Last Dec, an officemate lent me a korean series titled 'Tree in Heaven'. It's not really something I was wanting to watch.
I actually am quite choosy with themes. I don't like wasting time. Whenever someone offers to lend me a series or a book, I would have some pressure hehe. I wont be able to fake it returning the items and tell them it's great when I havent even touched them. So PLEASE dont lend me anything unless:
1) I have expressed obvious interest
2) if you think it's something HIGHLY RECOMMENDED and you are confident that you can change my mind.
Hahaha. Enough of the introduction.
Anyway, I didnt have much expectations on TIH. Except that the leads are familiar faces, they are the young version of Stairways to Heaven leads in the first episode. It was a short 12-episode series which I was able to finish during the CNY holiday. And finishing it in a little 4-day period means it is quite GOOD. Good that it was able to sustain my interest. I would rate it a 75 out of a 100% satisfaction.
It was again a typical tear-jerker theme. A bit of copycat details from Endless Love 1 (they cant fall in love because they are stepbrothers and stepsisters) and also Stairway to Heaven (the morbid donation of body organs - i definitely hate this... so extremes!). Overall, acting is quite good. Boy, I dont know how Korean stars manage to cry with so many tears like that coming from a dripping faucet. The last episode got me crying hard again (it's been some time since I watch something that made me cry) A depressing story.
I will try to recount the COMMON or MUST-HAVE elements of a typical koreanovela:
1) the story should start from childhood
2) there is a bike scene.
3) a drastic tragedy - someone has to die of terminal disease eg cancer
4) the hug from behind. (my sisters fondly call it the Tentacles hug)
5) the leads are good in crying
6) amnesia, someone has forgotten the past
7) a token of love - most of the time it's a necklace and it's given during their childhood days
8) a very nice setting to complement the story, green fields or snowy places
9) a touching OST, the songs that can break your heart
10) usually good-looking cast. But more often, I think they have much more pretty girls, the guys arent good-looking but they usually are the type na 'magaling magdala kahit hindi gwapo' :)
***Pitstop***
I posted few months ago the korean series 'War of Money'. I don't recommend it, a lousy ending.
Anyway maybe my 'taste' is not reliable hihi. There are 2 movies which everyone fuzzes about how good it is yet I dont find them good.
The first is The Notebook. Ewan ko, hindi talaga ako naiyak at all. A lot of people claims that it is the most touching romantic spectacular love story. BUT I find the theme COMMON in Asian movies or soaps.
The second is Kung Fu Hustle. I've watched a lot of Stephen Chow's movies, and for me this is not his BEST work so far. The ending was too simple, like he suddenly learnt kungfu because the nerves of his body complied with the kungfu stream. (Ren Tu Er Mai) This is too much common for chinese kungfu themes (or perhaps mataas ang standards ko because I've watched a lot of those already). Still kungfu is not Stephen's best subject, I wonder why he chose it. For me, his comedy antics and punchlinese delivery are far better in God of Cookery or Shaolin Soccer.
Just my two cents. :)
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