines.

I have always wanted to do reviews about the Asian dramas and movies that i have seen. I watch different kinds of Asian dramas (Korean, Japanese, Taiwanese, Filipino and Thai). I always have this fascination about how different countries portray different stories.

Sit back and read through my reviews. As they say, everyone is entitled to their own opinion. I will review these dramas to how i see them and without bias to my favorite actors/actresses.

I hope this will be the start of something new to read for all Asian drama fans all over the world. Sometimes its nice to read reviews before starting to watch the whole series right?