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The ‘It’s about time to catch up’ + Sunshine Award! post

It feels like it’s been a while since I’ve written an actual review-ish looking post. I have been watching dramas, but just haven’t had much motivation to write. 🙁 I’m not sure I’m ready to talk about why, but let’s just say I think it’s time to crawl out of a hole and catch up.

 

First of all – thank you so much to apqaria for the Sunshine Award nomination!!! 🙂 It certainly brought a little sunshine to my boring day.

1. What drama/movie do you watch to cheer you up?

Rom-coms. I’m a sucker for them and even though I’ve seen it a gazillion times, I still enjoy the ride and love the happy ending. If I see the following movies on TV, I just have to watch them – The Proposal, Love Actually, My Best Friend’s Wedding, plus the classics (not really rom-coms) like Persuasion, Pride & Prejudice and Emma!

 

2. What made you feel the urge to start blogging?

At the time I think I had a lot to say fangirl about a couple of dramas so blogging is just an excuse for me to release all that fangirl craziness LOL. Somehow by writing about it, it helps to make sense of my illogical love of something!

 

3. Do you follow a schedule for your drama watching and blogging?

I usually watch dramas before bed. But unless I truly love a show where I have to watch it as soon as it comes out or live watch if possible, it just depends on the mood.

 

4. What is the first thing attract you to watch a drama/movie? (Cast, Story, ….Etc)

Cast. I’m superficial like that! Most of the time anyway, but of course there’re exceptions.

 

5. What is the weirdest dream you had recently?

Not sure if this is weird, but I dreamt that I was at work, doing my normal work stuff. ARGH. Gees I was annoyed. It’s weird because it felt so real, and I don’t remember the last time I actually dream about work. ><

 

6. Are you a big eater? And what is your favorite dish?

I… think so? Love Japanese food, but I can also live on street food from HK and Taiwan. 😀

 

7. Would you ever want to try dangerous sports like sky dive or bungee jump?

NOOOOO way. I’m a scaredy cat. As I get older I’m growing to be more risk averse. I can’t even step on a roller coaster anymore!!!

These 2 beautiful souls on a great TV show called Forever – I miss them already.

8. What is your favorite drama in 2015 till now? And what is the drama you are most looking forward to watch?

Recently I fell in love with Forever – a US series. But of course stupid ABC cancelled it after the first season. See, this is why I watch Asian dramas –  am I asking too much for a proper ending?!?

For Asian dramas, it’s probably HKTV’s To Be or Not To Be. I was addicted for most of it and despite its shaky ending, it was still a very well made drama.

 

9. If you have to choose another profession/study other than the one you have, what would that be?

Probably something medically related? Sometimes you feel very insignificant when you spend most of your day contributing numbers on a financial statement.

 

10. Cute or Sexy?

Sexy? Yeah, accents are sexy and I love those. 😛

 

11. Do you watch variety shows? If yes, which is your favorite?

Not very regularly. I watch when my favourites are the guests. If I’m bored I also watch the food-related travel shows. The old-school 100% Entertainment were probably my favourite, it’s all changed now. 🙁

 

Thank you again to apqaria. <3

I know I am breaking the rules again but I just crawled out of my cave, be gentle on me!! ><

 

 

OKKKK, since this is a catchup post, and omg there hasn’t been a ‘roundup’ for months and months, I just thought I’d jot down some thoughts on the dramas I’m watching right now.

 

Currently Watching

A Step into the Past (up to Ep 9) – There has been some talk about this drama being remade in China, AND the original lead Louis Koo is thinking of doing a movie… I think it’s about time I actually watch this. (and I call myself a LF fan, yikes!) But so far, I love it. It’s so much funnier than that Three Kingdoms RPG (it’s the same kind of jokes, but sorry I really should not mention that crappy series again). Despite my reservations about Louis Koo – he is not a natural actor even to this day, I love the ‘adventure’ aspect to this story. It reminds me of another Huang Yi adaptation Twin of Brothers. I’m not a huge wuxia fan, but the story is very interesting. Also, I find these ‘old-school not advanced CGI’ to be way more realistic than what we see now. Ah the nostalgia.

Claire (up to Ep 6) – I must love Xiu Jie Kai a lot because I keep on picking up his dramas. This one is a short web series (13 eps, approx 20 mins per ep) so it’s not much of a commitment. The beginning was pretty good, Tia Li is still rather wooden and she is the lead. But the cinematography looks good. Xiu Jie Kai is actually awkward as a ‘CEO’ type character. I just don’t think it suits him. However, the 2nd lead guy is cute and I think the story is more realistic than your typical idol drama. The complete series was released by Line TV already but since that is only available in Taiwan and the versions uploaded to YouTube seemed… incomplete (?), the Youku version seems like a safer bet but they’re only up to ep 7 right now (and only 2 eps a week). So I just have to be patient with this one.

 

Dear Mom (up to Ep 42) – I don’t know whether I can still call this one ‘currently watching’ because I haven’t touched it since the beginning of April. o_O It’s beginning to feel like I’m watching too many dramas right now so I don’t think I’ll realistically pick this one back up anytime soon. It just feels like such a daunting task… another 42 episodes! And I already know what’s going to happen from reading the news etc. 🙁

The Menu (up to Ep 13) – Just over half way through this drama now although it feels like I took so long to get here. I took a few weeks break from it not because the drama is bad, I just wanted to get another drama out of the way first. This is another great production from HKTV and other than the production values, its strength is definitely in the character development. I feel like I really get to know what ‘the life of a reporter’ is like and the staff at this newspaper all have their own stories to tell. Gosh, I have no idea how Catherine Chau has been ‘undiscovered’ (aka wasted by TVB) all these years, she may not be your traditional beauty but she has the ‘everyday person’ quality and is very relatable. She definitely has the acting chops to be a leading actress. The other leading lady Noel Leung is a welcome sight back on our screens. She still look as beautiful as she did 20 years ago! The only question mark I have is Kate Yeung. Her character was somewhat annoying in the beginning but the redeeming factor is her bickering relationship with my fav Gregory Wong. If I have to be picky, it would be the plot moves quite fast. (Just like a newsroom I guess!) I haven’t had time to digest the last story and already we’re moving on the next newsworthy item.

Murphy’s Law of Love (up to Ep 10) – Cute + Fluffy. Plot is getting pretty thin though. Maybe it’s because I’m questioning why Xiang Zi Yan (Jolin Chien) exists in this drama. He was the reason I started watching remember?!? They need to give him something to do. But the OTP is so engraved and super cute now that any other distractions from the main couple will definitely anger the fans. Despite my selfish reasons, Ji Jia Wei (Danson Tang) and Guan Xiao Tong (Ivelyn Lee) are super duper cute and I’m always left wondering how these two are 30 years old. Funny to watch but definitely not realistic. Surprisingly, I’m also feeling a lot of sympathy for 2nd female lead He Zhi Yu (Jenna Wang). We all make mistakes in our pasts and at least she tries to change after everything happened. She’s more considerate and caring of others now, instead of being so self centred and too focused on her career. I like flawed characters like that. Let’s just hope she won’t turn desperately evil later on just to win back Ji Jia Wei.

 

Phew! I started this post last week and finally!!! In an attempt to motivate myself to write more regularly, here’s my current ‘To Do’ list – I may not be able to write more detailed posts on what I’m watching now because I really want to concentrate on things I’ve already finished (some for a few months already!) – before I lose the plot and forget it all!

 

  • Eye in the Sky Eps 16 to 20 thoughts (gosh, memory is way hazy already)
  • [Review] To be or not to be (one I really want to write because of my love for it)
  • [Review] Mr Right Wanted (it was okay…I guess)
  • [Movie Review] 20 Once Again (another ok but not great movie)
  • [Double Movie Reviews] Kung Fu Jungle + Rise of the Legend (Donnie Yen > Eddie Peng, yep you read that right!)
  • [Review] Constellation Women Series: Aries (8pm drama disguised as an idol drama, I got a kick out of watching the craziness.)
  • Maybe a review of The Election, MAYBE.

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Comments

18 responses to “The ‘It’s about time to catch up’ + Sunshine Award! post”

  1. rowanmdm Avatar
    rowanmdm

    I’m watching Murphy’s Law of Love and I am similarly intrigued by Zhi Yi. I’ve been saying for a while that I would love to see a second FEMALE lead we could actually root for, and she might fit the bill. I’m also really please with the way she has matured and changed, and I almost applauded when she said the reason she didn’t tell Jia Wei about her accident was that a relationship built on pity wouldn’t last. Now if they can just avoid having her turn into a manipulative, evil monster I will be happy.

    Reply
    1. kat Avatar
      kat

      Yes definitely! I feel a lot of sympathy for her right now and it’s refreshing to see how much she has changed. Although the story doesn’t really have anywhere to go if she continues to be the ‘good’ person! It’s like Xiao Tong’s ex is trying to meddle in things as well… maybe he’s the evil one this time LOL.

      Reply
      1. rowanmdm Avatar
        rowanmdm

        I would LOVE it if Xiao Tong’s ex were the bad guy this time. I would love to see a reversal of the norm in that way. If XT’s ex were the evil one and Zhi Yi continued to growth personal growth I think it would inspire real conflict within Jia Wei.

        Reply
  2. Kappy A Avatar
    Kappy A

    Tskk Tskk Tskk! Such a bad RayRay fan you are Kat! 😛

    I want to do a rewatch too but I don’t think I can stomach the sharing of the male lead! Sigh!

    Reply
    1. kat Avatar
      kat

      HAHAHA I know!! Although it reminds of why I started liking him. He was so green (actually charcoal) back then it’s cute to watch.

      Yeah I remember the ending!! (I think I did watch some parts years and years ago) It’s like every girl he meets, she falls for him!!! You can tell a guy wrote this story LOL.

      Reply
  3. Huy T Avatar
    Huy T

    oh heyyyy I’m watching A Step Into The Past too! is it worth watching tho? I’ve only watched episode 1 about half way and it seems meh..

    20 Once Again was alright. The original (Korean ver.) was much better if you haven’t gone & seen it!

    You watch lots of dramas in the one time btw. I don’t think I’d be able to keep up with that many storylines.. LOL

    Reply
    1. kat Avatar
      kat

      If you have time, you should definitely give a couple more episodes a go. The 1st ep was really just the ‘background’ story, once he travels back into ancient times you can get a better sense of whether you like the story. 🙂

      I’m not watching that many at one time am I? Other ppl seem to watch a lot more!! I think having 2 or 3 in progress gives a bit of variety, can pick depend on mood!

      Reply
  4. misscupcakees Avatar
    misscupcakees

    First time I’ve heard about Dear Claire, will definitely go check it out. And congrats on the Sunshine Award!

    Reply
    1. kat Avatar
      kat

      Thanks! Yeah it’s a nice short series with good looking leads and shot pretty well too. 🙂

      Reply
  5. cloudandsea Avatar
    cloudandsea

    Please write review on To Be or Not To Be! The ending was quite bad but I really love the song and the script. Really refreshing and a new take on China-HK relationship and how policies affect family back in those days.

    I watched epi 1/2 of The Menu but found it a bit too boring to my liking.

    I have recently started watching HKTV Beyond the Rainbow and I think it is by far the best HKTV drama I have ever watched. The stellar actors and script was quite good. Ha Yu was especially good! He is really a true gem 😀 Felix Wong was a bit stiff but still ok. Although HKTV’s ending is always quite rush. I love the bromance and it has the old TVB essence – family, friendship, romance. 🙂

    And I really wonder how HKTV manage to find all these hidden good actors/actresses or even discover new actors/actresses! For instance, Calvin Lui who was a Mr Hong Kong. Who would have though that he could act well? I think it proves that those who come out from beauty pageants can act well too!

    Reply
    1. kat Avatar
      kat

      Yeah the last few episodes were quite o_O Anson’s part of the story went all haywire but Mei Tin’s part was still very good (and touching).

      I just finished The Menu and I have to say though it’s on par with To Be or Not To Be. There were some flaws but interesting from beginning to end. It had 3 strong female characters and again, great character development. 🙂

      Now I’ve tempted to watch Beyond the Rainbow. I didn’t realise Calvin and Leila were a pair again in it?? They were so cute in The Borderline! LOL. When I read the story outline it didn’t interest me but then that was the same for TBONTB and within a few eps I was hooked. So maybe I shouldn’t trust my first instinct now!!

      You’re totally right about all the ‘undiscovered’ actors and actresses. I thought Calvin’s acting was a bit awkward in The Borderline, but he was cute so that makes up for it. 😉 Catherine Chau was really good in The Menu, and she was forever doing minor supporting characters at TVB. I also think Alan Luk has so much potential. Have only seen him in supporting roles in HKTV dramas but he is a good actor.

      Reply
      1. cloudandsea Avatar
        cloudandsea

        I agree with you. Hopefully HKTV will be able to obtain a license and provide more opportunities for these actors/actresses. I really think that they deserve more screen time. Looking at the actors/actresses that TVB are promoting now, I can only let out a big sigh. M Club was a big surprise though. 🙂

        From my impression, Dexter Yong’s acting was quite bad but in Beyond the Rainbow, I must say that his portrayal as a mentally disabled is really impressive! Philip Keung is good in his role as a loyal friend.

        Anyway I am pretty looking forward to the new TVB drama (anniversary?) starring Hawick Lau. Have you been following it?

        Reply
        1. kat Avatar
          kat

          Sad thing is I don’t think HKTV will ever get a license because of political reasons. With Miss HK, I think TVB is discovering a lot of young actresses they can promote but the actors?! I just can’t see any of the ‘newbies’ taking over the void.

          It’s great to see a solid movie actor like Philip Keung on the small screen. He gets a bit typecasted though…

          Now that you mentioned it, I thought Felix Wong and Ha Yu were like in the same ‘generation’, Ha Yu as the dad??? That’s kinda weird!

          About Harwick Lau’s new series, is that the one with Liza Wang as well? I’m not a big fan of these Mainland-TVB co-productions, they’re just neither here nor there. Plus apart from 2 or 3 people the rest of cast looks… hmmm. :S

          Reply
      2. cloudandsea Avatar
        cloudandsea

        Oh yes! They are a pair again. Leila Tong is AMAZING! She definitely don’t look like a mother at all. She acted as a 17-year old girl (me think) and she definitely don’t look weird at all lol. But it was a LOL moment when she had to act as a 70 years old lady. HKTV probably don’t have enough senior actresses LOL.

        But I took quite a long time to get the hierarchy right… because Ha Yu doesn’t look like Felix Wong’s dad… But I went to calculate their age and it was possible. Ha Yu (69 years old) – Felix Wong (53 years old) = 16 years old. Lol… But then again, Ha Yu looks good for his age and Felix Wong looks like 58 to me :/

        Reply
  6. heisui Avatar
    heisui

    Congrats! :3 Hmm you got me curious about To be or not to be! And I am looking forward to your Constellation review because YEAH..my impression of what I saw from that drama is that it was pretty crazy.

    Reply
    1. kat Avatar
      kat

      Yeah To be or not to be was one of those dramas I didn’t think I will like, but ended up loving it in the end. It’s a nice break from all the idol dramas. 🙂

      It was crazy!!!! And not in a good way… but then maybe we all need a little makjang in our lives every now and then. 😛

      Reply
  7. Jen @ These Dramatic Days Avatar
    Jen @ These Dramatic Days

    I totally agree with you on on Zi Yan (Jolin’s character) and Zhi Yu (Jenna Wang’s character) in Murphy’s Law of Love. I feel like Jolin has been slated as the nice-but-gives-up-easily second male lead. It’s great that he’s not evil…but he doesn’t get much to do. In this series, he hasn’t even gotten that much air time. And for Jenna Wang, there’s a lot hateful comments about Zhi Yu on viki and such, but I think she’s been an ok 2nd lead character in this series. I’ve felt sorry for her ever since she appeared in the drama. It’s definately not a realistic series at all, but it does make you smile with all that fluffiness. I’ve also started to like the leads more since seeing their interactions with each other and with fans at the Murphy’s Law of Love fan meet…they were all so cute!

    Reply
    1. kat Avatar
      kat

      Yeah I’m disappointed at the complete lack of Jolin in this drama. 🙁 His character had so much potential and now the main OTP has been so cute no one is really a threat now.

      I agree with you about Zhi Yu. I actually like her a lot (as a 2nd female lead anyway). She had been so sensible since she came back, and it looks like she has a lot of emotional issues to deal with. I love that she didn’t tell JJW about her car accident, and now JJW has to deal with the guilt of what he said to her and his assumptions. I’m sad that Zhi Yu and JJW are just not meant to be. Couples have to go through these difficulties in order to be closer together and I guess they just have bad timing.

      Haven’t had the chance to see the vids from their fan meet, must do so soon!!!! Danson & Ivelyn are a cute couple 🙂

      Reply

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