I just knew today that Multiply will soon lose its blogging feature as it transforms into a marketplace site*. Thus began the horrendous task of downloading all of the files in my old blog (which I've been grooming for the last 5 years! Although the amount probably only come up to what average blogger post in one year or a even a month when taking Tumblr into account -_-) and migrating them all here.
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Saturday, January 8, 2011
~K-Drama Sungkyunkwan Scandal [2010]~
| Rating: | ★★★★ |
| Category: | Movies |
| Genre: | Romantic Comedy |
Anyway let’s start with the synopsis (taken from http://wiki.d-addicts.com/Sungkyunkwan_Scandal ): SKKS is set in Sungkyunkwan University in the late Joseon era during the reign of King Jeongjo, revolving around the exploits and love stories of four youths. When her younger brother’s illness worsens and their family is in danger of being evicted from their house for lack of money, Kim Yoon Hee enters the school under his name, disguised as a boy in his desperation to support him. There, he becomes friends with the intelligent and upright Lee Sun Joon, the playboy Goo Yong Ha and rebeliious Moon Jae Shin.
Chajatta! SKKS is the crack that beat all crack dramas this year, for me. I stayed up more than 20 hours for the dramathon and to go back watching my fave scenes. I would have stayed up more than 24 hours straight if only I didn’t get Rp 70.000,- rip-off for a cramped bus on my way home to Jakarta and had to go to work real early the next morning. Yes. Sometime reality has its wicked way to interfere with the wonderful life at K-dramaland. I was so hooked on the show that I had serious withdrawal symptom after it ended (going over my fave scenes, laughing at the hilarious scene on episode 8, downloading the fanvid at youtube, making screencaps, and mooning over Moonie. Ha! Puns!). This is the show that reduced me to a 12-year-old fangirl who squealed, swooned, smiled, drooled, cheered, and clapped over random scenes. Ah, how I loved Moonie’s valiant entrance in the first episode, the fights over sleeping spots in the bedroom, Moonie’s hiccups, Moonie’s smile and sad chuckles. Yong-Ha’s cute twirls and winks, the moment Moonie get a glimpse of Yoon-Hee fair maiden body, the wonderful chemistry between the four leads, and Lee Sun Joon’s dad (oops. Did I just said that out loud?)
What first kindled a mild interest in me from SKKS was the setting of the drama: youth, school, student life. I always love this setting. That’s why my past beloved repertoire centered around students dorama like Great Teacher Onizuka, Dragon Zakura, Nobuta wo Produce and Gokusen. Heck, that was also the reason that drawn me to read Harry Potter. And as I recall way back, Malory Towers always holds a special spot in my heart. Anyway enough reminiscing, let’s get back to the real business at hand.
In addition to the setting, the premise (another cross-dressing plot, it’s not something new, but I always like the homoerotism overtone it creates) steered by humor, romance, bromance, intrigue, and misery made this show a one helluva ride. Not to mention the lush cinematography, and most importantly, the lovable, squeal-worthy leading characters.
Kim Yoon-Hee was a spunky yet cynical heroine. Lee Sun Joon was idealistic and righteous to the core. The perennial cutie Yong-ha was an intriguing character. He kept me guessing whether he is one of the bad guys or the good guys at the beginning. It’s interesting to watch him developed his bond of loyalty with his friends that spurred his courage.
And do I have to mention Moon Jae Shin (a.k.a Moonie)? He had me at hello. He was the vigilante who roamed the village at night to shoot arrows and letters at corrupt government officials. He had every ingredient to make a TRAGIC hero: Rough exterior? Check. Valiant? Check. Dashing? Check. Pained past? Check. Daddy issues? Check. Got the girl? Uncheck. Yes. Tragic. I guess this was why me and almost every other girl who ships for Moonie boat fell for him. His gaze as he followed Yoon-Hee home from a distance. The heartbreaking misunderstanding that ensued while he carried Yoon-Hee on his back (cruel writer-nim, giving him a piggy-ride scene with the girl he never gonna get?!) His sad chuckles when he realized that he is not the one that Yoon-Hee had her sight on. His silent retreat from the romance scene without ever making Yoon Hee aware of his feelings. It. Killed. Me. Over and over again.
Admittedly, as separate characters, they were cute and endearing. But put the four of them together and it’s awesome! It’s addicting to watch the off-the-chart chemistry from the four of them as Jal-Geum Quartet. Especially the bromance shared between Yong-ha and Moonie, which will go down as one of the greatest loves in K-dramaland. It beat the romance between Yoon-Hee and Sun Joon. I mean, I loved watching how Sun Joon was angsting over his “forbidden” feelings for Yoon Hee. And once they got together, it was really cute to watch, changing notes at the library, studying at the library, first kiss at the library. Well, they're bookworms, so it's evident that the library is their special spot. But, I was not as enthusiastic as I expected to. Maybe because I was always rooting for Moonie, but most of all, it was because I could never fully get behind their romance on an emotional level, even if I understood why they are so perfect for each other. The cynical and the idealist. They complete each other. But still, for me, it’s the bromance that kept me glued to my laptop’s screen.
The only bathos for me was the deflating ending. It has a saccharine sweet ending that was handled in a haphazard manner. As if the writer suddenly realized that the show is reaching the end and thus forced him to wrap up all of the loose plots in the last 20-minutes. But most of all, I couldn’t stand the cop-out ending where it refused to answer the ultimate question the show posed: would Yoon-Hee finally able to retain her real identity as a girl and live out her life standing tall as smart, intellectual woman amid the men? Well I can’t really tell. The ending was kinda blurred. But I hope she did. Because otherwise this whole sacrifices made by Yoon-Hee’s dad and Moonie’s hyung for Geumdeungjisa which reverberates equal education for all –an idea I would love to see being accomplished-would be wasted. And it was a letdown to not have the final look of Moonie in his mane-of-glory...
But all in all cheers for the Jal Geum Quartet and the helluva ride you guys took me in. SKKS will always hold a fond memory in my heart. :)
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
~JDorama Oh! My Girl!!
| Rating: | ★★★ |
| Category: | Movies |
| Genre: | Kids & Family |
Oh! My Girl!! has a simple yet enjoyable story about Yamashita Kotaro who was living a peaceful life as a publisher part-timer. He aspires to be a much-admired mobile phone novelist in order to publish his own novel. One day, two females suddenly appeared in his life. One is his six-year-old celebrity niece and the other is the little girl's stern manager. As he is forced to live under the same roof as the little prodigy, their differences soon manifest and disputes ensue. However, through co-habitation, Yamashita slowly comes to appreciate having a family and the warmth it brings, all the while developing a love-hate relationship with Takamine Mineko, the manager. (taken from: http://wiki.d-addicts.com/Oh!_My_Girl!!)
The plot is rather predictable. Although there are twists here and there that I didn't see coming. Some of the lines are corny but some of it was serious stuff. You see this guy who is used to have no one in his life suddenly has a little girl thrust upon him. He doesn't know what to do, how to handle her. It is endearing to watch how his relationship with Ann and also Mineko evolves. The soundtrack also perfectly suited the movie and helps builds up the sentiments during some of the poignant scenes. The dorama is also stuffed with numerous life lessons: the value of family, how to raise a kid, doing your best everyday to achieve your dream, to how difficult it is when you have to pretend to be someone else.
As for the cast, Ann is adorable. It was amusing to watch her ability to swiftly change her sophisticated-beyond-her-years-attitude into a cute, innocent little girl when she faces the reporters or her fans. Kotaro is kakkoi and well… really TALL! I think that what makes him really stand out in here. Kato Rosa is a bit lacking in depth in portraying the supporting role as Mineko. Kotaro and Ann has palpable on-screen chemistry. And, I absolutely adore Biwa, the dog. He is so adorable and one of the reasons that kept me watching. (Does anybody know what kind of dog it is? I’m guessing that he’s half poodle, am I right?)
The bottom line is there are probably other family doramas better than this. One of the reasons also involving Ozora Hinako’s voice that is starting to get on my nerves ^^. But Oh! My Girl!! is still funny, enjoyable, sweet, and all heart. While predictable in some parts, the dorama evolves smoothly and never drags. I would recommend it for anyone who likes a good family dorama!
Sunday, May 30, 2010
The Best Things in Life are FREE!!
Yup that sentence beyond doubt summed up these couple of days. Every employee who is working around and underneath Nemangkawi mountain must be rejoicing right now as we’re spoilt with free internet access. Before I move on, I think I need to shed a light on the internet system in my office. Not everybody can access the internet from my office. Only the chosen group of people who can gain the privilege of accessing the internet. Even if you managed to gain the privilege, you still have to face the annoying internet blocks. No multiply. No facebook (oops, sorry multiply. I didn’t mean to promote other social network in your web). No downloading music. No streaming. No fun!
So how did we manage to have a free internet access in this strict, harsh, and cold working environment? Well I would like to brag how I use an advanced command prompt to bypass the office internet blocks. I mean that would make it sounds a lot cooler. Make me feel like Sandra Bullock in The Net -minus the identity thievery and actions-. But unfortunately I’m not at that level yet. There’s been a leak in the system that allows me, and others, to have access to every site I want. Streaming. Uploading. Downloading. Browsing. Virtually having all the fun you can in cyber world. Even subscribing an internet provider couldn’t produce this much fun. The secluded area caused us being timed out more often than actually using the internet. Therefore, here I am making the best out of this situation by writing an update on my blog after sucha long time. Am keeping my fingers crossed for another day of internet leak at the office. Might as well enjoy it while it last!
So how did we manage to have a free internet access in this strict, harsh, and cold working environment? Well I would like to brag how I use an advanced command prompt to bypass the office internet blocks. I mean that would make it sounds a lot cooler. Make me feel like Sandra Bullock in The Net -minus the identity thievery and actions-. But unfortunately I’m not at that level yet. There’s been a leak in the system that allows me, and others, to have access to every site I want. Streaming. Uploading. Downloading. Browsing. Virtually having all the fun you can in cyber world. Even subscribing an internet provider couldn’t produce this much fun. The secluded area caused us being timed out more often than actually using the internet. Therefore, here I am making the best out of this situation by writing an update on my blog after sucha long time. Am keeping my fingers crossed for another day of internet leak at the office. Might as well enjoy it while it last!
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Cast Away
Man!! I can't believe that I finally can browse the internet from here.. It even can be considered as the 8th wonder of the world for me to have the internet access bearing in mind that i live in a quite secluded area (read: tembagapura) with no internet access (only intranet),and no modem to get me connected.. Pretty depressing riteee? So how did I finally manage to post this blog? Well by using my all-powerful cellphone.. Yup,that's why it takes a long time to construct a blog..
Anyway,just an update.
Anyway,just an update.
Saturday, August 9, 2008
The Mummy: Tomb Of The Dragon Emperor
| Rating: | ★★★ |
| Category: | Movies |
| Genre: | Action & Adventure |
First of all, the plot follows the same logic used in the previous movies. But like so many sequels, the story line becomes repetitive. A lot of events repeat themselves, and a pivotal moment from one of the prequels occurs again...just with a different character. Rachel Weisz is greatly missed in here since she shares an amazing chemistry with Fraser. While in this movie, Fraser is never able to connect with Bello who tries to be cheerful but comes off looking rather silly as the smart girl. She is great in action scenes, but she looks uncomfortable when she has to share a scene with Fraser. The same can be said for Luke Ford, who makes a very unconvincing action hero-sidekick next to Fraser. Again they have no chemistry what so ever as father and son. And seriously, although Alex O’ Conell seems to be aging well, his parents seem to never aged even a bit which raised questions in my head: Have they been drinking from the water of the Shangri La? Or did the make-up artist is just too lazy to add wringkles or even grey hairs to make them look appropriate for their ages? Despite the lack of chemistry between Bello-Fraser-Ford, fortunately, John Hannah doesn’t disappoint and brighten the movie with his one liners and witty charm. Michelle Yeoh and Jet Li are great in this movie. It is refreshing to see Jet Li portraying an evil character and it really pays off when he is actually on screen.
The jokes, although cornier than the previous films, were still able to make me chuckles. The cinematography is great. The scenery of the Himalayan mountains, the sandy desert, and the Shangri La green land with its waterfalls are beautiful. The action in the film is good, as well. The gun fights, sword fights, old school warfare, and new warfare are justly balanced. One scene I liked (and wish would have lasted longer) was the sword battle between Jet Li and Yeoh. Seeing Li and Yeoh able to cut each other, even just a little, is one of the few high points in the movie. The trademarked silly battle scene, which made me giggle more than once, was also still presented. It was really amusing to see a huge army of terracota soldiers run forward and get shot at by guns. There is also one unintentionally silly action sequence when Fraser thought it would be smart to take on Jet Li in hand to hand combat. The idea is just hilarious!
All in all, The Mummy: The Tomb Of The Dragon Emperor is your typical summer flick movie which is filled with laughs, car chases, special effects, and mummies. If you're stressed out, bored, or just want to see another movie after seeing the really dark and complex tale of The Dark Knight and just wanna check your brain at the door and have fun then this movie is for you.
The Dark Knight (2008)
| Rating: | ★★★ |
| Category: | Movies |
| Genre: | Action & Adventure |
One thing for sure, The Dark Knight truly lived up to its title. The movie is indeed 'dark', and does have many dark overtones. The cinematography is made so dark and sinister that really did suit the mood for the film. Gotham City must have topped the list of unsafest places in America to live. Not only does it seem to have a high nightly violence rate but also all the crazies seem to settling down there too and thus make Dark Knight to be one of the most complex, violent and disturbing comic-book films I've ever seen. It has some of the most graphic violence for a film of its rating and I believe that putting Batman's face on the poster is probably the only thing that saved it from an MA rating. You definitely shouldn’t bring kids to see this movie.
The highlight of this movie is definitely Ledger’s performance as the sadistic Joker which was absolutely disturbing and scary yet simply amazing. I would not want to meet the Joker in a dark alley, and whatever happen, never.. I repeat, never ask him how he got his smile, especially, when he has a knife in his hand. When Ledger appeared in this movie, I completely didn’t recognize him. His voice is distinctly altered, kinda pedophile-like tone that sends shivers down the spine. His face looks both nightmarish and bizarrely funny because of the make-up. And he seems to get lost in his role. You don't see Heath Ledger playing the Joker while watching this movie. You see the Joker. He plays the role with such a level of madness that you are terrified by his very presence. He gets inside your head with his sick jokes and makes you chuckle at things that will left you wondering why you are laughing in the first place. Apart from Ledger, I have to say that the other actors also play their role well. Christian Bale managed to portray Batman’s inner struggle really well, although unfortunately the cheesy raspy-voice returns with a vengeance. Maggie Gyllenhaal gives Rachel Dawes a more matured personality than Katie Holmes’s performance in the first movie. Aaron Eckart makes the transformation between Harvey Dent and Two Face very smooth and believable. Michael Caine is an excellent Alfred. Morgan Freeman, as usual, gives a charming performance and delivers the best quote in the movie: "So, you're saying that you think your billionaire boss is a vigilante who spends his nights beating criminals to a pulp with his bare fists. And you want to blackmail this man?".
As for the downfalls, Christian Bale's Batman voice got irritating a couple of times especially when he’s having a full conversation. The ending sequence with the bat and the joker was a let down for me. And the movie is way too long. While it never drags, I think they could have trimmed the fat. The film takes on several different subjects, tragically all at once, creating a distorted and unspectacular experience that gives part of what you want but will leave you unmoved. When The Dark Knight feels like it might be ending, the anxiety then mounts again with a new problem that is triggered with lame plot devices. It kinda gave me the same experience as watching ’sinetron’. With 45 minutes left, I was already burned out and trying to sleep in my comfy chair.
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