Monday 30 September 2019

The Case of Itaewon Homicide

September 30, 2019 2 Comments
Assalamualaikum, for today's review, it will be a movie based on a real life event and was aired back in 2009. I was actually attracted to watch this movie because of its title. So, here is it.

not mine ; credited to the rightful owner
Title : The Case of Itaewon Homicide / Where the Truth Lies / Itaewon Salinsageon / 이태윈 사린사건
Runtime : 99 minutes
Genre : Crime
Released year : 2009
Country : South Korea
Cast : Jung Jin Young, Jang Geun Suk, Shin Seung Hwan
Plot : 

Jo Jong Pil, a collage student was found dead at the restroom in a burger restaurant in Itaewon. Two Korean-Americans were identified went to the restroom after Jo Jong Pil, Robert J Pearson and Alex Jung.became the prime suspect. The prosecutor in charge, Prosecutor Park must determined who is the real killer.

This movie was inspired by true event, happened on 1997.

SPOILER ALERT

First off, I was unaware this movie was inspired by true event but the clarification on the beginning of the movie clear things off. Even thought it is from a real case, all the small details was however did not necessarily related to the real event. It is merely to make the dramatic effect on the movie.

The beginning of he drama shows how the student, Jo Jong Pil was killed. The first 30 minutes had me hooked when the first suspect, Robert J Pearson was brought to custody. He however, denied all the charges. Three days later (if I remembered it correctly,) his friend, Alex Jung came as a witness. He then was suspected as the prime suspect.

From this point onward, it was a mental game between Alex, Pearson and Prosecutor Park. Alex claimed that he only washed his hand when Pearson killed the student meanwhile Pearson claimed that Alex killed him. I suspect that Pearson was the one who killed the student because he acted to calm for someone who witness a murder. Plus, when they had to reenact the crime, Pearson able to detailed on every stab made by Alex and also the way Alex hold the knife. He was way too suspicious.

Prosecutor Park however believes otherwise. His belief was strengthen when they used lie detector on both suspect. Alex was proven lying to the question whether he kill or not. When the trials begun, Alex father use every possible way to get his son indicted as murder. When the trials ended, Alex receive life imprisonment while Pearson was only charged with one or two years imprisonment (I'm not sure) and banned from leaving South Korea.

However, both criminal was released earlier than their actual years. Alex Jung appealed his conviction and all the charges against him was cleared. Pearson was pardoned from his prison sentenced and fled to U.S with the help of Prosecutor Park. The victim's family suffered the most in this case. They had no idea who is the killer of their son. The motive of the murder was promoted as 'for fun' by the media.

From my personal view, having Jang Geun Suk to play as Pearson was not good. His popularity and personal achievement are clouding and biasing. People would see him as the main character in the movie when there was Alex, who also need to be judged. But then, it is my personal opinion.

While researching for this movie, I found an article that stated Arthur Patterson (movie:Robert Pearson) was found guilty for the murder. He then was brought to South Korea in September 2015 to be put on trial domestically and then was sentenced to 20 years imprisonment. Edward Lee (movie : Alex Jung) was recognized as the accomplice to the murder. He however cannot be judged as accomplice due to having already been acquitted for the same crime previously.

To read the article, click here
-thes

Saturday 28 September 2019

Doctor Prisoner

September 28, 2019 4 Comments
Assalamualaikum, here is the second review of the day ! Unlike the review of this morning, this drama was released earlier this year and it was a medical drama. I actually watched the cast of this drama appeared on the talk show, 'Happy Together' before watching the drama. I was shocked because of the cast line-up was so great.

not mine; credited to the rightful owner

Title : Doctor Prisoner / Dakteo Peurizeuneo / 닥터 프리즈너
Episodes : 32 episodes / 30 minutes per episode
Genre : Medical, Crime
Network : KBS2
Writer : Park Kye Ok
Cast : Namgung Min, Kim Byung Chul, Choi Won Young, Kwon Nara, Lee Da In
Plot :

Na Yi Je is an excellent surgeon as well as doctor in emergency department in Taekang Hospital. He then get involved in an medical accident that he did not cause but forced to take the full blame on. Due to the medical accident, his licenses was suspended for a few months. He then came back to work as the chief of a prison medical clinic in order to take revenge on the people who made him fall.

My first thought when I heard of this drama was the similarity of the plot of this drama and another drama called 'Cross'.

SPOILER ALERT


First off, the cast was so so so incredible and it was amazing to had them all in one drama. Especially the three of them, Namgoong Min, Choi Won Young and Kim Byung Chul was known as the famous villain. To be honest, I still couldn't move on from Namgoong Min's character in Voice 1. He was so cruel and heartless in that drama. And now I had to watch him being the kind doctor, it was a new side of his variation that I had recently discovered, thanks to this drama.

All the praise aside, I personally think that he more suitable to act as a villain. There was certain scene of him that I couldn't distinguish whether he was being nice or he actually had something up his sleeve. For that, he is not the kindest character in this drama. In fact, every one was greedy and selfish enough to think of others.

If I were to choose the scariest character, I would say it was Lee Jae Jun. With his mental problem and all, he made me shudder every time he made an appearance. He is the best person to act as the psychotic criminal.

I loved the side character as much as I loved the main. Especially when it involved Oh Jung Hee, the first person (supposedly) that Na Yi Je gave the stay of execution with the fake diseases and Prosecutor Jung. This pair had me grinning because of their love-hate relationship. Another side character that made this drama more alive was Lee Jae Hwan, the one who responsible for Na Yi Je's suspension and imprisonment. When he stay in the prison, he was bullied by Na Yi Je without him realize. He had a funny character but also an important one at the end of the drama.

The plot was definitely the best. The reason why Na Yi Je works at the prison was revealed at the beginning, had me at ease a little. At least I wouldn't have to guess what happen. Another reason why I said that this drama had the best plot was because of the loyalty. I see it was a mind war between Na Yi Je, Lee Jae Jun, and Seon Min Sik. The player with the best card, wins. However, there was no loyalty between them. When one decide to show its card to another party, then that party would revealed the card hold by the first party to the third party. It was all that way till the end. They were all about showing their cards and then played them before the others could.

The plot twist of this drama was not much and all (yeah, I'm sure all) of them was expected. Even if I expected it would be happening, it is still a surprise for me to get it right. Overall, I enjoyed the plot so much. The ending was a bit out of my expectation because I thought Na Yi Je would put Seon Min Sik back to the prison after everything but he actually let him out. As I said, every one had their own selfish and desire to fulfill. Anyway, I enjoyed this drama so much.

At times, you need to let go the things that are valuable to you to get something that you wanted so desperately - Na Yi Je

-thes

Another Oh Haeyoung

September 28, 2019 2 Comments
Assalamualaikum ~ How was your week ? I hope everything's good and you're in a good mood. Today's review is a 2016 K-Drama. I had heard of this drama few times from my friends at the beginning of its released. It was only now that I am interested in watching this drama.


not mine; credited to the rightful owner
Title : Another Oh Haeyoung / Another Miss Oh / Ddo Oh Haeyoung / 또오해영
Episodes : 18
Genre : Romance
Network : tvN
Cast : Eric Moon, Seo Hyun Bin
Plot : 

Oh Haeyoung was dumped by her fiance, Han Tae Jin the day before their wedding. Feeling ashamed and embarrassed, Oh Haeyoung told the people that she was the one who wanted to cancel their wedding. Park Do Kyung is a popular sound engineer who was dumped during his wedding day. Later, he found out that his bride, Oh Haeyoung was going to marry Han Tae Jin. Unaware of the fact that it was another Oh Haeyoung, Park Do Kyung put Han Tae Jin in a difficult situation which led him to be jailed on his wedding day. In order to keep his pride, Han Tae Jin lied to Oh Haeyoung that he did not love her anymore and vows that he will took revenge on Park Do Kyung. On the other hand, Park Do Kyung begun to see vision of a woman which soon he realize another Oh Haeyoung that had her wedding crushed by him.

I am well aware that the plot that I wrote did not make any sense but that's just how the drama works ! *scowlindesperation

SPOILER ALERT


Alright. First off, the plot was a little bit confusing and this drama involves a rather big number of supporting roles. The plot was actually very enjoyable. I had enjoyed a very great amount of heartbreak, cringy-ness, laughter and sadness. Though it was a bit confusing at first (blame the same name), I am able to overcome it quickly.

One thing that I did not expect was the vision of Oh Hae Young that Park Do Kyung had. It never cross my mind that there will be a little fantasy element in this drama. I guess the extra scenes whereby he got the vision on certain times make this drama more interesting. I became very curious on how Park Do Kyung would do. I think this was one of the reason why I keep watching.

Regarding the two Oh Haeyoungs, at first, I felt sorry for the Oh haeyoung - the protagonist, the one who was dumped because she actually pretend to be happy when she actually hurting inside. Her character was very pitiful because she had to put up with the other Oh Haeyoung, especially at works. As for the other Oh Haeyoung, the one who did not come to her wedding, the ex-fiancee of Park Do Kyung, I actually thought she is the evil ex. You know the drill, left the man then came begging for his love a year later , had the bitchy attitude and all. However, just like the first Oh Haeyoung, she was also a pitiful character. At first, she does seems like the villains that we all know but she actually just another pitiful character (watch to find out why!).

I love the chemistry between the supporting roles and the main roles. Every important supporting roles had their own story and I love every single story, especially the bestfriend of PArk Do Kyung and his sister. They are seriously hilarious.

I just love the way they ended the drama. It was nice and clean. Every character - Park Do Kyung, the two Oh Haeyoung, Han Tae Jin, the way they continue their lives were clear and the most important thing was, it was not left hanging !

I think everyone could easily enjoyed this drama without problem. Plus, the soundtrack was very nice.

-thes

Monday 23 September 2019

Cheese in the Trap

September 23, 2019 6 Comments
Assalamualaikum ~ This is a review of a drama that was aired in 2016. The title was a bit cheesy in my view (i don't know it was an idiom) so I had ignored it for a long time until one of my closest friend gave me this drama. And I was shocked when the plot was very dark. Anyway, here is the review.

not mine; credited to the rightful owner
Title : Cheese in the Trap / 치즈 인 더 트랩
Episodes : 16
Genre : Romance, Mystery
Network : tvN
Cast : Park Hae Jin, Kim Go Eun
Plot : 

Hong Seol came from a poor family. She had works for part-time jobs in order to pay for her tuition fee and also for her living expenses. Yoo Jung came from a wealthy family and he is Hong Seol's senior. Hong Seol find it uncomfortable to be with him as he used to be so cold towards her. Yoo Jung sudden change in personality scared her but she eventually found herself fall for him. Yoo Jung had a dark side that only few people understand him and he was scared if Hong Seol found out about his true personality, she would leave him.

This drama was based on a webcomic with the same title by Soon Ggi on 2010. There was also a movie produced based on this webcomic with the same title that was released last year.


SPOILER ALERT



I actually had heard about this drama countless times and most of my friend had already watch this drama and recommended it to me. However, I finally able to watch it after three years. The plot was very very nice and it was refreshing for me. 

As always, I would talk about the plot first. It was a bit mysterious in the beginning as I had no idea what kind of person Yoo Jung is. I honestly thought that he had something up in his sleeve when he suddenly became nice to Hong Seol. It was unclear of where this drama was heading to because of Yoo Jung's character. I was shocking for me when Hong Seol accept Yoo Jung's confession and they start dating.

One thing that I really agreed on was the way the collage system works. I mean all those classmates attitude and all. Everything that was mentioned; the spoon-feed group mate, the free-rider, the lecturer, everything was what actually happened. I definitely can relate to what Hong Seol felt when she had to be the leader of the group project. It was hellish to get those kinds of group-mate.

As for the character, in the beginning of the drama, Yoo Jung's character was a scary character. He appears to be mysterious. One time he seems to be so nice and loving but another time he can be so mean and rude. I couldn't understand him until the last few episodes whereby the secret of his attitude was revealed. The secret make sense for everything that happened.

I was having a hard time on figuring out everyone's character. The first episode was a headache for me because there was too much character that I need to identify. After few episodes, I finally could grasp on who is who and their relation. The chemistry between the cast was on definitely on the top. I seriously enjoyed Lee Sung Kyung's character the most. Some might get annoyed with her character but she is the one who makes the drama livelier. Even so, I felt sorry for her character.

I actually love the ending of this drama. When Hong Seol was involved in an accident, Yoo Jung finally reflect on himself. Whatever things he had done to his classmate and juniors were finally getting back at him. I love when he took the initiative to broke up with Hong Seol and fix himself for better.

Finally, I get why so much people love this drama so much. It is indeed a masterpiece that can't be compared to any other drama. To close the curtain of this review, here is one quote from the drama,

"Sometimes, there are negative people you can't get rid of in your life. That's just how life is." - Baek In Ho

-thes 

Saturday 21 September 2019

Your Lie In April

September 21, 2019 5 Comments
Assalamualaikum ! Since I missed the usual Monday review, I thought that it will be great if I did a double update today (and yes, I am feeling a bit diligent today). I think this is the first time that I would do a Japanese movie review so forgive me in advance for the misinformation and anything that's wrong

not mine; credited to the rightful owner

Title : Your Lie In April / Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso
Runtime : 122 minutes
Genre : Romance, Music
Country : Japan
Released year : 2016
Director : Takehiko Shinjo
Distributor : Toho Co., Ltd.
Cast : Kento Yamazaki, Suzu Hirose, Anna Ishii, Taishi Nakagawa
Plot :

Kosei Arima had won numerous piano competition under the watch of his sick mother. However, when his mother died, he no longer plays piano as he couldn't hear the piano sound at the middle of his performance. Through Tsubaki Sawabe, Kosei met Kaori Miyazono, a carefree violinist. Kosei found the hope to play piano again with the help of Kaori. Despite her personality, Kaori hold a secret that she hide from her friends.

This movie is an adaptation from a manga written by Naoshi Arakawa of the same title.

SPOILER ALERT


First of all, this is my very first Japanese movie review (cheersss!). I actually had watched several Japan movies but it was so long ago that I don't even remember the title nor the storyline. This movie was actually quite a talk when it first released that I had heard about it several times.

I love the story line, it was simple but it got me intrigued that I couldn't stop watching. I was so curious to why Kousei stop performing but still plays the piano. At first, I only think that he stop playing because piano reminded him of his death mother but it actually than that.

Usually, the plot and the title would be related to one another. I was so curious to why this movie was called 'Your Lie In April'. I got that the in April part because the movie started in early April whereby the flower would blossom beautifully and the weather would still be comfortable (yeap, I totally googled this, never been to Japan before). I had no idea whose lie is the title talking about and I found out when the movie was about to end. It was Kaori.

It had been so long since I last watch Japanese movie so the transition of the scene confuses me. When I though that it will be another day, it actually still the same day. I couldn't catch the timeline and somehow got lost in the middle of it. Especially when Kousei and his aunt apologize to the organizer because they were late to the Gala Night. I was seriously lost at that time especially when Kaori was not there. It happened so suddenly that I got so confused.

Apart from that, I actually enjoy this movie so much. I could felt the tension, intensity and the goosebumps whenever they perform on stage. My favorite one was the one where Kaori and Kousei perform for the very first time. The saddest one was the one whereby Kousei said goodbye to Kaori. I love how she actually knew who he was and how she gather up her courage and became selfish to satisfy herself before she go.



-thes
x

The Suspect

September 21, 2019 4 Comments
Assalamualaikum, hey. I am back with the weekly movie review update. This one too, is a South Korea movie and action, yeah.

not mine; credited to the rightful owner
Title : The Suspect / Yonguija / 용의자
Runtime : 137 minutes
Genre : Thriller, Action
Released year : 2013
Country : South Korea
Director : Won Shin Yoon
Distributor : Showbox
Cast : Gong Yoo, Park Hee Soon, Yoo Da In
Plot :

Ji Dong Chul was the best agent of North Korea but he was abandon by the government during a mission. He then found out that his wife and daughter was sold to China and discovered their corpse. Dong Chul learnt that his best friend and colleague was the one who responsible for their death. He fled to South Korea to kill him. He worked as the designated driver and also a private driver for Chairman Park, CEO of a large corporation. One night, after sending the man to his home, Dong Chul realize that something's off. When he went back to the room, Chairman Park was attacked by assassin. Dong Chul was given the eye glasses by Chairman Park. He then was accused as the murder of Chairman Park and went on run again. Dong CHul was determined to uncover the truth behind the glasses.

SPOILER ALERT

I could say that 90% of this movie was filled with insane action scenes ! It was very refreshing to watch a great action after so long ! Less talk and more action. It was a bit confusing for me in the beginning because Ji Dong Chul did not talk much and all I know was he is a North Korean agent. Chairman Park was also a blur character for me as I am not sure either he sincerely wanted to help Dong Chul or used him. Things started to escalated when Chairman Park was attacked.

When Dong Chul became a suspect of Chairman Park murder, I thought that it will be he against the people who wanted to catch them but there actually three sides; Ji Dong Chul, Colonel Min (he had a past with Ji Dong Chul)  and Director Kim Seok Ho (the person who responsible for the whole thing in order to gain power and money).

The plot was actually simple but it unfolds very slow. There were very little information on the plot during one hour mark. A little plot twist when Dong Chul met eye to eye with his ex-friend. He found out that his daughter was still alive. After the secret behind the glasses was revealed, Dong Chul went to China to find his daughter. I didn't expect to cry when I first watch this movie but the ending scene of Dong Chul got me.

I seriously in love with Colonel Min's character. Even though he was determined to catch Ji Dong Chul to make up his mistake, he didn't let that determination to deny all the truth. It was really shocking when he actually let Ji Dong Chul escaped after going much trouble to catch him. His character was definitely the best ! Double thumbs up !

As for all of the action scenes, it was too much damages and very intense. I couldn't say that it was exciting but it definitely not boring till I lose my focus. It was so-so but definitely great ! I especially loved the scene where Dong Chul and the reporter escaped from the police. The one that he drove in reverse to go down the stairs was just so wow.



-thes

Thursday 19 September 2019

Thoughtless Thursday #022

September 19, 2019 0 Comments
Assalamualaikum ! I've got more or less one month for my graduation and I am super excited for it. However, I might went to my graduation, alone. As it is in the middle of the week and most of my siblings are working, I don't think any of them could make it. And there's school to make it complicated. As for my mother, well, my sister will be giving birth to her second child around that day. So, yeah, I am pretty much alone. But, it's okay and I didn't really care. 

Last night, I had a small talk with my mother and asked whether it's confirmed that I will go to the graduation alone or not and I pretty much said yes. She went quiet for a moment before asking a very unexpected question. She asked me,

Don't you have any boyfriend to accompany you to the graduation ?

I laughed out loud upon her question. And I jokingly said that she did not give me one and if she did I would bring him to the graduation. Lol. The random question was because one of my sister went to her graduation with her fiance (now husband). Even if I do have a boyfriend, there is no way I will bring him to my graduation. I can't imagine myself with a boyfriend, honestly. 


It's been so long since I last played with poster color. So yeah, it's messy and I even cross the barrier. Haha. That is not my drawing (I pretty much have a five years old kids' drawing skills).  I have owned the coloring book for almost five years and had only colored two or three pages. Lol.

-thes

Sunday 15 September 2019

The Swindlers

September 15, 2019 5 Comments
Assalamualaikum, so I am feeling a little too diligent today that I had checked most of my tasks. Here is another thing to be checked. I had watched this movie a little over one week now and only able to wrote the review today.

not mine; credited to the rightful owner

Title : The Swindlers / Ggoon / 꾼
Runtime : 117 minutes
Genre : Crime, Action 
Released year : 2017
Country : South Korea
Director : Jang Chang Won
Distributor : Showbox
Cast : Hyun Bin, Yoo Ji Tae, Bae Sung Woo, Park Sung Woong, Nana, Ahn Se Ha
Plot :

In order to catch the murder of his father, Hwang Ji Sung became a swindler who only after the other swindler. To catch Jang Do Chil, the one who fled after a massive fraud case and also the one who responsible for Ji Sung's father, he came up with a plan. After conforming that Jang Do Chil still alive, Prosecutor Park Hee Soo teamed up with Hwang Ji Sung to kill him to cover up the corruption of the prosecution office. Both of them started to work together and each of them had their own hidden motives. They were helped by the other swindler, Suk Dong, Choon Ja and Chief Kim. They throw the baits to the Jang Do Chil's right-hand man, Seung Gun.

SPOILER ALERT

This movie had a lot of surprises and plot twist. I had a very enjoyable time watching this movie and never once felt bored. I actually had misunderstand the plot at the beginning of the movie because of the fraud by Jang Do Chil became a huge blow to South Korea. I actually thought that they were going to catch Jang Do Chil and then bring justice to those who was wronged.

The plot development was so nice and smooth. The moment when I thought it was Ji Sung against them was proven wrong when it was actually them against Prosecutor Park. When I thought that Ji Sung was on his own and  his plans went wrong at some points, it was actually part of his plans. I could felt the goosebumps when it was revealed that Ji Sung had successfully fooled Prosecutor Park.

There were certain scenes that caused tension but it was not too much. This movie was actually more to intelligence. Both Prosecutor Park and Ji Sung had their own plan to bring the other down. There were no action scene apart from the one whereby Prosecutor Park's team was catching Ji Sung on the road that I remembered. I love that scene because that was where my guess was wrong. I thought that Ji Sung was able to fled but he was actually caught (and it was not even past 1 hour mark and it baffled me).

Doubt become assurance once they're dispersed - Hwang Ji Sung

For the overall movie, I personally think that anyone could enjoy this movie to the fullest. The plot was very interesting with the variety of characters that I never think would hit off. The ending was actually gave me hopes that there will be the second part of this movie, and I really hope for that. With that aside, this movie was family-oriented because there was less or none rated scenes that could triggered the young and old audience.



-thes

Saturday 14 September 2019

Partner For Justice 2

September 14, 2019 6 Comments
Hii assalamualaikum. Beside Voice, this is another drama continuation that I have been waiting since forever. I was really really hype to watch the second season and the way it finished, definitely made me craves for more.


not mine; credited to the rightful owner

Title : Partners For Justice / Gumbeobnamnyeo 2 / 검법남녀 2
Episodes : 32 / 30 minues per episode
Genre : Investigation, Crime, Medical
Network : MBC
Related : Partners For Justice
Cast : Jung Jae Young, Jung Yoomi, Oh Man Seok, No Min Woo
Plot :

After one year of the death of Oh Man Sang was announced, the medical examiner, Dr. Baek was still in doubt of his death and have been trying to uncover the truth. Prosecutor Eun Sol still works with Dr.Baek under Prosecutor Do. The appearance of Dr. Jang Cheol from the Emergency Department raise doubt in Dr. Baek.

 After the long wait, finally the second season is here ^^


SPOILER ALERT


Let's dance for this season ! I believe that this is another great success for this drama. The first season ended with a big question mark for the readers. The accident and death of Oh Man Sang does seems suspicious but the viewers (read:me) had no choice but to wait for the second season, which is here.

This season was very enjoyable as the first one even though some cast were changed. With the appearance of Sally who really admired and liked Dr. Baek makes the drama more livelier. This season were no longer focused on Dr. Baek's life but the conspiracy of Oh Man Sang's life and Sungjin Group.

I love how this season became more thrilling with the appearance of Jang Cheol. With a rough childhood, he had develop DID and his alter personality were called as Doctor K. He is the one who fabricated the death of Oh Man Sang. He is the one who had did all the dirty job for Sungjin Group. His relationship with Prosecutor Gal Dae Cheol was something that confused me in the beginning but everything became clear at the end of the season.

The prosecution office did everything to cover up for Oh Man Sang but when he finally got caught, both Sungjin group and  the prosecution office decided to let him go. In other words, they put the blame on Oh Man Sang and claimed that they knew nothing about him being alive. As Jang Cheol was declared dead the moment he fall down from the cliff, the people in power were immediately in peace. Prosecutor Do let go of his position in the prosecution and started his own law firm.

The end of this season is the start of another season. Plot twist, Jang Cheol was actually alive and he had joined hand with Prosecutor Do. Even though I expected that he is still alive, I never expect that Prosecutor Do would be on his side.

This season was a fun ride for me. It became more thrill especially when the plot try to uncover the truth behind Doctor K killing and Dr. Baek's  persistence in doing a throughout autopsy. I hope the next season wouldn't be too long(read : first half of next year, please) because I am dying of curiosity. 

-thes

Thursday 12 September 2019

Angel's Last Mission : Love

September 12, 2019 2 Comments
Assalamualaikum, the second post of the day ! Yeay to me ! So, here is the review of the recent drama of L. I think this drama was actually popular because my friends left and right keep talking about this drama.


not mine; credited to the rightful owner

Title : Angel's Last Mission:Love / Dan, Only Love / Dan, Hanaui Sarang / 단하나의 사랑
Episodes : 32 episodes, 30 minutes per episode
Genre : Romance
Network : KBS2
Cast : L/Kim Myung Soo, Shin Hye Sun
Plot : 

Dan is an angel. He is a troublemaker but also an optimist. Dan was supposed to went back to Heaven when he caused a problem that held him from going back. Dan then receive the last mission to go back to Heaven if he succeed. He supposed to find a true love for Lee Yeon Soo, a ballerina that did not believe in love. During the mission, Dan had fallen in love with Yeon Soo.

I did not plan to watch this drama but the clips keep coming on my Instagram's explore and I was curious. So, here I am.

SPOILER ALERT

Alright, I actually expect this drama to be all cheesy and cute and all that cringy stuff because that is how it usually works. I totally didn't expect this drama to be full of uncertainties and get sad. The plot was actually a little and tiny bit complicated but nothing that I can't handle. Lol anyone could handle this drama.

The way they edited the scenes were really nice. It was like, we were leave hanging on certain scene and it was revealed later on the episode. At least I am not having a hard time dying with curiosity. One more is, the storyline did not hide anything. Every secret was revealed to the audience and it was great !

I love the chemistry between the actors especially L with Shin Hye Sun. They're seriously cute ! The bold and rude Yeon  Soo became weak and nice when it comes to Dan but still, she is rude. But she's cute ! Ahh, I can't complain about her character because it was so good. The next character that I love is Yeon Soo's assistance, Jung Yoo Mi. I love how she acted like was against Yeon Soo but she actually cared so much about her.

Usually, I did not enjoy much of the soundtrack from dramas but this drama had a really really great soundtrack ! It is a must listen too ! I would leave these two YouTube video of the ost of this drama that I enjoyed.

Chai - Oh My Angel


Klang - Pray

I am learning a lot about ballet from this drama and I love it. I was could seriously feels the sadness when they perform the 'Giselle'. The feeling was genuine and when Yeon Seo collapse at the end of the performance didn't help my feeling at all. It was so sad.

I will ended this review with the usual quote,

Whatever it is, you need to do it at the right time - Ji Kang Woo

-thes 

Thoughtless Thursday #021

September 12, 2019 6 Comments
Assalamualaikum ! This will be a quick update of my life, as always. So, tomorrow will be the second phase of rayuan UPU and I still not sure my future will be like. And yes I am very nervous about it. I am not sure how it will turn out yet I am quite excited and nervous at the same time. 

My graduation had already been set on the 17th October (will do an entry of this ! and maybe shared some pictures here and there ) and the very next week, I will have my JPJ test. I seriously had a busy October this year. I hope for good result for both the test as for the graduation, I might had to attend the ceremony alone, sadly. My sister was scheduled to give birth on the 19th, or earlier so yes, I had a big chance to go alone. I am okay, totally. As for my mood, it had been quite stable for this week and I hope it will stay this way. 

I hope everything will be fine. As for the closing for this entry, I would love to say, HAPPY BIRTHDAY ATEH !! HAPPY BIRTHDAY NAMJOOOOOOON ! AND HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY JUNGKOOK !

image from : @BTS_twt
edited with : canva.com

Monday 9 September 2019

Voice 3 - City of Accomplices

September 09, 2019 3 Comments
Assalamualaikum, so here is the review of the drama that I've been hooked since the first season. It is definitely my favourite and to have another season of this was really great ! I hope you could love this drama as much as I do after reading this review ~

not mine; credited to the rightful owner
Title : Voice 3 / Boiseu 3 / 보이스3
Episodes : 16
Genre : Thriller, Crime
Network : OCN
Related : Voice 1, Voice 2
Cast : Lee Ha Na, Lee Jin Woo
Plot : 

Continuation of previous season whereby Kang Kwon Joo and Detective Do chased for the person responsible in selling human body through the dark website called Doctor Fabre. The criminal that they were chasing was from an international group. Despite chasing for the criminal, the emergency calls center team, The Golden Time team still took calls and helped the people.

I have waited long enough for this season to came out because the last scene from the previous season had me tortured, mentally of course.

SPOILER ALERT

This season came off with a twist. I personally thought that Kang Kwon Joo would not survive the explosion but she did survived with injuries (it's not like this is a fantasy drama that will save her from any injuries, aite). However, Detective Do went missing from the crime scene and for the past eight months, nobody had spot him. The Commissioner wanted to gave up on him but Kang Kwon Joo insisted that she would find her.

I love how the cast of this season was the same actors. No one was replaced which was a good thing as I don't have to get familiar with the new face. I don't know how this season will continue if Kang Kwon Joo died during the explosion. It might get really different as the protagonist were changed. Minor change in the cast means a good thing.

This season came off strong and more intense. The one who had been monitoring Team Leader Do was actually someone other than Bang Je Soo. With his health deteriorating and Kang Kwon Joo's hearing problem made the investigation more difficult. This season also became the saddest and emotional season of all three because Chief Na became one of the victim of the killer and at the end of the drama, Team Leader Do finally took initiative to be killed instead of becoming a monster. Even the real identity of the killer was also a twist that I had no see coming.

I love how they still put quotes before one case begun so that the viewer could expect what would happen. Ending of this season actually had me hoping for another season to look out. Why ? For, supposedly the Bang Je Soo that should be dead was actually alive, nice and fine. And he reported the death of the killer to some woman. Like, who knows who. And Kang Kwon Joo's hearing had improved and healed. Weren't this a sign for another season, aite ?

Let's hope for another season. Just, pleaseeeeee.

And if we had another season, we probably will not see Team Leader Do anymore. So, here is one of his line that I loved,
You don't know what people think, so don't trust people too much. - Team Leader Do Kang Woo
This quote was from the episode with foreign woman,
Racism is a disease of the soul. It kills more people than any other contagious disease. - Nelson Mandela
Till the next season,

-thes 

Saturday 7 September 2019

Room 7

September 07, 2019 4 Comments
Assalamualaikum ! I'm back as new as your new phone ! Okay, so here is a great movie and I really did enjoy it so much. I hope this review will help ~

not mine; credited to the rightful owner
Title : Room 7, Room No.7 / 7Hosil / 7호실
Runtime : 100 minutes
Genre : Thriller, Comedy
Released year : 2017
Country : South Korea
Distributor : Lotte Entertainment
Cast : Sin Ha Kyung, Do Kyung Soo
Plot :

Do Shik owned a DVD room in Seoul and he was about to go bankrupt. Before that happened, Doo Shik tried to sell the store. Tae Jung is a part-timer at the DVD room. He is a poor student who was on a leave of absence. Both Tae Jung and Do Shik had a secret in the room 7 in the DVD room. Both of them struggled to take control over room 7 to keep their secret.

SPOILER ALERT

First off, I rarely came across a comedy thriller movies from South Korea. I think it is not common for them thus, a new experience for me. Personally, I don't think this movie should be labelled as thriller because it is more no comedy. There was minimal tension through out the movie.

I actually had read the synopsis long ago and I've forgotten on how the story would develop so it was a bit confusing at first. At some point, I thought there would be a magic happening in room 7. Lol. I actually think that Tae Jung and Do Shik had a good employee-employer relationship. Nevertheless, the first 15 minutes was a blur for me.

It started to get interesting when the Korean-Chinese part-timer died in the store because he was electrocuted when cleaning the water leakage. Do Shik then decided to hide his corpse in stead of reporting his death because he need the store to be sold. As Do Shik  hide the bosy inside room 7, Tae Jung was restless because he had hid drugs that his creditor asked him to inside the room as well.

It was funny to see those two trying to cover up for each other. I was disappointed over the ending of the movie. The store was finally sold and both of them went separate ways. Tae Jung finally retrieved his item and decided to throw it away in stead of giving it back to the owner. His debts was settled and he finally able to continue his studies. Do Shik still wasn't caught  for hiding the corpse. He wanted to continue to hide it. And that's it.

All I could say is the movie was not the best one but was not the worse. It depends on how well we enjoy and understand the plot. As for the ending for Do Shik, it left me questioning either he ended up turning himself in or he not.

-thes

Thursday 5 September 2019

Thoughtless Thursday #020

September 05, 2019 2 Comments
Assalamualaikum, heyya. It's been so long since the last time I did this entry. This weeks had been a pure torture for me. It's so hard that I had been having anxiety every night. It was so bad that I need to cry myself to sleep. I'm not sure what triggered me to be in this condition but I am better now. Maybe its because of hormone. Whatever it is, I hope to not experience that ever again. The entry under this title usually very short and well, thoughtless. But for today, I had so many things to rant about because this week was very terrible for me. 


not mine; credited to the rightful owner


  • Future

Let's be honest, we had no idea what the future had for us. We absolutely and surely know nothing of what we will be in the future. We don't know what's right and wrong for us. The things that we need to choose, the parts that we need to walk on, the people we will meet, everything was nothing but a blank space. And to make that blank space colorful and unique, we need to make a decision. What color should we use, what picture should we draw, which step should be taken care of, everything, need a decision. No matter how small and trivial the step is, it will count in for our future.

And just like everyone else. I have never stop worrying about my future. I really really wish that I can just 'live in the moment' and stop worrying of what had yet to come but I just can't. It wasn't me. Last week, the result for rayuan UPU came out and I was not accepted to any public university. To be honest, I don't know what and how I should feel because first off, I am currently taking my car license and that alone had cost me (more like my mother) a fee that equivalent to one semester in university. And if I was accepted, I probably would refuse the offer which is not a good move. Or is it good ? I don't know.

I really envy my friends who had enroll and start orientation weeks. And those who had something to do on their daily lives. I guess, it is not my time yet (the things that I keep reminding myself of).


  • Present
Talking about what I am now, well, it is too easy. I am a daughter, full time daughter, a part time student (maybe once or twice per week, if that count) and the most important, jobless, unemployed. This is the present me. Living as the present me was as hard as living as the past me. I guess what that Chinese man in 'Madu Tiga' 

Hidup susah, mati pun susah

was true, after all. All right, ignore the randomness. Living as the 'now me' was a bit boring with a little taste of frustration that came with the package of depression and anxiety (just a little taste anyway). I was so frustrated with myself for not getting what the driving instructor told me to, I was frustrated because I dwell too much on what he said and what he did, I was frustrated because I think I did not do good enough. Well, if I were to list out all of my frustration, it will be never ending.

The point is me. I think that I did not do good enough. I think that I can't be the best. I had it all in my heads and I need to let it out but I can't. I don't know who should I told them to. And for the past week, I had distancing myself from people, even my very own family. It was not  a good move on my part but I had no choice. It was better to seclude myself away from people than having to break down in front of them just to explain all those little, silly things.


not mine; credited to the rightful owner
  • Be grateful
For all things that happen this week, I will think of it as a lesson, the one that made me stronger. As for all the challenges that will come, I might be broke again, I might blame myself again, I might went down again, but I will get up, I will fight up and I will win. 

For this moment, I thank everything. Breathing exercise help me. All those negative thoughts will eventually disappear. It might came back, no, it will always be here. But I will make sure that it will be the least things that I think of. 

To those that happen to be having a hard time, you will get through it, one way or another, you will win.

-thes

Monday 2 September 2019

Aku Jatuh Cinta by Anna Nabila ( Hadiah dari Book Giveaway by JJM & Friends )

September 02, 2019 1 Comments
Assalamualaikum, okay, ni sebenarnya dah overdue lama sangat. Actually aku plan untuk post review ni right after aku habis baca novel ni. Tapi, ni dah dekat dua bulan habis baca. Before I proceed to the review, this book is actually the gift from 'Book Giveaway by JJM & Friends' that were conducted a few months back. Aku terima hadiah ni after raya aidilfitri haritu and yeah, lama dah.

So, let's get the review start.

thank you for these lovely gift ~
Tajuk : Aku Jatuh Cinta
Muka surat : 582
Penulis : Anna Nabila
Penerbit : alaf21
Sinopsis :

Aina Humaira dan Emir Izraf suka sama suka. Namun suka itu tidak bermaksud cinta. Lantaran hati belum bersedia, mereka bernikah atas persetujuan keluarga.
Sudah beberapa bulan hidup bersama, Aina dan Izraf tidak pernah menikmati erti kehidupan suami isteri. Aina keliru! Izraf seperti bersikap dingin terhadapnya. Hari-hari dia makan hati namun dipendamkan sahaja, Lagi menyakitkan hatinya, dia sering diusik oleh Syed Danial Iskandar yang sudah tiga tahun berturut-turut mengulang STPM di sekolah itu. Tanpa diduga, lelaki itu jatuh cinta kepadanya.
Luahan kasih sudah dilafazkan. Aina dalam dilema. Status isteri kepada Izraf membataskan segala-galanya sedangkan dia sudah tawar hati dengan lelaki itu. Tohmahan dan fitnah semakin meruncingkan keadaan. Siapa yang sudi membantunya ?


First of all, bagi aku novel ni bukan novel cinta (it is at some point), it is more to remaja kot. To those yang hardcore pembaca novel cinta, korang mungkin akan kecewa sikit sebab novel ni tak banyak momen-momen heart-fluttering, extreme jealousy ke apa takde sangat. 

Boleh kata 95 peratus content novel ni cerita masa Aina dekat sekolah. Most of it with her students and watak Izraf memang sikit. Lagi satu, dekat sinopsis, watak Izraf supposedly dingin. And aku interpret dingin tu macam dia tak layan si Aina ni, rude, anggap Aina macam tak wujud and so on. Tapi, based on apa yang aku baca, aku rasa watak Izraf actually taklah dingin. Sikit pun tak. So agak contradict dekat situ. Tapi tak tahulah mungkin aku salah interpret.

Kalau dari segi penulisan, aku taklah pro sangat bab-bab tatabahasa ni. Tapi memang ada and boleh kata banyak jugaklah punctuation yang agak menyakitkan mata aku. Paling banyak, ejaan kata nama khas. Haihh, geram weh. Aku rasa macam nak underline je satu-satu.

For the overall, walaupun tak macam novel cinta lain, tapi aku suka ending dia. Happy ending for every one ! Yeayyy. Semua including Syed Danial tu. Despite all the errors, aku rasa novel ni sangat enjoyable. Aku suka cara penulis novel ni exaggerating watak punya monologue. Banyak kali jugak la kena jeling dengan orang sebelah sebab gelak sorang-sorang. Hehe.

-thes