AnoHana

Notes: It's funny. I'm doing the beginning notes after writing the entire post. For those who haven't watch AnoHana and don't want spoilers, this is a post full of spoilers. You had yourself warned. :)

This post will serve as my personal review about the anime "Ano Hi Mita Hana no Namae o Bokutachi wa Mada Shiranai. I know, pretty long title, right? Shortly, this anime is called "AnoHana" but the longer version of the anime's title means "We Still Don't Know The Name Of The Flower We Saw That Day." Anyway, I watched that anime for five or six hours straight, from the first episode till the last which is the eleventh episode so maybe, I'll re-watch it again if I find enough time and revise what I'll say right now from the point of view of a person who saw it straight one time. Nevertheless, bear with this. This may sound like a rant but I just want to say what I think about AnoHana.


Let me provide you first with a very, very short summary. AnoHana is a story of six friends: Menma, Jintan, Anaru, Yukiatsu, Tsuruko and Poppo. When they were still children (like just seven years old), Menma died because of an accident. Years later, they still haven't gotten over that Menma died. And the interesting part, Menma came back like a ghost because of the will of having a wish granted. Only, she didn't know what's her wish and it somehow connects to the six of them being together again since when she died, the remaining five drifted apart.

First of all, I find it really connecting how the five of the friends - excluding Poppo since as far as I know, he isn't involved in any romantic linkage on his friends - fell in love with one another and had someone falling for them, too. Let me elaborate on this: Jintan loves Menma and Menma loves him, too. Anaru loves Jintan and Yukiatsu loves Menma (kind of obsessed, I may say). And lastly, Tsuruko also loves Yukiatsu. That's very complicated, don't you think? Jintan and Menma's love for each other isn't said at all but it was nonetheless expressed in so many ways in the anime, even when they were still kids. Anaru's love for Jintan is unrequited and no matter how she tried, it didn't disappear over time. It is very obvious and Anaru's not the best person of hiding her feelings. Same goes for Yukiatsu. His love for Menma was told but it is unrequited, too. He didn't want to talk about it or even think about it but he knows that from somewhere down in his heart, he still hasn't gotten over his feelings for Menma even after so long. I find Tsuruko's character the most interesting even though it wasn't given too much emphasis and time in the story. He loves Yukiatsu ever since the story of the six of them began and she knew, unlike Anaru, that Yukiatsu will never love her as much as he loves Menma. It was unrequited, too, but she is fine (not happy or contented, only fine) with being her on Yukiatsu's side. What's more ironic: Falling in love with your friend who is in love with another friend of yours or Loving a friend who loves you back but when you'll be together, another friend of the both of you will get hurt? Both, I think. And I like how connecting in the real life that one plot of the story is.

Because you might be finding this boring at this point because of just me ranting, let me provide you with some photos.

From left to right: Hisakawa Tetsudo "Poppo", Anjou Naruko "Anaru", Honma Meiko "Menma", Yadomi Jinta "Jintan", Tsurumi Chiriko "Tsuruko", and Mitsuyuki Atsumo, "Yukiatsu".

From left to right: Jintan, Poppo, Anaru, Menma, Yukiatsu, and Tsuruko, when they were still kids. Jintan was the leader and Poppo's always following him. This picture kind of conveys what are they feeling even back then. Jintan was oblivious of Anaru's feelings for him and won't even acknowledge his own feelings for Menma. Thus, he was always walking ahead as the leader. Anaru who loves him was next to him and Poppo following. Menma was next, looking at Jintan. I wanted to assume that as much as she loves all her friends equally as "friends", Jintan will always be different for her (like the person who you'd want to marry someday: a quote from the anime episode I don't remember the number anymore). Yukiatsu was next, following Menma and lastly was Tsuruko, following Yukiatsu. The quote: A picture tells a thousand words is really proven in here, don't you think?

Let's stop for a while with the photos. Secondly, I want to review the concept of the story. First of all in this topic I want to talk/rant about, I think the concept of friendship in anime isn't new at all, especially to an all-around otaku who has interest in like every genre of anime/manga. But what I find captivating about this anime is that it's a story of friends who drifted apart because of a particular dead girl and now the dead girl came back because of a wish. That's the part of it that captivates me. To tell you the truth, the friendship of all this six is more important for me while I was watching this anime. I wanted to see what will happen to their friendship and I found myself waiting for any development in their friendship, the six of them. The romance part is only the second point I was watching out for when I watched it.

And sadly, I really think that the anime didn't give much justice to their friendship and/or the relationship between the six of them (not just the relationship of two characters). Okay, let me explain because I know at this point I might sound confusing because when I'm ranting, I don't know anymore if I'm making any sense. Nonetheless, I'm going to explain.

I want the six of them to grow as friends, not only see them as two-by-two (again, excluding Poppo since he has no romantic linkage with any of the his friends) lovers. At the beginning of the story, I find it really exciting how a dead girl's ghost came back to life ,only, in Jintan's eyes because of, I thought, her eternal love for the Super Peace Busters. Menma loves her friends, I know. But towards the middle of the story, it didn't center anymore in their friendship. It more on concentrated in their selfish, I may say, feelings for one another.

I find it really frustrating and sad when I learned that they only want Menma out of their life because of their own selfish feelings for one another. I really don't know anymore what to feel when after the fireworks and Menma was still around, everyone knew exactly why she wasn't gone. Poppo admitted that he just want Menma out of his life because of his guilt feelings that he was one of those to be blamed why the poor girl died. Anaru admitted that she wanted Menma gone because of her ever-undying love for Jintan and she thought that if Menma was finally gone, Jintan will be able to look at her. Yukiatsu admitted (if I remember correctly here since either I'm griping tightly to my blanket or wiping harshly tears in my eyes is what I'm doing at this point) that he wanted Menma to have "peace" because he can't stand Jintan only seeing her.

Here's the scene. The moment that struck me the most in this scene was when Anaru and Tsuruko fought. I was like Oh-my-God, did she just say it? Actually, I like Anaru and I felt like I can connect to her. But when she said all loud that Tsuruko loves Yukiatsu and that they're just the same of how they wanted Menma gone forever because she wanted Yukiatsu to look at her, too, seriously, I can't describe how I hate her that particular moment. I breathed a sigh of relief when Tsuruko told Anaru her feelings for Yukiatsu. I thought that at least that time, she showed her true self to her friend. But Anaru shouting Tsuruko's feelings who by the way Tsuruko kept for like forever to Yukiatsu just like that, like that didn't even matter, like Tsuruko wanted to shout it like that, like everything will be like it was after saying it, I find myself getting angry and I find Anaru being unfair. I find her being more unfair when she kept on insisting how they're the same when even before Tsuruko countered her, I knew they're not the same. Tsuruko may be my favorite character in the series but being unbiased here, she and Anaru are really way different.

Anaru's love for Jintan is very obvious. It is visible even though she won't say it or just even after seeing her on the first episode. That's why at that moment, I love her character because it's very connecting. Girls with unrequited love can easily connect to her and it somehow reflects reality and the pain of not having your love returned.

Tsuruko, on the other hand, is reserved and calm. You almost wouldn't know her feelings for Yukiatsu if you'll not look down her core and her actions (or you'll just wait for the episode she confessed it to Anaru). Her character for me is very connecting as well. Hiding your emotions no matter how strong they are because you know nothing will change and everything will be more complicated if it will be told is a very real thing.

Yeah I know, they're same in terms of having same unrequited feelings for guys who has eyes on the same girl who by the way was dead already and simply they can't get over her. But they're so very different, too. Okay, I'm exploring the characters at this point already and it's not supposed to be time yet. I'm supposed to review the concept story first so let's head there for a moment now, okay?

So where am I back there? As I was saying, I find it really sad that they wanted Menma out of their lives for personal reason while our dear Menma who forever loves her friend came back for them and wishes to be with them like before. Isn't it really sad? I think they kind of realized it by the end and finally stopped thinking of their own freaking reasons and was finally able to send peace to Menma.

Anyway, the weak concept of the story was the poor based of why Menma came back. Let me tell you why she came back: To make Jintan cry because she promised it to Jintan's Mom when his mother was in the verge of dying. I find it really weak and it really doesn't support the idea and the concept of friends forever which I really thought initially was the plot of the anime. It was actually, by the beginning and the end of the story. It never was in the middle. For me, the middle part of the anime concentrated on their individual feelings for each other. I really don't want to complain but friendship should come first before any romance since friendship bound all of them, all six characters, not romance. It was like the characters didn't grow as a group, as Super Peace Busters. For me, it seemed like they grew as individuals who knew each other years ago before a girl in white dress died.

I really don't get another point of the story because as for what I saw, they were like seven year-old kids when Menma was still alive and thus they call themselves Super Peace Busters and even built a secret base in the forest. What I don't get is how the heck seven year-old kids knew about stuff like love and everything related to romance. What brought me here is it was revealed, too, how Menma died. Unfortunately, all of them were involved, even Menma herself. Yukiatsu, Anaru and ,I think, they even convinced Poppo to go with the flow to find out what's Jintan's real feelings for Menma (whether he likes her or not simply). Even back then, Anaru loves Jintan and Yukiatsu's in love with Menma (and with that, I am still like WTH! They're seven year-old-s, for heaven's sake. Well, love really has no age requirements. If you'll fall, you'll just fall.) So anyway, regardless of the three, Tsuruko knew it and told Menma about it. I really cried when I saw (well I was watching English subbed, by the way) Menma's reply. This isn't the real words but as much as I can remember, it's mostly like this, Tsuruko and Menma's conversation. Tsuruko: Are you okay with it? (She was telling Menma not to go to the secret base.) Menma: It's okay. I don't just love Jintan. I love you all. Seriously, I cried a bucket after that words. And even remembering that now, I still felt sad, nonetheless. Not crying but still sad especially when I learned how they wanted Menma gone because of their personal reasons. Going back, knowing everything that will happen. All went to the secret base. Anaru asked Jintan if he likes Menma. Jintan, of course, said no even though he was blushing so much. And went like, "How could anyone like an ugly..." He stopped right there and looked at Menma. She just smiled. He didn't take it anymore. He run. Menma followed him. Yukiatsu followed Menma and confessed his love for her, giving her a flower hairclip. Menma didn't know what to do at that time: continue running after Jintan or talk to Yukiatsu. After blushing at Yukiatsu's confession which she hadn't expected coming at all (since as her own mother said, she's a very light headed person), she went like: I have to run after Jintan. Let's talk about this later. And then, she ran after Jintan. Yukiatsu, left alone, threw the flower hairclip. (We learned by then that the dirty flower hairclip Tsuruko was still keeping and even using when she's alone was the one Yukiatsu intended to give Menma years ago.) To sum it all up, Menma fell into some kind of body water and died when she was running after Jintan.

We also learned that Menma initially asked only everyone except Jintan that day regarding her promise to Jintan's Mom. She thought that she didn't know how to make Jintan cry and she wanted to ask her friends about it. Of course, keeping it secret from Jintan. She never had the chance to ask because of the accident that killed her.

So she came back with only Jintan seeing her and communicating to her like a normal alive person because of that promise. That particular promise to make Jintan cry, I find a very weak concept for the story.

I've gone already too long talking about the positive points of this anime and ranting about the negative marks as well. As an ending, I'll just talk about how even after all the plot holes and need for character development still, AnoHana made me smile in the end. Honestly, at the final episode, tears wouldn't stop coming from my eyes. And seriously, the box of tissue I readied wasn't enough because of too much sadness and I don't know, maybe even happiness for having quite a closure. But at the end, let me tell you, regardless of the tears falling from my eyes, I just had a smile on my lips. A smile.

Here goes what happened on the final episode of AnoHana (with some photos to give you an idea how emotional it was):

Menma and Jintan are in the house after the fireworks which supposedly would be Menma's wish and she'd finally find her way in the heaven peacefully.

Jintan was called by the others because they "knew" my Menma was still there, with them.

Anaru admitted that she only wanted Menma gone so Jintan will be able to look at her, too.

Yukiatsu admitted that he wanted Menma to have "peace" only because he can't stand Jintan being the only one who can see her (as I've remembered).

Anaru confronting Tsuruko of how "they're just the same" and revealing Tsuruko's feelings for Yukiatsu (which I elaborated a while ago).

Tsuruko finally broke down. She said no to Anaru and told her that she knew she can't be compared to Menma. The reason she wanted Menma gone (I think) was not because if Menma will be gone, Yukiatsu will finally notice her. Her reason was if Menma was gone already, she can finally be next in line to Yukiatsu's love, next to Anaru. (That made my cry a bucket. She's still holding on to the same love of her life after so many years. After two of her friends, she was still waiting. That's sad, being a martyr for love.)

And here, we finally caught a glimpse of Poppo's emotions. He confessed that he wanted Menma have "peace" because of the guilt he has of having to see Menma drift away in the river and not being able to do something.

Finally, at last, the Super Peace Busters made peace among themselves and agreed to "make it right" this time. I personally commend Yukiatsu for forgetting everything personal between him and Jintan for a moment and calling him "Leader".

Oh for the name of love, I was crying and wailing in this part. Even thinking that Menma will be gone without having to say a proper goodbye to her friends is enough heartbreaking already. At this point, she revealed her promise to Jintan's Mom to Jintan. Because her promise/wish was finally done, she'll disappear by then.

Jintan wouldn't let that be. He said: You can't just say goodbye to me. You've got to say a proper everybody else, too.

By the time they reached the secret base, even Jintan can't see Menma anymore. He was calling her name desperately because he can't stand the fact of her being gone just after all of them reconciled.

Menma realized it and everybody else, too. So she said: Let's play hide-and-seek. Jintan desperately run all through the forest searching for Menma. (I can't believe even writing this all up made me cry already. I'm such a weak person.) Menma on the other hand pleaded for the strength to just do the thing she wanted to do last.

Finally, Menma brought them to the tree they used to play to when they were still kids. Under it were letter for each one saying why Menma loves them.

As the last seconds of Menma, all of them are able to see her clearly, quite well.

And just after completely disappearing, she smiled. As Jintan said: Even up until the end, she is smiling.

Notes: So smile, people. This post, I am consciously aware, is very long. But for those who read, thank you. On my next post, I'll talk/rant about the characters. I did a short review of Anaru and Tsuruko's here and the character review is supposed to be in this post, too. I didn't expect this to be long, honestly. So I'll be doing the character review on my next post. I'll add the "After Story" review, too, even though it was short and happened for just a few seconds by the end of the final episode. Please read it, too.

Credits: The pictures aren't mine. I found them over the Internet. All words are mine, though.

Bleach...

Hi there! It's been so long since I've last written a post considering how like it's everyday when I write last time. But now, I really wanted to write what I think about Bleach's characters. Yeah. Yeah. I've shipped from Korean drama reviews to Japanese anime. But I love both, that's why. I might ship again to the previous though because like I said, I love both.

Let's start with the IchiRuki: Kurosaki Ichigo and Kuchiki Rukia.

Seriously, I really, really love their tandem. I feel like they're so perfect for each other. I like Rukia for Ichigo because she seems to be the only one who could get Ichigo back to his feet even on the times when he is on his weakest (like when he was defeated by an Espada and Chad and Orihime got hurt or when he was so depressed because he remembered his mother's death convinced that it was his fault or when the Hollow inside him was like taking control over him and he couldn't seem to be at his full power). Rukia got him back to his feet then and in a split second, he was determined to conquer everything again. And that was a very important factor for me. Rukia brings the best out of Ichigo even when Ichigo himself doesn't believe in himself anymore. It was only Rukia who could do that. Rukia's the only one who could stop all the rain in his heart. And as Tite Kubo, Bleach's maker, stated himself, Rukia is Ichigo's ray of light. I think we should read between the words because the maker himself was already the one who said that. No explanations needed.


Now, let's talk about my views and opinion about IchiHime: Again, Kurosaki Ichigo but this time, Orihime Inoue.

Honestly, I don't really hate Orihime at Bleach. Not that I also like her character but come on, at least I don't hate her and go like "You're an a******! F*** yourself! Go die." Well, at some extent, there are also times that I actually hate her and go like, "What is she doing?" (just an example, when she healed Loly and Menoly considering what have they done to her before Grimmjow showed up). I really asked myself that time if she was just too kind or plain stupid? I actually believed the second. Well, okay, let's get back. I don't hate Orihime. It's just that I don't like her for Ichigo. I know right. She loves him with all her heart though she can't managed to tell it to him or even show some hints of it to Ichigo although I still doubt he'd noticed it since he's too dense (almost all guy anime protagonists, actually!) but the fact still remains that most times, she seems useless. Um, I'm cruel, right? But besides healing which all of the people under Captain Unohana could also do, what have she done except play the damsel in distress role and the one who always worries about her friends? I know her power is unbelievable but I'd rather have the Orihime who stood up for Ulquiorra when told that her friend is dead rather than the always crying, always worrying, damsel in distress, she always become whenever Ichigo's around. She also has a pretty high level of spiritual power and it could still improved. That's why she needs to be less kind! She needs to see enemies as enemies! She needs to fight herself. I kind of agreed when Urahara Kisuke said she'd just get in the other's way during the war because she really would if she won't change! Remember when Ichigo, Chad, Ishida and her went to Soul Society to save Rukia, if Ishida wasn't with her, she could have died already that time! Yeah, the series needs a character like her but at times, it gets too annoying.

Now, yeah, I admit I'm a huge IchiRuki fan and I don't really see Ichigo and Orihime ending up together because that would be plain boring. Ichigo never really see Orihime except as Tatsuki's friend. And if it wasn't for Rukia, he wouldn't have gotten close to her as a friend, still. One thing I don't like about the IchiHime thing is actually maybe it's too one-sided. Orihime's feelings for Ichigo was never reciprocated even a bit whereas if you'll look over at Rukia and Ichigo, it may not be directed but when talking about them, you could always tell that they care very much for one another. I know, Ichigo also cares for Orihime because he went to saved her from Aizen but it's just the same with Ishida when the Bount's got him, right? But what I'm pointing out here is the extent of urge to save the person. When Rukia was about to be abducted (is the word too much?) by Byakuya and Renji back to the Soul Society, he did everything he can to stop them but obviously, he didn't stand a chance against a Captain and a Vice-Captain that time. So he went to Soul Society without knowing that's waiting there for him. Or maybe, Urahara gave him some tips on what Soul Society is but still, there's just one thing on his mind, he needs to save Rukia. As for Orihime, I think he saved her because she's his friend, just the same as how Ishida, Chad and Rukia wanted to save Orihime. It's just that Ichigo's far stronger than them and is more capable of actually saving Orihime.

I would also like to point out a few more characters: Abarai Renji and Ishida Uryuu. (Not that they're exactly loveteams. LOL. They just add spice to what I was talking about previously because you see, it's not just IchiRuki and IchiHime, there's also RenRuki and IshiHime.)

That picture was when Rukia and Renji are still at the Academy, learning how to be shinigami because they're actually from Rukongai. It was pretty obvious even on the times when they're still kids that Renji likes Rukia and I damn know that the simple "like" on his friend turned out to be "love". Well, there are some hints about Renji's feelings for Rukia. Fine, fine, they're just hints but we need to start reading between the lines, really because if we'll just wait for everything to be spoon-feed on us, then, we're not getting anywhere. Now, to get back, I like the love triangle of Ichigo, Rukia, and Renji. Though there are many times that I feel sorry for Renji because just like Orihime for Ichigo, Rukia has no idea about his feelings for her and yet, he's always there for her. I'll just state a few moments of Rukia and Renji I already watched that made my heart twist because of the pain of one-sided love (again). When Rukia was notified that the Kuchiki clan wanted to adopt her and Renji suddenly burst inside the room about something like he passed an exam, Rukia clearly doesn't want to go. It was written on her face. It was so clear. But, Renji, not wanting to be a hindrance on whatever good things coming to Rukia, encouraged her to go even though when Rukia actually left, his face changed into the exact opposite he showed Rukia. I was wondering what could have happened if Renji did stop Rukia that time. Maybe Rukia hadn't met Ichigo at all and there wouldn't be Bleach. But, yeah. Another thing was when Ichigo threw Rukia to Renji and said, "Never let her go. Even if you die," or something like that and Aizen eventually caught up with them, he didn't let Rukia go even though it obviously meant his death. He didn't want to let her go like what he did when Rukia's just about to be adopted. He never wanted to repeat the same mistake he did that he couldn't change anymore. Lastly, as I've remembered, when they're at Hueco Mundo to save Orihime, Rukia went to faced an Espada but nearly died. Renji eventually felt her reiatsu weakening and as it seems, eventually disappearing, he went like, "Don't you dare die on me, Rukia." I absolutely love Renji's character though his feelings for Rukia is clearly one-sided. I'm actually hoping for a character to show like that would reciprocate his feelings because even though I really love Renji, I'm still IchiRuki biased.

On the other hand, there's IshiHime. I really don't like the name of this couple since it sounds and looks like IchiHime. But nonetheless, I would really prefer this couple rather than IchiHime. There aren't really exactly proofs that the one has feelings for the other. I have seen any, to tell you the truth. But my point is, Orihime is better off with Ishida than Ichigo. She needs somebody to protect her because she obviously couldn't protect herself. I remembered when they would up being together after their group accidentally split when they're about to save Rukia. Ishida protected her and she was like, "Sugoi!" Well, I couldn't say more about this couple and it's not just I only want Orihime out of the way of IchiRuki but yeah, I wished there are more hints about this couple, too, except only when Ishida's protecting Orihime when they're on their way to save Rukia.


So there, I've actually discussed for loveteams of Bleach. Actually, honestly, all of those above aren't really obvious and so if you want to choose between these, you really have to read between the line in both manga and in anime. Though, yeah, all is yet to come since Tite Kubo, I think I've already mentioned he's the maker of Bleach, had said that the current number of Bleach is just half of his work. So it's not really settled yet and of course, I'll continue following this until the end! Oh, and I would just like to say that I really, really, absolutely adore and love Nel.

She's Nel and she's so adorable! I'll talk about her on my next posts since I've got to watch Bleach, too. And another thing, lastly on this post, I love Bleach, all of them, all of the characters because bad or good, I believe everything contributes to it's wonderful plot and the series wouldn't be as amazing as it is now if a single character is has today is missing.

"Don't regret something that once made you smile."

Racial Discrimination

I've always been bothered by a very popular trend now, especially among the youth, which is called "Racial Discrimination." Just yesterday, several acquaintances were talking about how they hated it whenever they were seated beside an Indian national. And I can't believe they have the nerves to talk and laugh about it? No race is superior or inferior to the others. What the hell is the problem if my skin is so black and my eyes are so big if I am the owner of a very successful multinational company? What do you care if my eyes and my height are both small if I have the knowledge to stop the destruction of our ozone layer? What is wrong if I have a very pale complexion and a lot of freckles if I could track and catch all hackers in the world? Well, my point is simply, you couldn't judge anybody just based on how they look. That isn't just fair. And how would you feel if you're race this time was being bullied by other different races? I bet the feeling will be the complete opposite when you're the one discriminating other races. The bottom line here is still the Golden Rule: Don't do unto others what you don't want to do unto you.

Here's an example because I have always been a supported of Anti-Racial Discrimination Acts so when I saw this, I was hurt, first of all, because I, myself, is an Asian and I might as well add that I am proud of it. But I was also disappointed because what the image above showed was really true, the mind of a racist's is very, truly small. Take a look at the comment of CrashDeX. That proves how small racists' minds are. They sang the song great and just because they're Asians, he/she called them idiots and had said that they ruined the beautiful song. I couldn't argue more because I know I've already proved my point. People, let us not be racists so that our minds won't shrink.

Blogger.com

As I was browsing the blogs and continuously clicking "Next Blog," I noticed that some of the bloggers (I can see there's no such word but I think it would be more understandable if I'll use that.) had already started way back five years ago or even more. I just felt a little bit sad that I was only able to make my own blog just a couple of days ago. Maybe, if I discovered, (Technically, I didn't really discover it. My friends had been pestering my to make my own blog and upload here my writings. It was a little peer-pressure, actually. But nonetheless, I surely wished I had come with their peer-pressure earlier.) or made this earlier, say even though just two years ago, this blog could have been already filled with so many thoughts.

But anyway, it's too late to regret now. I'll just make the most out of it since I wasn't really that busy nowadays.

Cain and Abel (2)

I've already talked the summary of Cain and Abel, right? Well, now, I'll talk about the characters, the ones I loved and the ones I despised, and the actors and actresses who had portrayed these characters.

First, of course, there was So Ji-sub as Lee Cho-in, the main protagonist and the "Abel" of the story. What I love about Cho-in was his smile, above anything else. He was a good doctor, well, excluding the fact that he goes to hospital a "little" drunk with a beggar, a little boy, who has stomach pain and who doesn't want to go to the hospital at all. He also was a good son and younger brother. He had thought of his brother, Sun-woo, as an idol, as his god, always trying to be the best so that he can be called worthy as his brother's younger sibling. He had always longed to be regarded as his mother's, well, in reality step-mother but nevertheless, son even though his mother doesn't even want to be called "Omma." by him. And he was a good boyfriend and friend. Even though the time span that he and Seo-yeon had really become and be called as a couple was really short because of his China-abduction. He had stayed with Seo-yeon for the seven years that Sun-woo had left her in agony. That's why... Well, I believe he doesn't deserved what happened to him. Oh well, it did happen and we can't do anything about it. I guess, probably, God just used him as an instrument to portray a thing which most of us forget nowadays, forgiveness.

Next is Lee Sun-woo played by Shin Hyun-joon. I really, really commend this actor because even though I know for a fact that Cain and Abel was just a drama, he made me hate him like I'd want to kill him especially when he had teamed up with Choi Chi-soo, yes, another evil man whom I really hate when I was watching this drama, especially his freaking eyes, to kill Cho-in. I mean, oh yeah, Cho-in had gotten everything and he was only left with his mother but it wasn't never right to try to kill your own brother! Oh right, there wouldn't be a plot if he wasn't so jealous enough to kill Cho-in but I wasn't talking about the drama. I was talking about the acts. I also pitied him when his illness was beginning to take over him. It was so sad the moment he was with Seo-yeon, trying to look for the missing Cho-in all over China, when he collapsed, not wanting to shout for help to Seo-yeon because he doesn't want her to see him in that state and Seo-yeon just walking away from him. It was sad, really, but whenever the thought of his plan of getting Cho-in killed popped into my mind, I began thinking that it was his fate, much like what we call "karma."

Here is Kim Seo-yeon, the girl who had been friends with both Sun-woo and Cho-in since childhood but aparently has a heart ailment which was the reason why they all grew up at Bosung Hospital, was played by Chae Jung-ahn. I'll admit, at first I really love Seo-yeon, especially the moments when at her very first concert, she had acknowledge Cho-in first, above anything else and said to the whole world, I can say, because you see, her concert could be broadcast, that she loves Cho-in. I really love that moment. But as the story progresses, as Cho-in went missing at China and soon was proclaimed dead, she wasn't being the best girlfriend-who's-boyfriend-had-just-died. I know I wasn't supposed to compare because Sun-woo and Cho-in were two different persons but for Pete's sake. She went in complete agony state and had her life almost be proclaimed in hiatus when Sun-woo had left her for seven years. And it took her seven whole years to move on and finally give Cho-in her heart. But when Cho-in went missing, it wasn't even a year, it wasn't even half a year, she had already replaced Cho-in. Yeah, it was Sun-woo and don't tell me that he was sick that's why she gave him a chance because Cho-in was already dead. She never loved Cho-in as a boyfriend and a potential life-time partner. She never did. Don't tell me she did because it never happen. She may had loved Cho-in but it was like he was a good friend and like a brother to him. She admitted it all along the drama, I think. It was like reading, or hearing, between the line spoken. She said as quoted, Cho-in had helped her endure the seven years but it was still Sun-woo who made her live. And she has the nerve to even face Cho-in and say sorry? Even more, asked him to save Sun-woo? She was so selfish. Couldn't she even think that Cho-in also has feelings? That's why I kind of liked it when Cho-in said no to her request and when she asked him if he could bear to see Sun-woo, his own brother die, he had answered with a question, too. "Why? You think I could not do that?" Yes, I know. It wasn't right, too. But I understand him. There were too much that's happening and at the same time, he was hurting.

The last but absolutely not the least among the four lead characters of Cain and Abel was Oh Young-ji, the North defector girl who first appeared as Cho-in's tour guide at China, portrayed by Han Ji-min. She was poor, yes, that's why she agreed to the goons, who were asked to kill Cho-in, to tag along and follow him everywhere so that it would be easy for them to kidnap him knowing where he goes and where he'll go next. The only thing I don't like about Young-ji was the fact that she hid the truth to Cho-in although it was also because of that that Cho-in wasn't deported back at China and was able to live as Gang-ho. But if she really wanted to tell him the truth, she could have told him about it the moment they were already alone. Well, she was lonely and felt like she was already alone in the whole world knowing that his brother, Gang-chul, the person she looks up to and sees as her hope, was already dead, but it just isn't right to take him away from all the memories he lost, right? Well, she had made it all up. The time when they had rushed a man to the hospital which happened to be Cheondeong, the hospital which Dr. Kim Hyun Joo, Cho-in's chief, friend, fellow doctor at Bosung Hospital and a supported of the Emergency Center, was transferred to by the Vice President, Sun-woo and Cho-in's mother because they wanted to get rid of her so that it will be more easy for them to build the Neurology Center, she admitted everything. At first, I thought it was over when Hyun-joo just glanced at him and he already left the man with the hospital and went out of the building but Hyun-joo followed him and asked if he was by any chance Dr. Lee Cho-in. It was a lovely, lovely moment because all my favorite characters were on it. Cho-in, noticing that Young-ji was just along the corner, denied it saying that he was Oh Gang-ho though the truth is he already know that maybe he was indeed Lee Cho-in since before Hyun-joo showed and asked him that, the hospital scenario was able to trigger his old memories back and Sun-woo's number popped into his head out of nowhere. He called the number and asked if by any chance he knew him claiming that he was Lee Cho-in. It showed how important Sun-woo is to him that of all the number who may popped into his mind, it was Sun-woo's number. Sun-woo, however, denied and hang up which made him lose hope about finding his identity more. That's when Hyun-joo  showed. After he denied being Cho-in for Young-ji's sake, Young-ji herself confirmed it to Hyun-joo, that he was Dr. Lee Cho-in who was working at Bosung Hospital, the President's younger son and the one who was kidnapped and almost killed at China, the reason he lost his memory. It was commendable, really, Young-ji's action. She knew that Cho-in may hate him forever after what she'd done but she still found courage to tell him the truth after all knowing how much he likes Cho-in even back at China. She even set up an agreement for Cho-in and Seo-yeon to meet though Seo-yeon and Sun-woo were already together that time. It was the thought, at least. She loves Cho-in that much.

L-R: Shin Hyun-joon, Chae Jung-ahn, Han Ji-min, So Ji-sub

So Ji-sub and Ha Ji-min. I really love their loveteam. I think they have great chemistry.

Cain and Abel

I'll tell you about the summary of the drama first. If ever you'll find this as an spoiler, you may feel free to stop reading. I hate spoilers, too. Anyway, back to the summary, this drama was about brothers, Lee Sun-woo and Lee Cho-in. Cho-in was the father's apple of the eye which made their mother hate him because he was an adopted child and she thought he was her husband's son with another woman. And so that made Sun-woo her own apple. It was originally Seo-yeon, a girl who has a heart ailment and whom they met and together grew up with in the famous Bosung Hospital, and Sun-woo who were called the "it-couple" but when Sun-woo went overseas to study and to make his father proud of him, Seo-yeon's world fell apart. Finally, after seven years of pain, she gave chance to Cho-in who had stayed there beside her when she thought she'd die when Sun-woo left. To tell the rest of the story short, Sun-woo finally decided to have revenge to Cho-in, thinking that Cho-in took everything away from him, their father's love, the Bosung hospital and of course, Seo-yeon. Sun-woo wanted him dead. After few circumstances, Cho-in met a North defector girl named Oh Young-ji who wanted to bring her family to South Korea. It was at China where Cho-in met Young-ji as his tour guide because Sun-woo had sent him there to see for himself a surgery that was currently being disapproved by Cho-in to be performed to their father who's presently at comatose state. Cho-in had lost all his memory at China and was given the name Oh Gang-ho. After living a life as a North defector himself at China, he finally was able to come back to Seoul, still as Gang-ho, determined to know who he was and why somebody had tried to kill him at China, and to fulfill his promise to Gang-chul, the person who had given him his present identity and the one who saved his life a few times already, to find and protect his younger sister, Young-ji. Meanwhile, Young-ji, upon seeing Cho-in and Gang-ho as only one individual, decided to keep it a secret because if she'll not tell that Cho-in was Gang-ho, he might be deported back to China. They went to Cheondeong to try to live peacefully. But after some time, Young-ji was finally able to tell Gang-ho who he really was and after a car accident, all his memories came back once and for all. He decided to come back to Seoul to find out who and why somebody had tried to kill him. Finding all the missing pieces to the puzzle but one, the one who tried to kill him, was Sun-woo all along. Sun-woo was suffering a brain tumor that was an after effect of the tumor he has seven years ago. It was getting more dangerous and after finally revealing the truth to his younger brother, he gave Cho-in the chance to either save him or kill him. He said as quoted, I wanted to live or die in your hands. Cho-in finally saved his own brother.