Coffee House :)

This is what I've been watching: Coffee House.

I adore this drama.

You take one crazy writer + one silly secretary who makes the worst coffee in the world + one sexy/successful but lunatic publisher + lots of weird hilarious antics and you will have the basic ingredients for Coffee House. Even the main descriptions said that this drama is about a love triangle, so at the core, this is a true romance, but with a lot more comedy than the average Kdrama. Plus, the sexy/established lead this time isn't a devil girl out to ruin the angelic girl and the main guy's relationship, nope, sorry. She's strong, successful, driven and witty!!! This time around, we have a modern girl who knows what she wants and goes after that, who doesn't sit around weeps pitifully for her poor life and waits for the rescue from a rich powerful man. Everybody is likable in this drama. And am I glad to find that the main lead is not another clueless/poor but kind-hearted heroine who captures the heart of a rich man based on her hard work and heart of gold. This time around, the story explores a different kind of relationship, one that has established long before the drama takes place, and goes deeper to unravel all the secrets the relationship holds that prevent the two main leads from accepting one another. It's so refreshing to be able to watch a Kdrama (beside Alone in Love which is still my absolute favorite) that portrays human's emotions realistically. I'm already at the 10th episode mark and still loving every minute of it :). For now, please enjoy this little MV that has some tidbits from the first 8 episodes:

Spring brings smiles and comedy!

I'm watching 2 Korean dramas (they are both romantic comedies) at the moment after of like... what, 2 and a half years of not watching anything. The last Kdrama I enjoyed was Dal Ja's Spring, and that was back in 2007.

The 1st one I'm watching now is Oh My Lady! (picture above) starring Chae Rim (she's one of my favorite Korean actresses, I love love her in Dal Ja's Spring!) and SiWon (don't know much about this dude beside the fact that he's a member of the Kpop band Super Junior and uhm, seems like every girl is in love with his smile and chocolate abs, I honestly don't see the appeal though). Five episodes in and I'm slowly warming up to the series. Okay, this drama has got a really trite storyline and is full of Kdrama cliches, but it's entertaining enough. I wouldn't call it a good drama as of yet, the characters are likable enough to pull me through. I really like Chae Rim so chances are that I will finish the drama. And up to this point, I'm starting to see the chemistry between CR's character and SW's, and you know, for a rom-com, chemistry is everything. I'm really glad the chemistry is beginning to show :D.

The second drama I'm watching is called Personal Taste, starring Yeh Jin (oh, I so love her in Alone in Love, that's the drama that made me love her... though I only like her in that drama so far, the rest of her other dramas are just uhm, not interesting to me :D) and Min Ho (first time watching him act, I know he was in the oh sooo popular drama of last year Boys over Flowers, but oh well, I don't care for that drama at all, but dang, he's such a hottie! Now, he's what I call a real charmer, his smile, aww, and he's so tall and, and, well you get it, hehe...). Entertainment value-wise, this drama owns the other one. It's wittier and funnier, and the characters are more likable. I'm enjoying the storyline here a lot more, albeit, the storyline is nothing that spectacular, but it's light and pluffy and does not take itself seriously.

All in all, so far, 2010 seems to be a good year for drama watcher. I'm also eagerly awaiting 3 new spring Japanese dramas and 2 Vietnamese dramas (hey, Vdramas are improving!) And the lesson learned... oh well, it's good to have an open mind about everything. I used to compare so hotly Kdramas and Jdramas, I hated Kdramas for a while when it was so popular. But it was silly of me. Now that I'm a little more mature, I realize that each country has its own formula for winning their audiences, and the cultures make their stories different as well. As viewer, I certainly benefit from this broad varied entertainment, so yea, I stop hating and learn to enjoy them all for their own merits. And my drama watching experience is so much more fun (sometimes enriching too for I learn new cultureal lessons through the dramas :)).

Alone in Love...

I proudly present you: ALONE in LOVE, my favorite drama of all time :). No kidding.






It will be no exaggeration when I said that this drama is my favorite of all time. At least, for now, it tops all the ones that I was fortunate enough to watch. I have a pretty dry taste for entertainment in general, enjoying seeing everyday life happenings and character developments above all else. Yes, I love to submerge in the emotions conveyed in a particular take, to feel how a character feels and to lose myself completely when I watch something. Alone in Love delivers all of what I need in my entertainment and much much more. The drama is realistic, and very character-driven; and luckily, the characters in this drama are not only charming, but they are real, just like someone out there in the world. I see fragments of myself, of the people I know lurking somewhere in these characters. Watching this drama is like hearing and seeing problems from friends I've known for a long time. When the show ended, I literally felt withdrawn and empty, like I'd been forced to part with a very dear friend... there was this surge of sadness that was very hard to express in words.

Based on a Japanese novel called "Love Generation", Alone in Love indeed feels very Japanese. The pace is calm, serene and introspective. There is absolutely no over-the-top events or actions. Alone in Love makes the mundane of everyday life not only dream-like, but beautiful and filled with wonders.




(this entry is a work in progress, I'll update it when I feel like adding more...)