Currently Watching

I have a lot to get through this summer. Having pent up my drama watching obsession throughout most of the school year has driven me near insane. To be withheld from gushing alongside others while the latest trendies air has been very difficult, especially considering my spoiler phobia. As well as 2011 turning out to be an awesome year of offering. At this moment I'm caught up on the following along with short thoughts, in order of preference:

1) 49 Days (Kdrama)- Argh, I'm late on the bandwagon, but this drama is picking it up and burning on fiiiyah! I was ready to drop it after the first episode if it weren't for the blogospheres gushings and drama frenzy. Now that I'm at ep 12, I really can't wait to see how the fantasy-mystery-revenge plot will unfold.

2) Drunken to Love You (TWdrama)- It's been slowing down as of late. OTP is awesome, but the others aren't so much. Avril and the wooden acting that is Ricki are eating too much OTP time. More cute, less angst!!

3) Best Love (Kdrama)- Ah, I haven't watched a currently airing kdrama in so long. Matter of fact, since You're Beautiful, so yeah it's another Hong Sisters drama. Unfortunately, this one and I just don't connect. I like Ae Jung just fine, but Dokko Jin is so annoying and deranged. I am trying to really see the appeal but I'm drawing a blank. My laughs per episode ratio is also very low as compared to other Hong Sisters dramas, hmmmm... watching it for the sake of watching it at the moment.

4) Tokyo Dogs (Jdorama)- Yeah, I'm only watching this because of Oguri Shun. He's certified as the best looking man in a suit EVER. So perfect *drools* And that ending credit showcase of him, clean-cut in a suit, posing in the rain, yeah huh I totally watch and rewind that in its entirety.

Then I have my list of to finish from Christmas. I'm just not feeling a lot of them so they are in the backburner. I may just end up watching more Shun dramas...
-I'm Sorry, I Love You
-What's Up Fox?
-Secret Garden
-Joseon X Files
-Last Scandal of My Life
-Nobuta wo Produce

Dreaming Big

*cracks typing fingers* Man, this blog feels so neglected. Last night I was just thinking about the 3 ways of communication and I haven't really been doing much (any) writing as of late. I can talk til the cows come home, though 90% may be gibberish, but writing, m'dears, is a crafty thing for me. I struggle so hard to construct moderately coherent sentences and then I scrutinize every word choice until I throw my hands up in surrender. Because as it is, I was never excellent at bullshitting, so I tend to either drop the whole piece altogether or end in a very dissatisfying note. And now that I'm reading Shakespeare, the more inadequate I feel.

How can I write like Shakespeare? I'll settle for 30% of his talent. I should probably aim higher in life, but I also need to acknowledge real-life shortcomings. Obviously not being well-read as him is a big hurdle that I will need to overcome. But whenever I'm faced with the option of free time my mind immediately thinks of dramas. In addition, one can only really write about what one knows, and as it stands, my personal experiences are quite limited. Is this veering into self-pity?

Nope, just complaining about what's within a girl's reach. Half the time I'm not even sure what there is beyond my reach, so there. It takes courage and curiosity to try to go over those boundaries. I've got curiosity aplenty, but often times my heart wavers at the thought of doing something outside of my norm. And when this happens I look upon my favourite characters to steady my will. I know those characters are mere figments of other's imaginations, but that doesn't mean that they can't inspire. As a matter of fact, I believe fictional characters are a wellspring of inspiration because of their extraordinary adventures. And because they are created by someone based on what he/she knows, I am sure there are many real-life characters who have wonderful tales to tell as well. So in a roundabout way, I mean to say that I am going to become one of those amazing real-life characters who will go on to live an extraordinary life and then go on to inspire others.

I'll close with my favourite Kdrama quote from My Name is Kim Sam-soon.

Dance, like no one is watching you.

Love, like you've never been hurt before.

Sing, like no one can hear you.

Work, like you dno't need money.

Live, like heaven is on earth.

How the mighty havs fallen...

That is, if I'm egotistical enough to have considered myself mighty...in which case, I am. Anyway, I'm experiencing serious school fatigue. I'm so done with it and pretty sure it's done with me too. The feelings are mutual. I wish it weren't so, but my grades are diving and there's no second chances as we see it. It's best to just suck it up and pray. Pray really hard. In my opinion, interest in the subject really does make a giant difference. In the first half of the year, I was in knowledge heaven, but during the second half I felt like a lot of it was... meh and I was just drudging through for the sake of doing a full course load. I'm looking at you protein biosynthesis.

Japanese Earthquake & Aftermath

I want to say that the situation in Japan is really sad. It infuriates me to no end that people make idiotic comments about Godzilla, had the audacity to create a stupid BBC text scam and waste their time with other idiocies when their efforts can be used in a more meaningful manner. Come on people, show some class please. I sincerely wish that the situation improves and that those with their hearts broken will find the courage to carry on strongly.

Spoiled

I'm so spoiled by my family. Seriously, sometimes I feel pretty guilty about how easy it can get....and then sometimes I just relish in it. Like say, getting free bubble teas and DQ blizzards from my brother and sister. This probably goes head to head with my goal of being a decent person since I am clearly abusing my powers. Gosh darn it, well, nobody said it was easy. I'll just try harder to not abuse.

Basara

One of them is my favourite character. Can you guess who?

Mangas are the zanny first cousins of dramas. They have all that jazz and can be just as addictive as the most crack-tastic drama. Just like dramas, my love and enjoyment are based on its concept and the execution, though the two are not always equally weighed. For instance, I am always, always a sucker for any sort of gender bending storyline even if I know I'm heading into a shitty production with cringe-worthy acting and convenient character inconsistencies. But when it's on the money, it's a goldmine of entertainment! And right now, Basara is golden.

I know, I promised a Basara recap from the last post, but I can't do it. Why? Because I had to finish the manga in a frenzy and I'm sorry to say that many of the details have been lost in my mind. Plus, recapping every single detail will take an entire month perhaps. But most importantly, a few words here and there from yours truly will not do justice to such a fantastic great work of art. I can't wait for the time when I should have the leisure to savour every frame of Basara.

So after some thought as to what I like most about Basara, I've come to the conclusion that it's the characterization. I can feel the mangaka, Yumi Tamura's love for her characters. She didn't want to tell just any story about one girl's quest for life, love and liberty, Tamura-san wanted to tell the story of every character because they were all important to her. I mean, Tamura-san devotes two full volumes of epilogue so as to give some form of closure to the supporting characters. I think that's the greatest distinction between Basara, the masterpiece, and all the other manga I have read to date. Tamura-san doesn't merely create characters in order to further the plot or to serve a specific function, she creates them because she recognizes the void that exists when such a character's presence is missing. Because every single one of her characters had their own quest to partake. The story just wouldn't be the same without even the most seemingly minor of characters who appears in just one frame. An integral part of this is because the web of relations between all the characters is crafted with so much care and detail. The ripple effect of each character on the others is truly believable. I want to sincerely thank Tamura-san for showing so much love for her characters. In the future, if ever I were to be able to muster up all that it takes to be a storyteller, I hope I can be as good as Tamura-san.

Holy Mindf***

OMG!! I haven't been this wound up for a manga since... forever it seems..... This is no run of the mill shoujo where a dainty girl meets her prince charming, or a feisty spirited girl melts a cold hearted bastard, or a girl masquerads as a boy to be with him. All of which have their own merits, but right now, right this moment I'm all about Basara. This is the real deal. This is Basara!

It's the mother of all epic love, war, growing pains, friendship story. And really, if I had to choose one word to sum it up, it'd be: mindf***. It keeps me at the edge of my seat, salivating for the next chapter. It's like Hamlet in manga format. Sooooo awesome! I'm currently writing an arm's length recap for the first 7 volumes and will post it up as soon as possible. But in the meantime, everyone should go read Basara. Here's the link for online scanlations: http://www.thespectrum.net/manga_scans/?preview=manga_Basara