Tokyo Raiders apartment

 

It's been sooooo long!!  Gosh, I'm so sorry... This drawing took me longer than I expected!  I think I sketched it sometime late last year and took almost the whole year (It's already August!  ) to get it coloured...  Been busy with work and other online things. Hope you guys have been well! 

Tokyo Raiders is a Hong Kong film waaayyy back in 2000... When I saw it back in the day, I fell in love with the minimalist apartment which is located in Tokyo. At that time, raw concrete was all the rage with the likes of Tadao Ando architecture trending everywhere. You can check out the fight scene here

I tried my best to map out the layout plan of the circular apartment, it seems like Tony Leung (the main lead) was fighting in the study area first before back tracking to the kitchen area and finally making his escape via the staircase.  It would have been better to see more of the interior but yeah, hope you will enjoy this! I made a mistake with the position of the blue sofa, it should be facing the metal racks...  One more thing was that they had those open wardrobe/ storage with metal bars, also another trend which made its debut then.

The Beauty Inside review

Movie name: The Beauty Inside

Country: South Korea

Year: Aug 2015

I stumbled across this movie while surfing the Chinese movies channel on tv one day. The guy on screen was Turtle (I don't know his real name but in the kdrama Entourage his nickname was Turtle :D ) and he caught my attention. Wait a minute, this is a korean movie... what is it doing on this channel?! I stayed on that channel and ended up watching it. Haha!! I missed a little bit at the beginning but it was all good. 

So, what's this movie about?

Kim Woo Jin has this weird ability to morph into a different person every day. The moment he falls asleep the next day he wakes up with a different face, different body and sometimes, different gender. This phenomenon started one day when he was about 18 years old and his life was never the same after that. 

Due to his weird ability, he couldn't work like any normal person would. It was a good thing that he had a talent in making furniture and together with his good friend (Turtle) he became a furniture designer. He would work in the factory while his friend deals with marketing and meeting clients. They would operate online so they do not have a physical office which makes their furniture more exclusive and mysterious at the same time. 

One day, Woo Jin visited the local furniture warehouse and he saw Yi Soo working there. Somewhat like love at first sight, he would go there everyday with his different face and body just to talk to her as a customer. Stalker much?! ;D He knew he could never ask her out with the current face and body so he waited until one fine day, he woke up as a handsome young man. Like whattt??!! Smh...

The story goes on from there with Woo Jin trying to have a relationship with Yi Soo and the struggles that they both have to overcome with Woo Jin's strange morphing ability. 

Overall thoughts

This movie is unique because it tackles the perception of beauty. What beauty actually means, is it only physical appearance or the personality of the soul inside the outer shell that is our bodies. If I'm not mistaken it is adapted from a book or some western movie... The show is pretty slow moving but if you can sit through it, it does have some nice scenery of Czech Republic and artsy stuff.

Best parts of the drama

The furniture warehouse where Yi Soo worked, I'm not sure if Mamastudio really exists in South Korea but I think it is also the same place where Jay Park filmed his "All I wanna do" music video... ;D

As you already know I love design stuff, the furniture design in this movie is really nice... I love those chairs and tables etc..

Woo Jin's apartment in Czech Republic is pretty neat as well... Very quaint...

Notable scenes

The initial moment where Yi Soo found out about Woo Jin's strange ability, she wanders into his closet where he kept clothing, shoes of all sizes and even prescription glasses for any type of eyesight...

The part where Woo Jin grasps Yi Soo's hand telling her that's how to recognise him... A simple love language as holding hands with much meaning behind it... Aww sweet...

Conclusion

As with any relationship, there are problems to overcome. However, dating Woo Jin has taken a toll on Yi Soo's mental health. She started to have anxiety and had to take sleeping pills to sleep. I mean, who could blame the poor girl... Imagine you sleep with a guy you think is your boyfriend the next day you wake up and the person next to you is a totally different person... Your mind will be fcked up seriously...

Woo Jin decided to leave her because he could see she was in pain. Yi Soo's life went back to normal after that, she stopped taking the sleeping/ anxiety pills. However, Yi Soo realised that she had really fallen in love with him... Despite his appearance, she realised she fell in love with the soul inside the person... Huhu... some sad moments here... ;'(

She went to Turtle and managed to get Woo Jin's current location... It was in Czech Republic and he had launched a new furniture brand...She flew all the way there and when the door opened, Woo Jin recognised her at once but he pretended to be someone else. She told him that she was interested in his furniture and managed to get inside his apartment... Haha... Nice move girl! ;D

It's a happy ending everyone, don't worry! ;D Yi Soo held his hand and he broke down in tears.. Aww, he really loved her... The movie ends with girl proposing to the guy... Haha!! I'm not joking... it's really sweet. 

But the sweetest part was after she asked him to marry her, the guy pulled out a wooden box. Twist it open and the wedding ring is hidden inside. Dayummm!! Furniture designer moves man... hahah!! I think that's one of the simplest design of a wedding ring box but it looks soooo good... Noice. XD 

The end! The closing scene was the flashback of all the characters in slow motion walking towards her and finally the kiss. It's a sweet movie, if you have some time to waste you could give it a try but it is seriously a very slow moving show.

However, there one thing that I am disappointed with... That is there was no explanation on why Woo Jin has that weird morphing ability. It's like he's a mutant or something... :O And I'm wondering of the various people he woken up as... What happens to the original person of those bodies?! *flips table* 

Alright, thanks for reading.... I just realised the last guy is the same playboy in the movie, "Mood of the day"... XD No wonder he looked familiar. The girl is my fav from W-Two Worlds... I'll leave you with her pretty face, she really is beautiful! ;D 

*Image credits Google and my own screenshots*

What's wrong with Secretary Kim review

Drama name: What's wrong with Secretary Kim
Country: South Korea
Year: June- July 2018

This show was heavily promoted by my local cable tv and I saw many of the kdrama fans were talking about it as well. Park Seo Joon was starring in it and I was happy to see him again in a drama just right after he completed the reality series Youn's Kitchen where he worked as a part time waiter in Garachico. I managed to catch the repeat of the first episode on tv and started watching from there. 

So, what's this show about?

Aside the drama title, the show starts off with the male lead's life instead. Lee Young Joon is the most eligible bachelor as he is the vice-president of his family owned group of businesses. He exudes aura and is a narcissistic person. He thinks he is the best, most perfect person who will not lose at anything. 

Kim Mi-So is Young Joon's personal assistant or secretary of nine years. She had to start work young to pay off her father's debts and her sister's education. She was selected out of many applicants who had better education or experience. Young Joon made her his personal secretary and she struggled at her job as she did not know many things such as languages and corporate life. 

Slowly but surely Mi So improved herself with Young Joon's powerful work drive. He pushed her to the limits as he believed that was the only way to succeed in life. One day, Mi So had enough and decided to quit. She wanted to find herself as she felt she had been living someone else's life for the past nine years. 

This is where the story actually begins, Young Joon tries to figure out what's wrong with secretary kim, why she wanted to resign and does everything to keep her by his side. While in the process of doing so, Mi So discovers Young Joon's hidden childhood secret which ultimately involves her as well. 

Overall thoughts

I was expecting some office power struggle kind of drama with romance thrown in. But I was so so wrong, it was totally a romance drama with very little substance. It almost doesn't make any sense, that being in close proximity for nine years... Nine freaking years and no chemistry??! Oh come on... It's not like Mi So is ugly or anything, she even ties his tie everyday... Unbelievable. Smh. It had too much cheesy love scenes, from dating to proposal and finally marriage. In fact, the drama title should be re-named as How Secretary Kim got married instead. 

Best parts of the drama

The architecture and interiors of this drama is really nice. Very minimalist and modern, I like it very much. Starting with Young Joon's house, which I believe is actually not a house but an art gallery or some sort... 

The night view of his house is really beautiful when it is all lit up... 

Besides his house, his office suite and office building is really cool too... 

There was a library featured in this drama as well and the design is worth a mention here... 

Other than interiors, my favourite is cars! :D Especially Maserati... Love, love, love! <333 

The storyline was really flat, in fact there was little story at all to be honest. I actually found the side characters more interesting than the two leads story. At least there was some comedic relief...

Notable scenes

There are several scenes from this drama which were memorable. The first goes to the amusement park night where Young Joon booked the whole place for a date with Mi So, complete with fireworks, boat ride and all... 

The love making scene which took like thirteen episodes to happen... XD 

Yes, yes I know girls are screaming at Park Seo Joon's body there... but if you remember he was already shirtless earlier... ;D 

And of course not forgetting the marriage proposal.... Who can forget his singing with the piano and beautiful cascading waterfall behind there?! 

Conclusion

As I have mentioned earlier, the storyline is really lacking. The backstory of their childhood experience was that Young Joon and Mi So were kidnapped by a mentally unstable lady. She had wanted to kill both of them but because of Young Joon's reasoning with the woman, she changed her mind. She hung herself to death at that abandoned house. 

That was how Young Joon had his fear of twist ties as he was bound up tightly with it that night. It left a scar on his ankles. He also had a fear of kissing women as each time he tries to kiss the memories of the dead woman will appear in his mind. Mi So had the fear of spiders because Young Joon did not want her to see the dead woman hanging from the ceiling so he bluffed her it was a giant spider. 

How Young Joon's brother was involved in all of this was that he had massive guilt which made his memory shut down and swap identities. I'm not sure about this maybe those in psychology or psychiatry can explain this behaviour. 

Nevertheless, we all know it is a happy ending... Young Joon and Mi So got married and lived happily ever after...(Well, not sure about their real life dating rumours if they really are then kdrama fans dream comes true for a Park- Park couple! ;D) As for Mi So finding herself, she realised that her dream is to be Young Joon's secretary because that's what she does best. What??!! *Flips table* ... XD 

Would I recommend this drama? Hell no! Hahah!! Sorry not sorry, this is one drama which I dislike. But if you are into fluffy romance dramas then this would a drama you might like. A lot of kissing scenes to keep those fans happy... 

Alright then, until the next drama I'll leave you with Mr. Aura Park Seo Joon! ;D 

*Image credits Dramabeans, Saint Google and my own screenshots*

Wok of Love Greasy Melo review

Drama name: Wok of Love/ Greasy Melo 
Country: South Korea
Year: May- July 2018

This show was in the list of dramas to watch in May 2018 featured on the Korean drama disqus channel which I am following. I saw the cast was Jang Hyuk and Jun Ho so I gave it a go. It was airing on my local cable tv so it was convienent as well... ;D 

So, what's this drama about?

Seo Poong is a Michelin star chef (not sure how many stars I forgot) working in a Chinese restaurant of Giant Hotel. He worked hard to reach his current position and everything seemed to be going well on the surface. He was about to get married and there were rumours of him being promoted to be the top chef of the restaurant. 

As Poong was going about his marriage preparations, he met Dan Sae Woo. Sae Woo is a governer's daughter and she is getting married as well. They met at the local bridal centre and later again at the hotel restaurant as she had booked a big dinner there. But during the dinner, she wanted Jjangmyeon (black bean noodles) which was not served in the hotel. She recognised Poong and demanded him to make her one bowl as she had not eaten the whole day. 

Poong had to go across the street from the hotel to a small Chinese restaurant to get some black bean sauce. The Chinese restaurant named Hungry Wok was run by an ex-gangster named Doo Chil-Sung. Poong managed to get the sauce but he didn't manage to cook the noodles because of the run-in with Chil Sung's men. Suffice to say, Sae Woo did not get to eat the noodles but she invited both Poong and Chil Sung to her wedding. Poong thought that was the last time seeing her. 

Then Poong got married with his fiance. However, it turned out that his fiance was cheating on him and the guy she was cheating with is the hotel's CEO. Poong got dumped the very next day after his marriage. (Yeah, this is really s*!) On top of that, he was framed by the hotel CEO and lost his job. 

Everything went downhill for Poong. It was then that he remembered the restaurant opposite the hotel, Poong went there and gave a proposal to Chil Sung. He wanted to use that restaurant to take revenge on the hotel CEO as well as the chef from the hotel restaurant. 

The story goes on with Poong trying to keep Hungry Wok afloat, handling Chil Sung's men, love interest with Sae Woo and lastly revenge on the lost of his job at the hotel restaurant.

Overall thoughts

The show reminded me a lot of Pasta, only in an updated version. The female lead character is like a total  "bimbo", dumb but rich girl this time. To be honest, she annoyed me a lot because she seemed so dumb being a governor's daughter like she never did anything in her life before. The part which pissed me off the most was when she took a loan for her horse to undergo surgery. That was like WTF moment, when your father is arrested, thrown in jail and all you think about is your horse??!!

Best parts of the drama

Chil Sung's apartment, his bedroom and kitchen is really nice. Love it... <3

The bromance between Poong and Chil Sung... To be honest, they were the only reason for me to continue watching this drama...

I read some comments that this show has become somewhat a makjang (food drama) I'm not too sure about that but the food featured definitely looks yummy! :D Tangsyuk (Sweet and sour pork), Jjangmyeon, Tang bao (I think it's a giant soup dumpling) and Almond tofu...

Some finer dishes served at the hotel restaurant and during the final cook-off battle...

It seems that this drama featured a lot of prawns/ shrimps... I feel hungry now... :D

I am wondering if Hungry Wok actually exists in South Korea... maybe someone can please tell me the location?!

Last but not least, Dim Sum the little kitten!! Aww, he's too cute... I'm glad they had a kitten in the show... it redeemed the show somewhat... XD

Notable scene

There seems to be a fascination with bus stops in kdramas... I have no idea why! The bus stop scenes in this drama seem to stand out for me... esp the one where Jang Hyuk brought the umbrella...

Conclusion

With the half assed writing of this story, I'm glad they cut short the episodes from 40 to 38... but then again some comments said that the ending was too abrupt. They didn't cover much of Poong's revenge on the CEO and what about his ex-fiance? No closure from there.

Also, the final battle between the two restaurants with the wager on was a tad bit ridiculous. It's like gangster style to settle debts. There is a happy ending nonetheless, Poong won the cook-off and everyone moved into the hotel restaurant... What?! Yeah, seriously mind blown to this point now...

What about the couple? Poong and Sae Woo ended up together, working in the hotel restaurant and Poong suggesting for them to get married (again) No disappointments for kissing fans though, there are enough kisses to keep you happy I presume... XD Jun Ho is quite a good kisser and the female lead is good as well.

Should you watch this drama? Nope. Unless you are a Jang Hyuk fan and you'll get to see him eat, grate dance, looking badass with sunglasses even at night and wearing a cowboy hat... XD Jang Hyuk my man, please come back as the badass butt kicking guy on screen which I know and love! Jaebal (please) Hahaa... yes I heard his next drama he will star as a MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) guy... lots of abs to see I guess?! ;D

Until then, keep eating Chinese food y'all! Jun Ho says so... XD

*image credits Dramabeans, Google and my own screenshots*