Wednesday 30 June 2021

The Good Detective

June 30, 2021 4 Comments
Assalamualaikum, good day dearest! After sooooo long, I am back. With. Another. Korean. Drama. Review. I really miss watching k-drama however, with this online class, I just can't have another hour sitting in front of my laptop. Hence, I stopped watching dramas (I don't really like watching through my phone, it's just feels wrong). But, here, I have like a month break before the short sem so I am going to marathon all pending drama (as much as I can because we will never run out of drama to watch)! And I think I can go on watching drama during short semester because I only take like, 2 subjects. Soooo, yeah, here we go!




Title : The Good Detective / Model Detective
Episodes : 16 episodes
Genre : Crime, Drama
Director : Jo Nam Kook
Writer : Choi Jin Won
Network : JTBC
Cast : Son Hyun Joo, Jang Seung Jo, Lee Elijah, Oh Jung Sae, Ji Seung Hyun
Plot : 

After one year break, Oh Ji Hyeok started his detective career again. He was posted to the Violent Crime Division at the West Incheon Police Station. Ji Hyeok solved cases through evidence and how the criminal thinks. His partner, Kang Do Chang is a veteran detective. Unlike Ji Hyeok, he solved cases with his experience, personal connection and intuition. After receiving reports on the disappearance of Lee Eun Hye, the daughter of Lee Dae Chul, a murderer of a female college student and a detective five years ago, Kang Do Chang and Oh Ji Hyeok begin to investigate. The case turns out to be a show from Park Gun Ho and Lee Eun Hye. They tries to plead to the public to re-investigate Lee Dae Chul's case as he is innocence. Kang Do Chang and Lee Ji Hyeok then tries to uncover the truth of the case before Lee Dae Chul's execution.


SPOILER ALERT

I was a bit skeptic when I first started to watch this drama mainly because of the title. However,  it turns out to be a reeeeeally great drama. I love how every scene was played and how the secret behind the case slowly came to the light. The first half odf the drama focused on proving Lee Dae Chul's innocence before his execution. At first I thought it was going really well. Like, too good to be true and it really is. All hope on their side crushed down with just a lie from the one who supposed to be protecting the weak and it is all for their own career advancement. That really makes me furious.

Aside from making my blood boil, this drama actually got me laugh so often.  It wasn't a really heavy drama that usually will give me headache trying to figure out who is the bad guy as the bad guy was pretty obvious. There were so much scenes that really got humor. I personally love the chemistry between the two partners. Their personality was so different but they fit perfectly. And those sad scenes, it was really hard for me to control the tears. Not to the point I'm weeping my eyes out but it reached deep in my heart. Especially when it involved Lee Eun Hye.

What I actually did not expect to see is a romance between Ji Hyeok and Jin Seok Kyung. He was rude to her ever since their first meet. Maybe it was the prejudice of a detective towards reporter. But as the story progress, their character develop a deeper relationship and for me it was good and gets really cute! Especially when Ji Hyeok randomly said that he had a crush on her in a way and the next minute, he gets knocked out after one sip of alcohol. 

One thing that I really love about this drama is how the focus case is only Lee Dae Chul's case. Unlike another crime and investigative drama that gives different case say, per two or three episodes, this drama really focused only on one case. Sure, there were filler cases; like where they went to catch the biggest gang in Incheon (oh, I have a really good laugh when they went to catch the gang leader) but it mainly Lee Dae Chul's case that mentioned.

By the ending, I love how every characters' personal conflict was resolved. It really gave me a massive satisfaction. And guess what, season two is confirmed! I really couldn't wait for another season of this  drama. 

For more k-drama reviews, please visit 'K-drama review' on the menu tab !

-thes

Polaroid Cinta Zenia by Dila Dyna

June 30, 2021 8 Comments
Assalamualaikum, good day dearest! Daripada sebelum exam lagi nak post review novel ni tapi seorang suraya memang agak pelupa. Jadinya, lepas exam (dah tiga empat hari habisnya huhu) barulah post. 




Tajuk : Polaroid Cinta Zenia
Penulis : Dila Dyna
Mukasurat : 522 pages
Penerbit : Karyaseni
Terbitan : Januari 2018
ISBN : 9789674690700
Blurb : 

Kau yang aku panggil sahabat...

"Sorry la Zen, aku bukan sengaja taknak ambil kau semalam. Tengah final MU kot semalam!" - FAHAD
"Alasan kau la akn, MU lagi penting daripada keselamatan aku la? Dibuatnya aku kena culik ke... Kena perkosa ke..." - ZENIA
"Aku rasa tak ada siapa kot nak perkosa kau."- FAHAD

Sentap. Tahu apa yang dimaksudkan lelaki itu. Yelah... Dia ni tomboi, tak ada siapa kot yang bernafsu tengoknya. Dengan baju loose gedoboh, rambut pendek macam lelaki. Tengok sekali imbas memang orang ingat lelaki agaknya.

Bercakaran memang kerja mereka. Tapi bila Fahad ada masalah, gadis tomboi itu juga yang dia cari. Tapi betul ke lelaki dan perempuan ni kalau berkawan rapat, mesti salah seorang akan terlebih kasih? Ya... Dan itulah Zenia. Cintanya pada Fahad hanya mampu tersimpan jauh di sudut hati paling dalam. 

"Memang ini yang kau nak selama ni kan? Sebab kau memang dah lama cintakan aku. Kau memang tunggu masa aje untuk hapuskan Nadia dari hidup aku!" -FAHAD ISWAN

Entah bagaimana kisah hidupnya dengan pantas mentakdirkan Fahad menjadi suaminya, walaupun bukan dengan cara yang diimpikannya selama ini. Dia sendiri tidak tegar memisahkan Fahad dengan cinta pertama lelaki itu, Nadia.

Baru beberapa jam mahligai terbina, sekelip mata runtuh menyembah bumi. Zenia digelar pembunuh, dia digantung tidak bertali! Fahad pergi meninggalkan sahabat yang bergelar isteri.

"I tak sangka you berubah semurah ni, Zenia. Apa nilai tudung yang you pakai sekarang ni kalau kaki tetap melangkah ke tempat haram macam tu? Mana you letak maruah you sekarang?!" - FAHAD ISWAN

"You langsung tak layak untuk nasihatkan I Fahad. Sebab selama ni pun you lari dari tanggungjawab you! Dasar lelaki pengecut!" - ZENIA IMANI

Jarak lima tahun merubah segalanya. Tali yang tersimpul harus segera dilerai!

Ungkapan berpisah dilontar tekad. Dia perlu bahagia, seorang lelaki yang sentiasa berusaha membahagiakannya, Hairul Fahmi sedia menantinya. 

Tapi bila berbicara soal hati, adakah cinta itu masih setia di situ?


Pertama kali aku baca karya daripada penulis ni. Banyak juga rupanya novel beliau yang dah berjaya diterbitkan. Novel ni bertemakan 'friend to lover' tapi dengan sedikit twist. Aku rasa aku tak pernah lagi baca novel melayu yang dari kawan sampai kahwin. Samada memang tak banyak penulis yang guna tema ni ataupun aku yang tak luaskan kawasan jajahan.

Kisah dimulakan dari zaman mereka, Zenia, Fahad, Hairi, Haryani berada di universiti lagi. Hairi dengan Haryani merupakan kembar. Haryani pulak roommate Zenia masa mula belajar. Mendapat pulak semua satu kos, memang jalan la. Aku suka baca kisah empat orang sekawan ni. Dapat aku rasakan betapa seronoknya zaman belajar mereka. Persahabatan mereka berempat jadi keruh, lagi-lagi Fahad dengan Zenia bilamana atuk Fahad paksa Fahad kahwin dengan Zenia, sedangkan Fahad dah berjanji nak kahwin dengan makwe dia, Nadia.

Ditakdirkan Nadia meninggal dunia pada malam pernikahan Zenia&Fahad. Dan disebabkan kematian Nadia, Zenia dituduh pembunuh oleh suami sendiri. Dan tak sampai 24 jam perkahwinan, dia ditinggalkan, digantung tak bertali. Aku yang memang tengah cari mood nak nangis (sebab stress belajar hahaha) terus la meleleh air mata. Actually, aku ada baca dekat blog cik penulis, draf awal novel ni dimana Fahad ceraikan Zenia. Agaknya apa akan jadi kalau that version diteruskan? Serious curious huhu.

Watak Zenia ni memang banyak betul ujian yang dia kena hadap. Masa umur tiga tahun, ditinggalkan parents dekat nenek dan makcik supaya parents boleh pergi rawat kakak kembar dia dekat luar negara. Lepastu, dah kahwin, ditinggalkan suami sebab menjadi asbab kematian kekasih suami. Kemudian, nenek dia meninggal. Oh, derita weh baca kisah hidup Zenia ni. Belum kira lima tahun selepas digantung tak bertali, jumpa balik dengan husband dan terpaksa kerja dengan suami yang suka nak menyakitkan hati dia. Watak Fahad ni memang keras kepala. Sakit hati aku bila dia nak berbaik dengan Zenia, tapi bila Zenia tolak sikit dah nak merajuk, putus asa. Rasa nak lempang aje. Nasib baik dia nak jugak dengar nasihat si Hairi. Kalau tak memang out dah.

Minus point untuk nama watak sampingan. Orang-orang terdekat Zenia dengan Fahad ni semua start dengan H. Pening aku nak ingat hahahhaa. Hairi, Haryani lepastu ada Haikal (secret admirer Zenia masa kat u) pastu ada Hairul (bos merangkap pursuer Zenia) and lastly, Harissa, adik kepada Hairul. 

Konflik novel ni tertumpu dekat hubungan Zania dengan Fahad aje. Jadi taklah rasa berat pembacaan. Ada juga mention yang mama Fahad tak setuju and tak suka dengan Zenia tapi tak jadi hal sangat. Lagi-lagi masa sebelum kahwin, atuk Fahad yang ada kuasa veto and lepas lima tahun, Fahad sendiri yang pertahankan hubungan dia dengan Zenia.

So, overall, aku suka baca novel ni. Agak santai pada awalnya dengan kisah pesahabatan mereka kemudian Fahad nak tackle bini dia balik dan hujungnya dah tentulah manis. Oh, kenapa tajuk novel ni, 'Polaroid Cinta Zenia'? Well, sebab dia Zenia ni suka ambil gambar guna polaroid pink dia. Itu aje hahha. Itupun tak banyak pun mention pasal polaroid dia.
-thes

Thursday 10 June 2021

Monday 7 June 2021

12 Suicidal Children

June 07, 2021 6 Comments
Assalamualaikum, good day dearest!




Title : 12 Suicidal Children / 12 Suicidal Teens / 12 Children Who Want To Die
Runtime : 118 minutes
Genre : Mystery, Suspense
Country / Language : Japan / Japanese
Released year : 2019
Director : Yukihiko Tsutsumi
Writer : Tow Ubukata (novel), Yutaka Kuramochi
Cast : Mahiro Takasugi, Yuto Fuchino, Kotone Furukawa, Kanna Hashimoto, Mackenyu Arata,Yuina Kuroshima, Hana Sugisaki, Riku Hagiwara, Takumi Kitamura, Ryoto Bando, Ai Yoshikawa, Aisa Takeuchi
Plot : 

12 teenagers who wanted to end their lives for various reasons came to gather at an abandon hospital. However, when 12 of them came at the meeting spot, they found a body of  a dead boy. With no one else know about the meeting, they agreed that the killer are among themselves. They agreed to investigate and look for the killer. During the investigation, the reasons why they wanted to die are slowly revealed  person per person.

This movie is based on a novel of the same name by Tow Ubukata published in 2016.

SPOILER ALERT

This movie starts slowly with the arrival of twelve people. The beginning scenes were actually really suspenseful. It maybe due to facts that the twelve of them would wonder around the abandon hospital before going to the gathering room. The pace pick up when all of them gathered in one room and discover that they are the thirteen person in the room, who might be dead. Baffled, all of the teenagers did not wanted to involve him in the suicidal act (even though, he is dead) and began looking for clues regarding the person zero, the dead body. They are confident that one of them is the murderer as nobody knew about the gathering.

While looking for the culprit, they found several evidences that might point to the murderer. The tension among the participants are undeniable, especially when their personalities are varied from one another. That really help me to differentiate the participants. While investigating the case, the reasons why they wanted to end their lives slowly opened up. Some reason seems like nothing to someone but it is a big deal for the one who suffers.

I love how the participants found themselves again. It was not a speedy, quick process, it was long process but soon enough, each of them realized that they are not only able to come term with their problem and themselves, they also found new friends that have similarities with them.

What I don't expect was the identity of the person zero. And, well, sorry to spoil but person zero is not dead yet. They assumed that he was dead because his pulse was too weak and he is not moving. I was actually expecting him to be dead and the teenagers will found the culprit but the twist really surprised me.




For more movie reviews, please visit 'Movie Reviews' on the menu tab !

-thes

Friday 4 June 2021

Melirih Kasih by Marissa

June 04, 2021 9 Comments
Assalamualaikum, good day dearest! Dah la review ni terperap, harapnya dah cukup la rasanya, hehe.



Tajuk : Melirih Kasih
Penulis : Marissa
Mukasurat : 448 pages 
Penerbit : Karyaseni
Terbitan : November 2017
ISBN : 9789674690649
Blurb : 

Bukan senang untuk Faizal jatuh cinta. Tapi entah kenapa mudah pula dia jatuh cinta dengan rakan sekerjanya sendiri. Ada sesuatu yang menarik tentang Nurul yang membuatkan Faizal tak mampu melupakan cintanya terhadap Nurul.

Seksi mungkin tidak, cantik memang ya. Tapi Nurul mampu membuatkan hidup Faizal menjadi ceria.

Faizal terpaksa gigit jari bila Nurul beritahu, dia sudah ada teman lelaki. Perlahan-lahan Faizal tarik diri dan doakan Nurul dari jauh.

Namun, seperti ada sesuatu yang menghempap kepalanya bila Nurul beritahu dia sudah mengandung anak teman lelakinya dan lelaki itu sudah menghilangkan diri.

"Saya mengandung tiga bulan."
"Awak mengandung?"
"Teman lelaki awak tahu?"
"Tahu, tapi dia tak mengaku dan dia dah tinggalkan saya."
"Jantan tak guna. Dah habis madu..."
"Habis tu macam mana sekarang ni?"
"Saya tak tahu..."
"Awak jangan bimbang. Saya akan selalu bersama awak. Awak percayalah, saya akan bersama awak. Cuma buat sementara waktu, saya nj awak tenangkan fikiran awak. Jangan lakukan perkara-perkara di luar kawalan. Memang dosa awak besar, tapi awak kena sedar, seesar mana pun awak buat dosa, kalau awak bertaubat, insya-Alla, semua dosa awak akan terampun."

Demi cinta, Faizal sanggup terima Nurul dan bayinya. Demi cinta, Faizal pejamkan mata. Manusia mana yang tak pernah buat salah? Nurul juga perlu diberi peluang. 

Bayi itu lahir dan diberi nama Awliya. Kenapa raut wajah anak Nurul tak ubah seperti wajah seseorang yang amat dikasihi dan dirinduinya? Saling tka tumpah membuatkan Faizal benar-benar sayangkan Awliya tanpa berbelah bagi? Siapakah Awliya sebenarnya?

Pertama kali aku baca karya Marissa. Dari awal lagi aku dah boleh agak yang Awliya ni bukan anak kandung Nurul. Well, baca blurb pun boleh teka. Persoalannya, anak siapa? Apa pulak kaitan dengan Faizal. And bila baca blurb aku cuma fikir, ex-girlfriend, ex-wife dan seumpamanya. Nak tahu anak siapa? Teruskan baca.

Faizal dengan Nurul kenal dekat tempat kerja. Kalau aku tak salah, Nurul ni assistant Faizal and both of them baru lagi join syarikat tu. And sebab dorang selalu jumpa and ngam pulak, hubungan mereka agak rapat. Cuma aku rasa watak Nurul ni macam inconsistent, but then so are woman. Huhu. Maybe aku jarang jumpa watak heroin yang bebetul macam perempuan. Dia mengaku ada boyfriend pun sebab dia dapat rasa yang Faizal suka dekat dia. 

Bagi aku novel ni so-so je. Boleh kata takde apa yang menarik. Oh, the fact that Nurul ada anak luar nikah tu yang buat lain sikit kot. But turnout anak tu bukan anak dia pun. Cuma dia dilantik as penjaga kepada Awliya selepas akak angkat dia, Kak Husna meninggal dunia. Aku, sangat tak setuju dengan cara Nurul yang mengaku dia mengandung walhal tidak. Seolah-olah dia buka aib sendiri. Aib yang dibuat-buat pulak tu. Rasanya banyak lagi cara lain untuk sorokkan identiti Awliya selain cara macam tu.

Faizal and Nurul sepatutnya jadi watak utama dalam novel ni tapi entah kenapa aku rasa watak Kak Husna lagi penting. And, the whole novel seriously centered around Kak Husna. Sepatutnya watak dia dimmed la sikit daripada Nurul and Faizal tapi aku rasa lagi menyerlah Husna berbanding dua watak utama tu. 

Kenapa aku kata watak  Kak Husna nampak lagi menyerlah? First, dia ada suami. And suami dia nak kahwin lain atas alasan Husna tak mampu bagi dia anak. Jadi mereka bercerai atas kehendak Kak Husna. Second, family Kak Husna, minus adik beradik dia salahkan Kak Husna atas penceraian tu. Memang terasa la dia punya social problem tu. Apa-apa jadi dekat satu perkahwinan, mesti perempuan dulu yang disalahkan. Haihh. And last, Kak Husna ni ada barah rahim (kalau tak salah aku la) and at the same time dia dapat tahu dia mengandung. Kalau dia teruskan kandungan, nyawa dia dalam bahaya. Rasanya boleh agak dah siapa anak dia and apa jadi dekat Husna.

Awal-awal aku rasa agak janggal dengan penggunaan bahasa dalam novel ni. Aku rasa susunan ayat, perkataan yang digunakan terlalu baku. Dah rasa macam baca karangan BM. Tapi lama-lama dapat jugaklah aku adapt. Pace aku baca novel ni boleh kata laju la jugak (sebab aku nak habiskan before busy dengan tests huhu)

Ada few issue yang berkaitan agama jugak dalam novel ni. Lagi-lagi bab zina and anak luar nikah. Tapi tak dibincangkan pun sebab benda tu tak terjadi. Sekadar mention angin lalu. Untuk aku ulang baca novel ni mungkin tak dalam masa beberapa tahun ni.

-thes