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Damo: The Undercover Lady Detective (MBC TV Series) (US Version - Limited Edition)
Ha Ji Won
| Lee Seo Jin
| Kim Min Joon
| Lee Moon Shik
Fusion period dramas are ratings gold in South Korea, but for the most part, it's a genre I've avoided. The combination of long, serious, and complicated really doesn't appeal to me after a long day's work. Though I am periodically tempted to see what the fuss is all about, the thought of investing myself in an 80-episode monster is just too tiring. Damo, however, comes in a nice digestible size - 14 episodes. If only all period dramas could be this length and this good. Damo packs a very meaty, wrenching, and constantly evolving story into its short length. Ha Ji Won stars as the titular Damo, Jang Chae Ok, an able, no-nonsense female detective who can swing her sword with the best of men.... [read more]
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Nagareboshi (Japan Version)
Nakashima Mika
Nakashima Mika made her debut with Stars eight years ago, and since then, whether coincidentally or otherwise, she has returned to the theme of stars in her music multiple times, including Will, Mienai Hoshi, and Orion. After last month's funky circus-inspired Candy Girl, Mika goes back to the ballad and to the stars for her newest single Nagareboshi ("Shooting Star"). Nagareboshi is the kind of soaring, emotional ballad that Mika has become known for, and this one has particularly sweet and melancholic lyrics about gazing at the same stars and wishing for love. The lyrics are simple yet touching, direct in sentiments: "Look up at the sky, hand in hand/I hope we see the same future." The... [read more]
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Brilliant Legacy Vol. 1 of 2 (DVD) (5-Disc) (English Subtitled) (SBS TV Drama) (Korea Version)
Lee Seung Gi (Actor)
| Han Hyo Ju (Actor)
| Bae Soo Bin (Actor)
| Moon Chae Won (Actor)
On paper, Brilliant Legacy is a summation of K-Drama cliches: a pure-hearted riches-to-rag heroine gets bullied by her evil stepmother after her father's death, and then falls into love and rivalry with an arrogant heir. There's also a fake death, missing brother, backstabbing stepsister, and romantic triangle in the mix for more soap opera value. Storywise Brilliant Legacy is indeed been there done that, but how that familiar story plays out on screen feels fresh and engaging, with many cute romantic moments to make fans happy. Much of Brilliant Legacy's brilliance lies in the cast and chemistry. Starring in his first TV drama in three years, singer Lee Seung Gi plays the conceited and... [read more]
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Kung Fu Chefs (DVD) (2-Disc Edition) (Hong Kong Version)
Sammo Hung (Actor)
| Vanness Wu (Actor)
| Cherrie Ying (Actor)
| Fan Siu Wong
After Kung Fu Fighter, it's understandable to want to run away screaming at the mere thought of another Ken Yip-directed Kung Fu-titled movie starring the tagteam of Vanness Wu, Fan Siu Wong, and those Kung Fu Hustle guys. I certainly went in expecting the worst, but Kung Fu Chefs turned out to be surprisingly enjoyable. The film has way better production values than Kung Fu Fighter, and there's a feel-good, self-effacing wackiness to the whole thing that makes it hard to hate on. Plus, Sammo Hung is in it! As a kung fu-in-the-kitchen action movie, Kung Fu Chefs is as silly and chop-socky as the premise and production pedigree promise. Sammo Hung plays a master cook who gets kicked out of... [read more]
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Castaway On The Moon (DVD) (2-Disc) (First Press Limited Edition) (Korea Version)
Jung Jae Young (Actor)
| Jeong Ryeo Won (Actor)
| Lee Hae Joon (Director)
Seoul's Han River should be familiar to anyone who's watched The Host as the breeding waters for monster entertainment. But did you know there's also a nature preserve island smack in the middle of the river? That's where Mr. Kim (Jung Jae Young) ends up when he attempts to drown himself, and instead wakes up a castaway on the deserted island. The cityscape shines brightly from the opposite bank, but Kim - who can't swim - is preposterously stranded. Desperation and suicidal thoughts, however, give way to glee when he realizes that he's found his escape from all the debt, heartbreak, and worldly problems that drove him to seek death. Enjoying a newfound life of "perfect boredom", he lives by... [read more]
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Joseph Cheng Debut EP (Version A) (CD+Photo Album) (Preorder Version)
Joseph Cheng (Singer)
Joe Cheng has much room for improvement in the singing department, but he's got everything else down pat for the fans. The Taiwan TV idol's debut EP comes in two editions bundled with great preorder gifts that should make any fan happy. Version A comes with a cute photo album that a colleague of mine dubbed the "evil book of evilness" when I showed it to her to justify my purchase. This isn't one of those typical photo booklets that come with CDs, but an actual A5-sized hardcover photo album filled with adorkable pictures of Joe in Ishikawa, Japan. (There are a few fan-service pool photos in there.) Were the book a bit bigger, it could be sold separately. I've also just retired my Won Bin... [read more]
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COLORS - Melody and Harmony / Shelter (Japan Version)
JEJUNG & YUCHUN (from Tohoshinki)
| Dong Bang Shin Ki (TVXQ)
Dong Bang Shin Ki's "Soulmate Couple" Jae Joong and Yoo Chun offer some hope and music in the midst of the controversy with their new J-pop single COLORS ~Melody and Harmony~. All five members of Dong Bang Shin Ki have tried their hands at songwriting, but Jae Joong and Yoo Chun are thus far the two more notable composers of the group, and they further confirm their talents with this very agreeable self-composed release. Composed by Jae Joong and Yoo Chun, COLORS ~Melody and Harmony~ ranks among the higher echelon of Dong Bang Shin Ki ballads. The title very much reflects the song, which has an almost lulling quality to its easy-going melody, light beats, and gentle harmonization. COLORS... [read more]
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Over The Rainbow Vol.4 (CD+DVD)
at17 (Singer)
Hong Kong duo at17's Over the Rainbow series comes to an impressive conclusion with their fourth and final Vol. 4 blue EP. The EP's main plug "Nothing To My Name But Love" (Track 1) is the kind of feel-good guitar pop number that the duo excels at, sending out a bright and wistful message in harmonized voices. Wyman Wong's mellow, earthy lyrics about being poor in money, but rich in love and music are clearly personalized for the girls, and reflect the tone of not only this EP but the whole album series. The harmonica accompaniment, ear-pleasing harmonization, and catchy composition make for a bright, fresh, and eminently likable song. The next track, smoky lounge-inspired Mandarin number... [read more]
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McDull Kung Fu Ding Ding Dong (DVD+AVCD Edition) (English Subtitled) (Hong Kong Version)
Anthony Wong
| Sandra Ng
| the pancakes
| Brian Tse (Director, Producer)
If I had to pick one movie character that most embodied Hong Kong, it would have to be McDull. On the outset, McDull seems an unlikely candidate. Hong Kong is fast, smart, trendy, materialistic, on the ball. McDull is slow, naive, emotional, and not very bright. Also, he's an animated kindergarten pig. And yet, one would be hard-pressed to name another figure that captures the local culture, sentiments, landscape, language, and lifestyle of Hong Kong as well as McDull does. The neverending urban redevelopment, the cycle of newfangled trends, the flurry of accents and colloquialisms, the obsession with success, and, yes, even the potty humor in McDull's world are all quintessentially Hong... [read more]
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Breathless (DVD) (2-Disc) (Korea Version)
Kim Kkot Bi (Actor)
| Yang Ik Joon (Director, Actor)
Breathless might not leave you breathless, but it's bound to leave an impression. Yang Ik June's remarkable debut film about broken men and broken families provides a brutally honest look into the conditions and consequences of household violence. Many punches are thrown in Breathless, many of them by the story's uncontrollable (anti)hero, but it's no more violence than can be found in other films. There is, however, no thrill or excitement in Breathless's fierce beatings and casual cuffs, but rather an overwhelming sense of discomfort about how realistic and prevalent the film's flawed people and harrowing circumstances are. This unsettling realism at times makes the film hard to look at,... [read more]
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Kim Tae Woo - T-Virus
Kim Tae Woo (g.o.d)
In the midst of the girl group dance pop craze, some of K-pop's best idol ballad singers are making comebacks this month, including Tei, Park Hyo Shin, Lee Seung Gi, and Kim Tae Woo who completed his army service earlier this year. Kim Tae Woo's new solo album T-Virus picks up where he left off with the intro track "Words I Want to Say Part 2" (Track 1), the follow-up to his 2006 hit. This short and sweet R&B ballad sounds nothing like its predecessor though, leaving behind balladic dramatics for free-style tempo, self-referential lyrics, and... auto-tune. I actually groaned out loud when I realized the auto-tune abyss had claimed another K-pop singer, but its presence is limited and does... [read more]
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The Starry Starry Night (Hardcover)
Jimmy Liao
Best-selling Taiwan artist-writer Jimmy Liao's latest illustrated storybook The Starry Starry Night is dedicated to kids who don't know how to communicate with the world, kids like the protagonists of this affecting tale of childhood friendship. The short and sweet story follows a lonely young girl who keeps to herself. She can't share her thoughts and fears with anyone, until the day she meets a boy as stubborn and lonely as her. In comparison to some of Liao's other works, The Starry Starry Night has a less fanciful premise but no less imaginative and spectacular artwork, and certainly no less heartful story. Even more so than his previous books, The Starry Starry Night pulsates with the... [read more]
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Smilife (SINGLE+DVD)(First Press Limited Edition)(Japan Version)
Stereopony
Girl rock trio Stereopony's fourth single Smilife is, true to its title, a bright and uptempo pop rock piece with plenty of spunky teen spirit. Written and composed by band vocalist AIMI, the energetic song draws fast lyrics and a positive message over a catchy melody and furious beats. The song is close in style to the girls' previous YUI collaboration single I do it, and should appeal to those looking for feel-good pop rock with a kick of youthful honesty and energy. Side track Cupido follows in the same vein with a chirpy pop composition and clapping vigor. Though the song is standard fare, it's dressed up well with interestingly varied drum beats and well-timed sentiments. There is a... [read more]
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The Blue Bird (DVD) (English Subtitled) (Japan Version)
Abe Hiroshi
| Ito Ayumi
| Nakanishi Kenji (Director)
| Hongo Kanata
School bullying has been a topic of great concern for many years in Japan where reports of youth suicides linked to ijime periodically splash news headlines. Nakanishi Kenji's debut film The Blue Bird explores this sensitive issue through the experiences of a school recovering from a major bullying incident, wrapping its message-driven narrative in teen drama angst, eccentric teacher heroics, and school politics. Based on Shigematsu Kiyoshi's novel, The Blue Bird is set at a typical junior high school with typical kids and the typical bullying problems that led to an atypical tragedy last semester. Oft-teased class clown Noguchi attempted to hang himself, leaving behind a note of despair... [read more]
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College New + Best Selection (CD+DVD)
Endy Chow (Singer)
Endy Chow's first solo album since 2005's Light, College is a long overdue release from one of Hong Kong's most talented new-generation singer-songwriters. Granted it's one of those "new + best" compilations that record companies like to put out to test fan patience, but there are actually five brand new songs so it's not a bad deal even for those who already own all of his previous albums (cough... me). Frankly, I'm just glad that Endy Chow is still working. All five of the new songs in College are fairly representative of Endy's rock and ballad style. "Gray Peter Pan" (Track 1) is typical of his rock offerings, a mid-tempo hardish pop rock number, particular notable for its growling guitar... [read more]
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Big Bang - 2009 Big Bang Live Concert : Big Show (3-Disc) (Korea Version) (Poster In Tube)
Big Bang
Big Bang's Big Show 2009 opens not just with a bang, but with... opera?! A majestic intro of violins and operatic singing lays the carpet for Big Bang's grand entry. Dressed in dapper white, the guys kick off with their hit Haru Haru to orchestral accompaniment, followed by My Heaven. The energy level remains high for the entire concert as the group dance and groove through hit songs like Always, Lies, Stylish, Red Sunset and LaLaLa, as well as side tracks that they don't often perform live like Wonderful and A Nice Person. The stage and lighting design are pretty impressive, what with the crazy lasers, fireworks, fire, and light-up walkway stage that snakes among the audience. But the... [read more]
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Black & White (DVD) (English Subtitled) (Vol. 1) (To Be Continued) (Taiwan Version)
Vic Chou (Actor)
| Mark Chao (Actor)
| Ning Chang (Actor)
| Ivy Chen (Actor)
Tsai Yueh Hsun, the director who put Taiwan idol dramas on the map back in 2001 with Meteor Garden, redefines the genre in 2009 with the big-budget buddy cop mini-series Black & White. As Tsai's most expensive and large-scale project yet, Black & White lives up to the buzz and then some extra. Black & White is undoubtedly one of the best Taiwan TV dramas I've seen, and certainly the most ambitious and exciting police drama the island has ever produced. Set in a Chinese city where cops brandish American-style badges, Black & White revolves around its eponymous heroes, Chen Zai Tine (Vic Chou) and Wu Ying Xiong (Mark Chao), two police officers of vastly different personalities who get... [read more]
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Akai Ito DVD Box (DVD) (Japan Version)
Matsuda Kenji
| Watanabe Noriko
| Ogi Shigemitsu
| Kawamura Taisuke (Director)
According to East Asian folklore, lovers are tied together by an invisible and unbreakable "red thread of destiny". This old-fashioned romanticism about red threads and fated love provides the wistful wrapping for the 2008 youth drama Akai Ito. Based on a mania cellphone novel about a schoolgirl's supposedly real-life experiences, the romantic mini-series about two teens who must overcome many roadblocks to be together squeezes buckets of Lifetime Television trials into its 11 episodes. Yet, it manages to stay fairly down to earth and affecting during its bumpy adolescent journey. Many serious revelations and responsibilities are thrown the way of Akai Ito's young protagonists, Mei... [read more]
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The Day (CD + DVD) (China Version)
Xu Wei (Singer)
If you're yet to discover the wonders of Xu Wei, then this compilation is a great place to start. The Day comes with 15 selected songs from the Mainland singer-songwriter's last three albums - Ai Ru Shao Nian, It's New For Every Moment, Through the Time - covering a good portion of his music from 2002 to 2008, or what I would call his mellow years. Critics quip that Xu Wei's albums all sound the same, and the observation is not unfounded. But Xu Wei's hearty, heart-tugging folk and guitar rock numbers don't just pitch a common sound, but rather a common sentiment, a continuing story of living and moving, crying and dreaming, and staying true to self in an aging, changing world. Since 2002's... [read more]
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VINS - Sensitivity
VINS
K-pop has sprouted so many new girl groups lately, it's getting harder and harder to tell them apart. To aid memory, let's just say VINS are the ones not wearing color-splatter clothing, and not likely to participate in the inevitable Mnet rookie sexy dance battle stage. The under-the radar trio has a rather unfortunate name that seemingly abides by some hidden rule that every other female group must have an abbreviated four-character name. VINS also stands for "Voice IN Soul", which is far too similar to male trio V.O.S's "Voice Of Soul" (although "female version of V.O.S" certainly isn't a negative association). Despite the less-than-stellar packaging and promotion for VINS, the group's... [read more]
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