Do Re Mi Fa So La Si Do

This movie is about Eun Gyu and Jung Won. Then comes the protagonist Hee Won in the middle. 'Do Re Mi Fa So La Si Do' is the band name that Eun Gyu and Hee Won in. This movie has both sweet and bitter side of love with teenager's band settings. However, the message applies to us that love is all about sacrifice, giving, endurance and letting go.

What I like about this movie:

1. The OST. I like all the song, especially the last 2 songs that Geun Seok sang in the concert. It's a tear-jerker! Sang with the agonizing pain shown in his face. You'll definitely feel for him and start cursing Hee Won.

2. This movie is all about love. How the love started all come from different ways, different methods, different paths.

3. The characters. Eun Gyu with care free personality who make Jung Won to open her heart again after a painful past. Hee Won as the 'enemy' driven with revenge and bitterness but later on learned about how to let go. Jung Won who always let the guilt cloud her feelings and finally learn how to be true to herself.

4. And but not least, off course, the eye candy. We can always drool on Geun Sook and Wui Cheol *wink*. And with that mellow voice and this kind of story, it's a recipe to melt your heart. We're girls and we tend to get emo.... Ouuwww....

If you like chick flicks, this movie is definitely in your list!

西洋骨董洋菓子店 ～アンティーク～

Based on Manga with the same title by Fumi Yoshinaga, 'Antique Bakery' (in translation) anime will bring cheer to your home. The story starts with Tachibana partnering with Ono, the pastry chef to open a Western bakery shop called Antique. Come along in the story is Eiji, a retired boxing champion who decided to become Ono's apprentice after trying his cake. To make the drama more lively, a new guy is added, Chikage who is Tachibana's 'bodyguard' decided to company his 'master' joined the club as a waiter. Together they bring cheers to the customers with the super lucious looking cakes while solving the mistery behind Tachibana's past.

I come to know this anime because I watched the J-dorama years ago. Eiji is played by Hideaki Takizawa and the soundtrack is by Mr Children. It's a very lively drama minus Tachibana's kidnapping frenzy during his childhood. And, off course the drama must be PG rating if not PG-13, so Ono's yaoi episodes are out.

To my surprise, now they also have the K-movie version of it. Starring Joo Ji Hoon as Tachibana. FYI, he's the prince in 'Goong'. And, as Ono is Kim Jae Wook. For those fans, this movie will be a treat of eye candy guys serving cakes to the girls' tables. But, I'm not sure whether this will be as good as the J-drama. Off course, nothing can beat the anime because everything is possible in anime. Look at Ono's yaoi madness in episode 4, 5 and his relationship with Chikage.

All in all, this is a prefect recipe of success of having 4 bishounens all together in 1 bakery shops and which girls who doesn't like desserts? All are 'kireii' and 'kawaii'. Ne?

Sweet Rain ~ 死神の精度

The last time I saw Takeshi Kaneshiro on movie was in 'Red Cliff,' which was a major cliff hanger. 'Sweet Rain ~ Shinigami no Seido' is a awesome movie to make up of it. I very seldom see Takeshi staring in J-movie, so it's always a treat to see him in one.

In this movie, Takeshi acts as Chiba, a Shinigami (death god) that always have rain to accompany him on his duty day along with his talking black dog. This time he's assigned to judge whether a 27 years old OL, Kazue should 'proceed' or 'suspend' with her death. On the next story, he need to judge another 40 years old yakuza, and finally a 70 years old grandma.

Things that I like from this movie:

1. The dog. It's very amusing. It's so eager to 'proceed' all the subject that Chiba's been assigned on. If the verdict is to 'suspend', then its expression of disapproving demands for explanation lighten up the mood in the end of the segment.

2. I like Takeshi's act in this movie. He portrays a care-free Shinigami who in the beginning show no emotion but as he learns about humans, he starts to develop compassion and start to 'care' about his subject.

3. The ending. I really didn't expect the ending, only realize all the connection within the story at the end. It's a very heart warming ending showing on how people actually can live a life that they have no regrets of given the chance.

4. The setting. It is amazingly done because it really didn't give away the plot. It lets us wonder which period everytime Chiba opens the door of his new assignments.

If you like a heart-warming movie and you like Takeshi, definitely this is a hot pick ;).

F1 Formula in Singapore

Yes folks, after months of advertisements to create the hype for Singapore F1 formula, the event itself is finally here. They're going to start the qualigying round soon and tomorrow night is the real race. I'm currently stucked in my office desk try to type notes for my CPA wearing my F1 cap and the 'nguing2' sound getting louder and louder. Off course having an office in the central of the City has its own benefit. I can see the track from my 30th floor office, though not the full scale. But it's better than nothing, right? Well, though the sound is fantastically loud, if you see the small boxes (cars) moving from point A to B from 30th floor above, it doesn't seem to be that fast. May be if you're on the ground watching from the fence side, you'll feel the 'swoosh' and you'll get more hype. Am going to be in office too tomorrow, so hopefully I'll catch a glimpse of the swoosh faster than the speed of light kind of mode from the ground ;).
K, going back to my books, and out!

The world for the past 2 weeks

It's certainly has been roller coaster weeks in the world. As the crunches on the world's financial industry still in the buzz of collapsing of Lehman's Brothers (I only know this company after the news hit the headline haha...) and the Feds 85B USD bailout for AIG, we were struck with the Pakistan bombing of Marriott hotel, then the alarming issue of melamine tainted milk from China.
Unlike decades ago, the effect of each single news itself has damaged lots of aspects in the whole world thanks to the globalization.
Stock market around the world closing at much much lower rate, every single day after the Lehman's Brother's news, and even worsen after the AIG news the next day. Lots of people were queueing and till today are still queueing in front of AIA building to cash out their policies. For Singapore, MAS even had to intervene by issuing statement to ease out public mode. And, now investors and analysts are concerned how long is the 85B bail out going to last and many suspects that it's just a temporarily.
Meanwhile, lots of dairy products contained dairy substance from China have been recalled and pull out from the shelves in any supermarkets across Asia. Even the dear country of Indonesia is pulling out the milk from the supermarket shelves (do they really do it.. that's another different issue). 4 babies had died from the melamine tainted milk and many has been diagnosed with kidney stones and now entering to the worsen condition. The news now revealed that the Sanlu has actually awared about this issue since Dec 07, despite of the New Zealand company's acknowledgment of their awareness of the issue since Aug 08. Only greed prevents people on the top to take any preventive actions and they'd rather let babies die out of kidney stones so they can have their performance bonus. And now, are they really going to get their bonuses?
Moving on, on top of the issues above, the Marriott bombing in Pakistan seems to be not that big of news. Sure, lots of people die there and this fact is very disturbing that people can just take other people's life just to make a statement. But this has happened before, the extremists seem to like Marriott for the target because it's American company, their nemesis.
More devastating news to come, lots of natural disaster happening around the world. Focus now is in US, the hurricane Ike which was said to be worse than Katrina. And on top of that, there're also mud slides, storms, floods, etc.
So, on top of all the depressing and stressful news everyday, it's just mean 1 thing. The increase demand of supply of anime and J-drama to distress...

Mama Mia ~ Movie

An adaptation from the already successful Broadway musical platform, Mama Mia is making its way to the wide screen. Heck, and Hollywood with their run out ideas for fresh movies, at least didn't disappoint people with this chick flick.
The story is about Sophie who's getting married the next day, invited her 3 possible father whom she discovered when she read her mom, Dona's diary. To her amazement, the all 3 guys come knocking at her house/inn in Greece. Then all the drama starts...
What I like about this movie besides now I don't need to be curious about the play and now don't feel the need to pay a big bucks to see the play, is that:
1. The ex-James Bond can sing! And his singing part is mostly at the stressful/serious moment, which is adding to our amusement.
2. ABBA's songs really stand through the time. All of their songs still very easy to the ears and along with the story line and so on, they really fit in and doesn't really seem out of the blue. I especially like the moment Dona sings 'The Winner Takes it All' when Sam tries to confront her about what happen 20 years ago. And with the settings (the fantastically beautiful sunset and the sea), made it so real and mesmerizing. You can really feel Dona's heart crying there.
3. The setting is the best. Greece is already famous for its scenery and this movie will make you really want to go there and feel it yourself.
4. The movie has very light and easy to digest humours which you can find during the singing from the background people. I like the part that Dona's singing 'Mama Mia' and she tried to open the roof-top's door but couldn't and the background person open it at ease and looking at her with the face of 'what's wrong with you?'. LoL.
5. The ending. You have to watch to know how fun the movie is. Don't quickly jump from your seat right after the movie ends. Stick around for 1 minute and you'll see what I mean...

My taken: after a long parade of fact that Hollywood has run out of creativity: making movies from Asian movies (Bangkok Dangerous and My Sassy Girl are the latest addition), series of comics (Iron Man, Batman, Hulk, etc, you name it, now they have a movie from it), Jap's horror flicks (don't need to mention the names, too many)... at least this consoles you a bit and you'll thank Hollywood to bringing the musical to your TV... soon... in about 6 months? hehehe... Off course, people will argue the musical is better, but hey, at least this one is affordable and is making everybody happy, I'm happy at least and it's definitely lightened up my Monday ;)...