Love Destiny (Bhuppae Saniwaat) || Lakorn Review

 I don't usually watch Thai dramas, in fact, this was my FIRST Thai lakorn ever so please keep that in mind as you read my review. ^_^ I just randomly stumbled onto this show on MyDramaList and saw that it had not only really high ratings but also TIME-TRAVEL so I knew I had to check this show out. And guess what? I ended up LOVING this show. It's so good and even though it might take some time to get used to hearing Thai if you haven't been exposed to South Asian languages a lot (like me), it is such a worthwhile watch!

The entire show has been subbed by the amazing MUSE translation group. They also sub other lakorns! This is so rare for non-English shows/movies, so please go support them!

All the couples~

A quick summary of Love Destiny or บุพเพสันนิวาส: Kadesurang, an archaeologist, stumbles along a ghost-like maiden with her buddy archaeologist, Reung, and the next thing she knows, the ghost-like maiden, who is actually named Karakade, asks for her help. Suddenly, Kadesurang's in the body of Karakade, a well-off woman who lived around 400 years ago. Even better is that Karakade is known to be vicious and cruel to anyone that gets in her way. How will Kadesurang fair in her new body and help to redeem Karakade's name for all of her cruel actions?

What I liked about it:

• Time-travel aspect: History buff time-traveling back to an era that they actually are knowledgeable about; very interesting to see how Kade reacts to everything 
• Slow burn romance: I appreciated there wasn't many makeout or intimate scenes because 1) it doesn't suit the time period and 2) if you've got sizzling chemistry, who cares about how often they smooch or hold hands; overall, it was a good, pure romance...Pope and Bella (played Por Date and Kade respectively) did such a great job!
• Modern day girl thrown into ancient times realism: There are several scenes where other characters are asking Kade what she means by her slang and modern way of talking, which really points out how speech and language have changed over time. I don't think I've seen a show that has done this so thoroughly as Love Destiny
• No unnecessary drama or conflict: this one kind of threw me off and I didn't know whether I truly liked it or not but you know what? Sometimes I like fluff and happy plots. Also it drives the story (and history) forward without a break, which is refreshing.

What I did not like about it:

King Narai (Nai Luang)

• Politics: Because I'm usually not that much of a politics person, I just thought this aspect of the story was not that interesting. I did, however, pay more attention once during the middle of the story (*spoiler* that led to a character death) and at the end, where everything was building to a climax.  
• Phaulkon's relationship with Maria: one word....ew.
• Hard to explain this one without giving out spoilers but...Kade's curiosity and brashness is sometimes so excessive but not once does it feel like she's actually in real danger; but this could be a good thing depending on what you want in a show (fluff vs. angst)...I'll explain this more in the spoiler discussion below. 

So if you've never watched a Thai lakorn before, the question you may be asking is if Love Destiny is a good one to start with and I'd say YES YES YES. I mean, it's not the most popular lakorn in Thailand for no reason (even prisoners got to watch it recorded.) There may be certain aspects to the culture or language or how people address each other that may be confusing but I assure it, it will make more sense as you continue watching (also google search helps.)

Ms. Justice (Seigi no Se) || JDrama Review

Note: The first half of this review is spoiler-free but I'll be discussing some of my more favorite moments of the series in detail after that.

These cuties! Unfortunately, if you want to see these two together then this drama is not it LOL

It's been awhile since I've done a review but I recently discovered a nice drama called Ms. Justice or Seigi no Se 正義のセ. It's a 10 episode drama aired in 2018 with each episode about an hour long so it's not that long of a watch but it's pretty enjoyable if you're bored and want something to watch. Not to say that it's only worth watching only if you're bored LOL but it's episodic and a few of the episodes aren't really that memorable. Overall, I really enjoyed watching this and think it's important to recognize this drama for its strong female lead and how she is depicted in her profession.

A quick summary of the story: Takemura Ririko, a young and energetic prosecutor, transfers to the the Yokohama Prosecutor branch after one year of working elsewhere and struggles to adjust to her new work environment and co-workers. Additionally, she is assigned an assistant named Aihara Tsutomu, who is to oversee her prosecutor duties and advise her but he doesn't seem to trust her abilities; this is due to her novice status and the fact that she is stubborn and sometimes unprofessional during her interrogations. As Ririko works hard at her job, she also finds it hard to balance her work and personal life. 

What I like about the drama: 

• Features an assertive female lead that is physically out-and-about trying to solve cases; granted she can't really keep her emotions in check in the beginning but it becomes her strongest asset and helps her solve her cases
• Female in a male-dominated profession (and office) and none of the men use her gender to diss her ability 
• Dynamic between Aihara and Ririko; an older man supporting a younger woman...now that's a work relationship that you don't see often; also they're really funny together 
• Okay slightly spolier-ish (highlight to read): Characters break-up on good terms
• Maybe this is just something all crime dramas do but I appreciate it here because this drama provides a platform to explore issues that are currently occurring in Japanese society (chikans (train perverts), bribery, scams, etc.)through an episodic format: introduces case in beginning, solving the case in the middle, realizing the case wasn't as simple as they thought, and then case solved)
• Theme song was pretty good; I felt like it was a standard, uplifting drama OST but it gets me pumped every time so eh, whatever, I like it.

What I didn't like about the drama: 

• The length; I'm not sure how long the source material was but I really wanted this to be longer!!
• No real plot; I say this because I believe the show is solely driven on the growing bond between Aihara and Ririko (as well as Ririko gaining the others' approval and respect) and other character dynamics. There isn't anything like a "final boss" or mystery that needs to be solved. But at the same time, it makes the drama seem more like slice-of-life in that it's not really over dramatic but rather the main focus is serving justice. 
• Some cases weren't really memorable and were kind of mediocre...to be honest. But I listed my favorite cases below!

Okay, so this section is where the spoilers will be! Read on if you don't care! >_<

Feel Good Anime! || Summertime Recommendations

Note: So this I actually started writing about a year or two ago so I apologize if this post reads kind of inconsistently. It's near the end of summer (which I have a hard time admitting) but better late than never, right???? Enjoy!

It's summer!! And I'm especially excited for this year's summer because I'll be doing a LOT of traveling (this was in 2017...rip posting about them...maybe I'll post them in the future). Also, I'll be heading off the college this fall (2017) so a lot of new beginnings are in store for me. But graduating high school has made me think about a lot of things so that's why I've become pretty nostalgic (even more than I already am lol) and decided to go back to my roots.

So here are some anime are just really pleasant to watch and remind me of summer! Of course, if you are looking for some anime to binge watch over the summer break, these are especially good (and I'll probably end up re-watching some of these on my trip lol)!

Just a note, I've organized these anime by genre because why not? Gotta get my organization skills up for college. xD
Also, I'm not really giving a summary for these anime because other sites already got that (and I'm lazy lol) so I've linked those. I've just described what I like about each anime and why I have distinct memories/feelings of summer for each one.

School Life

Gakuen Alice

I remember watching this over and over when I was younger. I just thought it was so ridiculous and funny and had a really interesting plot line. The story actually starts off in the summer so it gives me a summer vibe even though, you know, it takes place in a school (but a very cool school!) I am disappointed that it doesn't have a second season but hey, at least the manga is complete (and scanlated!) And yes, the main characters are in elementary school (around 11-12 years old I think) but I think it's still watchable for older viewers. A very lighthearted watch; it doesn't get too serious or dark (although the manga provides more of that.) Oh yeah and I forgot to mention the academy style and the fact that all the students have special abilities is very reminiscent of Hogwarts (although Harry Potter is a bit more grungier than Gakuen Alice.)

Slice of Life

Hanasaku Iroha

Okay so I've only watched this show once around two years ago BUT it left a really good impression on me so I decided to include it here. If you like well done slice-of-life and female friendships, then I strongly suggest watching this show. It has somewhat of an episodic feel, as each girl has an episode that focuses on them and their story. As for why this has a summer, nostalgic feel to me: the main character is forced to stay and work at her grandma's inn in the countryside, and although she technically moves there, to me it feels like a summer retreat almost lol. It's also exciting because she's from the city so she has to adapt to the environment and lifestyle there. It has a hint of romance which is a nice touch. :) If you want to know more about the show, you can read my review here!

Natsume Yuujinchou

This is a pretty chill and lowkey series often compared to Mushishi. It has 5 seasons (and ongoing) so you're in for a long journey. This series is meant to be episodic but still has an overarching goal that the main character wants to achieve (learning more about his past and grandmother.) Overall, I think it's a lighthearted and enjoyable watch. Because of its episodic nature, you can easily put it on hold and pick it up again after a while. After coming back from a long day of work or school, I especially enjoyed and looked forward to watching this show. It was a really nice wind down.

Sports

Honestly any sports anime is good to watch over the summer lol. And if you've seen my other posts...you would know I love sports anime. xD

Prince of Tennis

I distinctly remember watching this over the summer, specifically the summer before I entered 6th grade. It was because of this anime, I kid you not, that I was suddenly compelled to pick up tennis. I know, how did a Dragonball Z infused tennis anime inspire me to pick up tennis? I would just be totally disappointed at how actual tennis works. But now I'm here, 7 years later, finishing up my 4th year on my school's tennis team and essentially making it as the 3rd place Doubles team in States. Life comes at you fast. Anyway, despite how ridiculous the bending of physics is in this one, it gives me a lot of nostalgia and if I were to re-watch it, it would just be for the characters lol. I would just get too annoyed watching (and hearing) the tennis now that I know a lot more about it.

Major (S1 - S6)

Okay so I know this series might seem a little intimidating seeing as it has SIX freaking seasons but trust me...even those six seasons and numbers of OVAs are still not enough (IMO). This is my all-time favorite baseball anime especially since it's so comprehensive; the story follows the life of a great baseball player from child to an adult starting a family. The matches, unlike IRL baseball (lol sorry baseball fans) are really interesting to watch, especially the big, important matches that are filled with a lot of tension. Trust me, if you watch Major, you'll fly through all the seasons and OVAs and movies and whatnot.

Big Windup! (Ookiku Furikabutte)

I actually watched this over a summer break (probably 6-7 years ago?) and it was the first baseball anime I've ever watched. Now if you don't really watch sports anime and you're not into sports, you're probably wondering, how the heck can you make baseball seem interesting? Well here you go. Along with Major, Big Windup! is another well-done baseball anime. This one is more feel-good than Major though, since BW! basically about a bunch of dumb high school boys that just want to play baseball and go to Koshien lol. I also have to give props to the people that voice-acted on the Funimation English dub of this because it's actually quite good, and it was the first version that I watched. I know, shocker, I'm actually recommending a dub version of an anime.

Eyeshield 21

Actually in the middle of re-watching this! E21 just sticks out to me as a summer anime lol. It has tons of fun, adventure, and excitement that whenever summer comes around, I just think about re-watching if it's been a while since I've watched it. Although there are some annoying characters (like in every shounen anime), there are pretty memorable (and cute) characters but the most iconic being Hiruma. Oh my lord, Hiruma. That guy is great. There is also one story arc where the team goes to America (land of the "football") and they have a training camp there through the intense heat of the west (think Las Vegas).

Hikaru's Go (Hikaru no Go) - Board games count...right?

One of my favorite anime of all time!!! I've given up on how many times I've watched this show. Anyway, what makes this show summer-y? Well, it gets pretty intense (for a board game lol). You can't help but get excited to see the main character's true potential. It also has a quirky plot line as well; an ancient Go master plays Go through a modern kid. Also, I'm pretty sure this show single-handedly saved Go from being an extinct game among kids. Warning, this show actually gets SUPER sad near the end so...yeah. Have fun! :D

Capeta

So Capeta is another one of those anime where the story starts off when the main character is young and kind of starting out in his sport but then does a time-skip where he is older and, I think, in high school. I never thought that I would find go-cart racing to be really exciting but yeah, this anime got me really hyped lol. Like any other sports anime, Capeta has really dramatic moments but they really add to the suspense and emotions of the story. Watch to see the growth and talent of the main character as well some great rivals.

Chihayafuru

There are hardly any sports anime (that isn't revolved around how cute or how sexy the girl characters look) with female leads or about co-ed sports in general. This one is special in that features a, honestly, pretty boring-looking game called Karuta. But this show somehow makes you excited about it. The main tournament that the cast aims to go to is at Meiji Jingu during the summer and it's like the equivalent of what Koshien (Nationals) is to Japanese high school baseball players. That's why it has a summer-y feel to me because that's pretty much their goal in the end. To find out more about what I liked about Chihayafuru, you can my review of the anime AND manga here!

Cross Game

...another baseball anime. I am not sorry. xD Well compared to the other baseball anime in this post, Cross Game is more slice-of-life than baseball, in my opinion. It does get baseball heavy at times but there is a lot more focus on character relationships and life outside of it. Also, my fave is Aoba, who is a fierce and strong girl that likes pitching. I loveee seeing girls in baseball so I was really excited to see her kick the other boys' butts at baseball. I also like the indie feel of the opening song.

Ginga e Kickoff!

This is another sports anime featuring a quite young cast (but they're also so adorable!) Most of them I believe are around 11-12 years old. While the soccer sometimes gets a little too intense for their age-group, I think the matches are pretty interesting. But what really drew me in to this anime were the different and interesting characters. I also like some of the character growths, especially Reika (literally goes from zero to hero!) This show also has a story arc where the main cast travels to a different country and that gives off a very summer-y vibe. Also I'm pretty sure this is the only anime that I've watched that features triplets lol.

Hajime no Ippo

This is a pretty well-known title BUT if you haven't gotten around to watching it yet, I highly recommend giving it a shot. I was not into boxing at all before I watched it (more like, I didn't know much about it rather than not liking it), but I came out knowing a lot more terminology and about the diets that boxers have to do before they're weighted (very yikes!) Despite the fact that the art style is a little dated, the boxing animation was still well-done, and you'll see an even bigger upgrade if you continue to watch the sequel, Hajime no Ippo: New Challenger. I also appreciated that the show not only focused on telling the story of Ippo, the main character, but also shed some light on the background and motivations of the boxers that he was facing (so you're more sympathetic towards them as well and don't really know which side is going to win/who to root for.)

Kaleido Star

An oldie but a goodie. I actually remember watching this anime in elementary school (and it was probably summertime). It has a lot of sports anime trope moments where you see the main character start from the bottom, but then show that they have talent, achieve success, hit a roadblock and go downhill, and then rise up again, etc. I'm not actually sure if this considered a sports anime but it has a lot of physical exertion so....I put it here lol. While this show has some irritating parts to it in the second season (annoying rivals), the feeling you get when you see the heroine succeed is absolutely amazing.

Whistle!!

This is one of my most re-watched anime and I'm not sure why lol. I guess for the nostalgia since I did first watch this at a young age but quite honestly, it's pretty old so the animation and the soundtrack is a bit lacking. My favorite part though was when they gathered players from different schools at this one camp and I don't know...it just struck as really interesting to me. Whistle!! was one of my first sports anime so I think it did contribute to my interest in anime revolving around sports.

Tsuritama

Fishing...summer...I think it fits! xD It's been a while since I've watched and thought about this show so I kind of forgot what the plot line even was, but I do remember the characters being quite lovable and it was just a chill show. I distinctly remember a duck named Tapioca, and it just struck me as the funniest thing ever. I love that duck, man. I'm not even sure if this is accurate, but Tsuritama feels like a more interesting fishing version of Free!! (sorry Free!! fans...)

Adventure

One Piece, Naruto, Bleach

Enough said lol. Everyone knows these titles but I still like to put them here because they give me a lot of the feels. Also, they all have a good re-watch value. Especially Naruto. Naruto was the very first anime I watched and is, by far, my most beloved series. But One Piece and Bleach were also very fun to watch! I've haven't completed One Piece yet and am no where near catching up but by just watching the first couple of episodes, you can see why One Piece is up there in the most popular and beloved anime of all time. And who doesn't like ninjas, pirates, or shinigamis?

Planet Survive

Nothing screams summer than being stranded on an inhabited planet, right? Yes, a PLANET. In the beginning, you're introduced to a kind of futuristic, tech-y school (which I totally loved omg I hope someone does a spin-off of it), but sooner or later the main cast is thrown into the wilderness. I liked watching them get accustomed to their surroundings and be super innovative and build their shelter, tools, and other items (which is highly unrealistic considering the items they have and the fact that they're like...in their mid-teens...Idk maybe kids become super powerful in the future lol.) I do have to say that this show does get drawn out longer than it needs to, but it still was a quite enjoyable watch. Also, I have a review on this!

Beast Player Erin

Another anime that features a strong female lead! If you like fantasy, interesting creatures, and politics, this show is for you! The story follows the heroine's growth from child (kind of like Major) to a young woman. There is some romance but not a lot, so I wouldn't watch this just for the romance. My favorite part of this show was the world-building. It made me super invested. This show may be listed as targeted for children but I definitely think there are themes there that can only be more deeply understood by an older audience. This is because the author, Uehashi Nahoko (my fave!) originally wrote the novels that this anime is based on as "children's" books but the later novels in the series get super dark (like superrrr dark, which I talk about a little bit more in my review.)

Ghost Hunt

It may be a little weird to some Westerners but I tend to think of summer as a really spooky season. I mean during the day you can go to the beach, travel, enjoy the weather, etc. but when night hits...I don't know, it's just something spooky about it. I think it might be due to the number of horror movies about some family going on a trip that turned wrong or something. So, Ghost Hunt totally fits lol! The anime isn't terribly scary, but it does have its creepy moments. Overall, pretty fun to watch! I do think it has too few episodes seeing how long the manga version went on and developed the story.

Hunter x Hunter (2011)

Honestly, the 2011 version is phenomenal but if you really want to watch both, I recommend watching the old 1999 version and then watching the remake because if you watch the remake first, you'll only be disappointed by the old one. But I still like the old version since that's how I first got into HxH and just nostalgic feels towards it.

Twelve Kingdoms (Juuni Kokuki)

I've kind of made it a habit to include this in almost all my anime recommendations because why not?? Twelve Kingdoms is an awesome anime, and I think summer is just a really special season that allows you to get those creative juices flowing by diving into an interesting fantasy realm. I think I also first watched this anime in the summer, but I'm not sure. Either way, it's a really fun and fantastic anime that should have gotten more episodes and hype but didn't.

Movies

Your Name (Kimi no Na Wa)

Everyone knows this movie. But I'm going to put it here anyway because 1) animation is stunning, 2) soundtrack is stunning, 3) this whole film is a perfect escape. It's slice-of-life but at the same time has a fantastical and supernatural element to it which is really nice and brings out your inner child. I wouldn't say it was the plot line that was the most memorable but this film will give you feels and stun you with the incredible animation.

Wolf Children

It's not summer without a family film, right? And it's not summer without a feels film, right? Well this film has both! It's very good for watching with friends and family. :)

Misc.

Glass Mask (2005)

I especially love stories where you get to see women being passionate and chasing their dreams and it's not all focused on getting a dude. This show is basically an adventure through the main character's acting career but boy, it is a show you don't want to miss. Also, the art style is very old-school shoujo because it's based on a '70s manga, but you'll get used to the art-style pretty quickly.

Space Brothers (Uchuu Kyodai)

This is one of my favorite anime of all time, and the manga is one of favorites as well, and I just realllyyy hope it gets another season. This show is great if you're interested in space and what the life of an astronaut is like (and behind the scenes of how NASA and other space organizations prepare for launches, missions, etc.) I wouldn't say it's 100% accurate because, ya know, it's anime; it has to have some exaggerated drama in it, but the show has been given the "cooperation and assistance of NASA" soo there is probably some accuracy there.

Misc. Recs I || This might be a series thing

Miscellaneous Recommendations I
Theme: Summer

**If you want to listen/watch/find out more info on any of these, I always try to link the item as well as its author/artist.

Drama
Splash Splash Love: Okay, I know what you're thinking when you read that title in your head. Yeah, it's a pretty cheesy name for a drama, but the content is what matters! Starring Kim Seul-Gi and Doo Joon (BEAST) as the main leads, this 12-episode web drama (equivalent to a 2-episode regular length drama...sadly) follows a high school student about to take her SAT, when she falls into a puddle and transports back in time to the Joseon era. This drama is actually really funny, and is kind of like a parody of historical dramas but when it all wraps up (all too quickly), you're left with wanting more. Ughhhh I wish it was regular length drama series....TT_TT

Manga
Kono Oto Tomare! by Amyuu: This manga has great art, believable characters, sad background stories (beware!), and incredible insight into the art of the koto. Even without sound, just by looking at certain parts of the manga, you can actually feel the intensity of the koto-playing. Read if you like pretty art and music!

Music (mostly Korean songs, but one is in English lol but eyy good music transcends language amirite?)

Shut Up & Groove by Heize (feat. DEAN): A really groovy, feel-good song perfect for cruising down the street!

Need to Feel Needed by Amber: One of Amber's English releases! The song really showcases her sweet, melodic voice, with a catchy chorus. You'll be low-key bopping to this one.

I Like That by SISTAR: A group with a sexy, girl-power image, SISTAR comes out with a serious song that pulls you back and forth! They always release summer bops tbh.

Yerin Baek (South Korean R&B/Soul-type singer):

• His Ocean
• Blue

BTS (South Korean hip/hop & pop group):

• I Need U (Urban mix)
• Run (Ballad ver)
• Ma City
• Whalien 52
• Converse High

MAMAMOO(South Korean girl group known for their retro/throwback style; very jazzy & funky):

• Woo hoo(an ad for a phone...what a great song though) 
• Funky Boy
• Friday Night (feat. Junggigo)
• Words Don't Come Easy
• Ahh Oop!

Carly Rae Jepsen (E.MO.TION album...enough said):

• E.MO.TION
• Boy Problems
• Let's Get Lost

Classic (feat. Powers) by The Knocks

All of You by Betty Who

Oishii Kankei (A Delicious Relationship) by Makimura Satoru || Manga Review

So it was probably unhealthy for me to marathon-read 10 volumes in one day BUT Oishii Kankei (or in English, A Delicious Relationship) was just THAT good. I kept telling myself to pause and save reading for another day but I just HAD to know the ending, and I wasn't about to skip to the end and spoil myself.
Before I get into explaining what this amazing manga is about, I just wanna gush a little bit about this manga. I might say that a certain manga is great or one of the best I've ever read, but I think Oishii Kankei is a little different than other manga that I compliment so heavily. Not only is it a very enjoyable read, but also I finished the story feeling uplifted and motivated to work hard on my own life, and that's a sign of fantastic storytelling. Of course, there are other elements involved in storytelling but to me, I think the most important part is using your own thoughts and experiences and conveying them in a way to the reader that makes he/she/they see something in a new light. And Makimura does this by introducing characters of varying backgrounds, make them struggle and emerge stronger, and with a more resilient will to live life their own way.

Without further ado, here's an introduction to the series:

Title: [おいしい関係 ] - Oishii Kankei (A Delicious Relationship) by Makimura Satoru
Status: Completed;  10 volumes (started in 1993)
Genres/Elements: Cooking, Josei, Romance, Comedy, Drama
Summary: Momoe, ever since she was small, accompanied her father, a gourmet, to eat a variety of high-class dishes. Because of this, she developed very sharp taste buds, and unparalleled ability to discern ingredients and critique food. Everything in Momoe's sparkly, sheltered life started to crash when her beloved father dies. Instead of attending college, she decides to find a job. Eventually, Momoe ends up at a French bistro called Petit Lapin, where she encounters a very familiar taste in the dishes she eats, and asked to be employed there. From there, Momoe starts her journey to become a cook, and discover her own dreams...

Additional Comments:

• Kind of an FYI thing: Josei, literally means "woman" in Japanese, but it is also a category for manga aimed towards an older female audience. There are a lot of different types of stories within the josei category, but josei typically means there will be some adult topics involved(like marriage, sex, work, the harsh reality of life, and other things adults are concerned about).

In-depth (spoiler-free woo-hoo!) review:

• Characters: As I've mentioned before, the characters are flawed, so you might not like some of them, but by the end, you can see that they have grown as people, and are trying to become better versions of themselves. I especially liked how Momoe, the heroine, grew because during her struggles, you can see how she tries to think of a solution and tackle the problem head-on. Even though she is introduced as a rich, pampered girl, Momoe clearly becomes capable of taking care of herself, and dealing with difficulties whether in her love life or her profession. Just overall, she demonstrated a tough mentality (kind of reminds me of Maya from Glass Mask) that I don't really see in many manga with a female main character, or in stories in general. Her optimism and bright personality were other aspects that I admired about her as well, and I think we could all learn from her simplicity and straightforwardness. :) Also, I was genuinely surprised at the development of Oda, the male lead. He seems like another one of those straight-laced, stoic characters, but he really opens up and becomes really sweet towards the end (like a human bean).  
• Romance: So if you want a whole series dedicated to romance, look elsewhere because this one mainly focuses on a woman's effort to become recognized as a cook. Jk, but seriously...the romance really starts in the later part of the story. I don't know what you would call it...a slow-burner, I guess? But I think it's sweet nonetheless.
• Setting: The settings do shift quite a bit throughout the story, but in general the main setting is just a restaurant...lol, or a kitchen. Oh, and this isn't just some street-vendor-type of cooking, but French cuisine lol. Very high-class and fancy~ Later in the story, it embodies this feeling, although in the beginning it was just at a bistro (very casual-feeling).
• Story/Writing/Pace: For a decently long series, I don't think I felt bored with the story at all. Maybe the occasional food explanations and workplace drama made me skim pages, but for the most part, I was hooked! I also thought the pacing was really good; I felt time was passing as I was reading this (since the characters age as well), and the development of Momoe's skills were at a reasonable pace. The interactions between the characters were natural, and the background stories for some of them made me feel very compassionate for them. I want to add that being able to peek in on Momoe's thought process really made me appreciate her as a character even more.
• Art: The art was very cute! It's easy to read, and easy to recognize what is drawn (instead of like, "is that supposed to be an arm or what?"). The characters look very lovely, and there is quite a bit of cute fashion in this as well (I've just found out the author also wrote Real Clothes, which I suppose is like a fashion version of Oishii Kankei lol)! The food also looked pretty good as well!
• Cooking: Not a cook or food enthusiast at all, but I think I learned a few things about French cuisine after reading this lol. This series made me really appreciate the effort put into cooking. Of course, I don't know how accurate any of the information about the food or cooking techniques are, but I can assure you that the main focus of this series is definitely on cooking. xD
• Other: Basically a theme of this story is YOLO, so go out and do the things you want to do, and really appreciate certain aspects of your life rather than taking it for granted. :) Also, I appreciate that Momoe didn't suddenly want to become a world-class chef or something, and that she was really satisfied with just making people happy with her cooking. Sometimes it's the simple things that count. ^_^ And that just adds to the "real" aspect of this story even more.

Wow, hope that wasn't intimidating to read lol.

Overall, I give Oishii Kankei a 4.70/5.00 stars! I took off some points because I wanted to see a little bit more romance at the end, and a few other things I can't say because I would spoil it. ^_^;;;

Really hope you take the time to try reading Oishii Kankei! Or watch the drama versions of it: My Name is Kim Sam-Soon, Oishii Kankei, and Sweet Relationship.

-Have a great day!-  J U L I E  (ㅇㅅㅇ❀)

Legend by Marie Lu || Book Review

So. Slight update to how I've been.
I'm reading again. And posting again after, what, two months? But even before that, I was barely active lol. Geez, time has flown by so fast. I know that's trite (or is it trite by saying it's trite? I don't know anymore...) but it's soooo true. School recently let out this week (but I didn't have to go because I didn't have any finals so, go me! ^_^), but I feel like I'm the same person that I was (or maybe slightly different) at the beginning of the school year. Does it feel that way to anyone else? Ugh, but now I gotta focus on applying to colleges...woot woot.

Anyway, life's pretty okay, moving on. I FINALLY got to this series. I'm pretty sure it's grouped with books like Hunger Games and Divergent (sorry, had to mention them even though I'm pretty sure everyone's sick of hearing about them), and for a good reason; all three series have a dystopian setting, tragic events, and main characters fighting back against the establishment.
Although, I think I like Legend's premise a bit more than the other books. I mean come on, a prodigy and a criminal falling in love with each other? Sounds absolutely hilarious....jk. But it IS pretty intriguing.

If you're not familiar with Legend, here is my overview of the book:

Legend by Marie Lu (Book 1 of the Legend trilogy)
Young Adult
Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Action, Dystopian, Tragedy, Drama
Summary: Imagine a society where, at the age of 10, every child must take an exam, the Trials, in order to determine their future path. High scorers get admitted to high school and a free-pass to the most elite colleges, and even the pretty decent scorers can definitely go onto to higher education. The low-scorers, typically those who live in slums, however, are typically treated like dirt, and they stay in the slums. Such a society, called the Republic, is one where June, a hailed prodigy who gets a perfect score on the Trials, and Day, a mysterious criminal shaking up the Republic, lives in.
June has always thought positively on her society, but when a certain incident involving Day shakes her up, she realizes that the Republic is hiding a lot more than it seems. As a keen observer, June sets out to discover the truth, encountering love, ugly secrets, and deaths along the way.
Other notes:

• Alternating POVs between Day and June (different fonts and color which is pretty cool)

My actual (spoiler-free!) thoughts about the book:

• Characters: To tell the truth, my initial impressions on both characters weren't that great because both June and Day seemed a little too awesome for me -- even if there were people that didn't like them...and a lot shit happens to them. I mean, they're both good-looking, intelligent, AND athletic?? Wow, and they meet EACH OTHER? And fall in love. Lol I'm only teasing but one comment I have to make though, is that I felt that their attraction towards each happened really fast for me. Maybe it's because I've been reading too much shoujo manga, and FYI, in shoujo manga, it takes CHAPTERS for any romance to develop. Oh yeah, and btw, these characters are both 15 years old. Damn. June seemed to more of stoic character to me, which is actually kind of refreshing because a lot of heroines in YA seem to be expressive and emotional (which isn't bad). She does let her emotion show through sometimes though. Day is quite similar to her (ya know, with the whole, being perfect thing).
• The villains in Legend, are, as expected, dislikable. I think it might have to do with the first person POV. Since we're seeing only one person's POV, we're kind of inclined to take their side/opinion on certain people. There's honestly very little sympathy I felt for them because as a reader, ya pretty much see them at their worst.
• Plot: The story is pretty easy to follow, and if you're familiar with dystopian, probably easy to predict as well. But for me, it still kept me interested for the whole way. I feel that the story starts off a bit slow, but you really become attached to it at a certain point.
• Writing: I think Lu's writing really shines in the latter half of the book. Her style is pretty easy to read for the most part, and then it slowly becomes better in terms of flow and description.
• Pacing: I didn't have any issues with the pacing, other than what I mentioned before, about starting a bit slow in the beginning (but that may be because introductions kind of bore me lol). Even the shifts in POV didn't bother me that much because I just wanted to know what was going to happen next. But June and Day are pretty similar in terms of thinking and character so that helped as well.
• Additional: Okay, this has nothing to do with the story, but I have to re-iterate that Legend has an Asian-American author!! This made me really excited because I've been wanting to read more books by a diverse range of authors, and also, because I'm an Asian-American myself.

Okay, one last thing (and one that I just found out): Legend is going to be turned into a movie!! Say whaaaaattttt. I just pray that they don't screw the casting up and make, say, Day a white boy because he's mixed (and has Asian features as well)!! But anyway, I am looking forward to it!

Overall, my rating for this book is 4.00/5.00 stars, which is what I rated it on GoodReads.

Thanks for reading, and I hope you try reading Legend if you haven't yet!!

Winter Anime 2016 || Bullet Thoughts

Whew! Boy am I late to this season!

Honestly, 2015 seemed both long and short for me, and it's already a new year and...I don't know, I feel so out of the loop. Anyway, I'll write more of my thoughts on this in another post! Maybe!

In case you're interested in what I thought were the best anime of 2015, you can check out my tumblr post I made.

Here's some of my notes that I've put down on the anime I've watched. Overall, I thought this season was pretty good, and the anime that stood out to me the most was definitely Erased.

Note: I have not completed most of them so these are my half-way impressions of the anime. xD

Onward to my bullet-pointed thoughts!

Mentioned Anime:

• Ajin
• Boku Dake ga Inai Machi(Erased)
• Dimension W
• Norn9 + Nonet
• Prince of Stride: Alternative 
• Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu

Ajin

• Has unfortunate CGI animation but the more you watch it, the more normal it looks
• Attack on Titan/Tokyo Ghoul kind of feel
• SUPER COOL AJIN BLACK GHOSTS; for the people who like cool creatures/entities
• However, no real memorable characters except the madman named Satou lol
• Main character has a pretty volatile personality?
• Something about those ghosts man, I don't know, but I like 'em
• Would I recommend? Yes.

Boku Dake ga Inai Machi (The Town Where I Don't Exist aka Erased)

• Honestly the top contender for best anime of the season/of the year so far
• OPENING AND ENDING SONGS ARE !!!!!! THAT'S SOME GOOD SHIT
• Kind of easy to guess the mystery though...but I guess it's more emphasis on the tension rather than WHODUNIT
• Love the story and time-travel element
• Main character has an ability that breaks its own rules? Little to no explanation of the Revival other than the first episode.
• Fabulous animation 100/10 and fitting soundtrack
• Warning: Tragic hero
• Different Anime Ending: Since I'm a manga reader, it was kind of abrupt and weird way to end? But still cool. :)
• Would I recommend? YES ABSOLUTELY.

Dimension W

• Another dimension added called W (X,Y,Z) which results in the possibility of different worlds
• Cool concept; kind of mind-boggling O_o
• Includes: cute robot girl, Samurai Champloo-looking guy, needles, fabulous car noises, MYSTERY
• Dubstep Opening Song
• Would I recommend? Sure!
  

Norn9: Norn + Nonet

• Interesting universe; Sci-Fi
• Multiple romantic couples (main couple is actually pretty boring and cliché)
• Usual, innocent maiden as heroine (ugh)
• Wait, who is the actual main character though...
• Although a bit cliché, the plot is driven forward nicely
• YANAGI NAGI singing the opening song sold me 
• Very nice animation 10/10
• Warning: Plot twist!
• If you like: From the New World
• Includes: hidden social commentary
• Would I recommend? Yup!

Prince of Stride: Alternative

• Fanservice, cute anime boys doing parkour while running
• Bromance + much more
• Don't look for romance in this, the focus= gay boys
• If you like: Prince of Tennis, Free!, other male sports animes 
• Not really my cup of tea? But still cute and fun
• Would I recommend? If you like reverse harem and boy sports anime then yes.

Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu(or Showa and Genroku Era Lover's Suicide Through Rakugo)

• Long ass first episode threw me off lol
• Starts off at near the present time, then a flashback that serves as the main story
• Interesting one-man shows(rakugo); actually really entertaining to watch
• I learned something new about Japanese culture woo-hoo!
• Bromance alert! Drama alert!
• Includes: some history (WWII period), romance
• Has the most gorgeous and fitting soundtrack I've heard in a while
• Would I recommend? ABSOLUTELY.

Apparently I really liked the seinen anime this season, which is strange as I don't usually watch seinen anime lol. But yeah, aside from Ajin, which is hit or miss for most people (but check it out anyway), Dimension W, Erased, Norn9, and Showa are definitely anime you shouldn't sleep on!!