Ichigopan's Bakery

KDrama: Heartstrings/You've Fallen For Me (2011)

2011-08-08T13:37:00.000-07:00

Jung Yong-Hwa and Park Shin-Hye

I've yet to finish my last drama. I will get around to it, or so I keep saying without conviction. I'm a bit of a sucker for school romances in drama as well as manga format so this one just couldn't be passed over. I tried to follow by reading recaps but it just doesn't scratch the itch and I caved.

It's a sweet drama full of school-life fresh innocence. The conflict is trivial and while I love watching Shin and Gyu-Won's moments together (and that's plenty good enough for me) we need to have some kind of plot. I've conveniently overlooked that little essential requirement and will just keep focusing on the cuteness.

Jung Yong-Hwa has improved since his supporting role in You're Beautiful. I think his acting is better than Kim Hyun Joong in Playful Kiss. Unlike Kim Hyun Joong's blindingly perfect chompers (nothing wrong with them except they're just too perfect), Jung Yong-Hwa has awesome, real-world crooked teeth.

After episode 11, we're getting into mediocre territory. The threats and consequences are too unrealistic and I find I'm having a hard time staying engaged. Will update as it progresses.

Dayum, when didja get so fine Shin Woo Hyung?

Anime: Saint Seiya - The Lost Canvas (2009)

2011-04-20T11:27:00.000-07:00

I started watching this title based on my recent revival of interest in astrology. If you wiki Saint Seiya, you will discover it's a shonen series from the 80's with a franchise that still continues via various incarnations of manga, anime and merchandise. This story is a prequel and spun-off by another author with permission from the original creator.

This anime falls under the "fighting" genre where power and moves are announced before being unleashed upon the enemy. While this type of anime is not among my favorite, the announcements are minimal. The story has been interesting enough that I want to finish the series. Love these two Gold Saints:

Pisces Albafica

Virgo Asmita

KDrama: Secret Garden (2011)

2011-03-30T14:05:00.000-07:00

This is only the biggest Korean drama hit in 2011 (only). Hyun Bin can do no wrong. He's great in this and what's even more awesome is his version of one of the drama OST singles. *Swoon*

Only two words will suffice describing this one: body swapping. Go watch it forthwith.

Anime: Saiunkoku Monogatari (2006)

2010-10-18T16:36:00.000-07:00

Currently watching this reverse harem of lucky gal, Kou Shuurei with friendship/affection from all of the above. Need I say more?

*Update 11-16-10* I'm working through Season 2 and it's driven by more political conflict which is part of the reason why I haven't been extremely anxious to marathon. The reverse-harem romance is sprinkled throughout and definitely not the main focus, another reason for my lack of enthusiasm. The bishounens do look nice, that counts for something right? The only real interesting character of the bunch for me is Seiran. Since he looks like my long-time anime lover, Lancer from Robotech, I had expected him to be similar but Seiran has a dark side which was unexpected and intriguing.

KDrama: Playful Kiss (2010)

2010-09-23T11:12:00.000-07:00

Another manga adaptation? There seems to be a serious shortage in imagination. While that may be the case, I was pretty excited about this title since I had previously enjoyed the anime adaptation.

Jung So Min (Bad Guy) and Kim Hyun Joong (Boys Before Flowers) are our leads and they are cute together! So far the drama is following the manga pretty closely. I am most interested to see if they progress the timeline all the way into adulthood as originally intended by the manga author. And I'm relieved that this drama was condensed to 16 episodes from the initial plan of 20. I hope the writers pace themselves and not rush at the end.

*Update 11-16-10* The network broadcast ended with 16 episodes and in an unprecedented move in Korean drama history, the series is continuing on YouTube with 10-minute clips airing in the upcoming weeks. Overall, I enjoyed the series, it was better than I expected and stayed true to the manga. It wasn't quite as popular with the South Korean audience as it was with other Asian countries. Kim Hyun Joong was watchable but I am hopeful he will continue to improve. 4 out of 5 stars.

Anime: Kaichou wa Maid-sama! (2010)

2010-09-21T13:10:00.000-07:00

What a breathe of fresh air! While I love a good shoujo title with extraordinary guy falling for ordinary girl, the girls are often times dim-witted and completely clueless. Finally, a female heroine worth admiring and unquestionably deserving of her prince charming.

Ayuzawa Misaki is a hard-working student body president and moonlights part-time as a waitress at a maid-cosplay-themed cafe. She doesn't want to jeopardize her tough-minded president reputation so she keeps her part-time job a secret. Usui Takumi discovers her secret and rather than outing her, he starts frequenting the cafe. He also works there on occassion as the pastry chef. Usui doesn't hide his feelings for her while Misaki is in denial of hers. They are so cute together!

The anime is mainly comedic with chibi faces and cute text captions. Supporting characters are fun. For once it's nice to see an enigmatic, calm male interested in our female lead rather than a short-tempered, complex-ridden guy. Overall very cute and enjoyable. Not sure if there are plans for season 2 but would definitely continue to watch it. Highly recommended with an enthusiastic 5 out of 5 stars.

J-Drama: Yamato Nadeshiko Shichi Henge aka "The Wallflower" (2010)

2010-08-30T01:45:00.000-07:00

Short marathon this past weekend with the live-action version of The Wallflower. I started reading the manga before it was licensed and watched the anime a couple of years back. During my research for the next drama to watch, this title ranked high on the DramaCrazy.net site. After watching the first episode, with its cheesy horror set-up (lightning flashes, creepy music) and Johnny-boy fest (3 of the actors are Johnny's Entertainment minions) I felt it was completely silly and ridiculous. Manga and anime antics generally don't translate well in live-action. However, I didn't give up and continued watching despite my skepticism.

Our heroine, Nakahara Sunako is a morbid, horror-loving, recluse. She rooms in a house with four gorgeous bishounen. We discover what makes her this way and watch her life change as she cohabits with these four men. What's different about the drama in comparison to the manga/anime is that the story is mainly centered around Takano Kyohei less on Sunako. Kamenashi Kazuya as Kyohei gets a lot of screen time, A LOT! (which is totally fine with me). The other notable difference is character development for all five of the main characters. We get a glimpse into each character's history which really connects the viewer.

The most interesting aspects of this drama were the mother/son relationships. The one between the land lady and her son Takeru (new character for the drama) as well as Kyohei's relationship with his own estranged mother. This particular facet really resonated with me and I found myself crying through many episodes even though the general feel of the drama is comedic and fantastical. The final episode was absurdly predictable. I understand they had to find a way to end it given that the manga is still ongoing but come on, this method was pretty scary and illogical.

Overall, this one is fun and if you can overlook the silly stuff, there are touching moments that make it worth watching. 3 out of 5 stars.

Anime: Kuroshitsuji II (2010)

2010-08-16T15:52:00.000-07:00

Alois Trancy and his butler Claude Faustus
Joyous of joyous days. Black Butler Season 2 is airing now. I watched the first 3 episodes yesterday. I forgot about the grotesque darkness of this one. It'll be good to get back into that and break away from my reverse-harem binge. Ciel Phantomhive and Sebastian Michaelis have returned and appear to be regulars. Woohoo!

Also worth noting is the voice actor for Sebastian, Daisuke Ono. He has done so many of my favorite characters in previously watched anime like Eugene Alexader de Volkan (Hanasakeru Seishonen), Hyuga (Neo Angelique Abyss) and Hotsuma Renjou (Uraboku). I love his voice. I'm sure Sebastian goes head-to-head with Claude in this series. Claude is voiced by another with a sexy voice, Takahiro Sakurai who also voices Luka Crosszeria (Uraboku). I think I might die and go to voice actor heaven. Will update on the series after completion.

*Update 9/21/10* Season 2 is only 10 episodes long but the plot was compelling. I enjoyed season 2 more than season 1 and this is a must-watch for Kuroshitsuji fans. I didn't want it to end but really enjoyed the conclusion and thought it ended well. Overall rating: 5 out of 5.

Anime: Hanasakeru Seishonen (2009)

2010-08-11T13:54:00.000-07:00

New anime on my watch list. This is the summary found on Wikipedia:

Set in the modern era, the story follows the path to romance of fourteen-year-old Kajika Burnsworth, daughter of powerful industrialist Harry Burnsworth, owner of the Burnsworth international conglomerate giant. Kajika agrees to participate in a "marriage game" with her father, in which she must select her future husband out of three men that her father has supposedly preselected for her.

This anime while falling into the shoujo/romance genre, weaves a very complex political plot. As Kajika explores her understanding of love, she discovers her lineage and true destiny. Enjoying it so far, a lot of twists and as riveting as a drama. Kajika is likeable. Her naivete is not annoying (not yet anyway). 39 episodes total and I've completed through episode 14. My favorite part is the backstory of Katherine and Mahati (ep. 10/11). I must confess this one has grown on me with each episode.

And where in the world are there Chinese men like Fang Li-Ren? I haven't met any yet. If you find one, let me know.

I prefer tortured soul playboy Eugene Alexandre de Volkan, droopy eyes and all...

Or kind, noble Rumaty Ivan Di Raginei...

*Update 8-14-10* I was definitely surprised by this one. I normally do not enjoy watching anything that's even remotely political. The conflict was not overbearing nor too complicated. Our female heroine matures into a brave and compassionate young woman. My only complaint is the last episode where a final conflict hung in the air, it was totally unnecessary to include. My favorite character was definitely Eugene. His 80's hair reminds me of Jake and Roy Lang, my favorite twins from classic manga, Cipher...

Overall rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Anime: La Corda d'Oro aka The Golden String (2006)

2010-07-27T14:29:00.000-07:00

Started this anime over the weekend. Cute, easy, classical music-themed anime with a likeable female protagonist and reverse-harem guys. This is another title based on a video game targeted towards female audiences with a more in-depth romance manga adaptation to boot. We sure do like these reverse-harems.

Kahoko Hino runs into a musical fairy who grants her a magic violin and persuades her to enter the school music competition. She learns the joys of music and grows closer to her competitors through her musical discovery. Will comment further once the series is complete.

*Update 8-4-10* Season 1 starts to drag a bit near the middle-to-end when Kahoko starts to question her love for the violin once the magic wears off. I think they spent a tad too many episodes around her struggle and coming to terms. Overall the ending was similar to the previous reverse-harem anime I watched, meaning female gets no one in the end but inspires all with her determination and devotion to her violin. Uh huh. Okay. Encore parts 1 & 2 were unnecessary, just more screen time with an introduction to one new character who is also inspired by Kahoko and decides to play the viola again. Uh huh. Love the animation and opening theme song so I'll bump it up to 3 out of 5 stars.

KDrama: Bad Guy (2010)

2010-07-19T10:07:00.000-07:00

Left to right: Jung So Min, Kim Jae Wook, Han Ga In, Kim Nam Gil, Oh Yun Soo

This is my summer drama. I spent the whole weekend power-watching episodes 1 through 9. Shin Gun Wook (Kim Nam Gil) plots revenge on the Haeshin Group corporation. We follow his dubious exploits with each individual Haeshin family member starting from the younger sister, then the half-brother and now the seduction of the elder sister.

What I like about this drama is the uncertain motives of the male lead. He seems to be on a one-track-minded mission to sabotage the Haeshin family, but even as he is plotting his ultimate plan, he wavers and doubts himself. I feel that he would even forego the whole thing if he had good reason to, but then we would have no drama to watch.

Many reviewers have noted how great Kim Jae Wook's acting is in this drama, practically stealing the show in the role as half-brother, Hong Tae Song. I must say he is surprisingly convincing despite slightly too much shouting and yelling in this spoiled brat role. He definitely has come a long way since Waffle Sun Ki in Coffee Prince.

I am digging this one. Hope the second half doesn't disappoint.

*Updated 8-7-10* The most enjoyable thing about this drama was the crazy mother of the Haeshin Group. Never in all of my drama watching have I seen such a self-centered, heartless, witch. Given Kim Nam-gil's unexpected accelerated call to military duty, this drama was cut short by an episode or two and the last episode was a meh-mess. There were many ways they could have wrapped this one up better. I'm giving it 2 out of 5 stars.

Added to Playlist: The Bird and the Bee

2010-06-20T22:00:00.000-07:00

Like it!

Uragiri wa Boku no Namae wo Shitteiru aka Uraboku "Betrayal Knows My Name" (2010)

2010-05-27T13:09:00.000-07:00

Why are demons always so hot? Luka Crosszeria above is my newest bishounen crush (teehee). I've overdosed on lackluster Korean dramas so I'm back to anime marathons. This one is currently airing so waiting for additional episodes. So far it's looking like your usual girl-reincarnated-as-boy-shounen-ai-stuff. More to come as the series progresses.

After completing episode 10, where is the shounen-ai action? Zero, zip, nuthin'. If this series is supposed to end at episode 13, it is indeed quite disappointing. I will probably be going back to drama mode after this one.

*Update 10-5-10* 23 episodes total and completely anti-climactic. Not only was the shounen-ai non-existent, the ending was completely worthless. Like the writers just gave up and called it a day. Final rating: 1 out of 5 (don't waste your time).

Anime: Neo Angelique Abyss (2008)

2010-05-24T00:15:00.000-07:00

It's been some time since I've watched a newer anime. I found this one on Crunchyroll and thought the artwork looked good so decided to give it a whirl. This is my first reverse-harem genre anime. Having known about harem genres I have been meaning to check one out but there was always something else to watch.

What surprises me about this series is that it's based on a video game and it's good! Many video game titles are not successful crossing over into anime territory but this one has a great storyline which gets even better in Season 2 (another first for me), artwork is terrific (a lot of bishounen hotness), and overall solid plot and character development. There are plenty of sources for plot and character descriptions so I won't go into detail here. Rating to come after I finish the series.

Finally, everyone has a favorite so I'm going to post him here. I tend to gravitate towards the brooding, lonesome guy who has some secret he's harboring and when ultimately revealed, is usually tragic and heartbreaking. Hyuga fits the bill and he looks good workin' it.

Update: 4 out of 5 stars and it's the most PG anime I have ever watched.

Thoughts/Review: Rose of Versailles (1972-1973)

2010-05-09T19:17:00.000-07:00

Oscar Francois de Jarjayes was born female but raised as a man due to her father's fervent desire for a son. This story follows her life from entering the military as a commander of the Royal Guard assigned to protect and serve the French royal family at the age of 14 to the finality of the monarchy, the French Revolution.

This manga-adapted anime aired in 1972-1973 setting a precedent as one of the early mangas to be adapted to various franchises including anime, live-action movie, and musical theatre. Watching this anime 38 years after its inception leaves me awe struck to the various areas of which this title has been claimed as "the first."

There are many significant elements that have already been cited (just read comprehensive Wikipedia but beware of spoilers), but my favorite element is Oscar's appeal. What makes Oscar different is that she is known to most as a man. Her femininity is abandoned in the name of filial duty to her father and loyalty to her Queen Antoinette. In spite of that, her beauty and humble heroism attracts both men and women equally, regardless whether they know if she is a woman or not. Oscar herself is in love with a man but the borderline lesbian admiration from other women makes for a progressive topic both in the 18th century of Oscar's time as well as during the 70's when this anime aired.

Another element I enjoyed was following Oscar's maturation from childhood into adulthood. Throughout this series, Oscar is faced with many challenges both in her military career and in her personal life. As she grows up, she discovers herself and her loyalty to her Queen is tested with the arrival of the new era of democracy. But most importantly, Oscar ultimately transcends and comes to accept her womanhood.

This anime has stood the test of time (it's older than me). A great title that can captivate decades later. Rose of Versailles really is one of the very best I have ever watched. I'm rating it 5 out of 5!

KDrama: Personal Taste

2010-04-30T12:35:00.000-07:00

Lee Min Ho and So Ye Jin
This is a romantic comedy where Jeon Jin Ho, a heterosexual career architect through typical misunderstood and convenient turn-of-events comes to live under the roof of Park Gae In, who of course only agrees to rent her spare room out to him because she believes he is gay. That alone should be enough to tell you what kind of drama this is. Finished through episode 8, so far so good.

*Update 6/23/10* This one ran out of steam as the end approached. Introduced father figure that really didn't have any stake from the beginning and it just got lame. Too bad because it started really strong and both actors were very cute together. It was so bad that I didn't even care to finish the last two episodes.

Want: Hawaii Domo Qee

2010-03-27T00:01:00.000-07:00

Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo exclusive 4/16-4/18. Limited to 1200 pieces. Don't know anyone who lives in Chicago. I may have to look at eBay. *Sigh*

Thoughts: Virgin Snow (2007)

2010-03-19T15:20:00.000-07:00

My computer has been tuned into the Lee Jun-ki channel. This movie was like a drama squeezed into a two-hour package. Standard fare, boy meets girl and despite language barrier they fall in love. You can probably guess what happens next and how it concludes. Think along the lines of traditional Korean drama romances.

The lead male character, Kim Min, is goofy and playful. I would say that this character most resembles actor Lee Jun-ki's real-life personality based on the interviews I have seen him in. And he's really not that suave (chuckle). The chemistry between him and actress, Miyazaki Aoi was lukewarm, I was not entirely convinced. Just because there was hand-holding doesn't mean they sold me. They also were quite mis-matched. Given his girly good looks, I think he would have benefited having a knock-out leading lady. Instead, we have a mousy-ish girl who just makes him shine all the more. There wasn't enough of a balance to win me over on the cute couple vote.

If you want to watch a movie just for Lee Jun-ki close-up shots and don't mind the average storyline, then yes, watch it. Be warned though, he's more of a clown in this one than his actual jester role in The King and the Clown. I give it 3 out of 5 stars.

Thoughts: The King and the Clown (2005)

2010-03-17T16:44:00.000-07:00

Two male clowns living in the Chosun Dynasty get arrested for staging a play that satirizes the king. They are dragged to the palace and threatened with execution, but are given a chance to save their lives if they can make the king laugh. The king subsequently falls in love with one of the clowns. The movie is based on a small passage from the Annals of the Chosun Dynasty that briefly mentions the king's favorite clown. (from Amazon and Wikipedia)

I kind of don't know where to begin. I walked away with a jumble of mixed thoughts and feelings. This film covered so many elements that it's hard to sort and comment on all of them. If you ask me to sum it up, I would say it's an exploration of tyranny, monarchism, social class, sexual identity and love.

If you read the reviewer posts on Amazon, many are positive and say it's a wonderful film. In terms of cinemetography, acting, story development and pacing, yes it is wonderfully top-notch. I feel Asian films in general tend to move slow and take a while to develop but this one did not have that problem.

While I did enjoy watching the movie, I found it quite perverse and sad. This is definitely one of those movies where you need to fill-in-the-blanks, read between the lines and draw your own conclusions. I spoiled it for myself by reading the plot from Wiki. Don't do it! Watch first and then ponder and compare notes. (I feel like I'm writing a paper for one of my critical thinking class.) I give it 4 out of 5 stars.

Lee Jun-Ki - SPAM!

2010-03-16T12:00:00.000-07:00

I said I wasn't going to be sucked in by the Lee Jun-Ki machine and so what's going on here? I'm transfixed. Finished My Girl and now moving onto his movie, The King and the Clown. *Sigh* so much for resisting the machine.

Thoughts / Review: My Girl (2005)

2010-03-15T13:02:00.000-07:00

There has been a Korean drama drought in my house. The last drama I watched ended around Thanksgiving last year so I am way overdue. I picked this title because it keeps cropping up during my various research efforts for new dramas to watch. The Hong sisters had such a hit penning You're Beautiful that I thought I would try this one to see what put them on the map.

Dramas are dramas so let's just say that the plot is your average sticky situation between man and woman posing as fake cousins who fall in love but have added secondary characters to create a love rectangle. Through various trials and tribulations with family heritage, secondary character blind-love induced sabotage, misunderstandings etc. etc., the lead characters win each other's affections and they finally are together. It's a basic formula but we arrive at the obvious conclusion. There were a few episodes that were lackluster but were quickly redeemed with more comedic humor in the episodes that followed. And the ending was also probably one or two too many episodes to conclusion.

The female character, Ju Yu Jin (played by Lee Da Hae), is pretty entertaining. The actress is very animated and cute. She also does crying and depressed scenes well. She is the most entertaining character and really leads this drama. The male lead character, Seol Gong Chan (played by Lee Dong Wook) is rich, cool and reserved. Completely opposite of his lively, swindling, love interest. Typical drama male lead no? Chemistry is good and they are cute together. She is pretty without being annoying and he is cute enough as a boring workaholic to make this pairing work.

What I really enjoyed actually were the secondary characters and their annoying faults. Seo Jung Woo (played by Lee Jun Ki), is a suave, charismatic womanizer. He makes a strong entrance in the beginning. Despite his womanizing ways, he is charming and very likeable. Unfortunately, as he develops feelings for the lead female, he loses the charm and just becomes this pathetic guy pining for a gal who doesn't love him. He spends all of his time turning on the water works. Whether it was the director's decision or his improvisation, it killed his coolness factor. I think if he wasn't so teary-eyed, I would've still "liked" him.

The second female is Kim Sae Hyun (played by Park Si Yeon), old flame of our male lead. She is an accomplished, international tennis star who abandoned her flame during his most difficult time in order to pursue her dream of winning a world championship. She returns two-years later expecting to pick up where she left off. My problem with her is not really her character. Again it is your average jealous ex-girlfriend who is futiling trying to win back her love. Thankfully, she doesn't over do the sabotaging. What was repetitious were her facial expressions. Turn head to the right, roll your eyes to the sky and utter disbelief/incredulous "ha's." Wow, can we work on your acting range here? I know you're the spurned ex but let's get more creative now ok? Your bit is getting old.

The most entertaining supporting characters would have to be the brother and sister team, friends of the female lead. They are totally fun and constantly lay the guilt trip on their friend regarding her sticky situation through their a cappella karaoke renditions of forbiden love, un-requited love, and love in general. LOL.

Overall, My Girl was an enjoyable watch. While not perfect, the antics are fun and characters are all loveable enough. I can see why the Hong sisters have earned their popularity. If You're Beautiful is the perfection of their formula, then My Girl would probably be early draft version 2.0 or something like that. I rate it 4 out of 5 stars.

Added to Playlist: Liz Anah

2010-02-26T16:12:00.000-08:00

Awesomesauce. That's all I have to say about that. Mp3 download

Current Game App Roster

2010-02-26T12:07:00.000-08:00

I am totally on trend with the way gaming is moving in the current landscape. I am migrating away from consoles and going casual.

What to Feel?

2009-12-21T12:05:00.000-08:00

I admire individuals who have a large group of friends. They experience marriage and children so they can continue to be in each others lives and grow old together. I am grateful that I have been folded into such a circle because I never had a group of friends that I could call my own. It's nice to be included in something. It's never too late I guess.

Over the weekend I had a conversation with an old high school classmate. Back in the day, we did not know each other but as a result of this circle connection, we now see each other at get-togethers throughout the year. The idea of connecting with people from your past seems like a great idea in theory. The fond memories outweigh the bad as you think, "hmm, maybe I should join Facebook and put myself out there." But pretty soon, I think of the Pandora's Box effect and decide against it (I'm happy in my cocoon, leave me alone).

In my case, I did not have any particular fond memory of my classmate, only knew the person existed. After having the conversation, I have mixed feelings about connecting with my past, especially high school. High school was not enjoyable for me. I was anxiously awaiting graduation so I could move on. I do not need to cherish the memories and I definitely am not interested in connecting with anyone from that time. So to be forced to see my high school past in the person standing before me, listening to their words, and remembering life from back then is jarring and uncomfortable. I wish I felt otherwise but at the moment, the feeling is too fresh. I am probably overanalyzing but since this was unexpected it's hard to get over. Especially when I had well moved past high school so long ago and to be reeled back to examine it...I'm not liking it at all.

Viv & Ingrid - Holla!

2009-11-13T10:25:00.000-08:00

Historically, I do not win anything. If you take me to Vegas with you, I will not be the person who has clinking coins cascading out of a slot machine. And don't ask me to buy a lottery ticket, I am not destined for riches. However, I can certainly look richer with the help of Viv & Ingrid. These two ladies really know how to design classic accessories. Impeccably hand crafted, their jewelry adds the perfect finishing touches.

Viv & Ingrid held their first Twitter Raffle this week. The contest was to tweet what you love about V&I. I had never written Haiku before but thought I would try it as an entry idea. The only thing missing were the forward slash marks but honestly, this was my very first attempt and someone liked it! Yeah, I'm surprised too.

V&I cute posts
Sugar twinkle girly stuff
Squeal delightfully

I won the silver four leaf clover posts. Woohoo! Lucky me! Thank you V&I!

Jang Geun Suk - SPAM!

2009-10-24T23:31:00.000-07:00

As Hwang Tae Kyung of A.N.Jell (I like the serious look)

Added to Playlist: The Black Ghosts

2009-10-22T13:49:00.000-07:00

This is way overdue but I am loving them. A blurb of their song titled, "Full Moon" was on my singing Twilight birthday card so I had look them up. I haven't been listening to much new music so the fact that I took a chance and listened to them on MySpace was really adventurous of me. They're going to get me in the mood for Twilight - New Moon next month.

Thoughts: You're Beautiful

2009-10-20T13:22:00.000-07:00

Left to right: Jeremy, Shin Woo, Go Mi Nam/Nyeo, Tae Kyung
Completed the first two episodes. While I was watching, I couldn't help but notice that this drama feels a lot like Hanakimi. Tae Kyung is pretty much Sano Izumi and Jeremy is Nakatsu, minus the crush. Definitely a lot of similarities there. As with most Kdramas, it's going to be pretty obvious who gets the girl in the end. But, I would like to see if Shin Woo gets to first base with Mi Nyeo. I think that might be hoping too much but it would be nice if dramas would be daring like Coffee Prince and take a chance. These directors and writers need to give the audience much more credit. We can be pretty accepting once we've emotionally invested in the character. Don't disappoint me A.N.Jell. :^_^:

I have also been listening to the OST. It's kind of repetitive since a couple of the songs from the drama have been recorded by the actors. The catchy songs unfortunately get stuck in your head and I can't turn it off!

-Update- After completing episode 6, I am really loving this drama. Not since Coffee Prince have I felt so anxious waiting for the next episode. I honestly really like all three of the male A.N.Jell members. Maybe Tae Kyung and Shin Woo slightly edge out Jeremy but all of them are really likeable. What is really awesome about Go Mi Nam is that we know she is an innocent girl thrust into the idol world for the sake of her brother and finding her parents. It makes us root for her and we want her to win. Plus, she's living with three hot guys. Just the shenanigans alone are worth watching. :)

KDrama: You're Beautiful

2009-10-15T10:03:00.000-07:00

Ah, a new Kdrama to get excited about! You're Beautiful is set in the idol group world. Female protagonist pretends to be her twin brother and fills in as a member of A.N.Jell. I love gender-bending dramas! Looking forward to continuing this one - so far, so good.

Nendoroid: Sebastian Michaelis

2009-09-27T00:37:00.000-07:00

OMG! Is he not the most adorable figure you have ever seen? This is my birthday gift and I love him! Here's a great product review I found for this super cutie Sebastian. Tomopop Review

Jung Il-woo - SPAM!

2009-08-12T13:53:00.000-07:00

Thoughts: Return of IIjimae (Ep. 1-15 / 24)

2009-08-11T15:11:00.000-07:00

I thought I was going to spoil it for myself by reading recaps but surprisingly, I have been able watch each episode with the same anticipation and enthusiasm. The mental notes gathered from the recap function more like mental que cards than spoilers. In fact, I find that in this rare instance, reading the recaps have actually helped me pace my recurring evening date with the computer to a manageable time rather than the usual test of my sleep deprivation limitations.

The acting is great, even the comic relief characters. I generally find the comic relief characters hard to watch due to over acting or lack thereof. Wang Heng Bu, the ridiculous Qing spy-turned gangster would be a potentially tiresome character. But the extreme mannerism and speech of Wang Heng Bu makes him annoyingly awesome and the hilarious bits of foreign language mixed in with the Korean dialogue is unexpected and fun. Like counting in Chinese 1,2,3,4 or throwing in the English word "but" during his conversation with his gang boss. LOL.

I particularly enjoy the Baek Mae and Lieutenant Gu Ja-Myeong storyline. The poor officer was crying in episode 14, my heart was aching for him. Ah, I love it when good acting can move me to tears and Return of IIjimae has done that a number of times already.

Lastly, I don't find Jung Il Woo's acting particularly captivating, but he does get his point across. I think he does anger/frustration better than surprise/dumbfounded. IIjimae's relationship with Wol-Hee is getting a bit draggy and I found episode 14's kiss scene borderline awkward. Jung Il Woo seemed nervous and it showed. But that didn't stop me from rewinding the scene and watching it two more times.

M caught a glimpse of IIjimae's face paused on the computer screen and he said, "That's why you're watching this, he's totally your type." Haha. Hey, I have drama standards, it doesn't hurt to have the lead male easy on the eyes.

KDrama: Return of IIjimae

2009-08-05T11:33:00.000-07:00

So I have been waiting for subtitles and Dramafever uploaded the complete series as part of their countdown to going live. The cinematography of this series is lovely and all the main characters are really likeable. Even the comical ones are not as annoying as you'd expect. I find the narration is actually helpful to keep you on track as the story jumps forward and backward in time. The feel of this series is very much like the fantasy Chinese Kung Fu dramas and movies where people leap tall trees and rooftops in a single bound.

As for the actual lead actor, Jung Il-Woo--WOO WOO! My favorite type, young and girly-looking. His acting is pretty good given this is his first lead role in a drama. He has wonderful potential. I sure won't get tired of watching him. :D

Being Frugal

2009-06-05T10:19:00.000-07:00

In these challenging economic times, I have been following various bloggers and twitterers who blog/tweet deals and money saving offers. I have never given this much emphasis before but find it necessary to do so now.

Recently, Mommies With Cents has been one of the blogs I found and enjoy following. They offer very useful info such as product reviews and great deals all around. Through their blog, I recently applied to be a survey/product tester and bought the Flip videocam at Amazon for a great price. Thanks Mommies!

For you electronic gadget-heads, they are holding a giveaway for a Replica Storage Device! Click HERE to enter.

Reprise: Twilight

2009-05-26T14:33:00.000-07:00

I decided to watch this movie again after having read Book 1 & 2. This time around, my analytical visor was on.

It is my belief that the many fans of Robert Pattinson is a direct result of their initial vested interest in Edward Cullen after having read the books. One very important thing I noticed was that Movie Edward lacked charisma. At the very core of Book Edward, there was always fun, charm and a boyish/childlike wonder. Movie Edward is only good at brooding, squinting and wearing big James Dean hair and don't forget the RayBans. The movie version definitely played up his predator side but it's obvious R. Patz's struggled to hide his thick accent and the poor guy had to talk with fangs. (Side note: If you've ever heard Antonio Banderas talk about his experience as Armand in Interview with the Vampire, I would imagine R. Patz had similar challenges with those damn fang teeth.) His dialogue was strained and seemed so labored. I was definitely more disappointed this second time around. The only thing consistent with my previous impressions was that I still don't think Robert Pattinson is good looking. I wish it were otherwise, really!

I think Kristen Stewart has great sleepy-bedroom eyes. I enjoyed watching her again and really like the way she portrays Bella. I hope she continues to breathe the same kind of life to Bella in subsequent movies to follow because I certainly don't feel good about seeing so many different-styled directors signing up for theses movies (high probability of botching).

Overall, I think I liked the movie less this second time around. I am disappointed that I feel that way but it just didn't have the same lustre as the first time I saw it. I might have skipped the movie review altogether if I had read the book before watching the movie. In my opinion, Edward was meant to stay in the book, not be a wanna-be James Dean on screen.

Thoughts / Review: Kuroshitsuji

2009-04-13T13:44:00.000-07:00

I guess I did enjoy this title for the most part. I did get excited with each new episode. Most had their own self-contained stories and Greil Sultclife was the most entertaining villain/supporting character. There was even one episode that was kind eye-popping (Sebastian seducing a church devotee for some info). Holy smoke!

My problem was the ending. I was expecting Ciel Phamtomhive to overcome his despair and somehow become a happier person. Maybe I was expecting too much. This was definitely not a happy ending anime. I think I will read the manga in hopes of changing my disappointment with the anime.

Overall, those who are interested in goth, supernatural, blood/gore would enjoy this title.

Plug into Web 2.0

2009-03-31T15:23:00.000-07:00

I recently have been thinking a lot about the way our lifestyle has evolved. With all the press about printed newspapers stopping production and becoming obsolete, this is the harsh reality of our technological age.

I can recall a time back in college when the school Intranet was a black screen with white text and ASCII codes...scrolling and scrolling. That was what I knew of the online world at that time. I had a computer with a dial-up modem. I tested it with a friend and we would dial each other's telephone line and then type messages to each other on a blank screen (early version of Instant Messaging!). I found the World Wide Web one day probably through a news report on TV or a conversation with a fellow student. Seems that even as 1996 was coming upon us, there were still some students who didn't know what the WWW was. Haha, 1996...seems like such a long time ago.

You are not considered a regular member of society now unless you are technolgically plugged-in in some fashion. Who doesn't have an iPhone, raise your hand! What unfortunately comes with being plugged in that you become visible and people can find you. Like Facebook for example. I don't think there's a single person in the 12 - 39 age group without a Facebook account today (except for me of course). Old classmates who are starving for nostalgic olden years live there. They will ping your sister to get your contact info so they can invite you to your high school reunion.

I refuse to get sucked into Facebook. However, I am on Twitter. I established my Twitter account awhile ago, before it was known as the next Web 2.0 app. Like with everything else that's out there Twitter will get replaced, but for now I am having fun with it. Adding someone on your list to follow puts you really close to them. Closer than reading a blog. I am following Gavin Newsom and he's following me too. Hilarious right?

Thoughts / Review: Twilight Saga 1 & 2

2009-03-30T21:55:00.000-07:00

So I haven't done any marathon reading in a long while. I was excited about the Twilight books after watching the movie recently. I actually read book two, "New Moon" before the first book.

While the movie adequately introduced us to Bella and Edward, book one definitely offers more in-depth exploration into their personalities. Edward is actually a lot more fun in the book. He is a bit arrogant but very charismatic and I didn't quite get that impression while watching the movie. Bella is your standard damsel in distress and that much was the same in the book as well as the movie.

We don't see much of Edward in book 2. This one really focuses on Bella's emerging friendship/romance with Jacob Black and the discovery of his latent talents. Bella and Jacob's interaction is really what carries the second book. With each turn of the page, you're wondering if Bella is going to change her mind and fall for Jacob instead. Love the suspense!

From the negative reviews that have cropped up all over Amazon, it would seem a lot of fans find Stephanie Meyer losing steam with her story ideas in book 3 and 4. Book 3, "Eclipse" the paperback edition doesn't release until August 2009. I'll see how long I hold out before buying. Maybe I will resume reading my Vampire Hunter D novels until then.

In The Goth Mood

2009-03-25T15:01:00.000-07:00

All this Twilight buzz is making me feel nostalgic. I'm trying to rekindle the feeling from the yester-years when I was in love with Peter Murphy and everything Bauhaus. Ahh, memories.

The cool pic above is by one of my favorite manga artists, Kaori Yuki. The manga title is Ludwig Kakumei or Ludwig Revolution. Ludwig's adventures are actually modified versions of your classic fairytales such as Rapunzel, Red Riding Hood etc. Her work generally leans towards horror and macabre-very twisted stuff, which I love. Here's to nostalgia, cheers!

Thoughts / Review: Twilight

2009-03-23T11:09:00.000-07:00

Yes, I am guilty of dismissing this title because of all the hype. I rolled my eyes and snorted whenever I heard the title. "The most epic romance since Titanic" according to critic review quote on the DVD box. Uh huh, riiiight. The nightly news was showing footage of your average goth girl at the store waiting for the midnight release on video. Based on that, I assumed this title was another teeny bopper phenomenon like The Jonas Brothers or more like Sweet Valley High - 2009 Vampire Edition for tween goth girls (goth, goth, loli, loli).

But since this is a vampire movie, it's inevitable that I watch it. My love affair with vampires has endured neglect in recent years. I grow tired of Lestat and the myriad of generic, wanna-be novels out there. So I watched it, expecting to be sorely disappointed. Surprisingly, that was not the case.

Bella Swan is your average teenager. What I found interesting was the warm welcome she received when she arrived into a new small town (population approximately 3000). Being a teenager that she is and starting in a new school, I expected her to be picked on and tagged with an F4 red card. Instead, all the popular boys seem to be interested in her and the girls are actually nice to her. This one detail was a welcomed relief and I immediately I liked her. She is smart, pretty and no-nonsense - very refreshing.

Now Edward Cullen, resident hot, weirdo, vampire who idolizes James Dean down to the RayBans and hair, I did not like him as much. Too much brooding and staring. And why does the world think he's cute? The actor, Robert Pattinson's most memorable movie on his resume is Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. I can't recall him at all. (Robert is now lucky enough to be desired by all the tweeny fan-girls. Good for you Robert!) Thankfully, the acting was good. He convinced me he was an awkward vampire who has lived an insurmountable number of years, repeating high school for the umpteenth time and wants this new girl. I told myself, "he's a good-looking vampire who wants an ordinary human girl, I want to be Bella." Yep, I fell for it.

The director, Catherine Hardwicke, did an amazing job. The scenes were filmed with care. The lighting was very thoroughly planned. It was harsh when necessary but also beautiful during softer scenes. A female director's touch is generally quite different from a male director and she captures these details very nicely thoroughout the whole movie. The pacing was wonderful and engaging - just right. This movie could've been a disasterous interpretation but I think she was able to finesse her magic and overwhelmingly scored big. I was very impressed.

Overall, I have to give this movie 4.5 out of 5 stars. Huge right? I know! For those looking for a good romance movie without too much gore/blood of typical vampire movies (safe for PG-13 crowd), I highly recommend (love) this one.

Thoughts / Review: Antique (Korean 2008)

2009-03-13T12:21:00.000-07:00

Clockwise from top left: Joo Ji Hoon, Kim Jae Wook, Choi Ji-Ho, Yoo A-In
I had been anxiously waiting to watch this movie. From the previews I saw, it looked promising. The movie was approximately 2 hours long and paced pretty well. There were some interesting elements such as the layering collage-style filming and the broadway musical scenes with full-on singing and dancing. These were balanced out with more serious scenes as we progressed through the movie.

Kim Jae Wook didn't have much trouble embracing the gay patisserie role. His lanky, femmy looks are perfect. Just picture him as Waffle Sun Ki in Coffee Prince but more gay (i.e. shirtless dancing, more smiling, and kissing men). His kiss scenes with French actor, Andy Gillet were very convincing. Hot!

Joo Ji Hoon as the owner of the cake shop was amusing but I felt there was too much over-acting on his part. Compared to his roles in Goong and The Devil, this one required him to be easily excitable/annoyed and he did a lot of yelling. The constant amped up emotions seemed challenging for him to maintain and I got tired watching him struggle. I think he does best in roles where he's cold/calculating and only slivers of emotion peek through.

The other two supporting characters were pretty good. I enjoyed the interaction of all four men and amazingly, there weren't any specific boring segments of the movie. There was one part which made me wonder how everything was going to end but I was satisfied with the outcome. It wasn't weird or "huh?". Overall, I would rate it 3.5 - 4 out of 5 stars.

To Watch List - Dramas

2009-03-05T11:05:00.000-08:00

I have a list of dramas I would like to watch. Problem is there are not subtitles for them yet so I have to patiently wait.

Painter of the Wind (Korean)

This one sounds interesting because of the whole woman-masquarading-as-legendary-male-painter and fellow lady love not aware that he is a she. I love these types of gender-bending storylines. I think it could be lay over from my manga love of the same style.

Return of Iljimae (Korean)

I am also curious about this one because of Dramabean's recap/reviews of beautiful scenery and good acting. Story is about a Robin Hood-ish character. I have not watched any martial arts dramas in a long while. I used to enjoy the Chinese Kung-Fu dramas despite the poor acting and fake-looking sets. I especially enjoyed the kohl-rimmed eyes on the men. It always made them far better looking than they are in real-life :D

Love Shuffle (Japan)

The story is about four apartment neighbors who meet by chance while stuck in elevator during a blackout. They form a camaraderie and decide on a love experiment by swapping partners every week. I have watched two episodes of this drama and so far my feelings are kind of mixed. While the story sounds interesting, I'm not feeling the chemistry between the actors when they interact as a group. And they interact as a group many times throughout. One of the actors, Matsuda Shota (Nishikado Soujirou on Hana Yori Dango), seems too young and miscast in comparison to the other three actors. He's supposedly this cool, talented photographer who has a married woman as a girlfriend/sleep buddy but I'm just not convinced. I see him as this young boyish actor who should be doing high school dramas or something. He was a great Nishikado in HYD. He seems out of place in this one. I want to like this drama but finding it...meh.

So these are the top three on my list at the moment. There are some others titles with not-so-good-looking actors which I may throw in but these days, getting back into shape is of higher priority than watching dramas.

Currently Following: Boys Before Flowers (K-version)

2009-02-25T16:18:00.000-08:00

I say following because that's exactly what it is. I am not watching full episodes. I have previously watched in full the Taiwanese and Japanese versions and was recently sooo turned off by the J-version Special Final Movie that reading recaps, critiques and opinions of other viewers is good enough for me. I can get the gist of the episodes via this method. Since the inception of this K-version, I have revisited my thoughts and feelings for these beloved characters. My comments below refer to these characters in general, not necessarily as portrayed in the K-drama series.

The character I have always rooted for is Hanazawa Rui (Yoon Ji Hoo). He has always been standing in the shadow of Doumyouji Tsukasa (Goo Jun Pyo) and he deserves his moment too. I especially enjoy watching Makino Tsukushi (Geum Jan Di) shake up his ambivalence in all of the incarnations of Hana Yori Dango. I kind of feel sorry for his perpetual loneliness despite having his F3 buddies but they can't really fill the void. Maybe this is why I secretly want him to get the girl because he's gentle and really deserves her.

Doumyouji is not unloved. I think he is your typical male protagonist in shoujo manga and apparently for Korean dramas as well. I think it's interesting that he prevailed as the more popular character which led to the mangaka changing the storyline to suit the audience's preference. Rui's character is somewhat too soft and lazy. I think men with strong personalities like Doumyouji fall within women's common fantasies. A man who wants to take care of his woman is much more attractive than a guy who sits around day dreaming all day don'tcha think?

As for Makino Tsukushi, she remains one of my all time favorite female characters in shoujo manga. Strong-willed and not a quitter, she is really inspiring. I do feel there is some dichotomy between Makino and Doumyouji. While our leading lady is strong and does not rely on men to achieve her goals, we would think she'd be paired with someone who has an opposite personality per the rules of shoujo manga/dramas. But instead we have a strong leading male who is protective, possessive and unwavering in his persistence of having her. The resulting dichotomy actually creates a strong-willed similarity between these two characters. Maybe that's the appeal. Many shoujo storylines follow the opposites attract formula and in our case, Doumyouji and Makino's social class are on opposite polar ends but their personalities share commonality.

Analyzing this is making my head hurt. Does anyone else sit around and wonder about these things? As for the remaining F2, Nishikado Soujiro (So Yi Jun) and Mimasaka Akira (Song Woo Bin), I have enjoyed Kamio Yoko's development of these two in her manga series. Both have their own story and a special spot in their hearts for Makino. The drama versions of course have not been able to elaborate on their stories since they're only supporting characters. However, Nishikado's story in the J-version does stick in my mind because we do get to see some history behind the reason for his playboy habits. It was fun to watch and quite moving. I cried when he cried! Plus the actor who portrayed him, Matsuda Shota, was super charismatic and cute! (Someone get the boy a hamburg steak, he needs more meat on his body.)

This title and its various franchise manifestations has proven its longevity. No matter how many times we've read/watched this story, people are discovering and rediscovering their love for it.

K-Drama Thoughts: Thank You

2009-02-23T11:39:00.000-08:00

So I finally finished watching "Thank You." I did enjoy the series though there are some things that warrant commentary.

This drama is Jang Hyuk's come-back drama. He did ok given that I have never seen any of his previous work so I can only comment on this drama. He plays brooding jerk really well. I think it must be his perma-front-toothy expressions that really brings it home. He's not to die for but I wouldn't kick him out of bed for eating crackers ya know? He's aww-rite.

Gong Hyo Jin was also ok. She tends to have basic acting abilities but did convince me that she was a single mother raising an eight year-old child. The real star of the show in my opinion was Seo Shin Ae, the eight year-old with HIV. She was very sweet and charming. I wanted to be her mommy. LOL.

I did find some annoying flaws in the pacing of the series. We are supposed to see a progression of Jang Hyuk's uncaring, stubborn, jerk-assy doctor develop/grow feeling for Gong Hyo Jin's poor, single mother but the actual execution of that was not so. Instead, I saw it as a sudden, overnight change rather than a gradual one. There were some key scenes either cut out at editing or the scenes were not detailed enough during filming to show this progression, or maybe Jang Hyuk's acting is just not sophisticated enough to reveal these emotions. Whatever the reason, I was a mite disappointed in this and therefore the series felt choppy in the middle.

It was nice to see a drama set on a small, boonie island with local towns-people and their simple way of life. It was a nice change of scenery from the usual rich people/large city settings. The storyline of a single mother raising a child with HIV, having two decent men chase after her, and being uninterested in them is also a nice change. I would recommend this drama for those looking for a simple, decent title to watch.

Coffee Prince Novel

2009-01-29T10:50:00.000-08:00

I finally finished reading the Coffee Prince novel. I found a great blog with the english translation here. Han Kyul and En Chan were definitely different in the novel, almost more two dimensional. Since the writer of the novel also worked on the Kdrama script, it is interesting to see how she expanded and changed some characteristics for both.

Han Kyul definitely struggled with his feelings more in the drama than in the novel. He was almost nonchalantly accepted his attraction to En Chan. There's even some background info on Han Kyul's explosure to homosexuality with references to his gay American friend, Dick. That was amusing. Han Kyul drama-version had experiences with women in America, no mention of men from what I recall.

I think all Coffee Prince fans should read the novel. It's fun to see how the author originally envisioned Han Kyul and En Chan and I can appreciate how she changed things around to adapt to live-action.

Currently Watching: Thank You

2009-01-28T09:30:00.000-08:00

I started watching my next K-drama series on Dramafever. Dramafever is another video streaming site but with higher quality than the common ones currently found online. I have completed episode 1.

Can't really offer much input since I've only watched the first episode. However, I must comment that the male lead does do some overdramatic, scream-acting. You know, bellowing at the top of his lungs in frustration/anger/remorse what-have-you in tandem with a lot of freaky eye-bulging stares. Ugh, can't stand that.

But even worse are those intermittent ads that interrupt the episode. I think I've seen Fergie and her HP laptop at least 5 times within a 1 hour period. I am going to die from Fergie overexposure but I will forge ahead and watch episode 2, even if it means I have to see her royal fugliness multiple times.

Sequels

2009-01-28T09:21:00.000-08:00

Within the last month, I have wasted probably a total of about 5 hours watching ridiculous, poorly scripted, unnecessary sequels.

First one is the Hanazakari no Kimi Tachi e - 2008 Special. The special 2 hour episode is supposed to answer those lingering questions and fill-in-the-blanks from the J-Drama series. One character from the manga, Julia, who never made it into the series popped up in this special. I was actually glad that they didn't include her in the series because there really was no place for her. The script for the special was obviously an afterthought. Everything felt very piece-meal and choppy. All the events featured were dreamt up just for the purpose of keeping Hanakimi alive two hours longer. Rubbish.

Second time waster is the Hana Yori Dango Final Movie. Ugh! This one was even longer and even more unnecessary than anything imaginable (leggings anyone?). When we finished Season 2 and Makino and Doumyouji live happily ever after, that's the end. The movie decides to explore and test their relationship to see if they really are meant for each other. @#$%#@! Again, a useless 2.5 hours riding on the HYD hype. I even downloaded the director's cut which I'll bet was even more painful than the theatrical version. I am shocked with the time I've wasted. I want my five 5 hours back.

Speaking of Hana Yori Dango, the K-drama version is now airing but I have decided not to watch it. I've already watched the J-Drama version (both seasons) as well as the Taiwanese version (completed the first season but couldn't finish the second because it was absolutely terrible). I think I've invested enough time in HYD. I've been reading Dramabeans' recaps and that's good enough for me.

Kuroshitsuji - The Black Butler

2009-01-24T19:18:00.000-08:00

I am currently taking a short break from Korean dramas to catch up on my anime. This new title is called "The Black Butler" or "The Black Demon." The word "butler" in Japanese also share the same pronunciation as "demon."

Story is set 19th century England where this demon butler serves a 12 year-old earl. The anime is somewhat dark and gothic with some comic relief thrown in here and there. I've only read a couple of chapters of the manga and the feel of the anime is pretty true to the manga, but not sure if the storyline is exactly the same.

I am really enjoying it. It's been awhile since I've read or watched goth manga/anime and this one doesn't disappoint. The individual episodes generally contain individual stories but each give the viewer a little more insight into the underlying plot, so the intrigue definitely keeps you coming back for more. But the demon butler, Sebastian Michaelis, is the real reason I'm watching. I like good-looking, kick-ass demons. Hohohohoho!

Mini Mac Attack

2009-01-06T15:04:00.000-08:00

It is unfortunate that we live in a Windows business world. We cannot function in the work place without it. However, due to Mac's marketing and cool revamp in recent years, I can proudly say that I am a new Mac convert (at home).

We traded our old, beat up Dell Dimension 4500 for a new Mac Mini. Entry-level Mini upgraded to 2GB memory and 250GB hard drive. We originally partitioned the HD with Windows XP but it didn't work - probably due to faulty install disk. I'm thinking of buying Office 2004 for Mac. I've heard from various users it works fine opening files between both Windows and Mac platforms pre-Office 2007. Since my office is going Windows Vista come spring, this might be a problem in the long run. Sigh, back to square one.

In the meantime, wow! I own a Mac! I never thought I would fall in love and be swayed to the otherside so quickly. This little machine is fast. It is amazing how easy it is to set up. I have my Leopard OS X Missing Manual book but I found I haven't used it much. It's easy to maneuver around but just "doing". Everything is relatively intuitive and menus are easily accessible and straight-forward. My main concern was being able to download and playback all my Korean dramas. Especially .AVI and .SRT file support. I found a piggy back program which I added to Quicktime and it works just fine. Again, I say..wow, so easy! Ridiculously so!

I can't wait to tinker further and see what else I discover. I love to tinker and this one is definitely worth the time and money.

Gong Yoo - SPAM!

2008-10-30T12:53:00.001-07:00

K-Drama Observation

2008-10-30T12:33:00.000-07:00

So I've now watched a few dramas that spans from 2004 - 2007. I noticed that the big onscreen kiss has evolved quite a bit within these last 3 - 4 years.

Full House (2004) had a "closed eyes, hold really still, don't move a muscle kiss." What really gets to me is the fact that it's at the very end, last episode, after the lovers reveal their true feelings for each other. A long and painful journey before we arrive at this point.

Palace/Goong (2006) you had a passionate long kiss complete with head turning and open mouth. It was also a long journey before getting to this stage (thanks to the director/producers dragging the episodes out). But the actual kiss by far was more passionate than the one in Full House.

1st Shop of Coffee Prince (2007), heartfelt open kisses between men (actually between a man and a woman but the man doesn't know that the "man" he's kissing is really a woman). This new awareness and standard speaks volumes in how society's views are changing regarding relationships as well as pushing the envelope in dramas.

I equate this to an essay I wrote for the Junior English Proficiency Test back in college. The topic I chose was the progression of America's view of gay relationships. From the 60's hippy days to the present day 90's (haha, that was a while ago). How the media has prominently featured more gays and it is more commonplace to see openly gay celebrities. I think it's a good thing.

I enjoyed seeing Han Gyul come to terms with his love for Eun Chan regardless if Eun Chan was a man or an alien. My, how far we've come indeed!

1st Shop of Coffee Prince

2008-10-27T10:59:00.000-07:00

So I've been watching Korean dramas as of late. So far, I've completed Palace, Full House, The Devil and now Coffee Prince. I have to say that this one I enjoyed immensely. All the characters, including the supporting characters were very likable.

The male lead was extremely charistmatic, very well-dressed (not to mention had a hot bod to pull off the threads, wooooweeee!). What I love most about his character was that he was confident but not cocky, intelligent, sweet but mostly, he was very honest with his feelings. And coming to terms with the fact that those feelings were for a man (really a woman but he didn't know that). Wow, I think that is extremely admirable and I totally love him for it. When he professed his love to Eun Chan, my heart was fluttering. I stopped breathing for a few minutes. I think I've since then watched that scene 10x or so.

My other favorite character on the show is one of the 3 princes: No Sun Ki (Waffle Guy). I liked that he was very punk/alternative, very individual. He started off being kind of cold and uncaring but he eventually evolves and becomes someone dependable and a good friend to have. =D

Overall this series was great! Would definitely add this to my rewatch list.

Joo Ji Hoon - SPAM!

2008-08-20T15:09:00.000-07:00

Goong (aka Princess Hours / Palace)

2008-08-18T10:55:00.000-07:00

I have conquered another drama marathon. Here I am, fully exhausted, sleep deprived, dark circle rim eyed as I compose this entry. But it was well worth staying up into the wee hours of the night watching Goong.

The first episode didn't impress me at all. I was fearful that I had wasted my money buying this DVD box set. The female protaganist was dorky and very annoying. I tbought, "how in the world is she supposed to be likeable?" I had been reading the manhwa and Chae Kyung is nothing like the one I see here on screen. Thankfully, as I starting watching episode 2, it picked up considerably and it was all down hill from there.

What I always enjoy most about watching adaptations of comics is the interpretation, what's changed, what remains the same? Most Japanese dramas (which is what I usually watch) tend to modify the story slightly to make it more fitting for live-action. The writing/editing is usually good, filtering out unnecessary filler from the comic version. This is the first Korean drama I have ever watched and according to the critics, is unprecedented in terms of production (set design, shooting locales, costume design etc.) in K-dramas. I was rather impressed with the acting given the main cast were new to the K-drama scene. I found the story flowed well though it did drag a bit as we approached the last few episodes. (Note: the series was originally slated for 20 episodes but due to popularity, they dragged it out to 24 episodes). It was a great adaptation and I am curious to see how the comic version will end since that is still on-going.

My inner fan-girl always checks out the male lead. What I saw on the opening credits did not make an impression. In fact, I didn't think he was even remotely good-looking. He was stoney-faced and appeared to lack personality. I wondered how I was going to get through this drama if he didn't meet eye candy standards (LOL). But that all changed after episode 3. He smiles! OMG, the Crown Prince is hot! I mean HOT!!! Anyway, needless to say, he had my full attention after that.

I noticed the actor, Joo Ji Hoon, seemed to stoop a lot in his scenes. He's very tall according to Asian male height standards (6'1") and probably had to hunch-back to fit within the lens of the camera since all of the other fellow actors were much shorter than him. But the most important thing I noticed about him - a very, very important observation - he made those kiss scenes look really good. Smoldering (fanning myself). He didn't rise to stardom from this drama for nothing. I'm sure all the fan-girls swooned just the same. (Doesn't he have a great nose?) Hohohoho!

photo credit: lapampam
Overall, this was a great introduction for me into the K-drama world. I just can't commit to watching dramas these days. I don't have time! I'll be paying for my lack of sleep later this afternoon but it was worth watching this series to completion.

New Fav Anime

2008-07-03T22:27:00.000-07:00

It's summertime and that means it's anime marathon season! My current fav anime titles:

Nabari no Ou

Itazura na Kiss

Sure I don't have much time on my hands, but I'm going to try to finish these two anyway. I need to feel like I have another purpose in life besides being a mommy and working full-time. I'm getting back to my roots yo! ^_^

MyAnimeList

2008-06-10T10:07:00.000-07:00

You see what happens when United screws you over? I stop blogging for over a month. Now that I have put our disasterous flight behind me, I can move onto more important things.

I recently stumbled upon a Website called MyAnimeList. Created by a guy after he began his anime addiction. This site allows you to create lists of all your anime. Animes you've watched, are currently watching, or plan on watching in the future. You can write reviews, look for recommendations, join clubs, and the best part is, you can log your manga too!

I haven't watched anime in quite some time. Most of the time, I watch the anime version of the mangas I've read just to do a comparison and see if they've stayed true to the manga version. Most of the time, in my humble, unbiased opinion, the manga version is better. I love how MyAnimeList also allows users to add unlicensed manga titles to the mix. God only knows how many hours I spent downloading and reading fan-scanlated mangas online (pre Seb).

I think what would make the site perfect is the ability to add J-Dramas. The content team shot that one down because the site is already large enough as is. When I find the time, I will start posting on the forums. It takes dedication and time to lurk on these boards of which I have none. It's hard enough to recall what I've read and list them let alone surf the boards. I need more time!

United Airlines Suck!

2008-04-22T10:03:00.000-07:00

We're back from Kauai, Hawaii. It was a terrific trip. Seb enjoyed the sights and experienced many new things like riding an airplane, playing in a lagoon, viewing a canyon, and eating Dole Whip.

The only bad thing about our trip was the return travel with United. We were scheduled to return on Wednesday, April 16th with a 1:30PM flight from Lihue, Kauai back to SFO. Our flight was delayed until 5:30PM due to a mechanical problem which needed a special qualified techncian to be flown out from Honolulu to work on the aircraft. Once the aircraft was cleared for take-off and we were finally airborne, the captain announced that there was a fuel-related problem and he felt it was unsafe to travel over water so we turned back and landed in Honolulu. Once the plane stopped, we waited for at least 30 minutes on the plane with no word from control as to when we can deplane. The captain got fed up and overrode the control tower's decision and let us off the plane. Once in the terminal we waited for some time before United representatives announced that we would be shuttled to the Hilton Hawaiian Village for the night with $15.00 dinner voucher per person. BUT, we still had to wait an additional 45 minutes before our baggage would be off-loaded from the aircraft because there were no available rampers to spare. By the time we got to baggage claim to get our luggage, it was already 9:30PM. The shuttle was supposed to arrive by 9:45PM and the hotel restaurant closes at 11:00PM. We decided to not wait for the shuttle since so many people were on the fight so we took a taxi instead. We got to the hotel, ordered our food to go so we could get to the hotel room. Seb didn't sleep until 12:00AM.

The next morning, our flight was scheduled to leave Honolulu at 9:00AM. We were all supposedly getting a wake up call at 6:00AM so we can pack and arrive the bus depot at 6:30AM in time for the 6:45AM departure to the airport. Our wake up call didn't ring until 6:15AM. Thankfully we had our own alarm clock and were up by 5:40AM (fyi, I didn't sleep until 1:30AM). We proceeded to the bus depot and stopped a bell hop to ask where it was. He asked us if we were on that United flight and we said yes. He said that the fight was canceled and that we need to check in with the front desk to see what is being done about it, but he heard that the flight wasn't going to leave until the next day. WTF?!!! Once at the front desk, the travel concierge told all of us that they did not have any new info as to when we would be leaving. I called United reservations on my own to find available flights leaving from HON to SFO. They said they were sold out but there was one flight the next day (Friday) at 9:00AM. The rep booked us on that flight. Come to find out about 40 minutes later, I booked us on the flight that was newly created for us stranded passengers. My selected seat assignments were overided once everyone was moved onto this new flight reservation. There goes 15 minutes of wasted conversation with United reservations.

We decided since we weren't going anywhere and that United was paying for another night, we would try to enjoy our detour in Honolulu. We spent the day walking up and down Waikiki. Much to our dismay, we found the shopping was all high-end, catered to Japanese tourists and there were always more than one store for each brand. 3 Coach stores within a 5 block stretch. Why do you need 3 coach stores? All the stores on Waikiki can also be found at our Hilton Hawaiian Village hotel too. We were probably better off wasting our day at the Ala Moana mall. Waikiki has changed since our last visit three years ago. It was disappointing but we did get Seb some Dole Whip at the International Market versus doing to the Dole Plantation.

The next morning, we almost missed our bus because we did not receive a wake-up call like the previous morning. We got dressed, packed and rushed to the bus depot in 20 minutes (that must be a new world record), just in time for boarding. Our scheduled flight took off on time and we arrived back in SFO slightly delayed due to high winds.

Now that we are finally back home and back to our day-to-day routines, I have been on the phone with United for the last two days trying to resolve our ticket price issue. They are as I keep saying, over capacity. They issued a $200 travel certificate per person so far (whether it arrives in the mail is another story) but still have not found resolution to my refund. I will be calling them again later today. I don't think we'll be flying anywhere for sometime. Especially not on United!

Her Majesty's Dog - Volume 8

2008-04-07T15:50:00.000-07:00

I picked this volume up with the intention of reading a page or two, 2 chapters at most and saving the rest for my BART ride home. Well, that wasn't the case. I flipped through the whole volume and didn't get to sleep until 1:00AM. I am having the hardest time keeping my eyes open this afternoon.

I think my average time to completion with each manga volume is about 30 minutes. If there's more dialogue and more detail in the artwork, I might take a little bit longer. This volume felt quick. Very "meh"...too quick actually. I think I enjoyed the previous two volumes more when the story flashed back to Amane and Hyoue's first meeting. The main story arc now seems like it's being stretched out at bit too much. I would hate to see it last over two additional volumes.

Pre-Vacation Stress

2008-04-02T14:34:00.000-07:00

So our Hawaiian vacation is coming up at the end of next week. I've been sort of stressed out thinking about all the items we need to pack and the potential difficulties in traveling around since this is Seb's first vacation traveling on a plane. If he keeps true to form, he may not freak out on the plane since it's a new place/experience and he will be observant for a good while before he gets curious and adventurous. I am praying that he sleeps on the flight, even for a little while.

The other thing that's annoying is figuring out what kind of food/snacks to bring. I'm bringing instant oatmeal to feed in a pinch as well as goldfish crackers and raisins. I wonder if they have instant fried rice in a pouch like those instant macaroni pouches in Asian grocery stores? I would need a microwave and I don't think we'll find one of those in our hotel room.

If I sit down and start concentrating too hard, my head actually hurts and recently, I've been having trouble recalling items that were just on my mind a moment ago. Argh! This vacation is coming up too fast as well as not fast enough, if you know what I mean. (OT: that Exorcist theme song ringtone is going off again in the office...brrrr...so creepy.)

Moving onto more important things. I finished reading Vampire Knight Vol. 4

I think the story is developing rather slowly (or maybe I just read too fast). This manga compared to the author's previous series, MeruPuri, definitely has more of a love triangle thing going on and of course, vampires! (My fav.) As with typical shoujo mangas, you have your good-looking, brooding/moody lead male and spritely, happy lead female. Rival good-looking, popular male is also into the lucky happy lead female. Sometimes, I wish I could just be a character in a shoujo manga. My life would still be complicated but the dilemma would be 'which good-looking boy do I like?' versus 'which brand of diapers should I buy?' Overall, I'm looking forward to reading more of this title.

Photo of the Day

2008-03-28T13:48:00.000-07:00

Guess who?

Kyara-ben

2008-03-26T15:50:00.000-07:00

So my latest research obsession is bentos (why do we Americans always make our own words from other languages like "legos"). My SIL over the weekend mentioned that Union City has opened up a Daiso store. She said she was getting into packing bento lunches. I started reading my usual Flickr blogs early in the morning at work this week when I came upon photos of a Japanese woman's bento creations . Wow! I'm so amazed at how talented she is.

So my latest mind-mull is thinking ahead down the line when I will need to make more interesting lunches for S once he's in pre-school. I also want to give M's lunch more variety. I'm sure he's tired of eating sandwiches all the time. The biggest challenge is how/when do I prep the bento? Do I get up early and prep it or should I consider finding a bento that's microwaveable? When S will be old enough for pre-school, he'll be more self sufficient so maybe I won't need to spend so much time getting him ready in the morning, he can do a lot of it himself, therefore, freeing up my time to prep bento lunches? I'm not sure that I can get up early enough. Gotta think this through. Errrrg!

Here are some really cool pics of bento box supplies. Me want!

Obsess Much?

2008-03-24T12:20:00.000-07:00

Recently I have dug around for info on Lee Hom Wang, one of Taiwan's very popular male singers. His music is "mandopop." He has also dabbled in other influences and created his own sound he brands "chinked out." I watched one of his music videos introducing this new sound called:

"Heroes of Earth"

Ummmm...I really don't know what to make of it. First impression: "that's a Chinese guy trying to rap." And what happened to that clean scrubbed image of his? He's still clean but adding the hand gestures and head bobbing. Ugh! I suppose it could be worse. He's not wearing chains and those things on his teeth where it looks like he's got a missing tooth and his underwear isn't visibly peeking out of his pants. The other part of me thinks "wow, that's pretty cool that he can create a new sound and he produces, writes and practically a one man machine." And then further along in the video you see the real Chinese guy rapping, Jin (The Emcee). So...I'm not sure what to think. I guess I have to admire him because he has riden the longevity wave in the music industry which is extremely challenging and he's proof that talent prevails.

His acting in Lust, Caution was very convincing. I thought it was much better than when I saw him in Moonchild with Gackt. Gackt can't act to save his life, but I digress. In fact, Lee Hom's sex appeal was so evident, I thought to myself while I was watching the movie, "damn, he's kinda hot."

It's been years since I've listened to Taiwan music regularly. I don't think I will start now because I have mixed views on their pop genre. But Lee Hom is a force to be reckoned with. Overall, I'm impressed.

Reactivated

2008-03-19T10:53:00.001-07:00

Man, has it been a loooong time since I posted. After the birth of Seb back in October 2006, life hasn't been the same. I started a new job back April 2007 and only now feel like I've acclimated. All of my general interests took a back seat.

I feel like this is a good time to start posting again. While the posts won't be consistent, I'm hoping this will at least pass the time by on days I'm bored or when I am compelled to share some new info.

So as an update on what I've been doing lately here are some things I have been following/reading/watching/learning about:

Last Completed J-Drama
Hanazakari no Kimi Tachi E -
Given the large amount of reinterpreted mangas adapted as j-dramas, the only reason why I watch them is to see what has changed in the live-action version. I HATE the ones produced in Taiwan because they literally follow the mangas event for event. So boring. I saw the Taiwan version of HanaKimi and it was very long and drawn out. The guy who plays "Quan" is cute enough but his awful Mandarin made it very hard to watch. The Japanese version is much better. The story is about a girl who masquerades as a boy and enrolls in an all-boys high school to get closer to her high jump idol. She ends up in the same dorm room as her idol and you can imagine all of her precarious situations.

Last Completed Manga Series
W Juliet-
Loved this series. One of my absolute all-time favorites. I have a soft-spot for cross-dressing, mistaken identity mangas. I think it all relates back to my Robotech/Lancer fetish from back in the day. This is a boy/girl high school love story set around theatre/acting. Tomboy befriends very feminine female classmate only to discover by accident that female classmate is really a boy. As part of an agreement with his father, boy must finish high school masquarading as a girl in order to emancipate from taking over the family business. If his identify is discovered, he takes over the business and must discard his acting dreams. This manga series is fun and includes much tenderness and affection between the two main characters which generally seems absent from a majority of the mangas I've read.

Current Manga Reading List
Fruits Basket -
This is getting quite endless but I feel the end is near. I already know who ends up with whom. I had to read the spoilers because this series just didn't seem like it was going to end. Now, the only thing I don't know yet is, how the curse is broken. An ophaned girl is taken in by a family whom various members are inflicted with a curse. These cursed members turn into animals of the Lunar Zodiac when held/hugged by anyone of the opposite sex. This story follows our heroine and her journey in uncovering the secrets of the family and her determination to break the curse.

Cipher-
This title was printed back in the mid 80's and completed in the very early 90's. I have the complete Japanese language graphic novel set. This was back in the day before manga/anime exploded in the US. 15 years later, they decided to license this for US release and imagine how overjoyed I was when I held the first English translated volume in my hands! Story is completely different now that I can read it in English. Before it was just guessing by looking at the art. LOL. It's about twin brothers who share a single identity to the public - two people taking turns masquarading as one. A fellow female classmate and fan befriends them and the story follows her love relationship with one of the brothers and how the brothers themselves discover/change/live their lives as separate individuals.

Her Majesty's Dog-
This one is quite interesting. It's sort of occult but with humor. Lead female character is a powerful leader of a small clan with the gift of hypnotism through the power of words. This story follows her life as a high school student as well as her personal/family trials. She is accompanied by a guardian spirit (a ghost dog with a very hot human form) who helps her along the way.

Of all of the mangas I read, I am quite discening as to which ones I like. I tend to gravitate toward the shojo titles, especially the high school ones with the plain Jane and hot guy in school. But not just any old story will do. The art has to have "hot bishounen" appeal and the story can't be about blackmale, incest, or sadism. I'm quite picky!

Last Asian Movie
Lust, Caution-
OMG, if you ever want to watch an Asian movie with a lot of graphic sex (not good sex either), then this is the movie for you. If you ever wondered what Tony Leung's butt looks like, this is the movie for you. If you ever thought Lee Hom Wang was somewhat cute but couldn't quite make up your mind if he was or not, this movie will seal the deal that he is a hottie after you watch it - this is the movie for you!

New Things I'm Trying
Acupuncture-
This has been working wonders on my stiff shoulder. I go every 2 weeks to a massage therapist/licensed acupuncturist.

No Dairy-
I am on a non-dairy diet these days. I found I was eating it a lot and my digestive system really couldn't handle it. I am feeling so much better without it but I do miss the taste of cheese and those lattes. When I do have a little dairy, my GI reacts to it more - usually not in a good way. One thing I noticed about my life without dairy is that I get hungrier faster. Dairy is very filling. No wonder babies love their formulas.

Food Scrap Recycling-
There has been more eco-awareness in my office and therefore I've decided to incorporate it into my personal life. We have been recycling all of our organic/biodegradable foods at home but the fact is most of the packaging that comes with your food is still pretty unrecyclable. Our garbage can doesn't have any less trash but seems to fill up slower.

Reading Blogs-
I have been reading other people's blogs here and there. I especially enjoy the ones by artists/cartoonists who share their art. Neil Gaiman's blog is also interesting. Go Fug Yourself and Perez Hilton are sort of my general staples.

Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass-
I try to play this DS game whenever I can. It's one of the best games I've come across in a long time. Fun, innovative and very engaging. Only thing is, I'm so tired on most days and don't get to play it as much as I would like and this game needs some dedicated time in order to advance further.

Can't think of anything else to add at the moment. I'll be checking in soon.

Sapuri - Episode 8

2006-08-30T11:22:00.000-07:00

Ah, so I'm more than halfway through this series. From the places I've poked around online, I would have to agree with the masses, Kame and Ito Misaki don't have much chemistry. The kiss in episode 6 was incredibly awkward. Kame looked like he was going to fall over. The best kisser I've seen so far in j-dramas would have to be Kimura Takuya. He's a pro kissing on screen - look at how many dramas he's done.

Kame was definitely at his cutest in this last episode. Young boy in love, he plays that emotion very well. However, all other emotions are...meh. I will finish this series out hoping that the ending won't be too crappy. I thought Kimi wa Petto ending was kind of weird. But that whole drama was weird. I wouldn't watch it again. Sapuri will be a one-time watch as well.

Secret Crush

2006-08-11T15:08:00.000-07:00

Ever have a secret crush? You squeal with delight when you think about him/her and the fact that you are the only person who knows this makes you feel warm all over. Teehee. My secret crush: Dwayne Johnson, aka The Rock

J-Drama: Sapuri or Suppli

2006-08-07T16:42:00.000-07:00

It's been awhile but I haven't had much to report on. I'm watching a new Japanese drama called "Sapuri." As with most j-dramas these days, this one is based on another manga. Older woman/younger guy type of drama. Not sure if this one will be any good. I'll keep watching it because there's nothing else to watch. Kame's in it and he needs a haircut. Ito Misaki, the leading lady sort of reminds me of my cousin (if she had a nose job).

Sabifoo

2006-04-21T13:09:00.000-07:00

Sabifoo is so freakin' cool. Forget about traditional blogs. Now you can just IM user ID Sabifoo using AOL, Yahoo IM, Jabber or MSN Messenger and your message is recorded online on a URL and RSS feed. Pretty neat. See my test messages on my URL.

I wonder if I can post images. Hmmm. I'll have to play around with it some more. This is what I do when I am bored to tears on a Friday.

New Stuff: Bib

2006-04-10T13:15:00.000-07:00

Courtesy of my bro who went to APE comic book convention over the weekend.

BB MTN

2006-04-10T13:02:00.000-07:00

So I finally watched Brokeback Mountain on video this past weekend. I personally did not think that Heath Ledger gave an Oscar-worthy performance. I thought Jake Gyllenhaal was much more convincing than Heath, but JMHO.

The cinematography was really spectacular. Ang Lee sure knows how to make scenery beautiful. He could make a junkyard or dump ground look pretty. I have never seen so many healthy, wooly sheep look so good on camera.

The movie script kept true to the original short story with some additional characters thrown in for filler. Overall, I thought Ang Lee was very deserving of his Oscar as well as the screenplay writers. It definitely was not Movie of the Year. The media hyped it, A LOT. I agree that it's ground breaking but only the subject matter. As a whole movie with typical components, it was just ok.

Personally, I was more touched by the short story. That could be why I'm wasn't blown away by the movie. In the end, I felt the movie was too long. It could've been 30 minutes shorter.

Anyway, to sum it up: if you're curious, rent it.

Added to Playlist: Dangerous Muse

2006-04-06T10:40:00.000-07:00

Oooooh. I haven't been this excited about an electro-dance group since I was probably in high school. Seriously. These guys are great. Check out their MySpace page where you can sample their music with the built in player. Perez Hilton's description of the duo:
"A hearty portion of Scissor Sisters with a dash of Pet Shop Boys a sprinkle of Fischer Spooner a pinch of Ladytron and a final spray of Electric Six, Dangerous Muse is all that and a bag of (fat free) chips!" Okay?!

Gluuuu....Gluuuu....

2006-02-01T15:33:00.000-08:00

So the new year is finally over (including Chinese New Year) and I am so bored. Ho hum. I have since grown tired of my Johnny boys. There's no new drama or anime to download. Even the news is boring. Maybe I'm just worn out from the holidays and have not recovered yet. Or maybe I'm tired from trying to make babies. Or maybe I'm bored because it's tax season and even though I need money I don't want to file my return because it's a pain in the arse!

Oy, that was tiring. I better continue typing this laying down. *sigh*

At least we are going away during V-day week for a much deserved break. Ch-ching, ch-ching. Too bad all my bad vices need to be kept in the bag. No smoking, no drinking, no caffeine, no chocolate, no undercooked foods (eggs & meats), no raw foods (fish/sashimi). Golly, all my favorite things and I can't have any of them. *double sigh*

Paper Doll

2006-01-19T16:14:00.000-08:00

Shoujo Manga Titles

2006-01-10T11:43:00.000-08:00

Below are some manga titles I can currently reading. Unlicensed manga titles (listed under the scanlation group) can be http'd at cgwild.net. All the titles listed below can be found there. See scanlation group website for summaries. Licensed manga can be found at Borders and Barnes & Nobles.

Unlicensed Titles:

Da' Gurlz Translationz
So Bad! - Aihara, Miki
Youth Gone Wild - Lee, Nickey

Dragon Voice Project
The Day of Revolution - Tsuka, Mikiyo

Ivyscan
~~Crimson Hero - Takanashi, Mitsuba~~ licensed

Korean Manhwa
Goong - Park, So Hee

Manga Project
Parfait Tic - Nanaji, Nagamu (project to be continued by Shoujomagic)

Shoujomagic
BXB Brothers - Ukyou, Akane
Ichigo Channel - Tajima, Mimi

Storm In Heaven
Vampire Knight - Hino, Matsuri

Licensed Titles:

CMX
Cipher - Narita, Minako
Land of the Blindfolded - Tsukuba, Sakura

Del Rey
The Wallflower - Hayakawa, Tomoko

Tokyopop
Fruits Basket - Takaya, Natsuki

Viz
MeruPuri - Hino Matsuri
W-Juliet - Emura

Vaca?

2006-01-06T17:33:00.000-08:00

I need to be where they are right now! Hawaii!

Happy New Year!

2006-01-04T11:15:00.000-08:00

I don't have any particular wishes for 2006...
.
.
.

World peace?
.
.
.

Oh, maybe a baby? I guess that's my wish. I think I'm still in vacation mode. My brain has turned off from overeating.

Gackt - God of Music

2005-12-15T16:16:00.000-08:00

I don't think I have featured my beloved Gackt on my blog yet. Gackt is the biggest male J-Rock artist of Japan in recent years. He writes, arranges and produces his own music. He is very visible in the media - featured in many commercials and makes appearances regularly on variety shows. His name Camui Gackt means something to the effect of "God of Music." But his birth name (highly speculative) is Satoru Okabe.

He left his former band, Malice Mizer to go solo and debuted in 2000. I stumbled across him by pure accident while scrolling through some girl's website. She featured a "Gackt Special" and included five songs for downloading. I was smitten from the get-go and here I am today. He regularly appears in my dreams. Ho ho ho ho.

A photo from early Malice Mizer days. According to Gackt himself, these days (there was a variety show appearance he made where he introduced some of his favorites) he wears a cup for protection against rabid fangirls. This photo doesn't appear to have such a thing.

Here are some more recent looks he's sportin'.

I must say that his blue contacts really bug me. I just don't see why he has to hide his gorgeous peepers. I've only seen his eyes au naturelle through sunglasses and maybe some early Malice Mizer video footage and I'm not even 100% sure because the video was low res.

Besides his peculiarities, I find him fascinating. There are so many women (and I'm sure men) swooning over his good looks. Yeah, his music isn't bad either.

MatsuJun and Kame - Karaoke Musical Chairs

2005-12-14T16:33:00.000-08:00

Two of my favorite Johnny boys.

Choo Much?

2005-11-21T13:53:00.000-08:00

I need to win the lotto so that I can buy these delicious boots. Hey, maybe I can go to Vegas and score a decent jackpot and get them at the Jimmy Choo retail store in the Canal Shoppes. Not a bad idea. Retail $795.00

The Bay Trail

2005-11-01T17:11:00.000-08:00

If you are ever in dire need to get on your bike and ride somewhere, I highly recommend the Bay Trail map set.

Unfortunately for me, the maps did not arrive in time for my latest ride this past Saturday. If I got it on time, I would have been able to find my way from Foster City to Burlingame. Instead, I only completed a 12 mile ride again.

But fear not, I am now armed and ready to go. This map set has six different maps. Peninsula, East Bay, North Bay, South Bay, it's all covered. Go get it!

Riding Again

2005-10-26T17:42:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we did 12 miles around Golden Gate Park. My initial hesitation to ride in the street next to cars disappeared as soon as I told myself that riding a bicycle is just like driving (albeit less body protection and no signal lights).

I was totally aching and quite exhausted after the ride. The slight road inclines caused me much huffing and puffing. But I made it and I can pat myself on the back.

We're riding again this weekend. This time we're going to attempt to ride from Foster City up to Burlingame. Wish me luck. :^_^:

"I want to ride my bicycle, I want to ride it where I like"

2005-10-18T00:34:00.000-07:00

Ooooooh. I will pick up my new bike the day after tomorrow. The local bike shop was nice enough to drive to the distributor and pick it up. *grin*

I, am the owner of the first 2006 Women's 16.5" Sparta. 2005 models have sold out and 2006 models have yet to be shipped to dealers. I have the trade show demo in my possession...er, almost in my possession.

M and I will tackle Golden Gate park on Saturday. For all the years I have lived in SF, I have never biked in that park before. Should be fun.

Arashi Musings...

2005-09-26T16:35:00.000-07:00

Ok. So I've been a fan of Arashi for a few months now. I've come to a few conclusions. This of course is just my humble opinion. Feel free to disagree.

1. Ohno Satoshi or better known as "Leader" is probably gay.
2. Nino Kazunari is the least lovable of the bunch.
3. Aiba Masaki definitely has a duck-sounding voice.
4. Sakurai Sho seems to be the most mature member of the group.
5. Matsumoto Jun is still my favorite and considered by many the "coolest" member.

Left to right: Sho, Nino, Aiba, Ohno and Matsujun

What does all of this tell you about the boys? Absolutely nothing. Everyone is entitled to an opinion. To each his own. Can you tell this entry was created for the sake of wasting space?

Adrien Brody - Wheeee!

2005-09-19T01:17:00.000-07:00

You know what they say about men with big noses. Mwahahaha. Well, Adrien Brody is my new crush. Jude Law dropped off my radar after he carried his Alfie role into real life. Oh wait! That was art imitating life, my mistake. The worst part of the whole Jude Law thing is the fact that his turtleneck wearing you-know-what graced the tabloids. Eck! He looks better clothed. Hey, Adrien may have a huge snoggin', but he's not in the tabloids making a fool out of himself (so far). Halle Berry, you lucky beyotch, got a big fat wet one from Adrien. I'm jealous. :^_^:

Summer J-Drama List

2005-08-29T11:50:00.000-07:00

I am concurrently watching two J-Dramas, "Lunch Queen" and "Pride." I'm finding that Kimura Takuya, the SMAP idol-turned actor is repeatedly cast in the same roles. It gets quite boring, and emphasizes his limited acting range. Although he isn't bad looking and seems real cool, watching him is meh..

I was recently comparing Kimura Takuya and Matsumoto Jun in the roles I have seen them in thus far. Matsujun gets my vote for having more talent and much more charisma. But is talent really necessary for dramas? Most likely not. As long as the actor is good looking and popular, the viewership will definitely follow.

Here's a list of all the J-Dramas I have watched within the last few months along with summary links.

Beautiful Life, Gokusen, Kimi wa Petto, Orange Days, and
Long Vacation.

Kazuya "Kame" Kamenashi

2005-08-26T12:35:00.000-07:00

It's too bad we didn't meet in L.A. You were riding in that convertible mustang with the rest of your (not-as-good-looking-as-you) band mates. Oh well, maybe next year when I turn 13. *snicker*

Sho Sakurai , The Microphone Eater

2005-08-09T14:53:00.000-07:00

Words of the Day...

2005-08-08T16:28:00.000-07:00

"Asstacularly Fugly Shoes" (courtesy of fybabe)

DVD Factory

2005-08-08T11:12:00.000-07:00

My DVD factory is now open for business. I received the DVD burner on Friday and installed it easily into the CPU. The tricky part was to get the CPU back into it's little cubby hole that sits about 12 inches above the floor behind the keyboard tray. With M's gimpy arm it was quite a struggle. I am just really thankful that we installed everything correctly on the first try.

I made a trip to Fry's on Saturday buying two brands of DVD-R media. I successfully burned a CD and a SVCD, performed 3 DVD disk copies, burned 3 DVDs from my existing J-Drama video files, and burned an Anime DVD also from existing video files. I did burn one coaster but I didn't know what I was doing yet.

Nero Express is the bundled software that comes with the writer. Overall I have been very satisfied with the application. Audio CD burns are fast under 5 minutes but DVD burns take about 2 hours. The quality of my DVD burns are pretty good but I noticed some fuzziness around the edges during playback in motion/moving scenes only. It's very minor and not noticeable unless you look for them. I'll keep tinkering and see if I can improve on it.

I finished downloading two more J-Dramas over the weekend. More marathon viewing and archiving ahead.

New Gadget On The Way

2005-08-05T13:11:00.000-07:00

I am anxiously waiting for a new DVD burner to arrive in the mail. I have been obsessing over J-Dramas lately and on a full- blown mission to acquire good, high quality fansubs. I sucessfully torrented all 11 episodes of "Orange Days." It only took me 3 days and now I will archive it forever on DVD. Mua haw haw haw haw.

I also just installed Azureus, a Java-based BitTorrent Client and it's a fabulous program. Wonder why I haven't looked into it more closely before. Imagine how much quicker I could've torrented all my Prince of Tennis tv series.

*Sniff..sniff* Smell that? Those are my newly burned DVDs.

Article: Johnny's Entertainment

2005-08-03T15:00:00.000-07:00

I have wondered about how this Johnny character has been able to churn out successful boybands time and time again. I found an article below. Quite interesting.

The Boys in the Band - The Legendary Johnny's Jimusho

Added to Playlist: Gorillaz - Demon Days

2005-08-01T13:55:00.000-07:00

J-Drama - Orange Days

2005-08-01T11:21:00.000-07:00

Over the weekend, I finished watching a Japanese drama called "Orange Days." Drama synopsis here. It was a cute series. I enjoyed it.

The drama writer, Eriko Kitagawa has penned a number of successful dramas such as "Beautiful Life," "Long Vacation," and "Say You Love Me." The next drama on my list is "Trick." starring Yukie Nakama who was the yakuza boss/teacher in "Gokusen." From what I have read, it is a funny mystery series along the lines of X-files. Sounds interesting yes?

My preoccupation with boy band Arashi is coming to a close. MatsuJun and the others had their run. My new "it" boy is Satoshi Tsumabuki who starred in "Orange Days." :^_^:

Arashi TV

2005-07-25T16:44:00.000-07:00

I've been downloading a lot of videos of Arashi. TV shows mainly. Arashi has about 4-5 different tv shows that air on Japanese TV.

The most entertaining videos I've seen to date are the Learning Chinese episodes of Mago Mago Arashi. Each episode is filmed on location in a setting related to the dialogue lesson of the day. For example, the very first Chinese lesson took place in a Chinese restaurant and the boys learned the basics of ordering food and the names of food items. At the end of the lesson, the boys were quizzed and then their performance were scored and ranked.

I really enjoy watching these episodes (always tear-streaming hilarious) because these are the only ones I actually half understand. It also provides a good lesson for me. There are some formalities of the Mandarin language (Peking Go as known to Japanese folks) that I have never learned because my conversations at home are so informal. So these episodes are great to learn mannerisms, new words and phrases that are native to China.

The Chinese instructor seems to have found a favorite student, Sho Sakurai (see below). She seems to always compliment him, not to mention give him hugs too. Ah, Sakurai is charming and going to exceed Matsumoto soon as my favorite Arashi member. Sakurai...Matsumoto...Sakurai...Matsumoto...*plucking flower petals*

Bishounen Week - Day 5

2005-07-22T09:51:00.000-07:00

Searching for new images each day is quite tiresome. Too many to choose from. Oh well, I end bishounen week with Arashi! Left to right: Jun Matsumoto (yay!), Sho Sakurai, Satoshi Ohno, Kazunari Ninomiya, Masaki Aiba.

Bishounen Week - Day 4

2005-07-21T17:37:00.000-07:00

We continue our week with yet more girly men. Kazuya Kamenashi and Jin Akanishi of KAT-TUN.

*edit* After some intense research, I found out that KAT-TUN has never had an official debut. They don't even have any cd's or concert tours. The group was originally formed as backup dancers for another Johnny group, Kinki Kids. So much for that idea. Amazing. So are they a sleeper boyband? If there is such a thing.

These two boys starred in Gokusen, season 2. I plan to download an episode or two of the fansub and see how it compares to the first season. Ah, I'm still partial to season 1's Sawada.

Bishounen Week - Day 3

2005-07-20T09:35:00.000-07:00

3 of the 5 Arashi members: Masaki Aiba, Jun Matsumoto (yay!) and Kazunari Ninomiya. Notice the dreamy background. LOL!

Bishounen Week - Day 2

2005-07-19T13:21:00.000-07:00

Hideaki Takizawa, the cuter half of Tackey & Tsubasa. Kawaii ne.

Bishounen Week

2005-07-18T11:50:00.000-07:00

Cutie week begins today. Need I say more? Kazuya Kamenashi of KAT-TUN.

Stomach ache - a little MatsuJun makes it all better

2005-07-13T01:41:00.000-07:00

Damn ice blended mocha. *achy tummy* No worries, Jun Matsumoto will cure it. Have you seen him in Gokusen and Kimi wa Petto j-dramas? No?! *gasp!* You're missing out. His acting skills have elevated his popularity along with positive review from critics. He is no longer just a member of boy-band, Arashi. Mwahahaha. I don't care whatchu think, he's my new boyfriend. =D

Nose Bleed...

2005-06-21T09:44:00.000-07:00

*Bishounen Alert*

*End Bishounen Alert*