This show isn't about bullying or gossip or our main character, Nanno. I didn't watch the trailer and expected a Mean Girls sort of drama lol. The Girl from Nowhere is about social situations in schools that bring out the worst in people and lead to deep tragedy. We watch the episodic stories through the eyes of our new student "Jane Doe" aka Nanno. After each episode, you're left with characters reaping the consequences of their inner-demons getting the best of them & Nanno always conveniently getting caught in the middle. I personally LOVED this show; it wasn't afraid to go to some dark unforgivable places, plot had me hooked and the music was great. However, I could see the stories being somewhat predictable & making it easy to see who would be trashed by Nanno next. This show takes the role of "bullied girl fights back with a vengeance" to a deliciously new level. The Girl from Nowhere is badass and the fact that it knows it is the best part xx

Read More

Ruyi's Royal Love in the Palace may appear to be your run-of-the-mill historical drama but let me tell you real quick, be ready to be wAY wrong, sis. I'll have you know, this drama will go to some pretty unforgiving places you've probably never been to before and takes scheming & plotting to a whole new level. But as the top review already said, the toxicity going on within this royal harem isn't the main premise in the show(even tho it might keep you watching like I did lol); the real kicker is witnessing the petals of innocent love wither away and be crushed ruthlessly & stomped on beyond repair. Bitterly falling out of love paired with instances where villains persevered and nice guys really finishing last.. it's raw and heartbreaking- i LOVED it! If you like underdogs constantly winning and happily ever afters with a loyal prince charming... don't watch this lol If anything, watch this drama for Ruyi she's such an icon & literally OOZES class~! It's gonna take some time for me to completely get over being chewed up and spit out by this drama, but the tears and tissues thrown at my poor monitor were well worth this unforgettable journey xxx

Read More

To be honest, I didn't expect this to be as gorey or as bold as it was. I started this drama expecting a PG rated sob-story geared towards overprotective middle-aged women. However, the result was a psychological, heartbreaking and overall satisfying revenge story that's jam-packed with enough blood and morally-corrupt moments to keep you watching (or gawking through the fingers covering your eyes) for more. I can admit that there were some ridiculous moments that didn't make sense/weren't realistic at all and they took away some of the impact of various events in the storyline. All in all, I consider this drama pretty good and recommend it to those who aren't faint of heart and want to try something cutting edge for a change.

Read More

A candle-lit beauty. Definitely one of the prettiest films i've seen!

Woah, what a film! The cinematography is just AMAZING; it's set a totally new standard for me as my first Hou Hsiao-Hsien film. I highly recommend looking for a restored version to give this movie the justice it deserves. The framework is ingenius; the colors, costumes and sets are captured in a way that just engulfs you & leaves you feeling like you were there... it's very interesting! Now, under this undeniable beauty you have the stories and lives of our flower girls. Each girl has her own problems and routes to reach their freedoms & goals. This film does a good job of giving hints and small tastes of what life was really like for courtesans of this time. And ofcourse the actors really sealed the deal; the portrayals were pretty spot-on and genuine. Overall, Flowers of Shanghai is a visual masterpiece & I am grateful such a gem exists. xx

Read More

Everyone has had a one-sided crush atleast once in their life and this drama will definitely unleash a stomach knot of nostalgia from that certain time. Now I haven't read the novel, but I really want to now because of how relatable the female lead was for me and how spot-on they managed to capture the raw emotions of unrequited love. This drama is also surprisingly realistic when it came down to it and the lack of major clichès was very much appreciated. Characters weren't just carbon copies of the same robotic personality with different faces and I actually came to fall in love with some of them. And OMG to the Only Yesterday and F4 references; those were brilliant! Sure.. it was kinda slow at times, but overall this was a great watch and I managed to finish it in 2 days. Totally recommend~!

Read More

The casting director snapped lmao

This movie was definitely worth the wait! A Choo is the kind of film you can watch with the rest of your family & they'll actually keep their eyes glued to the screen-even if they don't watch Taiwanese films. I could imagine A Choo clicking well with Marvel & even Rocky fans too lol The plot is original enough while also successfully sprinkling in superhero references everyone can understand and laugh at. The squeaky-clean special effects really let the movie jump out at you & brings it to life! And oh my goodness.. the casting choices... AMAZING. Truly an A-1 ensemble cast; I'm sure you'll notice atleast a handful of seasoned actors throughout this whole film. A Choo is a great all-in-one, casual movie-night film to watch with friends, fam or even by yourself (like I did lol) xx

Read More

Emotions So Real That Your Heart Can't Help But Wrench..

I just want to start by saying this is the 1st Taiwanese New-Wave film I've ever seen and it was phenomenal! Kuei Mei really captures the struggle women in Taiwan during the 50s had to endure while also including other timeless family issues like gambling & alcoholism. I appreciate how organic and true Kuei Mei's character was written; She wasn't some magically perfect Mary Poppins, instead she is this absolute tank of a REAL woman who cries in frustration when life has her backed into a corner but doesn't give up & fights with what little she has for her family. I feel like the reason I admire Kuei Mei so much is because I see a lot of my own mother in her... This film will pull on your heartstrings and may even bring out some tears too. (Probably will make u not want to get married tho lol) I recommend if you're in the mood to see some REAL family struggles and melodrama and if you're into Taiwanese History :)

Read More

The dances are AMAZING :O

Dance flicks have always had a special place in my heart and this movie is no exception! Ofcourse, the movie has a touching storyline, the acting isn't bad at all and the good music also didn't hurt, BUT THE DANCING THOUGH. One of the greatest things about dancey-type movies is that they always make me wish I could dance... it's just so mesmerizing. All the dancing was top-notch and I was thoroughly impressed by Wallace Chung's dancing skills especially. I mean, I heard through the grapevine that dancing was one of the many talents Wallace was really good at and he lives up to the hype let me tell you lol. And just like other dance movies, besides great dancing there's always some dark/ serious undertones sprinkled into the story to promote character "growth" so be prepared for that. The big thing I found remarkably refreshing this film did differently though was that romance took a backseat to the "growth" and although I'm sure that probably turned some people off, I still found it quite empowering & in good taste. Overall, "Duel for Love" is your classic dance film with all the qualifications bound to satisfy that dance craving you've had lately. xx

Read More

I did not expect to laugh as hard as I did watching this movie LOL. I was initially drawn in by Wallace Chung but when I saw that Zhou Xun was the leading lady, there was no doubt I would have to watch :) I'll start by saying what a rollercoaster this movie was! The range of emotions this movie brought out in me was a very rare combo; from full-blown secondhand embarrassment to a deep & somber bittersweet sadness then to hysterically laughing -just to name a few! This movie definitely had it's moments that's for sure. The romantic themes really captured how selfless love should be... and how selfish one might become to obtain it. All in all, "Meet Miss Anxiety" made for a pretty good rom-com that can manage to pull off being deep and pensive while also catch you off guard and make you belly laugh haha. xx

Read More

Came for Wallace... and STAYED for Wallace LOL

I'm a sucker for actiony, psychological-thriller crime movies & I figured 'Three' could fit the bill (aaand it did.. in a sense lol). Let me explain, this movie is great; the plot is interesting enough and although some characters couldn't help but fall into their usual cliché categories, the movie still manages to hold itself up. I mean, how could it not? Your leading man is the deadpan KING Louis Koo for crying out loud! When you're not laughing at his classic line deliveries or wow-ing at how cool he looks in that suit, your focus is taken to Wallace Chung's unhinged gangster character. Wallace really stole the whole movie for me tbh; he always manages to ooz charisma no matter what role he takes on. The action scenes were pretty status quo though; nothing you've never seen before.. I think the graphic surgery scenes had me more on edge than anything ngl. I was left craving more uhm.. "more"? Lol. Like more story, more action/suspense & more WALLACE OFC lmao. All-in-all, Three (2017) makes for a nice short-sweet-and-to-the-point actiony crime type movie you could speed through for when you have an hour & 1/2 to kill; I'd personally watch it again :) xo

Read More