1°17' N, 103°51' E Island Slacker

No.of Epis: 8
Yr/TV Stn: 2010/Fuji TV
Cast:
Kimura Takuya ~ Hazuki Rensuke
Shinohara Ryoko ~ Ninomiya Maemi
Lin Chi Ling ~ Liu Xiu Mei
Matsuda Shota ~ Sai Kazami/Cai Feng Jian
Kitagawa Keiko ~ Onuki Yuzuki
Synopsis: (edited from Jdrama Weblog)
Hazuki Rensuke started his furniture store with the strong desire to ‘give good furniture to many people’ and has built the interior design boutique, ‘Regolith’, with the momentum to be the number one in the industry in one generation. Rensuke’s next target is Shanghai, China. He heads to Shanghai just before the opening of ‘Regolith’s’ first store in the city. In Shanghai, the Chinese working at the factory, which is being forced to shutdown because of ‘Regolith’s’ store, stage a sit-in. Meanwhile, interior designer Ninomiya Maemi, who has known Rensuke since school days, is in the final stages of decorating the store. Maemi, whom Rensuke trusts, is the only person who can give him opinions. Rensuke comes for a preliminary inspection, and orders Maemi to redo the interior design. He wishes to change the image of the interior in order to quell the opposition of the Chinese, which has been greater than expected. Rensuke visits the factory, which is in an uproar, and notices Liu Xiu Mei there. This encounter greatly jolts the lives of both Xiu Mei and him. There is a man who quickly and unfailingly handles the unexpected situations facing ‘Regolith’. He is Cai Feng Jian, Rensuke’s capable subordinate. Rensuke proposes to make Xiu Mei the model for ‘Regolith’s’ first Shanghai store. So Cai immediately begins to do a thorough investigation of Xiu Mei’s background. Onuki Yuzuki, a charismatic model who has pursued Rensuke from Japan, comes to Shanghai. She and Rensuke actually had their picture taken by an illustrated weekly magazine when they were together. The media have jumped at this sensational material on ‘Regolith’s’ president and the daughter of ‘Mastpole’, the number one in the interior design industry, and continues to keep track of both of them.
Slacker's review:
Very disappointed. The highly anticipated drama must be Kimura's worst-rated project in his career. I cld nt believe the well-known scriptwriter actually wrote "Tsuki", which was based on an original novel. The plot really did not make sense, and the drama was too short. Developments did not flow well, and the characters were not developed properly. (Don't even mention about having depth, on surface also got problem.) Ending was rushed, and pretty crappy. I bet most ppl did not see how in love Ren was with Maemi. They looked more like very gd pals, and that's it. Xiu Mei & Ren got so much more chemistry, in terms of romance. WTH!
I always like Kimura's dramas & his characters. Not this time. I knew Kimura shld nt be blamed for such a bad performance, because his role plus the storyline already cmi. How cld he performed well? But then, he's Kimura, so everybody started to blame on him. I guessed expectations were too high la. Kimura did not seemed to be very fit in the drama too....and he looked tired :( Chemistry with his 3 ladies were average, though I did see sparks b/w him & Chi Ling. It's a pity that they didn't end up together.
Shinohara was rightfully the female lead, but her scenes were reduced greatly because of Chi Ling, and Chi Ling's Xiu Mei was a very impt character for more than half of the drama. I thought Maemi was quite dull & boring, but she's a nice person, who had been very supportive for Ren & Xiu Mei.
A lot of ppl criticised LCL for her voice & weird Japanese accent. I definitely believed they made Xiu Mei spoke broken Japanese as she's a Chinese who has not stayed in Japan before. Speaking fluent Japanese wld nt make any sense. If you notice further, Xiu Mei's Japanese improved and she cld speak in complete sentence. I thought they shld criticised Matsuda more for his cmi Mandarin, and his character was supposed to be a JBC who cld speak Mandarin fluently! Anyway, LCL's acting was alright, though I still find her emotional scenes a little unnatural. The lady was really stunning in the drama, and her Japanese counterparts paled in comparison.
Matsuda's character appeared to be mysterious from the start, and we saw his motive towards the end of the drama. Well, though he appeared to be scheming, there's more to it, but too bad the drama did not developed this part further. Romance scene with Shinohara was alright, as Maemi did not like Kazami at all.
Not much comments on Kitagawa's Yuzuki, but the girl matured a lot and let go her feelings for Ren. She chose to be his "sister", and I thought the "bear hug" was a nice gesture of their friendship. She was also very nice to support Ren and stayed by his side when the guy left his company and started everything from zero.
I guessed the best thing about this drama is the theme song "Love Rain ~Koi no Ame~" by Kubota Toshinobu. OST instrumentals were nice too.

No.of Epis: 25
Yr/TV Stn: 2009/TVB
Cast:
Jessica Hsuan ~ Gao Xi Min
Sunny Chan ~ Ge Guo Guang
Johnson Lee ~ Ge De Yun
Natalie Tong ~ Ge Bao Yi
Joyce Tang ~ He Xiu Xiu
Ken Wong ~ Huang Zhi Jian
Patrick Tang ~ Su Ya Ji
Selena Li ~ Liang Xin Xin
Synopsis: (edited from Dramawiki)
Career-minded magistrate Gao Xi Min gains full support from her loyal husband Guo Guang so that she is able to concentrate fully on her works. At court, Min strongly believes that everyone is equal before the law and she tackles every challenge confidently. At home, she never bothers about the household duties which are all taken by husband and any complaints filed by mother-in-law. Min just takes things for granted but fate continuously to convince her that law cannot be applied to every situation.
Min feels sympathized with Xiu Xiu, who suffers from slight mental disorders. Trying to help, Min allows her to come into her family but this creates an opportunity for Xiu to replace Min’s role as a wife and a mother completely. Guang is seriously injured during a car accident. His relative De Yun teaches Guang to get back on Min and this leads to serious communication breakdown between the couple. Swindler He Shi Fu appears in Min’s life as a hopeless villain from the lower class but he is in fact her father.
Slacker's review:
Glad that the sequel was much more reasonable in terms of plot development. I still rmbed how I hated Xi Min in the 1st series. The scriptwriter added more spice by adding Xiu Xiu in the drama. Because of her, Xi Min found her real father, and experienced the feeling of losing her husband. As for Sunny's role, not much difference, still a bloody nice guy. I enjoyed the part when Guo Guang hurt his head and his temper changed totally. So fierce & bossy. Lolz!!! Shiok~!
Jessica back with her usual strong woman image, but this time round, we got to see Xi Min in another angle. A wife who cared his husband and even willing to sacrifice her own happiness to help her husband. We also got to see how she finally accepted a swindler as her dad. Because of her family issues, Min's career was affected too, but she's willing to put her work aside & accompanied her family. Nice performance by Jessica, and her chemistry with Sunny was perfect.
Guo Guang must be an easy role for Sunny, coz' most of his roles are as righteous as GG. Haha! I guessed the highlight b/w the couple was when they decided to get a divorce. They loved each other deeply, but gotta separate because of his illness.
Joyce Tang's Xiu Xiu was quite a mad woman in the drama, and her acting was quite good. Her scenes with Johnson was alright, though there's lack of chemistry.
Another couple is Nat Tong & Ken Wong. Their side plot was much more interesting, and there was endless bickering as well.
Patrick Tang & Selena Li appeared as cameo as they only appeared in the first few epis. It's a pity that they were not involved in the rest of the epis la. Well, their wedding plot was quite funny too, but irritating as well.

No.of Epis: 20
Yr/Tv Stn: 2009/SBS
Cast:
So Ji Sub ~ Lee Cho In / Oh Gang Ho
Shin Hyun Joon ~ Lee Seon Woo
Han Ji Min ~ Oh Young Ji
Chae Jung Ahn ~ Kim Seo Yeon
Synopsis: (from drama)
Based on the biblical story of Adam and Eve's first two sons, Cain and Abel is about Cain's jealousy towards his brother Abel. Lee Cho In is a very gifted doctor who has everything that he wants whereas his older brother, Seon Woo, is jealous of all the attention that Cho In receives. Seon Woo blames his brother for taking everything good in his life away from him. Seon Woo blames Cho In for getting their father's love, getting more recognition as a doctor, and for stealing the woman he loves.
Slacker's review:
I'm glad that I did justice to C&A by watching it via SCV. Ha! If I watch online, I think I wld have forward half the drama. C&A seemed to be a very depressing drama with a revengeful plot. The impression of such dramas is...it must be boring! Well, I'm surprised that I did not find it boring, instead I was looking for it every Sunday. Ha! I thought the scriptwriters did a very good job in engaging the viewers. You'll be curious what's going to happen next; when Gang Ho will recover; when Seon Woo wld plot against Cho In again etc. The developments flowed well, and quite logical. Romance was another impt portion, and the relationships b/w the characters were bittersweet. Ending was nicely done, and not rushed. Last scene was the 2 couples looking at the scenery together. Mood was peaceful and touching, but there was a tint of sadness too. (Maybe we knew Seon Woo wld be leaving soon...)
So Ji Sub is well-known for his melodrama roles, and he did it again in C&A. Lee Cho In's life was full of ups & downs, and he was being "hunted" all the time. However, he must be a damn lucky guy to survive his ordeal. I really enjoyed watching Mr So acting as Cho In and Gang Ho. The 2 characters were very different, but they had similarities too. Cho In got the clean image, while Gang Ho's image was very depressing and rough. I liked the developments whereby Cho In planned his revenge. He was a 2-faced person at that time; he cld smile at his enemies like nothing has happened, and after that, his smile faded and he looked so damn scheming. The only time he was back to his own self was when he was with Young Ji. His smile was really truthful, and he was a little cheeky too. Ha! Chemistry with Han Ji Min was great, and I really adored Cho In-Young Ji couple.
Han Ji Min is not the 1st choice for this role, but I was glad she was chosen. Young Ji made the drama light-hearted, and cld not get enough of her scenes with Cho In. Their love was not intense and sometimes u might wonder if Cho In really loved her or out of gratitude. However, I cld feel his love for her when he tried all his ways to protect Young Ji for getting hurt. He wanted Young Ji to stay by his side so that he cld check on her anytime. I wld not be surprised if Young Ji sacrificed herself and let Cho In be with Seo Yeon. But thx goodness, that did not happened.
Shin Hyun Joon's character & performance here reminded me of his role in "Stairways to heaven". Not an evil person, but was forced to dirty his hands under circumstances. Seriously, Seon Woo lived in pain and guilt. He was tortured by his sickness, as well as trying to protect his mum. Thus, he's willing to sacrifice his half-bro whom he loved, and rather chose not to be forgiven. His r/s with Seo Yeon was really depressing, and Seo Yeon felt so terrible when she learnt that Seon Woo wanted to kill Cho In. Without Seo Yeon by his side, I guessed Seon Woo cld not last any longer. Mr Shin's acting was really really good, though I hated Seon Woo. His confession scene with Cho In was really sad, and both guys really cried their eyes out. Ha!
Chae Jung Ahn finally proved that she cld act, as I am not very impressed with her in "Coffee Prince". I did not like characters who are too weak in health...haha! Seo Yeon was another woman who suffered a lot as she lost her loved one twice. Seon Woo went missing for 7 yrs, while Cho In disappeared in China. She survived all those heart aches and continued to live on. Later on, she mustered her courage, followed her heart and stayed by Seon Woo's side, even though she knew how evil he became. CJA's expressions were good and she had so many crying scenes. Poor girl~
OST has some nice songs from V.O.S & Gina.

No.of Epis: 12
Year/TV Stn: 2010/KTV & Fuji TV
Cast:
Ito Atsushi ~ Taguchi Kohei
Nakamura Toru ~ Shiratori Keisuke
Nishijima Hidetoshi ~ Hayami Koichi
Kato Ai ~ Izumi Haruka
Shiraishi Miho ~ Hanabusa Miwa
Synopsis: (from Jdrama Weblog)
Sugiyama Saki, a cabin attendant who collapsed at the airport, is brought to Tojo University Hospital’s emergency centre. At first, the ambulance’s admission is rejected but a person shoves his way in. It is the head of the emergency centre, Hayami Koichi. Before long, Taguchi Kohei is summoned in order to locate Sugiyama’s outpatient consultation records two years ago. Then, Shiratori Keisuke from the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare suddenly appears and announces, “My snap inspection begins today!”
Slacker's review:
Team Batista 2's storyline was totally different from the first one. Nothing to do with Team Batista, but revolved around the individual cases & medical malpractice. My main reason for watching the drama was because of Nishijima!! Hehe~Back to the plot itself, it was another standard medical drama, and not as interesting as the first one. If not for Nishijima, I wld have stopped watching. Lolz~
Ito & Nakamura were back, and they proved to be the best partners again. Loved their chemistry, as Shiratori was witty as usual, while Taguchi was still very righteous.
What's interesting was the storyline b/w Shiratori and Hayami. They knew each other back in sch days, and they were old rivals. But then, they knew each other so well. The actors chemistry was good as well. Smart guy vs smart guy was interesting at times. What's more? Nakamura & Nishijima are charismatic actors...hehe!
Nishijima acted very well in his neither good nor bad character, Hayami. There's one funny thing about Hayami, and that was his love for lollipops. He shld be the first Japanese doctor in dramas who kept eating lollipops. It's hard to decipher Hayami too, as he appeared to be with the black sheep from the start.
Nice to see Kato Ai, though her character was pretty typical. At one moment, I wished there's something going on b/w Izumi & Hayami, but well, as expected, nothing happened. Haha!
Shiraishi's Hanabusa is another character who appeared to be scheming. Good performance from the actress.
Theme song is "Ikutsu no Yoake wo Kazoetara" by Matsuda Seiko.

Some info for my upcoming Indonesia trip.

Date: 24/07/10 - 31/07/10
Flight: Morning flight to Yogyakarta via Air Asia & afternoon return flight from Surabaya via Valuair
Type of tour: Private Tour

After 16 yrs, I'm stepping onto the Indonesian soil again, and this time round, to the most crowded island of Indonesia, Java.

This trip is relatively harder to plan as compared to my Cambodia trip last year. Thank goodness, I happened to find a local tour which catered to what I have in mind. Doing F&E is out of question as most of the places we're going are quite inconvenient. Luckily, I've the flexibility to modify the itinerary and chose the hotels which I wanted to stay. I also managed to cut the cost of the tour...hehe!

After my Cambodia trip last yr, I decided it's time to travel around South East Asia again. Many people are surprised with my destination (Java), but they do not know that there are a lot of places worth visiting in our region.

First time taking budget airlines, hope I won't experience flight delays. *Pray hard*

Looking forward to Saturday :D

--Sho Teppan @ Ion Orchard--
It has been 2 mths since I last met up with CC Gang. Nice to see them again, and all of them are looking great. Hehe! Had our lunch at Sho Teppan. My first visit there, and I thought the concept was quite good. Menu offers quite a variety of choices, and prices are reasonable. Will visit again someday.
PY & KH's Kurobuta Pork Sukiyaki. The soup was sweet & delicious.
Some of our meals came with a raw (beaten) egg, salad & miso soup.
HM's Kurobuta Pork Teppan.
PY's Kurobuta Pork for her Sukiyaki. KH offered me one slice, and the meat tasted super smooth & delicious after dipping in the beaten egg.
SC's Unagi Yakimeshi.
CH's Chicken Yakimeshi.
My Salmon Yakimeshi. The waitress helped us cooked and stirred the rice before serving to us. The rice & salmon mixed well and tasted really good. Portion was just nice, but it might not be filling for some. Haha!
Just realised I forgot to take GC's chicken Teppan! Btw, the chicken meat was very tender!
--Nodame Cantabile: The Final Score Part 2--
I'm suffering from Nodame withdrawal syndrome. After following Nodame for 4 yrs, everything came to an end with the Part 2 of the movie version. The movie kept to its standards, mixing comedy, classical music & romance nicely in 2 hours time. Part 2 focused on Nodame & Chiaki, and I was glad that Chiaki reflected on his music and his relationship with Nodame. Happy to see the inclusion of Kiyora (Asami Mizukawa), her bf Ryutaro (Eita) & Masumi (Keisuke Koide). Kiyora's violin performance during the competition was really good, and Mizukawa's expressions were great. My dearest couple finally got lots of screen time, though the scenes where both of them appeared together seemed pretty little to me. Lolz~ Loved the scene where they played the Piano Concerto No.2 together! Reminded me of their first duet performance in the drama version! Oh ya, there were also recaps from the drama version....missed all the fun & laughter they had with the RS orchestra. It's a pity RS oke did not appear again....

I hope to see Tamaki & Ueno acting in another drama/movie again. I think I've never rooted for an on-screen couple for so long. Goodbye Nodame & Chiaki senpai~

I'm already missing them...

--Resort World Sentosa--
Ah Ching finally stepped into RWS & Universal Studios today. Met up with my colleagues, but the most impt person, the bride-to-be, flew us aeroplane la! Nvm! I did not know that there's this "Hollywood After Hours" tix which costed only 5 bucks! Of course, cld not play any of the rides, and only Hollywood & New York zones were accessible, but well, I thought it's quite worthwhile anyway.
The Universal Studios globe.
Ticketing area.
Hershey's Chocolate store, which is just outside Universal Studios.
Hard Rock cafe. We were told that we need to wait for an hr if we wanna dine there. Sian~
My dinner, "Big Easy" burger at Big Easy Cajun Jazz Bar & Restaurant. The burger patty & fries were not too bad. The food there was not cheap in general, and their service was bad. My colleague gotta asked 2-3 times for her food, and the waitresses did not get back to her. She asked for tartar sauce, but we already expected that it would not come. After T.G.I. Friday's, I seriously don't feel like dining in American restaurants sia. Now, I confirm won't want to step into another one for the time being.
Universal Studios entrance.
Hollywood zone.

The gigantic ship is part of Madagascar zone, and it is not opened to public yet.
The castle at Far Far Away zone.
The upcoming Madagascar: A Crate Adventure river boat ride.
Pantages Hollywood Theater.
New York zone.
Yellow cab.
Battlestar Galactica roller coaster at Sci-Fi City zone.
The castle shining in pink~

My colleagues, Shrek & Fiona.
The crowd was waiting for the fireworks display at 10pm.
The highlight of the day....fireworks starting.

Overall, the fireworks display was nice and some of the fireworks were very new to me. I hope to see new fireworks during NDP this yr. Haha!

Shall visit the theme park again when Battlestar Galactica is ready.

No.of Epis: 11
Year/TV Stn: 2010/Fuji TV
Cast:
Eita ~ Nakajima Keisuke/"Nakaji"
Ueno Juri ~ Mizuno Tsukiko/"Haru"
Seki Megumi ~ Nishimura Hikari/"Peach"
Tamayama Tetsuji ~ Ichihara Kaoru/"Linda"
Hero JaeJoong ~ Park Seonsu/"Doctor"
Synopsis: (edited from Dramawiki)
Nakajima looks up to his father, who was a war photographer, but can only get a job as an assistant for gravure magazines. Mizuno is a provisional high school teacher and currently on probation. Nishimura is Mizuno's best friend, and her boyfriend has been avoiding her since she discovered that she was pregnant. Ichihara works at a magazine where he sexually harassed by his chief editor. Park, on Twitter, takes on the persona of a doctor, but he is actually a medical equipment salesperson. The five become good friends, supporting each other, but they struggle to pour out their true feelings.
Slacker's review:
One reason why I watched the drama is because of the scriptwriter, Kitagawa Eriko, who wrote many of my favourite Japanese dramas. The next reason is because of the cast. However, I'm quite disappointed with "Sunao", in terms of plot developments. I just felt that the storyline was rather stagnant, and some of the characters were quite unconvincing. What a waste! Ending was expected, but this time round, I'm not even rooting for the main couple. They just lacked the chemistry. The only side plot I really liked was b/w Linda & Nakaji. The development b/w the two was filled with mixed emotions, contradictions and sacrifices. Very touching & delicate, and the interesting thing is, this side plot was b/w 2 guys. Haha!
Glad to see Eita & Ueno again. However, their performances in "Sunao" were really a far-cry from their previous drama, "Last Friends". I did not like Nakaji, not that I disapprove him loving a married woman. I thought he cld handle his r/s a lot more better. The storyline b/w Nakaji and Haru was really boring, and moving too slow. Even when they ended up together, it's just not convincing to me. I cld not tell how in love they were with each other. Where's the chemistry they had in "Last Friends"??
I liked Ueno trying different roles. She's back with a feminine role, but I did not like Haru. Haru loved Nakaji, but chose Doctor. Why? Coz' Doctor appeared at the right time. However, it was very clear that she was forcing herself to be with a guy she was thankful with, and I disliked her giving Doctor hopes.
Seki's Peach was my least fav. character. She's not a good friend. Why? Coz' she knew Haru liked Nakaji but still kept her distance close to the guy. Was she jealous of Haru? Maybe. She needs someone to accompany her. She's lonely, but she did not know how to love.
Tamayama's story was the most touching and saddening one. First of all, his boss kept asking for "extra service". Next, he fell for Nakaji. However, it's forbidden love and he cld only cry by himself. He's so helpful to his friends and willing to sacrifice himself for them. He chose the ending himself, but I knew he was really in pain. That...cld be the best option and easiest way out. (Though I wld not agree to that method at all). I'm glad to see Tamayama controlling his emotions well in the drama. Perhaps, Kitagawa only developed this character well enough.
Finally, Jae Joong. Maybe he shld stick to singing? Ok, that might be an unfair comment, since he's acting in a Japanese drama. Doctor was a yasahii (gentle) guy, but he had the courage to fight for his love & dreams. He knew how to let go and when to confess his feelings. While he seemed to be imperfect in many ways, he also had something which others lacked. It's a little pity that Jae Joong's acting was still quite green to me. Nevertheless, it's nice to see Jae Joong uttering some Korean throughout the drama.
Theme song is "Hard to say I love you ~Ii Dasenakute~" by WEAVER & insert song is "Sunao ni Narenakute" by Sugawara Sayuri.

Blogging random stuff isn't my style, but I feel like writing something.
So here I go...

First of all, another screw up in my unit. I'm kind of used to it, but definitely not my new bosses. Ha! Learnt a few things this time round.
1. Being too honest isn't always good.
2. Reacting too fast isn't always good.
3. Worried that others are confused ends up creating more confusion.
4. Gotta act smart.

Ok....I'll try to improve myself.

Next. I was surprised with my ex-colleague comments on me telling her not to study SIM-UOL. Haha! Reason is simple, coz' I believe she can study at somewhere better.
If one can study at a "proper" university, then why choose a distance-learning degree? The reality is, you can never compete fairly with local or foreign uni grads. Only some sectors treat both degrees the same...to a certain extent. One gd example is the sector I am working in. Check out those management trainees, all are local grads. Get my point?
I also don't think one can experience a true uni life while studying at private institutions. That's something I wished I cld have.

Anyway, the most impt thing is to know what you want. Work towards that goal and prove to others that your choice is right. Even if there are lots of restrictions in front of you, always remember that the road to your goal is not dead. You can just make a few more turns, walk a longer route to achieve what you want.

Lastly, I wish the young lady all the best. I hope you can study what you're interested in :D

Alright, end of my random post. Night~

--My Books--
Thanks Tuan for carrying them back from Shanghai. It's quite heavy~ Haha!
--Lunch--
My "Peppery Tofu" set from Loving Hut, a vegetarian restaurant. I liked the fried tofu and pepper sauce. Healthy meal~
Their menu looks interesting, but sadly, they are not meant for Buddhist vegetarians. Anyway, shall try their spaghetti next time. Looks good~

No.of Epis: 20
Year/TV Stn: 2010/KBS
Cast:
Moon Geun Young ~ Song Eun Jo
Seo Woo ~ Goo Hyo Sun
Chun Jung Myung ~ Hong Ki Hoon
Taecyeon ~ Han Jung Woo
Synopsis: (edited from KBS World)
A modern day adaptation of Cinderella with a twist as our Cinderella, Goo Hyo Sun, is loved by everyone whereas her stepsister, Eun Jo, has a dark past and struggles with the fact that her mother starts to care more for Hyo Sun than her.
Eun Jo has neither aspiration nor emotion and her smile is sarcastic. Her mother, who has been living as a single mother for 18 years, finally found the right person to marry and brought Eun Jo into the stepfather’s house.
A decent house and a decent family...Eun Jo feels that everything in this house does not fit her. The most unbearable thing she faces is her stepsister Hyo Sun, who is the apple of her father’s eyes and beloved by everyone in the house. Hyo Sun also takes away the mind of Eun Jo’s mother, just like her bright and untainted character attracted all the other people. Eun Jo cannot tolerate this situation, since she lost the only one that she completely owned.
Eun Jo meets Hong Ki Hoon, the son of their rival firm, Hong Brewery. Ki Hoon falls for Eun Jo, but Eun Jo distances herself. Finally, Ki Hoon left for his studies, and Eun Jo only knows about it later.
8 years later, both Eun Jo and Hyo Sun grow up, and Ki Hoon returns. Jung Woo, who lived with Eun Jo when he is young, appears at Dae Sung Brewery as well. He returns as a wonderful man, so that he can love Eun Jo, who cooked rice and cared for him...
The girls' father passes away suddenly, and Dae Sung Brewery begins to face a serious crisis...
Slacker's review:
I was watching "Personal Preference" & "Prosecutor Princess" alongside "CS" at the same time. "CS" was much more depressing in terms of plot and mood. I liked the storyline initially, as it was refreshing and well developed. The characters developed in depth and not one dimensional. The relationships between the characters were rather complicated, but I liked the display of emotions. Very clear cut & nothing fanciful. The drama also twisted the fairy tale and shed new light on the role of step-sister. Don't be confused. The lead was Cinderella's sister...ha! Storyline started to went downhill and hardly progressed. Ending was alright, at least we got what we wanted..haha!
Moon Geun Young ditched her teen image for something mature in the big screen. She had done so in the small screen now. I don't think I've seen a female lead character who was so negative in terms of characteristic & behaviour. I doubt most ppl wld like Eun Jo instantly. She was fierce & stubborn, and she tried too hard to suppress her feelings. However, deep down she's just a normal girl, who yearned for a complete family & a normal life. MGY's acting was really good, as she's really expressive. From intense stares; expressionless & tearful look; to being confident & happy, Eun Jo really been through a lot throughout the drama. Chemistry with Chun Jung Myung was quite good too. Why? Becuase CJM was equally intense as well. The tension b/w these 2 person was filled with lots of mixed emotions - longing for each other, betrayal, mistrust etc.
I enjoyed CJM's performance in "What's Up Fox", and after serving the nation for 2 yrs, he returned with "CS". The actor is still baby-face looking, but his character was much more mature. Lots of heartbreaking scenes b/w him and Eun Jo, and CJM portrayed his character well.
Seo Woo looked weird to me. Definitely did something to her face...haha! She's the Cinderella in the drama, but in reality, she's older than MGY! haha! I was not impressed by Seo Woo initially, and I disliked Hyo Sun. Why not impressed? Coz' her acting wasn't that convincing as compared to MGY. Why dislike Hyo Sun? She's just irritating! but then, she grew up & matured a lot. Thank goodness! Cinderella was still quite pitiful here. Dad passed away suddenly, and step-mum changed her attitude immediately. She struggled to make peace with Eun Jo, and she has to save her dad's company. She had to quickly grow up in a short time...and I was glad that Seo Woo managed to convince me with her acting.
Why they want to cast an idol in such a sad drama? I'm not anti-2PM so don't worry. Taecyeon ditched his idol look & appeared as a plain country boy. His acting was not too bad for a newbie, but I was not paying much attention to him. Haha! Jung Woo came to find Eun Jo, as she was the person who cared for him, and he was devoted to her. I rmbed a scene where he threw away his baseball bat. It meant that Jung Woo let go of his feelings for Eun Jo. Ending scene with Eun Jo was emotional, but Jung Woo ended it with a smile.
Got to mention Lee Mi Sook & Kim Gab Soo as well. Terrific performances from the 2 veterans.

I've updated the special episode for "Nakanai to Kimeta Hi".
Pls look for "Japanese drama 2010" label for more details.

Went to Raffles Place for lunch.
Reason 1: To claim my free Joe & Dough coffee.
Reason 2: To visit my colleagues at SLT.

I was really glad to see them, even though I was there for less than an hr. New office is alright, but besides chatting with my unit colleagues, we don't really talk much to others. Missed the crappy stuffs & gossips we had when we were at SLT. Haiz~ Can't be helped.

And I missed Joe & Dough's coffee.

Long time did not get to see sunset at home. Finally, got to see one today. The sunset was rather ordinary, but the sunlight was really bright~
@ 7.04 p.m
@7.05 p.m

--Work--
I guessed my unit is more or less settled in our new office. Got use to the new process and I know we can only enjoy for a few days before more s***** stuff come to us. I am just glad that I can go home at normal time now.
--Others--
Tuan is coming back this Sunday. Hope she'll do well in her exams. Time flies~ She'll be in yr 3 this Sept. I thought she only started Uni recently. Lolz~~

17 more days to my overseas trip, but I'm not feeling anything right now. I just hope the trip will be a successful one. No flight delays, no funny things crop up etc. Pray hard x2!

Btw, Silkair has promo tixs again. However, the date & flight schedule are nt very suitable leh. Looks like I may not be able to visit Vietnam this yr end. Hope they will have another promo soon. (I don't feel like taking budget airlines for the next trip~Lolz!)

No.of Epis: 20
Year/TV Stn: 2009/TVB
Cast:
Kenneth Ma ~ Zhou Bing
Kate Tsui ~ Zhao Yu Qing/Xiao Han
Leila Tong ~ Zhuang Xiao Xian
Matthew Ko ~ Shen Jun Bo
Synopsis: (edited from Dramawiki)
Dai You Gong is skilled in training official advisors for government. He helps his foster son Zhou Bing to obtain a job in officialdom. Bing is a resourceful young man but he holds on to his beliefs. He finds all the rules and practices of the officials intolerable so he stays idle all the time. Bing is also well-known for being a henpeck husband. His wife Yu Qing is fierce and controls him all the time. On a mission to help a new official Shen Jun Bo, Bing goes to a tavern to have fun and falls for the owner Zhuang Xiao Xian.
Shen Jun Bo looks down on Bing, but Bing proves his ability by helping Shen to crack cases.
One day, Bing accidentally discovers that his respectful master Dai is actually the father of Jun Bo.
Jun Bo wants to be a good official and hates corruption. However, in order to protect himself, Jun Bo make use of Yu Qing to eliminate Bing. Bing is shocked to realise that his wife is actually a spy dispatched by the Imperial court, and her motive is to kill him...
Slacker's review:
"MIC" seems to be a comedy + case solving drama, but that's not really accurate. The plot was light & comedic, but as the drama moves on, the development of the plot twisted & turned, and the mood got heavier. The title is very much related to the mystery of the whole drama. I thought the drama was quite exciting towards the end, though the ending was back to the usual sloppy finish of TVB dramas.
Glad to see Kenneth leading a drama again, and he's the reason why I watched the "MIC". Kenneth is gd in comedic roles, but I prefer to see him in a more serious or mature role. Bing looked like a silly fool, but he had brains. There were many developments for Bing- the funny & cheeky guy when he courted Xiao Xian; when he learnt about his parents and the mystery behind their deaths; when he learnt about Jun Bo's identity; when he was betrayed by people he trusted; when his wife save him & sacrificed herself; when he ran for his life with Xian etc.
Kate Tsui has never impressed me with her acting, and she's always in evil roles. Well, finally she got a very different character here. Though Yu Qing was quite an interesting character, Kate's acting did not do justice la. I found her expressions kinda stiff, and her acting was average.
Long time did not see Leila. Leila suited her role well. Xiao Xian was quite a feisty woman, yet adorable. Her story with Bing involved a ancient Chinese sport called Ji Zou, and the drama claimed that Ji Zou is the origin of golf.
Did not like Matthew Ko as well, and I hate Shen Jun Bo to core. He's really selfish and evil. Even when he died, he still blamed Bing & did not realised his mistakes. The scene when his father read his last letter was pretty saddening, as his father was sad that his son did not realised that he caused his own downfall.
Theme song "Mu Hou Ren" was sang by Kenneth & Matthew.

No.of Epis: 28
Year/TV Stn: 2009/SBS
Cast:
Han Hyo Joo ~ Go Eun Sung
Lee Seung Gi ~ Sun Woo Hwan
Bae Soo Bin ~ Park Joon Sae
Moon Chae Won ~ Yoo Seung Mi
Synopsis: (edited from Dramawiki)
Go Eun Sung's life is similar to Cinderella's. After her father died, her step-mother took away all her assets and her younger brother, Eun Woo, suddenly disappears without a trace. Despite this, Eun Sung perseveres and works really hard to find her brother & to fulfill her dreams. When the CEO of a food company, Jang Sook Ja, suffers amnesia and can't remember who she is, Eun Sung takes her in. Eun Sung does not know that she is the grandmother of Sun Woo Hwan, the man who she switched bags with at the airport. Unknown to Eun Sung, Hwan is very close to Seung Mi, Eun Sung's step-sister. Even though Hwan and Eun Sung have endless arguments, they got closer to each other and Seung Mi starts to panic that she wld lost Hwan. Joon Sae, who's a good friend of Eun Sung & a family friend of Hwan, meets Eun Sung's father without knowing his identity...
Slacker's review:
The reason why I only watched this drama till now, is because it looked like a family drama to me. (And I won't do justice to the drama if I watch online..haha!) Well, I am not wrong, but not exactly right. "BL" is definitely not the typical long & draggy Korean family drama. Though the plot is a little cliche, the developments were tight and intense. Despite that, I thought "BL" cld be reduced to 20 or 24 epis la. It got extended, so they had to drag the plot towards the end.
Ending was alright, but a little disappointing coz' I wanted a little more! Haha!
2nd time watching Han Hyo Joo. Her performance has improved and there were so many chances for her to display her emotions. I liked HHJ's "cheeky" expressions when ES bickered with Hwan. I'm not someone who likes crying scenes, but HHJ controlled them well. Chemistry with Lee Seung Gi was great too.
First time watching Mr Lee's drama, this guy is damn famous in South Korea. LSG managed to portray the arrogant Hwan very well, and Hwan himself was quite an interesting character. Loved to see Hwan & ES's scenes, but I thought Hwan & Seung Mi's storyline was quite touching too.
Moon Chae Won is quite a newbie, but her acting was really good. Seung Mi was a pathetic daughter as she gotta support her evil mum, while she suffered all by herself. Contradicted, guilty, jealous...I thought MCW expressed all these emotions nicely, and not overdoing it.
Bae Soo Bin's Joon Sae was a super nice man throughout the show. Well, that means JS wld not get the girl. Sob sob. BSB's performance was gd as he portrayed the matured & understanding JS. Luckily the scriptwriters did not let JS become a baddie, or else I wld curse the character. Haha!
The support cast did a good job too. Though I hate Hwan's mum, she's quite a funny fella with the butler. Of course, the veteran who acted as granny! She's the centre character of the whole drama!
OST has some nice songs. Do check it out.

Mr Chean's big day today~

Happy Birthday Dad!