BAMBINO!

BAMBINO!

Episodes: 11 

Synopsis: A drama adaptation of a popular comic written by Sekiya Tetsuji. After a year of working at a neighborhood Italian restaurant, Ban Shogo (Matsumoto Jun), an enthusiastic, cocky young college student from Fukuoka, comes to Tokyo to perfect his cooking skills as a chef in Italian cuisine. He discovers he has much to learn and has to continually prove himself to the very competitive, quick and efficient staff at the upscale Italian restaurant. 

MY COMMENTS: THis was a cute drama. Nothing spectacular. Though Matsumoto Jun was pretty cute in his character. He was like a little kid, getting excited..then pouting, then excitement again. It's an alright drama if you want to watch something cute and slightly amusing. It's short enough that you don't feel like you wasted your life away watching it! lol I finished it in a weekend. Give it a try. *shrugs*

Beethoven Virus

BEETHOVEN VIRUS

 

• Genre: Romance, drama, comedy
• Episodes: 18 
• Main Cast: Kim Myung Min as Kang Gun Woo / Kang Ma Eh (Conductor), Lee Ji Ah as Du Ru Mi (Violin), Jang Geun Suk as Kang Gun Woo (Trumpet)
• Synopsis: Kang Gun Woo is a world renowned orchestra maestro who is a perfectionist in his work. He is not an easy person to work with and is fear by all his players. By chance, he comes across Du Ru Mi, a violinist, and a young cop who has the same name as his and discovers that even without formal training, the young Kang is a music genius. The three soon get tangled in a love triangle.  
• My COMMENTS: First of all...JANG GEUN SEUK!!!! *squeal* I have completely, totally, irrevocably fallen in LOVE with this cutie pie! LOL I developed a major CRUSH in "You're Beautiful", which evolved into a strong LIKE in "Baby and Me" and after watching "Beethoven Virus", I've fallen HARD! It's his smile....it's the most stunning I've seen on any Korean actor yet..it makes my heart beat faster and turns me into GOO! ^___^ The drama in itself was pretty interesting also, Jang Geum-oppa is just the icing on the cake! The romantic aspect of this drama isn't what's emphasized, as you watch you realize that what's really important about this drama is the strong love for Classical music all of the characters possess, the ties the bind people together through thick and thin and the idea of working hard for your dreams and never giving up. The drama gets those ideas across beautifully in an interesting and thoughtful manner. The music is absolutely ..moving! If you're a fan of classical music this is the drama for you. It reminded me of Nodame Cantabile a little bit, but ALOT more serious. There isn't nearly as much humor in this one, though there are some characters included for comic relief, such as Bae Yong Gi (played by Park Chul Min). It is DEFINITELY worth a watch.

P.S. I will no longer rate the dramas using numbers. It's too much trouble and no one really reads my blog, anyway! lol It's mostly a way for me to catalog the dramas that I've watched and my initial reactions to them.

Smiling Pasta

Another Taiwanese drama!

SMILING PASTA

• Title: 微笑 Pasta / Wei Hsiao Pasta (Wei Xiao Pasta)
• Also known as: Smiling Pasta / Smile Pasta / Sonria Pasta
• Genre: Romance / Comedy
• Episodes: 17 

Synopsis: Xiao Shi is a girl who has gone through many short relationships, 17 to be exact, not one lasting more than 3 months hence, she was cursed with a three-month curse. After being dumped by her 17th boyfriend, the world looks grimmer than ever. At that time, a famous idol, He Qun runs past, bumps into Xiao Shi, and they end up "kissing" on the street. Paparazzi swarmed by and to avoid a bad reputation, He Qun's manager declared Xiao Shi as He Qun's girlfriend of one year and fiancée. Thus, a love contract was made. This story is about how the couple learns to like each other after having disagreements in the beginning, as well as fighting the injustices the media throw at them. Will Xiao Shi finally break her 3 month curse?

My thoughts: This was a really cute and entertaining drama. The lead characters (He Qun and Xiao Shi) were really lovable and their relationship was absolutely adorable. I loved the way they interacted, always bickering, but in a really cute way. The side characters were also just as lovable (Rita and Ah Zhe). I smiled through all 17 episodes and the ending was really sweet and nicely done. And it's quite different from other romantic comedies I've watched (mostly Korean ones). For one, there's not really a love triangle, so no evil, manipulative exes. lol Also, her family was so endearing and cute! Give it a try!

Rating: Looney Express gives "Smiling Pasta" a 4/5.