REVIEW. CHINESE DRAMA ANCIENT LOVE POETRY 千古玦尘

Title: Ancient Love Poetry

Type: Drama

Country: China

Genre: Fantasy, Historical, Romance, Action, Xianxia, Wuxia, Cold Male Lead, Warm Female Lead

Airing Date: 2012

Cast: Zhou Dong Yu, Xu Kai, Liu Xue Yi, Leon Lai, Jenny Zhang

Rating: 9.5/10.0

Ancient Love Poetry 千古玦尘 is a Chinese live drama adaptation of the original novel. The Ancient Love Poetry chronicles Shang Gu, the chief of the four principal or original deities who presided over the immortals, who falls into a deep sleep after sacrificing herself in a tribulation, the Chaos, that led to the human race creation. Shang Gu wakes up with no recollection of what occurred 60,000 years ago. But her former love interest, Bai Jue, the original deity remains devoted to her, embarking on a grand scheme to prevent a similar chaos.

Zhou Dong Yu portrays an ethereal figure, her light depiction captures a deity who has to undertake the  cosmic task of Chaos. Xu Kai, plays Bai Jue, a cold deity with similar characteristics he had in the Legend. Liu Xue Yi, last seen in Love and Redemption, takes on the second male lead as the love rival deity to Shang Gu.

Ancient Love Poetry completed airing in July 2012 after consistently appearing number one on the web drama charts.  Rating: 9.5/10

Full Cast List

Zhou Dong Yu as Shang Gu / Hou Chi

Xu Kai as Bai Jue / Qing Xiu / Bai Xuan

Zhang Jia Ni as Wu Huan

Liu Xue Yi as Tian Qi / Jing Yuan

Li Ze Feng as Zhi Yang

Lai Yi as Gu Jun

Luo Qiu Yun as Yue Mi

Zhang Ya Qin as Feng Ran

Fu Xin Bo as Mu Guang

Huang Jue as Sen Jian

Zhang Yun Long as Jing Jian

Zhang Xiao Chen as Xuan Yi

Zhong Qi as Jing Zhao

Liu Meng Meng as Xue Ying

Hao Shuai as Jing Yang

Fan Jin Wei as Mo Yu

Dai Si as Chang Qin

Lu Hong as Sen Yu

Hani Kezi as Feng Yan

Ren Hao as Wu Xi

Gao Han as Chang Que

Ling Chao as Jia Ye

Lu Peng as Zi Han

Huang Yi as Hong Ri

Wang Mao Lei as Zi Heng

Chen Jia Min

Liu Chang

Qin Xiao Xian

Zhang Song

REVIEW. ANIME : BLOOD+ ブラッドプラス (2005 - 2006)

Title: Blood+

Type: Anime

Country: Japan

Genre: Supernatural, Fantasy, Horror, Vampire, Heroine

Airing Date: 2007

Rating: 9.5/10.0

Blood+ (ブラッドプラス or Buraddo Purasu) is an anime series inspired by the 2000 anime film Blood: The Last Vampire. The series is centralized on Saya Otonashi, a teenage amnesiac girl whose life is dramatically changed after discovering that she is a chiropteran—a vampire-like creature born in 1833. Her nemesis turned out to be her own kind and aiding Saya in this century long quest is an organization called the Red Shield and Hagi.

Lots and lots of actions. Chemistry between the characters - Stormy and Poignant..hey this is only anime!! Hence, it deserves a 9.5/10

REVIEW. JAPANESE DRAMA: HANAZAKARI NO KIMITACHI E 花ざかりの君たちへ (2007)

Title: Ikemen Paradise 

Type: Anime

Country: Japan

Genre: Romance, Cross Dressing, High School, Hostel, Reverse Harem, Comedy

Airing Date: 2007

Cast: Horikita Maki, Ikuta Tomei, Shun Oguri

Rating: 9.5/10.0

Ikemen Paradise or Hanazakari no Kimitachi e or 花ざかりの君たちへ - A Japanese live drama manga adaptation (aired from July 3, 2007 on Fuji TV) won the Best Drama in the 54th Television Drama Awards, nabbing the Best Actress for Horikita Maki who played Mizuki Ashiya, the main protagonist and Best Supporting Actor for Ikuta Toma in the conflicted role of Nakatsu Shūichi.

I love this drama. Nakatsu was hilarious and Ashiya was adorable. The rest of the cast - simply amazing. Rating: 9.5/10

REVIEW. KOREAN DRAMA - TAMRA THE ISLAND

Title: Tamra the Island

Type: Drama

Country: South Korea

Genre: Romance, Historical, Comedy, Hero, Joseon, Kingdom, 

Airing Date: 2009

Cast: Im Joo Hwan, Seo Woo, Lee Seon Ho 

Rating: 9.5/10.0

Initially apprehensive about picking up this drama, I finally did. Despite the oddities, Tamra the Island was irresistible from the very first episode. Strangely unbelievable yet unpretentious. This manhwa adapted drama fused with Chosun and Western histories could be easily mistaken for some unbelievable films, in the past but not this one. Girls in short beach attires aka sea girls seemed unthinkable and misplaced but it worked out fine at the end.

And guess what!? I found another stalker in this drama..an exile who trails after missing horses, who appears behind bushes ..but like Edward, who could resist Kyu? Right from the start, the stiff-looking noble was unbelievable as a supposedly notorious playboy. And what crime was that supposed to be when this period was noted for the gisaengs...remember Hwang Jini?

Like Joo Yu Rin (Lee Da Dae) in My Girl, Beo Jin was all silly and goofy, over-acting. But it became part of her charm. As our heroine set out to win the Cutie Pie of 2009, she was worth strangling for being totally dense. William...hmm...I must say he had lovelier hair than barbie doll. All golden and soft. Indeed, he is all softie when it comes to Beo Jin. Almost annoying but he's forgivable, afterall it is tough ending up on an alien shore. Yan with his dimpled grin reminds me of my cousin brother who had half the girls in my school admiring him, but oh well, back to Yan, he is super cool and mysterious as the East Indian company Japanese turned Dutch trader. Not used to man weeping, tsk tsk..this scene is absolutely heartbreaking...sob sob. In the entire K-Drama log, I could not recall a more painful scene ...one that came close was Bae Yoon Joon as King of Goguryeo, in a teary-eyed bull cart scene. This scene....i must protest...can't recall any lake interludes like Kyu had with Beo Jin. Totally unfair. Anyhow, not a single scene or line was corny when it comes to Kyu. While not dense or clueless like Beo Jin, our hero was so inept in expressing and yet it was this very trait that kept viewers rooting on for him. Our Kyu is a rare find. He has indeed won himself in the place the place of Top Heroes....gotta squeeze him in, somehow. Rating: 10...minus 0.5 for 16 episodes instead of 20.