Reviews written by Joyce
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The Letter (DVD) (English Subtitled) (Hong Kong Version)
The Letter (DVD) (English Subtitled) (Hong Kong Version) DVD Region 3
(1)Our Price: US$14.49Related promotions:June 15, 2008 Good...if it were convincingI am a HUGE Tamayama Tetsuji fan, so as soon as I saw him on the cover of this movie, I HAD to watch it. No questions asked.
I read several positive reviews on this title, so I expected good things. To my disappointment, it was much like Crying Out Love (Sekai no Chuusin...). The action was SO slow that the potential emotional qualities were washed away. In fact, the pace was so slow, I stopped watching the middle bit and fast forwarded to the ending.
I found the story to be a good one. Sad story about family, making peace, desperado, and redemption (as mentioned in the review before me). The ending was really the best part though.
I found Takayuki's acting to be sterile, monotone, and unconvincing. His "comedy acts" were pitiful, and I didn't find him CONVINCING AT ALL as his character. Tamayama (despite my biases) stole the spotlight whenever he appeared on screen. You could see his guilt, his regret, his loss in his eyes--he was what made the film emotional to watch.
Overall, great story, but poorly executed possibly because of poor casting and a very slow pace.Did you find this review helpful? Yes (Report This) -
June 15, 2008 A Singer At Last
Ever since Raymond came out into the acting world, he had several opportunities to sing theme songs etc. It was surprising to me that it took this long for someone to sign him to release an actual album.
Seeing that I consider him an actor first, and a singer second, I think he did a pretty good job.
He's no Jacky Cheung by any means, but his songs are nice catchy pop tracks that suit his vocals just fine. He doesn't seem to strain himself too much, and he does sound like he invests his share of effort and emotions into each song.
For his second album (and I think there will be), I hope he works on his breathing a bit. I always felt like I'd have an asthma attack from hearing his weezing after every note. Once that's solved, his album can possibly be amazing, and I'll be tempted to switch my view of him (to singer first, actor second).
Pop at its best. I look forward to his next release.
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An Empress and the Warriors (2008) (DVD) (Hong Kong Version)
An Empress and the Warriors (2008) (DVD) (Hong Kong Version) DVD Region All
(14)Our Price: US$15.99Usually ships within 1 to 2 daysRelated promotions:1 people found the following helpful
June 15, 2008 DefeatedI was so happy to finally get to watch An Empres and her Warriors cause the cast alone made it so appealing--also, there was just so much hype surrounding its release, I felt like I HAD to watch it.
The beginning of the movie seemed promising, with your typical betrayals and more betrayals, but as the story progressed, it seemed overly simple, and the ending rendered the movie pretty much pointless. I can't really give more detail than that in my review just because the simpleness of the story would mean that anything I say may be a spoiler.
At least I found Kelly and Leon's acting to be much better than I had expected. The Donnie scenes, in my opinion, were very typical Donnie movie scenes.
Because the beginning had so much promise, I was hoping the story would just take off, which it failed to do. I also found certain seens excessive, and just...filler (maybe fanservice? Not sure).
Overall, a very simple, typical, and almost annoying story with big names tacked on to it. At least it was a very visually stunning movie.
In my opinion, Warlords, The Promise, and so on are much better choices than this (in fact, I personally loved The Promise despite all the flak it got). As soon as you see the ending, you'll know why I thought it was a completely...pointless movie. I see it was trying to give a strong message, but the delivery was just blah.
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I Am Just What I Am (CD+DVD) (Hong Kong Version)
I Am Just What I Am (CD+DVD) (Hong Kong Version) DVD Region All
(1)Our Price: US$18.99Related promotions:4 people found the following helpful
June 15, 2008 A Strong VoiceI stumbled across Jade Liu's album when I was looking for Yoga Lin's release (he sings a duet with her, so her name kept popping up). I decided to give her album a listen, and I was very impressed.
While she doesn't look like your typical female singer, her voice is extremely pleasant, controlled, and strong--it's no wonder she won the Super Girl competition.
Her tone reminds me a bit of Ella's (from S.H.E.), because it has that same deep yet still feminine quality, but I think she also has a lot of vocal control and power.
Her songs are pretty catchy, with a slight rock-edge to them (although generally fairly pop still).
The only thing that would've nudged this to a 10/10 is if they included the songs from her debut EP, cause I think those are her best, period. I think she has a great singing career ahead of her. I hope they just don't waste her great voice on typical pop fodder.
If you like Yoga Lin, and maybe even Jam, I think Jade's style will fit you just fine.
Standout Tracks: #1, #2, #4, #5, #10Did you find this review helpful? Yes (Report This) -
KEY (Japan Version)
June 15, 2008 Can't Wait for a 3rdNatural High is arguably my favourite duo in the Jpop scene (or J-jazz scene, if you will). With Kaoruko's amazing piano skills, and clean (although not the strongest) vocals by Yuuko, their works never fail to impress me.
This second album is an up in terms of consistency from their debut (not including their indy release), but I must say that their first album had more "standout" tracks. For this particular release, there's no song that I want to skip, but at the same time, there isn't a single track that makes me want to put on repeat. There are no "Ai Katari"s (my fave song by them, EVER), or "88 Shikisai", and there isn't even anything comparable, but at least they did get rid of the filler tracks stuck in their debut, which is a good thing.
I hope that for their third album, they'll find the balance between their first and second album, where they'll have great standout tracks, and a consistent sound throughout.
If you like Tokyo Ska Paradise, and Dorlis, Natural High is definitely for you! Piano jazz at its best.Did you find this review helpful? Yes (Report This)
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Goomusic Collection 2004-2008 New + Best Selection (2CD + Karaoke DVD)
Goomusic Collection 2004-2008 New + Best Selection (2CD + Karaoke DVD) DVD Region All
(6)Our Price: US$20.99Usually ships within 1 to 2 daysRelated promotions:1 people found the following helpful
June 15, 2008 Great (or "Goo-d" if you will)Yes, cheesy pun...I know. Sorry, couldn't resist.
Anyway, I essentially bought this compilation because of the K-DVD. I wanted to practice her songs before I hit the K-bars with friends (haha), but to my surprise, this "best-of" offered for more than I expected.
The new tracks are refreshing and interesting, especially the duet with Sammi--very fitting for a video game theme and very interesting without being too mainstream-ish.
I bought her recent 2 albums, so I really didn't think that the CDs would be worth my time--I have these tracks already (save for the new tracks); however, when I took the time to listen to them, I found the remixes very cool. I didn't treat them as remixes of the originals (I didn't want to compare them), and instead treated them like new tracks since the arrangements are drastically different enough that they sound almost like new songs. I personally love the slow, subdied version of "Bright Gathering". I also really like the Blues version of Rolls, Royce. Although I can't say they're better than the original versions, the new remixes do have a distinct flavor and I personally enjoyed them very much.
This is by far the best best-of she's released in her music career. A great deal for a fan who keeps up, a new person to her music, or just a casual music listener (especially for those who love practicing KTV--geeks like me).
Standout Tracks: Disc 1 #1, Disc 2 #3 and #5 (exclusive to this compilation)
I haven't been this happy about a HoCC purchase for a while.
10/10!Did you find this review helpful? Yes (Report This) -
Castle (CD+DVD)
Castle (CD+DVD) DVD Region All
(2)Our Price: US$16.99Usually ships within 7 - 14 daysRelated promotions:April 30, 2008 Vast Improvement!!I think Sherman's voice is an acquired taste (see the review below). While I don't LOVE her voice, I don't dislike it either, and I also think she has very good control over it.
I reviewed her debut album, questioning her tracklist. This time around, while many may beg to differ, I think the tracks are quite solid. The cheesiness has wiped away. In all honesty, I think she may be HK's answer to Koda Kumi (although Koda Kumi fans might not be very happy about this, you must keep in mind, Koda Kumi also took many albums to grow to become the artist she is today).
My favourite tracks are:
-Castle
-track #1 (sorry, I don't even want to try translating)
-track #10
The other ones are still fairly decent. None that make me hit the skip button.
Her debut album had some gems, and some...dirt. This album remains more consistent, with fewer "gem-quality" type songs, but I think Castle is a strong enough lead-off track to carry the album through. It starts strong and ends strong.
I personally think consistency is the key to a good album. I definitely recommend this over her first album. If you're looking for some heart-wrenching ballads, then skip this one. If you want something pop, kind of light, and almost Koda Kumi-esque, then give this one a try.
I hope her third album will take the best of the first album (the distinct standout tracks) and combine it with this second one (a consistent and non-cheesy sound).
I'm overall very pleased with this album.
Hope to see her mature as an artist!
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Mr 3 Minutes (VCD) (US Version)
March 29, 2008 A Pleasant SurpriseIn all honesty, I wasn't expecting anything from a Ronald Cheng comedy. I was thinking it was going to be a very slapstick and pointless movie, but kind of wanted some laughs, so watched it anyway.
It actually turned out to be surprisingly good. The humor of it almost reminded me a bit of "My Left Eye Sees Ghosts" (Starring Sammi Cheng). I'm guessing if you liked the mentioned movie, you'll probably like this one (although I'll admit I liked My Left Eye slightly better).
It has a great message, and although there is profanity, it is a very touching and pleasant movie.
Far beyond my expectations! Great movie.Did you find this review helpful? Yes (Report This) -
0918 (MV Collectible Edition) (ED+DVD)
0918 (MV Collectible Edition) (ED+DVD) DVD Region All
(1)Our Price: US$12.99Usually ships within 7 - 14 daysRelated promotions:March 23, 2008 Good Production.Eunix, a newcomer of 2007 who won out Sherman Chung in terms of sales and airplay.
I must say, I can see why Sherman "lost" to her (while I love both singers equally) as a fellow newcommer. Eunix's debut EP, although it is a short one, has incredibly catchy tracks that don't sound too cheesy. The rock-influenced pop sounds very edgy, showcasing her relatively deep vocals. In short, she is fortunate to get good tracks to work with.
I like all the tracks on this mini-album. My only complaint is that it's too short. I would've loved to have a full-length album that is of equal quality.
This is an extremely strong debut album. If you like Grace Ip's music-style, and the cleanness of Stephanie Cheng's voice, I think this'll be of your taste.
Eunix has a bright road ahead of her if she's able to continue with tracks that complement her voice, but stay mainstream and catchy.
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March 22, 2008 Better Arrangements Anyone?
I actually prefer Sherman to Vincy in a general sense because I find that Vincy is too bland now. I really liked Vincy when she debuted, but now I'm already tired of her. As for Sherman, her voice is extremely strong for such a young singer.
Now let's talk about her album. Generally, the songs aren't so bad, and in fact, many tracks are fairly catchy. The downfall of it is the really annoying backups and arrangements in the fast songs. Like "Queen of the Street" (very bad translation on my part...and I think that's the song I'm thinking of) has these like stupid background things that go "shake it shake it." or whatever. It ruins a perfectly good song. I do think she has plenty of potential. I found her ballads to be very powerful and emotional. While I don't want her to become another Vincy with ballads that suffocate you, I think she really needs some well-arranged catchy songs that don't have high cheese factor.
She has the potential to become a great (and popular) singer. Now if only the songs she gets to sing would help her on that path...
Overall, an okay debut album. I like "Safe Embrace", "Let's Pop", "Master Strategy", and "Legend of the Mermaid pt 1" (?) the best. These really do show her ability to do both fast and slow songs and have a lower cheese factor than the rest. I say the album's worth a try cause her voice is fantastic, but please keep an open mind to the terrible arrangements...
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Jay Chou 2007 World Tour Concert Live (2CD)
Jay Chou 2007 World Tour Concert Live (2CD)
(1)Our Price: US$20.99Usually ships within 7 - 14 daysRelated promotions:March 22, 2008 Not Bad...In all honesty, when I first found out about the tracklist of this Jay concert tour, I was a bit disappointed. It didn't have a lot of his old songs (which I wanted), and didn't even have a not too old song that I really love (Twilight's Number 7...or something to that effect). I can't say I'm a Jay fan (I'm a Leehom fan more than a Jay fan), but I still found myself enjoying this CD set even without my choice of tracks included.
Of course, his live singing is pretty good, as per usual. I almost regret not buying the DVD + 2CD version (I bought the 2CD version cause it was cheap...), but overall, I think this concert CD set is worth it.
While the tracklist is small, and while it can be improved, what is included is still pretty decent, and from what I understand, has some special guest appearances.
Definitely a must-buy for a Jay fan, or even those who are new to Jay and want to hear a decent mix of his music. I wouldn't call this a "best of", but it is a good "introduction to..." or sample-mix.
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Super Sunshine (Commemorate Edition)
Super Sunshine (Commemorate Edition)
(1)Our Price: US$18.49Usually ships within 7 - 14 daysRelated promotions:February 17, 2008 It wasn't so "Super"Gary is a great artist. Vastly talented at singing, writing, and composing, but talent doesn't always translate well into an album.
I really respect him for trying to be experimental with his sounds, but his music can be a bit hit/miss.
I think his previous album was a lot more consistent (it had better flow).
This one is a bit weird, and while it's not bad, I didn't think it was amazing either. I'm not a fan of the sampling of "You Are My Sunshine" (or whatever the song's called) in "Super Sunshine", but it was an interesting idea--just not my cup of tea.
This album was more pop + experimental, while his previous album was more pop/ballads + jazz influences. If you liked his previous album, it does NOT mean you'll like this one.
I wouldn't warn people to stay away from this album, but this is definitely one of those that you must have the patience for in order for the music to grow on you.
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2 people found the following helpful
February 17, 2008 Keeps ME Wondering!This man is amazing.
He never ceases to impress me with his music.
I bought his 2nd album first, and thought that was excellent. I've listened to it so many times that I think it's the only CD that shows visible wear in my collection. I then bought his first album (had to do it in reverse because I couldn't find his first album initially), and thought that was great too (but I could tell that he made improvements and progress when he got to his 2nd album). And now his third!
It's beyond perfection! (I thought his 2nd was perfection already). I'm shocked with myself that I still haven't bought it (I will soon, I promise), but when I was listening to his album (legally), I was extremely surprised, and pleasantly so! Who knew he could top his best work! I kind of was hoping he'd venture more into canto-pop though. I think that the Canto-Pop scene is a bit R&B deprived, and I think that he's the perfect person to infuse some of that soul into the industry.
My only complaint is that I think Khalil needs to eat some more. He's extremely thin, and it worries me a bit. Pack on some pounds, build up that muscle, my boy! Your soul needs it!!
Stand out songs: Love Song, Sorry, Ai Zhai. (but the rest are still great).
I found that his voice has vastly improved too--even though he's always been the strongest singer among current HK singer-songwriters. If you liked his previous two albums, you won't (and can't!) be disappointed.Did you find this review helpful? Yes (Report This) -
February 17, 2008 Originality Would Be Nice
I've been a fan of FIR since their debut, but sadly, I can't say their creativity has been consistent. To me, this album was the most evident of that, as it had tunes similar to that of western music. Particular, the song "Evergreen" is eerily similar to Kelly Clarkson's "Behind These Hazel Eyes". That was not a pleasant surprise at all.
While people argue their older albums had more of a DAI flavor to it, I never really thought that. This album does have it's strong points with some beautiful duets and ballads (or duet ballads), and an amazing pseudo-rock song highly reminiscent of "Revolution", (I'm talking about "The Tenth Star; track 2), still,it is not their most creative or best album to date. My favourite of theirs is still their 2nd album, Unlimited (though some argue that's the most UNORIGINAL, so who knows?).
I'd say this isn't a waste of money, but don't expect to be wowed either. I hope they'll come up with some revolutionary music again--which was what separated them from the rest in the first place.
As an aside, I don't know if it's just me or not, but I swear, Faye's English is deteriorating. I remember being impressed by it on the first album, but...not sure what happened thereon after.
7/10! Good, but not amazing!
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Harlem's Heaven
June 10, 2007 Not Quite Heaven...YetWhile I don't think this is Harlem's best effort to date, it is a pretty solid album. His voice his amazing (he sounds YEARS younger than how he looks, although that's not meant to be an insult, I simply mean he sounds super young).
He sings a lot better than a lot of current artists and when he gets a chance to compose, his songs are great too.
He does have a few covers on this album, so that kind of lowered the creativity of it, but overall, it's a good album that I think is worth the money. It's a good get-away from a typical string of ballads as there is a mix of very uniquely-genred songs.
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This Love (Special Edition) (CD+DVD)
This Love (Special Edition) (CD+DVD) DVD Region All
(3)Our Price: US$18.99Usually ships within 1 to 2 daysRelated promotions:April 25, 2007 Loving this SoulKhalil is one of the few HK singer-songwriters who actually sufficiently satisfy the "singer" portion of that title!
His music is sooo R&B, which is hard to find in Cpop in general since R&B isn't a particularly popular genre in the C-music scene. Since he's still fairly new, it might be hard to say, but I think he has the potential to give Jay a run for his money!
The title track is still my favourite, but overall, the songs flow into each other very well. Even though they are mostly slow or mid-tempo, I didn't find that this album was just a compilation of "boring ballads" at all. In fact, the songs, in general, were pretty refreshing and interesting. "If You Leave Me Now" is another one of my favourites, that leaves me breathless after it plays.
I have yet to purchase his debut album, but this album alone as solidified my fan status for Khalil Fong!Did you find this review helpful? Yes (Report This) -
Human (Limited Edition) (CD + Bonus CD + DVD)
Human (Limited Edition) (CD + Bonus CD + DVD) DVD Region All
(28)Our Price: US$22.99Related promotions:April 23, 2007 A Bit Too HumanHuman is Leo's latest effort, and a good one at that.
While I can't say it's my favourite Leo release to date, it is really strong in an overall sense. I found the theme of the album to be very deep, and all the songs pretty much adhered to the theme. Melodically speaking, I don't find a lot of songs *that* memorable, but at the same time, I don't find myself having to skip over any tracks either.
I must say, I hate the bulky packaging, which does affect my review a tad. What's with ONE whole CD for ONE single track (the duet)? And the massive cardboard box is hard to put with the rest of my CDs. The lyrics booklet, on the other hand, is really pretty, and of high quality. I just wish the overall thing was more compact and easier to store!
Back to how the album *sounds*. It's still a really safe step for Leo. I don't think he's doing anything particularly different or particularly well.
I like the direction the lyrics are headed, with the overall depth (relative to other current hits), but would like to see his vocals and musical direction expand as well.
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Seo In Young Vol. 1 - Elly Is So Hot
Seo In Young Vol. 1 - Elly Is So Hot
(2)Our Price: US$12.99List: US$18.99Save: US$6.00 (32%)Related promotions:March 4, 2007 Hot IndeedThis album is smokin'.
I listened to it once through and found myself leaving it to play on repeat for a very long time. There's only one track I dislike (Seaes Hotel or something to that effect), but the others compensate for it. Even the two remixes found on the CD are insanely catchy.
Seo In Young doesn't shy much away from her former group (Jewelry)'s style. This album is pretty much what the group should've been putting on their albums, but never got a chance to.
10/10Did you find this review helpful? Yes (Report This) -
Vincy (Version 2) (CD + DVD + Bonus CD)
Vincy (Version 2) (CD + DVD + Bonus CD) DVD Region All
(3)Our Price: US$18.99Usually ships within 1 to 2 daysRelated promotions:1 people found the following helpful
November 16, 2006 "Feeling" This!I bought this album today. I tried hard to decide whether I should get this, Ella's new album, Andy Hui's new album, or Leo Ku's new album.
I decided on this one finally because I rememebr the first time I listened to Vincy's voice, I was very impressed. Although it's sad that her claim to fame is a cover song, I can't blame her for that because it's usually her company that decides these things for her, and not her fault in itself.
Both CDs in this repackage are excellent. The Concert CD format in the second one makes it pretty personal, and the first CD is really quite flawless (except I don't like the talking in I'm Vincy). She articulates in her songs, and she can hold a note well, and this CD is a good example of that.
If you like Janice's style, I can't see how you'd go wrong with Vincy.
I'd like to see her start penning her own work soon!
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Fashion 70s + OST(English Subtitled)(SBS TV Series)
Fashion 70s + OST(English Subtitled)(SBS TV Series) DVD Region 3
(25)Our Price: US$83.99List: US$122.99Save: US$39.00 (32%)Usually ships within 7 - 14 daysRelated promotions:October 22, 2005 Interesting Story, Poor Casting.I have yet to finish watching this entire drama; however, there is one major problem, in my opinion, that pulls down my overall liking for this drama.
What happened to the casting? The kids are very good, and Jun Hae is cute, but when she's grown up, she looks totally different and too matured when she supposedly should be younger than Jiang Hae. Before I started watching the drama, I thought Lee Yo Won would play the older Jiang Hae (the older girl) and Kim Min Jung would play Jun Hae since she has the bigger eyes (like the little kid who played the same character) and looks altogether younger! I thought the casting was brilliant until I found out they switched what I personally thought would've been the perfect casting.
The story is quite interesting, but I'm finding it hard to imagine that Lee Yo Won is younger than Kim Min Jung. Even so, I think this drama is worth watching. I hope I can get used to the casting now -_-Did you find this review helpful? Yes (Report This)
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