Korean Drama Review: Dream High 2

If you are able to watch Dream High 1, then you must be familiar with Kirin High School of Art – the school that aims to produce the top Korean idols. This is where everything happened.

Let me introduce you to the characters which, I considered, played a big roll.

Rian played by Park Ji-Yeon

For me, I think she’s the center of the story. She’s pretty and hard working. On the outside, she looks fierce plus the heavy eye make-up, but if you’ve get to know her, she’s playful and gentle. She loves her mother so much even though they always have quarrels. Even though she’s part of the popular girl group HerShee, she’s like a normal girl when in love. She gets jealous and insecurities. But when she cares, she really cares. Her dream is to become an A-Rated actress. However, due to lack of acting skills, she’s being ranked as B. What to do Rian?

Shin Hae Sung played by Kang So-Ra

She’s called the ugly duckling. Rian even said, she’s the epitome of plainness. Yes, she’s the total opposite of Rian. She barely even have make ups. She dressed simply. She’s just a normal student on Kirin Art School plus her intellectual skills. But remember, Kirin Arts School is not merely relying on academics, you should have talent too. Unfortunately, she was embarrassed many times for her unpleasant voice and she doesn’t even dance well. Poor Hae Sung! But even though she lacks skills, she still works hard and tries hard to do things the best way she can. Whenever she’s stressed, she solves math problems. Like seriously? She’s a bit weirdo. Her dream is to become a singer. But what will you do when the song doesn’t want you Shin Hae Sung?

JB played by JB

He’s a cutie. Oh well, I think his role is not so challenging for him because he acts very natural. He has a good, rhythm and blues voice. He dances well. He’s like a Neyo-Usher type. He’s stubborn. He does things his way. He seems to be cold at times but his weakness is girl’s tears. Bwahahaha! (Evil laugh) Isn’t it cute? He’s part of Eden – a boy duo. His dream is to become Korea’s superstar. When he likes a thing, he’ll treasure it so much. He’ll treat it as part of his life, maybe as his life. But nothing lasts forever, when the things you cherish the most were taken away from you, how are you going to let it go JB?

Jin Yoo Jin played by Jinwoon

Rock spirit! That’s his favourite line. Yes, he’s a lover of music – specifically rock music. He turned his back from his parents due to an unfavourable childhood memories. He was once a child star but he considered it as part of his history and doesn’t want to reoccur. He doesn’t have any plan to be famous, not at all; he just wants to play his kind of music. But what if the only way to compete for your special someone’s heart is to be a Super Idol, will you grab it or continue to live by your principle, Yoo Jin?

Si Woo played by Park Seo-Joon

OMG! I like him. Seriously, I find him cute and hot? Lol! That’s the reason why I think he’s a ladies’ man here. Yah, he’s a player. He takes life so easy but he is sweet. I think that what makes players cool. They might treat everyone special but doesn’t it feel good when someone makes you feel special? Uhm, yes. Lol! Oh Si Woo, you can’t please anyone. What will you do when someone you consider incompetent beats you on the heart of someone you truly like?

Nana played by Hyorin

She’s the singer of HerShee and we can’t throw an argument on that. Oh God! She has a powerful voice. Aside from that, she’s very pure at heart. She doesn’t have any greed. For her, what matters is her voice and singing has been her life. But Nana, what will happen to you if one day you woke up and you can’t sing anymore?

Director’s Daughter Lee Seul played by Jung Yeon-Joo

She’s cold. At first look, she looks like a person who’s born out of sadness. One question she asked was, “What if the person that you really like keeps doing things that you hate?” and I myself can’t help but think of the answer. She’s rebellious toward her father but she adores him so much.

Unforgettable Moments

1.       Kim Soo Hyun’s cameo role which reminds me of Dream High 1. Yes, he was Song Sam Dong – the world renowned singer.

2.       IU’s cameo role which reminds me of Dream High again and how cute Kim Pil Suk and Jason’s love story was.

3.       Suzy Bae’s cameo role which reminds me of the brattish-but-kind-hearted Go Hye Mi. She’s pretty, really pretty.

4.       JB and Hae Sung on church. This is one of the sweetest scenes I watched. Can you imagine when your super-duper crush fell asleep on your lap? Not only that, when you fell asleep on your super-duper crush’s shoulder? Then when you woke up, he was singing a song for you? Oh my! I can’t imagine how I would feel. Thinking about it gives me chills! Lol! Happy chills, though.

5.       Director’s daughter performing on stage and gave her father a balloon. Okay, so this scene made me cry. I think I’m just weak on family tie scenarios. I had witnessed how cold-hearted she became because of her hatred to her father but when she went near her father and handed him the balloon during the performance, it moved me. *tears*

Overall Verdict

Story – Very Good

Artists – Very Good

OST - Excellent

Korean Movie Review: The Flu

Casts: 

Jang Hyuk as Kang

Ji-Koo Soo-Ae as Kim In-Hae

Cha In Pyo as South Korea President 

Verdict: 

This film depicts the outbreak of bird flu on Bundang – a suburban in South Korea not far from Seoul. It came from a cargo shipped from Hong Kong containing several illegal immigrants of which one was infected by bird flu. When the cargo arrived in Korea, all the people inside were dead except for one – Moon Sai, a Filipino. The mob’s younger brother who opened the cargo was the first carrier of the virus. The virus spreads fast and should be stopped as soon as possible before it reaches other cities in South Korea. At first, the symptom of the bird flu is just like an ordinary flu but it has no cure. The person infected will cough until it spits out blood and there will be red marks all over the skin until he/she gave his/her last breathe. The plague brought ruckus all over the place. The government and medical experts work together to stop the outburst of the horrible disease. 

In my own point of view, these are the major characters that represent the diverse people of the society. 

Kang-Ji Koo is part of the rescuer team and is very passionate towards his duty. Even if the situation is horrendous, like flying bullets everywhere, he still chose to help and rescue his fellows. He is a person who would not think twice to sacrifice even his own life for the sake of others. Let’s hope and be thankful for people that live this way. 

Kim In Hae is a doctor by profession and a single mother. As a single parent, we all know how hard it is to raise a child and at the same time, how precious the child is for her. I think there’s no mom in this world who would want to suffer her child. Unfortunately, her only daughter Kim In Rae was infected by the bird flu. Her only hope is to produce an antibodies from the survivor of the cargo that brought the virus in South Korea. When the survivor was caught, tests were done immediately to check if he can really produce the antibodies. However, time is playful; Kim In Rae’s condition is getting worse, she’s dying. Dr. In Hae didn’t wait for the result of the test even if it means breaking the rule set by the head doctor. She got the serum and injected it to In Rae. As a mother, you would risk everything for the sake of your child. In Rae recovered from the flu and has become the source of antibodies for the thousands of people infected. By the way, the only survivor was killed by the mob as a revenge for killing the mob’s younger brother. 

President has the hardest role. As the president of a country, you should always consider the situation of the people. President faced a lot of weighing pro’s and con’s. The first plan was to isolate the place and gather all the people in one place. The infected and the uninfected will be separated. Some of the uninfected people are complaining as to why they need to stay on the camp when in fact they are not infected. To stop the epidemic virus, there was an inhumane order made – burn the infected people. This was done so as the virus will only be isolated on the area. Even if there are decisions that break his heart, he has to make a choice. He must. That is his sole responsibility. 

The film is very realistic. The personalities of the characters are natural. This is one of the best films I had watched so far. Thumbs up for this!

Movie Trailer (English Subtitle):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSU2v9bMHOs

The Reason Behind My Film Reviews

Hi everyone! Let me introduce this part of my blog and share a brief history of how this started. 

I am a lover of Asian movies – Japanese, Thai and Korean. I most love Korean movies and series. So yes, I am a fan of Hallyu. It all started when I watched Lee Min Ho’s City Hunter. Come on, it’s Lee Min Ho! Like, who’ll not fall for him? So, after being captured by Min Ho as Johnny, I watched all his other series. I even read reviews and news about him. Then suddenly, I got interested to watch other series as well. I even look for “Top Korean Drama Series” things online. I don’t know, but for me, Koreans are so cute. I mean, their lifestyle and Seoul are wonderful. I really want to visit Seoul someday and go to those cafes I often see on the series I watched. Sounds funny huh? But really, I’m being genuine here.

Aside from being a fan of drama series, I am also a lover of not-a-happy-ending movie. Hahahah! No, I’m not bitter! I just find it moving and more impactful. I also love watching horror movies and on that note, who’s the best? Isn’t it Asian Horror Movies? Exactly! So I enjoyed watching tear-jerkers and heart-thumping movies. Am I weird? No, I’m just being me.

So one day, I realized to write a review with every series and movie I watched. This is not to brag how many movies I already watched, but it’s a way for me as well to remember the story behind those movies. I am not so good on long-term memory. Hahaha!

I hope you’ll enjoy reading my reviews and keep on supporting the film industry. Fighting!

SK Election Postponement – Bitter Sweet Reality?!

I have nothing against the government – in fact, I believe in the government. However, the postponement of the SK Election which was passed on thru the third reading in the House of Representative really broke my heart. If I were on the shoe of a teenager who volunteered to be registered as an SK voter, it would be a big “WTF?!” First, it’s 100% obvious that our government system is still not so into technology. The COMELEC still went through manual processing of papers for registration. Also, there is no comfortable waiting area to house hundreds of people while waiting for the registration to be done. It would be good of they have free Wi-Fi zone or free snacks to fill in the hungry stomachs of these kids. Can you give it? Or you don’t want to give it? The “first-come-first-serve” basis, also, contributes to the pressure of push and pull in the line. So, just like in marathon, to finish the line, you have to be in the COMELEC earlier than the sun. The worst thing, I’ve known people who went there the night before the day of another office day, only to be given a “priority number” by nearly noon. How was that dearest bill passers? On another note, if I am one of the candidates running for the chairman or councillor position – postponing election in less than 30 days before the “Election Day” is SUICIDAL. Come on! You don’t prepare campaign materials the day before the election! Postponing the election would only mean that all the conceptualizing, planning and speeches will gone to waste. The most painful part is gathering up all the supports and deep-diving to gain enough confidence is USELESS. The question, “Bill passers, are you willing to give a reimbursement of all the campaign materials printed and made? Can you compensate for the moral damages caused?” I know that the postponement of the SK Election has a good goal – it is mainly for the reconstruction of the Sangguniang Kabataan. It’s good, actually, BETTTER. But they should’ve rolled out the bill several months before the election. They should’ve planned and brought the topic one year ago, not on less than a month before the Election Day. Gallons of sweat and nth hours were wasted. Isn’t it unfair? Whoever passed the bill, try to put your shoe to the shoes of the SK Members. EMPATHY.

Diploma

I admit I am not perfect but I strive to be one. I appreciate things easily but not people. I have a boundary line between people and things. I have a standard of beautiful things and beautiful people, and of course, it differs a lot – a huge difference. Now, why am I saying this? I actually do not know either. I just feel like blogging my thoughts right now.

During my student life days, I’ve been through what other students went through. I celebrated the most popular event of the semester, “The Hell Week” I also asked the question, “Why do we only have 24 hours a day?!” Stuffs like a normal student had experienced. However, the feeling I had when I finally executed my final march in the red carpet of XU Gym, it was unforgettable. I feel like I’m flying. I want to shout out to the world that “I AM A SURVIVOR!”

Then here comes my 1^st job. I realized a lot of things.

My diploma is just a paper to be framed and hanged in the wall of our house not unless you’ll go out, look for a job and work to earn a living. Yes, you are a college graduate, but did you use your profession to earn and be independent? If not, then your diploma is just like any other home decoration – nothing more, nothing less.

Your in depth knowledge in school is quiet USELESS. No matter how great your grades are, even if you memorized all the theories, all the formulae – it’s nothing. In the real world of business, 90% of your performance depends on what you learn in your work. The remaining 10% is your 1^st level knowledge.

Your educational attainment is just a title – not unless you act according to your degree. Even if you have a master’s, a doctorate and whatever degree you have, if your attitude is lower than life, than you’re considered to be no one.

It’s not a matter of what school or university you’re into, it’s a question of whether you lived up the values that your school has been inculcating in you. Even if you’re in the most prestigious university, but your thoughts and deeds are thrash, than certainly, YOU ARE A TRASH.

So, if you stand in front of me right now and say that you’re a doctor in whatever field, I don’t care. I’ll not judge you by that. I would be more curious on how you handle tough situations.

In the end, it’s not your education that defines who you are, it’s your attitude.

Crap In My Face

While the jeepney I'm riding into was waiting for the vacant seats to be filled up, I was staring at nothingness. Suddenly, a guy stepped in and sat across me. From my observation, I guess that guy is around 5'8 tall, wearing a white body fit shirt and jersey shorts - that college basketball-varsity-college-hunky-cool-dude type of guy. I would say he has an appeal and he is charming. Sitting beside him is a woman - a plain, older than him, motherly looking woman. At first, I didn't noticed the woman beside that hunk because my attention was all captured by him. It was only when the woman handed a face towel to him did I acknowledge her existence. I told myself, "Oh, what a very supportive mother he has!" I enjoyed looking at them because I find them cute as a mother and son tandem.  Deep inside, I even said, "Ay! He's a Mama's boy. How cute! I pity whoever her daughter-in-law will be. Bwahaha!" So, when the time the konduktor asked for the fare, she said while facing the cutie hunk, "Magkano nga pamasahe BEB?" I WAS STARTLED. I forgot how much were the coins I'm counting in my palms. Did I heard it right? Did she called him "BEB"? I think I'm wrong. Maybe I heard it incorrectly. Maybe it's not BEB, maybe it's BEN. Maybe his name is BEN. I hope so. He answered, "Eight." After a few minutes, the hunky said, "Manong, para ho." He turned to the woman and said, "Tara na BEB." BEB?! REALLY. They call each other BEB. Not "anak" and "mama". SHE'S NOT HIS MOTHER and HE'S NOT HER SON. I was shocked. I had mixed emotion inside. I don't know what to think. When they got off the jeepney, the guy grabbed the woman's hand and they cross the road...

My youth was insulted. Age doesn't matter. Love is blind. This is bullcrap.

My Tuesday Story

So, there's this guy in the office, late 20's, seven work stations away from me. I noticed his existence several months ago. I noticed that he is cute two weeks ago. This morning, while I was about to put some eye drops, a voice from behind said: "Hi. There's something I want to ask about your report." SHOCKS! It was him. It was the first time I saw him up close. He is not cute, HE IS GORGEOUS. Those black, deep eyes that can melt every girl's heart. That nose moulded like the Greek Gods’, his scent, everything. It feels like I'm looking at a superhero. It took for me like 10 seconds to respond and said, “Yes?” (Of course, with a very soft and demure voice). While he was discussing stuffs, looking at my monitor, I am also busy studying his face. Lord, is this an angel? After a few minutes, he left but his fragrance remained. I don’t know if it’s just my nose but I think the scent of him was stuck in my nostrils. Hahahaha! Since he is one of the recipients of my report, I know his full name and YES. I want to confirm if the beautiful face that I saw was real. Before I went home, I searched his account in Facebook. While the page was loading, I feel so excited. After one moment, I wanna jump! I WANT TO JUMP AND KICK THE MONITOR. The profile picture is a baby - cute, cuddly baby boy. HIS BABY. He is happily married. So my world drifted. I FELT SAD.

This angel is real but this angel is not for me. </3