Who am I? I am a screwed-up blogger and an active blog reader since 2007. A soulful dreamer who believes that passion is life and a person who is looking for meaning, just like any other human being in this world. A super girl wannabe who is currently taking chances and chasing pavements, while keeping up with time and living life in general. This is me, and this blog is the outlet of my random thoughts. (^___^)
Most of the posts in this blog revolve around Asian dramas, movies and pop culture, so please proceed at your own risk. Don't say I didn't warn you. Haha! Have a wonderful and blessed day! :)
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In Retrospect: Wang Lee Hom and Crystal Liu in "Love in Disguise"
Tuesday, February 15, 2011 @ 9:06 PM |
comment (0)
“Have you ever been in love?
Horrible isn't it?
It makes you so vulnerable.
It opens your chest and it opens up your heart
and it means that someone can get inside you and mess you up.
You build up all these defenses,
you build up a whole suit of armor,
so that nothing can hurt you,
then one stupid person,
no different from any other stupid person,
wanders into your stupid life...
You give them a piece of you.
They didn't ask for it.
They did something dumb one day,
like kiss you or smile at you,
and then your life isn't your own anymore."
~Niel Gaiman (an excerpt)
If you are famous celebrity, it's given that you have a lot of money. You have a lot of friends, and you can get to do whatever you want. Buy whatever you desire to your hearts content. Party until dawn, and date all the pretty girls in town. His life was perfect for many. There are people who would do anything just to be in his shoes. Desired by all girls, envied by most men. The life of a celebrity is definitely one with everyone's attention. Every endorsement, album, or concert, sold out! But it's as band when you have everything in the world you could ever wish for, except happiness. And when you find someone who literally makes you see butterflies and stars, and takes you to a world where nobody possibly can, what will do you? Will you trade stardom for love?
The Story...
That's the premise for this movie. Choosing between fame and popularity over love and being happy. Wang Leehom plays Du Ming Han or simply DMH, a highly successful pop idol managed by a perfectionist manager played by Joan (Joan Chen). En route to a party while riding their limo, their driver knocks down a pretty music student named Song Xiao Qing (Liu Yi Fei), and smitten by the aura she gives him when she teases with her instrument, DMH calls for his lead guitarist WZB(Chen Han Dian) help to disguise and enroll themselves into the same Chinese orchestra school, Far East Music Academy where Xiao Qing is in. With the help of his stylist friend Xie Na, he ends up with a country bumpkin disguise, from the fictional 'Nail Town' no one knows where. With DMH juggling both his superstar career and student life at an academy where nobody knows who he is, he stars to realize and learn more things about life, love and happiness, just like what he always wanted.
Love In Disguise (戀愛通告)is a movie starring Chinese pop superstar Wang Leehom, who also wrote and directed the movie at the same time. It was released in China on August 12 and in Taiwan the day after. Asian drama and movie fans may be familiar with this movie already, as it was a hit in the Chinese region. In fact, before it's premiere, it managed to get more than 17,000 fans in Weibo, the Chinese equivalent of Twitter. Because of it's popularity, it brought home approximately 52.8 million Yuan, which is roughly around 7.77 million USD, according to Box Office Follower. Following the footsteps of fellow pop superstar Jay Chou, this movie was Lee Hom's directorial debut, where aside from being the movie's director, he also wrote the script, played the main lead and composed it's official soundtrack. Pretty impressive, right? These Chinese superstars are totally impressing me one pursuit after the other.
Because Jay Chou traversed the singer, composer and actor turned director slash producer route first, there are a lot of people comparing him to Wang Lee Hom. Their superstar statuses in the Chinese pop industry makes one think if there is really a rift going on between them. It's a fact that they are considered rivals, probably for the longest time now, but I don't think the label is not going to affect the friendship they have developed over the years. Both parties appear to be really supportive of each other despite the intrigues. In fact, it was reported by the media that Jay showed up to Lee Hom's Taiwan premiere for the movie despite his super busy schedule. A lot of people are comparing Jay's Secret to Lee Hom's Love in Disguise, which is quite ridiculous because aside from the fact that they are two very different movies, they have a different storyline. Jay's movie was more melodramatic, while Lee Hom's movie is the feel-good romantic comedy. Despite being largely centered on love and music, they also differ in so many aspects.
Before this movie, Leehom have starred in other big productions such as Lust, Caution and Little Big Soldier. As a household name both in Taiwan and China, fans had high expectations after his announcement that he will release his directorial debut movie in 2010. Most of it due to his popularity, some of it because of curiosity; nevertheless, it was able to reap good results in the end. For this movie, he enlisted the participation of the ever gorgeous Liu Yi Fei, otherwise known as Crystal Liu as the female main lead. She is an actress from mainland China, popular for the movie The Forbidden Kingdom, and the well-loved Chinese series Chinese Paladin. I personally like this actress, and I consider her one of the most beautiful actresses all over Asia. This 168cm stunner is also a model and an in demand endorser in the Chinese region. Her ethereal beauty have landed her almost every lead role in a historical drama or movie. I must say I'd give Leehom a thumbs up for casting her in this movie.
Zeng Yike who played as Lee Hom's guitarist best friend was among the many characters who played the pivotal supporting role for this movie. Haven't you noticed most romantic comedies? It is almost always a requirement to have characters like the male lead's best friend or sidekick - the person most of the characters always depend on. Don't even let me get started on spazzing over his skill in player the guitar, he definitely rocks it hands down. The ageless beauty Joan Chen portrayed the character of Lee Hom's manager. As always, great acting. The role of a manager fits her very well. There are also cameos from many stars like Khalil Fong, who is one of my favorite singers by the way. Those who are fans of Chinese pop who have not watched the movie yet (but I'm sure most have) will surely keep an eye on this one.
With regards to the plot of the movie, Lee Hom honestly remarked, “My character disguises himself and no one was able to recognize his superstar status. I often fantasize about going out on the streets without anyone recognizing who I am.” And when asked by reporters why he chose Crystal Liu to play opposite his character in the movie, the star admitted that she is someone similar to the image of his ideal girl. With this, he said, “Of course I like Fei Fei (Crystal) a lot, otherwise I wouldn’t cast her in my movie! When I first started writing the script for Love in Disguise, I already added a role for her. Among the fifty-four draft versions of the script, thirty versions of it include Fei Fei’s name. At the time, I never thought of casting another actress!”
When asked by reporters about the similarities of his life as a superstar to his role in the movie, and how he drew the inspiration to create a character like DMH who had everything but love, he said, "I did not set out to put my life story into the movie, but it is unavoidable that a director would get inspiration from his own life, and include his personal style in his work." In adddition to that, he adds, "I am a greedy person. I want the best of both worlds, I wish to be an idol and to have a girlfriend in real life."
Let me tell you something... The script for this movie was finalized after more then 50 revisions, which is enough proof of the superstar's 'perfect or nothing' attitude. Eventually, all his efforts paid off because it managed to draw a lot of attention even before it's pre-production stages, and eventually, up until it's airing period in cinemas across China and Taiwan. For me, the movie was worth the curiosity and the wait. Definitely something I would watch (of course, because it's Lee Hom. ^ ^) because of it's simplicity and light-hearted nature. The movie was not dragging; it was just just right. I like the flow of the story because unlike other movies, it's not the typical one which makes you like it in the beginning and then when you become engrossed in it, it leaves you with a heavy pile of emotions, which eventually makes you sad. I hate crying when I watch a movie or a drama, so as much as possible, I stay away from tearjerkers. This one has a good balance of drama, melancholy and humor, so you won't invest that much of your emotions while watching it.
I like how both Lee Hom and Crystal looks amazing on screen. As individual persons, and more so, as a couple. They complement each other well. They look super good together. If I didn't know he was born in 1976, and she in 1987, I would not even be able to tell the age difference between the two. I like the fact that Lee Hom has never aged. He looks super handsome as ever. Probably one of the most good-looking singers in the Chinese music industry. This man doesn't have just the height, stature and the over-all appearance but also the smarts to boot. His educational profile speaks it all! His ability to speak in various languages including fluent English is a plus point. In addition to that, it's impossible to leave behind his talent in playing musical instruments. And I'm not just talking about the piano, violin, guitar and the like. This includes traditional Chinese music instruments which are relatively hard to play, like the erhu.
In the movie, he showcases his skills in playing the said instrument so well. At the same time, Crystal also impresses with her mastery in playing another traditional instrument which is the guzheng. Together with his best friend slash sidekick WZB, and Crystal's friend, they form an amazing quartet in their fictional university's department. Crystal was a breath of fresh air in the movie. I don't know why, but I've always had this girl crush on her. Hahaha! It's creepy, I know. But I personally think she looks like a goddess. An Asian goddess to be very specific. Excuse my Crystal bias, but every time she appears in a scene, everything automatically turns out beautiful, and I don't know why. She has this certain aura to her that I can't describe. Maybe it's because of her ethereal beauty. And mind you, she doesn't just look gorgeous in modern and stylish clothes, she also rocks the look of a lass who used to live in the olden days.
Lee Hom and Crystal's chemistry though it wasn't that great, wasn't that bad. It was just right, the way the movie required it to be. There are a lot of funny scenes which cracked me up, and less dull moments. Because Lee Hom had this crazy imagination where he would see butterflies and stars (And I mean, literally. Haha!) every time he would bump into Crystal, he was almost always like in a state of trance. It's like a magical world of his own where he sees no one but her and hears no other sound but the soothing and heavenly music from Crystal's guzheng. And some point, it got really annoying to watch, but it was also fun at the same time. You could say he was crazy and things of all sorts. Because of his superstar status, he couldn't let his lady love know who he really was, so he resorted in all means possible just to keep her at close watch. He went all the way to enrol in a music academy just to see her everyday, lived in a typical student dorm, and kept a low profile. There is a scene in the movie where both him and Crystal are decked in traditional Chinese costume, and I must say that if they happened to live in the ancient times, I'm sure they would be the subject of everyone's envy. They can pull off the 'Ching Dynasty couple' look rather well. With that said, how could a couple look so good?
Last but not the least is definitely the OST from the movie, which was written and sung by Lee Hom himself. Chinese pop music fans will surely be happy to know that it doesn't differ that much to his usual ballads. His golden touch never fails to turn every single into a hit, so take a listen to it below! (already english subbed for you ^ ^)
They say that love makes you do crazy things, insane things. Things in a million years you'd never see yourself do. But there you are doing them... and you can't help it.As funny as it may sound, we all have a tendency to end up doing just that. Crazy as it may seem, it's like a pulling force. For some people,doing "crazy" things leads you to get or hold on to what you want most, you'd do it, right? Yes, love has us doing everything and anything, and sometimes crazy things happens to be the things we do to get our flawless, and pretty damn close to a perfect life as much we possibly can. As a final word, and as crazy as I may sound, I think I only have this left to say: I wish they (Lee Hom and Crystal Liu) would end up together. After watching the movie, I'm sure I'm not the only one who feels the same way, so I wish they would just date. Hehe. Well, I still have a bus to catch, so my time's up. I will try hard to review more movies and dramas in the coming days, despite all the things I have to do. So until my next post, love heaps. ^ ^
***Note: If you would like to watch the movie, PM me in any of my three blogs, and I will give you a link. You can also DM me in Twitter @iamsuper_eray. ^ ^
Not a lot of people know (or would even understand), but I am also a victim of drama obsession. I've been camping in dramalandia since I was 13 years old, and that's where you will most likely find me when I have nothing to do.
One of the symptoms of this disease is daydreaming about dramas everywhere whether you are at work, walking down the stairs, sleeping, even as you are walking...creepy isn't it? Hahaha!
I am also a big Asian music fan and I think Asian music rocks! I go back and forth from Cpop to Kpop and Jpop, so I may be different (and strange) compared to other people that you can find around. I am an elder sister , a dreamer , a believer , a gamer , wanderer , blogger , an optimist , an ultimate foodie and a, hands down, fangirl . I love reading books , writing , music , photography and traveling.
I am a nurse by profession who is also a copy editor and a freelance writer . I enjoy learning how to play musical instruments and learning various languages . I am crazy, loud, spontaneous, free-spirited and most of the time, a klutz.
Eren Asentista a.k.a. Eray, 23, female, from Dumaguete City, Philippines. My personality...it's complicated. :D Believe me, you wouldn't want to know who I am. Hahaha! XD
I am currently watching...
In the coming days, I plan to watch...
In Asian Entertainment, I fancy...
(This is still lacking, but this is more or less it. LOL! I will most likely be updating this in the future to accommodate my growing list of biases but check em out!)
The things that I want to do before I die are the following:
An Asian cruise. Templestay in Korea. An African safari adventure. Backpacking to Europe. Traveling through the European railways.
In Retrospect: Wang Lee Hom and Crystal Liu in "Love in Disguise"
Tuesday, February 15, 2011 @ 9:06 PM |
comment (0)
“Have you ever been in love?
Horrible isn't it?
It makes you so vulnerable.
It opens your chest and it opens up your heart
and it means that someone can get inside you and mess you up.
You build up all these defenses,
you build up a whole suit of armor,
so that nothing can hurt you,
then one stupid person,
no different from any other stupid person,
wanders into your stupid life...
You give them a piece of you.
They didn't ask for it.
They did something dumb one day,
like kiss you or smile at you,
and then your life isn't your own anymore."
~Niel Gaiman (an excerpt)
If you are famous celebrity, it's given that you have a lot of money. You have a lot of friends, and you can get to do whatever you want. Buy whatever you desire to your hearts content. Party until dawn, and date all the pretty girls in town. His life was perfect for many. There are people who would do anything just to be in his shoes. Desired by all girls, envied by most men. The life of a celebrity is definitely one with everyone's attention. Every endorsement, album, or concert, sold out! But it's as band when you have everything in the world you could ever wish for, except happiness. And when you find someone who literally makes you see butterflies and stars, and takes you to a world where nobody possibly can, what will do you? Will you trade stardom for love?
The Story...
That's the premise for this movie. Choosing between fame and popularity over love and being happy. Wang Leehom plays Du Ming Han or simply DMH, a highly successful pop idol managed by a perfectionist manager played by Joan (Joan Chen). En route to a party while riding their limo, their driver knocks down a pretty music student named Song Xiao Qing (Liu Yi Fei), and smitten by the aura she gives him when she teases with her instrument, DMH calls for his lead guitarist WZB(Chen Han Dian) help to disguise and enroll themselves into the same Chinese orchestra school, Far East Music Academy where Xiao Qing is in. With the help of his stylist friend Xie Na, he ends up with a country bumpkin disguise, from the fictional 'Nail Town' no one knows where. With DMH juggling both his superstar career and student life at an academy where nobody knows who he is, he stars to realize and learn more things about life, love and happiness, just like what he always wanted.
Love In Disguise (戀愛通告)is a movie starring Chinese pop superstar Wang Leehom, who also wrote and directed the movie at the same time. It was released in China on August 12 and in Taiwan the day after. Asian drama and movie fans may be familiar with this movie already, as it was a hit in the Chinese region. In fact, before it's premiere, it managed to get more than 17,000 fans in Weibo, the Chinese equivalent of Twitter. Because of it's popularity, it brought home approximately 52.8 million Yuan, which is roughly around 7.77 million USD, according to Box Office Follower. Following the footsteps of fellow pop superstar Jay Chou, this movie was Lee Hom's directorial debut, where aside from being the movie's director, he also wrote the script, played the main lead and composed it's official soundtrack. Pretty impressive, right? These Chinese superstars are totally impressing me one pursuit after the other.
Because Jay Chou traversed the singer, composer and actor turned director slash producer route first, there are a lot of people comparing him to Wang Lee Hom. Their superstar statuses in the Chinese pop industry makes one think if there is really a rift going on between them. It's a fact that they are considered rivals, probably for the longest time now, but I don't think the label is not going to affect the friendship they have developed over the years. Both parties appear to be really supportive of each other despite the intrigues. In fact, it was reported by the media that Jay showed up to Lee Hom's Taiwan premiere for the movie despite his super busy schedule. A lot of people are comparing Jay's Secret to Lee Hom's Love in Disguise, which is quite ridiculous because aside from the fact that they are two very different movies, they have a different storyline. Jay's movie was more melodramatic, while Lee Hom's movie is the feel-good romantic comedy. Despite being largely centered on love and music, they also differ in so many aspects.
Before this movie, Leehom have starred in other big productions such as Lust, Caution and Little Big Soldier. As a household name both in Taiwan and China, fans had high expectations after his announcement that he will release his directorial debut movie in 2010. Most of it due to his popularity, some of it because of curiosity; nevertheless, it was able to reap good results in the end. For this movie, he enlisted the participation of the ever gorgeous Liu Yi Fei, otherwise known as Crystal Liu as the female main lead. She is an actress from mainland China, popular for the movie The Forbidden Kingdom, and the well-loved Chinese series Chinese Paladin. I personally like this actress, and I consider her one of the most beautiful actresses all over Asia. This 168cm stunner is also a model and an in demand endorser in the Chinese region. Her ethereal beauty have landed her almost every lead role in a historical drama or movie. I must say I'd give Leehom a thumbs up for casting her in this movie.
Zeng Yike who played as Lee Hom's guitarist best friend was among the many characters who played the pivotal supporting role for this movie. Haven't you noticed most romantic comedies? It is almost always a requirement to have characters like the male lead's best friend or sidekick - the person most of the characters always depend on. Don't even let me get started on spazzing over his skill in player the guitar, he definitely rocks it hands down. The ageless beauty Joan Chen portrayed the character of Lee Hom's manager. As always, great acting. The role of a manager fits her very well. There are also cameos from many stars like Khalil Fong, who is one of my favorite singers by the way. Those who are fans of Chinese pop who have not watched the movie yet (but I'm sure most have) will surely keep an eye on this one.
With regards to the plot of the movie, Lee Hom honestly remarked, “My character disguises himself and no one was able to recognize his superstar status. I often fantasize about going out on the streets without anyone recognizing who I am.” And when asked by reporters why he chose Crystal Liu to play opposite his character in the movie, the star admitted that she is someone similar to the image of his ideal girl. With this, he said, “Of course I like Fei Fei (Crystal) a lot, otherwise I wouldn’t cast her in my movie! When I first started writing the script for Love in Disguise, I already added a role for her. Among the fifty-four draft versions of the script, thirty versions of it include Fei Fei’s name. At the time, I never thought of casting another actress!”
When asked by reporters about the similarities of his life as a superstar to his role in the movie, and how he drew the inspiration to create a character like DMH who had everything but love, he said, "I did not set out to put my life story into the movie, but it is unavoidable that a director would get inspiration from his own life, and include his personal style in his work." In adddition to that, he adds, "I am a greedy person. I want the best of both worlds, I wish to be an idol and to have a girlfriend in real life."
Let me tell you something... The script for this movie was finalized after more then 50 revisions, which is enough proof of the superstar's 'perfect or nothing' attitude. Eventually, all his efforts paid off because it managed to draw a lot of attention even before it's pre-production stages, and eventually, up until it's airing period in cinemas across China and Taiwan. For me, the movie was worth the curiosity and the wait. Definitely something I would watch (of course, because it's Lee Hom. ^ ^) because of it's simplicity and light-hearted nature. The movie was not dragging; it was just just right. I like the flow of the story because unlike other movies, it's not the typical one which makes you like it in the beginning and then when you become engrossed in it, it leaves you with a heavy pile of emotions, which eventually makes you sad. I hate crying when I watch a movie or a drama, so as much as possible, I stay away from tearjerkers. This one has a good balance of drama, melancholy and humor, so you won't invest that much of your emotions while watching it.
I like how both Lee Hom and Crystal looks amazing on screen. As individual persons, and more so, as a couple. They complement each other well. They look super good together. If I didn't know he was born in 1976, and she in 1987, I would not even be able to tell the age difference between the two. I like the fact that Lee Hom has never aged. He looks super handsome as ever. Probably one of the most good-looking singers in the Chinese music industry. This man doesn't have just the height, stature and the over-all appearance but also the smarts to boot. His educational profile speaks it all! His ability to speak in various languages including fluent English is a plus point. In addition to that, it's impossible to leave behind his talent in playing musical instruments. And I'm not just talking about the piano, violin, guitar and the like. This includes traditional Chinese music instruments which are relatively hard to play, like the erhu.
In the movie, he showcases his skills in playing the said instrument so well. At the same time, Crystal also impresses with her mastery in playing another traditional instrument which is the guzheng. Together with his best friend slash sidekick WZB, and Crystal's friend, they form an amazing quartet in their fictional university's department. Crystal was a breath of fresh air in the movie. I don't know why, but I've always had this girl crush on her. Hahaha! It's creepy, I know. But I personally think she looks like a goddess. An Asian goddess to be very specific. Excuse my Crystal bias, but every time she appears in a scene, everything automatically turns out beautiful, and I don't know why. She has this certain aura to her that I can't describe. Maybe it's because of her ethereal beauty. And mind you, she doesn't just look gorgeous in modern and stylish clothes, she also rocks the look of a lass who used to live in the olden days.
Lee Hom and Crystal's chemistry though it wasn't that great, wasn't that bad. It was just right, the way the movie required it to be. There are a lot of funny scenes which cracked me up, and less dull moments. Because Lee Hom had this crazy imagination where he would see butterflies and stars (And I mean, literally. Haha!) every time he would bump into Crystal, he was almost always like in a state of trance. It's like a magical world of his own where he sees no one but her and hears no other sound but the soothing and heavenly music from Crystal's guzheng. And some point, it got really annoying to watch, but it was also fun at the same time. You could say he was crazy and things of all sorts. Because of his superstar status, he couldn't let his lady love know who he really was, so he resorted in all means possible just to keep her at close watch. He went all the way to enrol in a music academy just to see her everyday, lived in a typical student dorm, and kept a low profile. There is a scene in the movie where both him and Crystal are decked in traditional Chinese costume, and I must say that if they happened to live in the ancient times, I'm sure they would be the subject of everyone's envy. They can pull off the 'Ching Dynasty couple' look rather well. With that said, how could a couple look so good?
Last but not the least is definitely the OST from the movie, which was written and sung by Lee Hom himself. Chinese pop music fans will surely be happy to know that it doesn't differ that much to his usual ballads. His golden touch never fails to turn every single into a hit, so take a listen to it below! (already english subbed for you ^ ^)
They say that love makes you do crazy things, insane things. Things in a million years you'd never see yourself do. But there you are doing them... and you can't help it.As funny as it may sound, we all have a tendency to end up doing just that. Crazy as it may seem, it's like a pulling force. For some people,doing "crazy" things leads you to get or hold on to what you want most, you'd do it, right? Yes, love has us doing everything and anything, and sometimes crazy things happens to be the things we do to get our flawless, and pretty damn close to a perfect life as much we possibly can. As a final word, and as crazy as I may sound, I think I only have this left to say: I wish they (Lee Hom and Crystal Liu) would end up together. After watching the movie, I'm sure I'm not the only one who feels the same way, so I wish they would just date. Hehe. Well, I still have a bus to catch, so my time's up. I will try hard to review more movies and dramas in the coming days, despite all the things I have to do. So until my next post, love heaps. ^ ^
***Note: If you would like to watch the movie, PM me in any of my three blogs, and I will give you a link. You can also DM me in Twitter @iamsuper_eray. ^ ^
Who am I? I am a screwed-up blogger and an active blog reader since 2007. A soulful dreamer who believes that passion is life and a person who is looking for meaning, just like any other human being in this world. A super girl wannabe who is currently taking chances and chasing pavements, while keeping up with time and living life in general. This is me, and this blog is the outlet of my random thoughts. (^___^)
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Layout: Nicole, Dirah.
I've been camping in dramalandia since I was 13 years old, and that's where you will most likely find me when I have nothing to do.
I am an elder sister 
, a dreamer 
, a believer 
, a gamer 
, wanderer 
, blogger 
, an optimist 
, an ultimate foodie 
and a, hands down, fangirl 
. I love reading books 
, writing 
, music 
, photography and traveling.
who is also a copy editor 
and a freelance writer 
. I enjoy learning how to play musical instruments 
and learning various languages 
. I am crazy, loud, spontaneous, free-spirited and most of the time, a klutz.
An Asian cruise.
