The Perfect Match (Taiwan)

Drama name: The Perfect Match
Country: Taiwan 
Year: Mar - Aug 2017 

Oh wow, it's really been so long since I last updated... My apologies, have been not much in the mood to watch anything current... plus daily life stress... Hope everyone is doing well and healthy. This drama came out in 2017, almost 3 years ago... I started Episode 1 but then left it on hold all these while... haha! Decided to pick it up again and it was quite nice! 

So, what's this drama about?

Hou Tingen is a Cordon Bleu trained top chef who is in charge of La Mure, one of the finest restaurants around. He is famous for lobster curry and one day he stumbles across an internet article which boasts a street food version of his signature dish at incredibly affordable price. He sets out to the night market to check out if the claims were true. 

Tingen meets Wei Fenqing, the street food vendor who claimed that her lobster curry sandwiches were just as good as the top chef's dish. He challenged her on the spot and prepared his curry sandwich using Fenqing's ingredients for the local folk to sample. Everyone there was blown away by his food. Fenqing's ego was hurt, she went to Tingen's restaurant the very next day to taste his lobster curry. 

She challenges Tingen to a battle, that within 7 days she can make the lobster curry just as good as his, provided that he would teach her how to cook it. Haha, I know right... the story line is already kinda ridiculous right from the start... But yeah, that's how it goes... 

The drama continues with Tingen teaching Fenqing how to cook his signature dish and how their relationship developed within the 7 days with family history secrets coming out and eventually threatening their love for each other. 

Overall thoughts

It is a light hearted rom-com, with not many really bad villians... The leads had good chemistry and the supporting cast were good, thus creating an enjoyable watch with the warm friendships from the night market crew. This drama is a bit cliche with the chaebol and poor girl kind of theme (if you are familiar with Korean dramas you'll know what I mean!) However, if you have watched Pasta or Wok of Love, this drama is definitely better than those two combined! 

Best parts of the drama

As with any food dramas, your eyes will have a food feast with all the fine dining dishes and also some Taiwanese street food! The show also starts off with some curry history which is kinda nice to know... 

Huo Tingen's apartment is really nice, please excuse the shirtless screenshots... :D 

As I have mentioned, the leads have good chemistry together. You'll have the full usual romance scenes, from scooter ride to rain and umbrellas.. princess dancing and eventually the kiss... ah, for such which girls would be super happy to get in a rom-com! :D

Tingen's food truck! It's a refurbished VW van... 

Notable scenes

Okay, this is what everyone is waiting for... yup, the super steamy first kiss! Man, Chris Wu can really kiss... you won't be disappointed! XD

Special mention

I had to mention this character from the drama, Xiaobin. He is Tingen's best friend and also right hand man. Haha, he's super funny, loyal and the bromance between them brings the comedy in... 

Conclusion

Okay, this is the part where the drama became kinda draggy... I read the comments and reviews online, and I do agree with them. As usual, there will be some kind of conflict between the leads and makes them separate for awhile. It turns out that Tingen's step dad and Fenqing's dad were supposed to be business partners back then. Fenqing's dad had the recipe for the curry, which Tingen's step dad stole after the guy got into a scooter accident on the roadside. 

With that stolen recipe, Tingen's step dad managed to build the empire which is what Tingen and his step brother are running at the moment. The leads separated because Fenqing's mum did not allow her daughter to marry the step son of the man who might have caused the death of her husband (Fenqing's dad) 

So with all drama ridiculousness, Fenqing inherits the empire and runs it like a boss. Sometimes, I wonder what script writers aim to build in people's minds... haha, I mean just imagine, she's just a street food vendor and then within 7 days or maybe a couple of months after and she can become the top chef of a Cordon bleu standard. It's just a bit stretched to me. 

But yeah, that's how the story is, Fenqing and Tingen's roles were reversed... Tingen became a food truck vendor serving food to make people happy, but he himself was not happy... the irony... 

It's a happy ending, don't fret just yet! The second lead decides to help them and brings them back together with a lawsuit. Yes, kinda like how they started.... Fenqing's group is suing Tingen for making a cheap version of their coronation chicken (a recipe which both Tingen and Fenqing developed together) So yeah, it was an awkward moment with the lawyer and everyone present. 

The leads get back together after that when mainly Tingen confessed his everything to her at the lawyers meeting. It was quite cheesy. Anyways, the drama ends with both parties running to each other (yes, true drama style) and kissing. The end. 

It's an okay drama, for those who love rom-com this would a nice one to watch if you have time to waste. I wouldn't recommend this much. It does depend on your mood, if you want a light hearted drama with romance and not too much heartache this would be okay. 

Alright then, hope you are staying safe and at home, with the covid-19 at large. See you in days to come. I'll leave you guys with Tingen and Fenqing... 

Suspicious Partner review

Drama name: Suspicious Partner
Country: South Korea
Year: May- July 2017

Wow, this drama has taken me more than a year to write its review! ^_^V Haha, I was chasing this series when it was aired each week and it took me a long time to recover from it... :D I came to know about this drama as it was Ji Chang Wook's last drama before he enrolled for military service. I liked him from The K2, so I decided to watch it. Was fortunate that it was aired on my local cable TV so I didn't have to watch it online. 

So, what's this drama about?

Eun Bong Hee is training to be a prosecutor when she met Noh Ji Wook, a prosecutor on the subway train. She thought that he had molested her and accused him of it. She made a huge fuss and blocked him from getting off at his stop.

She thought she had done good by getting her revenge but then she discovers that her boyfriend was cheating on her. She caught him at the hotel lobby and in her anger, she blurted that the next guy she bumps into she will sleep with him.

Now, Noh Ji Wook was at the hotel as well and he saw everything. He heard what Bong Hee said and he decided to help her. He got up and bumped into her. Shocked, she realised it was the guy from the subway earlier but because of her dare she went off with Ji Wook in front of her boyfriend.

She had a couple of drinks and she passed out. She woke up the next morning in Ji Wook's house. Thinking it was just a one night stand, she went on with her life.

To her horror, three months on she was assigned to Noh Ji Wook's prosecutor office. She realised it was him but then pretended that nothing happened. She worked hard but then tragedy strikes...She told her ex-boyfriend (the one she caught cheating at the hotel) to take his things back from her apartment.

There was a blackout that night, Bong Hee went down to buy something at the convenience store. Her ex came and then he was murdered at her apartment. She was accused of killing him and Noh Ji Wook was the prosecutor for the case.

However, Ji Wook helped her and he lost his job as a prosecutor. Bong Hee was set free but the stigma stuck with her. Her ex boyfriend's father is the head prosecutor and he was so dead set that Bong Hee had killed his son.

The rest of the story goes on with Bong Hee trying to find the killer of her ex while facing much opposition from the head prosecutor and her relationship with Noh Ji Wook.

Overall thoughts

I thought it was going to be a fluffy rom-com but after the first episode, it was like whoa! It got serious so fast and intriguing as well. You would want to continue watching to find out who is the killer and why.

Best parts of the drama

Noh Ji Wook's house, before and after he transformed it to be a home office...

Ji Chang Wook of course... ;D He looks extra hot with glasses on...

The bromance between Ji Wook and his best friend, Eun Hyuk...

The chemistry between Ji Wook's team... Lots of laughter...

Special mention

I contemplated putting Chief Bang here but then I felt this frenemy deserves a special mention. She is Bong Hee's classmate and also the girl whom the boyfriend cheated with. She also blamed Bong Hee for his death. For most part of the drama she was really the b* you want to hate, but at the end her character warmed up.

Conclusion

Bong Hee managed to find the killer in the end, the part where the killer actually came and befriended them was just so heart stopping. Fantastic job by Dong Ha portraying this character, he really gave me the chills with his smirk and insane look... :D So different from his role in Chief Kim drama.

The reason he killed the ex boyfriend was that he thought that the boyfriend was Bong Hee. He had killed an earlier person and was on the rooftop at that blackout night. However, he did not know that Bong Hee is near sighted so she couldn't have recognised him from across the building. Basically, the ex boyfriend was at the wrong place at the wrong time.

Meanwhile, why the killer was on the spree of killing others was that he was avenging the death of his high school sweetheart. Apparently he suffers from a shock and he could not remember that actually he was part of the gang who sexually assaulted that girl. The girl took her own life after that. He only remembered that the perpetrators got away scot-free and that's why he decided to become Judge Dredd bringing them to justice... Well, in this case, death. :O

As for the main couple, there is a happy ending despite their struggles. The last episode is basically how couples behave when they are together for some time while being in love, bickering and also juggling their careers in between. I was cringing because I was kinda let down by the ending of the case.

I felt there wasn't much of a closure for the killer and the writer just ended the script abruptly to cater to the romance of the last episode. Overall, it's an okay drama. I enjoyed it and I have seen many good comments saying that it is the best drama and all that...

You could watch this solely for the thrill and mystery of the killer for most part of this series. If you are those who absolutely love romance, this drama will appeal to you for sure. The chemistry between Ji Wook and Bong Hee is good, there are rumours too that they are dating in real life... ;D

That's about it. For those wondering if Bong Hee and Ji Wook slept together or not, it was revealed during the epilogues after each episode... I watched it on TV so I didn't miss any, but I read that those who watched it online did not know what happened because the epilogues were not included. 

The answer is no. Both the first and second time also they did not sleep with each other. Bong Hee was on top of Ji Wook and then she passed out. Second time, Ji Wook on top of her and he too passed out. There, you can thank me now. XD 

Thanks for reading. I'll leave you with the cute bunnies from this drama... ;D

I Can Speak movie review

Movie name: I Can Speak

Country: South Korea

Year: Sept 2017

This movie was featured on the Disqus kdrama channel some time ago... It caught my eye because of the actor Lee Je Hoon, and I was curious to know what was the story about. I seldom watch Korean movies mainly because I am not very aware of their titles but it is always nice to watch something new... :D 

So, what's the movie about?

Rookie civil servant, Park Min Jae was just transfered to Seoul in the municipal council like office. His job was to file complaints from the public regarding facilities, amenities and etc. As all new brooms sweeps clean, Park was stickler for rules. He meets a halmoeni (grandma) on the first day of his job. 

This grandma named Na Ok-Boom is a resident "complainer"... Haha... Yes, she would be at that office almost every day to report on things so much until everyone there is scared of her. XD Her first encounter with Park was quite memorable... Hahah scary man, don't mess with this old lady!! 

She made sure to take numbers for the following occasions and Park could say nothing but to process her complaints. Aigoo! Told you don't mess with ladies... esp grandmas... XD 

So, the daily meetings between Park and the grandma wasn't as pleasant as you can already guess! ;D It was not until one day at a language centre that changed everything. Grandma Na was taking English classes there but it was not friendly towards older folks... :( All seemed hopeless until she bumped into Park downstairs. She was so excited to find out that he could speak English fluently and decided to ask him to teach her. 

Park asked her why she wanted to learn English but Grandma Na never said the reason. He refused her offer and she continued to harrass him... even finding his mobile number! Hahah!! This grandma is daebak! :D 

Park finally relented after one evening at Grandma Na's place. Park has a younger bro, but he has no time to take care of him so the bro would always eat ramyeon sometimes even uncooked ones. Grandma Na found the bro one day eating uncooked ramyeon and offered food to him. She didn't know that it was Park's younger bro. 

The rest of the story goes on with Grandma Na learning English and Park finds out the reason why she wanted to learn it. 

Overall thoughts

It is a heart warming story with the relationship between Park and Grandma Na. It was really neat to hear Lee Je Hoon speak English! Ooh my hearteu... XD I actually watched this movie with two online friends on Rabbit and I found myself crying so much at the end! Huhu!! ;D 

Best parts of the movie

Definitely the interaction between Grandma Na and Park... Very touching, I found it refreshing from the usual kdramas of the usual romance... For once they featured a family love kind of bonding... 

The part where Park challenged Grandma Na to speak to foreigners in a bar for 5 minutes... Haha, that was so cool she killed it! ;D 

Even neighbourhood gangsters are no match for Grandma Na! :D

Conclusion

By now you must be dying to know why Grandma Na wants to learn English... ;D Well, it is because of her friend. Her friend was a witness for an international lawsuit in United Nations. Grandma Na and her friend were one of the many "comfort women" during the Japanese occupation in Korea. These women were only young girls about 12- 13 years old back then. They were captured, tortured and sexually abused. Her friend was sick and started to have dementia so it was her last request to Grandma Na to tell the world about the wrong doings of that era.

It was shameful to many as the stigma was that these women voluntarily became comfort women but in actual fact they were captured and forced to do it. This part really made me so angry, serious s* people use your brains who would volunteer to be that? Stupid.

When Park found out, he went all out to help Grandma Na. Even to the very last moment during the hearing... He came and Grandma Na could give her testimony without fear. It was a really brave moment for an old lady. Salute.

This part is actually based on a true story. I remember some news back then that there was such a case and the Japanese refuse to apologise. It was like admitting their fault so they never said sorry. Dayum.

The story ends on a good note, the resolution was passed but as said earlier no apology was ever given by the Japanese government. Grandma Na reunites with her long lost brother in US, for all these years she tried to contact him but he refused to see her because of that stigma. Park had helped her contact the bro... aww that was really so sweet... Lots of onions here.. yes... ;D

Now Grandma Na is travelling around the world, giving her testimony to different levels of authority. The ending scene was funny, when the immigration officer in San Francisco airport asked her if she could speak English....

This movie definitely is a heart warming one. It touches on the human side of the atrocities of war and it serves as a grim reminder to everyone. :( I did feel disturbed after watching this movie but am glad that such shows are made to tell some parts of history. Hope you enjoyed this review, see you in the next one soon...

*Image credits: Google and my own screenshots*

Voice Korean drama review

Drama name: Voice
Country: South Korea
Year: Jan- Mar 2017

When I first heard about this drama some time late 2016, I was excited because Kim Jae Wook was going to be in it! 

So, what's this drama about?

Basically it is about two people who team up to find the killer of their loved ones. Moo Jin Hyuk is a serious crime detective and he was always busy chasing criminals. So much that he hardly has any time for his wife and son. One night, his wife was brutally murdered and his life changed forever. He vowed to hunt down the killer and was nicknamed, "Crazy dog" by all the other police officers. 

Kang Gwon Joo graduated from police academy with top marks and she started working in the emergency call centre 112. Her father is also a police officer and it was during the same night where Jin Hyuk's wife called the 112 call centre that her father also died. He was killed by the same killer while being dispatched to check out the situation. Gwon Joo has this special ability to hear more sounds than normal people do, so she actually heard everything which happened that night over her father's walkie-talkie radio.

Unfortunately due to corrupt police and political influence, the murder case was quickly closed and the supposed killer was not charged due to lack of evidence. This made Jin Hyuk furious and he blamed Gwon Joo for her testimony. Meanwhile, Gwon Joo left South Korea to study in the States. 

Three years later, Gwon Joo returns to the police force as a professional voice profiler. She uses her talent and ability to set up a "Golden Time Team", where within 20 minutes of an emergency call being received the police will be sent out to the crime scene. She recruits Jin Hyuk in the team and it was rough at first because he still blamed her for the release of the supposed killer. 

As the cases come in, Jin Hyuk begun to trust Gwon Joo more and eventually they both work together to find the real killer. 

Overall thoughts

I started the drama really excited and the first episode I had guessed who the real killer was already... Haha! It was his smile under the hoodie... ;D But as each case progressed, I got really scared! It was really nail biting and the suspense was real. I stopped the drama and only finished it recently. 

Best parts of the drama

Jang Hyuk!! This is the first time watching him, I fell in love instantly... Haha! He's so badass... very good actor, he delivered Moo Jin Hyuk's character to point... 

Kim Jae Wook of course XD...as the crazy psychotic killer Mo Tae Gu... I actually think he's so hot as a murderer... how can this be I must be insane as well... The best scene he was bathing in blood... Omooo.... 

The crime cases were really scary and it got a bit gory to some point. So I won't put any pics for those... Besides that, Gwon Joo's apartment is pretty sweet. It has the soundproofing so she could actually sleep without the slightest sounds... 

If you remember this villa, it was featured in Seven First Kisses with Lee Joon Gi... and also Uncontrollably Fond (I didn't watch that drama but I read some comments it was the same place) 

Officer Oh's mini cooper... ;D Well, not really best part but I like cars as you can see... XD

Notable scene

I think the scenes where Jin Hyuk finally meets Mo Tae Gu face to face... It got really interesting from that point on... 

Conclusion

With all the suspense built up throughout the series, the ending was a bit short and some suggested weak even. I do agree to some point, maybe I was expecting more craziness from the psychotic part. Jin Hyuk arrested Mo Tae Gu as he was caught red-handed trying to kill Dae Shik (Jin Hyuk's right hand man) but then he escaped. The final showdown was between Mo Tae Gu and Gwon Joo on the rooftop... 

The reason Mo Tae Gu became the killer he is now was due to a trauma when he was 12. He witnessed his own father killing someone and not long after that his mother committed suicide because of it. His mental illness escalated from there. There was finally closure for both Jin Hyuk and Gwon Joo that their loved ones can now rest in peace. 

As I just completed this series, season 2 has been confirmed. I'm not sure if I will watch it but if the reviews are good enough I just might give it a go... ;D

Thanks for stopping by, I've been lazy to write reviews nowadays... I shall leave you with the psychotic killer Mo Tae Gu!