This quaint Japanese drama is a great surprise hit for me.

Fumi Nikaido as Yuri Motomiya and Chae Jong-Hyeop as Yoon Te-O. This is a May/December pairing.

I believe that Chae Jong-Hyeop did a great job. He was very good when speaking Japanese, but his cadence is a little slower than native speakers. Don’t worry about the origin of this drama, most everyone will adore it.

This is a quaint and cute decompressor Japanese Drama about a girl (Fumi Nikaido as Yuri Motomiya) who can hear what people are voicing in their minds when she looks them in the eye. Her world consist of work and more work, since she is the CEO of her company. She does not have time for a relationship or time to cook. So she orders out constantly. The delivery guy (Chae Jong-Hyeop as Yoon Te-O) who drops off her food on a table by the door is a Korean living in Japan, while going to college. He starts leaving her little notes on what foods to buy and from where. His food choices are a hit for her and a familiar connection evolves. At first, they chat through quaint little notes. Will this Foodie and the Delivery Guy ever meet eye to eye? They do finally. However, she discovers a glitch with her hearing the voices in his mind. The Delivery Guy thinks in Korean. She is Japanese. Therefore, even though she can hear his thoughts, since she does not know Korean she does not understand what he is saying in his mind. You will rush through these episodes. The showcase of all that delicious looking food will make many hungry for Korean food.

Note: Many Japanese actors are tiny. Chae Jong-Hyeop towers above his female co-Star and other cast members. Besides his native tongue of Korean, Chae Jong-Hyeop speaks Japanese and English.

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I simply loved these thrills and frills.

My Journey to You (2023) has the most amount of pretty people I have seen in a Chinese Drama. Yes, I can be shallow, but that is not what worked for me (even though at times I forgot to read the subtitles, because I was looking at faces). This is a pulsating, gripping love story, where the main couples are constantly at risk throughout the whole drama. You get an overwhelming romantic journey, but many times you don’t feel at ease for these couples.

Okay, I admit it. I did not like Chinese singer/actress Esther Yu (or Yu Shu Xin) from the Chinese Drama ‘Find Yourself’. She played the helpless airhead. However, in My Journey To You, Esther Yu has the strong killer character, as she plays an assassin. I needed an immediate brain adjustment. With this outstanding Chinese Drama “My Journey To You”, in the opening scenes you get a mixture of the American series Mission Impossible and Bourne Identity. The Esther Yu’s character even has a handler in the Period Chinese Drama. So out of the gate, I am liking My Journey To You.

My Journey To You is wholly gothic and edgy, but at times comedic. It has a killer OST. My Journey To You is not the usual Chinese Period Costume Drama. While My Journey To You does not have the finesse of the 2023 Chinese drama A Journey to Love, as respect writing sophistication, it does have the action thrills of that drama. The exquisite back and forth of the principal actors amount to a chess game of wits. However, this drama is more romance intensive than A Journey To Love. A Journey to Love is a Chinese Drama that is more thrilling. My Journey to You has the more gripping love story. I wish all to see both back to back.

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With this one you will need to towel off.

Doona is an exquisitely paced romance rich drama, which will leave you needing to towel off after viewing. It is one of those Korean dramas which you do have to sit through to the very end, however. The Koreans always show you how to make a romance rich and sensually alluring drama without even showing much skin at all. The romance scenes never get above PG 14. However, with the great natural acting talents of Suzy Bae and Yang Se Jong and the fire hot chemistry of this physically attractive couple in this unique drama, you might feel that a rating of PG 14 is too low. (Scenes do contain smoking and some slight cursing).


The story centers around a college kid named Won Joon (Yang Se Jong) who becomes a tenant in this share-house near his College campus. One of the long term tenants in the share-house is a burnt out former big name K Pop Idol named Lee Doona (Suzy Bae), who is from a popular girl group. Won Joon is a 21 year old green kid, a young man who is more versed in books than life. Won Joon is not impressed at first by the credentials of this older woman named Doona, and he just finds her to be someone who seems always to be in his way. The slow evolution of this romance may leave some impatient, but this pace is meant to leave you irritatingly anxious and fully invested in the lives of this couple. Both actors give stellar and sensual performances, befitting of their characters as defined. Doona and Won Joon have close to 80% of the screen time in ‘Doona’. This is physically and emotionally challenging for actors.

Doona is actually a female Korean name. For me, the title is a play on words for the word noona (older sister). The drama is based on the Webtoon titled ‘The Girl Downstairs’.

Suzy Bae (While You Were Sleeping, Start-up) and Yang Se-jong (Still 17, My Country: The New Age)

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Some people don’t get time travel. Please let me break down this brilliant drama.

Here is my head talk and concluding comments from the excellent Korean drama YSOAG/Reborn Rich, as I watched the finale in Episode 16. Contains Spoilers.

Quote: Revenge is for those with power, and not for those who have been wronged.

I had to rewind the first six minutes of episode 16 three times before I noticed the name of the guy on the passport was not Conglomerate grandson Jin Do Jun. Jin Do Jun had reverted back to the future/present to Yoon Hyun-woo. It happened so quickly that I was dazed and confused.

Yoon Hyun-woo went back in time to right two wrongful deaths, his and that of Jin Do Jun. He was not able to save one.

Yoon Hyun-woo used the secrets of History and Business of the future to get ahead in business in the past, when he was reborn rich. Then Yoon Hyun-woo/Jin Do Jun used the secrets of the past to right the wrongs in the future/present for the sins of the past.

Yoon Hyun-woo was still in love with the Prosecutor Seo Min-young when he changed out from Jin Do Jun to Yoon Hyun-woo. The Prosecutor Seo Min-young saved him from jail in the past and saved him from jail in the future/present.

Yoon Hyun-woo/Jin Do Jun still turned to “donut man” Oh Se-hyeon/Mason Oh for help and business wisdom in the future/present.

The timeline connection broke at the death of Jin Do Jun. Therefore, it threw out a “time correction”, as the history met up with the future/present.

Song Joong Ki gave a great performance. There was incredible acting by most all of the cast. Great acting ran deep.

Wow! Yoon Hyun-woo was an unintentional accomplice in the murder of the Conglomerate grandson Jin Do Jun. He was dispensable from the start, when it came to the Conglomerates. After the death of Jin Do Jun, Yoon Hyun-woo was offered a job at Soonyang, even though he was not qualified. He got a high position at Soonyang with just a High School degree. Payoff. It becomes significant then that Yoon Hyun-woo always was that smart. He did well in the University while he was in the past as Jin Do Jun. If Yoon Hyun-woo could have stayed at the University in the future/present, he might have been great on his own. He left the University and his studies to support his family.

The Prosecutor saved Yoon Hyun-woo from death in the present. That was not fully explained how.

Yoon Hyun-woo was endearing to and fond of his two mothers (birth mother and adopted mother in the past), as if there were two people inhabiting his body.

The old company Jin Do Jun founded, Miracle Investments, did not change out his desk for over 20 years after his death. That blue computer on his desk looked like an E One. It was still there.


Getting down to business. . . . I am sorry that this drama is over.

A mainstay feature of the “Korean discount” is avoiding inheritance tax, due to Conglomerate Succession .

In the present day, Donut Man Oh Se-hyeon/Mason Oh tries to beat the Conglomerate system, getting around the Conglomerate Succession position by consolidating minority shareholders into a voting block. These shareholders are the ones who do not vote, because they think that their small vote is meaningless. However, together they tried to form a voting block through the shareholder’s solidarity conference.

Conglomerate owner’s can save billions in inheritance tax [at 38- minute episode 16. See article below]. The hope of Donut Man was to strip management of their rights through the voting block. The little guy against the big guy. The block gave the minority shareholders power over the Conglomerate, because of the huge power of the solidarity voting block. Famous last words of the Conglomerate, “Ignore David. We are Goliath”. Round one went to Goliath. Management secretly paid off the minority shareholders, who were easily swayed by gifted money. In round two, Donut Man went after bigger fish. Round one flushed out the one who was the owner of the slush fund and who killed the YSOAG.

The Conglomerate Firstborn Son planted evidence at the scene of Jin Do Jun’s murder/accident to make it look like his own son killed Jin Do Jun. Was it the father, who then bargained away his jail time and placed it on his son?

By being forced to live in the body of the one he helped kill, Yoon Hyun-woo developed empathy and compassion for Conglomerate grandson Jin Do Jun.

YSOAC WAS FIXATED ON CHANGING THE RULE OF CONGLOMERATE SECESSION. They believed that this rule really hurt business in the long run.

Quote: When I first met Do Jun seven years ago, the young man who was still in his teens said he’d buy Soonyang. I should tell you why I risked my whole career to move to Korea based on that absurd statement. On the New York Stock Exchange, if companies are at similar levels and one is Korean, it goes for a lower price, because of the Korean Discount rule. Then you must also know the reason why there is a Korea Discount. It is because of the Conglomerate succession rule. Business is conducted like selecting a national team of athletes based solely on whether the parents of the candidates were medal winner. Regardless of how competitive the candidates are. Management ability isn’t something that is genetically passed down in the family. We at at Miracle Investments want to show this reasoning to the Korean Market. (They believed that it was hurting Korean business in general).

Repartee between donut man and the second son at time 27-30 minutes in episode 15. In a nutshell, this appears to me to be the basis of this drama. A commentary on Conglomerate Success and how it can be detrimental to business and society.

Quote: It was not about possession or Time Travel. It was about repentance.

In the end, Yoon Hyun-woo did not get the girl, but inherited Jin Do Jun’s business and the sense of business. The Universe was righted.

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Following the death of Hanjin Group Chairman Cho Yang-ho last week, the inheritance tax his bereaved family will have to pay is in the spotlight, with estimates suggesting as much as 200 billion won ($175 million).

According to analysts, the lofty taxes could shrink the owner family’s stake. However, they also note that it is unlikely, reminding that the high inheritance tax rate is actually what drives the obsessive culture of family-monopolized management among conglomerates here.

[News Analysis] High inheritance tax fuels chaebol monopoly

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Chinese drama version of My Love From The Stars/Legend of the Blue Sea and supersized.

Moonshine and Valentine or another name is The Love Knot: His Excellency’s First Love

I am having a Chinese blast with Moonshine and Valentine (2018 and PG13), which is a modern fantasy love story with story arcs rooted in the historic past. If the Korean Dramas My Love From The Stars (MLFTS) and Legend From The Blue Sea (LOTBS) had a baby drama together, it would be this fusion Chinese drama. I am surprised at how the storyline so perfectly incorporates the premises of both Korean Dramas. However, Moonshine and Valentine creates a fantasy world which exists alongside the world of humans. You quickly will buy into this world within a world. Throw in a perfect drama music score, then lean to the side and accept this ride.

This is a story about aliens from Another Star Far Far Away, escaping the eminent explosion of their world by settling on earth, which is a sister-like planet. These sentient beings are part of the Fox Clan of beings with higher powers. While being dissimilar to earthlings, these Shape-shifters have learned to mesh into the world of humans and live among them, being unnoticed for millennia (like My Love From The Stars). The second in charge of the Fox Clan on earth is 900 years old and is now an antique dealer in present times. He is He Lan Jing Ting (Johnny Huang). Because of he physical nature, He Lan Jing Ting is blind during the daylight hours, but has super senses at nighttime (Hemeralopia), when he can live less restricted. He Lan Jing Ting has had but one love throughout the millennia (Legend of the Blue Sea). She reoccurs through time and is at present a reporter Guan PiPi (Victoria Song). Guan PiPi has been assigned to cover He Lan Jing Ting for a story, not knowing their past historic romantic connections. As in both Korean Dramas MLFTS and LOTBS, the past historic storyline is served up in delicately and precisely introduced flashbacks. After actor introduction, the flashbacks mostly are introduced at the start of each new episode and will be pertinent to the new episode to follow. I loved how this was done.

Similar to the Korean Drama Arthdal Chronicles, this fantasy world created in the Chinese drama Moonshine and Valentine/The Love Knot: His Excellency’s First Love is totally inventive, highly imagined, and well written and acted. At 25 episodes of 45 minutes each, the time commitment is only 19 hours to binge. The story does detour a bit towards the end, but tries to get back on track by the end.

Moonshine and Valentine/The Love Knot: His Excellency’s First Love stars Chinese Actress Victoria Song as the Female Lead, an actress whom I have noted in the past as having the acting aurora of the Korean actress Jun Ji Hyun from both Korean dramas MLFTS and LOTBS. Therefore, it is fitting that Victoria Song gets the part of the Female Lead in this Chinese Drama. Also, staring as Male Lead is Chinese Drama heartthrob Johnny Huang, and I must say, in all his glory.

The chemistry created between the two leads can only be termed magnetically sensual. Throw in some rocking minions, brothers who are the total opposites. One (Li Jun Xian/Shen as Xiu Xian) has tried to keep up with the changing trends through time and is a loosey goosey rocker. The other is a sophisticated but antiquated ‘stick in the mud’ (Li Jia Ming Leo as Kuan Yong), stuck in the classical past eras. It will be your privilege to try to imagine for which one you would fall first. Of course, there is the usual handsome Second Lead and boyfriend (Xu Kai Cheng as Tao Jialin) to stand in the way of love and the handsome villain (Jiang Qi Lin as Zhao Song [Left High Priest]) to stir up things. For The Ladies: there is lots of eye candy, the whole cast deep. I am going to be shallow here. A lot of times I forgot to read the subtitles, because of gazing, and had to rewind.

Chinese Dramas are known for their second couples. You should enjoy these two Fox Clan supermodel brothers competing for this human chick (Liu Yongxi). Although Liu Yongxi had a difficult choice between brothers in this drama, apparently “stick in the mud” stood out in real life. They are now engaged to be married.

Disclosure: Some of the alien habits of some Fox Clan group members might be disturbing to some.

In addition, Fox Clan might become a phrase synonymous with the word gorgeous .

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Explaining ‘Someday or One Day’, the Time Travel Chinese Drama.

At times, you get these dramas which throw you down a rabbit hole. It was 2 AM and I woke up still thinking about the Chinese Drama ‘Someday or One Day’, a week after finishing it. There was lots of internal head talk for this drama for me. You know the talk you have with yourself about the significance of what you saw. Writing about dramas can be a healing catharsis. While my explanation of the Chinese drama may make it less complicated to watch, I give away very little in the top section. The spoilers are separated below. The drama has only 13 episodes and is on DramaCool at present. The movie version of Someday or One Day is on VIKI at present, but this movie storyline is different from the drama. It is an alternative universe all together. I watched the Chinese version of this drama in anticipation of the Korean version ‘A Time Called You’, which will be dropping shortly in the latter half of 2023.

‘Someday or One Day’ is a heavily romantic drama. It is a complicated Time-Travel and Time-Loop Fantasy School Romance drama. This drama is a Time-Travel drama instead of a Time Slip, because there is a definite mode used for the Time-Travel. The viewer gets commentary on the action through important background information spoken by the characters throughout the drama. In addition, as with the Korean Time-Travel Fantasy Drama ‘My Perfect Stranger’, the big surprises are truly the big surprises. Someday or One Day received multiple post-production awards for writing.

One trick to understanding the 13 episode drama is to keep up with the two different names for the male and female leads. Taiwanese actor and singer Greg Hsu Han plays the modern day lover Wang Quan Sheng and the 1999 teenager Li Zi Wei. Taiwanese actress Alice Chia-yen Ko plays the modern day Huang Yu Xuan and the 1999 teenager Chen Yun Ru in whose body she inhabits during time travel. These are characters from different time universes. Taiwanese actor Patric Shih (1% World) plays Mo Jun Jie, who is the best friend of High Schooler Li Zi Wei. He is in love with the real Chen Yun Ru and can tell the difference between the two. While Huang Yu Xuan does take control over the body of Chen Yun Ru, Chen Yun Ru is forced to become a mere passive observer.

The main story pivots around Huang Yu Xuan, who is so in love with this wonderful guy who was her boyfriend (Wang Quan Sheng). He is missing and presumed deceased from a plane accident in the first time universe. She is distraught beyond existing. Mapped around this world is a second time universe which creates the opportunity for Time-Travel. Huang Yu Xuan has found out how to escape to this world while she sleeps listening to a particular song. In this alternative existence, Huang Yu Xuan lives her life through the body of her look-a-like, a High Schooler named Chen Yun Ru. In this universe, Chen Yun Ru loves Li Zi Wei, but she is loved by his best friend Mo Jun Jie. In the alternative existence, the deceased Wang Quan Sheng is a like-a-like for Li Zi Wei. Both worlds are mapped on top of each other and creates an inter-crossing of events as the Time Travel occurs, also creating time loops. Both worlds becomes connected because of the desperate need for Huang Yu Xuan to see again her deceased lover Wang Quan Sheng. There is a constant switching back and forth between each time period which is nearly 10-12 years apart.

This wonderful Time-Travel Romance Fantasy School Drama is about how love can transverse Time and Space and how love can be patient and sacrificial. The vehicle for Time-Travel is listening to this tape recording of the song ‘Last Dance’ by Wu Bai and Chinese Blue. Most confusion created by the two time universes should be cleared up by episode 3.

SPOILERS ⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️😱

This is a story about loneliness and depression, an emptied heart torn by the death of a love one and hope in seeing that dead loved one again.

At age 27 in 2019 in her Time Universe, Huang Yu Xuan was born in 1992. The real Chen Yun Ru dies on New Years Eve 1999 or Y2K at age 18 in her own time universe. She was born in 1981. Chen Yun Ru was murdered. As stated in the drama, Chen Yun Ru passed away in 1991 in the first timeline, but this death year changes (or is corrected in translation) as action fluctuates around changing circumstances, created by the Time Travel. I believe that the year 1991 is a mistranslation, because the timing does not work. In 1991, Chen Yun Ru would not have been in High School. She would have been around 10 years old. I believe that the timeline of the first death of Chen Yun Ru was 1999 and not 1991 as translated. The translators are mixing up Huang Yu Xuan (who was 7 in 1999) with Chen Yun Ru (who was 18 in 1999).

In 1999 the female protagonist Huang Yu Xuan (Huang Yu-hsuan) was 7 years old in this original timeline in the past. However from the future, she comes back to this same timeline, not as herself but the older teenager Chen Yun-ru (Her doppelgänger). As a little girl, Huang Yu Xuan does meets the male protagonist Li Zi Wei (Wang Quan Sheng) in 1999. She is the little girl who is lost and he gives her a ride home. This is covered in the last episode of the series. In the time travel backwards, Huang Yu Xuan exists as the older Chen Yun Ru and as herself. Since both of her existences are in the same time slot during time travel, they should never meet and they did not.

Li Zi Wei is 18/19 in 1999 and Chen Yun Ru is 18 when she dies in 1999. Huang Yu Xuan is about 7 in 1999, as we see Li Zi Wei meet her as a lost child. He buys her ice cream to stop her from crying. Little Huang Yu Xuan tells Li Zi Wei that she will marry him someday or one day. Being 7 in 1999, this would make the birth year of Huang Yu Xuan roughly 1992. That would mean in 2019 or 20 years later (You must count the year 2000), Huang Yu Xuan would be roughly 27. In 2019, Li Zi Wei should be 37-39. There is a 10-12 year age difference between Li Zi Wei and Huang Yu Xuan in the real time universe. Li Zi Wei is the doppelgängers for Wang Quan Sheng and he does take the place of Wang Quan Sheng when Wang Quan Sheng dies.

The modern day lover Wang Quan Sheng and the 1999 teenager Li Zi Wei are really the same exact person. Li Zi Wei lives through time and catches up with now grown Huang Yu Xuan in time in the late 2000s. Also, some may have missed that Li Zi Wei initiates all time travel, as he desperately tries to regain his first love Huang Yu Xuan/Chen Yun Ru. Li Zi Wei take over the life of the real Wang Quan Sheng who is gay and died tragically. In addition, Li Zi Wei tries to stop Chen Yun Ru’s murder through his own time travel. Best friend Mo Jun Jie was falsely blamed for the murder of Chen Yun Ru.

There is an unexplainable 10 year time difference in the original timeline which may have been caused by a translation error.

At age 27, Huang Yu Xuan lives in 2019 in her Universe and Chen Yun Ru dies 1999 at age 18 in the other time universe. Huang Yu Xuan is happy to inhabit the body of this teen girl (Chen Yun Ru) who should have died in an accident a couple of years back, but continues on as Chen Yun Ru. She will die shortly in the future in this second timeline (or there is a translation error). Chen Yun Ru’s World has in it Wang Quan Sheng’s look-a-like Li Zi Wei. It eases Huang Yu Xuan’s extreme pain to see and be with Wang Quan Sheng | Li Zi Wei. These two worlds converge at the “death” of Chen Yun Ru. With this background infonpmation of this time travel drama, the action in the drama may become clearer. In one Universe Wang Quan Sheng dies and in the other Universe Chen Yun Ru dies. Everything, but the death of Chen Yun Ru is put back in place.
All Is Corrected

To correct the havoc played on the timelines, because of the time travel interference (The Butterfly Effect—small changes here creates havoc with the whole time line there), drastic decisions are made. Time keeps looping as different life scenarios are realized and lost. In the end, time is corrected. Freed from the burden to love Wang Quan Sheng | Li Zi Wei, Chen Yun Ru allows herself to consider Mo Jun Jie. He waited patiently as the troubled and tortured triangle of Huang Yu Xuan, Chen Yun Ru, and Li Zi Wei played out. Through it all, Mo Jun Jie was willing to sacrifice his comfort and hopes to make sure that his love (Chen Yun Ru) was happy. It was the most endearing in the end for me to see his love realized.

Li Zi Wei had met 7 year old Huang Yu Xuan in the past. This meeting was fixed already historically. She promised to marry Li Zi Wei Someday or One day. In the natural undisturbed timeline their meeting in history would never change. Li Zi Wei should have and now must only accept how things play out in the future when Li Zi Wei and Huang Yu Xuan meet again.

My Timeline explanation of A Time Called You (The Korean remake of Someday or One Day) will help in understanding Someday or One Day.

Actors Corner

I would be remiss if I did not mention the excellent job that actress Alice Chia-yen Ko did with her two characters that she portrayed (Huang Yu Xuan | Chen Yun Ru). While Greg Hsu Han played both of his characters as the same likable person for a good reason. Alice Chia-yen Ko portrayed 17 year old Chen Yun Ru as a very timid, non confident unassuming teen and portrayed 27 year old Huang Yu Xuan as a very confident take no prisoners and take the lead 27 year old female. The two portrayals could not have been more different. Her performance won her many post production awards. Greg Hsu Han won a post production award as well. Both gave powerful performances.

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Mind expanded. Check⚡️✅

The Korean drama, Extraordinary Attorney Woo follows the exploits of an Attorney with Autism who is a savant when it comes to remembering everything she has read on Law and whales. While this drama definitely will be binge-worthy in the future, it is a drama to watch real-time now. This show is getting incredible numbers from viewers. Google users are giving it 98/100.

We are use to binging our Korean dramas, but sometimes that drama comes along that provides so much information for you to assimilate that it takes a week to clear all your head talk. You don’t have time to get anxious for the next episode. And some tell me they are rewatching the episodes that they have viewed already to fully enjoy the incredible moments. Head talk is when you go into deep thought in your head, talking to yourself about the things you have seen in the drama. You get in these contemplative moods, discussing Autism in general and each creative way that Attorney Woo Young Woo (A butterfly name that is the same forward and backward like the word deed) wins her cases.

Through the week you get to marvel at the terrific writing and direction in this drama. The Revolving Door Waltz, The Nepotism Episode that was truly a disguise for discussing discrimination in general (Cryfest moment for me), and the episode on “Should those with Autism be allowed to love who they love?” (Another Cryfest episode). While these may be singled out as my highest levels of enjoyment, these moments were just the cream on top of the ice cream for Extraordinary Attorney Woo.

Actors Kang Tae Oh as Lee Junho and the incredible Park Eun Bin as Woo Young Woo
Then there are the ‘Whale Moments’ of Attorney Woo. Who does not know that she loves whales? I am learning so much about whales, because of her fixation on them and whale talk has even provided some of my Cryfest moments too. I anticipate the whale stories. Also, when Attorney Woo comes up with those creative law epiphanies, those are introduced with her whale associations. I get such a sigh of relief, because I know that she has figured out how to win the court case when I see her whale moments.

The one debate in my head at present, that is keeping me up at night, is “Which drama did I like the most for the year 2022, Business Proposal or Extraordinary Attorney Woo?” Business Proposal is deeply squirreled away in my heart, but Extraordinary Attorney Woo is whaling away it’s own credits.

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Fireworks of My Heart is my Chinese Drama obsession for 2023, with action + romance.

Fireworks of My Heart is the best performance by Yang Yang by far for me. There is a great storyline and powerful story arcs concerning rescues by Firemen and Doctors. This gives way to plenty of opportunities for action. There is insane chemistry between the leads and the romance is off the charts. Fireworks of My Heart is a story with story arcs that are totally believable. The whole cast is stellar, from the Firemen to the different family members, it is a stellar cast, great OST, and beautiful and artful cinematography.

Adapted from the Novel “A City, Waiting For You” by Jiuyuexi, a very popular Chinese female writer.

While Fireworks of My Heart is a dramatization, I have a more healthy respect for Firemen after watching this series. Firemen are speed devils in getting dressed and getting to the fire/disaster scene not just to beat the clock, but to cheat death by saving lives. The rescue efforts in this series are thrilling and comparable to the Chinese drama ‘You Are My Hero’. The love relationship is comparable to the Korean drama ‘Call It Love’. She has to learn to be a human and he has to learn to let go of his emotions and trust again.

There is a great Soundtrack of voice and instrumental music in the background.

ACTORS CORNER

Yang Yang (The King’s Avatar), Wang Chu Ran (Royal Feast) and Wei Daxun (The Ordinary Glory)

The male lead, Yang Yang, is one of the prettiest Pretty Boys in Chinese Drama and sometimes he can make you forget that he is suppose to be acting. He has never floored me as an actor, that is until Yang Yang’s great performance as the heartbroken, life toughened Captain of the Firemen’s team in Fireworks of My Heart. Yang Yang had tons of different emotions which he had to display for this role, as he played a wayward teenager and adult Firefighter ready to give up his life for his men and those in need. This is by far his best performance for me from him.

Wang Chu Ran is the female lead and she is gorgeous, but she no acting slouch. Wang Chu Ran’s role had a wide range of emotions as well, which were all met by Chu Ran. She had to play a wall flower teenager trying to survive under the complete domination of her adoptive mother and she plays an adult Medical Doctor scared by life’s battle wounds.

Singer/Actor Wei Daxun was a standout for me as the Brother/Second Lead. I loved his interpretation of his character. His performance was so realistic, as the rich brother who is totally crushing on his adoptive sister, to the point of envy and exhaustion.

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Why is the Chinese drama Only For Love the most sensual romance journey of the year?

I don’t know what everyone else is watching, but it is not Only for Love, considering their scoring. Dylan Wang and Bai Lu are giving masterpiece performances in this intelligently written cat and mouse game of love.

He works 24/7 growing his business, and has become quite successful, as he distances himself from the old money of his father. She is a financial and business reporter, only after the true story of his financial wisdom. The way she hooks him is a masterclass of what women do best.

Out of nowhere during her interview with him for her magazine, she begins to flirt with him. He is totally caught off guard, but recovers very quickly. The last thing he needs is to be diverted mentally from his business, away from his quest to make money. He is super intelligent, with great business acumen. He sees it coming and he knows how to avoid this flirtatious trap. What is working in her favor is that she is really knocked off her feet by him, but in the front of her mind, he is just a romance challenge to conquer. She is equally as intelligent, graduating from University with a double degree. It is just a game, she tells herself.

Only for Love is so sensual. The viewer anticipates each move of the other in this game of avoidance and entrapment, and the teasing games between the two is what draws you right in like foreplay.

Only For Love needs set-up time to allow this drama to smolder. Please don’t be impatient with this cat and mouse game.

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A movie to watch

Monster is a movie which is written by celebrated Japanese writer Yuji Sakamoto. However, Monster is a little more gritty. This film won the Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Screen Play in 2023. Also, it’s star and female lead Sakura Ando won The Japan Academy Prize for Outstanding Performance by an Actress for Monster. In addition, youth actor Soya Kurokawa from Teasing Master Takagi-san gives another great performance. He was nominated for Best New Comer from the Award of Japan Academy. This kid is going places.

While I think that Monster was well written, I have a huge issue with using (supposed) ten year olds with some of the subject material for this movie. It would have set better for me if 16-18 year olds were used. Could 10 year olds make these kind of choices?

Monster was nominated in 11 categories for the Japan Academy Awards.

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Quaint little movie

A Quaint but unusual story of the strange goings on of an upper class Cruise Ship. In Love and Deep Waters is a story of how a ship’s Butler keeps his clients satisfied. He has a very subservient attitude. It never dawns on him that he should be any other way. That is until the young son of a rich person’s maid tells him to take a good look at his actions. This movie offers an eclectic bag of drama emotions as its characters’ back stories are isolated. Some may like this story, which is a Murder Mystery Suspense RomCom.

From celebrated Japanese writer Yuji Sakamoto.

Winner of the International Film Music Critics Award (IFMCA)
Ryo Yoshizawa and Aoi Miyazaki

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Night Owl is critically acclaimed and I loved it.

I really loved the Korean movie Night Owl. The movie covers the same time period as the historic Period dramas My Dearest (1636-1659) and Captivating the King (1636). The major action in Night Owl takes place circa 1645. The period covered is right at the end of the Chinese Ming Dynasty’s subjugation of Joseon ended and the Chinese Qing Dynasty took over. Joseon fared a little better under the Ming Dynasty, and less favorably under the Qing Dynasty. To maintain control, the Qing Dynasty took members of the Royal families from their subjects to China as “Guest” (hostages). The movie storyline is dramatized history, with many real historic persons. Facts are fed around the drama.

Our protagonist (Ryu Jun-yeol as Kyung-soo) is a blind Acupuncturist, but he has some vision in darkness or at night, a fact he does not make known. Treated as invisible because of being blind, Kyung-soo plays that to his advantage, as Kyung-Soo is selected to work in the Royal Palace. All works well until one day someone murders a Royal in his presence. The movie looks polished and elevated. Camera angles are just right. There is always this heightened sense of danger for Kyung-soo, because of his disability.

Also, there is a great child actor (Joo Won as Yi Suk Chul [Eldest son of Crown Prince So Hyeon) in this movie. As you are waiting for the next episodes of your new Korean dramas to drop or waiting to binge upon completion, try out the Korean Movie Night Owl.

Night Owl was nominated for eight Baeksang Arts Awards (Equivalent to the Oscars) and won three.

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Destined is my joy. Bai Jing Ting is my enjoyment.

Destined (2023) is a Woman in Business Period RomCom Drama. This is one of my favorite Chinese dramas of the year.

Apart while together. Destined hones in on a comedy while being a serious drama. The star, Bai Jing Ting, tries his hand at comedy, while reeling in the serious aspects of this story too.

The Story

A pampered son of the richest Costume Drama Plutocrat, has a spat with the daughter of a modestly well off Merchant. The differences are irresolvable. As with happenstance, the two end up in a arrange marriage. He is a bon-vivant and she is prim and proper. This is great fodder for laughter as the two try to cohabitate peacefully. Destined stars Song Ye as the prim and proper Liu Yu Ru and Bai Jing Ting as the spoiled but kind-hearted Gu Jun Si. He begins to teach her business and she pushes him to the highest scholastic achievements. They both “better” each other has walls are broken down to expose love.

Destined is a refreshing Costume drama change. Few things produce more of an anachronism than a Comedic Costume Chinese Drama. I have not seen Bai Jing Ting in a RomCom yet, but this seems to be the year that many Asian dramatic actors are challenging themselves to try comedy. Bai Jing Ting has never given his audience the same acting performance in his dramas and this extends to his attempt at comedy. I found myself laughing a lot. Bai Jing Ting, as Gu Jun Si, utilizes body language and gestures to aid in his comedic performance and his comedic timing is spot on.

Song Yi as Liu Yu Ru plays the straight part in this Chinese drama series. She gives some of the most endearing dialogue about women in business and love, sending goosebumps up my arm. Song Yi’s demur sweetness was so right for this part. Her character, Liu Yu Ru, is portrayed as a high intellectual and a quick learner, becoming the asset to her husband and the longing of other men.

Quote: This business is about Military supplies. Confucius said, “To rule a country of a thousand chariots, there must be reverent attention to business and sincerity; economy and expenditure and love for men; and employment of people at the proper time”. Husband teaching wife what the client needs to hear. From Destined

This RomCom is a high Yes! from me.

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A movie for those who miss someone.

A mom and her young teen daughter looses the dad of the family in death. The whole world of the young teen girl is changed, new town, new school, new people. One boy at her new school seems to annoy her. He is free to cut up, be a slacker. He has no clue why she is shy and very reserved. He learns to be patient with her. He wants to be patient with her.
For those who miss someone or need a little push to cry, try this movie and know that people are willing to help, even if they really don’t know how. Please Don’t Save Me is a simple story that is built upon a Mom and her daughter and a boy who learns to give of himself.

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Great concept drama

I ended up liking this drama a lot. There seems to be no rush with the Korean drama ‘Thirty, But Seventeen’. The storyline, while being somewhat complicated, creeps along very slowly. It is about a violin prodigy who is in a horrific bus accident at the age of 17, which puts her in a coma for 13 years before she wakes up. Life moved forward in time, but she did not. I found that I did not get fully invested in the characters till past the fifth hour (or tenth episode) of the standard episodes (Each episode was 30 minutes for this drama. An hour of drama time was two episodes). The slower pace will appeal to those who like great character building. The Romance is terminally paced slowly as well. This is in keeping with the natural build up of the drama character, an eccentric, off-putting loner Male Lead who suffers from PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome) and a Female Lead who has been in a coma for 13 years. She skips over from a world where she was seventeen to a world where she is now thirty. I will say that once I was invested the slow pace did not bother me at all.

There is great acting in Thirty, But Seventeen, and two of the oddest characters emerge. The young curmudgeon Gong Woo Jin was perfectly played by Yang Se Jong. He nailed his portrayal and reaped the benefits by winning three post production acting awards for his efforts. Another character that was an oddity was the monotone speaking house servant, Jennifer, played by Ye Ji Won. She will be added to my list of most unusual characters in a Korean drama.


Shin Hae Sun as Woo Seo Ri and Yang Se Jong as Gong Woo Jin

Shin Hae Sun (Mr Queen) gives a great performance as the thirty year old teen Woo Seo Ri. Ahn Hyo Seop from Business Proposal was truly a standout as Yoo Chan. Most will love his portrayal of a teen falling in love for the first time. Some will fall victim to Second Lead Syndrome.


Ahn Hyo Seop as Yoo Chan

The slow character building did not hinder the story, powered with lots of flashbacks, which were very consistent and congruent with the future/present story. The many characters tell their individual stories, which all converge neatly in episode 28, where all questions are answered.

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