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i am once again thinking about that scene where dusik helps hyejin on rocks. hes sitting all alone up there but he steps down from the chair and gives his hand to her while she has to take his hand and climb up without taking off her shoes and i think that scene sums up their dynamic pretty well. dusik could have gone down to listen to her; she could have taken off her shoes to go up. they both need to change and help each other to meet in the middle but that doesn't mean they have to entirely give up who they are as people.

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Hometown ChaChaCha | Kdrama Recommendation

As someone who got to know Kim Seonho from Start Up, I had a lot of expectations for his next work. Honestly, when I first knew his new drama was going to be a movie adaptation, I was scared. I rarely hear very good reviews on dramas that are adaptations of previous works (be it movie, webtoon, etc.). Moreover, while he did manage to be a main lead for several dramas before Start Up, to be honest they weren't my favorite because of various reasons (plot, character development(s), loopholes, etc.) and as such I was always hesitant to recommend Seonho's dramas to other casual k-drama watchers. But now, I'm SO happy and proud to say that Hometown ChaChaCha is my favorite Kim Seonho drama to date! And it's not just because of Kim Seonho is in it - there are so much more reasons to love this drama and here's why:

Hometown ChaChaCha follows the story of Yoon Hyejin (played by Shin Minah), a dentist from Seoul, who one day decides to move to a small seaside town, Gongjin, to open a dental clinic. The drama showcases her character development as she adjusts to the countryside life, her interactions with the Gongjin residents and above all her fated relationship with Hong Banjang (played by Kim Seonho).

The premise of this romcom is pretty simple and straightforward and some might even say clichè. In a way, this is true and yet I feel like it is something that is timely and needed due to many other ongoing k-dramas focusing on very distopic, heavy and intense topics / themes. As many across the globe suffers from the "pandemic fatigue", Hometown ChaChaCha is refreshing because of its healing nature.

Several interviews and press conference of the drama always highlights how Hometown ChaChaCha is a healing drama. The drama managed to capture the beautiful cinematography of Pohang, which is an example of why the drama is healing. However, a big part of why it is healing, is that we see first hand the journey of different characters (main and supporting) heal from their past wounds.

While the story begins with Yoon Hyejin, the drama is essentially about people, particularly Gongjin residents'. Each of the supporting casts' individual backstories are realistic and their stories are told in a good enough pacing that enough individual attention is given and yet not rushed. Originally, I was doubtful about the amount of supporting casts because in Vincenzo, the attention that was given to the supporting casts were too much in the beginning that I couldn't necessarily empathized with all the characters and urged to skip some of the scenes because the pacing was too slow/draggy. Here however, the writer and director of Hometown ChaChaCha managed to flesh out the supporting casts' individual personalities and stories without dragging it for too long. I personally empathized so much with Hwajeong and the reveal of the reason for her divorce in episode 12 remains to be some of my favorite scenes from the drama. I have rewatched that scene several times and cry every time :')

Another huge aspect of why I love this drama is the chemistry between the characters. Kim Seonho and Shin Minah have really great chemistry / tiki-taka with each other that on camera they don't show that noona-dongsaeng vibe we see off camera. I also realized upon rewatch that Kim Seonho's character doesn't actually have that many lines and yet I can still understand and feel many of the character's emotion. This is because he is really good at the microexpressions, gestures, tone of voice - everything we have seen from StartUp but amplified. (It's amazing how I've watched all his past works and yet none of his other characters resemble Hong Banjang - he looks and acts like a completely different person). Additionally, Shin Minah also did a great job of potraying Yoon Hyejin. Her realization montage and confession scene in episode 10 remains as one of my favorite scenes. The way they understood their characters so well to the point that many of the adlibs they had made it to the final cut and enriches the story and tells a lot about the perfect casting they had for these characters. This chemistry also applies to the supporting casts, from the elderly to even the young child actors/actresses. I adore all the characters and I cannot name a single character I hate from this drama.

The writing / dialogues are also a huge plus factor of this drama. There are topics that seems to be cliche (e.g. love triangle, confession, rejection scenes, etc.), but Hometown ChaChaCha takes the cliche troupes that we see in many romcom dramas and spin it into a more realistic and wholesome angle that it doesn't come off as cringe or predictable. It's impressive that this is Shin Haeun's debut drama as a main writer - I adore her writing a lot to the point where I purchased the scriptbook even though I can't read hangeul :) In terms of directing, Yu PD may not be as detailed as Shin PD's directing style, (I noticed that there are some scenes where the actors may be doing something in one scene and it's not necessarily the same when it's cut to a different angle) yet it still delivers the message well and pacing is not disrupted.

Lastly is the amazing OST. I think that this may be the second drama (aside from Hospital Playlist) in which that I truly enjoyed 90% of the songs that came out as the drama's OST. Typically, in other dramas, I would have one (maybe two songs) that I like / put in my playlist. I'm proud to say that I have most of the songs in my playlist and I still have Wish by Choi Yuree sometimes playing in the background on repeat even after the drama ended a month ago. (Here's to hoping that Wish gets that MAMA 2021 award - even though I'm also rooting for Jo Jungsuk's). Even the instrumental OST, given the slight k-variety nature of the drama, is actually perfect for BGM in variety shows. I have heard it being used in many tvN shows (especially Na PD's) and hoping that it will be used even more in other broadcasting stations.

Despite the unfortunate incident that happened after the drama finished airing, I'm glad that many of the casts were able to show what they were capable of and many have received offers for future works and such. While I'm saddened by the fact that we couldn't have post-drama interviews from the main leads, it doesn't change the fact that Hometown ChaChaCha was (and is) a major success and that it is a memorable drama not only for me but also the casts and many fans around the world. I'm glad that I was able to discover many new faces (actors/actresses/writer/PD) from this drama and I'm looking forward to not just Kim Seonho's but also other casts' future work as well :)

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Hometown Cha Cha Cha Episode 12 - Last scene

Throughout that last scene I welled up. I don’t know why. I have been rewatching those last 7-8 minutes many times since yesterday night to figure out why it made me so emotional and I can’t rationalise.

From the moment Dusik took her to the seashore, to the lovely marquee he had made for her, to telling her without hesitation that she should not be bothered by his views - she has worked hard to earn the money and she can do whatever she wants with it, to him being so secure in his life’s choices and hers, to him not imposing his views on her, to him being honest to admit he can’t afford to gift her an expensive necklace, but making a jewellery box for the necklace with his own hands, to him baring his heart and saying I love you and to kissing her - so gently, but with a hint of restlessness , to wanting to hold on to her forever and never let go. Every single moment - I welled up, it is such a beautiful, happy scene and yet there was a tinge of melancholy to it. Why?

Gifs credit @dingyuxi

HyeJin - this lovely, beautiful woman who sees through him, who loves him with all her might, who doesn’t want to change him, who values his handmade gift more than the expensive diamond necklace, because he is her diamond. She is so honest with him and her feelings for him. She loves every little thing he does for her. Their love for each other is so sincere, so raw and so pure - so rare.

Gif credit @dingyuxi

It’s not easy to bring yourself to commit and to love a person without meaning it - Dusik is fighting his inner demons but he wants to seek his happiness with HyeJin, and at the same time not let those demons suck the happiness from this beautiful love that he has found with her. He is scared and scarred , she can heal him but what if she gets hurt in the process? What if he loses her? Should he be selfish and bare his fears to her or should he protect her at all costs? Is he breaking her trust? She doesn’t want to keep secrets, but will she be able to bear his dark secrets? What will be the cost of telling her the truth ? Will his heart and mind recover if he loses her?

Kim Seon Ho brought out all these feelings so beautifully in those 7-8 minutes. He amazes me every single time with his acting. His whole body language during this scene is worth watching. The gaze, the twitch of the eyebrows, the slightly quivering lips, his gait, his mannerisms, his posture , the innocent charm - his whole body is emoting. His face and eyes are so expressive - and he does angst so well, it hurts your heart.

But most importantly is his voice, replay that scene again and again - and listen carefully to every word he utters, every sigh he releases, the modulation as always is spot on, you feel the innocence, you feel his genuine happiness seeing her happy with the gift he made (those eyes speak) .

Gif credit @becomeundone

And when he confesses he loves her - you feel the pain, the warmth, the love and the fear all in one go.

Both Gifs credit @dingyuxi

Kim Seon Ho is an acting masterclass in himself.

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I think I finally understand Yeongsil’s prediction on the baseball fortune telling to Ji pyeong. I always thought that the sentence “being called out” somehow doesn’t fit the narrative for his relationship with Dalmi. But I think after eps 16 it all made sense. If you think about it, Yeongsil’s “advice” was never specifically referred to for relationship/love cases - we all just assume it is.

The good ball coming his way refers to Do san. I think the strike outs refer to the number of times he rejected Samsan Tech / not believing in Do san and his crew to succeed in start up. And that last batter to hit the homerun refers to the last opportunity for investing in Cheongmyeong company / believing in Do san. Him being called out refers to again how he did not believe that Do san will be able to succeed and that time when he was proud of his record. But he eventually did hit that home run with the success after the scale up :)

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Thoughts on Start Up Ep 15

Just needed to get these thoughts out there..but I really hated how they did eps 15.. not because of whoever ended up with Dalmi (either way is not quite right - we’ll save this topic for a later time) but mainly because they focus so much on the romance aspect of it that the business aspect does NOT matter.

Like the whole freaking episode I have no idea what the stakes actually are for that bidding war? I admit I have no business background and I felt that one of the reasons why I liked the drama in the first place is because to a certain degree I get to LEARN the inner workings of how start up is run/developed and how business works.. But in this episode, I was just left confused without being able to objectively look at the situation. Like why is going for the bidding bad?How does the bidding actually even work? What consequences would they have if they were to "fail to get the bid”? How does failing the bid = losing the team? If they didn’t do the bidding war what would have been their next steps in developing this whole project? What are the actual variables that one should consider before confidently going for that bid / What is making Dalmi hesitate to go for it? (For those who actually do understand, please enlighten me - I like to learn ;))

It seems like being a realist and NOT TRYING is such a bad thing. In some aspects maybe, but it is still important to weigh out the benefit vs risk in any situation. There are still things you should try and success DOES come from trial and error but also understanding what you are getting into, how to prepare yourself so that you don’t end up failing / with the minimal possible chance of failure, and think about alternative strategies (Plan B, etc.) for when the worst outcome comes along is equally important in not just business but in LIFE in general - (so don’t just go for it and be reckless but actual think and be prepared)

Also, Dalmi’s line in the epilogue of “I considered all the variables before making the decision” was total BS. Girl, you literally spent the whole night doing fortune telling with tarot cards and only eventually followed your heart / anything that supports the decision made by said heart (a.k.a confirmation from Halmeoni) - you considered nothing!

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Hospital Playlist & Cinnamon Rolls

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Prison Playbook | KDrama Recommendation

Not gonna lie - started this drama because of 3 reasons:

I wanted to know more of Shin PD’s and writer Lee’s previous works 

I wanted to fill the empty void Hospital Playlist has left me (yes, I have not moved on ;__; it’s been a month and I still listen to their OST)

And of course, Jung Kyung Ho (because why not? lol)

After watching, I am left with:

More trust towards Shin PD and writer Lee combo - excited towards their future works even beyond HP sequels :’)

More void because of my attachment towards Han yang - episode 15 scarred me for life :’)

Desire to watch other Jung Kyung Ho’s drama (because, why not? lol)

Just like Hospital Playlist is about life of doctors, and Live is about life of police officers, Prison Playbook follows the stories of convicts (their experiences, their pasts, their relationships, etc.), the stories of correction officers who are in charge of them, and how all of them go about the day behind the bars.

I think that the term “convict or prisoner” immediately brings about a negative image and this drama is really good at breaking that stereotype. Sure, there are REALLY bad people out there. But more often than not, we forget that there are people who can be wrongly convicted, done a crime that was unintentional (accidentally), done (or admit to) a crime to protect other people AND have sincerely/genuinely repented of what they have done in the past. Just like the saying goes: “Everyone may not be good, but there's always something good in everyone.” 

However, it’s not always a happy ending for everyone - not all prisoners repent. Some still enjoy doing what they have done or are struggling to break their nasty habits. And this drama does a really good job at exploring the variety of characters, compelling backstories and in a well thought out pacing.

It’s weird how much I enjoy watching the supporting characters and became so attached to them a lot more than the main characters. Not saying that Park Hae-Soo (as Kim Je Hyuk) did a bad job as the main lead - I thought he was the perfect cast for Je Hyuk, BUT there were just so much thought and care that were placed in each of the supporting roles. Each character has personalities and stories that are so solid that they stood out and really shines. Whenever any of the characters don’t show up anymore (esp. Je Hyuk’s cell mates), you can feel something is missing. I felt like I got to know them so well that I became close to them just like a family :’)

I have to give a shout out to Lee Kyu Hyung (as Han Yang) because he STOLE the show. I was so surprised that he is the main lead for Hi Bye, Mama! because his role is SO different and he played Han Yang SO well - I can’t think of anyone but him to play that role. His transformation between those two dramas are amazing and his “split personality” characterisation in Prison Playbook is superb. I literally am still shook from episode 15 because of him. The whole sequence broke my heart but it still remains as one of my favourite / memorable scenes throughout the entire drama. 

Just like Shin PD’s other works, the drama is beautifully shot and are extremely detailed. Despite the gloom and darkness that is prison, there is still light that shines through the comedy and warmth of the people. You don’t know how many times I can lol at some scenes and just bawl at another

And I mentioned how I started watching because of Jung Kyung Ho. I have to admit, this might not be his “BEST” work. But, the fact that he acted really well in portraying his character, to the point that I’m not reminded of his other works (a.k.a Jun-wan in Hospital Playlist) says a lot about the quality of casts that are recruited for this piece of art. 

All in all, I am glad I stayed not just because of Kyung Ho as I got the chance to discover many more talented actors & actresses, deepen my trust towards Shin PD’s and writer Lee’s way of story telling, experience (multiple) emotional rollercoasters of laughter, sadness and genuine happiness from the portrayal of solid characterisation (both major and minor roles) that I have come to love along this journey <3

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Hyori’s Bed & Breakfast | The Good and the Bad

With the recent finale of Hospital Playlist, I felt a sense of emptiness and in search for a show that can provide me with an escape and a healing-like feeling. That’s when I stumbled upon Hyori’s Bed & Breakfast on Netflix. I’ve heard about the show but have not really look much into it. And yet when I did, I did not expect that I would get so much into it. I was left with a sense of peace and calmness, a desire to be a better, healthier person and motivation to do all the chores that I have been putting off for so long, and here’s why:

Hyori’s Bed & Breakfast is a reality TV show looking into the daily life of Lee Hyori, a well-known South Korean singer, and her husband Lee Sang-Soon as they become a B&B owners located in their own house in Jeju Island for a span of 2 weeks. The show depicts the couple’s lifestyle, their hobbies in yoga and music, their love for cats and dogs and meaningful interactions between the couple themselves, to the staff(s) as well as their guests. It is a show without a plot and the “drama” that you can get is pretty much relatable to those in the adult world / if you have a house (i.e. having your car stuck in the middle of snow storm or leakage in your plumbing system). 

The show definitely works mostly because of the casts, especially Hyori. She’s the type of person who does not really care of how people view her and blunt about her personality and who she is. She’s not ashamed to show how she lives and so what you get out of the show seems to be an authentic depiction of how Hyori is in real life. To top it off, Sang-soon is a supportive and patient spouse who understands and truly cares for his wife. Their relationship is so healthy (it really shows) because they do communicate with one another. I just love seeing their chemistry and marriage throughout the show - it’s beautiful T__T <3

If that’s not enough, the show also brings in special staff members each season (read: IU, Yoona and Park Bo-gum). The show highlights each of their personalities really well and somehow also shapes the tone of the season. With IU as the staff of the first season, the show takes a more comedic, youthful tone whereas in season 2, it seems to be more structured, mature vibe to it with Yoona and Park Bo-gum taking care of the B&B (It probably has to do with their age/maturity + the age gap of the staffs with Hyori & Sang-soon). It’s just nice to see their personalities, their hard working nature and how they actually are as “normal” people - outside of the stage that we are used to.

I thought it was also an excellent way to market Jeju Island as a tourism destination. Through the show, you can see the various nature, mountains, beaches, museums, activities that Jeju has to offer. All the different guests and their stories bring about unique episodes each time even with the repetitive nature of the mundane tasks that the B&B staffs have to do.

As a fan of the show however, I was devastated to hear when Hyori & Sang-soon had fans coming up to their house (ringing on the bells or even trespassing) after the show had ended. Recently, they apparently sold the house to JTBC, the television channel that produced the show. I genuinely felt bad for them because above all that is their house, their home (their wedding venue!) and yet (some crazy) fans are stripping them away from that comfort and privacy of that life. Like, I understand that sharing your address to people who visits the B&B comes with consequences but as fellow human beings, I still think it is common sense to not bother them with their lives. Sure, they are entertainers on TV but above all they are still humans just like us - to whom we should respect, show common courtesy and give them the space they need. I’m just afraid that even though we see the many good memories and people they’ve met, they as a couple are left with bitter memories because of this issue. I am a fan of the show and I would love it if they made another season of this, but not in the expense of the lovely couple’s lives. I would not want them to sacrifice any more just for a reality TV show. (They originally moved to Jeju for a reason and yet I don’t understand how some fans don’t get that :/ )

All in all, despite the contemplation (rant) that I had, Hyori’s Bed & Breakfast truly is a really nice show to wind down for the day, relieve your stress and take your mind off the struggles of one’s day. A show that is actually perfect during this quarantine/lock-down period. I hope that you can enjoy the show just as much as I did!

P.S.: As for me, I am now certain that I would like to have a house in the woods for my retirement. But not with that many dogs and cats ;)

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Hospital Playlist | KDrama Recommendation

I never thought a drama such as THIS exist. A show filled with amazing casts, loveable characters, great story telling, beautifully shot, minimal drama and wonderful OSTs. It’s TOO GOOD to be true. As of now, with only 2 episodes away from the finale, Hospital Playlist has made it to the TOP of my all time favourite korean drama list - I’m just keeping my fingers crossed at this point for the ending, but I’m certain the writers are not gonna disappoint with its current pacing. 

Hospital Playlist centers around the lives of 5 best friends who are doctors of different specialties but works in the same hospital. The drama showcases the struggles they have, interactions with various patients, residents and interns in their respective departments, inner-working of a hospital and the relationships these five have between each other and the people outside of the hospital. 

Each episode can be a bit overwhelming with information. I remember watching the first episode and having trouble keeping track of character names as they were thrown out to the audience. Despite being a medical drama with lots of medical jargons used, the show is great in somehow explaining it to the audience clearly and concisely - without coming off as boring.

What I love the most about this show is the characters. The 5 main casts are so mature - and so while they rarely have drastic “character development”, it is refreshing to see the reveal of their personalities/characters through subtle expressions or actions (because they are already “developed”). Meanwhile, we see most of character growth from the supporting characters while using the 5 main casts as mentors for that development! And because of the maturity of these characters, a lot of their interactions and pacing of the show is pretty straightforward and fast (no beating around the bush nor dramatic zooms for 5 mins).

The slice-of-life aspect seems to be similar to “Live” because of the realism portrayal of when one works as a doctor/resident/intern in a Korean hospital. But, compared to Live, Hospital Playlist has a lighter tone with a lot of hilarious (yet not exaggerated) moments, cute romantic moments without it being too cringy to the point of unrealistic. But more importantly, It is still balanced with serious and touching moments that I can certainly say all episodes have either made me cry or teary-eyed at the very least. The bantering between the casts are also so real and fluid that I can see myself interacting that way with my own friends.

All episodes are also accompanied by wonderful OSTs that are played and sung by the main casts - and they are amazing at it. It’s nice to see music as an outlet for such a stressful job as well as showing how they basically have a life outside of what they do - because doctors are also human :)

Honestly, I can gush on and on about this drama because there are just so many great things about it. But if there is any takeaway from this post, just go watch it. Please. The drama hasn’t even ended yet and here I am - contemplating whether I should rewatch all the 10 episodes, so yeah it’s that good. (I thought this is way better than Crash Landing and Itaewon Class.. lol)

Edit: finished season 1 and i still stand by my initial opinions. It truly did not disappoint. I usually hate dramas with multiple seasons because of how they usually force another arc to open right at the very last second. But in this case, the ending was quite fitting. It's a good end to a season. None of the open arcs are forced, because those questions were just unable to be answered in the given time (12 eps) without it being too rushed / fast paced. With the writers and producers track record, I'm sure that we will be greeted with an even more wonderful and hilarious season 2 :) can't wait!!

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People watching #1

I've been in a coffee shop for the past 2 hour-ish doing my assignments and I keep on noticing this conversation from this guy and girl talking from a nearby table. From what I've seen they haven't met before because the girl shook the guy's hand when they first met, introduced themselves and kinda talked about very basic stuff for the first couple of minutes (like what they do, where they work, etc..). I thought that it was cute seeing "blind" dates / tinder dates happening in real life in a very casual setting known as a coffee shop in the middle of a very small campus city in the middle of nowhere. From what i've heard, they have quite the same interests (i think they both love reading) and have interesting stories.. or i could be totally wrong and its not a date for them so i just have wild imaginations.. either way, I hope things go well with both of them.

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N yes, i am kinda salty and jealous that they can have a casual "date" while i'm still stuck here worrying about my assignments and exams next week 🙃

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“Live”| KDrama Recommendation

I first stumbled across this drama while scrolling along Netflix. First thing I saw was Lee Kwang Soo (lol) and I knew of him from Running Man and Dong-Yi. I didn't have much expectation going into it but I stayed not only because of Lee Kwang Soo, but because of the stellar casts, brilliant writing and the rawness of the story-telling of this real world they (and we) live in. I can honestly say that Live has become one of my all time favourite drama of all time.

Live is essentially about the life of police officers in South Korea. It is basically a slice-of-life into each officers’ life, how they go about their days, the cases they encounter during work, their personal problems (family, relationships, etc.), and also a peak into how the justice system in the perspective of police and the public/media views towards them.

I find Live interesting because of that shift in perspective. It’s not often that I see drama that is very raw in terms of how they display police officers work. We’ve seen a lot of those detective movies/films depicts how amazing detectives/polices are in solving crimes/cases and apprehending suspects. It seems to glorify how they work and it sort of brainwashes us into thinking that police/detectives in real life should be that “perfect” in solving crimes as well. And I think that’s when we forget, that police officers are humans, too like us. 

I think that’s what Live does best, that is to highlight that police officers are humans. There are days where they do their jobs well, but there are also days where they make mistakes, they are having a bad day, they fail, they are afraid (because it’s a dangerous job that involves life and death), etc. And that’s part of any human, which is normal. 

One of my favourite aspect about Live is also its character development. Live gives enough screen time for each one of their characters to present their backstory and their growth throughout the course of the drama. The chemistry and interactions/relationships between each characters felt natural and I fell in love with each one of them by the end of 18 episodes. 

However, Live is just a representation of South Korean’s police and not meant to be a representation of how other police officers work in other countries. Even I don’t know if it is a 100% accurate representation of South Korean’s police nevertheless, it’s interesting to see how their law works and what is considered correct in the eyes of law and public/media (e.g. gun laws for officers) and how that law is really related on how Korean culture is. If it is accurate, it seems like its a wake-up call to the public and lawmakers to reconsider how they view police officers and the problem that’s in the justice system.

I have way more to say about this drama because it has a lot in it such as action, slice-of-life, romance, social issues, drama, and much more. I’m so glad I encountered it and hopefully you can consider watching this too! The pace is a bit slow at the beginning but the journey is so worth it!! 

Thanks for reading~

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About Time (and Why You Should Not Waste Your Time Watching It)

To be honest, I was really excited about this drama when I first read the synopsis. I immediately watched the first episode and continued watching it because the premise was so good! I loved both the main leads as well in terms of their previous works so I really had high hopes for it! But fast forward to 9 episodes later, the drama really went downhill for me and now I’m just watching only to see how the writers decides to end this heck of a ride. 

I can’t really blame the actors on this because each of them did a pretty good job in well, acting. But I really have to blame the writers/directors for this one because they really missed a HUGE potential on this premise and it could have been much greater than what it is now.

I think in order for the concept of time to work better is to actually focus on the female lead’s ability to see time rather than focusing on the romance part of it, because honestly, that is nothing new. Sure, the concept/premise of it is not entirely new (see the movie “In Time” to see how time is being used as currency), but I felt that there were so many aspects of this ability that was just not explored to its full potential and many questions left unanswered. 

One of the problems that I had with this drama is the fact that the female lead accepts that she can’t change someone’s fate and decides not to do much about it but rather gives a platform for them to say their “final words/action” before they regret them. Like in the first scene where the man suffered to what seems to be a heart attack(?), she did not choose to have paramedics to check up on him. A similar case happens with the little girl who was almost hit by a truck, she did not try to help her un-choke(?) from a candy. I thought that during these times, things may change if we actually do something to do the very last second. What if a more proactive actions from her can lead to prolonging someone’s life? Because these time clocks can change for those who choose to go the suicide routes, so why can’t it change for those people with the heart attack or choking incident?

I also thought that it would have been an interesting premise to see if the main lead was a doctor instead. Cases like “would you still try to save someone to the very last second even if you efforts are useless in front of ‘fate’”, and other ethic-like questions would have been interesting to see and contemplate on?

A huge problem that I have with it was the romance aspect of it. I originally thought that the romance pacing was pretty fast because it didn’t take too long for the main leads to fall in love. Turns out, there was a whole “arc” of “I’m gonna break up with you for your own sake” section in the middle of it. I’m sick of those sections in a drama because literally that is not the kind of solution that should be presented for a lasting-relationship. The problem would have been solved (or at least avoided) if there was COMMUNICATION between two. And that is what I feel is lacking in relationships and the reason why relationship doesn’t last that long. Like how can you trust someone if you don’t tell them anything? Why don’t you rely on your partner more on the things that you worry/anxious about? Isn’t the whole point of a relationship is to support one another through thick and thin? So why are you bearing all of the problems yourself? Your partner isn’t as weak as you think.

The female lead is afraid of stealing time from the male lead (understandable) but running way is NOT a good solution. If I were to choose between living a long life but not being able to spend it with the people that love or to live a short life but filled with happiness and surrounded with people I love, I would choose the latter in a heartbeat. And I felt that the male lead would have picked the same one if he were to given the choice from the very beginning (and not deal with the bullshit of secrets and female lead running away from him). 

TLDR: If you are thinking of watching it, just watch it until episode 8 and stop so you don’t waste your time. Currently the last two episodes are not out yet and so I’m just going to watch those to see how they decide to end this. Even if they wrap it up nicely, it still doesn't change the fact that they wasted 4~5 episodes (eps 9-14) of nothingness which they could have used for something wayyy better. such a shame :/

[shiroitenshi]

My heart has been broken since yesterday - ever since I watched a Youtube video featuring footages from a family-prank channel that showed sign of child abuse. 

A lot more people have been commenting and showing their concern towards the family - the child especially but I noticed that a lot of these point of views are from people who are outside of their fan base. While I am also concerned towards this family, I'm also very concerned of the fanbase and support that is poured to this family. A lot of people believe that what this family is doing is right and they fully support on what they are doing.

And to those people I say, I'm sorry. I'm sorry that THIS is what you believe to be the truth, because honestly, this is NOT how anyone should be treated. If you grew up in this kind of environment as a kid and therefore decides to do the same to your children just because you think that your children will grow up to be as "strong" as you, then I'm very sorry to hear that. I'm sorry that you have to grow up in that kind of environment in the past. No one deserves to be treated that way. 

And if you say that you grew up just fine and you are now "stronger" than most people in your neighborhood, remember that not everyone is like you. Everyone is created differently, including your own children. We all have different tolerance level, patience and traits, and not everyone is guaranteed to understand and grow to be a better version of themselves from that way of parenting, so why take the risk?

I salute you if you took upon yourself those unfair treatment when parents swore at you, yelled at you when you make mistakes, pushed you or even discriminated you from your other siblings. You say that you became "stronger" now, but honestly your children do not deserve any of that. Did you ever look back to those of memory from when you were a kid and think to yourself that it was a pleasant memory? When you were a kid did you genuinely enjoyed when your parents treated you that way? If you say no then, your kids will feel the same way. And let me tell you, THIS is NOT the ONLY way of parenting. 

There are numerous better ways that parents can treat their children and many more parenting methods that will help you children learn, grow and develop to a better version of themselves. The correct way to really educate and nurture them is through LOVE and COMPASSION...and from what I've seen, that's not how you do it.

[shiroitenshi]

so beautiful! <3

akagami no shirayukihime aesthetics:

main characters

[shiroitenshi]

another awesome chapter! thank you for the translation <3 mitsukikiiiii!!! - so worth the 2 months wait hahaha xD

picturing that Shirayuki will be called to Wistal's base after all this is over so the gang can be together again :")

(Akagami no Shirayuki-hime) 【Chapter Translation】 Akizuki Sorata - Chapter 84

Things are totally heating up!!

THANKS TO ALL THOSE THAT JOINED THE LIVESTREAM!

I’ve said all I wanted for this chapter, but in summary: GREAT CHAPTER. NOT THE ENDING YET. BUT STILL GREAT. ZEN MEETING TOUKA. CONFRONTATION MODE: ON. OBI BEING AWESOME. MITSUHIDE BACK IN ACTION. MITSUKIKI TEASE IN LAST PAGE.

Japanese Raws HERE. (In separate posts; Special thanks to @wistalcastle for uploading it!!) Chinese Scans NOT ONLINE.

A single slash ‘/’ sign means that the dialogue is from another bubble that is joint with the previous one. Double slashes ‘//’ refer to dialogues that are from bubbles completely detached from the previous one. The brackets ‘()’ are for the small text that floats around the bubbles or the characters, or their thoughts. The asterisk ‘*’ refers to an action done by the character. ‘[]’ basically refers to my comments.

Keep reading

[shiroitenshi]

Seeing from a Heavenly Perspective - Stairs

I saw a boy today - about 3 yrs old - crawling up the stairs inside one of my campus building while his dad was down the stairs - the ground floor - looking up to him.

The dad warned him couple times and asked him to come down as they were rushing to go somewhere, but the boy didn't listen.

The boy kept on going up the stairs until he reaches the spiral part of the stair where it turned back so it was hard to see the boy from where the dad was standing.

The dad immediately ran up the stairs and convinced him to go down and held one of the boy's hand while trying to half-swing him with each step down the stairs. The boy and the dad left the building with a smile on their face.

Somehow that reminded me of my heavenly Father who is always there with us in every situation. He gives us the freedom to do whatever we want to do, while still looking after us from a far, even though that might not be aligned with His plans for us. But whenever we get to far down / dangerous / struggling situations, He always rushes to help because He is there and knows what we go through. He holds us in every step of the way towards His greater plan because He cares. Because He loves us and knows what's best for us :)