So recently, I read an article that Korea is remaking their version of 'Fated to love you' after the successful hit from the original drama in Taiwan.
Rumors said that Choi Jin Hyuk will be starring in this drama! YEAH!
That said, I have high hopes for this remake in Korea because the Taiwanese version was just too good. It's one of the best Taiwanese drama I've ever watched. It was emotional and humorous as well. A really good drama with a nice setting although towards the end, it was getting a lil' draggy. But overall, the drama was really nice!
After the success of Boys Over Flowers in Korea, it seems like they'd like to remake this drama as well.
Taiwan, Japan and Korea are three countries that are very close to one another. They share similar cultures with infusion from one another; especially Taiwan which has Japanese history (as you can see from some of their ancient houses and that they love Japanese manga) and has now gotten influenced by the Hallyu wave. Other than Boys Over Flowers, the three countries have remake 'It Started With a Kiss' (originally from Japan), 'Hanazakarino Kimitachihe' (originally from Japanese manga but started filming by Taiwan) and 'You're Beautiful' (originally from Korea). Such dramas are hits from their original country. Interestingly, the Japanese drama 'Absolute Boyfriend' was remake in Taiwan with a Korean female lead (Goo Hye Sun). However, there's also rumors that Korea is planning to do an adaptation on this drama.
I wouldn't mind if the countries do a remake of hit dramas from other countries but I believe such challenge would either be a huge success or a huge failure. It's demanding and challenging. To the producers, such a move to do a remake/adaptation is not easy because the success and failure could be seen almost immediately when they compare with the original. (Although such comparison is unfair cause of there could be other influences for the tv ratings in each country.) In a sense, it sorts of make it seems like the producers and scriptwriters are running out of ideas to produce another drama. I wouldn't be surprise looking at the number of dramas produced annually. Even movies have started to run out of ideas and they're all looking back into Disney/Cartoon characters and making them come out alive. (Think Smurf and Garfield)
An adaptation of dramas is quite common in these countries and I wouldn't be surprise if they continue to do so down the road. Whenever a country announced that they want to do a remake, I'd have my doubts cause I'll fear for them that it won't be as good as the original. The remake of It Started with a Kiss in Korea was a little disappointing to me. The remake of Absolute Boyfriend in Taiwan was also a little disappointing too. So you see, remake/adaptation of a drama is tough. It sort of creates hope in people that it'll be better than the original and if it didn't, it became disappointing.
Remake/adaptation of drama isn't as easy as it seems, lots of things need to be planned out fully to make them even better than the original cause after-all, isn't the goal of a remake is to do better than the original?
Saturday, April 26, 2014
Wednesday, April 23, 2014
Technology advancement
Recently, I came home and missed the lift but I caught a glimpse of the people standing inside. A male and a female, both engrossed in their own smart phones oblivious to the surroundings.
Smart phone is the latest must-have in Singapore. Without one, you wouldn't be able to Whatsapp nor accessed information online swiftly. With a click and a swipe, you've already retrieved information you need for sale items or bank information. Personal details are also accessible online with just passwords and perhaps some Q&A to determine that you're the right person. Smart phone is a life-saver, you'd say. However, does it really help us?
With phones, we can access any sort of information as fast as the optical fiber can. We can gain knowledge that far extends from the books we have. We can get first hand news from the other end of the globe. When you're bored, you can even watch videos on YouTube or play games. That's smart phones. A mini computer right in your palm. (Yep, with Samsung, it can almost replace that laptop you have at home).
However, with smart phone, you start to get isolated from the people around you. Have you ever seen a group of people without any single person burying themselves in their phones? Nope, I haven't. Even if there is, it's very rare. There's bound to be this lone person who wants to use their smart phone to check out anything but be engaged in the topic the people around are saying. Perhaps, he/she finds the topic boring or unrelated. Perhaps. However, from the lift scenario, I think people now tend to be too engaged in their smart phones, such that they neglect the most basic communication such as talking.
I have friends who reply to me on whatsapp when I'm just sitting right next to them. It's like. 'OMG. Why do you have to reply on the phone when I'm next to you??? Just talk to me. I'm not a ghost.' Yep, this is quite common. And no, I'm not a ghost.
It's not that I'm not addicted to my smart phone as well, but perhaps we should take a notch down. Slow down this technological advancement. My young cousins are all hooked on their iPhone, iPad or tablet and without them, they'll start crying non-stop. And I can't help but notice that their eyes are batting at a speed faster than normal. 1 of my blink is around 2-3 of theirs. It's not benefiting the eyes at all. No good.
With an advancement in technology, we become lazy (to even step into the library and browse for hard copies of information.) With advancement of technology, we've spoken less with one another. With advancement of technology, we become more oblivious to our surroundings and the people around us. With technological advancement, we will probably face a change in human nature. Where people won't communicate verbally. Perhaps, you'd say I over-imagined the scenario and took things a bit too far. Okay, perhaps I may be a bit too imaginative, but we should probably start putting our phones down and face the people around us and talk to them. No matter how you dislike the person and would rather spend your time on the phone, at least make small talk and just talk. Don't reply on the phone.
My parents kept complaining about the youngsters these days, saying that we are too engrossed in our smart phones. They also nagged about me too. And I kind of admit it. I'm really one of those youths who are so engaged in their phone that some of us actually neglect that we're crossing the road. (I'm not one of them, I do watch out for my own safety when I cross the road. But I did fell down the stairs before cause I was typing messages on the phone and fractured my leg. Once bitten twice shy. But there are people who cross the road, engaged in their phones, oblivious to the cars that are coming straight at them. Nope, not joking. Some don't even bother when the cars honked at them. They just walked across the road with their heads buried in their phones.)
Smart phones have pros and cons. It's just a matter of how we use them and how we set ourselves straight. Think twice before you use your phone and cross the road. Your smart phone can't save you if any accident happen to you.
Smart phone is the latest must-have in Singapore. Without one, you wouldn't be able to Whatsapp nor accessed information online swiftly. With a click and a swipe, you've already retrieved information you need for sale items or bank information. Personal details are also accessible online with just passwords and perhaps some Q&A to determine that you're the right person. Smart phone is a life-saver, you'd say. However, does it really help us?
With phones, we can access any sort of information as fast as the optical fiber can. We can gain knowledge that far extends from the books we have. We can get first hand news from the other end of the globe. When you're bored, you can even watch videos on YouTube or play games. That's smart phones. A mini computer right in your palm. (Yep, with Samsung, it can almost replace that laptop you have at home).
However, with smart phone, you start to get isolated from the people around you. Have you ever seen a group of people without any single person burying themselves in their phones? Nope, I haven't. Even if there is, it's very rare. There's bound to be this lone person who wants to use their smart phone to check out anything but be engaged in the topic the people around are saying. Perhaps, he/she finds the topic boring or unrelated. Perhaps. However, from the lift scenario, I think people now tend to be too engaged in their smart phones, such that they neglect the most basic communication such as talking.
I have friends who reply to me on whatsapp when I'm just sitting right next to them. It's like. 'OMG. Why do you have to reply on the phone when I'm next to you??? Just talk to me. I'm not a ghost.' Yep, this is quite common. And no, I'm not a ghost.
It's not that I'm not addicted to my smart phone as well, but perhaps we should take a notch down. Slow down this technological advancement. My young cousins are all hooked on their iPhone, iPad or tablet and without them, they'll start crying non-stop. And I can't help but notice that their eyes are batting at a speed faster than normal. 1 of my blink is around 2-3 of theirs. It's not benefiting the eyes at all. No good.
With an advancement in technology, we become lazy (to even step into the library and browse for hard copies of information.) With advancement of technology, we've spoken less with one another. With advancement of technology, we become more oblivious to our surroundings and the people around us. With technological advancement, we will probably face a change in human nature. Where people won't communicate verbally. Perhaps, you'd say I over-imagined the scenario and took things a bit too far. Okay, perhaps I may be a bit too imaginative, but we should probably start putting our phones down and face the people around us and talk to them. No matter how you dislike the person and would rather spend your time on the phone, at least make small talk and just talk. Don't reply on the phone.
My parents kept complaining about the youngsters these days, saying that we are too engrossed in our smart phones. They also nagged about me too. And I kind of admit it. I'm really one of those youths who are so engaged in their phone that some of us actually neglect that we're crossing the road. (I'm not one of them, I do watch out for my own safety when I cross the road. But I did fell down the stairs before cause I was typing messages on the phone and fractured my leg. Once bitten twice shy. But there are people who cross the road, engaged in their phones, oblivious to the cars that are coming straight at them. Nope, not joking. Some don't even bother when the cars honked at them. They just walked across the road with their heads buried in their phones.)
Smart phones have pros and cons. It's just a matter of how we use them and how we set ourselves straight. Think twice before you use your phone and cross the road. Your smart phone can't save you if any accident happen to you.
Slippers in Singapore
I have a love-hate relationship with slippers and I'm sure many has the same relationship as me.
Sippers is very common in Singapore such that it has become a part of our culture. Almost everyone I know owns at least a pair of slippers. There'll be people who owns a pair of Havaianas or iPanema or Cotton On or even Billabong. It's really common. Prices of such slippers range from as cheap as $5 to $30++ and counting.
So why a love hate relationship?
I like slippers cause it's very simple and whenever you feel lazy, you can just slip on a pair of slippers and be on your way to school or to the shopping malls. When you feel like buying something from the shop downstairs or across the street from your house, you'll just slip on a pair of slippers and be on your way. You wouldn't wear a pair of Nike running shoes or those with fanciful laces cause it consumes time (and we all know time is money in Singapore). You'll like slippers cause, compared to other shoe designs like flats or platforms or heels, it's relatively cheaper (On the basis that you don't get an iPanema or a Havaianas but just a cheap pair from Cotton On) and when it rains, you don't have to worry about the slippers being ruined. It's something like water-proof. You don't have to worry about walking across the flooded walkway outdoors. Also, it's meant for beach wear cause you can remove them easily and walk along the beach. You don't have to worry about getting sand in your shoes and having that irritating and painful sensory feeling of sand in your shoes. Slippers are brilliant in their own way. You can buy different colours and mix and match them according to the feeling you are on that particular day. Say pink mix with blue. Or red mix with white on Singapore National Day.
However, just as what it's called, it's very slippery when it rains and you get a wet floor. It'll be worse if the floor tiling is those glossy type where friction is almost zero. When you're wearing a pair of slippers, most likely you'll slow to a crawl like an elderly while walking along the wet floor or you'll be having multiple heart attacks along the way as you almost slip and fall. If you ever did slip and fall, I can't even... Just take care.
Singapore has rainy season and being a tropical country, there's bound to be rain most of the time. When it rains, I'll have a hard time between choosing a normal shoe with a pair of slipper because on one hand, I don't have to get that heart attack and worry about me slipping, on the other hand, I don't wanna ruin my shoe cause of the rain water splashing and flooding on the road out of my house.
Some might say, why don't you just send in a notice to the local MPs about the flooding along the road. Yep, I believe many people did but such flooding won't be solved properly. When they amended this stretch of road to make rainwater flow better, somehow it'll cause the next stretch to flood. And in the end, they just keep amending the different stretch and the flooding didn't end. (Just admit it, there's much to improve on the draining system in Singapore. It's not the increasing amount of rainwater. It's the draining system.)
Well some might also suggest that I get a pair of Havaianas or iPanema cause somehow the friction is better and they last longer. I would if they could really last that long. So far, from the comments that I got from the friends around me, iPanema is the most highly suggested. Havaianas lose out because the strap comes off easily. There's many complains that the strap comes off countless times despite the slippers being a new pair. And for iPanema, not many of my friends own a pair but for those who does, the slippers lasted for more than a year. However, the cost of one is just too over-rated. I wouldn't spend $30++ for a pair of slippers. It's just too expensive. I rather invest more and get myself a Wellington Boot. Or some sort of boot meant for rainy season.
Some might say, why don't you just send in a notice to the local MPs about the flooding along the road. Yep, I believe many people did but such flooding won't be solved properly. When they amended this stretch of road to make rainwater flow better, somehow it'll cause the next stretch to flood. And in the end, they just keep amending the different stretch and the flooding didn't end. (Just admit it, there's much to improve on the draining system in Singapore. It's not the increasing amount of rainwater. It's the draining system.)
Well some might also suggest that I get a pair of Havaianas or iPanema cause somehow the friction is better and they last longer. I would if they could really last that long. So far, from the comments that I got from the friends around me, iPanema is the most highly suggested. Havaianas lose out because the strap comes off easily. There's many complains that the strap comes off countless times despite the slippers being a new pair. And for iPanema, not many of my friends own a pair but for those who does, the slippers lasted for more than a year. However, the cost of one is just too over-rated. I wouldn't spend $30++ for a pair of slippers. It's just too expensive. I rather invest more and get myself a Wellington Boot. Or some sort of boot meant for rainy season.
Monday, April 14, 2014
YG Entertainment
I've always been an avid supporter of YG under the management of Mr Yang Hyun Suk. He has the best marketing strategies among the Big 3 Companies (SM, YG and JYP). The artistes under YG are talented and most of their songs are hits. The recent move to share the stocks with their YG artistes came as a surprise and it's, I believe, the first of its kind. I have never heard of any Entertainment company who is willing to share their stocks with the label artistes. Except YG. The unique strategies and mind Mr Yang Hyun Suk has is really good.
My friend told me it's a very smart move cause it will motivate the artistes to work harder to earn more so that the stocks won't drop; and that the rest of the artistes who are not holding on to the stocks to work harder to get that share of money. My vision of YG is almost like an exclusive family who is very very bonded within their company. Who accepts each other through music. They have talented artistes like G Dragon, CL, Epik High and Akdong Musician.
The reason why I support YG is because they support talent more than looks. SM mostly recruit their artistes based on looks. So all the SM artistes who make it big are pretty or handsome. JYP mostly judges the dance and singing abilities that suit Mr JYP himself. For YG, Mr Yang Hyun Suk allows his artistes to do music on their own. Akdong Musician recently released 200% and Melted and I was blown away by their songs. The lyrics of melted bears a hidden meaning and I was really touched by the MV. The icy cold world we're living in. Void, dismay and unhappiness. All portrayed in the MV and in the voices. That is YG.
YG selects artistes by their talents and grooms them further to become big stars. They don't accept plastic surgery but they do wonderful makeup and styling to fit their artistes and make them shine on stage. Their stylists are really good. Not forgetting the fact that the artistes are also very close to the background dancers. It's such a close-knitted family that you'll be really happy to join in.
SM and JYP have their fair share of talents but none beats YG. Sure, you have Super Junior, SNSD, EXO, SHINee under SM and 2PM, Miss A and GOT7 under JYP. However, the image they give me are quite mainstream. I didn't like the management under SM, ever since the chaos that came after Jaejoong, Junsu and Yoochun planned to leave the company. All the hoo-ha the company was making was really terrible and it reflected badly on the company. Especially in the eyes of the DBSK fans. Even now, many fans around me still despised the way SM dealt with the situation then.
Perhaps, I'm just showing favoritism towards YG but if given a chance, I'd really like to have an experience of working under the company with them. Be it in the smallest sector in the company or even in the well-known cafeteria, I wish there's a chance for me to experience being part of YG. Add on the fact that I can meet Big Bang, 2NE1 and Winner or perhaps Tablo's daughter Haru too.
The Music Videos made by YG aren't all those fanciful sweet settings you always see in other artistes' Music Videos. I really love Akdong Musician's Melted, LeeHi's Rose, 2NE1's Lonely, all of Big Bang's MV and Tablo's Bad. YG Family love. Daebak.
My friend told me it's a very smart move cause it will motivate the artistes to work harder to earn more so that the stocks won't drop; and that the rest of the artistes who are not holding on to the stocks to work harder to get that share of money. My vision of YG is almost like an exclusive family who is very very bonded within their company. Who accepts each other through music. They have talented artistes like G Dragon, CL, Epik High and Akdong Musician.
The reason why I support YG is because they support talent more than looks. SM mostly recruit their artistes based on looks. So all the SM artistes who make it big are pretty or handsome. JYP mostly judges the dance and singing abilities that suit Mr JYP himself. For YG, Mr Yang Hyun Suk allows his artistes to do music on their own. Akdong Musician recently released 200% and Melted and I was blown away by their songs. The lyrics of melted bears a hidden meaning and I was really touched by the MV. The icy cold world we're living in. Void, dismay and unhappiness. All portrayed in the MV and in the voices. That is YG.
YG selects artistes by their talents and grooms them further to become big stars. They don't accept plastic surgery but they do wonderful makeup and styling to fit their artistes and make them shine on stage. Their stylists are really good. Not forgetting the fact that the artistes are also very close to the background dancers. It's such a close-knitted family that you'll be really happy to join in.
SM and JYP have their fair share of talents but none beats YG. Sure, you have Super Junior, SNSD, EXO, SHINee under SM and 2PM, Miss A and GOT7 under JYP. However, the image they give me are quite mainstream. I didn't like the management under SM, ever since the chaos that came after Jaejoong, Junsu and Yoochun planned to leave the company. All the hoo-ha the company was making was really terrible and it reflected badly on the company. Especially in the eyes of the DBSK fans. Even now, many fans around me still despised the way SM dealt with the situation then.
Perhaps, I'm just showing favoritism towards YG but if given a chance, I'd really like to have an experience of working under the company with them. Be it in the smallest sector in the company or even in the well-known cafeteria, I wish there's a chance for me to experience being part of YG. Add on the fact that I can meet Big Bang, 2NE1 and Winner or perhaps Tablo's daughter Haru too.
The Music Videos made by YG aren't all those fanciful sweet settings you always see in other artistes' Music Videos. I really love Akdong Musician's Melted, LeeHi's Rose, 2NE1's Lonely, all of Big Bang's MV and Tablo's Bad. YG Family love. Daebak.
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