Sean Akizuki's East Asian Drama and Movie Blog

It's time for another random review. This time, I finished the Xianxia series,  Blossoming Love . The Chinese title is 千朵桃花一世开 — (Qiān duǒ táohuā yīshì kāi) meaning  A Thousand Peach Blossoms Bloom in a Lifetime .  In this case, I was kind of stressed so I ended up watching a show for the eye candy. Yes, Sun Zhenni is really super pretty in this one. The last time I saw Zhenni was in the series was in Love and Redemption as a gumiho, and she's really pretty. I ended up watching a Xianxia TV series that had a complicated plot about lovers caught in several cycles of reincarnation over  10,000 YEARS. Yes, talk about how much more complicated an Xianxia is compared to a Wuxia in terms of time jumps !  The story of the two lovers is complicated by the passage of 10,000 years and their immortality. The main character is Xie Xuechan (acted by Vin Zhang), who used to be Emperor Zhao Ming. Xuechan is the leader of the Immortal Alliance. Mu Xianling (Zhenni) is the ...

When it comes to crime dramas--I think South Korean and Taiwanese Chinese ones provide the best suspense. This is coming from someone who can't stand realistic torture scenes! I watched Crisis: Special Security Squad and it was good. Vivant was also interesting . I may have not enjoyed this as much as South Korean or Taiwanese Chinese crime dramas--it still deserves some praise.  The drama doesn't take things too far like Copycat Killer  -- the Taiwanese adaptation of a Japanese crime novel . I enjoyed Copycat Killer for balancing gore (and not prolonging torture scenes or not focusing on them) and the GOOD WRITING. Unnatural also goes with a mysterious serial killer who goes by the Goldfish. Finding corpses with a goldfish mark in the mouth hints that it wasn't an accident. Instead, they're on the hunt for a serial killer while working on ongoing cases. The J-Drama goes for 10 episodes -- a tad bit longer than overbudgeted K-Dramas.  The main character Mikoto Misumi (...

I've taken a break from the Korean series for the Chinese Wuxia series. This series would have some weird stuff going on. The beginning almost reminds me of Kamen Rider Zi-O where the main hero is also the future villain. Tantai Jin becomes the Devil God and starts destroying the future. Li Susu sees the future damaged by Devil God Tantai Jin in real carnage. I really loved how the beginning starts with real carnage. The Devil God Tantai Jin is truly a menace. Meanwhile, Li Susu goes back into the past and becomes Ye Xiwu. I think Ye Xiwu has probably the past life of Xiwu. People forget their past lives for a reason. Think it over that there's so much emotional connection whether the leading lady is Susu or Xiwu. I really love the chemistry betweeen Luo Yunxi and Bai Lu. Yunxi knows how to play the more benign side of Tantai Jin before he becomes the Devil God Tantai Jin. Bai Lu manages to play the heroine and the possible past life she had 500 years ago. Susu as Xiwu develops...

KDrama Review If you can't decide between a legal drama and a love story when why not get the whole package? You could get it in a show like Pride and Prejudice and Suspicious Partner .  That had me thinking about K-Drama. This one features Cha Tae Hyun who is now in his late 40s and a well-known actor. I did remember seeing Tae Hyun in First Love of the Royal Prince where he was a spoiled son but never finished it. He was also in Sassy Girl which I didn't finish because I wasn't deep into K-Drama. Here, I see a more mature Tae Hyun who acts as Professor Yu Dong Man - a detective turned professor. The guy has some bad blood towards someone which can be full of spoilers. So, I'll try to keep the spoilers to a minimum.  The story involves avoiding a judgmental, biased attitude in serving law enforcement. Professor Yu has bad blood with Kang Seo Ho (Jung Jin Young) who was a former hacking criminal. There's that online gambling ring that surprise-surprise (or not) use...

I guess I already have a strange obsession with Korean crime drama now. Okay, Through the Darkness did end around March this year. I only saw it now and I'm thinking about a couple of crime dramas I've watched. Some had sci-fi elements while others bordered on realism. Some of them had a love story attached (ex. Pride and Prejudice ). This one is a fictional story based on the experiences of the first Korean criminal profiler, Kwon Il-Young, and writer Goo Na Mo. Writer Seol Yi Na takes elements from two non-fiction novel and writes this grizzly piece of fiction not for the faint of heart.  Once again, watching Korean K-Drama is more of a taking out of the comfort zone. There's no eye candy (my guilty pleasure). Instead, it's all focused on a somewhat academic approach while telling a fictional story. You have the story of criminal profilers who seek to understand the mind of serial killers. The whole drama is focused on investigation than action. It's a far cry fro...

Since it's the seventh Lunar Month in the Chinese calendar - it would mean that it's Ghost Month. There's a collection of stories called the Liao Zhai . It's also called Chinese Ghost Stories . If I'm not wrong, a less popular group of eight is known as the Eight Honorable Fairies - a group often shadowed by the Eight Immortals Across the Sea. During Ghost Month - it's effortless to talk about Lu Dongbin's daring exploits in fighting off devils. Yet, Lu Zhu is another Taoist saint that I fear is overshadowed, commonly known as Maiden in Green or Lü Xian Nü (绿衣女). Alternatively, I think she's also called Lü Yi Xian Gu (绿衣仙姑) or Diok Yi Sian Koh in Hokkien. The very job of  Lü Xian Nü is to fight off devils. I heard her birthday hits on the 10th day of Chinese Ghost Month (which falls today). Quite fitting really that she should also have the same role as Lu Dongbin. She also shares the same birthday as Iron Crutch Li of the Eight Immortals Across the Sea....

Granted, these days, I'm practically outdated with most American entertainment such as how I don't get surprised with how bad Disney is with its live-action remakes and the Star Wars Disney continuity. I still feel that Marvel under Disney ends up with mostly bad results. However, this film, Collectors , obviously borrows from popular culture material from American entertainment like Indiana Jones  (which is blatantly mentioned in the film) such as a character is called Dr. Jones (Joo Woo Jin).  Meanwhile, Kang Doo Hoo (Lee Je Hoon) seems to borrow inspiration from the Arsene Lupin series - a series that came from France, got a Japanese pseudo-sequel called Lupin III , inspired Lupinranger vs. Patranger , and probably this guy is partly inspired by the gentleman thief himself. The gentleman thief himself gets entangled with a romance (?) with the curator Yoon Se Hee (Shin Hye Sun) who is one smart lady. I'd admit I once found a girl who looks like Hye Sun pretty but later.....

I remembered there were a couple of remakes and adaptations of the story The Legend of the White Snake or also referred to as Madame White Snake . The story would be about a white serpent spirit that falls in love with a mortal woman and seeks redemption from her status as a demon. There were several versions but this was the one available on Netflix for 36 episodes. Yup, this one is a mercifully short Wuxia series! So far, most of the cast is strange to me except for Chinese beauty Ju Jingyi (who I admit is my STUPID reason to watch it) who thankfully wasn't aborted! Jingyi is part of SHN48 - the Chinese branch of AKB48 and a sister group of MNL48. Like Love and Redemption and the Eternal Love series - it should be considered as a Xianxia, not a Wuxia. The physician Xu Xian (Yu Meng Long) and his marriage to the white serpent spirit is not without its limitations. Bai Suzhen (Madame White Snake) falls for him and understands the limitations of the mortal life. Along with Suzhen is...

Eiga  I remembered being a fan of the Rurouni Kenshin anime or others remember it as Samurai X . I remembered Netflix temporarily had the series but I didn't feel so excited about rewatching the Anime as much as watching the movie trilogy which the first was the origins while the next two featured Shishio Makoto's origins. Shishio's probably the most popular villain in the franchise as to have two movies devoted to him. Now, I thought about how the Anime series had its end with what I call the substandard Feng Shui Arc. I felt that Shogo Amakusa's arc was totally adding depths with a sympathetic villain who only wanted to save his people but was doing it the wrong way. After that, I remembered a Questor issue that talked about the final arc involving Enishi Yukishiro (acted by Mackenkyu, son of Sonny Chiba) of the Jinchu Arc. Yes, we NEVER got to see that in the Anime.  The story of Kenshin is a complicated guy - a bloodthirsty killer who swore to never kill again. The ...

  I finally decided to finish watching Eternal Love: Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms . The story can get complicated when you consider three lifetimes that each must face, the Ghost Tribe's intrigue, and the trials that lead to the events.  For acting, I'd say Mark Chao does a good job of being two characters - Mo Yuan and Ye Hua who are two separate characters. I'm amazed at the camera trick that done with Mark playing the two characters. One is the God of War while the other is the Crown Prince Ye Hua. The last time I saw him was in the Taiwanese police drama Black and White  with Vic Chou as the stoic cop. Here, both characters are mature and wise beyond their years. His trial as a mortal begins because he ended up killing the beasts that guarded the divine fungal grass.  Yang Zi takes the complex role of three identities. One, she plays "Mulan" when her character as Bai Qian assumed the identity of Su Yin. Su Yin is her male alter-ego in hopes of learning of diffe...

Drama Llama Perhaps one reason some Wuxia series are hard-to-watch is because of the length. Love and Redemption is longer than Return of Condor Heroes (2006) by 18 more episodes. I guess the popularity of the series caused an extension - which for me did create some useless fillers such as Wu Tong's "must do it with Ling Long" getting extended for too long. Though, Princess Weiyoung was five episodes shorter than this one. So, back on track, I didn't expect myself to enjoy it due to the length. It was quite enjoyable actually and true to its title. It's all about love and redemption. There will be spoilers so avert your eyes if you haven't watched it. Yes, spoilers! It's a happy ending!  The series does have some unique twists. King Bailin was too obsessed with maintaining order that he becomes what nearly becomes the main antagonist. It also turns out that the War God was also Rahu Ketu (the Mosha Star) was from whom the War God was born. I find it still...

Well, for some people, the title Pride and Prejudice is a reference to Jane Austen's novel from the 1800s. No, it's not even a direct adaptation or remake or whatever. The novel did make a cameo in early episodes but it's hardly a novel of three daughters. Rather, it's about lawyers and prosecutors who are dealing with two issues that get along in their work - hence the title! Director Kim Jin-Min and writer Lee Hyun Joo try their best to balance serious themes with occasional comedy (hence the first episode) in contrast to the dark world of Orion Cinema Network. Yup, Choi Jin Hyuk appears as prosecutor who runs into his on/off love interest played by Baek Jin Hee. Jin Hee is rather plain-looking but she delivers when she needs too. Also, there are some mysteries from the time the main characters Dong Chi and Yul Moo were children. There's some gray morality when Mr. Moon is hard to classify. Actor Choi Min Soo plays Mr. Moon rather well. You get irritated with M...

Soompi So, surprise surprise that I didn't notify that I was watching Justice huh? The legal K-Drama features a lot of good stuff. I was finished with Kill It which was pretty okay except for the sad ending. At least, Kill It owned the rather pointless Filipino drama Ang Probinsyano by several miles. The series Justice itself is pretty much a web of conspiracies. The plot involves an entertainment company and missing girls. There's much of the past and the present colliding. The main protagonist Lee Tae Kyung (Choi Jin Hyuk) is an anti-hero. Tae Kyung's past is shrouded by dirty secrets which he wants to pay for it later on. Tae Kyung's relationship with Prosecutor Seo Yeon Ah (Jin A Nana) was tainted due to his bad choices while he sought to avenge his late brother. Director Joo Wong must've been pleased with Nana's performance in  Kill It  that she rightfully landed on that spot. Along the way, there is much corruption within the legal firms and the comp...

Image taken from dorama girl's world I've just finished Gu Family Book. What I could admit is that it's a pretty good story and I can't put it down. True, it's got a lot of crack but again, what do you expect when it's a fantasy-based sageuk or Korean period drama. It's not your typical historical series but it's sort of like Inuyasha but given a Korean twist. Okay, I haven't seen Inuyasha so I'll just focus on Kang Chi's character. Maybe I might make a few Super Sentai references due to similar characters such as Yamimaru from Turboranger or Eiji Takaoka from Boukenger. But I'll talk about how this TV series tries to focus on who's the monster and who's the man question with its characters. Kang Chi is born a result of a romance between a Gumiho and a human woman. This results to the birth to what some Super Sentai fans may call a Nagare Bouma. Kang Chi was to be raised among humans unaware that he's a Hanyo. It's o...

I would remember this TV series called "My Lucky Star" which the main lead was Jimmy Lin (who plays as the prodigal son of EShine's owner named Zhong Tianqi) and Korean actress Yoo Hana (who plays as the jewelry con arist Xia Zhixing) get entangled into a series of mishaps.  This of coruse, wasn't really a comic relief of a show, it was a lighthearted show but not without a tragedy in the middle.  I thought this TV drama was entertaining with how it actually talks about how it explores a rather awkward love story. Zhixing (also called as Ah Xing) herself had a boyfriend who was a con artist, after she got out of her jail, her boyfriend left her and she meets up with Tianqi.  With the typical rich man and poor girl scenario, I was expecting some loads of tears but it was laced with mostly lighthearted plots.  This of course also involved some reasons why Tianqi left and he's a contrast to his responsible brother Tianjun (Leon Jay Williams) who has a fiance n...

Well it's time for me to write another Chinese film review.  Now I felt like down after Jaycee Chan's imprisonment, Cecilia Cheung's divorce and so on but here's one film I thought was worth a rewatch.  It's called "The Promise" which centers around Qingcheng (acted by Cecilia Cheung) who was a starving girl. She meets the Chinese goddess Mancheng who vows to give her glory and beauty but she is cursed to never find true love.  When she grows up, she becomes the emperor's concubine and later finds herself in a bizarre love triangle between General Guangming (acted by JAC legend Hiroyuki Sanada who appeared in one episode of Bioman) and the servant Kunlun (acted by Korean actor Jang Donggun).  This entire film was based on Pei Xing's Tang Dynasty novel called "The Kunlun Slave" and it was re-written by Chen Kaige and Charcoal Tan. I do find this whole love triangle interesting as it's between the general and the servant Kunlun.  So ...

So Kamen Rider Gaim has ended folks and we have Kamen Rider Drive (bear in mind, I'm watching Mars a Chinese series for now).  So what did I think about the series?  For one, the series started out looking silly for me, because of the motif is FRUITS?!  Well, but the writing genius that Gen Urobutcher errrr.. Urobuchi has managed to create such a wonderful script.  While Naomi Takebe is hit or miss (she failed with Gobusters but I love Kiva and OOO where she is the producer)... Urobuchi has written such a series. So Gaim feels like Ryuki, Kuuga and later you can see some references from past Kamen Riders.  We have Zawame City under the rule of Yggdrasil which is similar to how Smart Brain is, except that the latter is not really evil.  The whole "Rider War" here has Kouta who wants to save the world vs. Kaito who is the rival of Kouta, he is the leader of all Beat Riders.  The city has the competition where creatures known as the Inves are used for ...

IRIS is oneof those TV series where the title role depicts the antagonist than the protagonist (ex. Aliens, Predator).  The series involves some conflict between North Korea and South Korea for 20 episodes, as well as the secret organization known as IRIS.  So this is the first season, there is a second season to that and I really think, this series was pretty intense.  Though I'll admit I did have my guilty pleasure on unique beauty Kim Tae Hee watching this series... unfortunately I'll never run into another girl that looks like her again. Kim Tae Hee plays the beauty and brains bad-ass NSS agent, Choi Seung Hee.  Two men namely Hyun Jun (Seung Hee's love interest) and Sa-woo were recruited into NSS.  What the two didn't know initially was how they were actually falling for the same girl, without knowing it.  For Hyun Jun, the feelings linger even if Seung Hee is above him in NSS.  NSS seeks to stop the terrorist organization known as IRIS while t...

The Empress and the Warriors as a fiction might have been inspired by great women of history such as Chinese female military genius Wang Cong'er or maybe Queen Elizabeth who herself was at first, doubtful if she could revive England.  In ancient Korea, there was Queen Seondok.  In this one, the fiction tries to keep itself realistic and Empress Yan Fei'er (acted by Kelly Chen) seems to be a character of fiction blended from real life characters.  And it's set in a time when chauvinism was a norm.  Fortunately Yan Fei'er is no Amazonian either.  She tries to strive for gender fairness in a land ruled by male sexists and she must battle her cousin, who can't accept the fact that the throne is ruled by a woman for the first time! So here it is- Yan Huba is a sexist and schemer.  Sexist, because he can't accept his female cousin will succeed the throne.  By right and lineage, Fei'er is the rightful heir of the throne which makes Huba an imposter. ...

The story of this 90s film (1998) revolves around two characters namely Wind and Cloud.  Wind is played by Aaron Kwok and Cloud is played by Ekin Cheng.  I hardly know much about Kristie Yang but she is pretty gorgeous in this film, which leads to the love triangle of Wind and Cloud.  The story itself was later succeeded by another film called Storm Warriors where both character reprise their roles but in a more in my generation setting.  Aaron Kwok and Ekin Cheng are two legends in one film facing against the Japan Action Club founder Sonny Chiba. For Lord Thunder, he hears the prophecy from the Mud Buddha that if he takes Wind and Cloud in, he will get good fortune.  However if the the two will unite, he is definitely bound to be defeated.  One can see that Lord Thunder is a pretty manipulative fellow.  The key word ahem key character to his manipulation of Wind and Cloud is his daughter Charity.  Charity is undecided which man she loves and ...