Friday, November 30, 2012

Review: My Girl (2005)

📆 Friday, November 30, 2012 • ⌚ 4:02 PM • 😇 rossetteayu

Seol Gong Chan (Lee Dong Wook) is the sole heir of L'Avenue Hotel, a mighty fortunate man living with his sick grandfather and aunt. When the life of his precious grandfather is threatened due to his deteriorating health, Gong Chan is sent to look for his cousin — his grandfather's long-lost granddaughter. It is in this context that Gong Chan meets Joo Yoo Rin (Lee Da Hae), a native of Jeju island known for her lies and deception. Gong Chan then hires Yoo Rin to pretend as his cousin in order to appease his grandfather's dying wish, which Yoo Rin accepted to be able to pay his father's debt. But what's this? Due to some inexplicable force, Gong Chan and Yoo Rin ended up falling in love with each other. Will the two of them ever get their happy ever after? Or will they forever bear the consequences of their pretense?

Image via SBS.

A 2005 South Korean Television series produced by SBS, My Girl was one of the hit romantic comedies of its time, gaining an average rating of 20.7% at Seoul and serialization from various countries — the Philippines included.

My Girl was my very first Lee Jun Ki drama way back 2006 when it was aired at ABS. I wasn't much of a Jun Ki fan yet then, but I probably already had the slightest inclination since I was on team Jung Woo/Yoo Rin. Yes, I don't really like Lee Dong Wook.

So as I was saying, I wasn't much of a Jun Ki fan yet then. Now that I am, I had to go back and rewatch the show to be able to fully bask at Lee Jun Ki in all his (previous) glory. And though My Girl wasn't much of a lead role for him, it was still a good project that further opened his doors towards the world of drama. His effeminate self may not have worn off yet following the success of The King and the Clown, but through My Girl, Jun Ki proved that aside from being a flower boy, he is more than just a pretty face that could very well pull a role he's been given.

Regardless of Lee Jun Ki though, My Girl as a whole was quite... ah-uhm for me. Sure I enjoyed it, it was light and funny and romantic and cute. It was evidently hilarious, and both Da Hae and Dong Wook had chemistry. But... I really really really don't like Lee Dong Wook. Heh. And the second time around, I sort of fell out of love for Lee Da Hae too (though she's a good actress). Hmm... I wonder what's wrong with me.

That aside, My Girl is still one drama worth a while, especially if you're a fan of light, funny, romantic and cute dramas. Go ahead and try if you haven't yet.

Review: Virgin Snow (2007)

📆 • ⌚ 3:18 PM • 😇 rossetteayu

Promise. How important is a promise? Wish. Have you ever tried wishing for something? Have you ever experienced loving someone wholeheartedly for the very first time... waiting and hoping you wouldn't end up being alone?

Image via Lee Joon Gi Official Website.

A 2007 movie collaborated by Japan and Korean cinema, Virgin Snow depicts a first love's tale between Min (Lee Jun Ki), a korean exchange student who moved to Japan with his potter/university professor father, and Nanae, a beautiful japanese girl and an aspiring painter.

Their story begins when Min fell in love with Nanae at first sight after meeting her at a local shrine. Soon thereafter, Min learns that Nanae is studying at the same school he is currently attending. He befriends her, courted her despite the language barriers, until eventually, they both fall in love. However, when Min suddenly flies back to Korea to look after his sick grandmother, this love had been lost. When Min came back, Nanae is nowhere to be found, which left him devastated and heartbroken.

Virgin Snow, like any other contemporary korean/japanese romance movie, showcases the typical story of first love — its joys, as well as its pains. It isn't as grand as others are as far as story telling goes, but is a tad different from its counterparts in that at a time where tragic love stories are common in korean and japanese cinema, it deviates from the norm by not involving elements such as a lover who's sick or dying as a central theme.

Character-wise, I love Lee Jun Ki as Min. It wasn't as good a portrayal as his other leading roles, but nevertheless, he was able to effectively deliver that contrast between a man in love and a man anguished over love that was lost. I can't say that much about Aoi Miyazaki though. She's a good actress, no doubt about that, and I really really loved her in Tada Kimi wo Aishiteru. However, there was something about her being Nanae that's taking time to get used to, which made her seem rather... plain. I don't know. Maybe it was just me, but at some points, I seriously thought she looked a bit off with Jun Ki.

That aside, Virgin Snow is a good watch that'll definitely take you down memory lane. It'll make you reminisce about your very own first love, and all the while will make you realize how important it is to hold on to love's promise, believe in the wishes it can grant the heart, and not give up waiting... or hoping... because love is never gone if you just know how to trust.