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Flash Review: Suddenly Seventeen [Chinese Movie]

| kfangurl

My adventures in in-flight entertainment can be pretty random.

After all, I’m a captive audience with a limited array of shows to choose from, and honestly, I just want something to watch while I eat my (usually unexciting) in-flight meal. This means that In-flight Me sometimes has a pretty different show selection process than Non In-flight Me.

Today, In-flight Me had a Single, Completely Frivolous reason for checking out this show. Simply, Wallace Huo is in it, and I’ve been told by people in the know, that I would absolutely fall in love with Wallace Huo once I saw him on my screen.

So did In-flight Me’s selection process pay off this time?

Well.. sorta. The in-flight meal was even more unappetizing than usual, but the movie was actually quite a bit more enjoyable than I’d expected.

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Flash Review: Something about 1% [1% of Anything]

| kfangurl

For the most part, I have trouble understanding dramaland’s penchant for remakes. I mean, if something’s that good, why mess with it? Conversely, if something’s not good, why remake it? Uh, right?

In this case, though, I’m very pleasantly surprised by how much more I enjoy the remake, versus the original.

I’d tried watching the original some years ago, because I’d seen enough affection for it as a classic kdrama, to be curious. BUT. I couldn’t make it through even episode 1, no exaggeration.

Mainly, I remember being bored by the slow pace, feeling somewhat thrown off by retro-everything (from styling, to production values, to storyline), and being shallowly unimpressed by Kang Dong Won’s rather gigantic eye bags.

Now fast-forward to the remake, which I inhaled in what can only be described as a giddy marathon. Woah. What a turnaround, right?

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Flash Review: Seven First Kisses

| kfangurl

The moment Lotte Duty Free announced this little web series for the festive season, I knew I’d be tuning in, no matter what.

I mean, to have Lee Jun Ki, Park Hae Jin, Ji Chang Wook, Kai, Taecyeon, Lee Jong Suk and Lee Min Ho in the leading men line-up? Even the most big-budget blockbuster movie production would have trouble pulling that off.

So tune in I did; which wasn’t hard to do, really, with each episode topping out at a very compact 7-8 minutes. And y’know what, for what it is (an unabashed, extended CF for Lotte Duty Free, in case you were wondering), this show’s a fun little ride.

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Flash Review: Splash Splash Love

| kfangurl

This is absolutely, positively adorable. <3

Given that our drama reality (what an oxymoron, eh? XD ) is such that the final product often doesn’t live up to its awesome teaser (I’m looking at you, Yong Pal), I’m extra blown away that Splash Splash Love doesn’t just live up to its very cute teaser, it actually surpasses it.

What are we doing right to deserve this, Dramaland? Coz I’d like to do it again. And then again. *hearts in eyes*

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Review: Sassy Go Go [Cheer Up]

| kfangurl

THE SHORT VERDICT:

Sassy wasted no time in stealing my heart, to be honest.

Yes, it’s not very inventive, in that its plot isn’t anything very new, and feels vaguely like a mashup of Angry Mom, Who Are You – School 2015, and Shut Up Flower Boy Band, with a bit of Dream High, and even mild shades of School 2013, thrown in for good measure.

But I genuinely enjoyed all of those shows, and any resemblance, in this case, is not a bad thing. I loved that Show is breezy, and showcases endearing characters and their heart-tugging relationships, and I was effectively smitten for much of Show’s run.

It’s unfortunate that Show loses its footing somewhat, in the last quarter. That made me sad. After everything is said and done, though, I still felt wistful in saying goodbye to these characters, and that definitely counts for something.

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Review: She Was Pretty

| kfangurl

THE SHORT VERDICT:

A fun rom-com that, in-between the comedy and the laughs, manages to get under your skin in the best way, with its warmth.

Some of my favorite things about She Was Pretty are the heartfelt performances, the lovingly-drawn characters, and the relationships brimming with organic, sparky chemistry.

On top of these, the breezy pace and the ear-wormy OST – not to mention the uplifting themes of self-worth and self-love – make this a satisfying, enjoyable watch indeed.

Not perfect by a long shot, but Show gets the important things so right, that it’s hard to be nit-picky.

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Flash Review: Scholar Who Walks The Night

| kfangurl

When I first heard the set-up for Scholar Who Walks the Night, I was really excited.

I mean, a supernatural drama world featuring Joseon-era vampires with glorious bone structure, and a girl who goes undercover as a boy to earn a living and support her family? It sounded like the perfect mashup combining the best of Arang and Sungkyunkwan Scandal, both of which are dramas I really love.

Plus, Scholar stills promised that I would get to see Lee Jun Ki wearing guyliner and a deeper red lip, sorta like how he did so spectacularly in his breakout role in The King and The Clown.

Basically, I couldn’t not watch this one. And I couldn’t wait to feast my eyes on the Pretty too.

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Flash Review: Surplus Princess

| kfangurl

So after just 2 episodes, I had shelved this show indefinitely, coz I’d found it really hard to get into. I pretty much planned to drop it, really.

And then School 2015 happened, where Nam Joo Hyuk charmed me all melty in spite of his limited acting range, and I decided to come back to this, to have a lookie at how he did in this show versus School 2015.

Well, ok, I also came back to gaze at him, heh. Still, a fangirl reason is a reason too, right? 😉

All in all, I hafta say that I’m happy I gave this show a second chance, in spite of its seriously WTH ending.

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Flash Review: Sensory Couple [The Girl Who Sees Smells]

| kfangurl

Let’s just say that if you’re looking for a crime procedural, or a thriller-mystery, or well, any kind of logical narrative, really, then this show probably isn’t for you.

I think it’s safe to say that if you were to approach this show with a lens that is at all serious, then it’s highly likely that disappointment would be in your future.

If you’re on the market for lots of OTP Cute, though, never mind the (sometimes gaping) flaws in the areas I just mentioned, then the show affectionately known as Smelly Girl just might work for you.

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Flash Review: Secret Love – Have You Ever Had Coffee With An Angel?

| kfangurl

Given my Healer-induced new-found appreciation of Ji Chang Wook, it’s not hard to understand why I decided to pick up this little drama short.

At just over an hour, it’s a quick, low-commitment way to get a dose of Ji Chang Wook on my screen, while I continue to work off the Healer feels by gathering myself together to write it a proper review. (It’ll come! I promise! It’s just, too many feeelz!)

Considering how I’ve been underwhelmed by other drama shorts that I’ve checked out in the past (Her Lovely Heels, for instance. Or Love Cells.), color me pleasantly surprised, that this little drama short, in spite of its brief running time, is actually quite a nice dose of feel-good fun. 🙂

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