Japanese Romantic Movies that I've watched and their reviews

Lovely Complex

Story: Girl is really tall and has a complex (is insecure) about it. Boy is really short and also has a complex about it. Girl really wants to find a boyfriend who is taller than her and boy really wants to find a girlfriend who is shorter than him. And in that class they always avoid each other because when they are together they look funny and people laugh at them. But due to various situations, they end up having to hang out together a lot and over time they fall in love, but struggle through their complexes.

Versions: Actually I haven’t seen the live action movie (live action means having real people as opposed to anime which has cartoon characters). I’ve only seen the anime.

Review: The anime was good but I didn’t love it because of the whole tall girl short guy thing. (I guess I like my dramas to have the typical tall, handsome badboy and sweet kind-hearted poor girl type characters.) But other viewers might like it because it does have a very sweet love story. Also I think I would probably like the live action version more because it’s easier to look past their complexes and feel the emotions if they are human instead of animated.

Rating: No rating because I haven’t seen the drama version yet.

Recommend: Maybe

Kimi ni Todoke (From Me to You)

Story: A sweet kind-hearted high school girl has no friends because she looks like the ghost from the horror movie "The Ring". So everyone is scared of her. But she aspires to become friendlier and make people happy like her role model, the most popular guy in class. This guy is the only one who treats her normally and isn't scared of her. It turns out, that is not all. He is in love with her, but she is too clueless to know that. The story is about her slowly learning to make friends and find love with his help. 

Versions: Manga, anime and this live action movie. The anime is really good. Its longer so it has more details.

Review: If you like romantic movies, this is one of the best I've seen. It is sooooo sweet. The fact that the girl is so clueless about love, and doing simple things like making a friend is such a huge accomplishment to her makes this story really interesting. And the fact that she accidentally scares people all the time makes it really humorous. This is my all time favorite Japanese movie.
Rating: 9/10

Recommend: Definitely, yes.

Paradise Kiss

Story: A girl just finished high school and does not know what she wants to do with her life. A handsome fashion designer asks the girl to become his model. The movie is about her exploring this new career and her romance with the designer.

Versions: Manga, anime and this live action movie. 

Review: This is another famous romance movie of Japan. Its anime and manga also did really well. But I didn't like it much. The love story wasn't that deep. The whole story was just okay.
Rating: 6/10

Recommend: No.

High School: Love On Ending Review

Finally High School: Love On ended. I was happily surprised by this ending. It was a really pleasant ending and it felt really complete. I really love happy endings. No let me rephrase, I really hate sad endings. And I also hate endings where there is too much bad stuff going on and the happy part is only for a brief moment at the end.

So, for other happy ending lovers like me, this show is perfect. The last episode brings closure for the entire cast, not only the main leads. You see everyone grown up and achieving their dreams, and finding peace. All the bad guys become good, and it ends with everyone celebrating together. 

Its been a while since I've seen such a good ending in a Korean drama, and just for that, my rating for this show got a lot higher. So I hope everyone enjoys this show and its ending like I did.

Currently Airing Korean Dramas and their reviews - December 2014

Here is a list of every new Korean drama that I am watching, and why I recommend or do not recommend it.

Pinocchio

Pinocchio is the story of a girl who has Pinocchio syndrome, a fictional permanent disease that causes her to hiccup every time she lies (thus she can't lie without others knowing about it) and a boy who's entire family was destroyed by a tragedy caused by false news reports shaming his family. Both the main leads want to become reporters, the girl because she admires the profession, and the guy because he wants to teach the reporter that caused his family's tragedy that what she did was wrong and wants to make her apologize. Plot twists in the show: the main guy was adopted into main girl's house thus making them adoptive family so they have a taboo romance. And the bilological brother of the main guy appears after many years and ends up at the center of media attention due to a series of events.

This is the best drama on Korean TV right now. The show is absolutely gripping. Whether its the deeply rooted relationship between the main couple or the intensity of the plotline, every aspect of the story is perfect. The story is very well written. Every episode just makes me scream in excitement. 

This show I think would be loved by viewers of all kind.

Recommend: Definitely, yes.

Pride and Prejudice

This workplace drama about prosecutors combines crime fighting with politics to create mini-mystery plot lines with action and suspense. However the main plot that is developing in the background involves the main female lead and the second male lead's childhood tragedies, which we later discover is intertwined in many ways. The main male lead is a talented prosecutor who investigates his colleagues cases, and is also the only witness in this case.

This show is okay, in my opinion. The emotional aspect of it was not depicted well. Some very tragic events occur in the story, but the acting kind of numbs it down. I didn't cry much while watching this story (I'm a cry-baby when it comes to drama watching), so the fact that this show hasn't made me cry yet after all the sad events that have happened means that the dramatic scenes were not very powerful. Also there is almost no romance between the main leads. Even when they kiss or hug, the emotional responses in these scenes were so numbed down that they didn't give me any goosebumps. 

I'm continuing to watch this drama, but only because I feel like I'm already halfway so I feel like I might as well get it over with.

Recommend: No.

Birth of a Beauty

This story is about an ugly, overweight girl, whose husband that she had loved for decades turns out to be a cheater and is about to divorce her. Then a car accident happens and following the accident, while everyone thinks she is dead, she gets plastic surgery and comes back as a new person who looks like the perfect beauty. The guy that pays for her surgery and becomes her new life coach is in love with her husband's mistress. Together, they try to break up her husband's remarriage to this mistress. But as they are working together, they discover some dark secrets about the husband and mistress, and the plot starts to develop. Meanwhile a romance is also blooming between this beauty and her life coach. The life coach also has a story of his own, as he is the lost chaebol (heir) child of a huge company.

This story is really good is you like sweet, light-hearted comedy and romance. The romance and comedy part is very good. But, it seems like the story will get much darker as it progresses, since the bad guys are starting to come into play. The day-to-day relationship and life of the main leads is very heartwarming, but the developing plot line in the background is very tragic. I get the feeling that this is one of those shows that make me hooked by the romance and comedy in the first half of the show, then I lose interest because the story gets darker and darker till the last episode. But, nonetheless, its a pretty good show.

Recommend: Yes.

The King's Face

This historical drama is set in Joseon Dynasty. King Sejong (villain) becomes king even though the royal face-reader predicted from his face that he shouldn't be king. He really isn't a good king, he doesn't care about his people, and spends all his time fearing that someone will take his crown, especially prince Gwang Hae (main male lead) whose face is perfect for a king. Gwang Hae just wants his father's love and doesn't want his crown. Meanwhile, a royal face-reader is trying to find a woman whose face counterbalances the king's so that Sejong can be a good king. He finds the main female lead, whose face is destined to have two kings, but instead of making her his concubine like the face-reader said, Sejong kills her dad for treason, and sends her and her mother to exile where a fight causes her mother to die too. Now the girl, who was dating prince Gwang Hae thinks he was the one that caused her parents to die, and she leaves him and joins a rebel group and becomes an archer, leaving Gwang Hae heartbroken. Then after many years, they meet again and  the story starts.

This is a pretty good drama. The prince is smart. He becomes a face reader and uses this skill to slowly make good changes in the country. The main girl is also strong. Using the pain of her parents death as motivation, she becomes an excellent archer and can easily disguise herself as a man as the situation demands.

Recommend: Yes.

High School: Love On

This drama is about a grim reaper angel girl, who becomes a human after accidentally saving a human boy who was supposed to die. Clueless on how to be a human, she starts living with the boy and going to high school with him. The story is about her adventures through school life, and her desire to become a human and to love, without being caught for being an angel (because if she is caught she has to go back to heaven).

This drama is sweet, funny, and also sad and dramatic at times. The relation between school friends and family is very deep, but also very troubled. But at the end of the show, all troubled relationships are settled again, and the whole extended cast gets a happy ending.

Recommend: Yes.

Japanese Dramas 101: What to Watch Guide

The following is a list of some of the most popular Japanese dramas among us international viewers, and their reviews and stories.

Mei Chan no Shitsuji (Mei chan's butler)

Story: Girl goes to an elite (elite means for rich people only) girls school, and has a handsome guy as her school butler. Every girl in that school has their own personal butler. She and her butler have to compete with the other girls at the school (who look down on her) and their butlers. But there is one important rule, you cannot fall in love with your butler. But the love between them is blossoming nonetheless.

Ratings: 9/10

Recommend: Yes definitely

Yamato Nadeshiko Shichi Henge (The Wallflower)

Story: The main girl is a wallflower- she hides in her room all day, is very antisocial, is afraid of people because of their beauty because she thinks they are too “bright”, and likes ugly things, horror movies, etc. She even looks like a horror movie ghost. four flower boys (handsome boys) are given free housing in her huge family mansion (she is from very wealthy family) under the condition that they have to turn her into a lady.

And so the story goes. The show is so funny because of the scary horror girl humor, and the antisocial being forced to hang out with handsome boys humor, etc. And the main guy and the girl kinda have a thing going.

Ratings: 8/10

Recommend: yes (but I must say, the Japanese anime version is way better and funnier)

Atashinchi no Danshi (The Boys of My Family)

Story: Unlucky girl running from debt collectors gets a chance of a lifetime to have all her debts paid off by an old billionaire if she marries him for a month. But at the end of the month it turns out that he is dying and he has another trick condition that she has to do. Otherwise she would have to repay all the debt money (which she doesn't have). The condition is- she has to become step-mom to the old man's many sons (who are the same age as her) and live with them in an eccentric, full of surprise castle. The story is about her growing relationships with the children and how they don't want her at first but she slowly wins their hearts.

Rating: 8/10

Recommend: Yes

Hana Kimi (For You in Full Blossom)

Story: A girl is a fan of this guy (her role model, inspiration) who is a top track and field athlete that does high jump. One day after an incident, the guy completely gives up jumping. So the girl goes to the boy's school (an all-boys boarding school) disguised as boy to make the guy who gave up the sport jump again. Then many funny things happen since she is a girl pretending to be a guy, and she and the athlete guy eventually fall in love.

Rating: 10/10

Recommend: Yes definitely

Gokusen (Season 1,2,3)

Story: A mafia boss's successor decides to become a high school teacher (her dream job). She is teacher for a class full of the roudiest, most delinquent school boys who are so violent and scary that no other school or teacher want to accept them. All their previous homeroom teachers gave up with fear and ran away. So when she comes, the students think she's a girl and is a wimp and aren't scared of her. But she is secretly a terrifying mafia leader so she totally handles them with ease. The show is super funny and also has a lot of cool action scenes, and a deep developing relationship between teacher and students (especially between her and the super handsome bad boy student who is the leader of these students).

Seasons: Each season of this drama has the same girl as the teacher but different students. So it is really fun every season. 

Rating: 9/10 (the only reason I didn't give it a 10 is because there isn't a strong love story too, just a might happen. But thats because this story isn't about boy girl love, its more about teacher student parental love, and friendship, and youth)  

Recommend: Yes definitely

Yukan Club (Leisure Club)

Story: A bunch of smart, pretty elite boys and girls in a school make a club because they are bored, where they solve mystery cases.

Rating: 6.5/10

Recommend: No. Its not very interesting, just time pass.

Hana yori Dango (Boys Over Flowers) (2 Seasons)

Story: A poor girl is sent to an elite (fancy school for rich people) school by her parents so that the elite education will open up a brighter future for her. But turns out, this school sucks. It is controlled by the F4, a group of 4 flower boys (rich, handsome, talented boys) who are heirs of the biggest companies in the country. The F4, especially its leader, are bullies and when they don't like someone they pick on them so bad and even make the rest of the school pick on them till they leave the school. Noone stands up the the handsome, but evil F4, until the main girl. She slaps the F4 leader after which she becomes his bullying target. But still she fights strong and he falls in love with her for her strong personality (and later she also falls for him obviously). The love story is really powerful and because the show has 2 seasons, the story is very well developed. This show did very well in many different countries.

Versions: This show is based on a manga (Japanese comic) of the same name. There is also a Japanese anime version, a Korean drama version, and a Taiwanese drama (Meteor Garden) version of this show. There is also a low-budget American version of this drama, but because its low-budget, it’s not good at all. (Please don't waste your time watching the American version)

The Japanese drama version is the best one, in my opinion. I watched Japanese version, then Korean version (did not watch Taiwanese yet).

If you want to watch different versions, I suggest Japanese, then Korean, then Taiwan.

Rating: 9/10

Recommend: Yes definitely

Zettai Kareshi (Absolute Boyfriend)

Story: A girl gets a perfect robot boyfriend. Then funny things happen. Really nice love story.

Rating: 9/10

Recommend: Yes definitely

Attention Please

Story: A tomboy girl decides to become an air hostess (which obviously is a super feminine job). The story is about her journey through the training, new formed friendships, her strict but dedicated teacher, her proving everyone who doubts her wrong, and working hard through the most difficult tasks. 
Review: This is a really good workplace drama, really showcases how hard work can help one achieve dreams. The relationship of the lead with her peers and teacher is well shown. However, there is almost no romance in the story. So that made me not like the show.

Rating: 7/10

Recommend: No

Yamada Taro Monogatari

Story: Two elite boys in a school for rich elite boys are most popular in school. But one of these boys is actually really poor and is head of family for a poor family of more than 5 children. Main girl is trying to score a rich boy she falls for him but when he turns out to be poor she doesn't know what to do.

Review: Okay story. Not great. Like I've said before, I like romantic stories this drama was not romantic enough for me. It was more about friendships

Rating: 6.5/10

Recommend: No

Switch Girl

Story: Girl dresses up as a beautiful and elegant popular girl in school (switch on). But when she goes home and switches off, she looks like a disgusting nerd and acts like it.

She keeps this a secret from everyone at school till one day, a guy finds out. She is scared that he will tell people, but he keeps it a secret and then they start growing a friendship. Meanwhile, the guy is the opposite. He wears yucky ugly glasses and keeps a low-profile in school to be unnoticed, but when the glasses come off he is a super handsome guy that could possibly become super popular if he wanted to.

Rating: 7/10

Recommend: No

Kimi wa Petto (You're my pet): 

Story: Girl is a successful businesswoman, but while her career is really busy she doesn’t have anyone to go home to and is lonely. She ends up keeping a human handsome guy as a pet like a dog. I don’t remember how they end up deciding to do this crazy thing. Anyway, he acts like a pet and in return he gets a home I think and she gets company.

Versions: There is also a Korean movie version of this drama. Actually I haven’t seen this Japanese version yet. I’ve only seen the Korean movie.

Review: The Korean movie version was pretty good, so I think a Japanese drama version will be even better. But I’m not sure since I haven’t watched it.  Also the plot sounds so weird and fetish-like with the whole keeping a human as a pet thing. But that is so not what the story is about. The central theme of the story is their growing love, how they become like a family since they are living together, and how they fall in love.

Rating: No rating because I haven’t seen the drama version yet.

Recommend: Maybe yes

Proposal Daisakusen (Operation Love)

Story: guy goes to his past to make sure to get his girl

Haven’t watched this one yet, but plan to

My boss my hero: 

Haven’t watched this one yet, but plan to

Nodame Cantibile: 

Haven’t watched this one yet, but plan to

Yankee kun to Megame chan: 

Haven’t watched this one yet, but plan to

My Adrama List

Action
Arrow
The Flash
Smallville
Dexter
Prison Break

Kids Shows
Sonny with a Chance
Jonas
Jonas LA

Comedy
Super Fun Night
Suborgatory
2 Broke Girls
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt

Drama
Gossip Girl
Pretty Little Liars
Drop Dead Diva

MY ALL TIME FAVORITES
Arrow
Smallville

Taiwanese Drama 101: What to Watch Guide

The following is a list of all Taiwanese dramas that I have seen or am planning to see. It explains the plot, how good the story was, and whether you should watch it or not. 

Skip Beat: 

Story: This super nice but plain looking girl has been secretly living and dating this famous singer guy. They’ve been childhood best friends and ran away from their village together to pursue his singing dreams. But after she took care of him and provided for him all this time, she finds out he’s been playing her and using her. She is so heart-broken that she completely loses the ability to love and now only has the ability to hate. She joins an entertainment company to become a bigger celebrity than this guy and make him regret using her and calling her ugly and plain (which he said).

But in this company she now has a scary, strict, but super handsome famous actor guy as her mentor. Slowly she learns to love again, and the guy too has his own set of wounds that she helps heal one by one.

Other Versions: This show is based on a Japanese manga (comic book) of the same name. There is also a Japanese anime (animated drama) version of the story.

Rating: 10/10

Review: I’ve watched this show, the Japanese anime version, and I’ve read the manga upto a certain point. This story is so good. You should definitely watch it. But please keep in mind, the ending is a little bit incomplete for all versions, because the original manga that it is based on is still not complete (and might take many more years to be over). I’m hoping the manga ends soon so that they make a season 2 of the show.

Recommend: yes, yes, definitely yes (but remember their love story in this version is not complete yet, because the manga is ongoing)

Fall in Love with Me

Main actor: Aaron Yan

Main actress: Tia Lee

Story: Aaron is a stylish, arrogant, famous advertisement industry genius CEO. But he hates the money-minded, corporate business ethics of his business partner who is his bronemy (they were raised together like brothers when Aaron was orphaned, but is competitive, selfish and thus becomes an enemy). One day he takes a month long break from being CEO and takes an extended leave for soul searching, to find what inspired him to become an advertising genius in the first place. The guy who inspired him when he was young dies saving him. So he goes to his dead role model’s company which is now being run by his sister, Tia. Tia hates Aaron because he seems like a jerk from the outside (but that’s only his outer show) He disguises as someone else and starts working with her. He falls in love with her and wants her to love the real him. But she falls in love with the disguised version of him. But this side of him isn't real. So he has to figure out the problem of how to make her love both sides of him.
Rating: 9/10

Review: The show is amazing at first. Because this is one of the few shows where both guys in the love triangle is the same guy. Really cool plot. The show is amazing for the first 2-3rds of the show. But towards the end of the show (like many other dramas) it gets too depressing, and the bad guys of the show become too dramatic and manipulative. But there is a happy ending.

Just You

Main actor: Aaron Yan

Main actress: Puff Guo

Story: Aaron and Puff are double booked a house and end up temporarily living together even though they fight all the time, due to Aaron's OCD personality vs. Puff's free spirit personality. Later turns out he is her new boss too. He is a scary mean boss that does not allow office romance (in an office full of couples and couples to be). But then Puff and Aaron start getting close, and he might have to rethink his beliefs.
Rating: 10/10

Review: Awesome! Really good sweet love story. Only bad thing I can say about this entire drama is that I don't like girls with short hair and Puff has short hair in this drama. Thats the only thing negative I could think of about this drama.
Recommend: yes, definitely

Recommend: yes, definitely

Hi My Sweetheart:

Main actress: Rainie Yang

Main actor: Show Luo

Story: This story is divided into two halves. The first half is set in college. Rainie is a punky, sexy, bad girl and becomes friends with Show, an ugly, nerdy, nice guy. This part is so funny because they are such an odd and funny pair. Many funny things happen. At the end of the first half, they fall in love but due to a misunderstood situation, he thinks she deserted him.

The second half of the show is many years later when they are older and have jobs. Show wants revenge for his broken heart. He gets a full makeover and takes his family’s wealth and becomes a handsome badboy. On the other hand, she becomes a lot nicer and simpler, and is a radio DJ. So now the good one and the bad one is reversed. With his makeover, she can’t recognize him. He plans to take revenge by making her fall for him and dumping her. But he still loves her, so again its funny.

Themes that make the plot good: Ugly to handsome boy makeover, revenge turns to love.

Rating: 9/10

Recommend: yes

                                                

Devil Beside You

Main actress: Rainie Yang

Main actor: Mike He

Story: Rainie is a sweet, good girl. Mike is a bad boy. They fight at first. But, surprise! Their parents get married to each other. So now they are suddenly step-siblings. They start hating each other but end up falling in love. But of course, there is a lot of drama because they are step-siblings, very taboo.

Themes that make the plot good: Hate to love relationship, taboo step-sibling love

Rating: 9/10

Recommend: yes, definitely

When love Walked In

Story: Girl finds out she's the granddaughter of the wealthiest man in the country. Grandpa’s company is being run by 3 flower boys (good-looking boys).

Themes that make the plot good: poor girl to rich girl, fate of falling in love with a childhood friend and not even realizing it

Rating: 7/10

Recommend: maybe

Sunny girl/Sunshine Angel: 

Main actress: Rainie Yang

Story: Rainie becomes a maid of a rich family to find out that her boss is the guy she had previously met and fought with. Sparks fly between them as she works for him and they see each other every day.

Themes that make the plot good: Hate to love relationship. Poor girl, rich boy. Guy uses girl as slave and they play tricks on each other.

Rating: 8/10

Recommend: yes

Drunken to Love You:

Main actress: Rainie Yang

Story: Rainie and guy get married while drunk. They end up making a one-month contract to stay married even though they dislike each other due to certain reasons. Then sparks fly.

Themes that make the plot good: Contract marriage, hate to love relationship.

Rating: 8/10

Recommend: yes

Why Why Love:

Main actress: Rainie Yang

Main actor: Mike He

Story: hard-working but unlucky girl has love triangle with 2 rich brothers. Mike He the bad boy brother makes her his servant when she loses a bet or money or something (can’t remember what) to him. Mike He is such a handsome, perfect bad boy. And they have a lot of chemistry as they go from hate to love.

Themes that make the plot good: hate to love relationship

Rating: 8/10

Recommend: yes

Sunny Happiness:

Main actor: Mike He

Story: orphan girl is maid for Mike’s hotel. Mike is rich businessman and tyrannical boss, mean since his divorce with his first love years ago. Love blossoms between girl and Mike when she helps him meet his secret son that he didn't know he had.

Themes that make the plot good: Perfectionist boy girl always making mistakes, rich boy poor girl, surprise son suddenly appearing

Rating: 7.5/10

Recommend: yes

Miss no Good:

Main actress: Rainie Yang

Story: rainie yang: cute honest sweet girl. She is super weird and funny looking, but she doesn’t care (adds to funniness). 2 guys are best friends both fall for her. Everyone thinks she's after the rich boy for his money, but she’s not.

Themes that make the plot good: funny looking girl

Rating: 7/10

Recommend: maybe

ToGetHer:

Main actress: Rainie Yang

Story: Rainie Yang is a nerdy manga fan but a good girl. The main guy is a hallyu idol who loses fame because he is too fake and unlucky. He loses his rich home and rents a room in Rainie’s house. They are opposites but end up in love

Themes that make the plot good: super famous celebrity boy meets only girl that hasn’t heard of him, funny looking girl, opposites attract, girl helps guy get through a tough time in life

Rating: 8.5/10

Recommend: yes

Romantic Princess:

Story: poor girl finds out she is granddaughter of really rich guy, but he is strict and tries to control her life. he also has flower boys (handsome capable boys) as prospective successors for his business

Review: I think I watched a few episodes of it then forgot about it. I think I did like how the story was going, but it was not captivating enough so I got distracted and ended up never watching it.

Recommend: (only saw a few episodes but I would say- ) maybe not

Bull Fighting:

Main actor: Mike He

Story: Mike’s dad needs to buy a street to make a construction project to save his company. Girl’s dad owns land but won’t sell because it is home and livelihood of many people. Mike decides to seduce girl to get her to sell the land. He struggles with dilemma, save dad’s company by using girl, or save the street that is home and family to the girl he starts to love.

Themes that make the plot good: Hate to love relationship, guy that is awesome at sports, girl that has guts, girl that fights like a boy, mafia girl, Romeo and Juliet style being at opposite sides of a battle.

Review: I did not love this show and lost interest in the middle because I didn’t like the main dilemma for Mike, to make him choose his family or her and her family. And the story was getting a little bit too dark for my tastes (I hate stories like Romeo and Juliet where there is no hope for light at the end of the tunnel)

Rating: 6.5/10

Recommend: no

Fated to love you/You're My Destiny/Sticky Note Girl/Destiny Love

Haven’t watched this one yet, but plan to

I want to become a hard persimmon: 

Haven’t watched this one yet, but plan to