Calling Big Star/ Calling for Love

Rating: *****

Genre: Romance, Comedy
Episodes: 14
Cast: Charlene Choi, Chen Zhi Kai, Mike He, Zhang Yu, Zhou Cai Shi

"Bo Ye is a reluctant big star who entered the entertainment industry to support his family. Now that he has earned enough money and his contract about to end, he happily starts planning for the next stage of his life. Around the same time, unfortunate financial downturn struck his agent, his sister and his best friend. Feeling obligated to help them he contemplates on renewing his contract. Totally depressed by this thought, he buys a lotto ticket hoping that he can win the big one and save him from this dilemma. As luck would have it, he wins the jackpot but loses the ticket before he can cash it. Now he is chasing after a taxi driver, De Xing, all over town in order to get it back."

This is another drama that I have probably passed by a hundred times without even being slightly interested in. I don't know, I guess the plot just didn't sound all that interesting. However, once I watched the first episode, I was instantly hooked. As you know, I'm quite biased when it comes to Mike He. Mike is probably one of my favorite actors from Taiwan and I love him dearly. Actually, I think I've seen Charlene Choi before as well but I really am not sure. The acting was decent and I loved the storyline much more than I had thought I would. Again, because I'm completely biased, I just have to rate this five stars.

Someday

Rating: ****

Genre: Romance
Episodes: 16
Cast: Bae doo Na, Kim Min Joon, Lee Jin wook, Oh Yoon Ah

"Someday is about four different people's story about love.

Hana Yamaguchi (Bae Doo-Na) was a successful young cartoonist in Japan. Abandoned by her parents and brought up by her grandma, she was cold and aloof and did not believe in love which to her was only a simple biological response. When the elderly neighbourhood street sweeper died, she discovered the affection between him and her neighbour which lasted 60 years. Hana could not understand this kind of love, so she decided to trace her neighbour's footstep to Korea when she disappeared with her lover's ashes.

Go Jin Pyo (Kim Min Joon) was a doctor who was a comic book fan of Hana. He was overjoyed in meeting Hana and believed that he was in love for the first time in his life. He decided to help Hana in fulfilling her wish to look for her neighbour and enlisted the help of a private eye, Lee Seok Man (Lee Jin Wook).Lee was the sole survivor of a car accident whereby his parents and brother were killed. He carried a lot of guilt towards the parents of the other victim and did his best to help out even at the expense of owing money to the loan sharks.

Hye Young (Oh Yoon Ah) was a PD of animation projects and a close friend of Jin Pyo. she didn't realize that she was in love with him till Hana appeared.

In bringing her neighbour's love story to fruition and published in print, the process changed the lives and outlook on love for these four people."

This drama has a very laid back feel to it. In most dramas it's all about the drama. There's always some sort of something going on. There's lies, deceit, jealousy, love, and more drama than necessary. This series was much more calming than the norm so I was grateful. I also liked the art and story as well. All in all, I think this was a nice little drama. It's not one of those dramas that you get easily addicted to, but it leaves you with a calm smile and a warm heart.

My Girlfriend is a Gumiho

Rating: *****

Genre: Romance, Comedy, Fantasy
Episodes: 16
Cast: Lee Seung Ki, Shin Min Ah, No Min woo, Park Soo Jin

"Lee Seung Ki is a man who meets a girl and falls in love with her. The girl is actually a gumiho, a legendary fox with nine tails that eats the livers of humans. When he finds out that she is a gumiho, he ends up doing crazy things to prevent the girl from eating his liver."

I've been crazy over this drama ever since I first heard about it. I think a lot of viewers get excited about dramas if there are actors that they like, but not me. For me it was about the storyline. I absolutely love the plot of the story. After watching the last episode, though, I have to say that this story is probably one of my favorite dramas of all time. It was hilarious, sweet, action filled, and had a wonderful storyline that kept me interested.

I really want to talk more about this drama, but I'm afraid I might give away spoilers and I don't want to do that.. You'll just have to watch it for yourself :D


Teaser:

10/1/2010: New dramas heading our way?

Since most of my dramas are winding down I decided to go drama hunting. And what are my rewards? Let's take a look at some of the new dramas that are heading our way, shall we?

Absolute Him - Taiwan version of Zettai Kareshi. This drama is about a woman who ends up accidentally receiving a love robot who is supposed to be able to love its owner. You can learn more about the plot by reading the original Manga. The original story was good enough that it already got a short 11 episode Japanese Live Action tv (Absolute Boyfriend) show so you can bet it's going to be a fun watch if it's anything like the original.

Queen not getting off work - Taiwan. This drama is already airing. The synopsis didn't really interest me, though, so I'm going to wait a while and see if there are a lot of good reviews before I start it. After all, I'd rather not waste my time on a drama I'm not interested in unless it's something worth watching. You can find more info on this drama at http://www.viikii.net/channels/goto/queennotgettingofwork#

Love that Comes - Taiwan. The synopsis is kind of long but you can check it out at http://www.viikii.net/channels/goto/ThatLoveComes# It's supposed to start airing today so I might check it out.

Mary Stayed Out All Night - Korea. The synopsis is interesting but it's hard to explain. You can read it for yourself at http://www.viikii.net/channels/goto/marystayedoutallnight#

Someday - Korea. This drama is currently airing but I've heard absolutely nothing about it. The synopsis kind of interests me, though, as I can kind of relate to the main character. "Although Korean-Japanese cartoonist Yamaguchi Hana (Bae Du Na) has found great success with her romantic comic books, she herself doesn't believe in love." To read the full synopsis go to http://www.viikii.net/channels/goto/someday#

Originally I wanted to post some Japanese dramas that were coming up but I really wasn't interested in any of them..

Taiwan version of Coffee Prince?

Just today I heard that Taiwan will be airing its own version of one of my favorite Korean Dramas "Coffee Prince" starring Ariel Lin. I'm not sure who the male lead is. Originally the male lead was supposed to go to Jerry Yan (another favorite of mine) but apparently after there were rumors about the male lead changing to Wu Zan, Jerry got mad and quit the drama altogether. The original male lead will be replaced by Korean group Super Junior's Siwon and Donghae.

Really, all of this is mainly just rumor so far. There's nothing to confirm or deny this information so I guess we'll just have to wait it out. In any case, I'm curious if the Taiwan version will be different or if they will change it up a little in order to make it not completely boring for those who have already watched the Korean version a million times before.

Tempted Again / Tamna the Island

Rating: *****

Genre: Period Drama
Episodes: 16
Cast: Seo woo (Jang Beo Jin), Im Joo Hwan (Park Kyu), Pierre Deporte (William Spencer), Lee Sun Ho (Yan Kawamura)


"The drama is based on a manhwa with the same title. Tamna the Island is set in 17th-century Joseon times as a young English castaway, William, comes to the island and meets Jang Beo Jin, Park Kyu, and Yan. The name "Tamna" refers to what is now called Jeju."

I've glanced over this drama many times and was never really interested in it. To be completely honest it has just about the most boring synopsis in the world. However, I really enjoyed it. I was surprised how much I loved it. Now normally I would take off points if it had cultural references that weren't around back then. Considering it was very consistent, though, I'll let them off. The script was very fun and the plot wasn't stressful like some dramas are.

On another note, I found the names pretty funny. William mistakes "Beo Jin" for "virgin" and "Park Kyu" for "f*** you" in the beginning, and every time after that I kept hearing his versions of their names. It was pretty amusing. In any case, this is definitely a drama to check out. It may have a boring synopsis, but it's a really wonderful story.

Itazura na Kiss/ It Started With a Kiss/ Playful Kiss

What can I possibly say about this series?

Insanity. Insanity. Insanity!

As far as I know there is the original manga (Itazura na Kiss), the anime (Itazura na Kiss), the Japanese live version (Itazura na Kiss), and the Taiwanese live version (It Started With a Kiss). So that's four versions of the same story. But, no, that's not enough. Let's add another =.="

Look, I absolutely loved the series. I watched both the anime and the Taiwanese versions of it. In fact, I've even skimmed the manga a few times. However, I don't think I can handle another version of the same story. So, unfortunately my loves I will have to decline watching the Korean version Playful Kiss that is now airing. I'm sure it's a great version, but I've already watched it two times and read it once. I am all kissed out lol!


However, I invite you to watch the series as well as the other versions. Remember to support them by buying their Manga/DVDs!

Manga: http://manga.animea.net/itazura-na-kiss.html
Taiwan Version: http://www.mysoju.com/it-started-with-a-kiss/
Japanese Version: http://www.mysoju.com/itazura-na-kiss/
Anime: http://www.animecrazy.net/itazura-na-kiss-anime
Korean Version: http://www.mysoju.com/mischievous-kiss/

Licensing Issues/ Endless Love

Although the licensing issue is still up in the air, I have been able to watch it on viikii. You'll have to find where to find them on your own though. Anyway, I just have to say that it is still going really well. I'm still in love with this series.

On another note, I found Endless Love a real treat. Although it's not on the front page of viikii, and I don't remember how I came across it, I really enjoyed it. The drama is just so cute. It is a drama from Taiwan I believe. If you have time you should watch it with me. It's still airing, though, so I cannot review it just yet.


Hope you're all doing wonderful!
~TubeObsessed

New Viikii Channel

Check out my new viikii channel where I will be posting trailers for some of my favorite dramas of all time. Since I just started posting them it may take a while to post trailers of dramas that I haven't already reviewed yet. However, eventually I will be posting almost daily the trailers of dramas and tv shows that I have seen or heard good things about so subscribe and keep your eyes peeled. Also, let me know what your favorite dramas are!

http://www.viikii.net/channels/goto/TubeObsessed#

Good Job, Good Job / Job Well Done

Rating: ****

Genre: Romance, Drama, Family
Episodes: 40
Cast: Kim Seung Soo, Chae Rim, Kim Jung Hwa, Seo Hyo Rim, Uhm Ki Joon

"Lee Kang Joo is a single mother who was abandoned by her previous boyfriend, Yoo Ho Nam. Ho Nam forgot that Kang Joo was pregnant with his child and went abroad to study. When Ho Nam returns to Korea, he wants to pick up where he left off his relationship with Kang Joo. However, Kang Joo, is not as willing to start over with Ho Nam. Choi Seung Hun is the son of Jung Soo Hee who is Kang Joo's mentor and boss. He has been pursuing Kang Joo for a while and hits a roadblock when Kang Joo's ex returns. "

Let me just state real quick that I normally don't even bother watching dramas like this. A drama with 40 episodes is kind of tough. There's always a huge amount of drama and it seems like there is a constant state of waves crashing over you. Truthfully, I have no idea how I ended up watching this series. However, I must say, it did keep me occupied. I sat down for the first episode and barely was able to tear myself away from the computer screen in order to go to bed. The acting, cast, production, and plot was great. However, since the drama was way too full of drama for my unique taste I can't give it a five star rating. I have to admit that it was definitely a drama worth watching. I was kind of hoping for Byul to have the baby brother that she wanted though lol...