This is going to be a post that is quite different from what I have done in the past. As I use this blog predominantly as a place for expressing my interests that I love sharing with others, I never venture into anything too personal as I sometimes feel that is almost…unnecessary? As in, this blog was created out of the love I had for kpop and dramas, and I had thought that it should stay that way. But for today, I wanted to kind of share some personal issues I have with myself, and I hope that this post may be of some assistance to others, whatever your struggles or problems may be.Continue reading →
An emotionally-investing rollercoaster ride that only lived up to my expectations too soon…and ended with the ride stopping 2/3 in, leaving me hanging upside down with no way out.
Hey everyone and yes, I know what you are all thinking…WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN HYUNNIE?!
Trust me, that super long and boring excuse will be expressed later on in the future but for now, let us focus on the review at hand – “Cruel Romance” (otherwise, I will literally just rant and go off-track for ages -_-”).
So, about this drama…I take back some of what I said before…towards the end of this precious drama, the drama embarked on a path in which I was dreading to follow, and as I knew from my personal experience with dramas, this sudden change in activity usually never ends well.
And what do you know? It didn’t.
Oh believe me, the drama drew out the feels and emotions that they were so determined to drain out of me, but if I placed my emotions aside and viewed the drama solely based on its plot, then I can’t help but see all of the plot holes rise to the surface. It is as a fellow commenter on the drama stated “Even a toddler can see all of the plot holes this drama is filled with”, or something roughly similar. Which is a really huge shame, since there was so much potential. But of course, one main reason why this drama became so bad by the end of it, was because it had cut out a potential 4-8 episodes from its original expected broadcast.
4 episodes! That is almost 3 hours worth of content cut out. If it followed it’s 8 episode broadcast, that could have been a possible 6 hours worth of content. 6 HOURS! No wonder so much was missing and the plot didn’t flow well at all towards its race to the finish. It is really disappointing to know that this drama could have covered and explained so much more, it really is. But, what ended up happening was just a pile of mess that just couldn’t be resolved. I am just so frustrated the way this drama concluded…so bear with me if this review ends up turning into a rant of some sort; I just need a place to express this “betrayal” that I feel. *
(Update made after watching the newer Jiang Xi Version)
…Adding 4 episodes didn’t make any difference, plot-wise.
None whatsoever.
I mean sure, there were roughly 3-4 scenes added that really drove my fangirl feels for our main couple but in terms of a progressive plot, nope. Nothing changed it dramatically.
Nothing at all.
And it’s just made me even more disappointed about this drama; before watching the newer version, I could of just convinced myself that they cut out all of the important bits therefore the drama didn’t progress well. However, after seeing that only a couple of scenes (which I guess were worth showing btw) were added that did nothing to change or push the plot forward, I just felt betrayed and hopeful for nothing.
Writers, I hate you guys so much right now. So much….
Alright, so here’s the thing; this drama wasn’t ever meant to touch my radar. I knew that it would just be a terrible idea to even think that I should start watching this drama. And yet, here I am, writing my current trek for it. One reason why I shouldn’t be following this is because uni has started here in Australia, and they have certainly not been forgiving. I’ve got assessments due already in a week’s time (and it’s only week 3!), tests and quizzes to revise for and on top of that, I’m looking into getting another part-time job to support the family a little more. So in advance, I do apologise for any future lack of activity on the blog because, I can’t possibly continue following numerous dramas at once without sacrificing work, which at the moment I can’t afford to do (despite how tempting it is to just dump all this work and just marathon a drama for my personal enjoyment kekeke) However, the main reason why this drama is much more dangerous to take on is because it releases two episodes every day (kind of; I’ll explain it below later). And the drama is 48 episodes long…Yep, screw uni work!
*Clears throat* So, which drama is it that has gotten me so twisted and torn to the point where I am spending hours trying to search for answers without spoiling it for myself? It is in fact the Chinese drama Cruel Romance.
Hey everyone, how are you all doing? I’ve been slightly busy over the past week with my part-time job (working at one of the most busiest supermarkets in the area for five days in a row saps everything out of you) so I do apologise for not being able to post over the past week. I’ve been trying to maintain a routine of posting something once a week over the past month or so, which I’ve felt is manageable and a solid routine. Sadly, I couldn’t do that last week, but I hope to make it up to you all with this review!
Today, it is a Chinese movie review, and in fact the first movie review of the year! I finished watching this movie in the cinemas just yesterday, and let’s just say that I went in not expecting much from it, despite the hype.
And, no matter how sad it is to admit this, I kinda thanked myself afterwards for that…Kris gege, I’m so sorry!! Please forgive me and let me explain myself!
So, let us discover together the reasons why, together.
Oh, by the way there is a small spoiler but don’t worry because I’ve noted it beforehand kekeke~
A drama that was captivating, until we reached the halfway mark, literally. By then, a mentally strong individual must endure the greatest of mental hardships.
Hey hey guys, it’s Hyunnie back again! As you may have noticed, it is indeed the holiday season right now in Australia (I don’t need to return to uni until the end of February!), and so I have a lot more time on my hands to catch up with dramas, movies, music, variety shows – you name it. On a side note, I’ve noticed that I had a lot of really positive feedback from my last review; thank you all so much everyone and I hope that you will enjoy this review as well 😉
Today’s post is about a C-Drama (first C-Drama review of the year, whoop whoop!) which I had marathoned in three days (I know, the skills lol). The more impressive fact is that it was 48 episodes long…yes you read that right. With each episode being 40 or so minutes, that means that I finished 32 hours in three days…that probably seems more frightening than impressive huh?
Anyway, I came across this drama by accident. It appeared on my ‘recommended page’ on YouTube, after I newly subscribed to a channel that posts C-Dramas, with most of them English subbed (which truthfully I don’t actually need, but don’t mind having :D) With Hua Mulan being one of my most favourite females in all of Chinese history, I was certainly interested as to how this would turn out. And, although expectations are never something entirely negative, it was sad to realise after I had reached the halfway mark, that this drama was perhaps not the one I was seeking for…but I will discuss that later on.
Okay, before I end up revealing the entire drama in just the introduction itself, shall we start??
Day 19: Your favourite interview of a k-pop idol or group
Hey everyone!
So, this is quite a difficult question…what to say? There are plenty of interviews out there which are absolutely priceless – and to think that I have to choose a favourite out of them?! Oh, the horror!
Today, I must talk about some certain articles that have been travelling the webs of the internet over the last 24 hours, that have really gotten under my skin. Reading all that I can understand and gather from this quest has truly left me in a pickle, all up to the point where I must bash about share with my fellow readers.
So, let’s begin the ranting!
I hope to continue seeing him smile like in this photo…It hurts to think that at one point in his life, he was incapable of doing so…
Hi everyone! I’m back today with my first Chinese movie review! Honestly, I have watched quite a few Chinese movies over the past couple of months however none of them seemed worthy/inspiring enough to write a review on. This, on the other hand, is a true exception, and must be given justice for its beauty, sophistication and epic storyline.
Before we begin….SPOILER ALERT! Don’t say I didn’t warn you hehe… Of course, I will avoid too much information as much as possible, but sometimes, it can’t be helped!
Day 30: Why did you start blogging and what is the origin behind your blog’s name?
HEY GUYS AND OMG!!!! We are up to Day 30 AKA THE LAST DAY!!! Thank you to everyone who has been following this challenge for weeks!!
So now, let’s end this.
I had started this blog in order to share with others my passions and loves about Asian culture. Though this blog is still in its early stages, eventually I plan to share a lot more information about numerous cultures. Their music, food, language etc are all very intriguing to discover and understand more about.
Korean culture, in particular, is the main source of interest for me. Being of Chinese background, I was curious about the other cultures that differed from my own. Korean, Japanese, Thai, Vietnamese etc are all very fascinating to discover and understand. I’ve never been to these countries however I do plan to visit sometime in the future once I am capable. I want to discover what it is like to live there, and understand the people.
I hope to share with others the discoveries I make when looking into these Asian cultures, and plenty more than that. Living in Australia means that I am exposed to numerous cultures everyday, and it is super special AWESOME! I hope to, in the future, talk more about the food that I eat or the movies that I watch, which are all from various cultures all across the globe.
As for the origin of the blog’s name, it is sort of lame. There is no secret meaning behind it, other than what the name ACTUALLY suggests. Asia Reviewer Maniac? The name really says it all I believe.
Now, I’m just gonna make a spam of pretty pictures :3
Japan
Japan, I think? Otherwise the sign is in Chinese…
India.
Korea? Or China?
Korea.
Thank you to everyone who has stayed with this challenge. I will be back soon, maybe with another challenge otherwise, a new review 🙂
Hello everyone!!! Today’s question is quite nice I believe because travelling the world is definitely something that I want to do in the future once I am capable. Also, I would love to share the experience with the special people around me 🙂 LET’S BEGIN!!
Yes, yes it is.
Yes, let’s begin!!
The places (in no particular order):
1. China (preferably Tianjin and Beijing): Tianjin is my parent’s home town, so I really want to visit and see where they lived. Beijing because it is, after all, the country’s capital but also because there is so much history there too (I am very passionate about history if it isn’t obvious yet ><)
2. South Korea (Seoul): South Korea is a MUST for me (if this blog isn’t obvious enough…) but the main thing is that I want to experience life in Korea, and indulge myself in its culture. And um *ahem* stalk sexy Korean boys *ahem*
3.The United States of America (ALL AROUND!!!): Everywhere. I just want to travel across the states because well, why not?
4. France (Paris): To see their history, duh…and eat their food [wait for me frog legs ;)]
5. Japan (Tokyo and Kyoto and…and…anywhere that sells sashimi): I am a raw fish addict. Give me sashimi any day (if I can afford it of course ><)
6. Germany (everywhere): Their history fascinates me. It is one of my lifelong goals to visit Auschwitz so, I must travel to Germany in order to fulfil it.
7. Canada (Montreal and other places): My French teacher in high school has made a very lovely image of Canada in my head, and I really want to visit. The only worry I have is, will it be really cold? I hope not because I can’t cope with cold weather 😦
8. England (London and other places): I have to see Big Ben with my own eyes. James Bond has convinced me to do so for many years hehe
9. Vietnam (Ho Chi Minh City and other places): Food, and the culture. Also, I have relatives who were born and grew up there.
10. The rest of Australia: I have only ever been to Melbourne, and it was only for a couple of days. Once I get the chance, I would love to visit again and stay longer. Also, I would love to visit other states around Australia, especially Tasmania – the little state down under 🙂
If only I can…*sigh*
Okay, that’s it for today. There are plenty more places that I would really love to visit, but since the question asks 10, here they are. Thanks for reading everyone, and I will talk with you all very soon~~
Asia Reviewer Maniac 
