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

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A quick update ~

Hi readers (if any at all... holla in the comments?), so I thought I'd better try writing a piece on this blog before my motivation to write reviews fall even lower. Plus, this place is pretty dead, isn't it? Haha ohman...

So, here's an update!

1. I really want to write a conclusion review on Only If I Could - the new 9pm channel 8 drama that I mentioned in my last post.
That will likely be at the end of the season at the end of this month :)  Okay so I take back my words, the show was mediocre tbh. ):

2. A movie review would be real nice too, coming in at the start of July.

3. Wayward Pines Season 2 (contrast) review coming right after it ends. I'm currently one ep in, but it looks too different from what I felt/saw in season 1...

4. Totally missed out on watching Signal and Vampire Detective... so perhaps I will watch them. (I did watch one ep of Signal... but I wasn't that impressed so I didn't continue, >< should I?)

5. Last, I have plans to make a list of comparisons between real tabletop/online games and the games featured on The Genius. I know you are excited!!! Coming Soon End July 2016.


Andddddd I am still on Twitter @raycherr yo! If there's anything, connect with me there in the meantime! Cheers~

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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!

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Orphan Black Season 4 is coming back

O.M.G.

Sestras! (& Brother-sestras) get ready, because

ORPHAN BLACK IS COMING BACK!!!

YOU'RE DAMN RIGHT.

~
Okay, so if you're new to this blog, and have no idea what this is, yea this is just one of the other shows that I am currently obsessed about. Brilliant show, just brilliant. Enough said.

In the meantime, I am thinking you might be interested in game shows instead? Check out my posts on The Genius here.

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The ultimate trainee show - Produce 101 Review

Okay, I am pretty sure you know Produce 101, the Biggest trainees survivor show in Korea, literally.

I have been wanting to write about this show since it ended last week, but it was a hectic week in school, so it got delayed.
Hopefully, now that the Crush MV is out, I ain't too late.

Let's start! With 101 trainees on board, at least at first, Mnet really went all the way with their new idea, with Jang Geun Suk as the MC.

I love their shiny Produce 101 Logo haha. Really, no sarcasm here, haha and to add on to the glitter, I give them credit for such a great reality tv show. I will look forward to their other version with male trainees in the near future.
Back to this show, the girls on the show all have a dream to be singers/kpop stars, and it is really inspiring in a way. Pick Me is absolutely the anthem for people with a dream from now on. <3
Despite controversies, I think the show is still pretty fun to watch. I know, I know the Korean entertainment industry isn't exactly the picture perfect one behind the surface, but some of these kids have trained for such a long time, there is pretty much no turning back and I do think it gave them a rather good exposure. (so.. i guess i can forgo the terms in their contracts)
Also, any press is good press, right? ><

Sure, Mnet is famous for "devil editing" haha and the screen time is so bias, like it contributed to Sohye getting into top 11??? Also, some of the "trainees" are already in girl groups (yep, I am talking about DIA's members) haha like they are just there to gain more supporters through the show... The editing really does make a big part of the show too. Like how Cathy and Chanmi had edits that made them look bad at certain points of the show, which I do think contributed to their lower votes than expected.
... I still feel that Produce 101 is a solid trainees show. I dare say the best one out of all that I have seen, just because they actually show them training and interacting "behind the scenes".
Plus the show's missions: girl group debut songs, position and concepts, were really well planned, though how votes are cast still remain a concern. Haha ohman, like can there ever be a fair way of voting? ):

I do like the online voting (11 choices and later on, one vote) >< To be honest, I voted whenever I remembered to do so!
On the subject of whom I supported, I had my eyes on a few trainees (won't name names) but unfortunately only some got into the final 11. (Hey, but I am not too upset, I do think they will all debut soon since they had publicity and increased fans from the show!) ^^

Ok, second last part of my rant: I really really love the concept mission! All the songs are super good, like totally the best album ever, if only Mnet found a way to debut everyone... Maybe like 1 group per month, will that work? I am sure they will make tons of money too! Gateun haneul gatuen sigan gateun goseseo 24 si gan 24 si gan This is ya story It don't matter Yum Yum Yum Yum on my on my fingertips nanana ~~~ #earworms 

Finally, on the last episode, where they revealed I.O.I!!! What? erm AOA's cousin group? sorry >< I wasn't too keen on the group name haha but whatever works. :) I believe they restarted the votes for this week, and many trainees who were in the top 22 because of their extra 10k votes last week fell short.
Regarding whether I think that the trainees deserve to be in the top 11, eh I ain't too concerned tbh. After all, this was only a unit group that was promoting for a short while. (Or maybe it is because too many of the trainees that I liked didn't make the group oops.) I do think that it is going to be a great exposure for the trainees that are in I.O.I to experience their promotion period. However, I must say that I will be tracking their promotions and following them for these next few months!

Cue CRUSH ~ produced by Ryan Jhun
This song is solid hit man, and a really great debut song for these girls. ^^ Though I might have thought that fingertips was more catchy on the first listen, Crush is definitely more appropriate haha.
Their MV went more for a raw and rough look though, ohwell...

Anyways, overall, I do think that this is a really interesting and entertaining show, highly recommended! ^^

Find me on Twitter @raycherr or join the conversation in the comments below!

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JTBC Code Episode 8 Finale Review

Disclaimer: This is not really the final episode of Code. Some do refer to episode 8 as the end of season one. The winner went on to play another "round" of Code, which was much better executed. 


So, we have the final 3 on Basement 1 and they are so close to getting out of this building, at least for one of the three finalists: Oh Hyun Min, Shin Jae Pyung and Jeong Jun Ha!

I will say that this is probably the one of the better episodes all season, just because it was easier to catch what was going on during the show. The puzzles somewhat became the stars this episode, as they had more screen time, haha.

They started the main match by opening two rooms, the green one and the mirror one. There were a total of four clues per room that will unlock the locks that lead to the red room, which held clues that unlock the ticket to the final round.

However, at most two players are allowed in a room at any one time. Once three clues (in a room) were deciphered, the room would be out of bounds within 10 seconds. As the game progressed, Hyunmin and Junha ended up in the same (mirror) room and they got to the red room first. Meanwhile Jaepyung was solving the puzzles all by himself and got to the red room a little late, as Hyunmin had already moved on to the final round.

In the end, Jaepyung was out of luck as Junha solved one of the puzzle seconds before he did.

In Final Code, they played Betting Royale, which included a total of 7 rounds of quick brain games that lasted no more than 20 seconds. An example, would be a multiple choice question about how many points were recorded after six darts were shot and landed on the target.
A bit lacking in my opinion, as the whole game ended so quickly. Hyunmin was really great at betting and answering the questions, so no surprise here, he won!!! Quite an overwhelming win, actually. Congratulations!

This pretty experimental concept on TV this new year, with Code: Secret Room, has definitely caught our attentions as escape rooms become even more of a hit these few years. While it was lackluster at times, I thought that it was great for JTBC to put this out for the audience. :)

~~ End of Season 1 Code

...

Or is it?

O.o As it turns out, Hyunmin had the chance to choose whether to go back 5 levels down for a chance to double his price money when he entered the elevator. and he decided to go for another challenge against "tougher competitors".

I was really surprised when I saw that. When I first watched it, I thought it was just one single challenge but turns out I heard wrongly! Woah, there were San E, Eddy Kim and Choi Jung Moon etc on B5! Then, the machine turned on and said welcome, WTH?!

Haha, I really thought that this was the end of Code after Hyunmin won, because the show just isn't the best thing on TV. >< To have a second season right after, is a really serious investment for such a show format by JTBC.

... Erm, so I am guessing that this isn't the end then, and I will check back next week, to see if we are really moving on to the second season!

For updates, find me on Twitter @raycherr ~~
Thanks for reading!

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JTBC Code Episode 7 Review

Nearing the ultimate escape of the building! Basement 2, and a short review today.
On this level, cracking the codes and locks will get them 1/2/3 markers. Markers, you say? Yea, today they got to play climbing the ladder. (Click on the hyperlink if you are interested in the game!)

Two players will end up winning the game while the other two go to Last Code. Pink colored hair Heechul and Pink colored shirt Junha lost, and have to play a rather lame boring game. Out of four tiles(head, body, arms, hand) they have to guess which tile the opponent played. In my opinion, this was a rather slow and meaningless game... The two players did however try to make it fun, but still, I thought that this "psychological" game was more down to luck than really reading the other player's mind, because it was a rather simple game.

And with that, Heechul lost, sending Junha off to face the KAIST alliance on Basement 1.

Also, I am not sure if it is just the video I watched but I never saw the reveal of what happened leading up to the outcome during Main Code. (might be bad editing... :/) I really want to know how Hyunmin's plans worked out! Maybe even some more afterthoughts from them would be nice too.

Verdict: Watch for Heechul's eyeliner and wits but overall, not a great episode.

So, the FINALE is next week!!! XD
In the meantime, find me on twitter @raycherr! :)

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JTBC Code Episode 6 Review

With 5 players left, it is on to Basement 3! Two players get to succeed in escaping during Main Code and the other three will go to Last Code. 

In Main Code, there were 4 different colored hints (red green blue yellow) to be found and they will lead to 4 different pass code which can only be successfully keyed in once. While I liked this refreshed rule, it was a pity the show missed out on the opportunity for us to guess and confirm our answers for the remaining codes that were not solved. 

Also, each player had an additional guest that they brought to help them out this episode. One of them you might be familiar with, Girl's Day Yura. She was Heechul's guest. :) While some of the guests did a pretty good job in helping them solve clues, others were pretty lost. Haha I'm not naming people yea but in the end it didn't really matter. Hyunmin still figured out the code first, with just 2 hints. 

On the subject of Hyunmin, it seems like the other players are starting to become really weary of him especially Jaepyung, after his closest ally Youngjin was eliminated. However, the players still always end up helping this maknae. (Which let to Hyunmin winning this round...) :/

Nothing against Hyunmin, but he just doesn't give out the underdog vibes for me to want to root for him now. I do understand his competitiveness though, and his mentality to keep his head in the game. 

Jaepyung was next to escape, and then we moved on to the 3 way match. They had this board game where they had to reach the finish circle(red) twice in order to get an escape card. Their winnings count will start over after one of them gets a card. 

I included this amateur drawing >< haha as reference so you can see how they get to move along the lines. 

How they play is that for every round they have 7 blocks (from 1 to 7) and they play one of them, which is then discarded. The player with the larger number win, unless two of the players have the same larger number then the last player wins. He will move the token piece one step(circle) closer to himself. Once one of the player moves the piece into his red circle, all their blocks are placed back into play. 

I can imagine this game as one that is more complicated and have more players. This sure has great potential as a more developed game. :) Though of course, it wouldn't make for good TV with too many people either, hmm. 

With three players, this game was forgettable... Then, Sunghyun was eliminated. 

Verdict: Meh. Not the worst episode but not that interesting this week either. 

Anyways, Happy Lunar New Year everyone!!! :) 

Find me on Twitter @raycherr or comment below~ 

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JTBC Code Episode 5 Review

Argh, the feeling of sourness is pretty strong after this episode of Code. But I will get to that in a second.

This ep, titled Poker Code, had a game format that still involved players cracking codes and solving puzzles but was revolved around them getting a good hand. Not too bad a way to refresh the game. This additional layer definitely had players working together (or at least trying to) more than they did in previous episodes. In fact, they pretty much had to share information and try to swap cards in order to get a good hand.

To do so, players had to open locks and get chips, which are then used to get new cards. They started off with only 1 card that they picked randomly from the deck, and then they could exchange, buy, discard cards, keeping their hand at at most five cards at one time.

In the end, Shin Jae Pyung did a really good job with his cards, securing him a place to escape this level. Together with Hee Chul and Baek Sung Hyun, they exited with straights. Leaving Lee Yong Jin who was in the alliance with Jaepyung and Heechul having to face last code despite getting a three of a kind '9'. Also, left to face last code, is Hyunmin who sacrificed his cards for Sunghyun to get a straight.

Moving on to Last Code with 3 players. With the use of a six faced dice, players will get 2 (non-overlapping) numbers assigned to them. They had 3 black-statue-tokens each which kind of symbolise their lives. Lose all tokens, and the player will be eliminated. Taking turns to roll the dice, if the player who was assigned the number that is faced up on the dice will get to "steal" another player's token. The tokens are transferable at anytime in the game.

Then comes the sour outcome. At the beginning of the game, Yongjin was doing so well, collecting so many tokens, leaving Hyunmin with 1 left. Then he had the golden opportunity to successfully escape from Last Code by taking Hyunmin's last piece. He hesitated. With the hope of collaborating with Hyunmin and to not be so cruel in the game, he decided to "give Hyunmin a chance". In a cruel turn of luck, that was Yongjin's biggest mistake and regret. Never did he know that he would be looking at the dices turn in favour to Junha's assigned numbers, and at his collection of tokens disappear one by one.

Ultimately, Yongjin was left with none, and became the player to be "stucked" on the fourth floor. I especially liked the last segment where the narrator gave a closing statement on Yongjin's run in this floor. How he was always helping and giving in to others, became his downfall. To give those of you who didn't manage to watch the episode a better idea, Yongjin helped Jaepyung and Heechul with their straights, he thought that with a 3 of a kind, he could be the 3rd to escape but Sunghyun beat him to that. ): Then, also letting Hyunmin have another chance in last code was how he "gave up" his place. Overall, I felt that Yongjin really had a tough run this episode. While he wasn't that strong a player in the previous episodes, I truely sympathised with his situation and outcome.
I did however like how the show edited this and viewed it like a lesson that Yongjin could learn from.

Verdict: A solid episode, except for some of the dry parts during the game.

Find me on Twitter @raycherr or leave your comments below! I would really like to connect with other fans of such game shows. :)

P.S. I'm pretty curious why are there no SuJu fans subbing this show in English??? ): #heechul

See you next week!

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JTBC Code Episode 4 Review

In episode 4, the players became pretty awkward around one another as less than half of them will get to escape via Main Code (3 players) while the rest move on to Last Code.
This time round, only one room was available at the start of the game, and as time passes, the doors to the adjacent rooms will open one by one.

Code: Every player has an allocated number and they have to figure out the sequence. Hints like "There is no one behind Hyunmin" is given to help players solve the code.

Sounds a little to me like The Genius "Scamming Horse Race". Pardon me for the constant comparison to this other show, I can't help it, they are too similar... especially looking at the preview for next week.

Hmm, alright, back to the current ep. Song Hyun was ultimately not able to escape from the 5th floor. I guess her time was up in Code too, after all she has been to all the Last Code segments. (and all the females are "gotten rid of" from the game, eh) Also, Last Code was a little boring, there were 5 cards numbered 1 to 5, each player will pick one card each and they would have to guess whether the last card left unpicked had an odd or even number. Players could tell the truth or lie about the card. In the end, everyone told the truth in the game and Song Hyun was not on the same page as the other 3 players. I guess the segment was lacking a little in the psychological aspect, they could potentially have dig deeper into Song Hyun's reasoning not to trust the others.

Sighs, I do enjoy escape games and puzzles, if only Code had it in a format that was more lighthearted or perhaps recorded outdoors!? The set is getting dull quick too, so, so many things are just not working for Code. Is Bumdi really right about Code as the worst show of 2016? I refused to believe it, but after 4 episodes, I don't know anymore. Great concept, poor execution.

I know a lot of you guys are not able to watch the episodes, due to the lack of English subbers. My guess is that many weren't too impressed by the show, and feel Code isn't worth your time (?). If Code ever gets more interesting than the 2nd ep, I suppose the chance of it getting eng subs will increase tremendously. Till then, you can keep up to date about Code here, or just wait for Crime Scene season 3 yea.
I will be back next week, in the mean time, you can find me on Twitter @raycherr :)

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