What I’m up to these days…

Got done with nursing school weeks ago, and am currently prepping up for boards. Just thinking of it sends my stomach twisting to knots, so I turn to a lot of things to amuse myself.

One of these things are watching Asian dramas (is that the right plural term?). In no particular order:

Protect the Boss — I started watching this purely to bask in Jaejoong’s gorgeousness, and I was determined to see this through for his sake. But seeing how gut-busting hilarious it turned out to be (episode 4 was the best), with the compelling plot, dynamic chemistry between the cast, superb directing, and great acting, this is turning out to be a wonderful watch.

I love the cast. I love the OTP. I love Jaejoong. I even love Jisung’s hair. Am I the only one who does?

I love this poster just because of the lulz! factor.

Yeah. Isn’t he just gorgeous? *melts into a puddle of goo* (ahem. Yeah, I have issues)

Nobuta wo Produce — This is seriously my second most favorite drama of all time, next to Sungkyunkwan Scandal (which I really need to blog about). I will forever remember the day when I randomly clicked on this drama while searching Mysoju.com for something to watch, and then totally falling in love with the group of misfits who defines friendship and making friends in its purest form. Yes, I love it so much that it makes me slightly poetic. Nobuta, Shuji and Akira (especially Akira, that adorable weirdo) will live in my heart forever. That ending is just perfect that I bawled my eyes out. This is my kind of drama. This is one drama that I’m never going to forget.

Quirky, loveable characters and solid plotline, but that’s not all. Cliched high school background, but differently executed and utilized. It’s one about friendship, capturing youth, forgetting about ephemeral things like popularity and building solid relationships around you, changing who you are, growing up into maturity, leaving childhood. Lies and sincerity. Shedding short-lived images. All that is good and bad in high school.

Here, a random fanvid to entice you into watching.

Watch. This. Series. Now. Kon-kon.

Ouran High School Host Club (live action) — I was a bit iffy about watching this because of Ouran’s pseudo-fantasy genre (what with all the impossibly pretty boys present here), but I was so pleasantly surprised. Yamamoto Yusuke (the actor playing Tamaki) doesn’t look like Tamaki at all, but he NAILED Tamaki’s character so well that you get absorbed into his world as you do in the anime. Kawaguhi Haruna makes a very believable Haruhi. I could continue on prattling about the cast and how well they do their designated characters, but that would be wasting my breath because you just have to watch to see for yourself. Of course, I recommend that you watch the anime-version first, but the live action is good enough, I think.

100 Days to Heaven — I firmly believe that this drama should be packed into a delightful package and shipped to everywhere else in Asia. This is an example of a premier Filipino drama that showcases Filipino culture, beliefs and values into a solid, engaging plot, and performed excellently by both veteran actors/actress and child actor/actresses. It’s about a ruthless, successful businesswoman, Anna Manalastas, who dies at the beginning of the series. She was given the chance to correct her mistakes and receive the forgiveness of those she had wronged on earth in order to be able to enter heaven. But in one condition: that she do everything as a child, and that she do it within exactly one hundred days. Coney Reyes and little Xyriel Manabat perform Anna Manalastas with unbelievable life and attitude. This little gem of a drama should be treasured.

Yeah. Four drama series. Hopefully, this list doesn’t grow even longer, or I’ll have to forsake sleeping in favor of watching.

Blossoming

I once saw a man. I didn’t think he was anything remarkable, the first time I saw him. His skin was too pale, his hair was too black, his face was too girly and he looked so stiff and ice cold that I dismissed him in favor of his taller, cuter, more smiley friend.

But then I heard him sing… Husky smooth voice grabbing my attention. And I found myself paying him more attention than the others.

And then I heard him talk. His blunt remarks and silly personality, warm and inviting despite his cold looks…

Slowly, I started to see his statuesque beauty. His blank, mysterious face drawing me in, almost otherwordly in his prettiness. I found myself nursing a little crush, and for a period of time watched him and him only.

Over time, that little crush didn’t fade away, but it was overwhelmed as I developed similar little crushes to the four people surrounding him. Watching them became my haven, became the highlight of my days. The five of them became the inspiration of my writing, my art, my thoughts… Still, no matter how much I like them all, no matter how much I insist that I have no favorite, I know deep inside as I look at pictures of him smiling so warmly, I still like him a little more.

And even now that trouble struck them, even when I struggle with balancing my attention towards the five people who have become a part of my life, I still find myself looking at him a little more.

My watching him wasn’t always pleasant. There were times when I wondered why I liked him so much. When now I am of the opinion that his friend has an even more hypnotizing voice, that his other friend has the sharpest wit I’ve ever seen, that his other friend has the biggest heart I’ve ever seen, and his other friend has a more charming smile and easy grace. I didn’t want to suddenly know that I only like his beautiful face. It would be an insult to him and to me as well.

 I couldn’t forget the time when I thought it was his cold looks I was in love with…. Face carved out of an ice sculpture, ethereal and mesmerizing. And then the feeling of crushing shame when I finally notice how breathtakingly beautiful his smile was. Warm and full of life and passion and dreams…

However, throughout the times I spent liking him, there was always a little voice at the back of my mind, grounding me to my thoughts. Grounding me to reality, also. My feelings I’ve always acknowledged as nothing more than that of a dedicated watcher.

Until I saw this.

For the first time I felt that I was truly, definitely inlove with this man.

For the first time I found myself wishing it was me he was looking at. Found myself wishing it was me he was smiling at. Found myself wishing it was me he was laughing with, and me he was crying with.

Beautiful eyes totally focused, a perfect comnination of bliss and pain etched on his face… almost pained, as if saying “I love you… so much that it hurts to know this moment won’t last forever…”

And as he cries, and I feel the pain, and I wonder how he could evoke this jumbled emotions from me… Pride, love, appreciation…

He’s so beautiful.

He’s the man I want to marry. And it hurts a little that even in my wildest dreams, he is a star. Unattainable. Unreachable.

. . .

. . . . .

. . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . Yes, I’m melodramatic. We’ve already establised that a looooong time ago. Nyah.

Ahem, back to reality… This PV leaves me in a starry-eyed trance. My eyes were stuck on Jaejoong throughout the entire time. His acting has improved leaps and bounds, and I couldn’t be any more proud of being a fan of his. I mean, the way he delivered the emotions — the happiness, the adoration, the love, and then suddenly the sheer desperation, the anger, the sorrow… It just leaves me breathless in awe. Especially that beach scene when he was on a crying rampage… Man, I teared up a little.

And did I mention how beautiful he was? Is? Has always been?

And I feel for the girl… I can only assume that she wasn’t told of his illness, but she knows anyway. And she just let him believe she didn’t know, maybe on an attempt to not burden him farther for the remaining days they spend together.

Jaejoong’s awesomeness aside, this PV is for the lack of words… a lot tad overused, but tugs at your heart strings just the same. (Personally, for me, it was Jaejoong’s performance that tugged on my heart strings, but what do I know, I’m just a biased writer who fangirls one of the most gorgeous men on Earth). And I’m glad with how simple it looked like… It’s not overly dramatic. The scenes weren’t crammed. And the fact that you don’t hear Jaejoong’s words when he was shouting created this sort of mysterious effect (can’t find the right words).

The song was… Well, I thought it was lovely. Ayumi Hamasaki is after all the Queen of J-Pop. I was too focused (gasp! shock!) with staring at Jaejoong to listen intently.

This made my day, which has been pretty crappy since this morning.

50+ Reasons Why I Love Them

Completely unecessary, but hey, I’m a hopeless fan, and I wanted to have some fun. So there. 

It all started with this, which then turned into this list: 

1. Because Yoochun is a crybaby. 

2. Because Junsu starts crying when Yoochun starts crying. 

3. Because Changmin seems like the oldest and most mature even though he’s the youngest. 

4. Because Jaejoong acts like the youngest despite being the oldest. 

5. Because they give the most passionate performances on stage that they even cry while singing. I have never seen any group that had been carried away with the emotion of a song to actually be driven in tears. 

6. Because they’re very grateful of their fans that one time they even kneeled on stage to praise the audience during the last performance. 

7. Because their vocal talent and powerful performances is unrefutable and undeniable. 

8. Because no matter how perfect they may seem, they always make mistakes, and it makes them more human. 

9. Because Yoochun used to come up with the weirdest get-ups, hairstyles, and clothes. We all think his stylist hated him. 

10. Because Jaejoong keeps insisting that he doesn’t look good when he smiles so he covers his mouth when he laughs. We all, of course, disagree. 

11. Because despite Yunho’s manly tough exterior on camera, he’s a pile of mush and cute-ness inside. 

12. Because all of them are complete goofballs. Even Changmin… except sometimes he watches the others with a “What in the world are my hyungs doing?” expression. 

13. Because Changmin always has crazy hand gestures like a conductor, whenever they sing a ballad song. 

14. Because Junsu’s laugh is so unique you can’t help but laugh along with him and the other members love to imitate him to tease him. (I want to show the clip, but I can’t find it. It involves a takoyaki contest, and Junsu loosing, which of course prompted him to complain, which in turn prompts the rest to gang up on him. And it the clip ends when Junsu laughs his “Eu kyang kyangTM” laugh, which the others gleefuly imitates. Message me when you find it.) 

15. Because their acapellas are to die for. And they can turn an unremarkable song into a piece of jaw-dropping heavenly music. 

16. Because Changmin is the most feared member of the group despite being the youngest. See, height + muscles + sharp tongue + innocent face + evil mind = most feared member of the group… 

17. …Unless of course faced with Yunho’s wrath. … Leader-shi rules all. 

watcha lookin' at?

 

18. Because only Jaejoong can pull off bleached blond hair without looking totally ridiculous or trying-hard. And we want platinum blonde Jaejoong back. Who’s with me? 

19. Because writing and reading fanfictions about them is fun. Fanfiction is an essential in the fandom. 

20. Because Junsu’s peculiar obsession with soccer makes the other members think that he should have been a soccer player instead. 

21. Because Jaejoong trips on his own foot probably 10x a day. Okay, used to… Does he still trip? Because I used to think he wouldn’t be Jaejoong unless he trips… 

22. Because despite their appearance (come on, pretty gorgeous Asian superstars…), athletics is one of their strong points. The group’s competitiveness is almost intimidating. See Suju’s EHB DBSK ep. and Infinite Challenge and… uhm, pretty much every sport clip with DBSK competing on it. 

23. Because Changmin’s vocal range is unbelievably high that I’m pretty sure he would be able to break my computer monitor if he turns it on full force.24. Because they just love torturing each other, and their favorite victim is Junsu.  Poor guy… 

25. Because it is not a hidden fact that Jaejoong is camwhore, and I know for a fact that he has a built-in seeking device that enables him to spot cameras within a fifty-foot radius.25. Because Changmin is the sheer definition of four-dimentionality and wit… 

26. …Yet, when you think the guy is nothing but snark and sarcasm, he surprises you with how often he laughs hysterically (of course, mostly at Junsu’s expense) . 

27. Because Changmin has a special quirk– when he’s happy, his eyes are mismatched, and when he’s annoyed, his lips are mismatched. 

28. Because Changmin has the uncanny ability to eat 7 meals a day without growing fat. How unfair is that? 

29. Because Junsu sings randomly 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. He goes on. And on. And on. And– 

30. Because THEY JUST LOVE BUGGING JUNSU TO DEATH!  Poor Junsu… 

31. Becasuse Yoochun and Jaejoong comes up with the sweetest most beautiful melodies I’ve ever heard of… Kiss Shita Mama, Love Bye Love, Colors Melody and Harmnony, Wasurenaide, Kiss the Baby Sky, 9095… Actually, all of them have nice compositions. Junsu’s Picture of You, Yunho’s Checkmate, Changmin’s lyrics for Korean version of Love in the Ice and Evergreen. They should all write and release more songs. 

32. Because past the mischievous glint in his eyes, smile almost as bright as the sun, and constant teasing of Junsu, Yoochun is the most sensitive man I have ever known.  

33. YunJae, YooSu, Kiss Couple, Soulmates, Soulfighters, 2U, Tall Brothers, MinSu, Jaesu, Hosu…  

35. There’s a reason Soulfighters is my favorite couple. One moment they’re like mother and son, the next they hit each other, then hug each other, then they come to an agreement to live together peacefully, then declare that they (or Jaejoong, rather) love each other and then be back to hitting each other again, and again , and–dare I say it– again.   

34. They could seriously form a real family, complete with a mom (Jaejoong), a dad (Yunho) and kids (Yoochun, Junsu, Changmin). They fit their roles perfectly well.  

 

credits:as tagged+xiahsoul+meiting88
shared by: sharingyoochun@wordpress 

35. They just… just complement each other so well. They just fit together like that, like they were born to dominate stages together. Where one has weakness on one part, the others fill it up. Strenths get magnified.  

36.  Yunho… you have to know tbat even the combined strength of the rest of your members cannot stop Jaejoong’s vanity…  

37. Link . Oh… well, I guess that works, too… And that (although it’s a little too harsh). 

38. Sometimes, when you see Changmin in deep thought, you can’t help but think that he’s planning ways on world domination.  

39. Work ethics are the best I’ve seen. They always do their best to deliver the best show they could give to their fans.  

 And wherever they are, they always know how to have fun, whether it’s by bullying Junsu or getting overexcited with simple things… like toy soy beans and soy sauces… or barbie dolls. Seriously.  

40. I’ve read this somewhere and I can’t help but agree wholeheartedly –> They are Energizer Bunny on crack.  

Exhibit A  

Exhibit B (Chagmin, I commend you for not laughing and/or hitting them when you finished).  

Exhibit C  

Exhibit D (And they pick on Junsu again).  

Exhibit — er, I probably shouldn’t. We don’t have enough alphabets…  

41.  They like to make me cry. Of course, seeing hyper Junsu in a wheelchair alone makes me want to cry, but the brief performance of Bolero that started at around 3:17 made me seriously bawl. Dedication is the word. Dedication. 

  

42. PEARL RED SEA. I need to be a part fo it. Cassiopeia, BigEast or International… They’re the same Pearl Red Sea… Red Ocean is so breath-taking and amazing. Their determination and devotion to show how much they love DBSK just makes me love DBSK more.  

43. I have to be honest. For some insane reason I couldn’t remember, I didn’t like Junsu during the earlier weeks of my fandom– until he opened his mouth and sang…   

44. Jaejoong is Cassiopeia’s best friend. He just blurts out whatever is on his mind, and what better way to find out juicy Dong Bang Shin Ki secrets than the member who has a foot-in-mouth disease?  

45. If Jaejoong always eats his foot, then Changmin is a walking pile of snark. The guy just bluntly says whatever is on his mind in the dryest way possible, and you can’t help but laugh and feel sorry to who he is directing his snark to… Make way for Prince Changmin  

46. Changmin have seizures when he laughs.  

47. They’re gorgeous. Period. If you ever deny that, then you need to go to an optometrist, or are in severe need of a dictionary.  

48. Yunho may not be the most recognizable singer in the group, but he’s the best damn leader you’ll ever see. And to all of you who questions Yunho’s singing capabilities, I laugh at your faces. HAH!  

49. This.   

50. Their music. From heart-wrenching ballads to bubble gum pop to R & B to dance songs to Acapella to rock to just about every music genre there is… They just sing so well.  

51. They clawed their way to the top, shedding blood, sweat and tears on the way. They were at the peak of their popularity in their homeland, and then were suddenly shipped off to a foreign land where they were virtually nobodies. They clambered like blind men at first, mute because of the language barrier and isolated from the rest. With only each other as compnay, they pushed themselves to their limits, together overcame depression and homesickness and earnestly learned the language, continuously improving their capabilities as artists, eventually winning the hearts of their fans and doing their best to make them happy. And yet they remain humble, still continuously trying to improve and doing their best in everything. And now that they’re seeking to broaden their horizons, to stretch their wings and leave the nest, I only wish for them to reach the new dreams they are now working for.  

52. Because they’re Jaejoong, Yunho, Yoochun, Junsu and Changmin, and even if they stop being Hero, U-know, Micky, Xiah and Max, they will always be Jaejoong, Yunho, Yoochun, Junsu and Changmin, and I’m more than happy with that.  

Even if they stop being TVXQ, I’ll still love JYCYJ forever.  

If I could insert my whole favorites section from Youtube… I can’t. It’d take me more than a year.