#26thPrinceShimDay

Dear Prince Shim,

I've been celebrating your birthday for almost a decade, and every time, I still don't know what to say. You have grown from the quiet boy who hides behind his hyungs to someone who's already brave and talkative enough to be a variety show MC. I'm not sure how many times I've said this but I am so proud of you, just like the way a mother feels proud for his son. Ha. But really, just thinking about how much you've grown and changed (for the better! a lot better) makes me feel a tad too emotional so I won't even go there.

I do know that your strength of character came with a price, and I do know that at the end of the day, you know that it's all worth it. It makes me happy just to think that even though you went through so many trials a young man in his 20's shouldn't even go through, you thread on and emerged victorious. I am happy to see you widen your circle of friends because I know that you may have went through some friendship trouble in the past, but you're still willing to let people in. 

I wish you success in every endeavor, and I wish the highest ratings for your variety show. But honestly, I just want you to have fun. You're young, and I know that you always say that you want a normal life. But it's still a relief to see that you're finally having a bit of fun and laughter in the limelight.

I wish you more creative freedom and artistic license in creating good music with your hyung, of course.  TVXQ is YunHo and ChangMin, and detractors may say otherwise but I wish you more strength in proving how much power the two of you hold. I'm sure that this year will be an amazing year for TVXQ. Whatever you want to make happen this year, just want you to know that us, fans, will be 100% behind you. 

Thank you for making me laugh and smile all the time.  You may be the snarky maknae but you're still a delight to watch and see. Thank you for never doing things just because it's easy, for standing behind your principles, and for not losing yourself in the crowd. You're really someone I look up to. You have no idea how you always brighten my day, especially when stress from work and from my daily life gets a bit too much to handle. 

Your music will always be a source of inspiration. You will always be my inspiration. 

Happy 26th birthday, Prince Shim. I love you forever, Shim ChangMin.  

Love, Jane 

Personal Favorite: Filipino RomComs

I was supposed to post this on Valentine's Day but I got caught up with life. Here's a late greeting anyway!

As much as I love RomComs from other Asian countries, I can never turn away from my roots, a.k.a. Pinoy romcoms. After all, I'm a sucker for anything Star Cinema unless it's starring Erich Gonzales. Heh. Some of my favorites are so old that I watched them when I was in grade school and some are still so new that no torrent is out yet. Haha. Okay, it's actually more difficult to  find a torrent for the older films.

Just know that my bias tends to cloud my judgment but below are some of my favorites, movies that have been making me laugh and cry for a long (and short) time. Also, I arranged my favorite chronologically because I do not know to rank to save my life.

(A/N: Filipino RomCom titles tend to be really generic. Often times, they're song titles that's why I confuse one movie from another huhu unless they're my favorites of course. Also, don't ever base a movie by its title!!!!)

Labs Kita, Okey Ka lang?

Labs Kita, Okey Ka Lang? (1998)

Rough translation of the title: I love you, are you okay? Yes, it sounds lulzy.

This movie defined my childhood. Back when the term OTP was still non-existent, Jolina Magdangal and Marvin Agustin had already been trumping over every other OTPs out there. They starred in numerous movies together, but this movie cemented my love for their tandem (love team, in Filipino lingo). This movie is about how Buchoy falls madly in love with her guy best friend, and her feelings are sadly unreturned. (See, they've been inventing OTP and unrequited love even before they're a thing.) The movie is set on the scenic Baguio and everytime Buchoy sneaks a glance on her best friend, my heart breaks a bit. I haven't watched this in a long time, but I'm pretty sure I'd still love it.

Bad news: I can't find a good copy of this movie online!!!!! WHY! Good news: At least the best scene is on Youtube!

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Dahil Mahal na Mahal Kita

Dahil Mahal na Mahal Kita (1998)

Rough translation: Because I Really, Really Love You.

What happens when the popular bad girl in school is forced to spend time with the golden boy? Well, a lot of romance and a lot of hilarity, apparently. The movie that will forever be remembered as the one that shot the Claudine Barretto and Rico Yan (R.I.P. huhu) love team to stardom. I liked it before because it seemed pretty unique and Claudine was such a badass. And some classic lines are from this movie, "Para kang chewing gum, masarap nguyain." Or something. A bonus cutie in the form of Diether Ocampo is a welcome.

Download it here!

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Bakit Di Totohanin

Bakit 'Di Totohanin (2001)

It has Judy Ann Santos. It has Piolo Pascual. You have two of the biggest names in the Filipino romance movie landscape, it's almost definite that it'll be a hit. This movie is just one of their many amazing films together, but I chose this one because it's just seriously engaging. Judy Ann is a boxed in this movie and Piolo's character happens to train her. This is the first movie that makes boxing so sexy and makes a lot of "action" scenes actually seem to be sexually charged. WHAT. But really, it's a pretty good film that doesn't only center on romance but also one Juday's determination to be good at boxing.

I cannot find a single download, streaming or excerpt online. ;__;

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Forevermore (2002)

For every girl holding on to their unrequited first love, this movie's for you. Kristin Hermosa and Jericho Rosales defined a generation in Filipino movie and primetime teleseryes. Forevermore is probably one of their most memorable offerings. I'm not the biggest fan of Kristin Hermosa but her team up with Jericho was pretty cute. It's a tragedy how they made so few projects together when their love team is palpable! Heh. This movie may veer into weird with the glowing mangoes and all, but it's still a Romcom worth swooning over.

Download torrent from here! Finally, a movie from my list that has a torrent!

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Got 2 Believe

Got 2 Believe (2002)

The last movie of Claudine Barretto and Rico Yan, also their best. It's about a young wedding planner who is always the bridesmaid but never the bride, and a young photographer who is always at the wedding to document it all. It's an incredibly fun movie to watch with tons of pretty weddings to boot. It's undeniable that these two have so much chemistry, and every scene they have together is just magic. If you're going to watch only one Pinoy romcom, then I recommend this. Expect some cheesy lines. And expect heartbreak, knowing that this is the last movie they shoot together, and pretty much the last Rico Yan movie. </3

Watch it on Crunchyroll!

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My Big Love

My Big Love (2008)

Macky (Sam Milby), a culinary chef, suffers through heartbreak and humiliation on  the night his love, Nina, dumps him. He also happens to be too big for his own good, and the only way he sees himself of making Nina fall for him is by being physically fit, and he employs a physical trainer to help him in the character of Aira (Toni Gonzaga).

This is a love story, this is a comedy. But above all, this is a feel good movie, because that's certainly how this makes me feel. I do not even know how to describe this movie because it has that light-hearted feel to it. However, it's not all fun for the two since they get to be separated and it's really the distance and time that proved to be the challenge for them. And being adults who each has responsibilities, it's not something that can easily be triumphed.  The best thing about this movie, really, is Sam Milby being so cute. That is all.

Download torrent from here!

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Babe, I Love You

Babe, I Love You (2009)

I have a deep love for the Anne Curtis-Sam Milby tandem, and this movie of theirs is just adorable beyond words! Nico (Sam Milby) is focused on his goal of becoming an architect as great his father. But he meets Sasa (Anne Curtis), an unconventional girl who then changes him.

It's weird how I love this movie so much despite being quite shallow. But hey, I'm watching a RomCom so I don't really expect much. But it's a good movie in terms of comedy and relationship development. These are two people who meet by chance and forced to be together due to responsibilities. But in the end, it starts to get a bit more serious when they take the initiative, to be the one to find ways to be together. It actually has quite an impossible set-up but it all feels real to me, all thanks to Anna and Sam!

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My Amnesia Girl

My Amnesia Girl (2010)

Irene (Toni Gonzaga) is supposed to have the best day of her life until her husband-to-be, Apollo (John Lloyd Cruz) backed out of their wedding, the day they were supposed to get married. A few years later,  they meet again but Irene seems to have no recollection of her ex-fiancee. It's a movie that seems to have a sad premise but it's actually a comedy. But leave it to Toni and John Lloyd to do their thing and tada! We have a movie that's bordering on heart-breaking and tear-inducing-due-to-laughing. Yes, that's a word. I'm not exactly sure why I love this movie. Maybe it's because I love John Lloyd and I like Toni (and most of her movies!), and put them together and it's just fun! It had some pretty harsh critics even before the premiere though. But it's actually a pretty fun movie to watch.

Download the torrent here!

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Yes, all the movies listed above are from Star Cinema, but some are also under Viva. These are just my favorite, and there are actually others that I love. I know there are other Star Cinema lists that are way more popular than the ones mentioned above (see: One More Chance) but I go for the once that really puts the balance on Romance and Comedy.

Other recommendations:

• Won't Last a Day Without You
• You Got Me
• Bulong
• A Very Special Love
• My Only Ü
  
• Kasal, Kasali, Kasalo

So, what's your favorite Filipino romcom? :)

Happy 3rd Year, YongSeo!❤

It's already the 12th of February where I'm from so yes, I'm a bit late on greeting the YongSeo couple for their third anniversary. And just like any Goguma, I wonder if the two remembered the first time they met at the MBC lobby. And like many Gogumas, I celebrated their 3rd year by watching their first episode! If I weren't too busy with work, I probably marathoned the shit out of it, but I fail and only got to watch the first episode.

No matter how awkward the first episode may be, I'll always find it a delight to watch. Yong and Hyun certainly struggled to get over the barrier between them, and I experienced secondhand embarrassment for both. But despite the awkward laughing, silent moments, and a lot of nodding and giggling for no reason, it's a good reminder of the good ol' days and a good gauge to see how much they have grown.

And who could forget this moment (which I gif'd because I felt guilty for not doing anything else special for today haha) : 

  

Yong, you definitely couldn't hide your glee huh? Don't worry, I'm smiling and squeeing the entire time, too.

Aside from the butterflies and giggles YongSeo gave me for the past year that I had been a fan, I have learned quite a lot from them. I learned that idols can be pretty down-to-earth, too, and they can be bookworm and nerds and passionate music lovers. I learned that even total opposites can be a good match as long as they set aside differences and sometimes, even use their differences to their advantage. YongSeo taught me that communication, no matter how difficult and embarrassing it may be to express youself!, is something that every couple must strive to practice at all times. YongSeo couple has shown me so much patience and so much care for each other.

I don't think I can ever express in words how much these two make me proud to be a Goguma. They may have been out of the show for quite a while now, but I'm still a fan of SeoHyun and I'm still a fan of Yong. And definitely, I'm still such a big Goguma.

I hope this 2013, we see more interactions between the two, of course! So far, it has been a pretty good year. The hamburgers may say bad things about Gogumas, but I don't think they can say anything to bring us down from Gochun.

Happy 3rd anniversary, Yong and Hyun!❤ You have no idea how you make use happy just by showing that you stayed as friends. Hwaiting!

Chinese Zodiac (2012)

Chinese Zodiac (2013)

When I heard that Chinese Zodiac is possibly Jackie Chan's last movie, I flipped. No, not Jackie Chan! Isn't he supposed to amaze us and make us laugh in his movies for all of time? But apparently, even the Jackie Chan needs to retire from all those action scenes.

In Chinese Zodiac, JC is an antique burglar. Well, I'm not exactly sure what he is but he basically collects antique by stealing it from other collectors. The film's a mix of made-up Chinese history, martial arts, and a whole lot of conniving and high-tech maneuverings by JC and his crew. This time, their assignment is to collect all the antique bronze heads of the Chinese Zodiac that were pillaged from China more than a century ago. They face billionaires' dwellings with tight security, youth campaigning against national treasures being auctioned, pirates, the government, and eventually, their own conscience.

I somehow feel like the movie is too long and dwelled too much on researching and looking and finding for clues. I found myself wishing quite a few times that they'd speed things up, because it does get a bit dragging. Good thing the action sequences are incredibly well done that when it appears, it's just so good. When JC is racing through highway next to a cliff, it's just so exciting, and it's definitely something original. You see, this movie is far from perfect, and there are times when I feel like it's a bit overkill. I also watched the English dubbed version which is fine with me but my boyfriend was greatly bothered by it. But one thing it did right is the action scenes. I really wish there are more, but what we're given are memorable enough. Who can ever forget that sky diving fight scenes?

Every scene with Jackie Chan is a delight because he's either jumping building and walking on walls or being cute and throwing one witty line after another. And to know that he does every stunt, never with a double, makes everything more amazing, a lot more awe-inspiring. I am still hoping that this isn't his last movie, because he may have made dozens (hundreds??) of movies already and he may be old, but I'm still sure that he has more to offer in this genre.

The Thieves (2012)

Finally got to watch the highest-grossing South Korean film last year, The Thieves (도둑들), and I'm glad to say that it lived up to the hype. It's not perfect but it didn't disappoint.

The film opens with a team of South Korean professional thieves, Popie (Lee JungJae), Yenicall (Jun JiHyun), Chewing Gum (Kim HaeSook), and Zampano (Kim SooHyun), on the move to steal an antique bowl. It's enough to set the move of the film, with half of the main characters already introduced with their corresponding roles in the heist group as well. Flash forward to Popie announcing their new anssignment which involves a certain Macao Park (Kim YunSeok) and a group of thieves from Hong Kong,  Chen (Simon Yam), Andrew (Oh DalSoo), Julie (Angelica Lee) and Johnny (Derek Tsang). The heist takes place in a casino but it's really just one necklace they're after.

People have been dubbing The Thieves as South Korea's take on Hollywood's Ocean Eleven and it's close enough, but not quite so since the former's a lot more dramatic. Just don't ask me which one's better because I've never been good at comparing. I'd rather keep this entire rant strictly about our SK film.

There's a whole lot of deception going on in the plot, and I think there's a general consensus that you just can't trust anyone because they're thieves and for goodness's sake, you just can't trust them. Some of them keep this in mind but some just want to get their job done well, in time, in sync. This is until everything goes downhill and they learn that trusting a thief isn't exactly something that they should do regularly. It ends well for some but others are just in the losing end.

(I am trying hard not to be a spoil sport here, and it's extremely difficult.)

My favorite part of the movie is definitely the first part, when they're planning the casino heist and the execution of the plan itself. It's a thrilling narrative, each player doing their job so well, and some getting way too into their roles. It's exciting and it's gripping. If only they have focused more on this part of the story, I could have loved it more.

The second part, on the other hand, couldn't really match this energy. I kind of wish they left out the revenge angle, and I kind of wish they didn't give too much emphasis on the love triangle of Macao Park, Pepsee and Popie. Because frankly, the romance angle between Yenicall and Zampano, and Chewing Gum and Chen are much more interesting and thrilling. The flirting between Yenicall and Zampano is something I didn't expect but I welcomed with open arms because it's just so fresh (and cute). But if we're talking about romance, Chewingum and Chen's interaction takes the cake. Completely surprised me when it happened and devastated me when it ended. As for Macao Park and Pepsee's love story? I just can't get emotionally invested in it. There's just too much angst that simply do not fit the mould of such adults.

This is quite sad since the second part has all these fight scenes (the wall fight between Macao Par and the Chinese gangsters! omg!), chasing sequences, wire stunts and a whole lot of cunning maneuvers by our leads. But still, it's not as exciting as the Macao casino heist. The finale ends up to be a tiring cycle of gaining the necklace from one character to another. It's a competition of wits and sometimes bluffing. It veers into the cliche at times but I'm glad that it still manages to surprise the viewers in some turns.

However, it's a heist film. I came for the lightness of the plot, but when I was bombarded with a contrived love triangle and adults stuck in puberty, it turned me off quite a bit. I want more action, less drama.

The thing about me is that when I don't like something in a movie, I talk way too much about it. But when I love it, I end up saying too little. Just is the case for this movie. This is turning into a negative review when the truth is I really enjoyed this film, and yes, I recommend it. (A bad way to end a rant but there you have it.)

ChangMin on Moonlight Prince

So let's talk about how amazing ChangMin is on Moonlight Prince. We all had our worries about his hosting since he's pretty quiet when he's around people he's not close to. But I think we undermined him a bit because he's a grown man now and been in the business for over a decade. I think by now he can interact comfortably with anyone if he wants to. He just chooses not to keep quiet when YunHo hyung's around and let him have all the spotlight.

Then the first episode came out and he's being the snarky and blabbermouth and evil maknae that we all love. *huggles* Seriously, I am smiling like a fool because sheesh, he just went on and on blabbering on his co-MCs. Heehee. But I love how they bully him as well. \o/ When Kang HoDong teased him about his rebellion, I died. He really is a prince, isn't he? Haha.

Also, I know that people are worried that he might be tiring out himself way too much. But it's work and I just think that he enjoys it now. The things he do. He's not the old ChangMin who hates showbiz. You can clearly see that he loves what he's doing now, and I'm pretty sure that even if he's tired, it's all worth it.

Now, I'm just waiting for someone to regularly sub all the episodes of Moonlight Prince and not just ChangMin's parts! But for now, let's all be happy that someone is subbing his parts.

For more subbed ChangMin cuts on Moonlight Prince, head over to hyunsyajoon's Youtube channel! Thank you~