TV series : Beauty of Resilience (2023)

 

trailer 

Ending song 

It's been a very very long time since last time I post in this blog. Suddenly, I just feel like I want to post something. Previously I find series that I quite enjoy. The series is Beauty of Resilience (花戎) It was broadcasted on IQIYI and have 36 episodes. This is Xianxia story. For people who don't know xianxia, it is popular literary genre that blends elements of fantasy, martial arts, and immortality. 

This drama is adapted from the popular Xianxia novel "The Mistaken Eternal Life" by Lin Jiacheng. It tells the magnificent Xianxia story of Wei Zhi (played by Ju Jingyi), the female protagonist who is reincarnated as a phoenix, and Yan Yue (played by Guo Junchen), the male protagonist who is the Sun God. They go through hardships and finally break the destiny of how the "phoenix nirvana will shake the three worlds" and rewrite their own Xianxia story together. 

I have watched all the episodes and really enjoy it. The story is your typical xianxia in which there is element of forbidden love, but it is not heavy series. The setting is quite nice and the story is enjoyable, especially for Guo Junchen and Ju Jingyi fans. The story revolved around 3 realms (heaven realm, human realm, and demon realm). Unlike your typical xianxia, there is not much tension between heaven realm and demon realm. So, the story is not littered with fighting. 

I like the early school arc. It is quite nice and not draggy. The other arc I also like is the mortal arc. Some people do not like this arc, but I enjoy it. I enjoy Chen Yan character more than Yan Yue. Guo Junchen acting here really shines. Ju Jingyi is also better as Wang Yue than Wei Zhi. What stand out the most for me, is the acting and the music. Love the actors acting and beautiful song. 

The ending is an open ending. But for me, it is happy ending. 

Despite the good, the story could have been better with longer episodes to flesh out some things and better editing. But overall, I really recommend this story for Xianxia lovers or people who want to try Xianxia genre. 

For people who want to watch this series in Viki, can use this form to request https://support.viki.com/hc/en-us/articles/360034633713

Rating : 9 of 10

Regards, 

Angela

Film Review: THe Big Sick (2017)

Synopsis:

Kumail Nanjani is a Pakistani stand up comedian. One day he met Emily and both of them start their romance. Regardless their cultural and race difference and the sickness of Emily, they try to survive their love story.

Review:

I like this film a lot. I did not expect this film will rock my heart and emotion. I cried and laugh a lot. The stand up comedy itself are good, makes me laugh. The relationship between Kumail and Emily also good, it feels natural and sweet. This film really caught me to keep watching this film and I did enjoy it.

I cried when Kumail gave bad performance during Montreal audition because he admit his feeling to Emily' sickness. I like how Kumail choose to chase his dream to be stand up comedian. He is really talented.

I really recommend this film if you like stand up comedy, romance or sweet drama. This film will absolutely caught your emotion like it did to me.

Rating: 8.3/10


Best regards,


Selene.

Film Review: A Family Man (2016)

Synopsis:

Dane Jensen work as headhunter in company. He need to reach the target or he could lost his job. He worked very hard to keep the target given by his boss. He even doesn't have time for his family. One day, his son is diagnosed with cancer. He starts to spent much time with his family and begin to prioritize what is important in his life.

Review:

The idea of this film is good to remind hard working man to spent more time with his family before it is really taken away from him. This film is really dominated by the acting of Gerard Butler, he really gives his best in this film.

I enjoyed this film, how Dane and his wife, Elise fight over what is important to be prioritized. They often caught fight of who makes more money and who covers for the family. Elise spent her time as a full time three kids mom, while Dane has career as succesful headhunter. While Dane is pretty arogant when fight over who makes more money, Dane himself is a good headhunter, he never give up to help Lou, a 59 years old who always get rejected worked in anywhere because of his age.

Dane spent much time with his son Ryan, after he is diagnosed with cancer and because of this, his boss ed fire him. After get fired, Dane create his own headhunter company at home and spent his time  for his family.

While the story is pretty good, I really did not feel the climax of this film, I expect some real climax at the ending, but it just ends like that and I pretty dissapointed with the ending. I mean in real life, who does not want to work at home and spent much time with family? While in reality, life can't be that easier. Life expenses keep running like water flowing. Let's say, Dane started new company, with his wife as full time mom and three kids, how long Dane' savings could covered for all of them until his business succeed ? That's why I think the ending is too fairy tale and not really impress me. Yet, I still recommend this film if you like Gerard Butler or you like drama or family melodrama.

Rating: 6.5/10


Thanks for reading.


Kind regards,


Selene.

K-drama: Temptation of an angel (2009)

Synopsis:

Jo Ah Ran married to Shin Hyun Woo in order to revenge her parents dead that caused by Shin Hyun Woo father. She wants to ruin Shin Hyun Woo family business. Jo Ah Ran herself is in relationship with Nam Joo Seung. Jo Ah Ran tried to kill Shin Hyun Woo several times then until one day, Shin Hyun Woo successfully escaped from Ah Ran Trap and running away. He do plastic surgery and change name to be Ahn Jae Seung. Ahn Jae Seung is very attractive man and determine to revenge what Jo Ah Ran did to him.

Review:

This is the most complicating and twisting Korean drama I ever watched. It is thriller drama, which is not really my scene. The story itself like cat and mouse, one put the trap, the other has to find out and tackle to survive. Jo Ah Ran determine to revenge and kill Shin Hyun Woo and he tried a couple of times to survive from Ah Ran' plan.

I watch this drama because Bae Soo Bin is my favorite korean actor and I am not regretting it. Bae Soo Bin as Ahn Jae Seung act like attractive man who is successful and romantic. I am not enjoy the cat and mouse trap itself but I enjoy Bae Soo Bin acting. My favorite episode is at episode 17 when Ahn Jae Seung asked Jo Ah Ran to dance in the middle of night, and he said as long Joo Ah Ran follow him, everything will be alright. Though I know its just Ahn Jae Seung' fake drama to trap Joo Ah Ran, still if its real, it is pretty romantic scene.

The ending itself is twisting where Yoon Jae Hae apparently is Joo Ah Ran sister, so Shin Hyun Woo can't marry her. This is not happy ending drama. It's a drama that full of vengeance, hatred and ambition.

Rating: 6.5/10


Kind Regards,

Selene.

K-drama: Jealousy Incarnate (2016)

Synopsis: 

A love triangle between Pyo Na Ri, a weather anchor with her fellow Lee Hwa Sin and Lee Hwa Sin bestfriend, Go Jung Won.

Review:

This is one Korean drama that I really feel like to review after Another Miss Oh. I watched some korean drama in between but none really capture my heart. I watched this during my lunch time at this website. I do not have much expectations, but the drama getting more interesting each episode and without my realization, I become addicted to this Korean drama and I love the ost soundtrack of this drama so much. The ost of this drama could be found at youtube.

The story of this drama is pretty simple, Pyo Na Ri had 3 years crush on Lee Hwa Sin, but Lee Hwa Sin always ignored her. Lee Hwa Sin bestfriend, Go Jung Won Likes Pyo Na Ri. Pyo Na Ri always be at Hwa Sin side whenever he needs support. Like when he diagnosed with breast cancer, Pyo Na Ri is always help him and at his side. Slowly Lee Hwa Sin developed feeling for Pyo Na Ri.

What I liked from this drama is its pretty focus on the main characters and the relationship between Pyo Na Ri and Lee Hwa Sin seems natural and slow-but-sure, unlike recent Korean drama which relationship is moving too fast. Although I do not know any actor playing this drama, I have to admit they all have good acting that keeps me going to watch this drama.

What I do not like from this drama is sometimes the story feels like too dragging for couple of episodes, total episode is 24 and with that simple story, Couple of episodes should be combined into one instead of couple of episodes. This love triangle is so simple yet many unnecessary problems or details get into it.

The ones that always be the end of episodes are always about this love triangle scenes that arouse curiosity, nothing else. Yet, this still feel interesting. This drama also suitable for mature audiences. The problems in this drama is pretty heavy like breast cancer and infertility issues. Both Pyo Na Ri and Lee Hwa Sin looks professionals at their job which makes us see them as professional news anchors instead of actors.  I recommend this drama if you like simple love triangle romance. The story is easy to follow and the acting of actors will capture your mind.

My rating: 7/10

Kind regards,

Selene.

K-drama review: Another Miss Oh

Sometimes, what we do not expect will have outcome beyond expectation. This is what happen when I watched this K-drama titled Another Miss Oh.

Here is the fact: I bought a lot of K-drama, watched and finish very few of them. If I found the Kdrama is not interesting, i will stop either at beginning episode or middle. Just can not stand myself to finish it. Yet if i really like the K-drama, i will watch over and over again and hard to get over with.
The last sentence I said had done me right with this K-drama Another Miss Oh.

I have famous K-drama dvd by web browsing, like Descendent of the sun (dots), pinocchio, love rain, marriage contract, etc. Actually I even did not finish watching Descendant of the sun (dots), forcing myself watch until middle episode and I feel really bored and I can not force myself to finish the drama. Frankly said, I even did not shed a single tear when watching Dots, same as well as pinocchio, and the others. So the scene is I bought a lot of K-drama in one day and did not finish all. The reason because it really did not touch my emotion and thought.

Since then, I learnt to just buy one K-drama. So if I did not finish it, I feel not really so wasted. So, I asked the shop retailer which drama is good, she told me that the last drama she watched is Another Miss Oh. So I bought it according to her said.

I just started watch this drama few days ago and still could not get over with this K-drama, because it is so good. I was crying, laughing and smiling while watching it. This drama really played my emotion well. Its really touching. Its beyond my expectation. I just expect to watch this drama to accompany my lunch time, meaning just as I have something to watch while eating. Yet, I was crying in episode 2, when Oh Hae Young told Park Do Kyung that she is been dumped by her ex fiancee.

Sometimes, I watched Kdrama, because I like the actor, like I watched some of Bae Soo Bin dramas, because I like the actor not the drama. But this is different. I don't even know the actors/actress in this Oh Hae Young drama. I have to say that they are really good actors/actress. They suit well.

The story is pretty simple. There are two woman named Oh Hae Young. The pretty Oh Hae Young dump Park Do Kyung on the day their wedding and the other Oh Hae Young getting dumped  by Han Tae Jin. Park Do Kyung ruin Han Tae Jin because he misunderstood by thinking his pretty Oh Hae Young to be married to Han Tae Jin. This is romantic comedy stories that will not get you bored.
The soundtrack is really good too. Its just really match the drama.

I still really not fully get over this drama after finish watching it 2 days ago. Even the soundtrack still whirling in my mind. It's just really recommended, this is really good K-drama you should watch.


My rate: 4.8/5



Kind regards,

~Selene.