Tag: 3.5 Reviews

The Seventeen Listen: Boys Be

Posted March 15, 2023 by Rowena in Reviews | 0 Comments

Welcome to my deep dive down the rabbit hole that is Seventeen. I’m going to try to write out my thoughts on the different albums coming out from both BTS and Seventeen since right now, they’re the only groups that I actively stan but I’m also going to start my Seventeen journey for record keeping on the blog.

This week, I’ll be discussing their 2015 release Boys Be. The only song off this one that I’m familiar with is Mansae and I already love this song so while I’ll still listen to it and watch whatever I can of that song, I’m going to be checking all of the other songs as well. Hmm..anyway, let’s jump in, shall we?

Boys Be

Release Date: September 10, 2015
Track List: Fronting, Mansae, When I Grow Up, OMG, Rock
Favorite Song: When I Grow Up

Boys Be is the second extended play from South Korean boy band Seventeen. It was released on September 10, 2015, by Pledis Entertainment. The album consists of five tracks, including the title track, “Mansae”.

There are only five songs on this album so it’s another short one but it was another enjoyable one so I’m not that mad about it. The repackaged albums..are those the albums that throw all of the short albums together? I’m guessing that might be the deal but anyway…let’s get to the songs.

Fronting: This is a catchy song and though some of the lyrics made me roll my eyes, I can’t even stay mad about them lyrics because the song is too fun and lighthearted, kind of like War of Hormones by BTS. This song is about high school boys that can’t control their feelings for their crushes and it makes me laugh because the lyrics convey that very well. This is the kind of song that I’d expect of some very young boys but it’s got a catchy hook and it’s fun so yeah, I like it.

Mansae: This song is catchy as hell and just a whole lot of fun. I really like long haired Jeonghan and he was a highlight in the music video for me. I loved it when I first heard it and I still love the hell out of it now. Such a great song that just makes me happy.

When I Grow Up: This is my favorite song off the album. This is my kind of song in every way. I’ve always loved the softer songs that are kind of cheesy, lyric wise but the difference with this song is that the lyrics are super sweet, not cheesy at all though I’m sure others will disagree with me but dude, this sons is SO CUTE! Its a vocal line song and this is another song that I absolutely love. Gah, love it so much.

OMG: This is a performance team song and I’m starting to realize that I enjoy their songs more when I’m watching them perform it. They performed this song really well and while I liked the song fine, it’s not a favorite of mine. It’s a solid song though.

Rock: I liked this one. I really liked the bridge and just listening to Seungkwan and DK doing their thing. The way that DK can sing those high notes? I’m here for it. This is definitely going on my playlist cause I did really like this one. The performance that I watched…they are babies in this performance. They’re such great performers too. I can see why they’re so popular.

Overall, this short album was cute. I didn’t love every song but I did enjoy it as a whole. I’m really excited to dig more into the lesser known songs that I’m missing out on. Seventeen is my kind of group so I’m pretty stoked to be listening to more of their stuff. There’s lot of hidden gems. I definitely recommend this one if you’re interested.

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Final Thoughts

3.5 out of 5

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Review: Alice in Borderland

Posted March 14, 2023 by Rowena in Reviews | 0 Comments

Alice in Borderland

Starring: Yamazaki Kento, Tsuchiya Tao, Murakami Nijiro, Morinaga Yuki, Machida Keita, Miyoshi Ayaka
Year Released: 2022
Number of Episodes: 16
Genre: Drama, Action, Science Fiction, Thriller
Country: Japan
Director: Sato Shinsuke
Where to Watch: Netflix

Arisu Ryohei—a listless, jobless, and video-game-obsessed young man—suddenly finds himself in a strange, emptied-out version of Tokyo in which he and his friends must compete in dangerous games in order to survive. In this strange world, Arisu meets Usagi, a young woman who’s navigating the games alone. After a dangerous game which tests Arisu’s limits, the two set out together to unravel one mystery after another as they risk their lives and confront what it means to live.

I have been meaning to watch this show for a while but never got around to it but when my friend DJ recommended it, I knew that I had to get it done, and while I didn’t end up loving it the way that everyone on the internet did, I still rather enjoyed it. It was crazy, it was thrilling and it was compelling as hell and I’m not mad at all that I watched it. I started watching it with my best friend, Theresa but after the third episode, we had to take a break because OH HELL NO, not the friends! Therese ended up not finishing it out, but I did.

The Story

This drama had some serious Hunger and Squid Games vibes with our cast playing deadly games to stay alive. I guess this drama was adapted from a manga that was loosely inspired by Alice in Wonderland. There’s a lot of violence, a lot of gory death, and let’s just say that this one ain’t for the kids. None of that bothered me and I think a lot of it worked well with the story being told. Our main characters, Arisu and Usagi are thrown into a world of deadly games where they have to keep winning games to stay alive. It was crazy that we actually saw the losers get eliminated from each game and that amped up my anxiety but also kept me invested. I needed to see both Arisu and Usagi succeed and take the gamekeepers down. That was where I was interested in from beginning to end.

The Cast

This is one of the first J-dramas that I watched so everyone was brand spanking new to me. I can’t say that anyone stood out to me. I was more invested in what was going on instead of who was who. I did enjoy Arisu and Usagi though. I also really liked Arisu’s friends from the very beginning but aside from them, nobody else stood out that much to me. I liked seeing Arisu, who I thought wouldn’t really amount to anything when we first meet him but holy cow did show me. With each game that he played, he kept right on impressing me. Same with Usagi, when we first meet her, I knew that she was going to be a big part of the game but I didn’t realize how much I’d come to love her character. She had a huge heart and when she wouldn’t leave that kid, I became a huge fan of hers. She was pretty great. Everyone else kind of reminded me of like a modern, fucked up version of Alice in Wonderland.

Final Thoughts

Overall, this was a solid drama. It wasn’t my favorite but I did enjoy the Arisu and seeing him battle day in and day out to survive. I don’t think that I could have survived that madness because each game was crazier than the last and I had hella anxiety watching because I had no idea how the hell Arisu was gonna beat the game. Both seasons were crazy and I’m glad that I watched them both. Did I mention how much I hate how Netflix splits up seasons? Cause I hate but lucky for them, I watched this when both series were already out so I didn’t have to wait to see how everything turned out. As solid as this drama was, the effects were pretty awesome but there were episodes that I struggled to get through and there were some characters that I didn’t care about but overall, I’m not mad that I watched it and I would recommend if you were in the mood for something on the crazy side.

Final Rating

3.5 out of 5

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Review: The Forbidden Marriage

Posted March 7, 2023 by Rowena in Reviews | 0 Comments

The Forbidden Marriage

Starring: Kim Young Dae, Park Ju Hyun, Kim Woo Seok, Yang Dong Geun, Park Sun Young, Choi Deok Moon
Year Released: 2022
Number of Episodes: Drama, Historical, Comedy, Mystery, Romance
Country: South Korea
Director: Jung Hoon, Park Sang Woo
Screenwriter: Cheon Ji Hye
Where to Watch: Viki, Prime Video

Lee Heon is the king of Joseon. 7 years ago, when he was a crown prince, his beloved wife died. To this day, he has not been able to get over her death. For the past 7 years, the royal family and government members have tried to get King Lee Heon remarried without success. The nation has also implemented a geumhonryung edict, which is a ban on all single women marrying during this time when the king has not married. People are furious over the marriage ban. One day, King Lee Heon hears of a woman named Ye So Rang, who claims the spirit of the king’s late wife exists within the royal palace.

Meanwhile, Ye So Rang is a swindler and claims to interpret marital harmony signs. She is arrested and jailed where Officer Lee Shin Won works. To get out of her predicament, she pretends to be possessed by a spirit in front of Lee Shin Won. During her ruse, she mentions that the spirit of King Lee Heon’s late wife exists within the royal palace. She is then brought in front of the king and he asks her if she can really see his late wife’s spirit. To survive, Ye So Rang acts like her body is possessed by the king’s late wife. Ye So Rang’s lies get bigger and more audacious.

I love me some Kim Young Dae so after watching Shooting Star, I patiently waited for him to come out with something else and this was it. I’m finding that I’m watching more and more shows for the actors that star in them and not the plot or anything like that. I promise I’m not shallow, haha. I do love me some Park Ju Hyun as well so this was a pairing that I didn’t know that I needed. And in a rom-com? Yes, please!

The Story

Kim Young Dae plays a King who has not gotten over his dead wife. He’s still grieving her death and put a law into effect that bans marriage so for the last seven years, everyone has not been able to get married. What everyone doesn’t know is that the King is being haunted by his dead wife. He never gets any peace because his dead wife is always around. So when he meets Ye So Rang and she claims that his late wife is in the palace, he keeps her around so that he can talk to his wife through her and their whirlwind romance takes off. Ye So Rang is battling her own things and is in hiding because she’s never been safe. She’s become a con artist in order to survive and seeing her battle day in and day out made me love her more and more with each episode.

As much as I enjoyed the main romance, the story itself moved slow at times and there were a few episodes where it was so slow that it was very easy for me to be distracted with everything and anything under the sun while the episodes played. That was a bit of a bummer but overall, I did like it.

The Cast

There weren’t too many faces that I didn’t recognize from this drama so it felt like catching up with friends and I enjoyed everyone’s addition to the cast. My favorites of the bunch outside of the two main leads were the second lead, Lee Shin Won, (though I never rooted for him to get the girl, sorry!), and the two palace workers, Se Jang and Won Nyeo, who were trying to steer the King into falling in love so that the marriage ban can be lifted. They were a lot of fun and entertained me with their charm.

Final Thoughts

Overall, this drama was an enjoyable one that made me laugh, made me get teary-eyed, and entertained me. Though there were slow parts of the show, I still enjoyed it. I liked the romance between the King and and So Rang, I liked the second lead, I loved all of the people we meet from So Rang’s life but from the King’s life as well (except for all of those fuckers that were trying to do him dirty) and a giant fuck you to the woman and her daughter that was trying to do So Rang dirty too. I’m glad that when all was said and done, my girl got her happy ending and was able to return to the person she’s always been and was able to step into the light without hiding anymore. I was glad that the King was able to finally move on from his first love and find love again with my girl. There’s enough here for viewers to enjoy and I thought the visuals (not just the actors but the setting as well) were beautiful and I am glad that I watched it.

Final Rating

3.5 out of 5

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Review: Yumi’s Cells 2

Posted November 22, 2022 by Rowena in Reviews | 0 Comments

Yumi’s Cells 2

Starring: Kim Go Eun, Park Jin Young, Ahn Bo Hyun, Lee Yoo Bi, Mi Ram, Kwon Seung Woo
Year Released: 2022
Number of Episodes: Drama, Comedy, Romance
Country: South Korea
Director: Lee Sang Yeob
Screenwriter: Song Jae Jung, Kim Yoon Joo, Kim Kyung Ran
Where I Watched It: Viki
Recommended By: N/A
Who I Watched It For: Kim Go Eun, Ahn Bo Hyun

After suffering a painful breakup, Yu Mi’s love cells have shut down completely, but a chance meeting with the emotionally stunted game designer, Goo Woong, changes all of that. Waking up a number of each other’s cells, Yu Mi and Goo Woong find themselves drawing closer, but even with the revival of their long-dormant love cells, their relationship wasn’t destined to last.

Now a much wiser and more mature individual, Yu Mi finds herself willing to take on a set of challenges after an unexpected source of inspiration ignites her internal fire. Inspired by her co-worker, Bobby Yoo, Yu Mi and her hard-working cells set out to make all of her dreams come true.

I watched the first season of Yumi’s Cells and was completely surprised at the ending. It didn’t take me long to get over that ending, especially when we found out that there was second season forthcoming. I liked that the romance between Yumi and Woong wasn’t perfect and in my heart of hearts, I did like Ba Bi and wanted him to get a shot at trying to make Yumi happy…as long as Yumi eventually got back with Woong after Woong grew up so more. So I went into this show with high hopes of a new romance and an eventual reunion. Let’s get on with this review, shall we?

The Story

Yumi’s back and though she’s hearbroken over her breakup with Woong, we see her struggle but pick herself back up and move on. She’s still the same Yumi we know and love but this time around, she’s focusing on her writing and falling in love again? But this time, with Yu Ba Bi. You’ll remember Ba Bi from last season as the coworker that had a crush on Yumi but their timing was never right so they never became anything. While Yumi works on putting her life back together, it’s nice to be reunited with her cells.

I was a big fan of Yumi from season one and though she got on my nerves from time to time, I still adored her. This time around, we’re treated to more Yumi goodness with different characters and a new romance but does Yumi get her happy ending this time around or nah?

Main Male Lead

Yu Ba Bi. The minute that Ba Bi and Yumi get together, he is the perfect boyfriend. He’s making me swoon every other episode because he’s so supportive of all things Yumi. He was supportive of her work and when things weren’t going so well for her, he was there to pick her spirits up and help her find her way again. He was never overwhelming in his love and support of her so the whole thing with Da Eun threw me for a loop. It didn’t make sense to me. He’s so in love with Yumi and then one girl looks his way and bam, he turns into this person that is not the Ba Bi I have come to love.

I love Babi and I even enjoyed his love for Yumi and their relationship…but I hated the way that their relationship ended. I wasn’t a fan of the Babi that was jealous of Woong but held his tongue to keep the peace. I wasn’t a fan of the fact that he never talked about anything that bothered him with Yumi. They never fought and a huge reason is because Babi kept everything inside. He told Yumi what she wanted to hear, even if it meant that he hurt himself. It felt like he didn’t have enough faith in his relationship with Yumi and in the end, it cost him the relationship as a whole.

I haven’t seen Park Jin Young in anything outside of this series (both seasons) but I’m a really big fan of his now even though I ended up not caring for his character, Babi. Park Jin Young forever though!

Main Female Lead

Yumi is a lot more mature in this season than she was in the first one. A lot of that had to do with both of her partners in each season but that isn’t to say that she didn’t struggle. Kim Go Eun is a really great actress. I felt everything she felt, I rejoiced in her ups and cried in her downs and through it all, I wanted her to rise above and just body everything and everyone around her. Yumi is such a great character and I adored the hell out of her. Seeing her heartbroken hurt my heart but seeing how strong she becomes in the end made my heart soar for her.

She’s come a long way since we first met her and you could see the strength she develops at the end, when she makes her own choices without help from her cells? Man, that was satisfying as hell. She was in control of herself and of the choices she makes. I felt like a proud mama watching it all.

All of the red flags around Ba Bi made me sad for her because for someone who was so perfect, the red flags didn’t make sense. I loved that we see her struggle with loving him and forgiving him and then finally, letting him go. She went through a lot to be with Ba Bi and I loved that when she was with him, she was loyal to the soil. Even when Woong came sniffing around her again, she wasn’t ever unfaithful to Babi in word and deed and she a better woman than me cause I would have been trying to be with them both, red flags and all. So yeah, I love this woman!

Second Lead

It hurt my heart to see Woong back in action…as the second lead. Man, he loved him some Yumi and seeing him in a better place than the last time we saw him and being so low key supportive of writer Yumi made my heart swell over for him. All of the frustrations that I had with him in the first season went away because this was the Woong I wanted him to be for Yumi from the jump. It just really sucked that he was a walking green flag but it was already too late for him. Man, I thought for sure he was going to be the main lead in the end but the longer I watched, the more I realized that this show is about Yumi’s journey and not Yumi and Woong’s journey together. It ain’t gonna happen for my guy but I’m mighty curious to see if we get a third season and if we’ll see what happens with the character that is vaguely introduced at the end of this season…which I hear is Yumi’s man from the webtoon.

Anyway, Ahn Bo Hyun did a fabulous job as Woong and I adored him so much more in this season. I wish him the best and hope that he ends up with his own happy ending, as long as it ain’t with that hoe from season one.

The Cast

It was nice to see all of our old friends from season one, like Yumi’s coworker friends, Ruby, and even Louis. I also liked the new characters that we met for the first time, especially Control Z, and Ahn Dae Young. They were nice additions to the story and I was only a little mad when Sae Yi’s ass makes an appearance. I still don’t like her ass. Don’t care. But everyone else? Yeah, they’re nice so keep going.

Final Thoughts

Overall, this drama was fun but it also came with its fair share of annoyances. The whole Babi and Da Eun thing can take a hike and I was sad that we didn’t get more from Yumi and Woong but overall, Yumi’s story was a good one. Her character growth makes watching this show so worth it. There were plenty of laughs shared, lots of swoony moments, and I’m hoping we’re going to get a season 3. I need to meet this new guy. Please! I recommend.

Final Rating

via GIPHY

3.5 out of 5

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Review: Shooting Stars

Posted November 15, 2022 by Rowena in Reviews | 0 Comments

Shooting Stars

Starring: Lee Sung Kyung, Kim Young Dae, Yoon Jong Hoon, Kim Yoon Hye, Park So Jin, Lee Jung Shin
Year Released: 2022
Number of Episodes: 16
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Country: South Korea
Director: Lee Soo Hyun
Screenwriter: Choi Young Woo, Choi Yeon Seo

A behind-the-scenes look at the entertainment industry’s PR teams, managers, and reporters as they scramble to clean up the messes created by their stars.

Oh Han Byul leads an entertainment agency’s PR team. One of her top clients is the star Gong Tae Sung, who can do no wrong. They were in high school and college together, where he became her sworn enemy. They bicker constantly but soon develop feelings for one another.

It’s been a while since I’ve watched Lee Sung Kyung in anything and I don’t remember ever seeing Kim Young Dae in anything so when this came across my radar while browsing Viki, I pressed play on episode 1. I’m glad that I did because this was a delightfully tropey romance that I enjoyed a lot. We got to take a peek into the hustle and bustle of the Korean entertainment business both in front and behind the camera.

I may have not known who Kim Young Dae was before this drama but I know who he is now and I will definitely be supporting his dramas from now on. Lee Sung Kyung is still my girl and I adored her in this one too.

The Story

So this drama follows two characters who have known each other for the longest time. They went to college together and basically, they’re each others “the one that got away”. When the drama starts, they can’t stand each other but they work together and it is Oh Han Byul’s job as a PR assistant to make sure that Gong Tae Sung’s public image doesn’t suffer and while he’s the apple of everyone’s eyes, he’s the bane of Han Byul’s existence. It is evident from the jump that these two have history and I was super intrigued about what the history was. They’re shared hatred of each other started somewhere and seeing the story unfold was great entertainment.

There are other side stories that were interesting as well. Tae Sung’s stalker story, the secondary romance, and I enjoyed all of them. This is one of the few romances where I was much more wrapped up in the main romance than I was in anything else so as a romance lover, that made me happy. I will say that while this was an enjoyable romance, one thing that stood out to me (and not in a good way) was the way that they portrayed Sung Tae as some African hero because he helped get them some water. In this big year of 2022? I wasn’t a fan of that. Also, the big reveal of the people that had big hate boners for Tae Sung was a bit of a let down because I didn’t get what drove them since I didn’t understand how they put all of that shit at his door. I thought their reasonings were silly.

Main Male Lead

When we first meet our main male lead, Gong Tae Sung, he comes off as bratty and arrogant but he didn’t fool me. I knew that he wasn’t as bad as he made himself out to be. He’s also fine as hell so that didn’t hurt. He’s a celebrity that is used to being loved so when his PR accidently embarrasses him, he’s got a bone to pick with her. And he picks that bone every single chance he gets. Tae Sung’s character development was hard to get through at times because there were plenty of times in the beginning where I wanted to kick him in the dick but that was mostly because I wasn’t buying his bratty arrogant role so as soon as he drops that and becomes just a regular regular guy, I enjoyed his character much more. So much so that when the show finally comes to an end, I adored him.

Main Female Lead

Han Byul was probably my favorite part of the show. She was hard working and caring and I loved seeing her pick herself up time after time again and try harder. She was great at dusting herself off and getting shit done. No matter what she was going through, what she was feeling, she showed up and she worked her little ass off. No matter what Tae Sung did, how he made her feel, she stood her ground and just kept going. My heart went out to her numerous times over the course of the show and every single episode, no matter how silly I thought she acted or how childish she was, I rooted for her. I liked her. And that didn’t change in the end. In the end, I was so hot damn happy that she finally got her shot at happiness that I cheered out loud. Loved this girl.

The Cast

There’s a whole bunch of side stories, side romances included and I enjoyed them all. There were some stories that I enjoyed more than others but I didn’t feel like any of them weren’t needed. They were like little side treats for us to enjoy while we waited for more Han Byul and Tae Sung. I enjoyed the two actors romance, Han Byul’s friends romances, and I also enjoyed getting to know all of the characters. Tae Sung’s manager and assistant were great. Han Byul’s friends and her coworkers were awesome. I even enjoyed Moon Ga Young’s guest star role. It was great to see her in something else, even if it was a really small part.

Final Thoughts

Overall, this was a drama that dealt with heavy issues of being in the public spotlight and even though there were plenty of heavy issues, the drama itself isn’t dark and bogged down by those things. I thought both Lee Sung Kyung and Kim Young Dae did a great job bringing their characters to life. I was delightfully surprised at how much I ended up liking this one after giving it a shot. It wasn’t hard to get into the story and everyone did a great job of making you want to continue the series so if you’re looking for something cute, fun, and doesn’t take itself too seriously, go ahead and give this a shot.

Final Rating

via GIPHY

3.5 out of 5

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