C-Drama Comedy: Proud of Love (8.7/10)

I’m constantly having The Big Boss withdrawals because, as I mentioned in another post, I love the show so so much. To help curb my withdrawals, I recently watched C-Drama Proud of Love which has some similar elements to The Big Boss.

Proud of Love stars Vivian Sung, star of the much vaunted movie Our Times and Tong Meng Shi of historical drama and Basketball Fever fame. It is about a body switch between college students, a plot line I never get tired of.

What makes this different from other body switch shows is the following:

The characters don’t conform their personalities and mannerisms to the body and identity they were switched to, so they pretty much act like themselves while inside the other persons body.
There is a focus on the realistic effects of switching genders, like when the guy (He Zhi Zhou) in the female (Shen Xi’s) body gets his first Aunt Flo or when Zhi Zhou gets aroused as a guy for the first time (in the boys locker room -whoops! 😳)
This show is also a little more explicit than most c-dramas with lots of body talk and some about sex.

Truth is, calling this a drama is wrong, It is much more of a dramedy. and it’s very best feature is that it had me laughing the whole way through. All the akward moments, and the great acting by Sung and Tong made the show hilarious. Note: Big Boss is still the king of LOL moments, by far, but Proud of Love is definitely funny.

Honestly, with the exception of a few special effects, there was only one thing I didn’t like about the show. They made their second lead too lovable. He is played by Darren Chen who played Hua Ze lei in Meteor Garden. And unlike that drama, where I was ambiguous towards him and his character, he is adorable in this and watching his character be sad made me sad. It is the only reason I’ve resisted watching Season 2 because I can’t decide whether the endless funny makes up for the sads from his sad face.

I highly recommend this if you like dramedy and you don’t get easily embarassed since there are dozens of akward situations where you will likely be peeking out from behind your hands. Because I love to laugh, even at the akward stuff, I give it a pretty high rating overall, which is 8.7/10.

A (Probably Completely Inaccurate) Guide to Love in S. Korea & China – as seen through the eyes of a drama watcher

As someone who has never been to Asia, whose only experience is spending a lot of time in American neighborhoods with majority Asian populations and “co-parenting” with someone living in Asia, I have no real conception of what dating and romance are like there. This means I am basically ethnocentric and have relied on k-drama’s and c-drama’s to show me, and I am pretty sure they haven’t done a great job since this is what I should believe about courting in S. Korea and China based on what I’ve seen.

1.THERE ARE RICH, ATTRACTIVE 25-40 YEAR OLD CEO/CHAIRPERSON VIRGIN MEN EVERYWHERE

2. ALL THESE RICH VIRGIN MEN (+ K-POP MEMBERS) ARE UNCONSCIOUSLY WAITING FOR A POOR (SIMPLETON?) WOMAN WITH A HEART OF GOLD TO COME ALONG

3. ONE IN THREE OF THESE GUYS AND GIRLS HAS SOME FORM OF PTSD FROM SOME SORT OF PAST TRAUMA.

4. TO LIVE HAPPILY EVER AFTER WITH ONE OF THESE GUYS A GIRL HAS TO OUT-ENDURE THE GUYS CRAZY MOTHER, FAMILY, BUSINESS ENEMIES AND/OR THE GORGEOUS (POSSIBLY MEAN) GIRL THAT HAS ALWAYS LOVED THEM WHO THEY WILL NEVER LOVE.

5. A GIRL WILL NOT WANT THE RICH GUY TO SPEND ANY MONEY ON HER.

6. A GIRL WILL MAKE A GUY TRY PIG SKIN OR INSTANT NOODLES FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER! AS A RESULT, THE GUY WILL START TO LOVE RAMEN.

7. IF A GIRL DRINKS TOO MUCH (AND SHE PROBABLY WILL) THE GUY WILL NEVER TAKE ADVANTAGE, HE WILL JUST PIGGY BACK/CARRY HER HOME AND LOVINGLY WATCH HER SLEEP.

8. A GUY WILL ALSO BE HAPPY WAITING ONE-TWO YEARS AS A CELIBATE FOR THE GIRL TO COME BACK FROM HER STUDY ABROAD (WHICH IS MEANT TO STOP HER BEING A SIMPLETON). MAYBE BECAUSE THEY ALREADY WAITED 30+ YEARS?.

9. IF THE COUPLE ENDS UP TOGETHER, IT WAS PROBABLY FATE. IT WILL TURN OUT THAT THEY WENT TO THE SAME PRESCHOOL TOGETHER, SAW EACHOTHER ON A BUS ONCE, SHARED A FAMILY TRAUMA OR ARE SOMEHOW RELATED. #DESTINY

K-Drama: I’m Not A Robot (9/10)

I recently watched the Korean drama I’m Not a Robot which was cute, witty and compelling. I give it a 9/10 for these reasons and because I think it was perfectly executed.

It wasn’t technically flawless, but as a rom com with a generic formula that added in its own variables, it was thisclose.

It made me happy, made me laugh, and made my heart a little sad during the inevitable moments of conflict. The writing was good, and the leads were great.

The story is about a President of a company (yes, the oh so popular Chaebol) who is planning to demo an AI robot. Except the robot short circuits before the AI team can get it to him and in order to try to salvage the business the teams leader talks his ex girlfriend who the robots features were modeled after into pretending to be the robot.

The girl is not a fan of her ex-boyfriend or the Chaebol and has her own reasons for agreeing to the plot. Of course hijinks, drama and romance ensues, especially since the Chaebol has an allergy to people and can’t touch them with the exception of one. There is also a business related plot towards the second half of the series that is fairly interesting.

Special mention goes to lead actress Chae Soo Bin who did a fantastic job. Note: She has been good in everything she’s in, this included.

If you are one of the 5 k-drama fans who hasn’t seen I’m Not a Robot yet, you should watch it ASAP because you are missing out!

My B-Day & C-Drama Comedy: The Big Boss (9.9/10)

Yesterday was my birthday, and it validated something for me. I am completely arrested development i.e. a kid at heart. The only reason you dont see me skateboarding down the street, playing on a big wheels or hanging at the mall with my friends is that I am adult 😦 which means responsibilities and public shaming if my inner kid comes out too often.

I am technically told old now to watch high school shows or read YA (young adult) fiction and yet I persist because I have apparently never passed that age mentally.
I’m like Tom Hanks in Big, a kid parading in grown up clothes. Because of this, I have no idea how I’ve somehow become a good parent and professional. It’s magic.

Anyway, what did I want to do more than anything yesterday? The answer: Watch one of my favorite shows. One whose viewer demographic is most likely half my age because it’s based on a manhua, and about school age kids, but it makes me laugh – A LOT!

It’s a Chinese show called Big Boss, which is about a girl named Ye Mu Xi who is basically a fun slacker who cant seem to get away from her very smart neighbour Liao Dan Yi, who she considers her shadow, and her enemy. Plus the hijinks they and their classmates get into.

Every episode is hilarious (makes me LOL) and very cute. I love the lead character,
Ye Mu Xi, maybe because she reminds me a little of myself at that age or maybe because she’s just awesome. I will be a fan of Eleanor Lee who plays her forever. The lead boy is completely lovable despite being overly serious and studious. Maybe because he refuses to give up on Ye Mu Xi. Plus he (or more accurately the actor Huang Jung Jie) is really good looking. I say this as someone who isnt blind, not as a cougar or anything (which I am not, except for 6 out of 7 days of the week;). I think they might be my favorite on screen duo.

The OST is also really good.

I really want to recommend this show to you all, but honestly if you aren’t 16 or suffering from arrested development like me I have no idea what you’ll think of it. Me, I LOVE LOVE LOVE IT and am only sad that it doesnt have endless seasons, because I would watch them all! So I’ll have to be satisfied repeatedly marathoning it every year until I grow up 😉

K-Drama: Bring it on Ghost (9.2/10)

Lately I’ve been trying to watch the dramas whose summaries didn’t really do it for me when I first read them, since I’ve recently learned the life lesson that they are usually much better than they seem like they’ll be.

This is why I finally watched Bring it on, Ghost, plus it’s directed by Park Joon Wa who is a gift to us all.

I adored this drama. So much.

As part supernatural thriller, part mystery, part romance, part comedy with some action sequences and dysfunctional family dynamics thrown in it stayed interesting until the very end. And sweet. And funny.

I didn’t think I was much for the supernatural type stories, but this one was so much fun to watch.

The friendships and romance all grew organically the way they do in the very best dramas, the ghosts were both funny and scary,and the actors were all great in their roles.

Lead actress Kim So-Hyun is everything good. Funny, sincere and a badass, and omg is she pretty. She’s looks like a doll.

Actor Ok Taec Yeon was good too. And his black suit was on point!

I also love Kang Ki Young’s acting, in this and anything he’s in.

If you’re like me and the plot summary didn’t float your boat when you read it, give it a chance. I promise that you won’t regret it.

Aaron Yan – How I went from flinching at him to fangirling.

My introduction to Aaron Yan was in the drama Fall in Love with Me, which I found on Netflix.

To be honest, my first impression wasn’t great (don’t tar and feather me yet #Yanfans). In the first scene the man had more makeup on than a pageant queen and his clothes were just as frilly. For this reason, I didn’t find him at all attractive. I also assumed he was a boy who liked boys. I don’t know if that was based on his costume or if my uber fantastic gaydar, which is always on point was going off. Either way, I found out about the scandal with his bf later on and it all made sense.

Truth is, I believe wholeheartedly in #loveislove so I am neutral on his orientation, but feel heartbroken for him that he got kicked out of the closet the way he did. I also feel bad that he has to make a living kissing girls, although that won’t stop me from watching him do it (bad me ;). That said, I will hope beyond hope he does a BL drama one day which would be the most epic BL ever.

After my introduction to him, Aaron Yan grew on me FAST. The first half hour of Fall in Love with Me included a shower scene, where his six pack abs were in full view, and if you all haven’t figured it out by now, I’m a MAJOR sucker for some rock hard abs. Then Yan switched out of the froofy clothes since he played an Ad Exec. pretending to have a doppelganger – for a fringe, glasses and student clothes, which, although not my type, made him way more attractive to me.

Then I was acquainted with, what I now think is Yan’s very best quality. He has the ability to act using only facial expressions. It’s amazing!

Basically, what I have realized is that despite being typecast into certain kinds of dramas, he is a really and truly talented actor. He is the reason why I watched every episode of Fall in Love with Me, despite the story getting overly dramatic and draggy towards the end, because he continued to wow me. I also recently found out that he did the OST, which is pretty good.

I followed it up with a Yan weekend, which included Just You and Refresh Man. I liked both plots slightly better than Fall in Love with Me, although I did like FILWM’s actress Tia Li.

Refresh Man was interesting to watch, with an actual plot involving a company where people actually did work (hard to find in dramas amirite?), and of course Yan repeatedly did his yearning face, which is all it took for me to root for his relationship with Zhong Yu Tang, played by Joanne Tseng.

Then I fell completely in love with Just You. Aaron Yan + Puff Kuo are a fantastic combination, one I hope beyond hope to see again. The story was cute, interesting and funny. It is my favorite Yan drama so far and one of my favorite dramas period.

Oh and apropos of nothing, I give Aaron Yan the prize for best kisser of any Asian drama star. Let me know if you have other nominees (My runner ups are Koreans Ji Hyun Woo and Lee Min Ki and Thailand’s Off Jumpol Adulkittiporn and Lee Thanat Lowkhunsombat). Not that I pay attention to any of that lol. Yan is also the very best at “whoops, I accidentally fell on you and now we’re in lust”, which he has perfected into almost a stunt move. His only downfall, in my opinion, are his clashing suits and his dancing on fast songs, which is just too awkward to watch.

In short, I’ve become a giant #YanFan, desperately waiting for his future projects to come out. The next one I am watching is Please Give Me a Pair of Wings where it looks like he gets to highlight his acting abilities in a more serious drama focused on a really important topic, and I can’t wait to see it.

K-Drama: This Is My First Life (10/10)

All I can say is hats off to director Park Joon Hwa for his brilliance. I recently watched Because this is My First Life and LOVED IT SO MUCH. What a sweet, well paced, thoughtful, unique and funny drama. It made me laugh a lot, cry a little, and think profoundly about my life and life in general.

I give it a 10/10.

Summary:

A house-poor man and homeless woman become housemates in a drama that examines the institution of marriage and the problems that young people face today. Nam Se Hee is a single man in his early 30’s. He has chosen to not marry. He owns his home, but he owes a lot on his mortgage. Meanwhile, Yoon Ji Ho is a single woman in her early 30’s. She does not own a home and envies those that do. She has given up on dating due to her financial struggles. Yoon Ji Ho begins to live at Nam Se Hee’s house. They become housemates.

I have no idea how to describe this drama except to say its about the life you expected to have versus the life you actually have in your 30’s, something I identify with completely. And of course it’s about love.

The lead actors Jung So Min and Lee Min Ki are phenomenal in this. Really the whole cast is talented and in case I didn’t make this clear enough, the director is amazing.

I am not sure teenagers and some people in their twenties will like it as much as I did, since it may be harder to relate to, but maybe they will.

Aside from the major storylines, something I liked a lot was that both women who were part of a love triangle were portrayed as strong, smart and mature, which was really refreshing. And the kitty, who plays a starring role is adorable.

My petty gripe: I didn’t like the clothing Lee Min Ki’s character wore. His floodwater pants and orthopedic granny sneakers were awful. So was his haircut for half the show. Because of his wardrobe I kept forgetting that the show was not based in the 90’s. I’ll take the guys in Chinese dramas with their white shirts and perfectly fitting sweatpants over his look any day of the week. Stylists take note.

This picture doesnt come close to showing you hojw bad some of his outfits were, but its the best I could find…

Readers, I highly recommend watching this. It’s SO GOOD!

I’ll end with some fun trivia. Jung So Min and Lee Min Ki played Mi So’s parents in What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim?

A Love So Beautiful (with a bonus book)

This show is so precious. The plot, which was originally a book called To: Our Pure Little Beauty written by Zhao Gan Gan is absolutely charming. I give it a 9.6/10. It showcases the sweetness, and embarrassments of a high school crush. And is, in my opinion, one of the best c-drama’s of all time.

I have a hard time believing that anyone reading this post hasn’t seen it yet and an even harder time believing that you all didn’t love it as much as I do. On the off chance you haven’t seen it, it’s about a girl who is both adorable and bumbling, who is absolutely certain about her feelings for her neighbor and shares them with him regularly. While the neighbor, who manages to be both popular and awkward has a much harder time admitting to his feelings for her. It recounts the many, often embarrassing and very hilarious, but somehow charming experiences these two and their friends have while in high school and college and how they navigate these relationships.

I think this was the major debut for actress Shen Yue (also of Meteor Garden 2018 fame) who did a phenomenal job as the female lead. I rooted for her character every single episode, and will watch anything she’s in from now to eternity.

The lead boy played by Hu Yitian also did a great job playing someone who is both awkward and popular. He was very believable. Kudos to him on his first main role.

The only criticism I have is that the love triangle loser’s character (a pro swimmer) was so like able and sympathetic that I would have been just as happy if he won the girl. That is a clear plot failure. Luckily the lead male pulled off one very, very sweet act, reading the ending of a book that was confiscated from the lead female by a teacher, over the school intercom, so she would know what happened. That warmed my heart to him forever.

FREE PRIZE:

http://https//teaquilashot.wordpress.com/2017/11/30/a-love-so-beautiful/

This is an English translation of the book this drama is based on that some ladies, who are now my heroes, ceaselessly transcribed. It is possibly more addicting than the show and hilarious, so I highly recommend reading it. I finished it in less than a day.

You’re welcome in advance!

C-Movie: Mr. Pride vs. Miss Prejudice

Based on a manhua, this Chinese movie is not particularly deep, but it is cute, cute, cute, so I give it a 7.7 out of 10.

Plot summary is here: https://mydramalist.com/22123-mr.-pride-vs.-miss-prejudice.

The couple is endearing (I will not consider this a spoiler since we all know it will turn out this way) . It’s also pretty funny, filled with physical comedy, the kind that made my 8y/o and her friend laugh along with me.

When life is exhausting or stressful, or both, lighthearted movies are the best medicine, which is exactly what this was.

For this reason, I recommmend it 100% for that day when you are down or don’t want to focus on the hardships in the world. You won’t be sorry.