On the way to the airport - Episode 15 and 16 Final Review

Last episodes; last review

); Hey all, a big thanks for reading my reviews, though they were always rushed and not as consistent as I wished. Finally, we're at the last episodes, so apt with my last exams for the semester coming in starting this week...

This review, I won't dwell too much into the nitty gritty parts of the last two episodes but will mostly focus on my thoughts about this show. :)

But first, a few quick thoughts on the last two episodes:
Helpless characters - Doh Woo and Soo Ah explored their feelings in episode 15, saying that they felt helpless. This was nothing positive but I just felt that it was great that they touched on the downsides of having an affair. After all, the romantic part can't be all that happens, so while this show doesn't exactly seem too realistic, such moments make these characters feel more human.

Contrasts - I really like how the story plot is built nicely from one scene to the next. From praising Captain Park Jin Seok as an awfully generous husband to the next scene where he wants to "kill them all". This was a great contrast especially so in changing the tune of the plot, and for showing the characters' inner struggle.

Victims - Can't believe I'm saying this but my heart aches for Jin Seok... This show does great in making us feel for the "bad guys" nearing the end of the show, first Mi Jin, then Hye Won, now Jin Seok. (then again, I'm definitely gonna check out their other shows now.)

On to my last thoughts:
So "Perspectives" was a huge part of this drama, especially with affairs playing a huge part in the show. After all, like I mentioned in the past reviews, in a more conservative society, it was definitely weird to see such a theme play through much of the storyline. However, such a topic is also the reason why this show succeeded in catching attention and gave the viewers an overview on how things that were big "no-no"s could be accepted in today's society. Not just affairs, but other themes like the mother-children relationships were also dwelt into slightly.

Then the romantic parts, while I liked some of it at the start.. they did get a little draggy(especially in the first few minutes of the last episode ><), perhaps the real genre I'm interested in are the mystery related ones. Or more melodramatic ones. Pretty cinematography tho.

Use of coincidences/similar imagery - with some more subtle than others, I really liked them when I saw the similarities. E.g. the last scene at the airport. Great play onto the cinematography yet again. :)

So... You have reached the end of my final review for On the way to the airport, hope you had fun watching the show too. See you on my next post! :)

In the meantime, catch up on all posts "On the way to the airport" here, or find me on Twitter here.

Read More

On the way to the airport - Episode 13 and 14 Review

Hi there! :) Welcome back~ Ah just a heads up, I'm breaking this review up into the different episodes this time round:

Lovely Neat sequence between Soo Ah and Hye Won's encounter at the house by the waters. It was intense and filled with tension. However, it was so frustrating to see Soo Ah's personality shine through this scene, she was just so weak and little compared to Hye Won. Who exactly was the miserable one in that scene?? She just backed off and (finally) felt all the guilt from meeting Doh Woo's wife. Remember previously at the airport, Soo Ah was still upright and angst during her phone call with Mi Jin? It was a total extreme at a different location...

I also really liked the nice similarity that Hye Won brought in at the end of episode 13, where the two guys meet. Brilliant plot.

Then in ep 14, I was super excited about Captain Park's flashback, with him slowly figuring out everything based on what others around him were trying to do. The collage of different parties talking to him was beautifully sewed together, resulting in a great sequence where the emotions were showcased. Plus, Hye Won's conversation with Doh Woo followed closely, especially in the tension arena.

So I am quite curious to see how this whole story ends, and whether there's more to Annie's story. As it feels slightly underwhelming to see her story just flow that "smoothly". ><

Alright, last review coming next week!!! 

Read More

On the way to the airport - Episode 11 and 12 Review

Hey,

AHH ... and they both end up in Jeju??!! O.O Haiz, I really don't know what to think of this reunion since I realised that Doh Woo's the bus driver in that scene.

So finally, we get to see Doh Woo and Sook's discovery of Annie's last phone call... I kept wanting them to see the red package ever since all the packages arrived in Jeju haha.
And all these reveals, they are coming bits by bits and Hye Won just seem more like a normal girl caught up in the mess, doesn't she? I mean, it does seem like she is a victim, more than a bad guy, as we get to learn more about the whole situation. However, how she is so emotionless (admittedly, we did see some internal struggles and flashbacks) about having a daughter is still rather freaky.

"What do you want to achieve by living like this?" I think this question was an excellent one, especially in bringing the frustration of the show across. By no means do I mean it in a bad way, but as a resonating point with the viewers.
It was real nice to see more scenes with Annie Eun Woo too, as I do think she's a great child actor. :) (Hyo Eun too tbh!)

Okay, last side note, Kevin is so cool >< ;), and in a weird way I wished that Mi Jin would end up with him...

Alright, not much thoughts on the love relationships these episodes. So, I'll see ya next week! :)

Read More

On the way to the airport - Episode 9 and 10 Review

Jumping straight to the episodes as Annie's secrets are surfacing. Though we are still not fully aware of them yet, we got a significant glimpse into her world. 

I was really shock to hear that she had to "protect both families" and had to lie in order to achieve it. Why was such a young girl enduring so much, what exactly happened and does she know the full truth too?

... obviously not, she didn't know that her real dad was already dead and she was still positive about how waiting, waiting and waiting was a good thing at times. 

Then the editing suddenly changed it's tone slightly, bringing in doubts that Hye Won might not be the bad guy... In fact, she could be the victim in this whole screwed up situation. The show also introduced possibilities of the dad as the bad guy. Why did he suddenly bring Eun Woo back to the mum? I NEED TO KNOW. 

Haha I really enjoy this mystery part of the show, feels really cool to be figuring the situation out together with the characters. 

One last part I want to touch on, which was how Soo Ah was so "crazy", not from quitting her job but from how she "dragged" her child down with her with her impromptu plans to let Hyo Eun not attend school. I guess that was her bottled up feelings? But her behaviour was unexpected and was in a way frustrating to watch. I guess that might be because we normal people don't get the luxury of just getting away from our daily routine that easily... ): However, in this drama, sigh, I accept it. In fact, I was pretty glad for the happy ending!! Them settling down in Jeju Island just felt like a little piece of this mess fell in place. :)

Alright, not that much to say this time, just enjoyed the show well. :)

I would love to hear about how you guys feel about this drama. Feel free to comment below or tweet me @raycherr and I will be back next week! ^^ Thanks for reading~

Read More

On the way to the airport - Episode 7 and 8 Review

Hi and welcome back! :) Did you know that this is actually a show about affairs packaged in a romantic slant? 😱

Haha alright, no judgement! Let's get on to this drama~
Let me start off with my thoughts on the actors. Seeing Shin Sung Rok in this show is really interesting, usually he acts as a very stern and robotic guy, which definitely came through especially in scenes at the airport. However, seeing his relaxed state in scenes outside the airport which were plenty in these two episodes was a nice change and great to watch. After all his symmetrical face does make him look too perfect and stern, hence the evil guy roles. Here though, it was wonderful to see more expressions every now and then, yeah! :)
I really like the drastic contrast between Soo Ah and Hye Won. Innocent v.s. Complicated... The characters in this show generally have a specific role/personality which I feel are awesome. It is very easy to identify them haha.
Also, Min Ji starts to have more lines these few episodes, which is fabulous. Love her character, so real and fun. Wouldn't mind having a friend like her hahaha wait... except that she didn't stop Soo Ah from marrying a playboy hmm.

Moving on, to do a little analysis between Soo Ah and Doh Woo's affair. There is no denying it, they had a bond from Annie's incident. With the recent Ms Go's incident, there is an even stronger bond now. I can't help but wonder whether their relationship is built upon wanting to escape from reality. It feels as if they have created a safe ground when they are together. After all, they are both bombarded by many other issues that are stressing them out. Though, sigh, why do I feel like Soo Ah is the only party losing out from this relationship? ): It is so sad. Like an alternate life that is so perfect, yet intertwined in real life and not that picture perfect.

But then again, Hye Won is the definition of obviously not living a perfect life. Behaving in such a screwed up manner, this interesting character brings lots of different perspective into the show, adding on a different kind of tension.

Looking forward to the next episode when apparently Hye Won will tell us everything?! Haha I doubt so... though let's just hold it out and see what happens.
In the meantime you can catch my reviews here or follow me on Twitter here. :)

Read More

On the way to the airport - Episode 5 and 6 Review

안녕하세요~

This intense show. I will start off by saying I really liked the scene in episode 5 where Hye Won exclaimed her situation. So much new information was provided, yet so much mystery still surrounded her. I am just as eager as Min Seok and Doh Woo to figure the whole thing out. Who is lying??? Who is Annie's real dad and "who is Hye Won"(Episode 6 title)?

That being said, the whole show is filled with so much awkwardness hahaha, not a bad thing but yes exactly what Hyo Eun said at the dining table described this show perfectly. (';

The two protagonists' relationship paints having an "affair" in a romantic light, which contributes much to the "awkward" feels, but maybe that's just me and my conservative view points haha. ><

Overall, the story line is still a very interesting one and I am for sure hooked. After all, it is always good to challenge different view points, but at the same time I am just thinking the guilt levels are at a all time high while watching the show and "Sang Yoon, why are you so charming in this drama??!!" hahaha. 

Next, another scene that I must mention is the one where the grandma was interacting with Annie. Notice the colours? Annie was in colour but the others were all monochromatic... I didn't even notice this difference up till the close up when Ms Go(grandma) was shaking Annie's hand. 

Usually, colour symbolises life. In this case, I was thinking it could mean that Ms Go felt that Annie was still alive in her heart. (Plus she mentions later that she remembers Annie wearing something colourful.) That she herself was living but actually felt less alive than her vision of Annie. In a way, living but not really living. So much brilliant foreshadowing was done as Ms Go passed away later... ):

To me, there's two main flows going on at the same time. Soo Ah and Doh Woo's relationship and Hye Won's secrets. They could have been two different movies/dramas but they are appearing together... However, I kind of like the different dynamics from the different plots intertwining. Hope this drama will keep up the great work! :)

Back next week with a new review~~ 

Find me on twitter @raycherr 

Read More

On the way to the Airport - Episode 3 and 4 Review

So much confusion! There's still so much mystery as we go into ep 3/4. Is this a reflection of how we don't know much about each other as we make friends in our adult lives...? Sigh.

I think that Soo Ah's quote sums things up really well. "Things are complicated." 

First, we find out that Doh Woo is not Annie's actual father. Which makes it even weirder how he is so caring and "perfect" towards Annie and in life in general. Increasingly greater contrast is shown between him and his wife, Hye Won as well. Apparently, she had Annie when she was 20 and believes that she's not a good mum. Basically, she appears to be guilt driven and not easily understood by others. So psychotic! I am almost scared to find out more...

Then Hye Won says something along the lines of "her biological mother" which got me real confused. Who is "her" referring to? I am assuming it's her own mother and not Ms Go, whom I assume is Doh Woo's mum. Let me know in the comments below if you know! >< :)

Also, a flashback to the last phone call between Hye Won and Annie. Woah, I didn't catch them too well in the first two episodes. "Tell the truth", "no one will blame you"... I am still not figuring the situation out too well. >< I guess the only way would be for me to continue watching. :/

Side tracking for some off beat scenes... >< The scene in which Doh Woo and Soo Ah meets each other on the stairs(screenshot above) was so dramatic. Maybe I wasn't in the mood enough, but it was a little laughable to me. I'm apologise... 

However, the first person view in episode 4 when Soo Ah scanned Doh Woo's work room was pretty interesting. This one I quite like, as it fitted well in the story, trying to put us into Soo Ah's position to experience her emotions. 

Following, the helicam scenes through the windows were absolutely beautifully done. Ahhh just love it when technology brings about such great cinematography.

However, while they placed us in Soo Ah's view, we saw, as viewers, how we actually knew things that she didn't. For example, I didn't catch that she actually didn't know that she rubbed shoulders with Annie until now. >< But this realisation also made for a emotional poke from the show. Plus, that one flashback was brilliant and powerful. I had chills watching it again, scanning from the air stewards to the accident through the mirror.

Last stray thought, I can't really feel much love between the two couples, especially between gentleman of sydney and iron lady. ;) Not too sure, but I still feel weird seeing Shin Sung Rok playing such a "cool" character. The most personality I felt from him was when he played soccer with his daughter LOL.

And that's all for this week! Really enjoying the show thus far. New review next week~~
Click here for ep 1,2 review and here to find me on Twitter! :)

Read More

On the way to the Airport - Episode 1 and 2 Review

Hey,
melodramas are coming back at me.

Yea.

So, this new KBS drama caught my attention because LEE SANG YOON.

Therefore, I shall blog about it hahaha, yea I saw him in Liar Game (Korea) and Sangyoon is definitely my top fave korean male actor right after Song Joong Ki. Despite my hiatus, I feel like it is mandatory to watch and just write stuff about it.

Spoiler alert! (Ep 1 and 2)

A short summary about what I understand of the show
There's two family involved, one of which includes Annie(young girl) who was overseas studying in Malaysia, while her parents Doh Woo(Sang Yoon) and Hye Won(Jang Hee Jin) are in Korea. The other revolves around Hyo Eun(daughter), who was sent overseas to the same homestay as Annie by her parents, Soo Ah(Kim Ha Neul) and Jin Suk(Shin Sung Rok). With most of the scenes happening around the airport/airplanes, this drama features Soo Ah as a flight attendance who gets deeply intertwined into the plot when she rubbed shoulders with Annie right before an accident that killed Annie. As Soo Ah and Doh Woo moved back and forth Malaysia and Korea, they got to meet each other while settling their kids' issues.
And here you go, the premiere episodes pretty much went by like that, though I'd have to say, it's definitely better if you watched it yourself. (After all, I haven't written much in a while... >< argh my summary skills)

Back to the review and of course I have to praise the cinematography. One particular scene I really like was when they had the close up of the hands. It just feels like a tug of war emotionally. Really like it. I love it when I can feel the emotions through body language. (ahhh I felt the same way when Song Joong Ki acted with his neck in Innocent Man...)

Also, the tension brought about by Hye Won! Intense! I really like Hee Jin's acting here. Though I have to say I am so confused by her character's actions, like okay I can only make guesses as to what's an acceptable way to react to a child's death... but why did she not want Annie to come back in the first place? And why is she acting so mad and ridiculous? Pretending to still be fine, pretending to think about wanting her daughter's stuff back and then asking for them to be thrown away. ): I think that there's more to the story than meets the eye, and I am anxious about what's to come.

However, other than that, it is just the really bold Air Asia product placement that catches my attention hehe.

This is not the kind of drama I usually watch, but I'll definitely give this a chance! Let's see how it goes for the next few episodes. :)

Next review will be up next week, stay tune! Meanwhile, find me on twitter @raycherr ^^

Read More

The Night Of - Part 1 Review

Eh, the night of???

YESH THE NIGHT OF.

hahaha hopefully I didn't scare you off already, but I guess I decided to not stick to any schedule that I planned beforehand... to just rave about this show.

First, I saw a post Jason Silva (who btw is probably the philosopher of the century so you should check him out (or maybe you know him from Brain Games)) shared, about this "mind blowing show". So, I decided to watch it, gosh and it is FREE on HBO and YouTube till 21 July, so go catch it now!

**no spoiler alert because I pretty much didn't even touch on the storyline o.o what kind of review is this /:

Yep, The Night Of is a crime drama but from a pretty novel angle in my opinion. This eight part mini series is doing a really good job in the first part/episode already to really screw with your mind and set your gears turning.

Who is the good guy? Who is helping who? Who killed her???!!!

And HOW?!? Just tons of questions that are surprisingly quite satisfying to ask while watching. Also, how the different characters have their reactions and emotions play through the hour+ were brilliant.

I just haven't watched a more refreshing show for awhile now so I gladly welcome The Night Of.
Not to throw shade on some of the other shows that I really quite like(d), but some times, just some times, >< after the series air for quite some time, they get pretty frustrating to watch... I'm not really sure why, but I guess the plot could have had too much of a stretch for another season... (But Orphan Black is still damn good.)

You know what, haha I'm probably going to re-watch the ep one more time for free. Also, do let me know if you feel the same, or did the hype dampened the sparks for this show? ):

Find me on Twitter in the meantime @raycherr :D

Read More

The Truth Seekers 真探 Intro

Singapore Represent!

//edit: Verdict is that this detective show isn't really worth watching, and is definitely NOT the first Singaporean drama you should watch. Continue reading if you are still cool with that. Maybe look out for the next drama which will be about time travelling instead? The time travelling drama wasn't too good either... :/ Peace. 

So I am pretty selective about the Channel 8 dramas that I watch, just because it is tiring trying to catch every episode at 9pm on all weekdays.

But... recently, this new drama's promo caught my attention and we are two episodes in already! I seldom talk about local stuff here, but I thought this show might just be worth the review.

Okay okay, enough blabbering, you guys still don't know what this show is about LOL.
A guy who was suspected of murdering his girlfriend years ago suddenly shows up at Cold Case Investigators (name of the private investigation firm) asking them to find the real murderer. The boss happens to be the detective on this particular case when he was still with the police force. Together with two other "sidekicks", they attempt to solve the cold cases.

So yea, basically a detective kind of story, which I find fascinating o.o and if you don't like my summary hahaha oops you can read wiki here.

Currently, this cast is pretty awesome and the story is off to an interesting start. I really hope that they will keep it up with more intriguing and unexpected scenarios to keep the plot fresh. ^^

I feel that the red herrings and guessing games are all good, eh except for those fighting/judo scenes. >< Huang Yuyang's (Rebecca) action scenes just seem stiff/fake.  🙊 But nonetheless, she is still an exceptional actress!

Side note: I just found out (Lan Haifeng) Yusuke that couldn't even speak mandarin five years ago wow; also I think that (Hong Junyan) Desmond suits this style hehehe 🙈

The show is broadcasted in mandarin, with both English and Chinese subtitles, so no worries! :D
You can catch them on this local online platform, where episodes are free to watch after they air on TV: http://video.toggle.sg/en/series/the-truth-seekers/ep1/397004

Let me know if you watched this series and want more reviews! ~
And in the meantime, find me on twitter @raycherr :)

P.S. I just found out that the following 9pm drama is a really huge one about Time Travelling. Gosh I am excited already!

Read More

Heard it through the Grapevine Ep 17 - 20 Review

Heard it through the Grapevine A.K.A Heard it as a Rumor A.K.A I heard a Rumor [HITTG]

A sincere apology for how my reviews are turning out... :/ I ought to dive into the issues that were touched on in each episodes, after all this is a complex drama. However, this is more like penning down my (random) thoughts... :( Hey, I should buck up.
Erm. :/ maybe its because I'm so behind on the series that I don't feel any motivation to write in depth. Forgive me...

Ep 17
Okay, I'm sorry, I take back all my words from my previous post on this show. I am finally starting to understand the lack of development in a drama. Its not always a simple affair with the story revolving around a few main characters, after all in such a complex show about secrets and power, it is only right that the viewers get a more in depth look into other characters that might make an impact. Hence, with the need of telling the backstory of the other characters, they had to sacrifice the pace of development. However, in return we do get a better understanding of a bigger picture, which I think is essential in such a show.

Ep 18
Pace started picking up again, I found the progress rather smooth and enjoyed this episode. Who would have known that some older episodes would have left me disappointed, but for these few to arouse my interest again. Here are some possible reasons:
a) Exposing the secrets of Han Song and Han Jeong Ho gets more intense
b) More In Sang!!! More Lee Joon!!! ;)
c) I started to get used to the kind of development, and can't get over this drama

Ep19
Things heat up. Han Jeong Ho wants his kids to beg for forgiveness for going against him, but too bad he doesn't pay for the house that they live in. In Sang and Bom gets to stay and not back down. Finally, Bom's parents get around to understanding the complex situation. This was a great episode built upon nightmares and how the world's falling apart for the characters. ;)

Ep20
This episode was pretty good. It was slightly ridiculous which played on the black comedic effects. Let me throw ice cubes! and make my servants wear ridiculous outfits! Sounds fun right? It was also slightly emotional and thought provoking. My Brother or my Daughter? My Family or Others? More Money or Justice? To Ruse or to Expose? Also, a lawsuit against Han Song from Seo Chul Sik is boiling. I wonder how that's going to turn out... Is Han Song really the ultimate puppet master controlling everything? So intriguing! The drama is starting to feel so intellectual.

I recently found this video as well:

To be honest, i should really brush up on my knowledge of directors and writers... oh man haha
Ahn Pan Suk is really a director to look out for, the actors totally trusted him and I'm really impressed. I should definitely watch some other dramas by him after I finish Heard it through the Grapevine.

catch me on twitter @raycherr
might be going on a hiatus and hopefully come back with quality pieces of reviews.

Read More

Heard it through the Grapevine Ep 13, 14, 15, 16 Review

Heard it through the Grapevine A.K.A Heard it as a Rumor A.K.A I heard a Rumor [HITTG]

This will be one of the shortest review because honestly I don't have much to critic about, except that the spark that made this show so interesting in the first few episodes is dying down... Or maybe the drama is a little different from what I imagined it would be.
Many things are happening and there is certainly progress in the story but they aren't what I feel are that interesting, or fast paced enough to keep my attention.
I will touch on the affair bit. Is a love affair romantic? Can an affair be romantic? Wouldn't the parties involved feel guilt? Or is the thrill and satisfaction in the moment overpowering everything else? I am not expressing my stand here but I just feel that its such a tiring affair.
Also, power makes people do crazy things. I mean crazy as in wow that's unexpected and its awesome; I also mean crazy as in hmm, look at the moral dilemma that you are tempting the others with.

To compensate for the short review, here's a short recap of what happened
Seo Noo Ri(Bom's sister) is jealous of Bom? There was a rumor going on about Noo Ri and someone rich. Info sure flowed fast yea. Then Bom helped Noo Ri with her amazing manipulation of power and connections, so everything's good and now Noo Ri is dating a good guy, Yoon Je Hoon (?).
Young Ra and Han Jeong Ho are now together? The stupid things that Han goes through to up the affair are bewildering, haha. Also, Hansong has way too much power, way more than In Sang imagined. (which I think will be further developed on in later episodes).
...

Alright, I will be back with another 4 episodes review again soon! Let's hope the drama picks up and that I find it entertaining to watch again! :)
Meanwhile, you can find me on twitter @raycherr cheers!
[P.S. I'm too excited for season 4 of The Genius to start, you can read my cast analysis here.]

Read More

Heard it through the Grapevine Ep 9, 10, 11, 12 Review

Heard it through the Grapevine A.K.A Heard it as a Rumor A.K.A I heard a Rumor [HITTG]

I'm back with a multiple episodes review! Woohoo!
Alright, to be honest, I felt that episode 9 & 10 didn't have that much going on and decided to watch another 2 episodes before writing about my thoughts. I did a bit of digging around and found out that episode 9&10 had the highest rating thus far in the series?! I'm very surprised! To me, this was not the kind of development that I enjoy as much so to reach an even greater audience in these 2 episodes airing week really bewildered me a little...
Not to say I do not like this drama anymore, but I'm wasn't too impressed hey. I did like the emotional part near the end of episode 9 though. *thumbs up* for the scene where Bom's mum had a conversation with her over the phone after delivering red bean rice cake.

However, the next week's eps (11, 12) were definitely better in my opinion! :) There were way more character development, from Seo Noo Ri (Bom's sister) to Lee Sun Sook (Yeon Hee's secretary). The change in attitude from the Han family was also a game changer in terms of how the story was going to continue. How on earth did the Seo family get connected to others with power? In the meantime, Bom is starting to feel like an outsider to her birth family as she starts to grasp on to Power. :/

Also, something did catch my attention in these episodes. Or should I say someone did?
Yep, Min Joo Young.
Who on earth are you?



Name: Min Joo Young
Specialty: Stalking
Job: Secretary for the 8th level of Hansong
Secret mission: Clear her brother's name + Find dirt on Hansong (?)
Notable Skill: Speaks Mandarin fluently!!! *impressed!

O.O Side note, she looks really young for her real age too!
Her character development in this few episodes was really a huge jump and had a really good edit in my opinion. So curious as to what is going on, as I'm not 100% sure what is her relationship with Hansong and the backstory. I realised I really like her when her colleagues started to doubt her, I was like Noooooo don't get caught! She's not doing nothing! Haha, and her poker face was superb too! :| Looking forward to see her character move forward and make an impact on all their lives.
... I am predicting that In Sang's father will lose the battle in the end... But maybe not? ): (Oh man, I am almost always rooting for the underdog to win, so perhaps I am bias. :/)

Ok, that's all for now, I will be back next week with another review! :)
In the meantime, you can read my previous reviews here.
And feel free to tweet me @raycherr.

P.S Sorry I'm so behind on this drama... *still decides to watch another show, oops

Read More

Heard it through the Grapevine Episode 7 & 8 Review

Heard it through the Grapevine A.K.A Heard it as a Rumor A.K.A I heard a Rumor [HITTG]

Global Perspective! Everything's complicated! This is the truth and nothing can be simple! Or can it? At least In Sang believes that the complicated issues can be tossed aside, life is too short just thinking about the positive things.
\\(◕ฺ ▿ฺ ◕ฺ)// #hero
While I do understand where Bom's coming from when she expressed her frustration of being different and "outcasted" from the rich and powerful, I love how In Sang still has this vision about everything working out. It didn't feel like a fantasy vision that was impossible to me when he said it. Or is it just me, am I becoming too optimistic like him? ); omg Lee Joon is such a good idol actor.

Bom is portrayed as a pretty smart kid (and i use kid here because that is exactly how most people are treating her). She is turning tables around and probably even on her way to fulfilling her dad's dream of her becoming at least a Minister of Justice. However, things are complicated, aren't they? The spider web unravels in these 2 episodes, giving us a look into how different characters are related and what they struggle with/care about most. The episodes also took a turn in storytelling and focused more on the characters and emotions than moving forward in the timeline. So, it was more like branching out than progressing in the story. Pretty refreshing.

The episodes also revolved around generations, virtue, self control and traditions. So basically, they were what some deem as important while others might deem as old fashioned values. However, pride was also another issue brought up and hinted throughout the episode, which I thought held greater significance than the others mention above. Pride was what led to wanting to hold on to what are "good and valuable"; pride was what was stopping some from being "real". Notice how I used quotation marks? While some might think that they are "XXX", it is not exactly Black and White. Yep, haha and this brings us back to complexity. Wow.

Black comedy is all about complexity yea. Looking forward to the next episodes!
Just so I don't back out, I will write here that I will continue to watch and write about my thoughts asap soon (after I finish rewatching Orphan Black! ><)
Tweet me @raycherr, or... read my other posts on Heard it through the Grapevine here ヾ(๑╹◡╹)ﾉ” 감사합니다!

Read More

Heard it through the Grapevine Episode 5 & 6 Review

Heard it through the Grapevine A.K.A Heard it as a Rumor A.K.A I heard a Rumor [HITTG]

Wow, after a few weeks haitus, I am finally back with a short review of Ep 5 and 6... I believe I'm about 10+ episodes behind, ohno!!! ): I really should find time to just binge watch and catchup, shouldn't I? ;)

So... I am so sorry, I became lazy [read: writer's block] and I didn't take any notes for these two episodes. I feel super guilty about it as I don't remember that much details... :/
Actually, it has been a few days since I watched, but I decided that I will still write about what happened since I would love to continue to write about the show, there should be more of a continuity.

Alright, enough of me emoing and giving dumb excuses, back to super cute Han In Sang!!! XD This is actually one of the few korean dramas that I remember the main characters' names well: Seo Bom, Han In Sang and their baby Han Jin Young. The writers must be doing something right. *claps* Now, the next level would be to remember the parents' names.
Now to the story, yes! The young couple registered their marriage officially and practically the whole world knows about it! What?!? That was pretty unexpected, especially with the twitches that the rich parents had for the next few days after the shocking news arrived. Hence, this is a step forward for the young family, congratz! In Sang's female friend(aka his mum's friend's daughter) wasn't too good at hiding her jealously too, and was quite interesting to watch, I wonder if she will start to get in the way of the new couple to break them up somehow, to stir up some trouble? Sounds like a plausible story development to me! :/ Plus there were so many jealous characters after news of the marriage were announced too, its funny! For example, the pregnant lady in the office, she was quite pissed about not having the best nanny in town.
Following, the families had their own worries too. Like rich father and his politics. Bom's sister and her job... :/
Soon after, the couple's parents FINALLY met!!! Having the upper hand, the rich family tried to exert their authority by putting out terms and conditions on the table, trying to force Bom's parents into a corner with money and prospects again. Luckily, In Sang overheard the conversation, ok the entire house heard it hahahahhaha, and he was embarrassed by his parents' lack of real empathy. Justice!
And there you have it, a fight in the big beautiful house as episode 6 came to an end.

Cheers, in the meantime, you can find me on twitter @raycherr as I try to find time to binge watch the drama!

Read More

Book Review: The Joy Luck Club

The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan

Alright, so i admit this i my first ever book review >< so if this is somewhat lacking please do pardon me, and feel free to leave a comment if you have any constructive criticisms. Here goes nothing!

After searching for this book online, I found out that there's a film as well, with a screenplay by Amy Tan, but I have not seen it YET... hopefully soon.

So yes, I am really glad i decided to give this a go. The last book i remember reading that covered the Chinese culture is The Last Leaf/Chinese Cinderella. So when i spotted this book on the library shelves a few weeks back, I was like, I probably should go back to my roots again, so i picked it up, and never looked back. What a brilliant debut novel!

The story itself is a piece of beautiful artwork, complex yet appealing. It did take a bit more brain juice to get through as each chapter took a look at 4 different mother-daughter pairs. While their lives were interwoven (through the Joy Luck Club), it was slightly hard for me to remember clearly who did what previously, and I found myself flipping back and forth to link with what happened in the previous chapters. Perhaps I haven't read anything this deep and compelling in a long while, or that I read them in separate sittings... Either ways, this should not deter you from giving this book a go, the reward when you approach the end of the book is pretty heartwarming.

This book looks into the 2 different generations of Chinese women, the mothers who spent their childhood in China and the daughters in America. The stories revolve around their beliefs(influenced by their past and present) and how the daughters are both different and similar to their mothers. It also looked at how cultures are different, and how globalization made their lives a tad more complicated. Coming from different backgrounds, the Chinese mothers all had different values that contributed to who they were. They had different beliefs, different struggles. Such vulnerabilities displayed by the mothers made me empathize and think hard about whether traditions and heritage had any place in today's society. In fact, even if what they think do not coincide with yours, the writing allows for the reader to explore and not judge. I actually enjoyed the mothers' side of the story slightly more than their daughters'. The daughters are still learning and growing, and were supposedly more relatable to me. I guess I gravitated more towards wanting to know more about the "greater" challenges that the mothers faced and how they "tried to influence" their children instead. Most of the mothers' story-lines had greater breadth and depth, which makes for a more wholesome picture. While I unfortunately didn't manage to remember all the characters clearly in my first reading, they all came together to form a larger story that is memorable, or at least the emotions evoked are. That, I feel is most important. Overall, it is ultimately a story about reflecting upon who we are, and how relationships are shaped. Definitely a book for me to read again when I am slightly older, as for now I feel that this book will give readers varied afterthoughts as one's maturity changes and character evolves.

Now for me to check out other books by Amy Tan. Cheers!

~~ Feel free to tweet me @raycherr for book recommendations or opinions on The Joy Luck Club! :)

Read More

Heard it through the Grapevine Episode 3 & 4 Review

Heard it through the Grapevine A.K.A Heard it as a Rumor A.K.A I heard a Rumor [HITTG]

This is Black Comedy at its finest.

In these two episodes, things picked up. While I thought ep 3 was slower paced, ep 4 was really well done. Plus, the comedic element was multiplied in these 2 episodes, haha. The background music were especially hilarious, and they matched the atmosphere more so than in the first two episodes.

I really like all their acting too. So good. Not too over dramatic, just slightly. A perfect amount, I dare say even. Character development for all the main characters are done just right and I am super impressed.
I felt really engaged and was super engrossed throughout ep 4. Bravo, well done! I can't wait to catch up on this drama. :)

Rough recap
Han In Sang escaped from his new study room, at least for a few hours, and bonded with Seo Bom over Manhwas (?).
Bom's father found where the Rich live.
In Sang's mother's friends get really suspicious.
In Sang's sister help fast forward the discovery of the mystery of the rich family weirdness by posting baby related photos on SNS.
Too bad, In Sang sucks at playing hide and seek, and he freaks out his mother from under the dinning table.
Rich parents pretended to accept the young couple's love.
However, they had other plans and sent a separate proposal to Bom's family, tempting them with lots of money.
Not 100% convinced by money, Bom's parents thought hard about Bom's choice.
Bom's mother successfully invaded rich family's house, and screamed like a mad woman.
The two kids then found out about the separate proposal, and want to make their own decisions away from rich parents.
Marriage, so it is, and they stomped right over to register their marriage.

The preview for Episode 5 gets me so excited!
What's happening to the marriage? Is the rich really going to "destroy" their "perfect" life? What kind of internal conflicts do they have?

Thank you so much for reading! :)
Do you guys think that I should include screen captions? Tell me in the comments section below or tweet me @raycherr.
Click Here to read more about what I thought of the pilot + first impressions.
Click Here for my review on the second episode.
Cheers and see you guys soon! :)

Read More

Red Velvet 레드벨벳_Ice Cream Cake_Music Video Review

Red Velvet is back, lalalalalalalalalala happiness
The Song
I really like this song in my first listen(which is rare)! Even from the teaser, the La La La s were enticing. I'd say it is a superb decision from whoever in SM that decided that RV would get to sing this song. Ice cream cake is a very catchy and interesting song to listen to. The English phrases were executed very well too.
♫ Its so tasty! Come and chase me! ♫
However, now comes the conflict. This might annoy some RV stans but I really hope that you guys understand where I'm coming from, ok?
Alright, yep, some of you must have been thinking this, no? Isn't this a concept that F(x) should have gotten? I am not saying that only f(x) is entitled to this kind of mysterious funky concept, but I just felt that despite coming from the same entertainment company, shouldn't lines be drawn clearer? F(x) has done songs like sweet witches, which I do believe belong in the same category as Ice Cream Cake... So... what i mean is that it is quite confusing to have idol groups that overlap each other in songs that they put out. I might be a little oversensitive now, so please don't bash me! I think that I just need more time to get used to the idea that RV can do any concept they want. :)
Overall, RV did a great job with this song, and this is my favourite song from them thus far! La La La La La La La La

The Video
Ooo, the visuals from this video complemented the song very well. Shot at very nice locations, the video felt like it was an experimental, indie film to a certain extent and was interesting to watch.
From touching their hair,

to the ball bursting into balloons,

to cutting the ice cream cake,

to plain shots of the members,

they were all tastefully done! :) Bravo, I award this the best SM music video ever!!! Haha, this is really my style, artsy and indie-ish but not too crazy nor have too many hidden meanings in them.

The Artist
So far, RV has been doing really diverse concepts from cute to sultry to mysterious, showcasing their diversity to challenge various genres. I appreciate this. However, there is a tradeoff by doing this. I tend to think that it is more iconic and unique if a group/idol do a certain genre for at least a few months/years as the audience can recognise them better. Perhaps, they are still discovering which concept works best for them, and hopefully they settle down with one for at least a few comebacks. It is the power of familiarity, while their songs might sound similar (cough cough owl city in the past), they will have a much stronger and hardcore fanbase in my opinion.
Also, moving on to the addition of a new member Yeri, I think that she fits in very well. Ok, maybe it is just that I'm not super familiar with the RV members, but she does not feel out of place in this MV at all. :)
I have heard that Red Velvet is a project group, so I guess we can look forward to seeing more changes the next few comebacks. May it be successful and refreshing!


Thanks for reading my first ever MV review in this blog! >< Hope you liked it, & don't hesitate to tweet me @raycherr about what you think! :)
In the meantime,
if you like Kpop, why not check out "10 Flaws of No Mercy" here?

Read More

Heard it through the Grapevine Episode 2 Review

Heard it through the Grapevine A.K.A Heard it as a Rumor A.K.A I heard a Rumor [HITTG]

Thoughts
very very interesting show...
This is actually the first korean black comedy I'm watching, and I am enjoying every single second of it thus far.
Once again, i felt uncomfortable throughout most of the episode. but I keep coming back for more. Its a very fun ride to be be on, with the dynamics and quirks of the different characters.
This episode we saw more of In Sang's family and environment.
Also, the two main characters are "isolated from the world" in different ways which I think is a sign that the show is more character-driven than plot-driven (I really hope so!). Bom is separated from her baby while In Sang is separated from his family(both biological and newly added ones) to focus on his studies. It is very funny how at this time the rich family wants to juggle being humane and caring to the baby/mother while still getting In Sang to become a lawyer and to "maintain" their status, haha. Well, I guess they hold enough power to do whatever they want.
I am quite curious and wonder if this situation happens in real life, how would the people involved react. :/ Why is the dad Jung Ho so concerned with saving and caring for the baby? I'm almost certain it isn't just his kindness nor conscious that is leading him to do such a good act. If they wanted to get rid of Bom and the kid, I'm sure they could have done that pretty easily with money and power... but the fact that they didn't, means that there's something deeper than what we are seeing as of now, and I can't wait to find out his motivation in doing so. I am thinking that it could be that he wants to respect his son's decision to a certain extent given so much restrictions he had already imposed on In Sang, but I am doubtful. #curious

Preview of Episode 3
Would In Sang be able to escape from his new room?
Why is Bom so shocked?
I think that next episode will be more focused on Bom's family? Hopefully this coming episode or the next. ^^

While I catchup on the drama, why not follow and tweet me @raycherr? :) I tweet about various different kind of entertainment.
Or read my review of Episode 1 here?
Review of Episode 3 and 4 here too!

Read More

Heard it through the Grapevine Episode 1 Review

Heard it through the Grapevine A.K.A Heard it as a Rumor A.K.A I heard a Rumor [HITTG]

Main Thoughts
Finally I found a drama that looked interesting and is currently ongoing so I decided to try it out. I would say that HITTG did a very good job for the first episode.
Spoilers ahead so please do watch the episode first! :)

In a drama, the opening scene/sequence usually make or break my experience and interest in watching the show. I thought that the opening scene was slightly disjoined as an international audience and I didn't quite understand what was happening with the golf reference. However, things picked up as they went on to introduce the family members, bringing in relatable themes like teenage issues: academic performance in schools, expectations from the family and pregnancy (clarification: I am not/never pregnant but I watched about 2 seasons of The Secret Life of the American Teenager) and my interests rose.

Following, they introduced the other family involved, who had a different set of issues altogether. Main actor Han In Sang was from a rich family with power. Great thing was that he didn't exactly looked like he belonged. Something was bothering him, he was also just doing what was expected out of him in front of his family. Almost like he dreamed of another world where he didn't had to be stuck with inheritance of power and restrictions, though he still went on with such 'orders' from his family. So, no stuck up jerk who thinks that he is the center of the universe. Yeah! Also, they did a fantastic job in showing the environment that In Sang was in while showing his cool personality.

This was told with a backtrack in the time period, to explain how Seo Bom got pregnant, which i really liked. The flashback was subtle and nicely executed.
As the story progressed, I started to make sense of what happened to result in the first scene in which the father was thorn between love and expectations. ←  and this is likely to be the main theme of the drama.

This episode was really well done in my opinion. I was pretty uncomfortable throughout the whole episode, and I think that this was what they wanted to achieve, thus great job! No perfect family, just really TWISTED (haha remember In Sang's mother's friend said it in this episode?) issues that they have to deal with. All while letting the audience already figure out what is about to happen next, but still look forward to the progression. The one hour show passed really quickly and I was not bored at any point.

Side Notes
This is a black comedy, which I do enjoy most of the time! Really looking forward to future episodes.
Lee Joon looks really good hehe ;) I really want to root for him. I totally looked past In Sang's internal conflicts and how he is so unlike a stereotypical wealthy kid who is super sure that he is in love with Bom. He even wants to take responsibility, which is unlike what a stereotypical rich kid will do: Let his parent clean up his shit with $$. Might sound really immature and clueless, but I still hope his current personality and feelings don't change too much! (totally developing a crush on him omg)

I also keep comparing this show to the Secret Life (see above mentioned show) just because of the teenage pregnancy issue... :/ while Shailene Woodley is an awesome actress, the show was pretty ridiculous with a new pregnancy every new season? haha, HITTG keep it classy ok? ^^

Preview of episode 2
Waaaa her water broke???
The rich family is definitely upset.
Will In Sang and Bom still get married?

Alright, will try to watch episode 2 asap before I forget everything from this episode...
In the meantime, you can follow & tweet me @raycherr with your opinions about the show. (I reply most of the time!)
No spoilers pleaseee, cheers!

Edit: I have finished watching this drama! :D I highly recommend this drama and do read these reviews as a companion piece if you want to.

Read More