Currently Watching :: Ouran

In preparation for our next podcast I have decided to start watching jdramas/doramas this month..While I must admit its been tough since I already miss my beloved kdramas friends keep telling me that I'm going to get hooked... we'll see bout that...

First thoughts

While the anime wasn't exactly mind blowing it was still enjoyable. Its pretty amazing that the same things I loved about the anime, the fun over the top characters have translated very well into this real life version. I can't begin to tell you how much it irks me when characters you love from an anime or manga are totally reimagined and become something completely different. Like seriously, don't mess with a good thing. (the biggest fail for me was Miwako from the live action Paradise Kiss -- thats another story tho)

Yamamoto Yusuke as Suou Tamak

The drama is currently on the same level as the anime was for me. Its cute. The actors are fun. You still totally love Tamaki despite his self centered ways. Its nice.


Then again I'm only on episode 3. lol.


Stay tuned.

Flower Boy Ramyun Shop :: AWFULNESS

the bad news

I recently watched Flower Boy Ramyun Shop and I feel like I wasted 16 episodes of life that I can never get back. It was awful. With the amount of press this drama got I thought I would some idea about the lack of meat this drama had but I was totally blindsided.

Then again when everything anyone talks about is the attractiveness of the cast and nothing about the actually plot that should have been a clear warning to stay away.

What was so bad about it? There was nothing to get excited about. The plot was weak, the character's actions are sooo obvious, and there's no big shocker. waaah wahhh. LAME.

the good news

Despite how I feel about this drama, FBRS still has three things going for it.

1. Lee Chung Ah/Yang Eun Bi makes super cute faces.

2. Cute Boys

3. ................ there was only 16 episodes


Finals Thoughts

Whether or not you decide to watch this drama or not don't say I didn't warn you. You'll want to like this drama. You'll wait and wait for something better to happen in the next episode. You'll come to the final episode and be like huh??! This was it?

Save yourself some time. Don't watch this.

PODCAST!!

The podcast w/Loc is finally finished so please check it out and let me know what you think!!

http://japancinema.net/podcast-japancinema/

Its only about thirty minutes and we cover a lot of different kdramas. We hoping to cover a certain topic each month and how it relates/affects kdramas/jdramas.

I hope you guys like it! Thanks for all your encourages. ^_^

I Cheated!!!!!

So last week I started watching the kdrama Heartstrings and things seemed to be going well.... familiar faces, cute plot....




until...




 
I read all the episode summaries on Dramabeans!!! ahhhhhhhhhhhh



lol.


Seriously though. I don't know why I was in such a rush to find out what happens. Whether the plot was just moving too slow or I was just too busy to watch the episodes like I wanted to, I really don't know.

I got to about the end of episode 3 when I decided to read up on what happens next since it was too late at night to watch another episode. uh that was a BIG MISTAKE!

It was like giving a fat kid cake. I couldn't stop at just one! Needless to say I ruined the entire series and now know what happens (including info about Shinhye's accident) all the way to episode 15, the finale.



I'm so rorry Shinhye & Yonghwa...!!

Its not you, its me...




*********** Don't forget I'm having a giveaway that's still open!!! Check it out!! **************

Just Started Watching :: Heartstrings

Last night I started watching the first episode of the kdrama Heartstrings. It wasn't till I started watching that I realized that Park Shin Hye and Jung Yong Hwa were both in it.

That was definitely a pleasant surprise. I liked them both in You're Beautiful but towards the end Jung Yong Hwa's character annoyed me to no end. Luckily his character in Heartstrings has much more confidence and isn't a huge tool.

Thoughts after watching the first episode?

I am excited to watch this series. Park's character, Lee Gyu Won, is a strong female who is attending school studying traditional Korean folk music (she plays the gayageum, a traditional korean instrument). Jung Yong Hwa plays Lee Shin, an arrogant musician who all the girls loves yet loves nothing in his life. They end up meeting through several different encounters, and eventually end up competing to see who can play music with more "heart." Thus the basis of the storyline is established. 

So far I'm loving everything. It always annoys me how in kdramas some of the female leads can be so unrealistically nice and lose themselves to their villainous counterparts, but Lee Gyu Won isn't one of those females.  She's holding her own, especially when Lee Shin keeps hurling insults and putting her down. That just makes me love her character all the more. It'll be interesting to see how the subplots work out though.

Right now I'm not really into any of the other characters in the drama but seeing as it is only the first episode I shouldn't write them off just yet.

Enough talk, got to go watch episode 2 now!


*** Read my followup post about watching this series ----> "I Cheated" ***

SASA Haul

Awhile back I purchased a few items from SASA.com in hopes of entering the Sasa Haul Contest... Unfortunately I didn't have the time to film a video and enter the contest but I still wanted to share what I had purchased.

 

First Up :: Skin 79 Super+ BB Cream VIP Golf Collection

Choosing a BB cream is such a hard and personal choice since there are so many different ones choose from.  I knew I wanted to try a Skin79 BB Cream just wasn't sure which one to try.  I ended up choosing this BB Cream since not only was it one of the newer Skin 79 products to come out but also because it recommended for preventing wrinkles and improving fine lines.  I'm 24 now and thought this might be good time to start thinking "pro" anti-wrinkle.  As you can see a lot goes a long ways. It has a light [rose?] scent and overall is really nice. It doesn't make me look pasty and blends rather well. Did wish it had a bit more coverage though.

Next up :: Palty Glitter Pencil Eyeliner

 

 

I haven't actually used this one yet but will once it gets closer to the holidays to add a bit of glamour to my normal makeup.

Dariya Hair Magic Sheet

 

I can't tell you how many times I have seen this on different blogs so I wanted to try it out for myself.  It worked really well on my hair! I liked it for obvious reasons (no crease in my bangs when doing my makeup), but I did try it on my mom and it didn't work well for her.  She has super thick hair and it just puffed up her hair. lol.

Lastly K-Palette Tattoo Eyeliner in Black

 

I was super disappointed with this.  I had heard such stellar reviews about how long lasting this eyeliner is and for some people it might be, however for me it was lackluster at best.  My current eyeliner of choice is MAC Liquidlast, which is still the best, longest lasting eyeliner I have ever tried.  The K-Palette was okay and gave a great dark black color however by the end of the day it was wearing away. =[ Again this might just be me but it isn't something I will be ordering again.

Free Sample! :: Natio Aromatherapy Skin Toner

This toner turned out to be such a pleasant surprise.  This toner had the nicest rose water scent and left my skin feeling super soft and fresh. LOVE IT!

*********

Overall I was happy with my purchases and will be using them frequently.  Ordering from the site was super easy and getting a free sample was a nice extra.  It took about a week for my order to arrive and everything was in great condition and nothing was damaged or gross. So I will most certainly be ordering from Sasa again.

Artist :: Juuri

The other day on twitter JapanCinema tweeted a link about an artist name Juuri...
[you can see the link I am referring to here]
I was interested to see what kind of artist she was, so I clicked on the link to check out her work and wow -- I am so glad I did!

From the first piece I saw of hers I was instantly in love.  She uses so many vibrant colors and her pieces are so feminine and intimate...Its almost hard to explain, her works are just so appealing...

I can just imagine how stunning one of her pieces might look in a sleek, modern bedroom..
makes me want one!

She has a variety of sites and you should check them all out!

Juuri's Main Website

Juuri's Etsy Site

Juuri's Blog

Juuri's Interview with JapanCinema

**I do not own the rights to any of these images, all are from Juuri's Website

Japan Cinema

I wanted to share an awesome site that offers great reviews on Japanese film, anime, and art -- Japan Cinema. 

Along with being aesthetically pleasing, **love their banners** if you're wanting to find a good Japanese film to watch Japan Cinema is the place to go.  From romantic comedies to anime series this site has everything. One of my favorite features is their "Top 10" series.  From "Top 10 Ass-Kicking Females of Anime" to "Top 10 Asian Death Scenes" Japan Cinema offers great insight into many films and series.  So next time you are looking for something to watch, check them out.