Sean Akizuki's East Asian Drama and Movie Blog

It can be realized that my reviews reflect a casual fan of just about anything. I watched Story of Pearl Girl but didn't write a review immediately. So sorry in advance to all the readers! The story is with Zhao Lusi (who I first saw in Who Rules the World alongside Yang Yang). Lusi plays the role of Duanwu/Su Muzhe (both one character) -- a woman who escapes the brutal conditions of an exploitative pearl farm. The Cai family of merchants get involved in dirty money -- using cheap slave labor and selling pearls at what may be ridiculous prices.  The romance may seem forced for some. How could the leading guy Yan Ziying (Liu Yuning) have the time for romance? I didn't mind that part too much. It was interesting to see the family feuds -- especially with the Cai Family. Yu Shi (Tang Xiao Tian) is the secondary love interest -- even if he's the one with whom Duanwu (as Muzhe) does business with. Is it me or do bad boys tend to become more attractive? Muzhe's actually too s...

Asian Drama News   Xu (or alternatively spelled as Hsu) can be spelled the same in English but mean different in Chinese! Why? Some people thought that the late Beatrice Xu shared the same surname. However, if one knew basic Chinese -- certain characters may be spelled nearly the same in English but NOT the same in Chinese characters. Yes, Chinese can be a confusing language! It's good that encoding in Chinese with a standard keyboard is now easier thanks to Pinyin. One no longer needs to learn another alphabet to master Chinese. However, you need to learn Pinyin first and its different tones! The late Barbie Xu and the late Mary Hsu share the same Chinese character. The Xu in Barbie Xu and Mary Xu is spelled out as 徐 (Xú) -- which is Shui in Hokkien. However, Beatrice's surname is spelled out as 许 (Xǔ) which is Co in Hokkien. Notice the accents too. Chinese is a tonal language similar to Tagalog. The Xú would be similar to the mabilis tone in Tagalog. Meanwhile, the Xǔ t...

  Was it too sudden or was it not too sudden? Barbie Xu (or Hsu in Taiwanese Pinyin) died during the Chinese New Year cycle. What's verified is that she had a history of epilepsy and heart problems .  Taiwanese actress Barbie Hsu's passing at age 48 due to pneumonia from influenza complications sparked conversation online regarding the Taiwanese star's past health battles. Barbie was known to have a heart disease called mitral valve prolapse, as well as epilepsy. Focus Taiwan reported Barbie once opened up during an interview that she had "a history of mitral valve prolapse and epilepsy," and that she "nearly died from a seizure" during the birth of her son in 2016. In late January 2025, Barbie and her family, including younger sister Dee Hsu, flew to Japan for vacation. Barbie caught the flu (influenza) and was hospitalized, but her condition progressed into pneumonia that led to her death. Dee confirmed her passing on February 3 through a statement rel...

It's the Year of the Snake. Japan also celebrates the Lunar New Year, which lasts 15 days in China (and Taiwan). It's back to work today. Let's take a look back at memory lane for snake-themed Kamen Riders. Evil Kamen Riders have become a staple -- sometimes even being the final villains such as N-Daguva-Zeba, Evolt, and Kamen Rider Ark One (who keeps reminding me of Venjix from Power Rangers RPM ). Snakes have been a common theme for the MOTW in Kamen Rider . However, Kamen Rider these days have the more serialized storytelling akin to a telenovela. That's why I write about Kamen Rider here but only from Kamen Rider Kuuga up to the present. However, I decided not to do episode reviews and just do random drops of newer stuff and older stuff. Now, for the time when a snake-themed Kamen Rider was created. Takeshi Asakura/Kamen Rider Ouja is a truly terrifying cobra The Cobra is often a popular theme for villains. Who can remember G.I. Joe's main villain organization i...

I've been obsessing over South Korean legal dramas. This time, it's The Auditors . The plot deals with auditors and corporate corruption. It may remind some of Love Story in Harvard where legal matters were added. It doesn't have romance as a plot. Instead, it's all about investigating corporate corruption within JU Construction. It also talks about business ethics. It can make you ask the question, "Are you willing to have a quick profit at the cost of others?" The main character Shin Ah Il (Shin Ka Hyun) is a sharp loner. The other auditors are Goo Han Soo (Lee Jung Ha) as a rookie employee and Yeon Seo Jin (Jo A Ram). Fortunately, A Ram isn't used for eye candy and contributes to the plot. The team gets involved with a family feud. Jing Woo delightfully plays the main villain Hwang Dae Woong -- a man who harmed his own two older siblings just so he could slowly take over. Corporate corruption has caused many lives -- both employees and customers alike. ...

It should be sad that one of Taiwan's most prolific writers ENDED HER LIFE -- not died of old age! Qiong Yao was 86 years old. I was shocked to read this news from Channel News Asia : Well-known Taiwanese romance novelist Chiung Yao has died at the age of 86 in an apparent suicide. The local fire department said on Wednesday (Dec 4) that Chiung was found dead in her home in New Taipei City. Her son said she had left a note instructing her secretary to check on her at noon, news outlet TVBS reported. Despite the secretary calling for an ambulance immediately after discovering her body, Chiung was pronounced dead at the scene. My first exposure to her works was the 2000s drama Romance in the Rain . This was the entry point where I'd also learn of the 1986 version starring Chin Han and Leanne Liu. Leanne's version of Lu Yiping had a stronger impact. Leanne made me wish Barbie Xu were Yiping in 2001. Chin Han made me wish Jerry Yan were He Shuhuan. YouTube also provided a porta...

Crime drama can be that complex. I'd admit that my squeamish side entered as the show ended yesterday. I'd avoid writing spoilers unless I specify in the title otherwise. Talking about crime drama without inciting spoilers is difficult or even impossible.  Jang Tae-Soo (Han Suk-Kyu) is a legendary criminal profiler Korea. He was one of the first in his field and paved the way for criminal behavior analyst in the country. He has gained the absolute respect and trust within the police organization. At home, he is a single parent and raises his daughter Jang Ha-Bin (Chae Won-Bin) by himself. Jang Tae-Soo works on a murder case and realizes that his daughter is involved in the case. The discovery shakes everything in his professional beliefs and his relationship with his daughter. To protect his daughter, Jang Tae-Soo struggles to reveal the truth. It's difficult to handle a task when one's child might be involved in a crime. A single-parent household and strains between fa...