Hotaru no Hikari 2 (Glow of the Fireflies 2)

Hotaru no Hikari 2 (Glow of the Fireflies 2)

11 Episodes

Synopsis: (of Season 1)

Hotaru works for a famous interior design company. It's a glamorous job but Hotaru's private life is totally the opposite of glamorous. She lives alone, and when she isn't working she's mostly lazing about her rented house in training wear. She's not interested in men. In fact, she isn't interested in anything. "I'd rather lay around than fool around," is her motto.
Her landlord is a bar owner, and one day his son, who has just separated from his wife, comes to inspect the rental property, not knowing that someone is living there. He is shocked at the mess, but not as shocked as Hotaru. He turns out to be her boss, Takano.

My Comments: I really didn't think it was possible, but...Season 2 is even FUNNIER than the first one! BWAHAHA! I nearly died laughing while watching this drama! And Hotaru and Buchou are the CUTEST, and WEIRDEST couple I have ever seen!! They have so many quirks, but you can't help but love 'em because of it. Hotaru is essentially a slob and Seiichi (Buchou) is a perfectionist and clean freak. The way they interact with each other and show their feelings is so adorable. This drama doesn't have much depth or emotion. I mean you never feel the need to cry at any point. However, if you want something cute, light-hearted and crazily funny, THIS IS THE DRAMA FOR YOU!

Looney Express gives Hotaru no Hikari 2 a 3.5/5

Iljimae

Iljimae

• Title: 일지매 (一枝梅) / Iljimae
• Genre: Historical Romance
• Episodes: 20
• Broadcast network: SBS
• Broadcast period: 2008-May-21 to 2008-Jul-24
• Air time: Wednesday & Thursday 21:55

Synopsis: Set during the Joseon Dynasty, Yong acted as a hooligan in the marketplace by day but at night he was a thief who robbed corrupted government officials to give to the poor. After each robbery he left behind a painting depicting a plum tree branch to make his mark and was thus named Iljimae. His main purpose was not so much to rob but to search for the owner of a specially designed sword which he saw as a child was used to kill his father, a loyal subject of the emperor. Eun Chae is a government official's daughter who despite her upbringing has a lot of empathy towards the poor. She met Iljimae by chance and couldn't help admiring him for what he stood for even though she had never seen his face.

My Comments: This was my first historical drama and I was reluctant to give it a try. But, I am VERY glad that I did. Iljimae was unlike any drama I've watched before. The characters are so interesting and you cannot help but like them. The plot was highly intriguing and each episode had me glued to the screen. The storyline had a great balance of happy, funny, sad and suspense. While this drama is mostly a sad one, in that the characters go through so much in their short lives, their humor offsets the sadness, so that you not completely devastated throughout the whole drama. I really enjoyed this one and finished it entirely in a single weekend! The ending however, was a little disappointing, but still works. It's one of those most-hated open endings. Where you are simply left with the clues to figure out what happened, but you're not blatantly shown. However, it is still VERY much worth watching!

Looney Express gives Iljimae a 4/5.

Sweet Relationship

Hey World!

It's been a long time. I've been busy, busy, busy and just a bit too lazy to blog. Also, I was sucked into an anime and drama binge lately. I finished three dramas recently and thought I'd post about 'em. Here's the first one:

Sweet Relationship

Synopsis: Bai Hui has a refined palate that allows her to enjoy every wonderful texture and taste different cuisines have to offer. Ever since little, food has been the center of her world. It celebrated her college graduation and consoled her when her beloved father passed away. Her love for eating ignites passion in the heart of a genius chef, Zi Tian, who never found joy in food.

My comments: God! I hate these synopsis that you find online sometimes. They never do the drama justice! This is a Taiwanese drama starring Vic Zhou. He is the reason I decided to watch this one! ^___^ So his character Zi Tian is a cold one. He's had a tough childhood and though he is an amazing cook, he doesn't find joy in food. His love interest (though, it takes him FOREVER to admit it to himself) is just the opposite. Food has always been a central and happy part of Ba Hui's life. She decides to become a cook as a way to get closer to Zi Tian. The rest of the dramas is all drama, of course, filled with love rectangles, pain and tears, but also laughs and love. It's a really sweet drama and Ba Hui is such a sweetheart. However, the other female love interest of Zi Tian drove me NUTS throughout the whole thing. You'll see what I'm talking about as you watch. Other than her, the other characters are easily lovable and you'll find yourself enjoying this drama because of them. Give it a try.

Looney Express awards Sweet Relationship with a 3.5/5.