mysecretsoul

In A Good Way is mostly similar in that it's a period piece which covers 1995 (though in Taiwan). There doesn't seem to be any mystery about couples, either; occasionally, the lead character narrates over the action, "later, I would find out x or y" but that's been toned down drastically in recent episodes. It has a very good pace (episodes fly by), and the cast is likable (especially the male lead, what a find!).

Oh, you started Ando Lloyd! I never made time for that yet, despite the Kimura-ness. XD

Thank you dearly for reading that article! That was so much fun to write; my friend and I perfected it for weeks, but it never once felt like work. You've seen the series then? It really drew me in, despite its various problems. Marked one of the few times I just looked at flaws and went "Oh, okay then." XD

William Feng was great in it though! It made me follow some of his films directly after, as well as Daniel Chan and his music.

Seems I was lucky to avoid 1994 as it aired then. In A Good Way, from Taiwan, has a very similar feel (or so I hear) to that series; however, the love interests seem more clearly defined and I've never been frustrated once. Which means I probably will be soon, XD

Between Garbage and Chilbong, she picked Garbage right? A huge chunk of my hesitance came from the husband game, but I kind of knew she'd choose Garbage just from reading the description. Which means avoidance is healthy for me -- I keep getting second lead syndrome lately ;A;

And Happy New Year! I hope you and your family prosper throughout 2014 and find new heights of happiness! Let's continue our good relationship as well, nee-chan~

Thank you so much for your sweet words; I wish you all the same and more. Let's definitely continue our fun and enriching relationship, even until the next year comes round! :)

I have never actually thought to keep track of my journey through film before. Suddenly I have a wish to, and television as well; sometimes I forget a film for some time out of nowhere, having seen so many. Hopefully you'll find your way back to Asian media soon, but a change in pace is always good. Seen anything interesting in the west?

It must say something for my current drama kick that watching that special did not immediately jettison me back into a British television phase, haha. Are you starting DK soon then? I really hope you enjoy it -- though after speaking with you, I think you will. Some time after finishing I still feel very fond of it, and sort of miss seeing Kusanagi-san frequently. Might be time to watch some of his which I've had on hold, haha.

I figure that reading frequently probably helps that; I've found that many of the better writers I've spoken with are voracious readers.

Oh, same here. Qi You has such soulful eyes too; the last bit of episode I saw (16 now), when he received the marriage orders, wow. When the show started with the silly angle, I never thought it'd develop into something so compelling. Everyone talks about Wallace Huo and suddenly here's Kevin Yan being incredible all the time, yeesh. And I'm also enjoying how they differentiate between princes (Big Prince/Little Prince) haha.

Oh, you finished 1994! How did it end? The right person win or not? I've been a little afraid of the series since the shipping wars started, haha.

Yup! I'd been trying to rush through certain titles before Christmas; my time grows a little tight until after the day has passed. Now it's time to choose a bunch and make up for a little lost time, haha. Might be time for another Sakurai Sho title -- been feeling a little stalky of him lately, haha.

Is it a movie mood for you then, Cheer? I've never heard of Saving General Yang, but after reading the description I'm definitely interested now. How did Kou-san do btw?

Also, hope the holidays are awesome for you, if you celebrate :)

I managed to nearly catch up to your previous landmark in Introduction of the Princess. It surprises me things have turned out in such a way; the initial tone of the drama never hinted at such a shift! I love it, haha. And Kevin Yan's character, am I crazy or is he crazy charismatic somehow?

I wanted to say more, but must be off again ;A; Definitely must wish you a wonderful holiday, Nee-chan! Hope you're having tons of fun. :)

Those ornaments sound too cute. I hope you still have that egg? It would be too sad to lose something like that. My mother actually still has all these ornaments I made as a little kid; somehow they look the same as then, which really speaks to her dedication in preservation, haha.

Oh, thank you for reading the review! I think I ended up saying too much as always, but hey. Too much is better than too little, ne?

I just wanted to stop by and wish you a Merry Christmas again! There was more to say, but the Doctor Who Christmas special just started so I'm off again. xD

Thank you greatly for the well wishes, Winnie! Hopefully the new year brings wonderful great things for you as well, in dramaland and out. :)

Glad you enjoyed the review. Dokushin Kizoku was one of my more unique watches this year. Hope you had a fine holiday season!

Thank you kindly for the friend request! Hope you're doing well and, if you celebrate, had a fine holiday season this year. :)

The philosophies of martial arts actually always fascinated me most about them though. For instance, after finishing Queen Seon Duk, I took interest in the Hwarang. Afterward I'd learned that a branch of Tae Kwon Do took up the name and their principles. That was really wild.

It seems somewhat wasteful to hire an actor without martial arts in his background for the role of Ip Man, though. Didn't Donnie Yen learn the skills before filming? Hopefully the acting is good at least.

Colors are super important to me when it comes to decorating anything. Yesterday, I remember switching bulbs here and there to spread different hues around. Avoided too much of red or green in one place, etc. Funnily enough, in coming home, I also found tons of old ornaments which brought back memories galore (such as this Hello Kitty one I'd bought almost 12 years ago now, sheesh). While on the subject, I'd like to return the well wishes in turn. :)

Oh, Ip Man? I had no idea they'd made a drama based on that premise, despite being familiar with the films. Martial arts history does interest me, though I have yet to do firm reading on the subject. I found the movies with Donnie Yen to be wonderful, but always took them with a grain of salt.

I had heard that there was another version of the films, a bit more accurate; like, they covered the fact he had a mistress at some point, etc.

Whoa, I better get rolling then: only made it to five. Each time I get a moment to settle down, it seems like I can only ever get one episode in. Being at home, I turn into my mother's kitchen slave, hahaha.

I'm all about good romantic developments though. I'll do my best to catch up tonight and send you a huge message which may or may not be mostly gushing. XD

Most of the information I've found on him comes from Mitsubishi's website itself. Strange, ne?

I have seen Ooku, though not the film. Sakai-san does wonderfully, as does Omi Toshinori; the premise is very interesting too. My primary issues were with the rest of the cast, as well as the actual carriage of the plot. It felt too short and a little rushed. Afterwards I checked for a novel or manga version, and sure enough found one; peeking at it only illuminated the issues with the drama.

Kim Myung Min and Jung Ryeo Won are some of my favorites; interestingly, I found both of them through King of Dramas. Since then, I kind of stalk Myung Min's work in particular, haha.

Christmas has been devouring my time as well. Since my shifts are complete for the holidays, today we finally decorated our tree. Seems a shame to do it so late in the month, though!

Absolutely, he would! Though something tells me that Ryoma would face the challenge admirably nonetheless. He might be unhappy that the world still has many of the same problems -- but all the advances would likely delight him too. For instance, all the new ways to sail!
But that possible corruption of events always worried me about written history in general. Who knows what is totally accurate or not? "History is written by the victors," they say, and romance tends to trump accuracy when it comes to heroes.

As to Yataro, he befuddles me. What kind of man might he have actually been? Was he fully an opportunist or just a very shrewd business man? Despite his important status as founder ....(continued)

Definitely. As I get older, it seems like I appreciate pretty faces less; while handsome men are always a plus, the vapid love of them just doesn't happen for me like it might have done in the past.

Oh! By that, I meant more along the lines of super-stardom. Kimura Takuya is one of the only Japanese actors that comes to mind when I think "huge ratings! hotness!" haha. For instance, though I never really thought of Eita as particularly good looking, he really is a wonderful actor.

I definitely am! My friend and I have started one called Introduction of the Princess. How are movies treating you?

The imprisonment of Hanpeita (and to a degree, Izo) always had me rather emotional. I could not imagine facing death with such dignity, and his wife! Truly, a samurai couldn't ask for a better partner -- though it clearly hurt her deeply.

Thank you for your opinion on Neverending Story! I'm very glad to hear it isn't all doom and gloom. It's always exciting to see two favorites perform together, but recently I felt put off by it. Jung Ryeo Won, coincidentally, had little to no chemistry with Joo Ji Hoon in Medical Top Team. The prospect of them acting together was an exciting one, but.... It's good that a similar problem doesn't exist here.

Definitely not. In fact, his inability to lay low and do nothing produced the variables required to assassinate him successfully. Other attempts were made on his life (similar in circumstance and location to the final one) but each time Ryoma seemed to fight his way out. I always found it crazy that he died once his primary political wish was gained; it feels too much like a novel, right?

Many people actually said such things in the years after his death: "What would Ryoma have done?" I believe similar thinking reemerged in recent years, due to modern political difficulties in Japan. Sort of like how Americans occasionally wonder what George Washington might have thought, etc.

Oh, Hanpeita is a rich enough figure to warrant his own drama in my opinion There are many books on him as well, though his stories often intertwine with Ryoma's budding legacy.