Tag: writing

Review: ‘The Legend of the Blue Sea’ K-drama (2016)

“The easiest thing in the world is getting disappointed by another person. Even after liking someone after his/her outer appearance, one will quickly be disappointed. That’s how human beings are” – Heo joon Jae

I was in my prime era in 2016, when I watched every single masterpiece K-drama that is still talked about a decade later. I rewatched one of my most favourite K-dramas, “The Legend of the Blue Sea”, to just get the experience of 2016 and write a review for you guys. When I tell you watching this drama truly brought me back to 2016, and I loved every second of it, I wish I had a time machine so I could travel back in time and experience it all over again. The Legend of the Blue Sea is a fantasy drama between a mermaid and a human. A mermaid named Shim Chaeong has to leave her home and survive in the human world, where she knows nothing about humans. She meets a con artist named Heo Joon Jae and it’s group, and then the fun begins.

Let’s start with the mermaid itself. When I say she is one of the iconic characters, I mean it especially since it is played by the queen herself, Jun Ji-Hyun. I think she was born to play this role because she looked like a mermaid. She is so funny, and her expression was everything. She was like a child in the human world who learned everything about humans, and it was so fun to watch. I loved her expression, and when she didn’t know the human language, the way she always ended up doing something stupid made me laugh so hard.

Then we have our Heo Joon-jae, another iconic character played by dashing Lee Min-ho. He looks cold-hearted until he opens his mouth. I absolutely loved his character; he made me laugh more than the mermaid. His expression was top-notch. Especially dealing with a mermaid. The boy was actually suffering throughout the show first; he got stuck with the mermaid and her weird ways, and then he could hear her every thought after she fell in love with him, and he couldn’t sleep, which was hilarious to watch.

Their group, Park Moo and Tae-oh, are freaking hilarious. Nobody can say they are con artists because they are so stupid and funny. I loved every part of the drama, even the emotional part where he always falls in love with her and she almost gives up her life for him.

The chemistry of Lee Min-ho and Jung is iconic. They were truly made for these characters. They were everything but I loved their comedy part the most, even after falling in love, they would do stupid things. Their emotional part and their love were heartwarming to watch.

The plot is so good, in a way, that nothing is overpowering anything. The way she also gets tangled up in their group and becomes a con artist was so much fun to watch. Overall, the plot kept me engaged throughout the entire drama. There was romance, comedy, and an emotional aspect, and for a 2016 drama, it was iconic. The way they added so many mermaid elements was a treat to watch.

There are so many scenes from this drama which have now become memes, which is a treat to watch in today’s time. I loved their umbrella scene; no matter what, K-dramas will always be iconic for their umbrella scenes.

The cinematography is iconic. The blue elements of the water were really foreshadowing, which I absolutely loved.

Overall, I highly recommend this iconic drama.

“Even through the windy rainstorm, even though the sun may be burning down on me, though I am lonely and without anyone by my side and even if it’s somewhere I have never been before, I will endure it all and be sure to go to you. I love you.- Shim Chung

Total Episodes: 20

My Rating: 9/10

Genre: Fantasy, Romance, Drama

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

Pinterest Instagram Twitter Tumblr Blogging

2

Mindset.

If you know you can do better, then do better.

It’s all the game of your mindset that leads you to win or lose…The moment I realised that I need to create a mindset for everything I do in my life is the moment everything changed in the way I look at things. It is not easy to always have a positive mindset towards things because it’s life, and it throws a lot at you. But what else can we do besides accepting it by creating a mindset? By that, it doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t let your emotions out, no, that’s not what I meant. What I am saying is that you need to create your mindset in a way that prepares you for the situations that will come your way. Mindset doesn’t always need to be positive, but also about how you let your emotions follow and then create your mindset to move ahead and make things right. The best advice I can give you is to do something when you want to, without worrying about the outcome. Instead, focus on creating a mindset that what you are doing is for your growth and to strengthen your mindset. When you deal with things with challenges in life, that’s how your mindset becomes strong, and you are ready for the future. Even if the result didn’t come the way you wanted, but you know in your mind that you gave your best, your mindset is ready for another challenge. It’s all about your mindset, how you handle things, how you look at things, and how you deal with them. And don’t worry about how you are going to learn how to make your mindset; it happens when you take risks, it happens when you blindly follow what you love, and the result helps you make your mindset grow. Take the risk, don’t worry about the result, because no matter what the result will be, one thing is for sure, that you are ready for the future because of your strong mindset.

A beautiful day starts with a beautiful mindset.

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

Pinterest Instagram Twitter Tumblr Blog

2

Book Review: The Eternity Train by M Ahsan Al-Haadee

First of all, I will start by saying thank you, Ahsan, for sending me the digital copy of the book. So basically, as you all know, I love mysteries and thrillers, but what better could it be when magic is also added to the same? The Eternity Train is a book with everything you would ask for: thriller, mystery and magic, and I don’t think I have ever read such a beautiful description of things. The book is about a fourteen-year-old girl named Daffodil who, after an argument, runs away from home and boards an unsettling train at Moor Street Station. At first she doesn’t notice, however, as the journey goes on, Dafoodil realises that the train doesn’t seem normal and she is stuck. The only way to escape is by solving the puzzle and uncovering the secrets.

First, I need to start with the plot. I have never read anything like this before. I am not going to lie, at first it was hella confusing to wrap my mind around what was going on, but later with Daffodil I was also on the wild ride. The book is a part of a duology, so it is still very much incomplete to see how Daffodil will move forward. The description done by the author was so fantastic because everything about this train and the way it was surrounded was out of this world. I absolutely loved all the descriptions; it made me feel that I was in the book.

Then talking about the Character of Dafoodil for a fourteen-year-old, she is one of the smartest girls who knows how to use her brain. I really like her emotional as well as her intellectual mindset. I liked her interaction with other characters, and the way she started to know how to play this game was amazing to read.

In the book, I found some of the interesting characters with such an amazing plot. My favourite thing was definitely the description of things, and the author’s writing made it easy to understand where the story is heading. I was really looking forward to what unknown land the train would take us to, and each time it didn’t disappoint. The ending shocked me, so all I am going to say is.

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.

Pinterest Instagram Twitter Tumblr Blog

0

Search for what you love…

I hope you find what you’re looking for.

A topic that I have been looking forward to writing on. I have always admired, and still do, people who look so happy doing what they love, following their passion that brings them everything. Never in my life until I started blogging have I had any passion or things that I really love from my heart, and actually, I never thought I would find it, but here I am. Blogging is my life, it allows me to express myself and brings me comfort that nothing has yet done. I actually see myself as a lucky person who found my passion, something that I really love from my heart and admire others for the same. Getting comfort in doing things is another level of satisfaction. I have read that only a certain percentage of people in the world are lucky enough to find what they truly love. I think that the world has outlined what a particular individual should do, even if it means not loving it. But what I think in today’s time, where time is moving so fast, we need to give our all to follow our passion. If I talk about my experience, it took me time to find what I truly love because there are so many hobbies that others do, and I have tried them as well, but nothing really brought me comfort until I started writing. That’s what makes one individual different from others. I urge you all to find what you truly love, like any hobby that truly brings comfort to you from inside, something that will soak up your tears and mend your broken heart. What you truly love and what you love to do has nothing to do with others. I always say to have an attitude that you don’t care what others say if it brings you happiness, that’s all that matters, because in the end, it’s your life and you are living it.

Do what you love, love what you do.

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

Pinterest Instagram Twitter Tumblr Blogging

0

Review: ‘Goblin’ K-drama (2016)

“Every moment I spent with you shines. Because the weather was good, because the weather was bad, and because the weather was good enough. I love every moment of it.” – Goblin

Another classic K-drama that really brought it to the global level, as well as made ‘Globin’ famous. There was definitely something in the air of 2016, because every K-drama of that time was immensely popular as well as different, like ‘Goblin’. I rewatched the drama again so that I can write the review on it. So basically it’s a fantasy drama about an immortal Goblin, Kim Shin, who has a curse that he can’t die unless he finds his bride, who will remove the sword from his chest, and end his life. He waits centuries to find his bride, but can’t find her until a schoolgirl named Ji Eun-Tak confesses that she is the chosen one.

Let’s start with our female lead, Ji Eun-Tak, whose mother dies really early, leaving her with their horrible relatives who abuse her. So she wants to go away from them, and she stumbles upon the Globin. I absolutely loved her character, even though she went through a lot then too; she was so courageous in every situation. I loved how she was so alone in the world like the goblin, but as her destiny intertwined with his, she found her peace. Her funny expression while following the goblin was hilarious, as well as their normal conversation was so funny.

Then we have our goblin, who made the world know what a goblin actually is. At first, he looked so serious, but as he lived for centuries, we could see he started to lose his mind and just wanted to die. He is so funny, let me begin with it, especially his expressions. Even though he lives for centuries, he is unable to talk to humans, and when Eun-Tak entered his life, he just didn’t know how to act, and he just does funny things without even trying. His Goblin side chef kiss, especially his backstory, added so much to his character.

The chemistry between them is so good because they are hilarious together, apart from their sad scene. I didn’t find them boring. I liked that there was not much romance; rather, it focuses on the bond both share. Both of them trying to live with each other and get used to each other was so much fun to watch.

My favourite character of the drama is the Grim Reaper, Wang Yeo. He is an absolute cinema with mind-blowing expression, and his banter with Goblin. I loved his Grim Reaper side so much. Definitely a second lead that I won’t forget. Also, his backstory with Kim Sun is so freaking sad. I loved their chemistry, and Kim Sun’s character is hilarious.

Another one of my all-time favourite side characters is Yoo Deok-hwa. The only human apart from Eun-Tak residing with the Grim Reaper and the Goblin. This comedy timing is so good, whenever he comes on the screen, I can’t control my laughter. He added so much freshness to the drama.

I absolutely loved the plot; it was so interesting. It was not only intense but also had many fun elements added to the drama. I felt that the drama is not boring as we get to see Goblin and Grim Reaper’s bromance, Eun Tak’s cuteness and Kim Sun’s sassiness. The back story is so heartbreaking, especially that of Grim Reaper and Kim Sun.

The best thing in the drama that elevated it was the cinematography, which was absolutely beautiful, and now it has become a tourist spot. The other thing is the OST; no matter how many OSTs come, this one, “Stay With Me”, will always top the chart for me. The rhythm of it is just fantastic; it literally transports you to the goblin world. I think everyone knows Goblin’s Ost. The ending fits so right for a supernatural historical drama.

I highly recommend it as it’s a classic and one should definitely watch it once.

“Someday, we’ll meet again. It’ll be the happiest day. I will go to you like the first snow.” – Goblin

Total Episodes: 16

My Rating: 9/10

Genre: Fantasy, Romance, Drama

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

Pinterest Instagram Twitter Tumblr Blogging

0

Book Review: The Overnight Guest by Heather Gudenkauf

I am really in my thriller era, and the next on my list was The Overnight Guest by Heather Gudenkauf, and it was the first book I picked by this author. I wanted to read a one-room thriller with a mysterious vibe, and I think this one did a great job. The book follows the story of a woman, Wylie Lark, who retreats to a small cottage in the middle of nowhere to write her new novel and gets stuck in a deadly snowstorm. Things turned bad when, in the middle of a snowstorm, she received an unexpected visitor, which left her in shock. But she doesn’t know how that visitor is going to tangle her with her own secrets.

Let’s start with the character of Wylie, a woman who is trying to build a good relationship with her son. At first, I couldn’t guess how she would be connected, but OMG, the plot twist. And she is definitely a hard-core thriller main character who would survive it. I saw the plot twist coming from miles; however, when it got revealed, it was so good. There are many characters in the book, and all of them are just mindblowing and the way they got connected. I think that is what I really loved in this book, and perfectly, all of the timelines and POVs got connected.

The plot is amazing. At first, I felt a little confused keeping up with all the POVs, but the way it all got connected in the end was absolutely mindblowing. The storyline is emotional, I won’t say it’s creepy for me, and definitely the curiosity to learn what happened. It is fast-paced, and the writing is really good.

This thriller is in four POVs, and it narrates the story of three different timelines. It was definitely a task to keep up with three different timelines, but the author’s writing really made it easy to focus. There are many plot twists. I saw some coming while others were different and shocked me, and it was amazing.

The ending is beautiful, especially the last line before the epilogue. I prefer ending where it all makes sense.

I highly recommend it.

Rating: 4/5

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

Pinterest Instagram Twitter Tumblr Blog

0

Review: ‘Strangers From Hell’ K-drama (2019)

“It’s better to say what you want…and act how you’d like…rather than bottling it all up within yourself. That’s more human, don’t you think?” – Seo Moon-jo

I was looking for a mystery and a crime drama, and I had this drama at the back of my mind, so I decided to watch it, and I literally had no idea what this drama was all about, because based on the description, one can’t say what the drama is about. However, I just finished watching it and let me tell you my mind is not in the right place at the moment. Let’s just begin with the review, and I will explain it. So the drama is about a young man, Yoon Jong-woo, who recently moved to Seoul because of his job. But he has no place to live and finds every dorm room so expensive until he stumbled upon the advertisement of a dorm room available at a cheaper place at Eden Residence. However, the Eden residence is a very creepy place with other residents who are very bizarre and suspicious.

Let’s begin with the character of Yoon Jong-woo, played by Si-wan Yim. At first, when I saw him, I knew he had been dealing with a lot, and the boy was fed up. With such creepy residents he shares the restroom and kitchen with, his girlfriend is not listening to him, and his boss/friend just bragged about how he got him the job. I feel so pitiful for him and only him in the drama; the residents really brought the hell out of him. He also realises that people who are close to him are also not far away from good. But can we really talk about his acting? It’s mind-blowing.

Then we have the main character of the drama, who actually is a psychopath named Seo Moon-jo, played by Lee Dong-wook. The acting of his is incredible, he truly looked like a psychopath even when he pretended not to be. Just his standing brings creepiness to the scene. His laugh and smile are literally enough to show how big a psychopath he is. His talks were like another level of riddles. His and Yoon Jong-woo’s chemistry is incredible. I loved watching them, especially when Seo Moon-jo uses words like “babe” to annoy Yoon Jong-woo. We can actually see he was obsessed with Jong-woo, loved it.

Then we have the other residents, and let me tell you, without them doing any action or saying any dialogue, just them standing brings so much creepiness to the scene. I think when they do actions, it’s like ewww, but when they just stand in the corner of the room and smile, that legit knocks my breath away.

There is no character in the show except the police officer, So Jung-hwa, who is not suspicious or evil. The plot is incredible, it’s basically about a psychopath who unaliving people for fun and doesn’t regret it. The setting is fantastic, the hallway of the residence and the small, cramped room really brought another creepiness to the drama. The cinematography is top-notch, which really hooks me to the screen.

What I didn’t like was that the action was not in-depth, and only in the last three episodes did I feel the intensity of the drama. I felt that something was missing. I loved watching Yoon Jong-woo’s flashbacks and how much he has kept inside him, but still, I felt something was missing.

The ending, if you are a horror watcher, you will see it coming, and it’s so good.

I recommend it if you want to watch a drama with a psychopath vibe.

You don’t think you fit in here, do you?

“I’m Different from these people.”

But you’re also kind of anxious. – Seo Moon Jo to Yoon Jong-woo.

Total Episodes: 10

My Rating: 7/10 (Please check the trigger warnings)

Genre: Horror, Psychological, Thriller

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

Pinterest Instagram Twitter Tumblr Blogging

5

Some random thoughts…

We are all broken. That’s how the light gets in. – Ernest Hemingway

My life has been in that phase where I am afraid to move on, while on the other hand, I am moving on and living an adult life. The thing is that I have yet to have a realisation, I think I have been in an auto mode for a long time, and that is the reason I am unable to grasp and actually accept my new adult life. When something happens, it happens so fast, and you don’t even get a chance to adjust, while on the other hand, the plan you have made and are waiting for takes such a long time. This is what we call the unpredictability of life. I have learned so far that someday I am not going to like how my life is going, while other days I will feel happy, and that’s okay. I just know that I will never give up and I will achieve the dream that I have been dreaming of for a long time. You have to start somewhere to reach the place that you actually want. Don’t feel heartbroken if life is not going the way you want because it won’t in the start, but that start will help you reach where you always wanted. I think life throws challenges because it wants to make us stronger to hold ourselves for a long time. I am actually speaking from my own experience, I have been through a winding road in my life that I can’t accept that I actually crossed it and am now on the other winding road, but if I compare, I have actually become so patient as well as strong, maybe because I know I have dealt enough to know what I should do. Just want to tell you that don’t give up, you are more than capable of anything you want and don’t regret anything. You did your best and still are doing, and trust me, ahead you are going to feel how strong you have become in managing life challenges.

Don’t compare yourself to others. Be like the sun and the moon and shine when it’s your time.

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

Pinterest Instagram Twitter Tumblr Blogging

0

Book Review: The Only One Left by Riley Sager

I think this is my first five-star thriller, and I have been waiting to write this review. The book has been stuck in my mind since last week, and I can’t wait to share it with you all. I never thought I would find a five-star thriller, but here I am. The Only One Left, another book by Riley Sager, I think he has become my favourite thriller writer, because the first book I read, The House Across the Lake, was a 4.5-star for me. This book follows the story of a caregiver, Kit McDeere, who gets an assignment to look after Lenora Hope, who lives at a house situated on a cliff. Lenora Hope is not an ordinary person but someone who has unalived her whole family.

Let’s start with the plot; it is everything I wanted in a thriller. There is a twist at every point, and it’s also horror, which makes this book thrilling and mind-blowing from start to finish. I was unable to get any twists right because when twists happened, I was shaken to the core. The storyline is so twisty, it felt at first that the story was going to be dragged, but what twist upon twist was just pouring. There are not many characters, as well as the setting is just one gothic mansion, but the writer did an incredible job by not just repeating the same thing again and again, but added a twist in almost every chapter.

The setting is definitely creepy, plus the mansion is on the cliff, so it makes the book more intimidating. The character of Kit is one of my favourites; she is actually a mind-blowing person for a thriller. The way she got tangled with Lenora Hope was chilling to watch. Lenora Hope is a character you can’t describe without a spoiler unless you have read the book. The characters are very complex, which made it hard for me to guess the twist, and I didn’t get it at all. I was not thinking about it; it just appeared when Kit found out I was shocked with her.

The ending is so beautiful, it is such an irony to write this about a thriller book, but believe me, when I read the last chapter, I was smiling because it was so heartwarming. I don’t think so, I haven’t read any thriller where the ending is so beautiful.

There is everything that I loved about this book, from its plotline to its characters. If you want to take any suggestion, please take this one.

Rating: 5/5

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

Pinterest Instagram Twitter Tumblr Blog

2

Friends at Different Stages of Life…

True friendship isn’t about being inseparable. It’s about being separated and nothing changes.

Just imagine you are sitting with your friends in the canteen during your lunch break and discussing your future and where you all will be in the next ten years, and you promise each other that you will be together in every step of your life. Now, ten years later, you find yourself alone doing something totally different while your other friends are doing something else. And that, my friend, is the reality of life. You never thought that one day the friends you used to share your bench with would now be so far away, living their lives while you are living yours. That’s what we call the different stages of life that everyone goes through. Nobody stays at the same stage because everyone has their own choice and their own path in life. One of your friends is getting married, one is moving to a different country, and one is opening their own business, while you are probably thinking about your future. Friends who share the same conversations every day are now living at different stages of their lives. Why does nobody talk about how lonely it feels trying to find the right path by yourself? It is crazy to see myself and my friends living a full adult life. Whenever I talk or think about my friends, I feel like we truly grew up so fast from canteen talk to adult talk, and now we stand at different stages of our lives. What hurts the most is that we will never be sitting and chatting happily in the canteen again, and we will never be children again. But we did make beautiful memories that all will cherish forever, and that’s the power of memories; whenever we want, we can reminisce about them. Now, wherever I look at my friends, I feel incredibly proud and happy, as they were the same people who used to make me laugh and make my life better. Cheers up, people, we might be at different stages of life, but the life we lived, the memories we created, will forever be there in our hearts.

Friendship is the purest form of love.

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

Pinterest Instagram Twitter Tumblr Blogging

4

Blog at WordPress.com.

Up ↑