Title: The Avengers (2012)
Posted by: Rhea Lorenzo on: April 29, 2012
- In: Reviews
- 2 Comments
Synopsis:
Nick Fury is director of S.H.I.E.L.D, an international peace keeping agency. The agency is a who’s who of Marvel Super Heroes, with Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, Thor, Captain America, Hawkeye and Black Widow. When global security is threatened by Loki and his cohorts, Nick Fury and his team will need all their powers to save the world from disaster. Written by WellardRockard- IMDb
Director: Joss Whedon
Production Company/ies: Marvel Studios
Main Characters:
Robert Downey, Jr. as Iron Man/Tony Stark
Chris Evans as Captain America/Steve Rogers
Mark Ruffalo as The Hulk/Bruce Banner
Chris Hemsworth as Thor
Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow/Natasha Romanoff
Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye/Clinton Barton
Tom Hiddleston as Loki
Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury
Genre: Sci-Fi, Action, Comics Superheroes
Release Dates: 25 April 2012 (Philippines); 04 May 2012 (US)
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Thoughts:
This is yet again another of my most-awaited films of 2012 (together with The Hunger Games, The Bourne Legacy, Sadako 3D, Ouran High School Host Club Movie and Rurouni Kenshin). Yes, the last three are movies in Japan which I’m sure won’t be released in any Philippine cinema.
Just as expected, the film did not disappoint. 
I am no nerd or geek or fanatic but I’ve seen the latest Iron Man 1 & 2, Thor and Captain America which made me enjoy the sort of ‘continuity’ of the films. It’s refreshing to watch the superheroes exist under one studio universe (Marvel Studios/Disney) instead of watching different interpretations of the superheroes’ stories from one comic universe because different production teams handled them. This setup actually made it easier for non-geeks like me to understand their world. 
Anyway, let me comment on how my family got to watch this film. The day after the opening (April 26, Thursday), I pestered everyone to go watch The Avengers asap. So we went to the mall thinking that since it’s a weekday, the lines wouldn’t be too long compared to the weekend screenings. Turned out, people can’t wait for the weekend to see the movie and so everyone flocked to the ticket counters not to get the best seats but to get a seat. Period.
There were five cinemas in all and my sisters and I had to joke about the fact that the only cinema where The Lucky One was being shown had seats reserved by twos–with only a total of eight seats occupied by the time we got our tickets. We ended up having to wait for four hours because we had no choice but watch the movie during the day’s last full show (we practically skipped one screening because the last seat had been reserved long before we even got to talk with the ticket lady).
Now, on with the film.
The story, as was revealed long ago, had Loki as villain and I really think he was able to pull off his omnipotence over six superheroes what with his creepy smiles and sharp eyes.
I am not particularly sure if watching The Avengers without watching Thor would work well in understanding Loki’s villainy but I think if the viewer would listen very well with the dialogue, there won’t be a problem. I know there are viewers who sometimes don’t listen and just rely on what they see and what they actually hear, then stitch those two together and that’s how they would understand the entire movie. My sister commented that there were parts that she thought was a bit boring because of too much dialogues, and that’s how I realized that she didn’t particularly like listening to the characters’ long conversations.
It was, however, in dialogues where a lot of the film’s humor came from. I applaud the scriptwriters for that because honestly, I would label this film a comedy if not for all the badass action scenes.
I love Tony Stark/Iron Man, as usual and now, I’m pretty sure I adore Bruce Banner/The Hulk as well. This two might as well be best friends. They brought the most laughter and the most heart-stopping parts of the movie so always keep your eyes open when these two are in the scene.
Thor and Captain America were their usual eye-candy selves and you just gotta drool over them at least once during the entire film. Haha! I got a bit impatient waiting for Thor to appear, though. Black Widow, as expected, remained true to her form as a spy but I didn’t quite expect that she has some deeper connection with Hawkeye (and that could be attributed to the fact that I’m no geek and there wasn’t any recent movies about these two).
I definitely wish there was more exposure for Hawkeye, though. Among the six Avengers, I feel that his character has the least depth and development in the film (except from being under Loki’s spell and then going back to his agent self). I actually like Jeremy Renner so it was quite disappointing not to see him as kickass as the others. 
I also love how the group was formed–or shall I say, how the teamwork of the group was formed. I must admit, when Thor, Capt. America and Iron Man were getting ready to battle it out, I had a difficult time deciding who to cheer on. I eventually settled with the Cap ’cause he’s quite the most reasonable. 
Their personalities clash a lot so when the twist *winks* to the story came, it felt heartwarming to see them all working as a group.
All in all, I think everyone would enjoy this movie (falling in line was worth it) and I definitely would want to watch this again.
P.S.
I’m sure everyone has heard of this but let me remind you not to leave the cinema immediately. There’s a preview scene for the next Avengers/Marvel Studios movie. It occurs before the end credits (the one that has a black background and the list of all the cast, staff and crew).
Done!
Posted by: Rhea Lorenzo on: April 19, 2012
This is going to be really short. I just really, really wanted to commemorate the date I managed to finish the first really rough draft of a writing project I’ve been doing in the past nine months. *throws confetti on self*
Anyway, After 73, 702 words, A Playgirl’s Secret Diaries has finally been concluded. Wish the number of words can be converted to cash, though.
So there.
Here’s a photo I took just this morning via Instagram
P.S.
Just like most writers who finished a manuscript, I do wish to get at least one of my works to be published but since I lack experience, I doubt this one would be it. But one thing’s for sure. This particular story holds a special place in my heart. It took several years to be written down after all. =)
Behind the “Playgirl”: Part 6
Posted by: Rhea Lorenzo on: April 2, 2012
*sobs*
There’s a huge chance that this may be the last set of ‘trivia’ for you guys. =’(
*suddenly cheers up*
On a good note, this practically means I’m less than five chapters away from the ending of A Playgirl’s Secret Diaries!
*throws confetti*
Anyway, let me focus on dates for this last set.
1. I started writing this story on July 31, 2011. I have it posted here on my blog. As some of my earliest readers probably know, it was originally titled ‘Hellos and Goodbyes’ and then I changed my mind.
If you take a look at the first sentence of the prologue (excluding the diary entries), Rachelle was saying, “I don’t really know how to begin”. It was exactly the way I felt at that time when I was staring at the blank page in front of me. Basically, writing this story was impulsive of me. I wrote the prologue before I wrote the outline. Yeah!
2. The first date you ever see for the diary entries is December 1, 2001. December 1 is my birthday. So, where’s my gift? LOLJK. Yeah, I’m a bit uncreative about it. I used my own birthday and declared Rachelle’s birthday to be December 2. Believe me, it makes things a lot easier to remember.
3. The date I finished A Playgirl’s Secret Diaries is ___________________. I’ll fill this up when I do finish it. *I’m a cheater, I know.*
Remember how Rachelle seems to love cheesecakes? Here's one of the best ones I've ever tasted.
Do visit my profile in Wattpad to get updates for this story. You don’t want to miss the ending! 
Title: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Posted by: Rhea Lorenzo on: March 25, 2012
Synopsis:
In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV.
Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she steps forward to take her sister’s place in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before—and survival, for her, is second nature. Without really meaning to, she becomes a contender. But if she is to win, she will have to start making choices that will weigh survival against humanity and life against love. – goodreads
Publisher: Scholastic Press, Grolier Inc.
Main Characters:
- Katniss Everdeen
- Peeta Mellark
- Haymitch Abernathy
- Gale Hawthorne
Genre: Young Adult, Dystopia, Action-Adventure, Sci-Fi
Pages: 374
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Thoughts:
First of all, allow me to shout this out: HOORAY!!! I FINALLY HAVE A BOOK REVIEW! =)
Now don’t get me wrong, I’ve read tons of books but I wanted my first book review in this blog to be something I’ve never read before. And so it turns out to be Suzanne Collins’s The Hunger Games. Now that I’ve dispensed of this particular fetish of mine, I’d probably start posting reviews for some of the other books I’ve read before.
Moving on, I was only able to read this book on March 21. I wanted to read it first before I watched the movie. Ever since my sister bought me the trilogy days before, I told myself that I’m going to savor the book and read it leisurely. Turns out, my best friend and I would watch the movie on the 22nd and I ended up devouring the book from 7:30 in the morning ’til sometime around 8 o’clock in the evening. It wasn’t a problem, though. The book is a certified page-turner.
Let me divide this review into three parts (mostly for my thoughts’ benefits. Hoho!). I’ll give my opinion on the plot/story, the characters and the writing style. That way, the entire review would be more organized.
Plot/Story
Dystopia isn’t really the kind of story I read a lot. I’m a romance fanatic, through and through. I am, however, a pretty much open-minded reader as long as I’m motivated to read. I think the idea that the book is categorized under ‘Young Adult Fiction’ helped in taking my interest. For some reason, when I was younger, I ended up reading romance novels but now that I’m in my early twenties, I’m regressing to young adult novels. The best thing about young adult novels is the tendency to highlight a sense of adventure. In this book, I’d say I was completely satisfied. Going into the future (particularly one that is filled with conflict and mystery) is something everybody would consider an adventure, right?
“Only I keep wishing I could think of a way to…to show the Capitol they don’t own me. That I’m more than just a piece in their Games.”-Peeta Mellark
A lot of people were bothered about the novel’s premise where teenagers engage in a fight to the death kind of battle. I think they have every right to be worried but as I said, I’m open-minded. And people need to remember that it’s ‘Young Adult’ and not ‘Children’s’. In my mind, this story sends a subtle message that young people killing each other is not impossible. In fact, I’m pretty sure that it’s already happening.
I still consider myself a young adult and I’d say that I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this to my teenage friends and cousins. A thirteen-year old, in my opinion, can handle this book. Younger than that, maybe not so much. But the things they see on TV–anime and the like, are practically similar. So I guess, it all boils down to guardian/parental supervision. Best to remind the young ones that what they’re reading is ‘fiction’ and therefore, not something you do in real life.
“Happy Hunger Games! And may the odds be ever in your favor.”-Effie Trinket
A love triangle is quite a common subplot. It’s very effective but I think Peeta had an unfair advantage over Gale when it comes to the affections of both Katniss and the readers. I’d say that life and death situations have a tendency to multiply the impact of people’s feelings. So yeah, if placed in Katiss’s situation, I’d consider my days with Peeta a lot more memorable than my routine experiences with Gale. As for the readers, it’s pretty much obvious how very seldom we see Gale’s name mentioned. Need I say more?
I think the story isn’t something new–just the idea that children are the ones forced to kill each other. I mean, I’ve seen movies that had a similar plot. Also, I have a feeling that most dystopian stories are similar in a way that at the end, the main character gets to make a change in their repressed society. In fact, the moment I read about the disparity between the Capitol and District 12, I knew that it would result to a revolution and eventually, an overthrown society. But then, these are the kinds of stories that engage the book’s target market well.
Characters
Katniss
I like how strong-willed and intelligent the main character is. Her sense of survival is incredible and I like how she reads between the lines. This is the kind of heroine that makes for a good reading experience. If I have any qualms about her, it’s her lack of lightheartedness. She takes things so seriously that she becomes a bit dense, particularly in the romance part. For this reason, she bored me as a narrator, at least in some parts. It would have been nice to read more witty and playful remarks from her. I guess I’ll have to remember that she grew up in an environment that does not really allow her to play around. *shrugs*
Peeta
This guy, I love. His presence made the book a bit lighter despite the dark themes it presented. He’s also intelligent, creative and a romantic, to boot. He’s the type of hero that I want to hug all the time–mostly because he’s just too adorable. I like how he balances Katniss’s serious demeanor.
“You’ve got about as much charm as a dead slug.”-Haymitch
Haymitch
I swear to God, I love Haymitch! He’s the best mentor ever! It was obvious right from the start that he’s a man with great depth and I’m very sure I’m right. He dealt with the internal conflict of his past, the present situation and his principles in quite an eccentric way but I find myself understanding and sympathizing with him. He’s no Dumbledore but he’s wise–the best adult character for the book.
Gale
I like how he’s responsible and reliable. Almost like a big brother. But as I said, the best guy friend didn’t get too much exposure and I say he’s going to be friend-zoned. End of discussion.
Writing Style
Let me just say that despite considering the book’s popularity, I was still utterly surprised that it was in the first-person point of view. A momentary shock, however, occurred when I realized that it’s written in present tense–something most writers these days don’t usually do. I think it’s a very unique strategy for her to be able to extricate herself from the pool of fast-rising YA authors who write in first-person.
If I have any problem with Suzanne Collins’s narrative, it would be the idea that I have a very distinct feeling that the entire book would turn out better had it been in third-person. You see, I think the subplots of the story had to be limited because Katniss supposedly had no idea what was happening outside of the arena. In my opinion, alternating the events happening to the players and the events they know nothing about would have made the story more exciting. You know, readers screaming at the book, giving clues to Katniss or Peeta because they knew something the characters don’t.
I also still need to come into terms with the way Katniss narrates. As I said, she sometimes bored me but what bothered me more was that Suzanne Collins doesn’t seem to want us to know Katniss completely. There were times when her thoughts were too direct–almost unfeeling. For me, it felt like despite the idea that we were supposed to be in Katniss’s shoes, we still didn’t manage to read her mind. I understand that she was also confused about some things as well but I had hoped for a more vivid description of her feelings.
All in all, I think it was good read and I understand completely why a lot of readers fell in love with it.
Title: The Hunger Games (2012)
Posted by: Rhea Lorenzo on: March 24, 2012
- In: Reviews
- 2 Comments
Synopsis:
Set in a future where the Capitol selects a boy and girl from the twelve districts to fight to the death on live television, Katniss Everdeen volunteers to take her younger sister’s place for the latest match. - IMDb
Director: Gary Ross
Production Companies: Lionsgate
Main Characters:
Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen
Josh Hutcherson as Peeta Mellark
Woody Harrelson as Haymitch Abernathy
Elizabeth Banks as Effie Trinket
Liam Hemsworth as Gale Hawthorne
Genre: Sci-Fi, Action, Dystopia
Release Dates: 21 March 2012 (Philippines)
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Thoughts:
First and foremost, can someone freakin’ tell me where and when the name ‘Seneca Crane’ appeared in the book (if at all)?
‘Cause you know the man in red who turned out to be the Head Gamemaker baffled the hell out of me for the entire film. I mean, I haven’t read Catching Fire yet so I’m practically confused as to the importance of the man with the funny beard. I was thinking of the Gamemakers in a collective manner. I mean that’s how it all felt when I read the book. So surprise, surprise! There’s a Head Gamemaker and I didn’t know it. o_0
The above-mentioned dilemma, my friends, is the reason why I would advice viewers to either read the trilogy first (all three books) or not read any of it at all. I only read The Hunger Games and a lot of the scenes in the movie confused me (particularly those with President Snow and Seneca Crane).Well, if you do your research first then maybe you won’t get confused. But I didn’t do it so there. *shrugs*
Okay. I’ll go ahead and focus on the movie from here on.
I must say that I enjoyed this adaptation very much. It was well-made, I think, and I felt that the creators of the film definitely wanted to send the message that the movie has a part 2. I mean, for me, it felt that the movie’s script and sequences were designed to prepare the audience for a bigger plot come the next film.
I also think that they did their best to make it seamless, I find that even if I hadn’t read the book, the facts and concepts they showed were explained well. I commend them for being able to change the narrative from a first person point of view to third person without ruining the storytelling. I think they did a great job in making sure that the movie can stand on its own.
As for the actors, I must say that this time, our heroine can act. Jennifer Lawrence’s face was expressive enough that a subtle change in her expression lets you know what she was supposedly feeling. Thank heavens. I think she has good chemistry with both Liam Hemsworth and Josh Hutcherson. I love how the people in the cinema reacted so well to the love triangle part of the movie. In this aspect, the film was able to balance things out and did a better job in developing the romance than the book did.
I like how the movie was able to provide me a better visual for the setting of the dystopian world of Panem. I don’t know if it’s just me but aside from District 12, I didn’t quite catch a good visualization of the Capitol from the book. The movie definitely helped on that aspect a lot.
The Games itself had enough suspense and action in it although I would’ve wanted it to be more detailed. But I guess, I should remember that there’s no way the movie regulatory boards all over the world would approve of such brutality. I bet they had a hard enough time to convince everyone that the teenagers aged 12-18 would not kill each other after watching the film. :/
Highlight of the film for me was when the mutts came in and my sister jumped in her seat in fright–almost hit the girl sitting beside her. LOL.
Anyway, all in all, I think they did a good job, especially if the readers would just stop complaining about how the movie changed this or cut that.
And yeah, let me just share this photo from tumblr that my friend showed me. I guess Peeta-Katniss fans should be careful how they’d call themselves, won’t they?
“20 Reasons I Dislike The Philippines”-My f*ckin’ reaction
Posted by: Rhea Lorenzo on: March 15, 2012
So yeah, I’m most likely f*ckin’ late in reacting to this f*ckin’ guy called f*ckin’ Jimmy who was in a f*ckin’ video called f*ckin’ “20 Reasons I Dislike The Philippines “.
Oh my gosh, it took me about a minute longer to type that sentence up there because I had to add the word, f*ckin’. Anyway, allow me to give some thoughts about the video since I’m, well, a Filipino.
1. I agree with most of the things in his list. The issues on traffic, construction and the comfort room, most especially. I love it when he said that everything in this f*ckin’ country is under construction. Soooooo true.
2. I also have to say this: The video hasn’t even shown the worst of the Philippines. He should have filmed it in Manila. It would be a hell of lot more disgusting. *shrugs*
3. What I don’t agree with is the way the entire video sort of condemned the entire country.
Okay, so maybe the Philippines really isn’t the most beautiful place in the world but hey, let’s not damn a whole nation because of some twenty things that clearly cannot override all the other reasons why it’s more fun in the Philippines. If anything, I think English-speaking tourists should be thankful they are generally understood by Filipinos. You just gotta love that manong who was selling Jimmy that product for erectile dysfunction. Haha!
Other Asian countries wouldn’t care a f*ck if they don’t understand you. Bahala ka sa buhay mo! In this country, tourists who can speak and understand English would have no intense need to play charades with the natives. Gah, it was a pain when we went to Hong Kong and had to resort to pointing, grunting and monosyllabic dialogue just to get the Chinese waiter to understand us.
4. I also don’t like all that violent reaction the video got from narrow-minded Filipinos. Really, you people get angry so easily. Yes, he used a lot of “strong”, insulting words, and practically overused the word “f*ck”. It also annoyed the hell out of me.
But the thing is, the Filipinos should have reminded themselves that it’s a foreigner’s opinion (I have no idea what Jimmy’s nationality is. I’m guessing German-American.). They have a different sense of humor, they have their own slang, and most likely spit out the word f*ck as often as they breathe–you know, it’s just like the way conyos use the word “like”. The video was probably meant to hit us all in the head and remind us that we have tons of problems that need serious attention. After all, we have a tendency to complain and complain, then not do anything about it. :/
5. Just as I often tell myself, if I don’t like it, ignore it then forget about it. Some people really need to take this advice. Even Jimmy.
So yeah, here’s the video:
P.S.
I don’t mind if he disliked the smaller pieces of paper napkins as long as it doesn’t have prints on it. If it does, I’m going to have to fight my way to get one before the tissue paper disappears. For my collection, you know.
Title: Atashinchi no Danshi
Posted by: Rhea Lorenzo on: March 6, 2012
- In: Reactions | Reviews
- Leave a Comment
Synopsis:
These days, the term “homeless” has taken on new meaning. There are youths referred to as “net cafe refugees,” who have neither a job nor a place to live, but who find themselves hopping around internet cafes. One such refugee is a 20-year-old girl named Chisato, who lost her mother at a young age due to sickness. She spent her youth trying to escape from the huge debt her father left her, and her battle with the repossessors unfolded every night. However, her life changed after meeting one man named Shinzo, changing her views on the meaning of “family.” Shinzo comes from a rich family tracing back to the Edo period, and he adopted six good-looking sons with the hope of one becoming his successor, but all of them have strange personalities. Shinzo promises to free Chisato from her debt if she marries him and becomes the mother of his sons. However, a life with these six guys under one roof will not go smoothly… –Tokyograph via Dramawiki
Directors: Matsuda Hidetomo (ep1-2,5,8,10), Sato Genta (佐藤源太) (ep3-4,6,9), Tokuichi Toshiyuki (徳市敏之) (ep7)
Screenwriter: Muto Shogo
Main Characters:
Kaname Jun as Okura Fuu
Okada Yoshinori as Okura Takeru
Mukai Osamu as Okura Sho
Yamamoto Yusuke as Okura Masaru
Seto Koji as Okura Satoru
Okayama Tomoki as Okura Akira
Horikita Maki as Mineta Chisato
Genre: Comedy, Family
No. of episodes: 11
Broadcast Network: Fuji TV
Airtime: Tuesday 21:00
Broadcast Period: 2009-Apr-14 to 2009-Jun-23
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Thoughts:
This is yet another jdorama that I’ve decided to watch mostly because of the very familiar cast. I love Horikita Maki and Yamamoto Yusuke; I’ve developed a certain crush on Mukai Osamu and I find Kaname Jun really hot. LOL
It also helped that at the end of Mei-chan no Shitsuji (the drama I watched prior to this), a clip/trailer of Atashinchi no Danshi was shown and somehow piqued my interest. You know, a beggar-looking (*wink*) lady suddenly got involved with men of (almost) unimaginable backgrounds. In some ways, the drama is another reverse harem type.
Anyway, I find the plot pretty much weird and in some ways, pointless. It wasn’t until the last three or four episodes that everything started making sense. One thing was clear though. The show was about the importance of ‘family’. It’s strange that Chisato was asked to be the mother of six men (well, 4 men, 1 teen and 1 boy) but I guess this show is simply trying to convey that there are different types of families and not just the conventional ‘married couple + children’. I’d say that this is what made the show worth watching. Aside from all the sauna scenes of the topless brothers in towels.
There were times when you’d want to just skip and give up on the silliness of the show but I think the reason why I kept on watching aside from all the sauna scenes of the topless brothers in towels was that the show started with so many mysteries and questions that it gets frustrating not knowing the entire truth of the matter. A lot of surprises came up near the end of the drama—making me gasp and squeal and cry.
I was a bit on the edge about the romance in the drama because it really didn’t give an explicit ending but I guess the way the show wrapped up pretty much gave the viewers an idea of what would actually happen. And we’ll all have to be satisfied about that. It’s just that I really find Maki (Chisato) and Osamu (Sho) cute together; I really wished for more.
P.S.
Yamamoto Yusuke is an effeminate here and yeah, he nailed it. This man is an awesome actor; I am yet to see him do the same kind of role. *standing ovation*
I also applaud the writers as the show’s villain wasn’t someone you’d totally hate mostly because he was a screw-up and he’s totally funny. Hard to hate forever. =)
P.P.S.
I just read from some other blogs that this is an original story for a dorama and a manga was created after the drama gained popularity. I don’t know but I find it really surprising that this time, it’s a manga adaptation instead of a drama adaptation. *applause*
Behind the “Playgirl”: Part 5
Posted by: Rhea Lorenzo on: March 4, 2012
Hello there! It feels so good to be writing another part of this series of blog posts. It honestly encourages me because it reminds me that I’m slowly getting to the end of my manuscript. You know, it gives off a sense of achievement.
Anyway, this is probably the second or third to the last “Behind the Playgirl” post. To be completely honest, it gets harder for me to think of trivia to put mostly because I didn’t really want to be too much of a spoiler. Gah. I have no one else to tell all these secrets to and that’s why I am always so tempted to tell everyone about it. LOL
So here goes the next three hopefully interesting stuff:
1. The names of the establishments in Heartlake City are thought of based on whatever it is that suddenly pops into my mind. Say for example, I thought of RCL Tower because some buildings I know of were merely initials. Then I told myself, “Oh, my dad’s initials sound good as a name of a condominium/office building”. So there. Koizora was a film I was researching on while writing Chapter 25 and so it ended up a restaurant name. Random, I know.
2. As of this moment, my favorite APSD character is Matt Harlow. Don’t ask.
3. I intend for a total of four (five?) Heartlake novels. I guess it will be quite easy to guess who the characters would be.:D
Drawing by Krizcia Valente. How I wish I can draw like that and create a visual of my characters. XD
Vain. Don’t look.
Posted by: Rhea Lorenzo on: February 29, 2012
This is just me being bored.
I dug up some pics of my ever so weird self, chose some shots, then that’s it. I just wanted to post something on a February 29. It’s once in every four years, after all.
Once upon a time, there was a little kid who wanted to be a witch…
Turns out, she needed to pretend to be normal and so she went to school…
Years passed and she blossomed into a beautiful young lady…
…who loves to read…
…and read…
…and eat…
…and eat some more.
She went through tough times…
…annoying times…
…and even scary times.
But she remained fierce…
…yet cheerful, all the same.
She studied hard ’til she finished school…
…and even college.
Then she found out that she wasn’t meant to be a witch…
…but a princess.
She said, “Whatever, b*tch! I’ll make myself a witch!”
And so she went on an adventure…
…got lost…
…and braved the strong winds.
Until she became a witch.
But not the bad kind.
THE END. Goodnight!
Title: Mei-chan no Shitsuji (Mei-chan’s Butler)
Posted by: Rhea Lorenzo on: February 25, 2012
Synopsis:
The story revolves around a young woman named Mei, who was rescued as a young girl by someone calling himself her “butler.” With only a vague memory, though, the experience seems like just a dream. But one day, after her parents’ accidental death, he appears: Rihito comes from a line of outstanding butlers, and he has been appointed to serve her! Now her ordinary life has completely flipped, as she discovers that she’s actually the heiress to a fortune, and is forced to transfer to St. Lucia Girls’ Academy, where all the students have butlers! As a result, her childhood friend Kento decides to enroll in a butler school so that he can stay close to her. –Tokyograph c/o DramaWiki
Directors: Ishikawa Junichi (石川淳一), Kinoshita Takao, Joho Hidenori (城宝秀則), Iwata Kazuyuki (岩田和行)
Screenwriter: Furuya Osho (古家和尚)
Based on the manga, Mei-chan no Shitsuji by Miyagi Riko
Main Characters:
Eikura Nana as Shinonome Mei
Mizushima Hiro as Shibata Rihito
Sato Takeru as Shibata Kento
Genre: Romance, Comedy, Drama
No. of episodes: 10
Broadcast Network: Fuji TV
Airtime: Tuesday 21:00
Broadcast Period: 2009-Jan-13 to 2009-Mar-17
Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
Thoughts:
I watched this dorama mainly because I kept seeing this title every time I take a look at some of my favorite Japanese actors and actresses. It got me really intrigued that they all actually worked in the same drama together. Great feedback were also scattered all over the internet so off I went and looked for a way to watch it.
Please do take note that by the time I got to write this review I was already halfway through Atashinchi no Danshi (another jdorama with Horikita Maki as main female lead. *winks*). I’ll do my best not to mix the dramas I’ve watched and, of course, to remember as much of what I felt the entire time I was watching Mei-chan no Shitsuji.
I feel that my review for this drama is going to be veerrryy long so in a nutshell, allow me to give my final opinion about MnS:
Mei-chan no Shitsuji is a feel-good drama with quite an unrealistic plot. Stay with it until the end simply because the last few episodes are the best parts.
Now, you may continue reading from here or you may choose not to. As I’ve said, I think this will turn out long.
To make it more organized, allow me to start with the drama’s strengths:
The Supporting Cast. As was mentioned above, I found this drama through the cast profiles. I had no idea about the actress for the titular role (Eikura Nana), but I do have an idea about Mizushima Hiro (Zettai Kareshi, Hana Kimi) and the numerous other supporting cast.
Allow me to comment on each of the familiar people first (Sheesh, everyone in Mei-chan no shitsuji surprised me):
- Mizushima Hiro as Rihito. I adore him and his acting and I was pleasantly surprised at how ‘serious’ his character as a butler was. I mean, hello, he was Nanba-senpai in Hana Kimi–a total playboy–and Asamoto Soshi in Zettai Kareshi–a happy-go-lucky younger brother. Then come Rihito, the ever so prim and proper butler whose actions were almost robotic in their ‘precision’. I really applaud Hiro-sama for pulling off this ‘hot and mysterious’ kind of character.
I would have to suggest less squinting next time, though. But seeing as he’s now a writer, I guess that suggestion could go to the trash. - Oomasa Aya as Rika. This is only the second drama I’ve seen her in (excluding Hana Yori Dango 2 as her role there was completely minor), and her performance as Nakahara Sunako in Yamato Nadeshiko Shichi Henge Live Action was admirable enough that I’m not too surprised to end up loving her role as the initially bitchy and spoiled brat but is actually a kind and loyal friend. In this drama, I really ship her with her butler, Aoyama. I swear.
'Cause I can't find a bigger picture. But they look cute, ne?
- Iwasa Mayuko as Izumi. I would always remember her as Hibari from Hana Kimi, doing her pose with the Hibari Four. She was able to act out the silly and ikemen-obsessed Hibari and although I’ve seen hints of seriousness in that role, I was still at awe when I see her act as the most ladylike among the ladies in their class.
- Kyo Nobuo as Nezu(chii). Remember Oscar aka Masao in Hana Kimi? Or the guy office mate who made a fool out of Riiko in Zettai Kareshi ep1? Yeah, he was the sensual and manly butler here in MnS. And for the life of me, every time I see him in a drama, I wouldn’t recognize him until I read the comments and see his name and his previous dramas. His face was that easily changeable. Someone should give him a standing ovation for all the extreme roles he could pull off. @_@
This guy is Oscar (Masao). *I died*
- Nakabeppu Aoi as Fujiko. This girl is Nezu’s mistress and she’s equally sensual and/or liberal in her role. Little did I realize that she’s practically Jounichi Ayame in Ouran High School Host Club Live Action. You know, Haruhi’s tutor in ep 3 who wears glasses and was infatuated with Tamaki? You know, her? And then I see her in Mei-chan with no hint of a nerd in her and definitely no glasses.
- Yamada Yu as Lucia-sama (Hongo Shiori). The first time she appeared in MnS, my first thought was that I know her. No name resurfaced when I tried to recall who she was. Then, after seeing her again, it hit me. She’s Kazama Ren’s (Miura Haruma) older sister in Gokusen 3.
I keep remembering her as the girl who knew that Vice Principal Sawatari visits clubs at night. LOL.She was really kind in Gokusen then hello, she’s gone bitchy and crazy in Mei-chan no Shitsuji–being the main antagonist as she was. And don’t get me wrong here, she’s a brilliant antagonist, you know. I wanted to strangle her to death so many times.
Bitch.
- Takagi Shinpei as Sakon and Takagi Manpei as Ukon (butlers of Mei’s grandfather). Need I say where I found out about them? The famous Hitachiin brothers of Ouran Live Action gone serious, mysterious and black-haired. Totally hotter, if you ask me. Hohoho! They didn’t have too much screen time but that’s fine. It made me treasure every moment they’re on screen. :”)
Couldn't find a screencap. Found a scanned page of the photobook instead.
- Kutsuna Shiori as Rin. She didn’t get her own subplot in MnS but among those who didn’t, she had the most screen time. She sported a very similar hairstyle to her role as Ran in the latest Detective Conan Live Action installments but in MnS, she was more of the ‘believe in the power of the paranormal’ type than the ‘kick-ass, karate expert’ type.
- Kojima Haruna as Nao. She had a minor role in this drama but easily noticeable if you know her as the bitchy Nana in Ikemen desu ne.
Now on to the other supporting cast that I love but never really got to watch before (or if I did see their previous dramas, I never got to notice them):
- Sato Takeru as Kento. I got to know him because I found out that he’s going to be the Live Action Kenshin Himura/Battousai of Samurai X. That being a really popular manga/anime, it must be a real pressure on him to get even more public attention than before. Anyway, every time I see him, I can’t help but see Kamenashi Kazuya in him. I think they have very similar facial features (and probably creepy is that even their facial expressions sometimes look the same). I think he did well as Kento (he won as Best Supporting Actor, after all), the loud and rambunctious younger brother to Rihito and childhood best friend to Mei. I just wish they managed his messy hair better and that he wasn’t the exact same height (or probably shorter) than Mei. Yes, yes. Height shouldn’t matter that much but they were already having quite a difficult time with the chemistry and the height difference (similarity?) did not help at all.
See the heights? It may not be easily seen here, but really. Despite the acting, an air of awkwardness was there between them.
- Mukai Osamu as Shinobu. He’s the best part of this drama. Period. Haha! No, really, he did well as an antagonist/protagonist depending on how you view the ending. He’s most likely an antagonist, though. I love how ‘almighty’ he looked in his all-white ensemble. His ‘I’m-always-observing-your-actions’ role was creepy and so was his evil smile but all throughout the drama, I keep feeling as if he wasn’t as bad as his creepiness suggested. I mean, he seemed to be dropping off those challenges to help Mei out more than just causing trouble. Anyway, I find him really hot and cute and handsome so I’m not going to damn him at all. XD
His white hair really made him seem god-like. Or is that just me. XD
- Mayama Akihiro as Aoyama. He’s a cutie and I think he and Oomasa Aya should do a drama together (They might have done that already, I don’t know). He did well during the subplot for him and his mistress. The chemistry was there and more potent than the main love team, I swear. Haha!
- Yuki Jutta as Kiba. He is so adorable! He reminds me so much of a puppy. Hehe! Not only that, he also reminds me of my KAT-TUN ichiban, Nakamaru Yuichi. They are both dorky and funny that I just want to hug them. I love his relationship with Izumi here.
Aww... So cute! I told you, he's really like a puppy.
- Horiuchi Keiko as Sister Rose (M) and Suzuki Kosuke as Sakuraba (B). I love how the director (Sister Rose) will always be seen reading One Piece manga. And I think these two embodied the Mistress-Butler role the best. I mean, everyone else looked either as love teams or brother-sister. Well, maybe except for Izumi and Kiba.
- Yoshida Riko as Mamahara Miruku (M) and Suzuki Ryohei as Daimon (B). They’re the most brother-sister like in the drama, mostly because Miruku is practically a kid and Daimon looked like the bad-ass, gangster yet dorky older brother. I totally love the subplot dedicated to them.
- Tanimura Mitsuki as Yamada Tami (M) and Abe Shinnosuke as Kanda (B). They’re the only other original Ombra (Shadow) rank in the school and I love how they would suddenly appear out of nowhere. They also have the most surprising development in the story so go ahead and find out what that was.
The Story. The cast part must have been really long so for this one, I’m going to make it a bit short. I try my best.
The story is about mistresses and their relationship with their respective butlers. Every lady should have one and each shall be loyal to their mistress. The entire thing was a bit complicated and I had a hard time differentiating the ‘love’ parts and the ‘loyalty’ parts especially between the main leads. If not for the explicit hints, I would have been totally lost.
All in all, I think that despite the story’s initially ridiculous plot, the production still managed enough entertainment value for their viewers. If analyzed, the drama even had some life lessons embedded in each of the episodes. This is what makes a Japanese drama different.
This was really a refreshing story, something I’ve never encountered before, and I honestly like the premise. I also love the lessons learned. A butler is loyal to their chosen mistresses but it takes the trust of their mistress to actually make their relationship better (disregard the butler and mistress factor and you get what they want to say). One must learn to fight for those important to him/her. And ultimately, one must be careful when dealing with wealth (and love). It could lead to insanity. :/
If there’s anything wrong with the story, I think it’s that sometimes, it seemed like they can’t decide whether to make it a total comedy or tone it down a little into something a bit more serious. But, that’s alright.
And then, here goes the weakness:
The Main Character and Plot. I had no idea who Eikura Nana is so I was reserving judgment until I watched this drama. I think she’s a really beautiful actress and her acting actually reminds me of Aibu Saki (Zettai Kareshi).
First and foremost, I really wish her hair was a bit longer than that bob cut she sported throughout the drama. I mean, something as long as Horikita Maki’s cut in Hana Kimi. Second, she’s too tall for her hairstyle and for her second male lead (Sato Takeru aka Kento). You may find this complaints silly but I think Eikura Nana knew of these problems as well, because she really seemed awkward moving around her supporting cast, seeing as how she towers over everybody else.
When she has the screen all to herself (or with Hiro-sama who’s definitely taller than her), I can see no problem at all. Those two have chemistry, I’ll give them that. Too bad, there was always some awkward stuff when she had to be with the other casts. But when she’s with everyone else, things begin to feel awkward. She also seldom stands straight when her supporting cast was around if only to avoid making her look too much of a giant. I guess it’s good that the friendship part was developed well. Else, the entire thing would really suck.
Find out which episode this is. I gave you this just because I'm so frustrated with the nonexistent "Mei and Kento" chemistry. At least in my opinion.
I went on to see some videos of her that wasn’t related to MnS and I think she did well with her acting. I guess it’s just that the drama required her to always have a lot of people around her and it was weird that she’s the tallest among everybody else. At least among the women. Now if only Sato Takeru was taller than her. :/
It was hard to see the chemistry as well because for some reason, I keep feeling that Mei’s character would accept the feelings of both Rihito and Kento one minute then disregard them the next. Then they had to work on the chemistry over again. It may just be me, though.
Mei, as a character, was sometimes really irritating. Most of the drama portrayed her as someone with no backbone and I am only thankful for the last few episodes that allowed her to develop one. At least, she’s kind. And I mean, really kind.
So, there. Sorry for making this too long to read.
Over all, I think this drama is good but it isn’t the best one among them.
P.S.
You gotta love the duel parts. XD
Note:
The photos are not mine at all. Check Google images please. That’s where I found these.
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