To Save a Life

To Save a Life is definitely a must-watch for all people of all nations! Although it's a Christian movie, it is not a preachy movie, and no, it doesn't force religion on you. Rather, I feel it does the exact opposite. It opens you up to endless possibilities and inspires you to take a stance in your community to love other people, no matter who they are! So Christian or non-Christian, it's still a great movie that you should watch!! It's even funny at times.

So often we sit in our comfort zones, waiting for something big to happen. Last week at our youth retreat, the speaker summed it up nicely-we are trapped in our Christian bubble. We are like football players huddling up, but never actually playing (another great analogy from another speaker lol). Obviously this doesn't apply to everyone (I know some really proactive people and what they are doing is great), but in a society where we have all are needs and more taken care of, it's hard to think of taking the time to help out people as something urgent. 

But this movie challenges us to do otherwise. Jake Taylor, a star athlete with his life all put-together, witnesses his best childhood friend (whom he has ignored for several years) commit suicide in front of his eyes. It throws Jake into a labyrinth of guilt and confusion, thinking what if he had reached out and is what the society values all there is to life? Then he meets a pastor after a basketball game, who invites him to church. Jake says he's not religious. The pastor says he isn't either (to explain: I think he's saying that Christianity isn't just about passively going to church on Sundays, it's a way of life; actively expressing the love of Jesus to others where ever you go). When Jake gets drunk that night and the pastor sends him home, it begins a series of changes in Jake's heart.

Jake starts to view everyone as important and hangs out with the "losers" of the school. He helps and loves everyone to the best of his ability, wanting to make sure that everyone feels like they have value. Well, the plot is actually a lot more intricate than that, but I'll let you watch it to find out >:) And even if you're not a fan of "cheese" (sorry if my mini-synopsis sounded cheesy) you still should watch it lol.

What I love about this movie is that it tests the importance of what we value in life. In comparison to Roger's suicide (that's his friend's name btw), does popularity, Jake's comfort zone, and reputation matter? Heck no. In fact, if Jake had taken the time to interact with Roger, it may have not turned out that way. It makes us realize that our pride, our social image, our whatever doesn't matter. This movie really reflects what Paul says in Philippians 3:7: "But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ."

Another thing is that I really enjoy is that this movie clears some misconceptions that people have about Christianity. It's not a stiff, narrow-minded religion, rather, it's a path of freedom (and LOOVVEE). Christianity isn't about a bunch of rules of having it all together, rather, it's about realizing that you'll never have it all together and that you need Jesus. Jake partied, got his girlfriend pregnant, swore in church, and the list goes on and on. He's definitely not a "model Christian," but that's totally irrelevant. He was still able to impact a lot of people, despite his own mistakes. 

For me personally, after reflecting back on last school year, I feel like I've been stagnant in my relationships with others. I didn't even take the time to care. And to think that there could be so many suffering people around me each day without me even knowing out of my ignorance...that really hits home. I feel that it's perfect timing that our youth group decided to show this movie the Friday before school starts, because it really sorts my priorities back in order :P Man, I am so excited for school to start. I can't wait to interact with everyone and hopefully support them, and fix whatever I didn't do last year.

If anyone ever reads this, stranger or friend, I want you to know that I will be here for you to the best of my ability. Email me anytime (I will love you overtime-Van Ness Wu's song!! But it's true). 

Just remember folks, Jesus loves you. It's so true.

Peace

Readin and Readin and Sleepin

I've been trying to start reading books again like a good girl (it has been difficult to be motivated due to the fact that I rarely go to the library) and here are my ratings for the books I've read this summer. 

The ratings go like this: How much I enjoyed it/the quality of it

The Great Gatsby: 9/9

You'll enjoy it more after watching the movie (the movie itself was sort of sucky, but Leonardo DiCaprio's emotional interpretation of Gatsby really transcends into the book). The symbolism, the timing, and the use of language was freaking perfect (thumbs up to Fitzgerald), but I would like it if he had added at least a teaspoon of emotion to the book. Emotionlessness sort of enhances the symbolism, but it takes away from Gatsby's longing and the desire of some readers to keep reading. You pretty much don't get attached to anyone or anything (unless you keep Leonardo in mind), but because of the other awesomeness it's definitely one of my favs.

The Help: 8/10

I enjoyed it, but I didn't get REALLY into it. It didn't make me think (Great Gatsby made me think...a lot), but the dialogue and the progression of the plot was very natural and the author nailed the mood of the book. It's super inspiring and all the characters were very well-fleshed out. A book that everyone should read (especially feminists. Lots of powerful females in here).

Perks of Being a Wallflower: 7/8

I love how the book is through Charlie's innocent lenses (ironic, since the events mostly deal with partying and drinking and yeah) and overall I just love Charlie's personality and character. However, I felt this book lacked focus; it covered a bunch of themes that teens go through, but it didn't take time to develop them. It had so much potential, but I felt like the plot ultimately fell flat (just like Farenheit 451). The ending had an interesting twist though.

Looking for Alaska: 10/10

Okay, I rated this next because it's so similar to Perks of Being a Wallflower, except it does everything that Perks messed up on right. OMG JOHN GREEN definitely deserves all the accolades and attention that people are literally showering on him right now. His language is exquisite (I never knew English was so beautiful until I read his stuff), his analogies really make you think, and the mood he set up was spot on. This book had a lot of focus (although, yes, it did deal with partying and drinking and yeah) and I really liked John Green's thoughts on the enigma of the labyrinth. Some of my friends don't like this book that much because they feel that the whole thing revolved around Alaska (a girl), however, I felt it's what Pudge (main character) learns from this whole experience that is the true center of the book. Anyhoo I really like Pudge and his dry sadistic view on life (especially in the first few pages haha he's funny). The only bothersome thing was that the characters' names were so funky! Like why Pudge out of all things D:

How to Save a Life: 6/7

Not to be associated with the song or the movie with the same title. Okay it was easy to grasp and heart warming, but there was nothing special about it. That's all. At some points it tried to be deep, but when the mood is already modernized and matter-of-fact, it don't work. The mood is the main problem with modern teenage books.

The Moon and More: 6/7

On the same caliber as How to Save a Life, except Sarah Dessen seems to be a lot more popular than the other author (who I forgot). This book didn't venture out into any creative directions. It was pretty much the same as all her other books except she switched up the location and the main characters' names. This book was a lot longer than her other books (420-ish pages, ugh why) because she tried to be deeper than usual. However, it didn't work with the mood she had already set up (I appreciate the effort though). It just doesn't fit, ya get what I mean? Don't put deep into a light-hearted summer novel unless it actually fits. A lot of tiny things annoyed me, but what annoyed me the most was how Dessen antagonizes her antagonists (yes, they are meant for antagonizing, but hear me out). Her antagonists have always been flat and predictable; always seeking the worst for the main character. It's so oversimplified to the point of unrealistic-ness, and that's what's so annoying. Obviously, the people labelled as "antagonists" change throughout her novels (for example, in this one, Emaline's dad, Ivy, Luke, and Theo all were antagonists at some point). While these people aren't being antagonists, their character is fleshed out well enough and they admit to having errors and are regular human beings. Then Dessen decides that they should be antagonists and these people become stubborn, narrow-minded, and become blind to their faults. Which gives the protagonist a clearly defined reason to shun these people out (which also annoys me! In this sense, the protagonist is equally narrow-minded, but since she's the protagonist, Dessen assumes that they should be pardoned). Okay yeah done me rant.

Up next...

The Cuckoo's Calling

The Host

Wuthering Heights

Persuasion

Stuff 

God Bless

We love because He first loved us-I think this is paraphrased from like Paul or someone

But it's true

These two posts took me two hours

See what I mean by writing slowly?

Good night

Updates on lyf

Hello Minions. I notice that I haven't been updating this blog recently, partially due to the facts that 1) Everything I do takes a loonngg time (except eating, which I'm quite adept at), so writing takes a lot of perseverance 2) My mom has been super nit picky about my SAT preparation lately 3) I'm good at distracting myself 4) I'm just too lazy okay

A few updates on stuff and hopefully tomorrow I'll be recapping again like a good? girl :)

-Internet Icon Season 2 came to a close on July 27th, 2013 hosted by Chris Riedell and judged by Ryan Higa, Christine Lakin, and Timothy DeLaGhetto. The original 10 contestants (well more since there were lots of groupies) were invited back for a Q & A session (awks but good). The Fu Bros and Lana McKissack (runner ups for last season) had a special performance of "Internet Icon Blues," one of The Fu's best songs in my opinion (super funny if you get the references). Out of the Kloons (clad in hippie wear), Bad Weather Films (clad in wanna-be-gangsta wear), and Matthias (clad in black), Matthias was declared the winner (my prediction was right yaaayy). However, I did agree with the judges on the fact that Bad Weather's final video was the best (it was funny, but I felt that's because they struck lucky). Will Pacarro was declared fan favorite, which means that he'll have the unique opportunity to stick around for next season as well. He's a Christian boi, so he pointed upwards with a shocked look on his face when his name was said. I'm glad he got fan fav (I thought he was super entertaining), however, I think if he wants a chance at winning next year, he's got to pull his act together. He needs some serious cleaning up to do in terms of his production quality and timing each of his jokes (and overall sharpening his strong suits). The kid's got a lot to work with, so I hope he continuously improves in...the six or so months he has left until next season. But congrats Matthias. You cool.

Watch the Finale here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5B7VEcIT8mM

-Joe Cheng has thoroughly impressed me with his acting chops in ISWAK and TKA (his attractiveness in TKA nearly rivals Ethan Ruan's, which is saying a LOT!). They Kiss Again is definitely the best sequel I've ever encountered (including both books and movies; just entertainment in general). Xiang Qin and Zhi Shu are just soo squishy-ly cute. I was apprehensive about it after watching the first two episodes (then again, I'm always skeptical when starting new dramas), but things just looked up from there. Obviously, this drama is not for everyone (for example, feminists may find it offensive), however, you cannot deny its captivating spark. Nevertheless, I've been turned into a committed ARJOE FAN. Watching their interviews are the best because it really acts as a crossover from reel life to real life. And they just balance each other out so perfectly; Joe loves talking and Ariel is reflective. Both are fans of literature and deep thoughts. I believe that Joe used to have feerings for Ariel (he has heavily hinted [look at that, 4 words that begin with h in a row!] this in many interviews), which is super cute. Check out iswakfansubs for many examples of these interviews as well as their real life stuff together.
As for their third collab, Love or Bread, it was funny, but that's pretty much it. It had no memorable moments to it and I really disliked how the director kept making Joe and Ariel do extremely exaggerated expressions and actions (I know it's part of the Taiwanese drama style, but it was wayy too overdone in my opinion). Check it out if you want, but it really ruins your image of the mysterious but chivalrous Zhi Shu.

-Van Ness Wu has officially applied for marriage with his long-time girlfriend Arissa Cheo on August 9th. He announced it online yesterday (which is Chinese Valentine's Day, so happy lovahs day!) with a "composite picture" of them as kids! I'm so excited for him; he's such a great example of a man after God's own heart and he's finally getting married to the woman of his dreams. They filed their application in Singapore (where the bride is from), so it'll take 21 days before their application is approved. Van Ness has stated that he wants kids, so I can't wait until Arissa gives him a bunch of Xiao Les (Autumn's Concerto!)! Ever since Van Ness released his single, "Marry Me," it's been pretty obvious that he's had intentions of puttin' a ring on Arissa's finger. So it's great that he's finally done it. God bless their marriage!

They Kiss Again Ep 1 Recap

Yay! Sequel Time!
First time doing a recap so no guarantees. Let's see how this goes.

We begin with Xiang Qin and Zhi Shu (or should I say Mrs. and Mr. Jiang) on an airplane, heading towards their honeymoon destination, Guam! Zhi Shu is sleeping and Xiang Qin is wishing for something fun to happen. She pulls out her videocamera and re-watches their photo shoot from their marriage (photo shoot must have been at a different time because Zhi Shu is wearing the tux and Xiang Qin the dress!). She reflects on those "happy" memories of Zhi Shu's refusal to smile for the camera, as well as his mother taking pictures of...them taking pictures (stalker mode to the max).

She decides to find a way to play their video on the airplane's projector, so she goes to the plane attendants to ask. Thinking that they will refuse, Xiang Qin quickly fabricates a story that her husband has a fatal disease and doesn't have much time left to live. Then their video gets played in front of their whole cabin :D! When Zhi Shu finds out, he's annoyed, but the couple behind them (Ah Qiao and Mary) thinks it's cute. Everyone lands, and Zhi Shu goes to the bathroom and tells Xiang Qin to get the luggage and wait for the shuttle bus to come. Xiang Qin thinks Zhi Shu is saying "xia tou" (which is prawn head is chinese lolll), so she goes with Ah Qiao and Mary to the first bus she sees. The driver can only speak English, and since he says "Yes" when Xiang Qin asks him if he's "xiao tou," they all get on. The bus starts to leave, and Ah Qiao, Mary, and Xiang Qin tell the bus driver to stop because Zhi Shu isn't back yet.

Zhi Shu runs into the bus and apologizes to the bus driver in English, saying that his wife accidentally got on the wrong vehicle. They get to their hotel room, and Xiang Qin excitedly lies down on the bed. When Zhi Shu and Xiang Qin go outside, they realize that Ah Qiao and Mary (who are engaged btw) are staying in the room next to them!

Later, Zhi Shu & Xiang Qin go play volleyball, and of course Mary and Ah Qiao have to tag along. Someone keeps hitting balls at Mary, and it turns out it's Zhi Shu's family! They've come to witness Zhi Shu's honeymoon!

Meanwhile, Ah Jin is acting mopey over the fact that Xiang Qin is on her honeymoon. Ah Cai tells him to take a vacation, and that he'll pay for the expenses. Ah Jin goes no other place but Guam, where he unexpectedly sees Xiang Qin.

Zhi Shu is acting indifferent as usual (marriage has obviously not changed his personality), and Xiang Qin asks him in the hotel room whether his water stopped boiling (aka whether he doesn't like her anymore). This is how Zhi Shu responds:

Their peace is soon interrupted by Mary and Ah Qiao, who come in to play cards until Xiang Qin falls asleep. Mary keeps hitting on Zhi Shu. Poor Xiang Qin. Mary, Ah Qiao, Zhi Shu, and Xiang Qin go to lover's cape, where it is said that if you put a lock on the rail, then your love will last forever. Xiang Qin is prepared with her mega-lock, but little does she know that Mary locked her lock on their lock (basically M&AQ lock is on ZS&XQ lock).

Mary throws the key far away before Xiang Qin can do anything about it.

Then they all go swimming. Mary insists that Zhi Shu teaches her how to swim, and playfully flirts with him in her bikini. Xiang Qin is sad and jealous, and asks Ah Qiao why would he let his fiancee chase after another guy. Ah Qiao says that he's been chasing Mary for seven years, which sparks Xiang Qin's interest, and this leads to Xiang Qin saying that Mary is frivolous and Ah Qiao begins comparing Mary's figure to Xiang Qin's. Xiang Qin is insulted and tells him to apologize, but he carries her and tells her to apologize. Zhi Shu and Mary look on from the water, Zhi Shu obviously affected and Mary obviously not.

All four eat together and dance, etc. Xiang Qin is still extremely jealous of Mary and thinks that Zhi Shu has fallen for her. At night, Ah Qiao tells Zhi Shu that Mary has a stomachache and since he's in med school, he should come take a look.

Zhi Shu touches Mary's stomach and asks her where it hurts. Xiang Qin tells him to not touch her, but Zhi Shu says that if she gets jealous so easily, then maybe they weren't meant to be. He then tells her to get some medicine (bad idea bro). She angrily leaves. Ah Qiao goes a little while after to help her. With them alone, Mary tells Zhi Shu that she doesn't really have a stomachache and if only they had met earlier and fallen in love, how nice that would've been. Zhi Shu retorts by saying he would never fall in love with her and Xiang Qin is 1000000000 times better ( Zhi Shu why don't you say that when Xiang Qin's around?). It turns out that Ah Qiao has already come back and has heard everything, and begins reprimanding Mary. After Ah Qiao says he couldn't find Xiang Qin, Zhi Shu sets off the find her. He gets his parents from their hotel room to help him (who didn't know that Zhi Shu knew that they were there).

A man follows Xiang Qin and tries to help her. She doesn't know what he's saying, so she thinks
he's a bad guy and starts freaking out.

At the same time, Ah Jin sees her across the street and tries to help her, but that's illegal and he gets sent to jail.

Xiang Qin is sent to the police station and a policeman asks her for her passport. The only thing Xiang Qin can comprehend is the word "Pa" (which is lie down in Chinese), and she freaks out again and starts to cry. Zhi Shu comes in and apologizes to the policemen. The policemen say that they thought that Xiang Qin was a lost elementary school kid, so that's why they brought her in. When Zhi Shu tells her this, she starts lecturing them in Chinese (pretty funny since they don't know what she's saying). Outside, Zhi Shu shows her the word "Police" and tells her that it's a police station. He makes her repeat the word several times.

At dawn, Xiang Qin and Zhi Shu go outside. Zhi Shu says he's so glad that she's okay. Then he starts kissing her.

I think you can fill in the blanks of what happened next. If you're not sure, just go watch the episode! But thank goodness Zhi Shu isn't acting all cranky and Zhi-Shu-like anymore.

Xiang Qin and Zhi Shu check out the church that Mary and Ah Qiao are going to get married at. Xiang Qin says that they should have another wedding since this church is so pretty. Zhi Shu is amused at this and Xiang Qin asks him if it's okay if they are still married when they're old. Zhi Shu tells her she needs to have confidence and that they'll be together. YAYY

Mary and Ah Qiao's wedding is in English so they don't know what the pastor is saying. It's actually quite funny. Anyway, Zhi Shu translates it to Xiang Qin and Xiang Qin regrets having them switch wedding attire and asks Zhi Shu if they can have another wedding. Zhi Shu cheekily replies, "If that's the case, I'm not sure if I want you to be the female lead." This causes Xiang Qin to exclaim really loudly, so the audience laughs at her. Zhi Shu then tells Xiang Qin he will take her somewhere special.

THE ENDDDD

Internet Icon Season TWO Finalistss!!

As Season 2 of YOMYOMF's Internet Icon wraps up, the top three are finally revealed! After seeing Will Pacarro (yellowpaco) go home on the Trailer Challenge, we're left with (in order) Bad Weather Films, the Kloons, and Matthias.

In the judges eyes, the Kloons are probably leading the way with the most challenges won throughout the season with Bad Weather Films in second place. Which leaves Matthias last. However, the US and Canada are ecstatic for him, so he has a high possibility of winning this time around.

Although Matthias has been harped on plenty of times by the judges, I too am rooting for him to win! He has consistently showcased fine, entertaining videos throughout this whole competition (except for his first, which didn't get the message across too well) with the exactly the right amounts of unique quirkiness, professionalism, and of course, relatability (relatable-ness? the relatable quality?).

He has the quality of "eternal reassurance" (as said by Nick Carraway in the Great Gatsby) to him, but he doesn't rely on that to get him through the competition. Matthias constantly carries his own weight (and more), working hard to produce the best quality he can, and he achieves it. No other contestant can beat him in terms of how well thought out his videos are and how meticulously edited and shot they are. But that doesn't minimize how much his quirky personality shines through. The judges believe his strong suit is his camerawork, which they believe isn't as powerful as the other contestants' strong suits. However, they fail to realize that his strong suit is EVERYTHING; from vlogging to skits to trailers, he has shown exemplary precision in creating his own "face" on Youtube. Simply put, he's exactly what they're looking for with camera skills as an added bonus.

The final videos (links below) turned out unexpectedly. The Kloons have been consistent in their Kloony ways (I'll admit their quirkiness and professionalism is spot on, it's just that for me personally, I don't find them as relatable), yet their last video lacked the flow of small jokes to make their video entertaining. The concept was good, yet only the transporting flute could stand by itself as a legitimately funny joke, and when they stated the moral at the end, that made the whole video collapse. This ain't Aesop's Fables; in the 21st century we like to figure out the moral ourselves. And plus, the moral was so overused anyway that it was nothing short of cheesy.
Watch the Kloons' Final Video here.

Matthias took a different direction by making a  music video. He has done a music video on the competition once and is well-known for composing his own music for his videos, but he hasn't been portraying himself as a full-fledged artist throughout this competition. Additionally, his music video had no sort of plot; it was simply shots of himself sitting down and running backwards. Since his roots are in music, I understand why he would want to go back to something he's been doing for a loonng time (going "Backwards" teehees), and because of this, it seems targeted mainly towards his old fans. That being said, his fans that have been seeing more of the skit side to him may have a hard time relating to it. Nevertheless, their love for Matthias may outweigh the simplicity of the video (in comparison to, say, Bad Weather Films). Since Matthias is good friends with Joule Thief (most of America was shocked when he left), and was in an alliance with Will Pacarro and Megan Batoon as well (who are also fan favorites), I believe all those contestants' fans will inevitably vote for him. So he's not only garnering votes from his own fan base, he's likely to gain the votes from Alex's, Will's, and Megan's as well. However, it's still a very well-done music video, so he may get random votes on account of that as well.
Watch Matthias' Final Video here.

Bad Weather Films did a brilliant job with their candle-making skit. They played all their strengths very well, and this is, in my opinion, their best video so far. They know who they are and are pretty relatable, but they lack consistency. Throughout the competition, I thought some of their videos were awesome and some just didn't make me laugh. However, they've been improving as the competition went on. They struck lucky with this last challenge video (which is perfect timing on their part), and that will definitely give them a lot of votes. Their video also has the most views as of now, so that definitely gives some insight into who's winning.
Watch Bad Weather's Final Video here.

Yay!! Be sure to vote!

The Voice Season Cinco-First Look!

Article & Photo Courtesy of Andrea Billups (People Magazine)

Christina Aguilera, Cee Lo Green Return to The Voice

Christina Aguilera is back! And so is Cee Lo Green! 

Fans of The Voice are already getting a first look at the upcoming fifth season of the hit show. 

Green and Aguilera – looking super slim with a sophisticated bob and long, lean legs to boot – are reuniting with triple winner Blake Shelton and Maroon 5 singer Adam Levine for the new season, which debuts Sept. 23 (8 p.m. ET) on NBC. 

Host Carson Daly is also back for season 5 – just in time for blind auditions, which began this week in Los Angeles. 




Woot! Woot! It's nice to see our original four back on the set of the best singing-competition based show evah-The Voice! And it comes out just a while after school starts, which means no studying for me. 

To briefly explain how the show works, there are blind auditions for each artist that makes it to The Voice stage. Four judges have their backs turned on the contestant and turn around if they want them on their team (purpose is to make sure the judges aren't judging on appearance, but the voice!). Each team is made up of 12 artists and the judges coach these artists throughout the season. When an artist wins a season, they win for their coach as well!

I'm rooting for a Team Adam win; this year I don't want to fuss with yet another Team Blake win (that title of "triple-winner" really adds salt to the wound...). I've been watching this show for two seasons, and for both seasons I was sure Adam was going to win with Amanda Brown (Season 3) and Judith Hill/Amber Carrington (Season 4) but NOOO...they got booted off. Vhat is zis life?

Anyway, enough of my biased rants, I guess we'll just see when the season actually starts. Shakira and Usher, our newbies, will return sixth season. Can't wait to see Usher's interesting coaching techniques again.

Everyone who's a fan of singing should definitely watch this show. It doesn't have create as much drama as the other singing shows (because that shouldn't be the focal point of a SINGING competition), but the quality of the singers cannot be beaten. It remains true to its roots of not judging by anything other than the person's voice, and the coaches are simply gr9.

Autumn's Concerto & Fated to Love You-Impressions

I'm pretty much a newbie when it comes to Taiwanese Dramas so this is through the lenses of an unexperienced but enthusiastic viewer.

Below is information on some of the T-dramas I have watched and their respective information.

Rating System: 1st #-how much I enjoyed it. 2nd #-how objectively good I think it was

System is borrowed from who knows who; everyone uses it.

SPOILER ALERT

下一站， 幸福－Autumn's Concerto

Link to first episode: http://www.hulu.com/watch/367037

Link to last episode: http://www.hulu.com/watch/400764

Average Rating (Taiwanese System): 5.80%

Personal Rating: 10/10

(Creds to DramaWiki for Synopsis):

Ren Guang Xi, a cocky law student, seems to lead the perfect life. He's the sole successor to a huge and famous business and a talented ice hockey player. But in reality, his lonely life lacks joy, laughter and motivation. That is until he meets Liang Mu Cheng, the new bento seller at his school canteen. Although orphaned at a young age, Mu Cheng does not let her past affect her and lives life with great passion and determination. A harmless bet brings the two together and Guang Xi slowly changes as Mu Cheng teaches him how to give and love. Tragedy strikes when Guang Xi suddenly has to go through a major brain surgery which causes him to lose his memory. His mother begs Mu Cheng to leave him and the latter has no choice but to do so. Little does she know that she already has Guang Xi's child.

This drama is the epitome of love! Not only does it reflect love in a girlfriend/boyfriend sense, it also mirrors a more matured love through the sacrifices each of the characters make for one another (mother to son, father to child, friend to friend, etc.). Because many of the characters' actions are influenced by love, watching this drama truly makes you a better person. There's so much meaning to the characters; each with their own struggles and oases of happiness. It's definitely an emotional and sometimes painful  watch, but the best thing about it is that each sorrow results in even more hope. What I really liked is that the director doesn't jerk tears out of you for the sake of jerking tears; she puts a purpose behind every shed tear (yeah...I know that's weird, but it's true!). Also the chemistry between the three leads (including Xiao Le) is like fuzzy socks! It's so warm and familiar, yet super engaging at the same time. And Xiao Le! Watch it because of Xiao Le!

Production-wise, I thought it was brilliantly put together. The camera angles and blocking were creatively and professionally done. The whole drama had a signature nostalgic tone to it and the OST matched that tone perfectly! Minor things that annoyed me was that Mu Cheng kept hiding the truth from Guang Xi after he got his memory back, but she did it for love, after all (I was so happy when she finally told him the truth!). Also, the poster for Autumn's Concerto doesn't reflect the drama at all! The drama is soo homey and sweet, but the poster's all....depressing. Take a look:

They're all looking down (literally) and depressed-like!! Initially, I didn't want to watch this drama because of the poster, but I realized what a mistake I made. You've. got. to. watch. it. It's the most meaningful thing I've ever seen and you will definitely love it to death.

命中注定我愛你－Fated To Love You

Link to first episode (Eng Subbed & HD man!): http://www.hulu.com/watch/423706

Link to last episode: http://www.hulu.com/watch/430482

Average Rating (Taiwanese System): 7.44%

Personal Rating: 10/8.5

This drama is about an office lady (Chen Xin Yi) who has the personality of a doormat (thus, she is constantly being taken advantage of) and a rich soap business man, Ji Cun Xi. On a night full of misunderstandings, Chen Xin Yi ends up pregnant and Ji Cun Xi is the father. Cun Xi decides to take responsibility and marries Xin Yi, leading to their fateful love story together...

I was literally in a trance while watching this drama; the absurdity yet creativity of the whole plot was captivating and hilarious. Despite being crazily unpredictable at every single moment, I was impressed by the growth of both the main characters and learned to empathize with both of them deeply (they grow on you so much). The chemistry between them was so fresh and had this vibrant, yet familiar energy about it! Watching this drama is definitely an emotional rollercoaster (although it tends to lean towards the light-hearted side near the end). I absolutely love Ji Cun Xi (if you don't like him, you'll probably not like the drama, so test the first episode).

However, critically speaking, the plot was stretched out way too long (not necessarily in the beginning, but near the end). I felt that some of the dialogue, especially between side characters, was irrelevant to the plot and the main characters. This isn't meant to be a realistic drama, but at some points I felt like the character's actions crossed the line between a sweet fantasy and absolutely ridiculous. The production values and overall editing was satisfactory (the special effects were...interesting), but I've definitely seen better.

Nevertheless, I highly recommend this drama to everyone! The plot, while somewhat cliche, has many refreshing creative twists! It will definitely make you laugh and cry!

我可能不會愛你－In Time With You

Link to first episode: http://www.hulu.com/watch/438465

Link to last episode: http://www.hulu.com/watch/439390

Average Rating: 2.80%

Personal Rating: 9/9.5

*the rest coming soon (when I ain't too lazy to do it...)

敗犬女王－My Queen

Link to first episode: http://www.hulu.com/watch/367183

Link to last episode: http://www.hulu.com/watch/387698

Average Rating: 5.69%

Personal Rating: 8.5/6

*the rest also comin' soon