[K-Drama Review] Exo Next Door (2015)

I'm a member of a few Drama groups on Facebook. In need of a drama to watch, I received a few recommendations after posting the following:

Hiya everyone, it's been a while since I've last popped in, hope everyone is doing well.

In a bit of a slump, feeling restless, bored, and a little sad, but not really? Lol Dunno.
Anyway, currently watching Fated to Love You, but I read ahead on dramabean and now cannot proceed with episode 11 because I know it's devastating. (Haha dunno why I did that.)

Can anyone recommend a SUPER light hearted drama with no more than 7% angst. Haha Korean, Japanese, and/or Taiwanese all welcome.

Thanks for listening and your help in advice!

 I decided to go with EXO NEXT DOOR because of the super short episodes. I liked the idea that I could finish it in a few hours. (Also recommended: Itakura na Kiss variations, Let's Eat, Marriage Without Dating, Stand Up!, King of High School, and You're Beautiful.)

 

 Synopsis:

A 23-year-old girl named Ji Yeon has never been in a relationship because she is super shy and blushes intensely when faced with a boy she likes. Imagine the turn her love life takes when the members of K-pop boy band, EXO, move in next door to keep a low profile.

 

 

Thoughts:

This mini-series most likely drew EXO fans, but since I'm not particularly a fan of EXO, they didn't immediately appeal to me as actors. Even as purely eye-candy they're not to my taste, but I continued watching anyway.

The lead character is Ji Yeon, who freeloads ungratefully off her mom and blushes intensely when faced with an attractive boy she likes. I didn't find her endearing or cute, simply annoying. Her actions in the beginning were aggravating and impolite. She's such a SNOOP! I also found her blushing weird and unattractive, maybe even a little creepy. Yet, she started to grow on me in the last few episodes.

Though, there were a few moments where I chuckled a bit,  I wouldn't consider this show funny.
I did thoroughly enjoy Sehun and his bromance with Ji Yeon's oddball younger bro. It's actually my favorite aspect of the show. The scene during and after "The Big Secret Reveal" was also quite endearing. There was an attempt to get melo-angsty with Suho's character in one, longer-than-usual episode towards the end has some effect.

Also, SPOILER-ISH RANT: Don't get all dolled up for a date when you haven't even received a confirmation text! "No news is actually just no news." But it was pretty sweet how he came running over immediately when he was told that she was waiting.

The ending was cute, I guess. But not very satisfying, at least not on the romantic front. It was actually a bit cheesy. And I usually enjoy cheesy.

In sum, it was enjoyable in a way, but not particularly memorable. I wouldn't necessarily recommend it to anyone or re-watch it. However, if you're all caught up on dramas, happen to be an EXO fan, or want to imagine what life would be like if your fave kpop band moved in next door, then give EXO NEXT DOOR a try. It'll be only 3.5 hours of your life.

[HKmovie] Drink Drank Drunk (2005)

Chinese/Hong Kong

Romantic Comedy

100 minutes/ 2005

Synopsis: 

Siu Man (Miriam Yeung) is a sassy, cheerful bargirl who never gets drunk. One night she meets Mike (Daniel Wu), a restaurant owner who is dead drunk as he is depressed over his restaurant’s imminent closing. Siu Man takes pity on him and eventually finds herself charmed by Mike’s good nature and how easily he gets drunk. She decides to help Mike out with his restaurant as a friend… 

Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (Bollywood)

Hey Peps,

It's time for another review, but today I'll be sharing something different. I've got tons of bangali friends...okay, maybe only 3, and they're crazy people. Anyway, one of them forced me to watch a hindi movie.

AND I LOVED IT!!! haha

In Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, or otherwise called "Something Happens", Anjali and Rahul are best friends in college. One day, a girl named Tina transfers into their school from London and Rahul falls in love. However, Anjali also realizes her love for Rahul at the same time that she realizes that Rahul and Tina love each other. Unable to continue to be just friends with Rahul, she leaves without a trance, vowing to forget her heartbreak. Rahul and Tina get married and Tina dies shortly after giving birth to her daughter, who she names Anjali. Before her death, Tina had written 8 letters for her daughter, to be given to her one per year. The 8th letter told their love story from college. In that letter, Tina asks her daughter to reunite Rahul and Anjaji, so that they can both be able to be happy, because she knows that they were always meant to be. And little Anjali sets her plan into motion. In the end, her papa gets the love of his life, she gets a great mom and granny gets a mother-in-law to talk about at her get togethers with friends. The end!

This was such a sweet love story and was actually very funny, though it also had me crying like hell! Seriously! Certain parts were just too much for me to handle and I'll start blubbering! ESPECIALLY THE END!!! OMG!!! The only aspect I didn't like very much is the length of the musical parts of the movie. I understand that its a huge part of what makes Bollywood..well, Bollywood and that they helped the story along, but the longness of it and the repetitiveness made me fast forward through most of it.

Looney Express awards its first Bollywood movie a 4/5!! Hip Hip Hooray!!!! You can watch it on youtube!

Skip Beat! Season 1

OMG! I can't believe I forgot to write about this!

A few days ago I finally finished an anime I've started watching months ago. It's 25 eps longs and called Skip Beat. Anyone into anime would have most definitely heard about it. If there had to be one anime chosen to be the "Shojo Anime of 2009"... IT WOULD HAVE TO BE SKIP BEAT!!!! No other possible way!

Skip Beat follows the joys and woes of Kyoko Mogami. She use to be a very innocent girl who was extremely loyal to her childhood friend and love Sho Fuwa and she was happy living her life just doing his chores and cooking for him if it would help him achieve his dreams of becoming a star. She believed that she was as important to him as he was to her. WRONG!!!!! One day she overhears him telling another girl that she is only a maid to him, nothing special. That day, a new Kyoko is born. The one who is confident, tough as nails and going to become an actress and get revenge on Sho by becoming an even bigger star than him. Along the way, she makes her first best friend and finds a possible love interest. How will our heroine end up? Watch the anime and wait for the second season..or read the manga! *grin*

My Review: This anime is perfect if you want loads of laughs. Kyoko is such an interesting character. I've never seen anyone else like her. She sweet, and very hardworking, but also secretly has quite a temper. She never expresses her anger outwardly. She keeps it all in her mind where she hosts a gang of evil spirits whose aura can sometimes be felt by the object of her rage. hahaha This series is filled with endless hilarity and the plot is quite interesting. You see Kyoko has she auditions for parts and improves as an actor. Give it a try! I guarantee that you'll bust a bust while laughing!

Looney Express awards Skip Beat! a 4/5! YAY!

My name is Kim Sam Soon

Hello World,

Today is a drama review. I just finished watching 16 ep long "My name is Kim Sam Soon".

Here's the synonsis from dramawiki.com:

Kim Sam Soon (Kim Sun Ah) is a baker who has a talent in making pastries and cakes. On Christmas Eve, she caught her boyfriend, Min Hyun Woo (Lee Kyu Han), cheating on her and breaks up on the same night. On that same night, she accidentally went into the men's restroom and met Hyun Jin Hun (Hyun Bin), a somewhat callous fellow but sometimes considerate guy. By sheer coincidence, Jin Hun needs a baker for his restaurant Bon Appetit and Sam Soon is unemployed. Sam Soon is hired as the restaurant's chief baker and the two fights like cat and dog. Nevertheless, they started to have feeling for each other and Sam Soon agreed to post as Jin Hun's girlfriend so his mother would leave him alone. Things got complicated when Jin Hun's ex-girlfriend Yoo Hee Jin came back from the States intending to win him back.

I absolutely adored this drama. Kim Sam Soon is such an interesting woman. And she's so different from most of the heroins in the dramas. The main difference in this drama, is the fact the guy is dating a woman who is older than him. This is the first time I've seen this type of situation in a drama. This is a really great drama because of the fact that it felt a bit more realistic than other dramas. It was alot of fun and an emotional whirlwind. You sighed, cried, laughed, screamed and then did it all again! It's one of the best. Give it a try folks.

Looney Express gives this drama a 4/5! Lucky Lucky Sam Soon!

My Girl, Mean Girl Ah Chu & Alice Academy

...Getting sick of me? Three in one day!
This one's gonna be quick. Just thought I'd quickly review two dramas and an anime I'd just recently finished.

The first is a korean drama, My Girl.

Synopsis (http://www.koreandrama.org/?p=199)

Ju Yoo-rin (Lee Da Hae) is an imposter proficient in English, Chinese, and Japanese. Seol Gong Chan (Lee Dong Wook) is the second generation heir of a big corporation. Because of his grandfather’s illness, he’s forced to ask Yoo-rin to be his long-lost cousin so that his grandfather’s last wish can be fullfilled. So therefore, they both are bound in a lie that no-one in the family knows the truth. Kim Sae-hyun (Park Si Yeon) grew up in a rich family and dreams to become a tennis star with the nickname “Sharapova of Korea”. Her charm and intelligence attract many men. She and Yoo-rin have cutthroat competitions. Seo Jeong-woo (Lee Joon Ki) will fall also for Yoo-rin and finally learn to love that special someone.

My Review: This was a pretty good drama, overall. Usually when you encounter Romantic dramas like this, you end up finding yourself annoyed with the main character. The girl chases the guys saying how much she cares about him, all the while sobbing her heart out. I could never stand a girl who cries ALL the time. But YooRin in My Girl was completely different. She was more realistic and absolutely hilarious! Even though she cries, you understand her pain when she does, it's completely justified. This drama is the epitome of Romantic Comedy. It had a good dose of both aspects. The love and the development of their relationship was there within an amazing plot and absolutely endearing, but the comedy wasn't completely lost as it is in most romantic comedies. My only issue is that it moved a bit slow and I totally hated the main dude's ex-girl!!! Jeez, she was such a pain.
Looney Express awards My Girl with a4.2/5.

The next drama is Mean Girl Ah Chu:

Synopsis:

Ah Chu is a mean girl. Well, she looks that way. But, under her tough exterior, she is a kind-hearted and charitable modern day female chevalier. One day, this girl encounters a gentle and honest man named Ling Ping Zhi. But he's never been away from his mother and is very naive. Therefore, Ah Chu displays her chivalry and saves the bachelor in distress. Later when he enters the showbiz, she helps him manoeuvre the dangers of show biz.

My Review: This drama was....hmm...I have mixed feelings about this one. For one, it took me forever to finish, not because it was bad per say, but it wasn't good enough to compel me to watch either. And towards the end of the series, the main characters, especially Ah Chu began to really annoy me. I personally hate it when a couple clearly likes each other and one of them takes it upon themselves to do what they think is "right" for the other by breaking up! COMMUNICATION IS KEY, people!!! Geez..it really got me aggravated!

Looney Express gives Mean Girl Ah chu a 3/5.

And finally, Alice Academy.
 

Story:
Mikan and Hotaru,who are best friends, grow up in a small town in the remote countryside. Suddenly, Hotaru moves to a school for geniuses in Tokyo. Mikan misses Hotaru so badly that she decides to travel to Tokyo herself to find Hotaru. She finds Hotaru in a school called “Alice Academy,” and discovers that the school is actually for people with special powers called "Alices". Then, Narumi-sensei, a teacher at the school finds out that Mikan also happens to have an alice and he lets Mikan into the academy


In the academy, Mikan meets a mysterious kid named Natsume, who has the Fire alice and the most popular boy in the elementary division. In the beginning, Mikan hates him but she gradually starts liking him. Soon Natsume begins to care for Mikan and finally admits that he will do anything to protect her.

Mikan gradually meets some new friends like Yuu Tobita, the class president, and Ruka Nogi, a close friend to Natsume, and Sumire Shouda, the self-declared president to Natsume and Ruka's fan club.

 My Review: Ok.... I was really surprised that I LIKED THIS SO MUCH!!! Usually anime where little kids are the main characters annoys the crap out of me, but Alice Academy was just soo damn funny and entertaining. The characters, especially Mikan were so outrageous and one-of-a-kind that I couldn't help, but begin to like them. This is a pretty good anime, that has some substance, like it's not all just about hilarity, there's actually a real plot, though it's not developed until the very end. Overall, it was entertaining enough that I watched all 26 eps in two days! Keep this one someplace safe until you find yourself down in the dumps or really bored!
 
Looney Express gives it a 4/5.
 
Until next time, World! Don't miss me too much! HUGS X KISSES!

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street

Hey World,
It's me, again! Whoo..two posts in one day! GO ME!

Anyway...I just finished watching Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. And... IT WAS A TOTAL BUST!!!GOD!!! ONE OF THE LAMEST MOVIE I'VE EVER SEEN!

The Plot was lame, a barber gets falsely accused by a judge who wants his pretty wife, and so he gets sentence to life in Australia. He comes back 15 years later wanting revenge and learns that his wife killed herself after she was raped by the judge and that the judge still has his daughter. Then he goes nuts, killing everyone in sight when they come in to get a shave. He finally kills the judge and his wife by mistake because his partner in crime lied to him about his wife and she was actually the crazy old hobo lady. And he kills her too, before he gets killed by the little boy who they took in when Sweeney killed his master! What the hell?! Yea..I know!

And the ABSOLUTE worst part, is that if I'm gonna watch a movie where people's necks are being sliced..I don't want no lame, fake effects. Blood does not spray or gush like a flippin waterfall!!!

Man! This movie gets a 1.5/5 from Looney Express Reviews. And it only gets that much because Johnny Depp was in it!

Edward Scissorhands

Hello folks,

It's review time...a movie this time! Yay? Definetely, YAY!
So, I'm sort of in a Tim Burton movie binge these days. I've put it into my head to watch all of movies. I've already watched Nightmare before Christmas and Corpse Bride, but yesterday I got around to watching Edward Scissorhands.



The movie is about a gentle young man found alone in a big dark castle atop a hill that overlooks a small suburban town. The young man - Edward was artifically created by a scientist, however said scientist dies before he could finish Edward, leaving him with scissors for hands. So when Edward is found by the town's local Avon representative, he's brought to live with them and he soon falls in love with the woman's daughter.

Well, there's more to the story, but I don't really want to give up Spoilers, but guys...Edward is played by JOHNNNY DEPP!!! :D Want to watch it now? Seriously, this is a really endearing movie, if a bit stupid. Like seriously, why did the scientist wait so long to create his hands?!

Til next time,
faithfully yours,
Looney Express!

Ciao!

So I'm not Handsome (Taiwanese Drama Review)

Hello world,

It's been a while I know. I've been busy with school and life in general. Being a 17 year old is alot tougher than it should be!

Today I'm reviewing So I'm not Handsome, a 13 episode Taiwanese drama translated by DOREMI. The story revolves around a goofy trio of friends and their respective love lives. These three are seriously the NUTTIEST guys I've ever seen in theatre. This drama was the funniest I've ever watched. The comedy was clearly emphasized in this romantic comedy. IT IS A MUST WATCH!! Definetely being added to my faves list.

So I'm not Handsome receives a 5/5 from Looney Express Reviews!

Why Why Love (Taiwanese)

Hey Guys,

I'm back again for another drama review. Today's drama is a 15 episode long Taiwanese drama called WHY WHY LOVE. Rainie, Kingone and Mike He from DEVIL BESIDE YOU make another appearance in a heartwrentching tale of love, death, hardship and friendship.

Here's the summary from mysoju.com:
Tong Jia Di needs a life besides work, paying down family debt, and more work. So her best friend Jiang Xiao Nan sneaks in a “Love” coupon in Jia Di’s raffle box praying that the lucky guy who draws it will sweep Jia Di off her feet. As it so happens, Huo Yan, the compassionate manager Jia Di has secret crush on, is the lucky guy. But, tho' the prince can exchange the coupon for Cinderella’s love, it doesn’t mean he will, especially when his devilish younger brother is determined to exchange his “Master/Angel” coupon for her servitude.

The summary DOESNOT do the drama justice. This series will make you laugh and cry and sometimes both. It's also highly addicting. I watched all 15 episodes in three days!!! It's captivating from episode # 1!!!

Looney Express gives Why Why Love a 5/5!!! It's another FAVORITE!

1% of Anything

Hey guys,

It's review time! This time it's a 26 episode long korean drama filled with laughs, tears, angst and of course love. 1% of Anything shows viewers that even 1% is enough when it comes to love.


Here's the summary from mysoju.com (where I get my drama fix ^_^):
Kim Jung Hwa is a young and sincere middle school teacher, who has little interest in money. She is also extremely warm-hearted and loves to help other people. When she helps carry an elderly man's belongings from the train to another location, the elderly man is extremely thankful. This grandfather turns out to be the extremely rich owner of a well known conglomerate. His grandson, Kang Dong Won is a quick-tempered businessman who rivals his grandfather, but in an almost comical way. In an order to "tame" his favorite grandson, the grandfather agrees to give his entire fortune to the person who marries Kim Jung Hwa, therefore forcing Kang to meet the girl whom his grandfather chose. Although at first Kim and Kang don't get along because of Kang's extremely cute but bad temper, their arguments bring them closer together. Kang starts to get jealous when Kim's fellow teacher starts liking her too. Through the clever conditions that Kang's grandfather makes, Kang starts a relationship he does not look forward too. However, what looked like a relationship that would 99% not work out, turns out to be the "perfect" match, the 1% chance.

Check it out! It's definitely a good one. Looney Express rewards it with 4/5! WHOOP WHOOP!

The Circle Trilogy by Nora Roberts

Hey Guys,


Today is a Book Review:

The Circle Trilogy which consists of Morrigan's Cross, Dance of the Gods, and Valley of Silence is one of the best love stories of all time, in my opinion ( until I read something better that it =D) Nora Roberts's genius is clearly shown as she entertwines romance with fantasy, death and loss.

There is a powerful vampire by the name of Lilith whose only goal is to end humanity by Samhain Day (Halloween). The Gods give the duty of protecting humankind to a circle of six: the sorcerer, the witch, the shifter of shapes, the warrior, the scholar, and te one who was lost. There are 6 months left to the day of battle and the circle must gather.

Each book in the trilogy not only shows the progress of preparing for the big battle, but also focuses on a relationship between two of the six. Morrigan's Cross was essentially Hoyt (the sorcerer) and Glenna's (the witch) story. Dance of the Gods was Larkin (shifter of shapes) and Blake's (the warrior) story. And Valley of Silence was Moira (Scholar) and Cain's (one who was lost, also a vampire turned by Lilith) Story.

This seies was definitely an AWESOME read. I recommend it to anyone who's into romance and fantasy. It is very emotional and easily tugs at your heartstrings. You find yourself rooting for the circle of six and hating their enemies. When their friends die, you feel it and cry with them.


This Trilogy gets a 5/5 from Looney Express Reviews!

Love Contract (Taiwanese)

Hey Guys, It's time for a Drama Review.

I've just finished watching Love Contract, a taiwanese drama starring Mike He and Ariel Lin. It is the one of the most beautiful romance dramas i've watched from start to finish. It's soo touching that you can't hold back tears. Each character has his/her own conflicts that makes you feel for them.

Outwardly, Xiao Feng (Ariel Lin) is a stubborn tomboy and the captain of the Kendo Club at her college. In her group of friends, she is the leader with her demanding nature and abrupt ways. Inwardly however, Xiao Feng is a girl scarred by her past and searching for what she wants most, love. Her friends, Ah Kai (Zhang Rui Jia), Xiao Bai (Lai Zhi Wei ), Mu Tou (Lin Yi Hong), Xin Lei (Zhong Xin Yu, and, Xiao Xiao (Yang Pei Ting) don't know about that part of her past but they are all loyal friends to Xiao Feng; that is, until Xiao Bai and Ah Kai leave the Kendo Club for the Swim Team. Xiao Bai and Ah Kai are immediately regretful when the captain of the Swim Team, Ah Ken, turns out to be a captain as grueling as Xiao Feng. When one night Xiao Feng announces to her friends she wants love the most, Xiao Bai and Ah Ken devise a prank called the love contract. In exchange for finding swim team members to recruit, Ah Ken must court Xiao Feng.

~Summary from mysoju.com

This summary doesn't do the drama justice. It's not your typical happy love story. In addition to true love, this one is filled with angst, lost, sadness and acceptance. It brings out the romantic in us all. It's well worth the watch, guys. I guarantee that you wont be dissapointed.

This drama gets a rare score of 5/5 from Looney Express Reviews=D

Menkui!

Hey peps,
It's time for something new. Today's a MANGA REVIEW!!! WHOOP WHOOP!

Today's manga is a three volume boys love manga published by BLU. Kotori is a superficial person, easily enthralled by looks hence the title of the series. Menkui mean superficial in Japanese. However, what happens when a superficial person falls in love with a handsome guy..ie his best friend Akaiwa. Can their relationship really work with both having insecurities. I've only read all three volumes, and this manga is very cute. The story isn't really developed or otherwise it would've been a longer series, but it's good for a light entertaining read.

Looney Express Reviews gives Menkui! by Suzuki Tanaka-Sensei a 3/5.

Romantic Princess (Taiwanese Drama)

Hello Folks,
It's that time again! And NO, it's not my period. HARDY HARRHAR!
It's DRAMA REVIEW TIME!

I've recently watched the 13 episode long Taiwanese drama, Romantic Princess. It's spins the tale of the long lost grand daughter of the richest man in Asia. Raised in the middle class family, Xiao Mai is shocked and upset to find a limo in front of her house and being forced to live in a mansion with four very handsome guys(kyaa!). It gets even worst, as the sole hier to her grandfather corporation, she must marry his chosen successor Jin, who happens to be a jerk. What'll happen next you ask? What the drama, DUH!

Here's the summary from mysoju.com (where I get my drama fix):
Adopted by middle classed parents, Mai has always had a dream to be an heiress. Who knew that one day this dream would come true. Mai's biological grandfather is the head of a prestigous aristocratic family and after many years of searching, he finally finds his long lost granddaughter. As she starts her life as an heiress, everyday is filled with excitement, however, everything seems a bit different from what she had imagined them to be.

Even though, it was a great drama, the ending wasn't anything like what I expected. It was sort of boring compared to the rest of the drama, which was highly exciting!

Looney Express hereby gives Romantic Princess a 3.5/5.

Drama Review: Fated to love You

Hello Folks,
Todays's drama is Fated to Love you, which was one of the 20 recommended drama series on my soju.com (where i watch all my drama).

I've just finished watching the season finale and It was beautiful. This drama is totally going down on my fave list. The characters were completely loveable and easy to relate to. It was a truly beautiful story with an even more beautiful ending.

Here's the summary from mysoju.com:
A really unfashionable working class girl Chen Xin Yi has the desire to tie down her handsome boyfriend to be with her. Due to certain reasons, her boyfriend gets her to go on a love cruise and she started to ponder on how to lose her virginity and tie down her boyfriend. Xin Yi ended up getting drunk and went into Ji Cun Xi's room. Cun Xi is the sole male heir to his family's company and has been in love with his girlfriend, Anna, for a long time. He planned to propose to Anna on the boat but she didn't turn up on the cruise. An island owner added drugs into Cun Xi's drink and Cun Xi became disorientated and returned to his own room. Xin Yi and Cun Xi end up having a one night stand. Xin Yi later finds out that she's pregnant and Cun Xi's grandmother forces them to get married. Will a couple forced to marry for the sake of their unborn child find love with each other?

This summary only tells how it all begins. The drama is much more emotionally exciting.

This drama gets a 5/5 from Looney Express Review. Watch it here (http://www.mysoju.com/fated-to-love-you/), I guarantee you'll love it as much as I do! *CHEESE*

The 1st Stop of Coffee Prince

HEy World,
It's that time again! Don't know what I'm talking about..TSK TSK! REVIEW TIME!!!!!!! Today's review is on a cute romantic comedy I've just finished watching.

The 1st Stop of Coffee Prince tells the life of Go Eun Chan (Yoon Eun Hye) whose life is not easy; she works many jobs to pay off debts and even gave up her feminine image. Choi Han Kyul (Gong Yoo) is the heir of a big food company, but his grandmother wants him to settle down, so she arranged many dates for him. After Eun Chan bumped into Han Kyul and was mistaken for a boy, Han Kyul decided to hire Eun Chan to be his gay lover in order to avoid the arranged dates. Desperately in need of money, Eun Chan had no choice but to accept. Han Kyul's grandmother also made Han Kyul in charge of a filthy coffee shop in danger of being bankrupt. Eun Chan begged to work at the coffee shop, and not long after, feelings start to spark, except, how would Han Kyul accept his "homosexuality"? (summary from mysoju.com)

From episode 1 to 17, as a watcher I laughed more times than I could count, smiled, and cried. All of the characters are loveable and interesting. As good as the drama was, the ending could have been a bit better.

THIS DRAMA GETS A 4.2/5 FROM LOONEY EXPRESS REVIEWS!
Watch it here: http://www.mysoju.com/the-1st-shop-of-coffee-prince/