kdrama - Prosecutor Princess

official website:
http://tv.sbs.co.kr/princess/

drama title:
검사 프린세스 / Prosecutor Princess
oso known as Prosecutor Mata Hari

main cast:
Kim So Yeon as Ma Hye Ri
Park Shi Hoo as Seo In Woo
Han Jung Soo as Yoon Se Joon
Choi Song Hyun as Jin Jung Sun

synopsis:
no princess royalty here. Hye Ri is termed a 'princess' cos of her personality. in which beauty and self comes before work ethics, teamwork and duty.

she's not a bimbo. she's got brains. she made prosecutor. and she has her own way of thinking and handling cases. so she rubs her colleagues the wrong way when she flaunts her wealth, puts her own priorities (like shopping and spending time with friends) over that of the team (which means no overtime for her!)

so she got dumped on the side by her colleagues, who just gave her stamp duty work. when she realised she had been wrong, she changes her mindset and works hard to gain the respect of her colleagues.

along the way, she meets 2 cute guys and uncovers some dirty secrets of her dad's past.

my score: 8 out of 10.
the cases in the drama are perfect for showcasing the talents of the princess prosecutor. the mysterious and handsome lawyer helping her out dont hurt either.

why you should watch it:
brilliant concept of today's women at work. why should she have to conform to the boring prosecutor dress code when there is no such regulation in place? and why should people always have to work overtime and not get paid? lol and rofl. but ultimately, she understands why her colleagues do it - its so that the people get a fair deal in every case. sure, they need more people to handle the cases, but in the meanwhile, they are the only ones who can do it.

ok ok, i fudged a lot. actually, just watch it for Kim So Yeon. she is the ice lady in Gourmet. it's so refreshing to see her in a playful state.

kdrama - goong s

official website:
http://www.imbc.com/broad/tv/drama/gungs/

drama title:
궁 (宮) S / Goong Season S
oso known as Palace S / Prince Hours / Imperial Household S / Goong Special

main cast:
Se7en as Lee Hoo / Kang Hoo
Heo Yi Jae as Yang Soon Ae
Kang Doo as Lee Joon
Park Shin Hye as Shin Sae Ryung

synopsis:
reverse of Princess Hours, but not exactly the same plot. which makes sense, otherwise people will just go to sleep. this time round, it's not about arranged marriages being implemented. but about a guy who finds out he's suddenly royalty, and enters the palace (same concept as Princess Hours - S Korea has a constitutional monarchy). He then finds that he has a competitor for the Crown Prince title, and has to undergo some challenges. Along the way, he falls in love with a palace maid, who was his ex-classmate. She, in turn, also happens to attract the challenger. Along the way, he has to discover the truth behind why his mom was kicked out of the palace which resulted in him being unaware of his royal status.

my score: 7 out of 10.
the concept is not new, so there is a lack of freshness here. the lead actor is also mostly just eye candy and lack serious acting skills. well, i guess he is a star so that should be enough for most of those who watch this sort of star-based dramas. nevertheless, i like the Crown Prince challenges, and also the cloak and dagger stuff happening all the time in the palace.

why you should watch it:
the Crown Prince challenges are really quite innovative. the looks of the foursome are easily good enough that you wont need to look away. but i kinda wish the 2 lead actresses switched places.

movie - spirited away

IMDB:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0245429/

movie title:
Spirited Away oso known as Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi (original japanese title)

main cast:
chihiro/sen - girl
haku - 'boy' who helps girl
yubaba - owner of the bathhouse

synopsis:
girl and parents are driving to their new house. she is moody cos she has to leave all her friends behind. on their way, the father took a shortcut that led to a deadend. they decide to explore the place and found an abandoned amusement park of sorts. the parents found a stall and sat down to eat. moody girl didnt want to eat so she went off on her own.

by the time she came back, her parents had been turned into pigs. haku comes to her aid and helps her find a place in the spirit world, so that she can attempt to rescue her parents and leave the spirit world one day.

my score: 10 out of 10.
best of hayao miyazaki's anime movies. lots of themes, lots of beautifully hand and computer animation. fabulous storyline that keeps you engrossed from start to finish.

why you should watch it:
i know this is a review of an old movie, but this is cos i just re-watched it for the nth time. it's that good. it's a keeper.