Series of Movies
I have realized that I haven’t been writing for a while, mainly because I thought there was nothing worth writing. But then I noticed that I have been going to the movies a lot lately, and most of the stuff I saw was very well below average. So I decided to write about these particular movies I have seen in the last two months, in chronological order. Here we go.
1. Bounty Hunter
I don’t know why I do this to myself. Although the trailer might seem promising, I must learn that if Jennifer Aniston is in it, I must not see that movie. Hollywood people are genius about making amazing trailers out of crap, and I must learn to accept that fact. But since I can be pretty naive, I went and sat through this.
Of course, I’m exaggerating a little bit. It’s not that bad. It’s about this bounty hunter guy, Gerard Butler, who gets the assignment to bring in her ex-wife, Jennifer Aniston. He’s really happy about this, since he “hates” her, and she “hates” him back. But it turns out that, yes, they’re actually still in love. The plot is totally see-through, but still, it could have been handled more tastefully, because it actually starts out pretty promising, but turns out the 2-hour ride gets bumpy and awkward.
You get to laugh at some stuff, and Gerard Butler is nice to look at, and he plays this dirty guy, one you expect will spill stuff on his shirt while he eats. There’s nothing wrong there. The chemistry is not bad either, since we know for a fact that these two have got in on in real life. But after a while you don’t understand what all the drama is about and wish that those two can get just get the sex over and done with. It can get surprising at times (not oh-my-god surprising, more very-hollywood-romantic-comedy surprising), and it can be nice to borrow as a dvd if you have friend who actually purchased it, but I wouldn’t bang my head on the wall because I missed it. I think Jennifer Aniston should just sit back and spend the millions of bucks she made during Friends, but who am I to talk.
Rating: 5/10 – Keep your focus on Gerard.
2. Remember Me
Now, this one is a real gem. Ever since I saw it, I’ve been telling everyone who will talk to me about this. I believe this is as low as Hollywood can ever get. I just don’t understand how the people who made this movie saw it and said: “Well, it works”. Their reaction should have been same as mine: “I can’t believe Robert Pattison can’t save this movie”.
I am a sucker for a pretty face, and will watch Brad Pitt recite poetry on big screen (of course, if he doesn’t have that homeless beard). So I thought that Robert Pattison might be nice to look at. And the poster seemed all nice and romantic. But as soon as the movie actually started, I realized that I just made a huge mistake. Robert Pattison is a college student, whose brother committed suicide a few years back, and of course it has taken its toll on the family. Emilie de Ravin has also seen tragedy, when her mother was shot by two muggers at a subway station when she was just a kid. You get a picture of their families and there’s this stupid kid sister of Robert, who’s being bullied by the “cool girls” at her school, because she’s “weird”, but she’s actually just hoping her father will speak to her once in a while blah blah. The plot is just too boring to tell.
There’s this independent/the camera moves around too much vibe to it, and sometimes you want to slap the hell out of the characters. And no, Robert Pattison can’t save the movie, and neither can Pierce Brosnan (who is the only thing that’s worth watching, though he’s kind of awkward there), Chris Cooper or any of the other people. The only thing that’s just bit nice is the very end. Not the “after 6 months” part, but the part before that. I have to hand it out to them, it’s good. Still not good enough though.
Rating: 2/10 – Recommend it to people you hate, and tell them to go alone.
I’ll write some other movies later. I just wanted to share these two because they’re the worst of the lot. It will get better. Or we would be in big trouble.
Add comment June 14, 2010
nazomi
Tags: bounty hunter, gerard butler, jennifer aniston, movie, remember me, robert pattison
I Do Love Beirut
I’ve recently been to Beirut. Beirut is not one of those places I wanted to go to, but an opportunity presented itself, and I said “why not”. I really didn’t know what to expect, because you hear all these stories about the Middle East, but hey, it’s only an hour and a half by plane. So I went there, and I was pleasantly surprised. It’s so amazing. The new Downtown district has been completely rebuilt, and looks as posh (or even posher) as any European city. The restaurants are top notch, the food is better than anything I’ve tasted. The nightlife is enough to satisfy anyone. The people are actually nice, as far from snobbery as can be. All of them speak English (and usually French, too) so communicating is never a problem. I would recommend it to anyone.
Since I have to go to a bookstore in each country I go to and browse every English title, it’s no surprise that I loaded up on books. I read in Time Out Beirut about this book called Beirut, I Love You: A Memoir by Zana El Khalil and I had to give it a read. I finished it yesterday, and I really can’t decide if I like it or not. The writer, Zana El Khalil, is an artist. She lived in Nigeria and USA. She moved to Beirut for college, after the war, as the city was just getting used to peace. It’s sex, party and rock’n roll for the people. How nightlife was a must for everyone, because that’s how people forgot. She talks about September 11, when she actually watched the towers go down in New York, and she actually had to move back after people began to give her the evil eye. She makes some good points, on how American TV series gives us the feeling that our lives are just not cool enough, how everyone has a better living experience in New York etc. How NYC gives people freedom, one that is difficult to find in the Middle East. She talks about the war, of course, and how people began to “get used to it”. It’s heartbreaking.
Since it’s a memoir, she mostly talks about the people in her life. Many, many men in her life, and how dysfunctional each one of them was. Her best friend, Maya, who helped her stick to Beirut in times of difficulty. But mostly, this is a love letter to Beirut. She identifies herself with Beirut on every level. When Beirut is drowning, so is she. She stays in Beirut through thick and thin, though she has a foreign passport, she just can’t bring herself to live.
She uses brilliant imagery, though sometimes it’s disturbing. Mostly it’s describing things. Short dialogues and strange events. But you really get a vivid picture of what’s going on, both in the author’s mind and in Beirut at that time. It helped me get a better insight into what’s happened, though that shouldn’t be the reason you read it, since it won’t be enough on that front. It’s just a different read, something fresh and original.
This is her artwork, and this was her blog during the last war in Beirut.
1 comment March 5, 2010
nazomi
Tags: beirut, lebanon, zana el khalil
You’re Both Beautiful and Amazing
It’s been a while since I posted anything. I don’t want to lie and say that I didn’t have any time, because let’s face it, time is something I can definitely be sparing, but I just didn’t do anything worth writing about. (I mean book/drama/movie/manga wise, of course) But lately I’ve been back to life, and I finished watching the drama You’re Beautiful.
For those of you who are living an the moon, this drama aired last year in Korea. It’s plot is very original (!), for a Korean drama at least: a girl, Go Mi Nyu, who is about to become a nun, disguises herself as her twin brother, Go Mi Nam, to join a band, called A.N.Jell: consisting of Jeremy, a semi-stupid, fun guy; Shin Woo, a gentle, composed guy; and Tae Kyung, the arrogant, sexy main guy. They live together in this amazing house where Go Mi Nyu causes all kinds of trouble, especially to Tae Kyung. Things get even more complicated when the idol Yoo He Yi, who has a thing for Tae Kyung, learns about this secret and uses it to her advantage. On the sideline, the reason Go Mi Nam wanted to become an idol in the first place was to find their mother, who had left them when they were a baby. Since Korea is small, could it be that Tae Kyung’s mother had something to do with it?!
I really like this drama. The soundtrack is amazing, and I really wanted to attend an A.N.Jell concert. Jan Geun Suk, who plays Tae Kyung, at the beginning, is annoying as hell, but gets milder by the minute, and by the end you don’t even notice how mediocre and actor he is. Right now, the fact that he’s got full make up on doesn’t bother me at all, and I’ve become a fan. Park Shin Hye, who plays Go Mi Nyu, is also good, but Korean actresses usually are. Jun Yong Hwa, who plays Shin Woo, can also be awkward at times, but I’ll cut him some slack since Shin Woo goes through some really difficult times and it’s his first role. I have nothing to say about Lee Hong Ki, who plays Jeremy, since I don’t want to get started on his blond hair.
Another point I want to mention is the hugging scenes. This is actually fairly common in Korean dramas. I was watching Boys Over Flowers the other day and I noticed the same thing. When a boy hugs a girl, he basically pushes her into himself like.. I don’t know what. I haven’t been hugged by many boys, but I’m fairly sure if someone did that to me, I would be pretty mad. And don’t even get me started on the kissing scenes. I am fairly certain that there’s a reason they lack the actual kissing and only involve touching the lips by slanting your head. Oh well. That’s Asian dramas for you.
I don’t like when dramas put ultra silly stuff in, or emphasize how poor the family is etc. This one played on some dangerous ground with Manager Ma and Coordinator Wang and their conversations, but for some reason that didn’t bother me. They were quite fun and cute. Even the stupid aunt didn’t bother me. I think I’m getting more good natured:) Also the thing with Go Mi Nyu’s father and Tae Kyung’s mother doesn’t drag on for 200 episodes, and gets resolved fairly soon, without boring us to death, which is a real plus.
My favorite scene is when Tae Kyung is chased by a pig in the rural village they go to. It’s so funny I laughed out loud. He’s listening to music from his nice MP3 player and dancing to himself in the fields and he sees some old dude waving his arms at him. He thinks: “Wow, is it because this is a rural place that people greet people they don’t know?” and he waves back. But actually a pig is nearby and that guy is telling him to run. His expression is priceless as he runs away. I think it’s the best piece of acting he does, maybe with the exception of his crying. I mean, I’m not saying he deserves an Oscar for acting but that guy sure can cry. After he runs away from the pig, he gets lost and then Go Mi Nyu finds him and goes: “It’s okay, they took the pig home.” Hillarious. I just had to mention that.
In a nutshell, I cannot recommend this drama enough! You should just ignore the fact that you can tell what will happen in the next scene and go along with the nice soundtrack and good natured conversation. 
Update: I was just on my way to the airport, listening to You’re Beautiful Soundtrack, and I realized that I haven’t commented on Tae Kyung’s wardrobe. I haven’t been this impressed since Matsumoto Jun’s in Hana Yori Dango. Actually, Domyoji and Tae Kyung are very similar characters, which is called tsundere. It basically means a mean character who changes when he falls in love. Just like Domyoji and Tae Kyung. It’s actually pretty common in the Asian pop culture, but maybe I’ll talk about it later. But now, I just want to say Tae Kyung’s wardrobe is.. well, I wish I had a picture of all the clothes he takes, so I could frame them and hang them in my room. I am no fashion wonder, though I do tend to look okay at times, but come on. You may be a teen idol, but sometimes you shouldn’t wear things that show your chest. Or shirts that make you look even more girly. Or fur. I do believe Domyoji was worse with his white fur jacket, but Tae Kyung comes a very close second. I’ve ignored his nice eye make up through the drama, but some of the outfits are too hard to pretend not to notice. Also his hair is another story. Each time he was on the screen, my mother (for some reason was watching it) went: “Oh, that dude’s got a blow dry.” I don’t know why he insisted on having half of his hair in front of his eye, but he was really successful in keeping it that way. Sometimes he puts it in a nice bun. If my spouse put his hair in anything resembling a bun, that would be cause for divorce but I don’t know how things work on that side of the world. After a while, I really started to think that it works for him.
Add comment February 23, 2010
nazomi
Tags: a.n.jell, anjell, asian drama, jan geun suk, jun yong hwa, kdrama, korean, lee hong ki, park shin hye, tsundere, you're beautiful
Ways of a Time Traveler
It’s been ages since I wrote. But it’s mainly because I was traveling all over the place, and staying for long periods in each. However, it doesn’t mean I didn’t read. It just means I didn’t make time to write about them.
Anyway. Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger is one of those books I read this summer just because the movie was coming. I had purchased it ages ago, because it was very popular, but I didn’t plan on reading it until they actually shot the movie and it’s always better to read the book before watching the movie.
But as soon as I started reading it, I realized that it was a mistake to have waited that long. The book was really, really good. The plot was remarkably original. It’s about a guy that has a genetic condition that makes him time travel. You soon find that it’s not as cool as it sounds. When we think of time travel, we think of this machine that looks like an elevator, and this guy who has worked on it for ages gets into it and adjusts the time to the day the French Revolution started or something. However, poor Henry in Time Traveler’s Wife doesn’t have it that easy. He doesn’t know when the travel take or place, nor to what time or place he’ll be going. But worst of all, he’s not taking anything with him. That means he can show up anywhere without his clothes. His unfortunate circumstances are good for the reader, who keep reading about funny or plane unfortunate things that happen to him through the book.
However, that’s not what the book is all about, even though it would be a good read still. Claire, Henry’s wife, meets him when she’s 6. He meets her when he’s 28 and she’s 20. They have a nice and definitely non-pedophile relationship as she ages and he keeps showing up near her house naked. He doesn’t tell her what will happen, or when they’ll meet, but they do. And their love story is pretty strong, and sets the tone for the whole book.
Since it was too good a story to miss, they made a movie out of it. I saw it yesterday, and it was pretty good. Of course, they can’t include everything that happens in the book, so they miss some of the more important things that happens. And they made some of the fights more dramatic and Claire behaves a little more different than she does in the book, but that’s understandable. The choices for the actors, Eric Bana and Rachel McAdams is OK, since I never imagined that Henry was Brad Pitt. Their story, since told in short parts in the book, gets to be a little unconnected in the movie, but since I knew the story from the book, it was easy to understand for me, but I don’t know how it will be for others. The scene with the wedding was so funny. Eric Bana is sometimes really good. 
The book was really erotic at times, but the movie is really kid-friendly. They have toned down the clubber nature of Henry and the bit with his ex-girlfriend and the things about Gomez. I’d read the book first, then watch the movie as a nice summary of it. Sometimes you just have to let the pretty people act it out.
Add comment October 19, 2009
nazomi
Tags: audrey niffeneggar, eric bana, rachel mcadams, time traveler's wife
3 Mediums 3 Reviews
I haven’t written for a while, and I haven’t read anything substantial, though I have read and watched a bit, so I decided to give a couple of short reviews all in one post. We’ll see how it goes.
- Book: Wildwood Dancing by Juliet Marillier
Having read a couple of books by Juliet Marillier already, I know she favors a good fairy tale. So when I saw that this book was based on the fairy tales “12 Dancing Princesses” and “Frog Prince”, I wasn’t surprised. It’s about 5 sisters that live in a castle in Transylvania (yes, there are, in fact, vampires) in 1500s. They discover a portal from their room to another world, where they go dancing each full moon by crossing a lake called Deadwash. Deadwash, in fact, is the same lake where their cousin drowned many years ago. Jena, the main character, also has a pet frog with whom she can communicate via her thoughts. They are living quite harmoniously until their father falls ill and goes to another city to get well and their cousin (the younger brother of the drowned one) takes charge of their beloved castle.
This is a young adult fantasy book, or so I heard, though other than the fact that the story is a bit simpler and shorter than her other books (at least the ones I read) it’s not that babyish. I like the relationship between the sisters, although Jena is sometimes really annoying. I like the cousin, Cezar, and how evil he can be. Also I really enjoy a good love story, and this one is not a bad one. There are also vampires, though they are not called thus but “Night People”, and you know I also enjoy a good vampire story. It also has this small historical vibe, and she even mentions Turks. It’s overall a good story, though I’d prefer her Sevenwaters Trilogy any day.
- Movie: Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince
I do not exactly run to the theater after a Harry Potter movie has been released (though I was among the first who purchased the books), but when I actually get there, I do enjoy it immensely. Sometimes I find myself to be the only one laughing or crying (not at the same time, hopefully) and attract a couple of weird books. Who cares.
Anyway. As with the books, each movie is a better than the last, and a lot more sophisticated. I don’t even believe I have to talk about the plot at this point. When I had read the book, I had cried my eyes out on the bus, for an hour at least. Thank God I didn’t cry that much, though I cried a little bit, because the ending is the most heartbreaking yet. I believe it’s even worse than the last one. Though it’s been a while since I read the book, I can physically detect the differences between the book and the movie, the most obvious being Harry and Ginny. It was a lot better in the book, as usual. I also don’t remember Dumbledore asking Harry if there was something going on between Harry and Hermione. That just doesn’t sound like something old Dumbledore would do. There is another thing: I heard that in the first script, Dumbledore actually mentioned an old crush on a girl, but J.K. Rowling said that Dumbledore couldn’t have a crush on a girl because he’s actually gay. I already knew she had said this, but it’s still funny.
I like the flashbacks to Tom Riddle, and I like whoever plays both the child and the teenager. He’s close to the Voldemort I imagined. Especially the way he speaks reeks evil. I adore the scene where Harry visits Hagrid with that Professor Horace, and he’s kind of drunk. I love Ron, as usual, when he eats the love-potion-induced chocolates and is lovesick all over the place. I also like Draco Malfoy, and how he’s finally a center character trapped between good and evil. It’s just so enjoyable. All Harry Potters are enjoyable. Rowling is such a genius. I only have one negative thing to say, and it’s that the ending is a bit rushed, especially the bit with Snape, but I can see that there’s nothing to be done about the short span of a good movie.
- Manga: Constellations on my Palm by Chisako Sakuragi and Yukine Honami
This is one of the lighter yaoi mangas I have encountered. Mizuho is a college student (as these things go) and Enji, his cousin, comes to Tokyo to study and stays with Mizuho’s family. They used to be really close, but something happened in the past, when they were still teeny kids, and Mizuho avoided seeing Enji since. When they meet again, Mizuho sees that Enji barely talks to him, and is cold as ice. He really wants to go back to the way things are, but Enji doesn’t seem to want to. 
The title comes from the fact that they used to watch the sky together, and stare at the stars. In fact, now Enji is studying to be an astronomer and seems mad at Mizuho because he has abandoned his childhood dreams.
The story is pretty straight-forward, and nothing really surprising. But I did enjoy the way the story goes, all calm and deep, and Mizuho’s changing feelings. Enji is especially a nice character, though he seems cold at times. Their chemistry is just right. The misunderstandings go a bit too far, but that’s to be expected. It’s nothing hard core, so it can be a good starting point for the immense world of yaoi. Good stories are hard to come by in yaoi, so this one is a good choice.
1 comment August 10, 2009
nazomi
Tags: yaoi, juliet marillier, Manga, constellations on my palm, chiskao sakuragi, yukine honami, draco malfoy, dumbledore, albus dumbledore, harry potter, ron weasley, tom riddle, voldemort, harry potter and the half blood prince, wildwood dancing, 12 dancing sisters, frog prince
My Favorite Complex
Today I did something I’ve been denying myself for a while. I read Lovely Complex Volume 10. I’ve been saving it for a rainy day, but I couldn’t help myself.
It was months back, and I was always looking through Amazon’s recommendations to find something to order and read. Lovely Complex by Nakahara Aya kept popping up, but I ignored it because the plot looked so stupid: a tall girl and a short boy. I mean, it sounds so dull. But after a while I decided to give it a go. It was one of my better purchases.
Risa Koizumi is the tallest girl in her class. Atsushi Otani is the shortest boy in his class. Thanks to their homeroom teacher, they are known as a comedy duo who keep fighting and bickering each other nonstop. However, they are both very nice people and actually find that they like each other, as friends. They have the same taste in lots of stuff and keep talking in sync. After a while, though, Koizumi finds that her feelings towards Otani, who she affectionately calls “shrimp”, are deeper than friendship…
The plot is too shojo. Almost cheesy. But their bickering is so funny, you get addicted after a while. The characters are so real and so well portrayed that after a while you think that you are their friend. It’s just impossible not to love Koizumi and Otani, together and apart. The speed the events progress through is also good. What I mean is that they don’t start dating at the second volume and break up the next. It’s just too delicious a story, even though it’s not too full of clever plot twists, it’s still worth a read. I always laugh out loud while reading it, and keep rereading the previous volumes. It’s such a jewel.
Of course, being a good manga means there will be a good anime afterwards. Though I’m not that into anime myself, the anime of Lovely Complex, at least as much as I watched it, is pretty good. There’s even a movie of it, and though it’s not exactly same as the manga, it’s still pretty much the same thing. I didn’t exactly love it, but it’s still pretty funny. Of course, none of them measure up to the manga.
When I found out that it finishes at volume 17, I almost cried. But all good things must end. And good it is.
Add comment July 21, 2009
nazomi
Tags: lovely complex, Manga, love com, otani, koizumi, lovecom, nakahara aya
Favorites from Nippon
Before, I had mentioned my soft spot for cute Asian people. (I actually have a weakness for all cute people, but since I also have a weakness for Asian people, it’s like double the weakness.) I also said that I was going to show you my favorite, but just couldn’t bother before. So here we go, my favorite actors from Japan. I also have stickers purchased from Tokyo to prove my addiction.
- Matsumoto Jun
Sometimes I am ashamed to admit that Jun is so, so, so cute. He’s girly beyond words, and resembles, as I said before, a certain Turkish singer, but I always find myself wishing I had a doll of him (To this day, I haven’t found one, but if you have a spare, I’m willing to pay big). His acting skills are also questionable, though in the second season of Hana Yori Dango, he was pretty good (though the series itself wasn’t).
For those living in outer space, Matsumoto Jun was born in 1983, which makes him just the right age. He’s a signer in the popular group Arashi. His most famous drama is Hana Yori Dango, which I wrote about in my previous post. He also starred in dramas such as Kimi wa Petto, which is actually based on a manga lisenced in English as Tramps Like Us, and Bambino, where he played a cook with big dreams or something. His latest drama is Smile, which just finished airing. He also has movies, such as The Last Princess, which is a historical one, and Boku wa Imouto ni Koi wo Suru, which is also based on a manga of the same name (it’s about twins falling in love, so beware). He’s part of Johnny’s Entertainment, which is this Japanese talent agency that has boys like him running around inside its walls (heaven, for some of us). This is his DramaWiki page.
- Ikuta Toma
I first saw Toma in the first episode of the second season of HYD, where he played a bad boy. But then I saw Hanazakari Kimi Tachi E, where he played Nakatsu, a character adorable beyond words. I think the reason I love Toma is because of Nakatsu (he’s just so cute, he actually falls in love with a girl disguised as a boy). Hanazakari Kimi Tachi E is one of the better known jdramas, based on the manga Hana Kimi (it’s full of other bishounen. yummy). Ikuta Toma also has many other very famous dramas, such as Maou, where he played a police officer next to another dude (evil, in this case) from Arashi. There’s also Hachimatsu to Clover, based on the manga Honey and Clover, which I haven’t seen but the manga is awesome. His latest drama, Majo Saiban, is currently airing, and its genre is “legal”, which means I’m itching to watch it. Not.
Ikuta Toma is born in 1984, and is also a part of Johnny’s. I wouldn’t call him conventionally handsome, but he’s just so cute, though I wouldn’t necessarily want a doll of him, I wouldn’t say no if you want to send me one. His acting is also better than Jun’s. This is his DramaWiki site.
- Oguri Shun
Yes, another flower guy from HYD. Actually, all the guys up to know can be seen in that episode I mentioned (which shows that I watch dramas a lot less than I should). He was the second most important guy in Hana Yori Dango, who forms one side of the love triangle. Although he doesn’t get the girl in HYD, he does in Hanazakari Kimi Tachi E, by long jumping over high hurdles (literally). He plays moody characters in both, and I haven’t seen any other dramas by him, even though that doesn’t mean he’s not popular. It just means I don’t watch much.
Shun was born in 1982, and to our surprise, is not a part of Johnny’s. His acting is a bit better, and his filmography is also a lot longer than the others guys. He’s also a seiyu, which basically means voice actor. This is his DramaWiki page.
- Tamaki Hiroshi
This guy is an exception, since he’s not conventionally cute, but like Toma, adorable beyond words. He’s a bit older than the others, born in 1980. I met him and adored him in Love Shuffle, where his character was a dude confused with his life. I believe Nodame Cantabile, based on the manga of the same name, is his more famous drama, where he also played one of the leads.
I only watched one drama of his, and he played a goofy but actually smart guy, and he played it very well, so I believe if we were going to give an Oscar to one of these four guys, Hiroshi would get it. Also he’s been singing and releasing singles, so I would stay tuned. This is his DramaWiki page.
5 comments July 20, 2009
nazomi
Tags: hana yori dango, hanazakari kimi tachi e, ikuta toma, love shuffle, matsumoto jun, oguri shun, tamaki hiroshi
Addiction Over Flowers
Turkish TV series don’t do it for me. Although there are exceptions, they are usually too corny, and I almost never enjoy them. I also do not enjoy old Turkish movies, where the cliched plots are so anchored that for a while you believe them to be true.
When I started watching Hana Yori Dango, I didn’t yet know that almost all these cliches were present in this piece of classic jdrama. It has everything. Rich boy-poor girl. Mean boyfriends. Rape drugs. Bullying. It’s been a while since I watched it, but I’m pretty sure I can name a bad Turkish movie or TV series for each episode of it.
I started watching HYD when I was studying for my finals. Some warned me that it might be addictive, but I didn’t pay attention. The beginning was a bit harsh, with very, very intense bullying and Jun Matsumoto’s very, very bad clothes. The bullying was so bad that I just didn’t understand who the main pairing would be. And I am ashamed to say that I was actually surprised. For those of you who are not familiar with F4, which, cheesily, stands for Flower 4 (Hana Yori Dango means Boys for Flowers… go figure), they are “the richest” and “the most handsome” boys in this particular elite school, whose students do not think it’s weird to fly to Las Vegas to purchase a particular Louis Vuitton bag (especially since LA is closer. haha). They serve “the red slip” to those who they will bully, and for the first time they serve it to our very innocent heroine, Makino, because she stands up for her friend when one of the boys bump into her lunch tray. Like I said, the bullying is intense, includes rape and other creative and corny ways. There is even a scene where the F4 leader, Domyoji, orders Makino to lick his shoe (but you have to see the shoe to understand that I am not kidding about the his clothes. it is outrageous. in one scene, he actually wore fur).
There are other disturbing things about HYD other than the bullying. For example, Makino’s family is so poor that they can’t stop talking about it. It is so annoying, and sometimes I felt like I could just kill her little brother. Domyoji, who’s supposed to be the lead, looks so much like a Turkish singer (who’s a woman but used to be a man) that my mother couldn’t stop pointing it out. For the first few episodes, he’s so unloveable that one cannot believe that he can turn good later on. I later found out that he’s called Matsumoto Jun, and is actually a very famous singer in the band Arashi, and he’s supposed to be an eye candy. I kind of like the way he looks now, and he became very, very famous later on.Makino, on the other hand, is strong as a bull and as annoying. She keeps talking back when she shouldn’t, and goes demure when she should be angry. She has weird principles that she has trouble abiding. I guess the actress, Inoue Mao, also became famous but I don’t care about girls.
F4′s “mysterious member” Hanazawa Rui is played by Oguri Shun, who’s also very famous. That character appeals to the masses in the beginning, but later his stupidity got to me. I mean, if you are not a bad boy, why are you part of F4? At least Domyoji is honest with himself. Makino pointed this out once, and said something like “Aren’t you a man?”. I agree with her on this once.
Because they didn’t think my finals were that important, they actually shot a second season of HYD silliness. In Hana Yori Dango Returns, more stuff happens even though F4 has graduated from high school. More cliche stuff, like evil CEOs and the like come into play, and there is actually a part with actual memory loss. I mean, one cannot go more cheesy than that. And since this wasn’t enough, they actually sot a movie, and millions of Japanese people went to see it. Geez.
You might be asking this to me by now: “if you hated this, why did you watch it?”, which is a simple enough question, but I don’t know the answer. I guess it beat studying, or it really is addictive. I didn’t even fast forward until the very last episode, when things got too stupid that I had to see the very end. Also I watched the whole series to see if it would get any more cheesy, and you know what? It did, until the very end.
Now, for the facts. HYD is the creation of the mangaka Kamio Youko, who actually created a manga out of this first. I just can’t imagine the amount of money she earned. There’s also the anime, of course, that comes before the drama. And not only one anime, but also an anime/movie which actually takes place in an alternate reality. Also, before HYD came Meteor Garden and Meteor Garden II, which is the Chinese version. I only watched the very beginning, because even I sometimes have to think of other things to do, and it looks like it’s more in line with the manga (yes, I read some of the manga, too). And last year there was Boys Before Flowers, which is the, yes, Korean version of our beloved classic.
So if you like the story, you should be glad to find 1001 ways in which you can enjoy it. Joy. Check this out if you want more info.
7 comments July 14, 2009
nazomi
Tags: boys before flowers, boys over flowers, domyoji, f4, hana yori dango, harazawa rui, jdrama, makino, matsumoto jun, meteor garden
Vampire Studies #1: Anita Blake
My journey to the world of blood-suckers started, as much as I remember, with The Little Vampire by this German author called Angela Sommer-Bodenburg. I was in elementary school and a friend of mine had recommended it to me, and we used to discuss it. Then I saw The Interview with the Vampire, and I guess the combination of Brad Pitt, Tom Cruise and Antonio Banderas gave me what I needed to jump headfirst into obsession. We know the classics. The legendary Vampire Chronicles. Buffy. Or the newer craze. Twilight. Vampire Knight. All endless vampire series.
What’s weird about keeping up with all these is that the vampires in all of them are very different. For example, Anne Rice’s vampires are highly asexual beings, whereas Angel had no difficulty. Vampire Knight has a whole different concept of vampires and how you become one. The other day, I read the manga Millennium Snow, by Hatori Bisco, and the vampire there could eat normal food. Once I read a vampire novel, which I don’t really remember the title of, though it was one of those popular ones, and the vampire fangs there had some antiseptic quality which made feeding easier.
What I’m trying to say is, you have to keep up with these things. There are new vampire novels emerging everyday. Some of them are good, some of them are not. Most of them are intensely “erotic” for some reason (though sometimes I fail to see how). I imagine that if we lived in the world of Anita Blake, I would be one of those junkies. Which brings me to the topic at hand. From now on, I decided to write about the vampire stuff I read, and call these the Vampire Studies. And we’ll start right now.
My latest read was Guilty Pleasures by Laurell K. Hamilton. It’s the first book of the Anita Blake Vampire Hunter series. I had purchased it long, long ago, but failed to read it, probably because it seemed corny. But since it looked innocently thin, I decided to give it a go.
Anita Blake is, yes, a vampire slayer. She lives in an alternate USA, where raising zombies out of their graves to testify in court is normal. Vampires are legal, but you need a permit to kill them. Though it sounds silly, as a lawyer-to-be, I think the thing with zombies would make some things a lot easier. Anyway. Anita is very kick-ass with much wit on her side, and she kills vampires and raises zombies for a living: being an animator is actually a job, unlike Buffy, who did it for free after school. The book is part mystery, part horror, though it smells like one of those erotic romance novels, I failed to see any eroticism or romance.
I really like Anita Blake, she’s very hardcore and sarcastic, and answers back to 1000-year-old master vampires. She frequently gets knocked out and heals fast. She isn’t mesmerized by sexy vampires who can lure you into being their human slave (I can just imagine myself as the human slave. It’s not pretty). The world she depicts is interesting to discover, though I wouldn’t necessarily want to live in it. She talks about the difficulties of having zombies testify and complains about their short attention spams, and it’s kind of fun.
The book reminded me of the Stephanie Plum series, and I’ll tell you why. They are both girl detectives after a certain target, and through the book, they tell you everything they do, including what they eat and stuff. However, in a fight, I believe Anita would win, though I love Stephanie a lot more. Anita knows her stuff very well, and seems to have a bit of history that is waiting to be discovered later in the series.
The vampires in the world of Anita Blake can live very, very long. Some of the vampires in this first one is over 1000 years old. They go to sleep at dawn and wake up as the sun goes down (for a vampire newbie, this may seem a rather silly thing to say, but we all know this is not always the case). They are very fond of human slaves, and having yourself bitten a few times will guarantee it. Some human slaves can live as long as the vampire itself. They can perform magic on you and lure you into doing stuff you wouldn’t necessarily do. They also use their magic to change their looks and seem perfect to your eyes. They can be killed using the conventional methods. They suck blood, but they don’t have to kill their prey. There are also zombies, were-animals and ghouls that lurk about in the cemeteries.
So, I guess I gave a thorough account of the book itself, though I try not to spoil the plot but introduce the series instead. It also made sense to look at the qualities of the vampires and whether they are the only paranormal thing or not. Anyway. I’ll continue the Vampire Studies as I read other series. Lots lined up. Stay tuned.
Add comment July 13, 2009
nazomi
Tags: anita blake, guilty pleasures, laurell k. hamilton, vampire hunter, vampire slayer, vampires
Footbinding and Other Horrors
As you must know by now, I am obsessed with the Far East. So obsessed that it’s only East by now and it doesn’t seem that Far. Mostly, my efforts have been concentrated on Japan, in forms of manga and an occasional Korean one, so I decided to read Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See, since I needed some conversation filler for China as well. It had some raving reviews, and I decided it was worth reading.
Lily is this girl who lives in 19th century China, which was a time when women spent all their lives in a room with other women. A woman is ruled by the Confucian ideals. The Three Obediences: “When a girl, obey your father; when a wife, obey your husband; when a widow, obey your son.” A daughter is someone the natal family looks after until they are given to another family as a wife, and there they must obey their mother-in-law. They are worth an absolute nothing unless they give birth to a son. This is the world Lily is born in. She never feels motherly love, until a matchmaker shows up in her house and says that her feet are special and she’ll probably make a really good match in the future. She also says that she’s eligible for a “laotong” relationship, which is kind of a penpal, a friend the matchmaker makes for you in another village. Lily’s laotong is a girl named Snow Flower, and she becomes her best friend for life. She values that relationship even more than she’ll eventually value her marriage.
You might think that obeying someone all your life is unfortunate, but this is nothing when compared to the horrors women faced because of footbinding. That is a major part of the book. Whenever I told my friends this, they go: “Oh yeah, geishas do that, right?” But no, footbinding has nothing to do with Japan. That is purely Chinese. They bind girls’ feet at 6-7 years-old, and they are at their perfect 7 cm forms by age 12. So this is what Lily says about footbinding and its many good qualities:
“My small feet would be offered as proof to my prospective in-laws of my personal discipline and my ability to endure the pain of childbirth, as well as whatever misfortunes might lie ahead. My small feet would show the world my obedience to my natal family, particularly to my mother, which would also make a good impression on my future mother-in-law. The shoes I embroidered would symbolize to my future in-laws my abilities at embroidery and thus other house learning. And, though I knew nothing of this at the time, my feet would be something that would hold my husbands’ fascination during the most private and intimate moments between a man and a woman.”
So you might think that flat abs and long legs will help you land a millionaire, but things were really different at that time. A woman didn’t even see her husband (and vice versa) until their wedding day. They didn’t even move in with their new family until they were pregnant. And personally, I believe, though I am not a man and do not have the desire of one, my sexual drive would shut down forever if I saw feet like that. I encourage you to see pictures of footbinding, which will make you appreciate your feet, which I don’t think we do enough.
The book is not actually about the horrors of footbinding and mother-in-laws, though they are huge parts. The main theme is the friendship between Lily and Snow Flower. They exchange letters and have sleepovers all their lives, until the are faced with some major obstacles. Laotong is a relationship matched by a matchmaker, just like a marriage, and it lasts your whole life, much like a marriage (in those times, at least). Some things happen to these girls as they grow up and get married, and those things will break your heart. It’s quite moving. When you finish, you’ll be sad, and happy at the same time. Today, we may be living in a polluted, materialistic world with almost no chance at finding your true love, but at least concubines are frowned upon.
Look at this here for the author’s site, and to see pictures of footbinding. At your own risk.
1 comment July 7, 2009
nazomi
Tags: 19th century, china, foot binding, footbinding, lisa see, matchmaker, secret fan, snow flower, snow flower and the secret fan
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