Author: mysteriousalien2

Just a random human being on the earth who likes to write and eat;)

Book Review: Before Your Memory Fades (#3) by Toshikazu Kawaguchi

‘Well, I read that when you give a gift to someone who is striving to achieve their dreams, you have to give them the most cherished thing you have. Some days, that person who is chasing their dreams will not be able to find the strength to keep going. It will be bitter and painful, and they will have to weigh up their dreams and reality to make a choice. When that happens, the person gifted with the most precious thing will be able to fight on a little more. It apparently helps them to feel they are not alone. So, I’m giving you this book because I want you to fight for your dream.’

Let me continue with the review of Before the Coffee Gets Cold series by Toshikazu Kawaguchi and today it’s time for the third book in the series. Before Your Memory Fades is my favourite book in the series, it has touched my heart with its beautiful stories. Again we met on the hillside of Mount Hakodate in northern Japan in Cafe Donna Donna. The cafe is back serving delicious coffee as well as giving its customers the chance to go back in time by following certain rules. In this book we meet four customers; a daughter who resents her deceased parents for leaving her orphaned, the comedian who aches for his beloved and their shared dreams, the sister whose grief has become all-consuming, and the man who realized his love for his childhood friend.

I connected with this book so much, all the stories were heart-wrenching and inspiring. The four characters who went back in time were filled with angst and guilt, and because of that, the conversation was filled with words that my heart started sobbing. This book truly allows us to see how much every person is suffering from something, how each person is carrying guilt, how they have regretted what they have done in the past, and how they want to just forget the past and make things right. This book also teaches that if you ever get the chance to meet the person again maybe life could get a little better.

‘If it was just a matter of travelling back to the past, anyone could do it. But this cafe chooses people…By its rules…And some people hear those rules and give up. But those people who are resolved to go back, despite the rules, have a reason for doing so. It doesn’t matter what the reason is. If there is someone they must see, or someone they should see… even if the present reality won’t change…then, that’s all that matters.’

However, it also teaches that reality can’t be changed and maybe this is for the better of one being. The thing about me is that when I read stories about people who went through life in a hard way, it makes me want to appreciate life and be more grateful.

That is why I highly recommend this book.

Rating: 4.5/5

‘Something I strongly believe is that we mustn’t allow the death of a person to be the cause of unhappiness. The reason for that is simple: if you let everyone who dies be a cause for unhappiness, that would mean people are being born to become unhappy. But the opposite in fact is true. People are always born for the sake of happiness.’ – Yukari Tokita, Author

Check out the review for the first and second books by clicking here.

Till we meet again, Be Happy, Be Grateful, and Keep Smiling – a girl who likes to write.

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Passion.

Seek what sets your soul on fire.

I love to hear when people talk about things they love with passion in their eyes. I never knew that having things you love is a luxury in this world. People are lucky when they see what they love and continue to do it. It is so funny that when we are children we decide we want to become something just like that. But when we grow up when actual responsibility falls on us we realize it is so important to choose what we truly love because we are going to be stuck so it is better to figure out which direction is for us. In my life, I never really had a passion for things until blogging. I just knew I loved writing and had to do it and here I am, proud of my passion. I love to hear when people tell the work they are doing, and the hobbies they are engaged in are something they love. I love to see how they are so passionate about it and it can be seen in their eyes the way they talk. And I want to be that person as well, when I talk about my passion I want my heart to burst out of energy, my eyes to sparkle, my stomach to be filled with butterflies and my mind waiting to get back to what I love. I feel like a lucky person because I have found what I love. When I told you for the longest time in my life, I had no clue what I love and what my heart desires. And it hurts seeing others have something they love while I am stuck to the ground unable to find my passion. But now I know, I love writing, I love telling people what writing means to me and how grateful I am to find something that sets my soul on fire. If you are still stuck to the ground, don’t worry you will find something that will set your soul on fire, take it from me, I spent years finding something I love and I know you will also find your passion.

People with great passion can make the impossible happen.

Till we meet again, Be Happy, Be Grateful, and Keep Smiling – a girl who likes to write.

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Review: ‘The Judge from Hell’ K-drama (2024)

“Having a pulse does not mean she is alive. Her mental state’s all messed up, and she has no will to live. Breathing isn’t living.” – Kang Bitna

I love revenge dramas, I love the feeling of satisfaction however many dramas that I have watched don’t do a good justice, they just felt muh. But this drama The Judge from Hell exceeds every expectation of mine. OMG! You guys, the punishments are soooooo satisfying, I just love it. This is a story about a devil, Justitia who gets a mission to live in Judge Bit-na’s body and drag criminals back to hell.

Kang Bit-na, what to say about her, every word defining her would not be enough. I love how evil she is I mean come on she is a demon, she is supposed to be wicked and I love that they showed her evil aspect really well. She is so funny and unserious, I love that they did not make her serious but a maniac with every bit of unseriousness filled in her. The thing that I loved the most in this drama was that Bitna was the one giving the punishment, she was the one hitting and unalive the criminal. I love the whole thing where the criminal is living the victim’s life, the criminals are getting the taste of their own medicine. Park Shin-Hye has nailed this role, her eyes are the main character, her clothes, her style, her attitude and her walk, everything about her screams she is a demon from hell. I think Kang Bit-na will be one of my favourite female characters; she is someone I would love to get inspired by.

“The hell you’ll go to after death is scary. But it’s not as bad as the hell you face while living. This place you all live in is the real hell filled with demon-like humans.” – Kang Bitna

Han Da-on, this character, at first, I did not vibe with him because he was annoying as he kept telling Bitna how bad she was and I mean what to expect from her. She is a demon, she is supposed to be like that but later, I loved him. He is funny, especially when he gets confused about Bit-na when he gets to know she is a demon. I loved his techniques in capturing Bita-in in action, but he fails every time. But then he uses his brain. I was not expecting that. I thought they were having a romantic moment, but then PLOT TWIST, I loved it. I think Han Do-on become hotter and capable of being with Kang Bit-na after the 7th episode.

Talking about chemistry, nowadays a lot of K-dramas focus on cute and unserious couples just as Kang Bit-na and Han Da-on. At first, they are like a cat and mouse, Han Da-on trying to catch her while she wants to complete her mission so badly that she even unalive him but makes the situation worse. When they joined hands, it was so much fun to see them being comfortable around each other. Their hugs are so beautiful and so is their chemistry.

The plot was remarkable, I love that there were many stories included and every story ended in a perfect punishment. I loved every second of Park Shin-hye’s action moments. She did her action scenes so well, I was legit sucked in watching her fight. I loved that this show really focused on the demon aspect and it was filled with the grey vibe. At every end of the episode, there is a plot twist and wants us to just keep watching. I was afraid that they would add a plot where they would make Kang Bit-na weak and the same plot but throughout the drama, she proved that she is a demon.

I highly recommend this drama, it’s very unique and very satisfying to watch. I binge-watched it.

“Have you experienced stress lately?”

“Leaving among people is stressful in itself” – Kang Bitna

My Rating: 10/10 (Please check trigger warnings)

Total Episodes: 14

Genre: Dark Fantasy, Thriller, Romance

Till we meet again, Be Happy, Be Grateful, and Keep Smiling – a girl who likes to write.

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Self-Betrayal

What betrayed me the most?

The soul within others that I trusted or the heart inside me?

It hurts so much when someone close to us betrays us most unexpectedly, however, some days ago I was lost in my thoughts and a sudden realization came to me, will I be able to forgive myself for self-betraying? I am at that point in my life where all the major decisions have been taken and now life is heading towards it. However, if you are following me for a while you might know many unexpected things have happened in my life, which might not be something I wanted. I always think that if I had fought more, my life would have been different. It is great to tell people that you are doing something you love because you feel happy from inside but when you see someone doing the job they love a part of your mind always cornered you for self-betraying. The thoughts always came at the most unexpected time and left me wondering what position I had put myself in. From childhood we are shown to put others’ needs in front of us but what about us? We learned that our needs are not important and we let others make decisions about our lives. The self-betrayal will always be there reminding us how life would be so different and continue to hurt. But I have started to acknowledge those feelings rather than running away, acceptance is the key and for me to heal, it is important. I will say don’t even lie to yourself, give time and if it’s hurting let it hurt until you are okay to see that there is another path waiting for you. Be patient with yourself, take it slow, let it be absorbed and take time to acknowledge the position you are in. Make boundaries around you, sometimes we overshare which is not good because certain thoughts should be kept to us, it’s ours. The scar will always remain but you are stronger to wear it like a crown.

Time has a wonderful way of showing us what really matters.

Till we meet again, Be Happy, Be Grateful, and Keep Smiling – a girl who likes to write.

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Book Review: Tales from the Cafe (#2) by Toshikazu Kawaguchi

Tales from the Cafe is the second book in the Before the Coffee Gets Cold series and probably my least favourite. The cafe is back with the four stories where we meet a man who has raised his best friend’s daughter and wants to seek his best friend, the son who did not come home for his mother’s funeral, the lover who travelled to see the girl he couldn’t marry, and the ageing detective who couldn’t save his own wife. The stories in this book are all about the regret left behind and the people want the chance to go back in time. On the side street in Tokyo is a cafe Funiculi Funicula that serves good coffee in a warm surrounding. However, the cafe also offers a unique experience to its customers: the chance to travel back in time. However, there are certain rules that the customers have to stick to, otherwise there is severe punishment.

I felt that this book was a little underwhelming for me when I read the blurb I thought it would connect with me well but did not. The stories are all different but each of them includes the regret and pain of their past that they are still carrying. The book is easy to read and short but it took me time to read. The characters are fantastic, it is moving to see the perspective of life through different characters and how each of them is going through something so painful and regretful.

Another thing in this book that captured me was the backstory of the cafe waitress Kazu, as she is shown emotionless and talks straight to the point. The backstory of Kazu and the cafe ghost was not something I was expecting, but it was heartwrenching. Remorse is unbearable if it includes someone we love, and these stories are the perfect example of it.

I would recommend reading it once.

Rating: 3.5/5

Check out the review for the first book here.

Till we meet again, Be Happy, Be Grateful, and Keep Smiling – a girl who likes to write.

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I am the quiet one.

I am the quiet one

that nobody expects much from.

I like to read, write, and

think alone.

I observe others in their loudness

and my silence.

I prefer keeping my thoughts to myself

and asking questions that nobody has the answer to.

I am the piece of the puzzle

that doesn’t fit.

I always ask myself

Why is it hard to be like them?

Why I don’t like things

that most of them do?

Why is it hard to find

myself in the loudness?

Why is it always me?

I have been bearing

the question in my heart since I got to know the world.

Why do I always notice people and try

to make them comfortable while they walk confidently?

Why is it always me?

Maybe because

I am the quiet one

that nobody notices…

In the last post, I wrote about how in silence I have started to embrace the loudness that comes with it and then I realize how as a person I have become so quiet. So I decided to write this post in a poem format but in a free way. I wanted to try something new and I just went with it. I hope you guys like it.

Till we meet again, Be Happy, Be Grateful, and Keep Smiling – a girl who likes to write.

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Review: ‘Oh My Venus’ K-drama (2015)

“Everyone is in pain, either a lot or a little, in their own way.” – Kim Young-ho

One of the biggest reasons I started this K-drama is because of how hot and handsome the male lead is, and it’s very rare for me to get attracted to a male lead. This K-drama is about a lawyer Kang Joo-eun, who is in her late thirties and gets jilted by her long-term boyfriend for gaining weight. So she decided to get professional help and met a celebrity trainer, Kim Young-ho. This drama features a fat-to-thin trope, and being set in 2015, it may be perceived as offensive to the audience in this era.

However, I think the 2015 drama portrayed the fat-to-thin trope very well. Because her being overweight has to do with her health rather than her beauty. The biggest reason I like it is that the male lead started liking the female lead before she lost weight, and both fell for each other because of their personality, which I think is a positive point for the show. Talking about Kim Young-ho, played by So Ji-sub and if you are familiar with K-drama actors, you know that he is one of the hottest K-drama actors, and I started because of him. In the beginning, he is very harsh, but later he gets to know her personality and wants her to be healthy, and we can see he starts developing feelings for her.

Talking about Kang Joo-eun, played by Shin Min-a, her character is freaking hilarious, but people around her don’t take her seriously because she is overweight. The chemistry is insane, another reason to watch the drama. I can say both were hot as hell as a couple, and I can feel the tension. Aside from the comedy aspect, the drama taught me a lot. I have watched drama recently, and that is why I can come up with things it taught, like no matter how one looks, we truly never know what is going on with them. And insecurities are always there, no matter how one looks.

Like Kim Young-ho, he has it all; he is wealthy, tall, and muscular. However, that is from the outside; from the inside, he has challenges he has to overcome, and his emotional mess prevents him from living a good life. The female lead’s ex-best friend was also overweight, then she lost weight and got a model figure; however, she still has insecurities about it. We live in a world of beauty standards, and if you fit, then the world will take you seriously, but if you are not fit like Kang Joo-eun, then you are a joke to the world.

The last 60 seconds of the drama ruined everything for me. I don’t know what the writer was thinking and writing that scene. I would say just skip that last part.

This drama has both negative and positive points, but I think it is a classic drama to watch once. The chemistry is insane, so I recommend it.

“If you’re hanging in there, you haven’t reached your limit.” – Kang Joo-eun

My Rating: 7.5/10

Total Episodes: 16

Genre: Romance, Friendship, Comedy

Till we meet again, Be Happy, Be Grateful, and Keep Smiling – a girl who likes to write.

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Silence in loudness…

there’s so much said in the words we don’t say

There is a silence in me that is so loud that it makes me so familiar with myself and my surroundings. I am someone who can understand others without them saying anything, their silence is so loud that I can hear and with that, I truly never understood when I am also getting used to being in silence. The saying is true silence is so loud if you are a good listener and I think I fit in the category. I was never like that but after I hit adulthood I started being alone not listening to anything just sitting in my thoughts. Yesterday I was travelling around and there was so much loudness but my silence was so strong that I did not know when I arrived. I think I like myself in silence where I can focus on myself and my thoughts. I like being the quiet one who observes the surroundings around me rather than the loud one. I think you can find answers in silence rather than in loudness because silence has so much power to give you answers. I love being myself, I love enjoying being with my thoughts, and I like when I am stuck in my silence and the world keeps moving forward it gives me the power to take my time and then move on. The day I got to know how loud silence is was the day I truly got to see the world and myself. I think being the quiet one helps me be in control of my thoughts and when I see people around me I also think about how many feelings they are going through. I also pray that whoever is going through something may get over it well. Being able to be in silence in the chaos of life just sit and think about life – I love those feelings, silence in loudness.

“The quieter you become, the more you are able to hear.”

Till we meet again, Be Happy, Be Grateful, and Keep Smiling – a girl who likes to write.

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Book Review: Before the Coffee Gets Cold (#1) by Toshikazu Kawaguchi

I always loved books and movies that let me experience time travel because of the mistakes I have made in the past, which I can’t rectify but seeing fictional characters getting the chance makes me imagine myself in their place and I feel happy. Before the Coffee Gets Cold is the first book in the series and when I heard it’s Japanese coffee-themed and time travel I knew I needed to read this book and I’m glad I picked this up. So basically this book talks about a funiculi funicula cafe in a small back alley in Tokyo that has been serving brewed coffee for more than one hundred years. But with coffee, they allow their customers a unique experience and what is that? The chance to travel back in time. But there is a catch, a risk certain rules that need to be followed for the person to go back in time. And I am not going to tell you because it’s the main thing and experience that you need to find out by reading the book. The book follows four visitors who want to make things right using the cafe’s time-travelling offer.

Now the book is divided into four parts with each part a new customer comes and time travels and their story is told. Each story is so different from the others, however, the common thing between them is the regret and how they want to go back and make things right. But that’s the thing what happened in the past can’t be corrected, the choices were made and destiny played its part. All four stories felt like a warm hug, the characters were beautiful and how I can relate to them. In this book, the stories focus on the lovers, husband and wife, the sisters, and the mother and child and each of them felt to the heart.

This book shows the memories we have of our loved ones and the life we have with them, we can’t imagine living without them but circumstances can’t be reversed. This cafe allows people to get the chance to relive the moment differently but with rules that must be followed. The waitress in the cafe, Kazu Tokita is such a pure and heartwrenching character and I loved her the most. The setting is beautiful as it doesn’t give an impression that in such an ordinary old cafe something big like going back magic can happen but that is what makes it unique.

I loved the book because it’s pure and very calming to read. The author did an incredible job with his writing to showcase the peaceful vibe of the book. I highly recommend this book.

Rating: 4/5

Till we meet again, Be Happy, Be Grateful, and Keep Smiling – a girl who likes to write.

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Vulnerability

Vulnerability is terrifying, the courage it takes to reveal your heart is one of the most daunting…and yet rewarding experiences in life, it will set you free.

I think the concept of being strong in life seems to be a little misunderstood. I feel like this world has made people ashamed if they show their vulnerability and nothing is wrong with this. We are humans, not robots, we are bound to have feelings and every feeling is valid just like being vulnerable. In every person’s life, there are moments of vulnerability where they reflect on their life. Some days we just want to sit and be vulnerable rather than strong and just save up the energy of being strong. Our mind needs a rest and it’s okay to have days where your mind is empty and you feel like doing nothing. Our whole life we are busy doing things to keep up with the world but that doesn’t mean we don’t deserve a break. When we are in the stage of vulnerability we actually see who we are, we see our true self without the mask and allowing people to see us which is one of the greatest and fearest things in life. Talking up the courage to open up is one of the strongest things to do. Strength lies in vulnerability. It takes courage to open up about fears, dreams and hopes that we have kept locked inside the heart but connect on a deeper level. Sometimes it is mandatory to show people that we are humans and being vulnerable is not weak but it makes you stronger on a more profound level. There is nothing like being vulnerable means weak, it’s just a time to rest and reflect on how you truly are. There is a fear of how others will view you with your vulnerable side, however, remember being vulnerable means being true to yourself. But vulnerability is frightening too because not everyone can open up about being vulnerable however it will set you free, and it’s a rewarding experience of your life to see who you truly are and what you truly deserve.

Embracing vulnerability unlocks true strength.

Till we meet again, Be Happy, Be Grateful, and Keep Smiling – a girl who likes to write.

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