Asuko March: Episode 2

(Secret) The lie that the host told to Kougyo's female student!? 

I didn't expect to enjoy this drama as much as I did in the second episode, but i was really impressed with it. So due to my insomnia I have decided to start recapping this series.

Nao has been at Asuko for a month now, but is still having trouble surviving in school designed for boys and the heavy manual labour. She talks to her teacher about transferring to Yokohama Erin High School, which is a normal high school for both girls and boys. However the requirements for transfere are high and she can't get by on the bulling claim alone. She must have good grades at her current school in order to do so. Nao has to up her game in practical training Asuko before she can change schools.
So Nao seeks out Tamaki in the classroom, currently lying on desks with a group of guys shirtless and trying to get their tan on. He mistakes her ask for help meaning that she finally wants to man up and enthusiastically offers to tutor her in the ways of industrial work before she can explain its because she wants to transfere.
In the workshop Tamaki refuse's to help her carry equipment  telling her she must man up now and Aruto kindly helps her out. They get all angsty with each other and Nao becomes the rope in a tug of war between the two when choosing partners. .  When other classmates tease Tamaki quickkly releases and Nao goes to ArutoOhh love triangle already?
Nao notices how Mokoto flirts around with all the guys. She just has to comment that she likes red and the next day all the guys turn up with red jumpers under there uniform. Unfortuanly Mokoto only has eyes for . Nao walks to the girls changing room to hear a scream and Makoto bursting out, uniform and hair all out of place. Everything looks bad when Aruto comes out of the changing room, however he doesn't seem to care at all.
Nao studies and fills out her transgere application, Takauchi sees her filling out the form and tells her he hopes she gets into the high school, but only because one less annoying person will be in Asuko.
Aruto gets hassled by the guys, still not caring at all so i'm guessing its not all as it seems. He comes home after working at a host club to see his mother in a psychotic state. Not all is well, when Aruto takes  his mother to the hospital it is revealed she suffers from some mental illness. Her symtoms having worsened she must now be committed.
At school where Aruto has not turned up, they recieve envelopes requiring the 5000 yen fee. Every one assumes since the workshop incident that Nao and Aruto are together and the teacher assigns her to give his one to him. She meets him to hand him the envelope and asks him about the incident with Mokoto. However he says that it doesn't matter as he will be leaving Asuko and that there was no need for her to come here.
Nao next talks to Makoto in the girls changing room to ask why Aruto was there with her. She says that he had offered to lend a 'Spitz' (japanese alt rock band) to her. Nao know from the conversation with Aruto yesterday that he doesn't actually listen to Japanese music. Nao doubts Aruto did actually attact her. Upon being called a lier, Makoto has a flash back to a previous school and freaks out.
In workshop Tamaki helps out Nao and gets other guys to aswell . aww you are so transparent
Nao turns up at Aruto's house saying that only Makoto 'momo chan' could have opened the changing room as only women have the key. We flash back to the scene where Aruto refuses Momo's advances and thus acts out faking the attack. He had denied the acusation so that Momo would not be branded as a lier. What a guy.
Aruto's mother comes out chasing him acting somewhat crazy/sane. Then absolutly paranoid after thinking Nao will take her son away from her. Aruto says that while he wanted to stay in high school to get a good job and pay for his mothers care, he has to quit to take care of her.
Nao walks into the classroom the next day, where it goes silent as she enters. She turns around to see her transfere forms taped to the blackboard. The boys aren't happy, when after they had helped her it was just so she could do well in practical training and transfer. Takeuchi outs her to everyone when she tries to deny it, after he said he wouldn't tell. Whats your deal boy?
Tamaki isn't so happy with the truth. Not to mention Aruto who walks in at that moment. With a plaster on his face after being beaten up by his host senpai, he tells her to get lost.
Nao works hard in the workshop but because her partner Aruto has been absent she has fallen behind. Tamaki sees that Nao is putting in extra time to finish, and he's just a bit impressed. Tamaki later sees Aruto at his hots job and beating around the bush he gets at if he's going to be working here and not coming to school then Nao should have another parnter. Aruto agrees saying that Tamaki should be her partner as he obviously likes her anyway. Way to umm NOT beat around the bush. Of course Tamaki denies this^^keke.
Nao gets her womanly pains at school but soldiers on at her work into the night. Its still no better the next day and she's having trouble concentrating but must finish her work. She's to afraid to say she has cramps to the guys because they will think she's using it as an excuse because she is a woman. She faints from pain, only to be picked up by Aruto. After waking up in the nurses office, she goes to the workshop to find Aruto working on their project. The end result a shiny piece of metal??
Momo has another go at attention seeking with her fake attack excuse, a Hirose goes to the work shop and initiates a fight. He manages to block a punch to his face (a host's greatest asset) but gets shoved down  his  school drop out letter letter falling out of his pocket. Hirose about to throw Nao's shiny metal is stopped by her, siting that she was't the only one who made it, the whole class helped her. Although she wanted to transfere after see how the guys work, it is the only time they are serious and hardworking.  Hirose leaves and Nao picking up the letter to return to Aruto is told that he no longer needs it. Aruto is going to stay~
Everything ends well and Nao is starting to like Asuko, but staying here for 3 years is a different story.

Comments, thoughts and musings:
As far as the budding love triangle goes, i'm already on team Tamaki. I wonder if its going to be unrequited love on his side? I would love if he likes Nao before she likes him, i'm guessing she will end up with Tamaki and not Aruto.
I forgot how hard recapping is *sigh* there is a lot of content in this and just the smallest thing becomes significant later on, lol aww well.
The obvious is happening, slowly though Nao initially hated it, she is beginning to like this school. I really felt for her when she had her period. Its kinda hard when you are the only girl.
And although I haven't given him a mention, Nao also has an awesome chief Grandfather who is just lols.

Sorry no screen caps because I watched on iphone. and CBF

^^keke

So Far: Best Love

So it's after finishing episode 10 that I realize how personally invested I am in this drama.
I am beyond saving.

Yes I made this because I have no life. 

*spoilers*
And i'm also worried as going by the Hong Sisters trend this is were you hit a rough patch. The thing is they go through this whole story and the characters only get back together at the last episode, if that. I really hope they don't do what they did in MGIAG (and 49 days) and leave the whole will she won't she die thing to the last 10 minutes and then have a deus ex machina ending. I know that can't happen in this drama as it is not fantasy, but I really don't want them to leave the will he won't he die till the last episode (even though I know he won't). I really like to see characters established after they finally get together i.e they do end up living happily ever after. This was done best in Personal taste, where you see the proposal and even though it was fan service, the married life of Yoon Hee and Sun Joon was very cute.


My heart aches for Pil Joo, Se Ri just ins't good enough for a consolation prize. I hope she does change though. 
As for Dokko Jin, if he dies I swear I will never watch another hong sisters drama again (after 49 days I just don't know anymore...) It breaks my heart for how he is in a way accepting his fate. At first I didn’t like how badly Dokko Jin beat up the manager, and putting his carear in jeopardy for a stupid reason, but then I understood why he did it, because if he might die he might as well give the manager all he deserves for what he did to Ae Jung. If his career is going to end when he dies anyway, DK has got nothing to lose when he defends Ae Jung's honor.


I feel that Hong sisters drama are always better for dialogue because there are a lot of things I would love to see but they just don't include: 
-Ae Jung singing again and working on her new album, there must be other things in her life than Pil Joo and Dokko Jin
-I would have liked to see more of the couple making competition, and dates especially with the other celebrity women. 
-More of a back story between Se Ri and Dokko Jin, they must of liked each other at some point?
ect. 



Like right now interms of plot I prefer Romance Town and Baby Faced Beauty just a bit more, but overall  Best love's way above and Dokko Jin for the win!


So three weeks to go! Drama *fighting*keke

First Impressions: Asuko March

So this is like the first Japanese drama I have watched in like ages~ The premise seemed really good to me, so i've given it a try^^ Its thumbs up so far.

Its based on a manga about a teenage girl Nao Yoshino, who makes the fatal error in her high school entrance exam of missing out one question (meaning all her answers are shifted up one) and is unable to go to the high school of her choice. She ends up in Asuko prefecture technical high school and is the only girl in her class, out of the two in the whole school.
So this is the most testosterone fueled boisterous high school ever. Basically the last place a girl would want to be~

Its hard to explain the difference between J and K drama. I defiantly prefer the K variety because they seem to be more realistic in the way people interact and of life in general society (i.e. yes people do have sex, J drama likes to deny this fact of life), although plots in K-drama-land are filled with clichéd romance such as drunken piggyback rides, wrist grabbing and fantasy deus-ex-machina endings (and sometimes toilet humor). J drama is set in a more idealized world where 'I like you' skips all the way to 'lets get married' with out any verbal communication or expressions of affection shared in between. J drama is a lot more censored than K drama meaning you have to wait all the way to the end for the second of skinship peck of a kiss (or even just a hug).
J and K dramas really each have a genre of there own, being as different as horror and comedy really.

I can never get into J drama the way I do to K drama, which has me completely absorbed, emotionally invested and even talking (sometimes yelling) back. With Jdorama I am just along for the ride.

BUT the one thing I do like about J drama is that it is 45min and one episode a week and 10-12 episodes tops, compared to 16-20+ episodes, 1 hour twice a week of K drama. Sometimes less is more.

So if you're in to J drama or want to give it a try, watch this one~

My j-drama top ones that I like

1)Buzzer beat
2)Hotaru-no-hikari 1 and 2
3) Hana Kimi
4)Atashinchi no danshi
5)Love shuffle
6) Atsu-hime
7)Proposal Daisakusen
8)Kimi-wa-petto
9)Hana yori dango 1 and 2
10)Mei chan no Shitsuji
11) Mr Brain
12)Absolute Boyfriend
13)Yamato Nadeshiko Shichi Henge

I've filtered through and listed all the good ones just for you ^^keke

First Impressions: May Madness

First Impressions: May Madness

Due to the start of four new dramas I will not be doing this individually

1)   Baby-Faced Beauty

So after the first episode I didn’t think I would continue with this one but a few weeks later I watched the rest and realized that this is pretty good stuff~

I think sometimes in drama the simplest things don’t get enough credit. Having a solid base, good actors and a plausible non-confusing plot  does a drama a lot of good. I can’t say BBF is exactly like that, but it does well and I like it even though the plot doesn’t completely grab me, but deffinatly watch it!

2)   Lie To Me

So I really love this fake marriage story line, I kinda have this fake marriage then fall in love fantasy *don’t ask* (the guy being also handsome and rich) so I’m all over this.

But I’m not taking it too seriously because it does have a few plot flaws, BUT I’m sure as it catches up to live shooting it will get better (please please please) because the actors are very good so I would hate to see this be a flop.

Oh yeah and also this…

3)   BEST LOVE

And it is in capitals because I love this drama so so very much. DOKKO JIN is just so cool, but you already know that. Though I do wish the plot would include more of the dating show story line because I love Pil Joo who is so aloof and cute. Ahhh I can’t decide~

But yeah the Hong sisters never disappoint^^

4)   Romance Town

So I love Jun Gyu Woon from Dr Champ, and he makes a reasonable chaebol (but he was so much cooler doing judo takedowns) . I can  also understand more why the name was changed to ‘romance town’ from ‘maids’, because there is a lot of romance or scandal…

But the whole money story line is putting me off because I just want her to get her money but there is a lot of fussing about.

But all is well that ends well I guess^^keke

49 days: Finishing Note

What I could have done with those 20 hours?

So 49 days finished this week and I’m still upset about it. I was so surprised after reading other peoples comments that they actually though it was really good… and it wasn’t that it was bad, it was just to put it dramatically, heart braking.

Note: spoilers

I felt that this drama could have been easily concluded on the sixteenth episode, it was really dragged out a little to long, and then just went haywire.

The best thing about romantic drama is that you always know what is going to happen, but you just don’t know how. Maybe being so surprised is why I have such conflict with this episode. All I know is that she was supposed to find three tears and almost not make it, then come back to life and get together with Han Kang *insert dramatic tension here* and live HAPPILY EVER AFTER!

But this is what really happened: she is about to die, two tears appear, she wakes up and remembers everything, Yi Kung turns out to be her sister, then she dies ( Ji hun that is).

So I want a refund on my life for those 20 hours.

However… the story line with Yi Soo and Yi King concluded extremely well. Their day spent together was so bitter sweet to watch and their parting so heart aching… Yi Soo tells Yi Kung to forget about him and be happy and farewells with a final kiss goodbye *cry*

I knew they weren’t going to be together and they weren’t which was good (do you see a pattern here?).

So all in all in can’t deny it is a good drama, but yeah nah I like happy endings.

* can I just say I was so right about Yi Soo being connected to Yi Kung ha 

Return of the sparkly track suit that just wouldn't die...

Oh Kim Joo Won, many liked you, few hated you, and I? well I fell completely in love with your fictional neurotic arrogant hotness, but now I must forsake you for another. Who, you ask, is the man who could possibly replace you in my heart? He is no other but DOKKO JIN! 







Best love, the new Hoong Sisters Drama, have you seen it yet? well it has only been two episodes and I know it is too early to say *touch wood* but I absolutely love this drama! Dokko Jin played by Cha Seung-won in particular. He is just like Kim Joo Won (Hyun Bin, secret garden) only bad ass, which just makes him soooo much cooler. I am so glad the hong sisters changed the concept of his character from a younger actor to an older one after plagiarism accusations, because Cha Seung-won is just soooooo perfect for this role. 


This drama is so amazingly filled with meta references, half of which I don't get. Also the Hollywood references, I was in stitches after seeing Dokko Jin trying to learn English from Steven Colbert off the Colbert Report ('your watching the news?' lol). Not to mention (even though I am) the director Peter Jason and Ninja assault ... (Peter Jackson [go NZ!] and Ninja Assassin). 


Omo and the sparkly tracksuit makes a return....

The track suit makes a reappearance!

What also is fantastic is Gong Hyo-jin  as Go Ae-jung. Omo I love her character and she is portrayed so well! She is such a well meaning person, (but not a push over which I love) that keeps getting bad press. I have a feeling there may be Joo Won-ish stalking as Dokko Jin becomes slowly obsessed with her! I think i like Ae-jung better than Ra Im from secret garden, because at times I found her character lacking a back bone and not doing much at all...


so drama please I beg you, be good to me and don't dash all my hopes and expectations I have so trustingly placed onto you!


Fighting!

The Drought Has Ended

Its just proof that when it rains it pours. After a long time with the only trendy drama '49 Days' to keep me entertained a new abundance of Rom-Coms are being aired.


Most recently is 'Manny' a cable drama on tvN. Now into its 7 episode this week, I started sceptical but now am fully hooked. Even though I know exactly how this is going to end, I can't help but enjoy the light fluffy cuteness this drama brings to my week. I think that is what makes it so great. There is no dramatic storyline or plot driving this drama then say in 49 Days, but it is just funny and heartwarming as it gradually progresses.

I am deeply stuck into 49 days now. It has just 6 episodes left, but i feel like it is too long when it could really be wrapped up in just two. I totally love the scheduler <3 but more so the careful way the plot has come together connecting the two main characters. The soul on her 49 day journey and the person who's body she is possessing. But i wouldn't expect anything less, this is k-drama after all.


Starting this week is Baby-Faced Beauty, with Jang Nara ( who is famed for her youthful appearance in real life) and Daniel Choi (who i love for his dorky cuteness) . The plot is about a youthful 'baby faced' looking woman who gets employed for her youthful looks but fired when her real age is revealed. And then of course the love triangle and second leads. Here's a look at the trailer.

 Next starting this week is one I am super dooper way to excited for, the latest Hong sisters drama 'Best Love'. In a nut shell:  its about an actress who is no so popular trying to relaunch her career, a very popular actor who isn't so nice when the cameras are off and how they get paired off in a fictional fake celebrity marriage show (think 'we got married') and you can guess the rest. It has Gong Hyo Jin as Goo Ae Jung and Cha Seung Won as Dokko Jin (who I think is just so bad ass and cool for this role). It also has Yoo In na (secret garden) as the second female lead. 

Yes super excited! 

And they just keep coming! Next week to challenge Baby Faced Beauty will be another fake marriage romcom 'Lie To Me' with  Kang Ji-hwan and Yoon Eun-hye. 


A Few weeks later is City Hunter. Being more cop based and dramatic I don't know if I will watch it, but it has Lee Min Ho, so maybe I will... 


So yeah its all very exiting...