Reviews written by Tbone
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December 6, 2005 ADVENTUROUS AND EXCITING!
I haven't listened to their first album, but I do find this "Unlimited" album is refreshing, artistic, and well done. It gives the fresh air in our Mando-pop world that often times can be dull. I am particularly impressed with track# 2 where they insert Balinese gamelan; it's gorgeously woven. "LOVE*3" is another interesting piece cuz it's jazzy and J-pop-ish. It's well composed and sounds mature and not bubble gum-ish. It's a great dance piece. :) The other pieces are pretty good. I am also very happy cuz finally there are more Taiwanese singers who can speak English or at least can sing their English lines perfectly. :) Overall, definitely worth it to have this as a collectible item! Did you find this review helpful? Yes (Report This) -
Nine Ball (Vol.1-20) (End) (US Version)
December 1, 2005 Worth To Try!I am actually quite surprised with the storyline. It started out as typical, particularly the first 2-3 episodes, but it manages to keep me engaged and interested. The plot has its surprising twists and turns, so definitely not a sappy yappy love story, it's more than that. It's also about family, friendship, betrayal, and tragedy. There were draggy moments in few episodes, but they are bearable. Cinematography is acceptable. If I were to judge the production value...probably about 7. Pretty good. My BIGGEST problems with this series are (1) THE HAIRSTYLE DESIGNER HAS ISSUES. Chen Yu Fan and Joe Zheng are definitely "ruined" by whoever that person is. Hideous hairstyles!!! (2) Chen Yu Fan, the dude who plays Ah Cao, and the actress who plays as Xu Wei Lun's stepmother can NOT act to save their lives. Joe Zheng is acceptable, he definitely has more prospect compared to any of the F4. Trust me. I am just glad that his "batch" of newcomers (He Jun Xiang and Ruan Jing Tian) can act so much better and not just depending on their looks. (3) Soundtracks are pretty bad. Don't like the songs at all.
Despites the technical flaws, this series is still worth watching because like I said, it has a good dose of love story, sad moments, and action. Do check it out! :)
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My Intuition (CD+VCD) (2nd Version)
My Intuition (CD+VCD) (2nd Version)
(19)Our Price: US$18.99Usually ships within 7 - 14 daysRelated promotions:November 21, 2005 Good Buy for Age 15-21I am obviously passed that age group, but listening to her album gives me the feel of junior or high schoolers. If she is trying to "upgrade" her image to be more mature, she should've avoided these types of songs. Then again, if they are targeting the age group I mentioned earlier, then this album is pretty effective in terms of lyrics and composition. Her vocal is so-so. If I were her, I would probably stick with my acting career and try to improve it. Despite the flaws, I do like "Ai Mei", "Li Xiang Qing Ren", and "Zhi Xiang Ai Ni". The album also comes with 5 MVs. In terms of the MVs, I am highly disappointed with the last 3, particularly the one for "Zhi Xiang Ai Ni". The plot of the MV does NOT match the lyric and feel of the song and that just ruins it. Plus, that MV seems like another marketing tool for Disney's product. They definitely miss an opportunity to make a better MV. The conclusion is...you can really only enjoy this album if (1) you are a hardcore Rainie Yang's fans, (2) Age group 15-21, and (3) "Devil Besides You" hardcore fans. Did you find this review helpful? Yes (Report This) -
Love Storm OST
November 21, 2005 Fun Soundtrack AlbumThe opening song of the series: "Jue Ding Ai Ni" (Track# 1) is definitely written for Zhao Jia Le (the series lead character). Pretty fun song, but it's a little bit "too cute" for my liking. "Zhi Dao" by Rara is such a sad song...love it though! So mellow... then "Wo Hu Xi Ni" by Vic Chou, which is the ending song, is pretty good. Ken Chu's "Inside of My Guitar", it's a good rendition of the original but Ken's voice sounds shaky. I feel that he did a better job singing "Here We Are". Then there are 2 songs that I believe are not played in the series, so not sure why they are compiled in this album: "Ai Xiang She Me" - pretty fun, decent composition -and- "Wo Ai Xia Tian" -funny lyric, has 1960's American rock and roll feel. "Tian Mi Mi" - I think this is probably the original song, not sure, but it brings back memories. The song is so old school. Hehehe... The instrumental pieces are decent. Then...my numero uno favorite song of the CD is the rendition of "Ai De Lu Shi Qian Wan Li" by Wang Kai Di. Overall, it's a good buy. Plus, the bonus VCD gives you the behind the scenes of making Vic's Statue, Ken's transformation to become the chubby Bao Long, misc. NG's. Nice packaging; looks like it is designed to be a collector's item. I didn't expect that so that's definitely a bonus for me. :) Did you find this review helpful? Yes (Report This) -
Devil Beside You (Ep.1-20) (End) (Taiwan Version)
Devil Beside You (Ep.1-20) (End) (Taiwan Version) DVD Region All
(37)Our Price: US$96.99Related promotions:November 1, 2005 WOW!!!This show is 85% much better than Meteor Garden in terms of storyline, cast, and general production value.
They did make a good amount of alteration from the original comic, so about 75% similarity rate. What plays an important part is the chemistry between He Jun Xiang and Yang Cheng Lin. They make this story believable. They both have expressions in their eyes unlike Jerry and Barbie. Makes me think why didn't they cast He Jun Xiang and Yang Cheng Lin for Meteor Garden? Oh well. Soundtrack is pretty good. Rainie's song "Ai Mei" is definitely written for this show. The supporting cast in general are good EXCEPT Kingone and Fu Xiao Yun . They both can NOT act to save their lives. Their expressions are so flat, it's not even funny. In terms of costume design: awesome idea for Ah Meng' gang. Yuki Masuyama is so cool in his outfit. I am so surprised why people are not gaga about this show as they were with MG? Interesting. Anyways, this show to me is definitely AN AWESOME BUY! Highly recommended!Did you find this review helpful? Yes (Report This) -
Summer Scent (Ep.1-20) (End) (US Version)
1 people found the following helpful
October 28, 2005 GOOD BUY!The cast did a better job compared to MG cast. They definitely have more expressions. :) The other thing that adds more stars to this series is the soundtrack. They really pick good songs - although I wish that they use Faye Wong's version instead of the Japanese version of "Wo Yuan Yi". That's okay though. The storyline is acceptable. I really enjoyed episodes # 1-14.These episodes have great flow. However, towards the end, I feel that the story rolls too fast and the ending is "too easy". It's almost like they either ran out of story or budget. The side stories were weaved in too lightly also, it's almost like as if they think "might as well add it to use up the tape". If only they make an extra effort to give the side stories more strength, then this series definitely deserves a 10. Roy Qiu is definitely a better singer than any of the F4 and I wonder why he is not as famous. :) Regardless the flaws, this series is still worth buying cuz it's highly entertaining. Did you find this review helpful? Yes (Report This) -
On Ken's Time (Hong Kong Limited Edition) (CD+VCD)
On Ken's Time (Hong Kong Limited Edition) (CD+VCD)
(12)Our Price: US$18.49Usually ships within 7 - 14 daysRelated promotions:2 people found the following helpful
October 25, 2005 Love It!Kudos for Ken for opting out from the typical Mandarin pop music. The album feels rock and roll-ish which is pretty cool. It definitely gives a fresh breeze of air. A minor downfall, I think Ken still has to practice really hard to improve his vocal and errr... his Cantonese :). This album is definitely lifted up by good composition of the songs. I think this is the only album from F4 members that I feel worth buying even if you are not their fan. :) In terms of favorite tracks, I like #1, #2, #4,#6, and #10. Definitely a good buy! :) Did you find this review helpful? Yes (Report This) -
Magic Kitchen (US Version)
1 people found the following helpful
October 19, 2005 Well...I admit it's one bad movie, but I won't give it zero star. Hehehehe... First of all, don't ever adapt the idea of "Iron Chef" to a movie period. That show has its own clasification and it's just plain dumb to "steal" their idea. Next, I think after gazillion movies, Sammy should start considering to be more selective in her roles. Her character here, to me, is similar to her other ones in different movies like "Once Upon A Thief" or "Needing You". Storyline is weak, typical messy love stories. I do find Jerry Yan is cute in this movie, though his acting is so so, well, his role doesn't require a lot of work anyways. If you like to look at pretty actors and don't care about storyline AND have plenty of time in your hands, go see this movie. Other than that...you should be okay skipping it. :) Did you find this review helpful? Yes (Report This) -
1 people found the following helpful
October 19, 2005 THE BEST!I fell in love with Coco Lee because of this album! Great vocal and fun songs! She's definitely the "Jacky Cheung" of Female Canto Pop Singers! Haven't found anybody with powerful vocal cord like she has. Very R&B! A couple of her first songs on this album are not too great, or I should say too mellow for my taste. However, her upbeat songs are all very fun. A must buy for all Canto/Mandarin pop lovers! :) Did you find this review helpful? Yes (Report This) -
Meteor Rain (2nd Super Hong Kong Edition)
October 19, 2005 Hmmm....Typical mandarin pop songs. In general it's not bad; I won't say it's great. I do like Vic's "Zui Te Bie De Cun Zai", Ken's "Here We Are" and "Ai Bu Hui Yi Zhi Deng Ni". The lyric of "Liu Xing Yi" is a bit, err... how to say this...nonsense? I guess based on what I read online it's actually a direct translation of a Japanese poem (don't quote me on this). So...yeah. Vaness is a decent rapper BUT his rap lyric does not make sense and not match to the meaning of his song. So...minus over there. His pieces in this album remind me a bit of those of L.A. Boyz. :) As for Jerry, he's an okay singer, I think. His pieces in this album are typical. I don't dig his "Wo Shi Zhen De Zhen De Hen Ai Ni" just cuz the lyric is a bit too yaya papaya. :) I think boyband still deserves a good songwriter. :) Anyhoo...in general, buy this album only if you are a hardcore F4 fan. ;) That's all I can say. Did you find this review helpful? Yes (Report This) -
October 19, 2005 Love It! Good Buy!
I know I'm 4 years late in finding out about this album, but that's what happened if you lived out in the woods for that long. :) Anyways, love the songs! Love her vocal; similar to Coco but less powerful. Still good though, don't get me wrong. I really like 3 songs: Cappuccino, Tu Ran Xiang Qi Ni, and Shuai La Shuai La. She is also very pretty, which is always a bonus. My biggest problem with this album is the rap part of Cappuccino cuz it just DOES NOT make sense. It does not have anything to do with the meaning of the song. The same problem I am experiencing with Vanness Wu's songs in Meteor Rain album. Makes me wonder if the songwriter has any clue at all of what the rap lyric means!? ;) Oh well...I'm just hoping that sooner or later one of them will realize this and start rapping right! ;P Did you find this review helpful? Yes (Report This) -
Love Storm (Vol.1-21) (End) (Malaysia Version)
October 1, 2005 Hmmmm...Mix concepts from "Legally Blonde" and "Clueless" and add some chaos - This is what my impression of this series. I don't dig the ending although it is expected. I feel that there should be more series out there that favor the underdog. Vic Chou's and Ken Zhu's acting improved but still not too convincing. I think Xu Wei Lun who plays Ching Ching, should be the leading lady in this series but I guess Vivian Hsu has the Minnie Mouse's eyes needed for the leading character. Hehehehe... Soundtrack wise, I think it's great! Love the mix of Yo Yo Ma's piece "Doce de Coco", Vic's "Wo Hu Xi Ni", and the old school "Ai De Lu Shi Qian Wan Li". This item is a must buy for Vic and Ken's fans, but if you're like me...buy it to improve your Chinese and just disregard the story for the sake of learning. Hehehehehe... Did you find this review helpful? Yes (Report This) -
MARS (Ep.1-20) (End) (Taiwan Version)
September 28, 2005 MARVELOUS!Another good show due to 90% faithfulness to its original comic of the same title. Love the storyline, acting is good (improved for Vic Chou from his performance in MG Series), and soundtrack is awesome. Megan Lai and Xiu Jie Kai did a great job playing their roles respectively. An Jun Can did okay, has some room for improvement. One other thing, watching this series makes me really, really, really want to buy a Kawasaki Ninja motorcycle! :) Did you find this review helpful? Yes (Report This) -
1 people found the following helpful
September 28, 2005 BAD IDEATo me, this movie fails to provide a sensible plot. If the story were to link the "spirit" world instead of to a present individual's "past", that will add more stars to this movie. The character of Ken Zhu's girlfriend in this movie is quite annoying - can't stand her, but I guess that means she acts pretty well. Hehehehe... The cinematography is pretty good, but not good enough to add more stars. Watch this movie ONLY if you have nothing better to do. :) Did you find this review helpful? Yes (Report This) -
My Sassy Girl (Yupki Girl)
My Sassy Girl (Yupki Girl) DVD Region 3
(116)Our Price: US$19.99List: US$23.99Save: US$4.00 (17%)Related promotions:September 28, 2005 GREAT MOVIE!Love the storyline, acting, and soundtrack!
This is definitely one good romantic comedies I've seen so far. Highly recommended! :)Did you find this review helpful? Yes (Report This) -
Meteor Garden II (Vol.1-31) (End) (US Version)
Meteor Garden II (Vol.1-31) (End) (US Version) DVD Region All
(10)Our Price: US$34.99Related promotions:1 people found the following helpful
September 19, 2005 Unfortunately: One Bad ShowThis one is a major disappointment. Please do not buy this unless you are a hard core F4 fans. The plot is weak and so typical of bad movies. It has some concepts or pieces of storyline from its original comic, but other than that it's totally way out there. I think this is just to show how greedy producers trying to squeeze more profit from F4's success from Meteor Garden 1 and Meteor Rain. That is quite unfortunate. Besides, don't they know that sequels have lower chance of success? :) Did you find this review helpful? Yes (Report This) -
Meteor Garden (DVD) (End) (Taiwan Version)
Meteor Garden (DVD) (End) (Taiwan Version) DVD Region All
(14)Our Price: US$81.99Related promotions:September 19, 2005 GREAT SHOW!!!Great storyline thanks to 90% faithful matching to its adapted comic "Hana Yori Dango". Acting wise...in general, it's very raw due to lack of expressions from the main characters. In all honesty, I think the best acting skills in this series are those of San Cai's parents, Dao Ming Feng, and Yu Shao. :) Regardless, it is still a worthy show to watch. :) Did you find this review helpful? Yes (Report This) -
Meteor Rain
September 19, 2005 INTERESTINGHonestly, I like Mei Zhuo and Xi Men chapters more than Dao Ming Se's. Vanness and Ken both showed some improvement from Meteor Garden 1. Aisha is a good option to play against Vanness - she actually acted better than him, I think. Her Chinese is so cute! Rainie Yang is so cute also, I really like her a lot. I still consider her acting so-so. As for the girl who played Xiao Gen, her acting is quite raw. I like Xi Men's storyline the most because it's the only matching the comic "Hana Yori Dango". :) Still worth watching though. Better buy this one than Meteor Garden 2 cuz that one is pretty bad. Did you find this review helpful? Yes (Report This) -
Remember..., I Love You (Collectible Version) (CD+VCD)
Remember..., I Love You (Collectible Version) (CD+VCD)
(48)Our Price: US$18.99Usually ships within 1 to 2 daysRelated promotions:1 people found the following helpful
September 19, 2005 NOT TOO SHABBYI think it's not too shabby for a debut album. I don't think he's the best singer out there and vocal wise is so so in this album. Few of the songs are good. I think he's still "exploring" (not sure if it's really him who explore or his producers and agents) his sense of music style. His music videos are cute though. He somewhat reminds me of Andy Lau's first few albums meaning not good but bearable. Hehehehe... :) Did you find this review helpful? Yes (Report This) -
Mars Original Television Drama Soundtrack
September 19, 2005 GOOD BUYAll the songs are well written. The theme song is definitely written specifically for the main character. Love all the songs! It is still worth buying the CD without watching the series. Did you find this review helpful? Yes (Report This)
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