Damo

Cast:

Jang Chae-ok/Jang Jae Hee: Ha Ji Won
Hwangbo Yoon : Lee Suh Jin

Jang Sung-baek : Kim Min Joon Ma Chook-ji

Lee Moon Sik Ta Bak-nyu : No Hyun Hee

Synopsis
A long time ago in Korea, during the time of the Chosun Dynasty, there was a profession for women called 'Damo'. The Damo were regarded to be of the lowest class status and work as policewomen but they had the privilege to investigate ladies' private room and interview the ladies of the high society whom no man could approach.

However, due to their low social status they were treated no better than the humble slaves in the society. They were not free from the suffocating society that is full of prejudice towards their class and their sex.

This drama depicts the life of a Damo named Chae-Ok. She was of noble birth, but was downgraded to be a slave due the downfall of her family when she was seven. Her father committed suicide due to the persecution of the court, and she was separated from her brother and mother when they were trying to escape the imperial guards. She was captured and assigned to serve in the Hwangbo residence as a servant, and specifically to look after the young master Hwangbo Yoon. They were put under the tutelage of a highly skilled master.

She is undefeatable when it comes to using the sword. She is straight, honest, courageous and upright. She possesses the advanced idea for living that could not be accepted by the conventions of the society. She finds herself trapped by the injustice of the world and the prejudice of society, which makes life unbearable for her. Her only motivation in life is to assist her young master to achieve his ambition. She shares a complex relationship with Yoon, who is also the superior of the police team that she works under. Yoon is her closest kin since she was separated from her brother and mother.

Yoons mother was the concubine of an honorable man and this has been his scar since he was small. He adores his people like his own brother but would not outwardly express his feelings. He yearns to achieve more than what society has assigned him. He is in love with Chae-Ok. But they are from two different classes, and his father had instructed Yoon at his deathbed never to choose Chae-Ok as his partner as she is the daughter of a disgraced family.

While working undercover on a counterfeit case, Chae-Ok finds herself drawn to Jang Sung-baek, the mysterious and charismatic leader of a gang of bandits she has infiltrated. Sung-Baek is also an outstanding swordsman. He takes care of his people but he also has a ruthless side that would never forgive anyone who does not share his thought. He feels himself falling for Chae-Ok and tries to convince her to join him. Chae-Ok cannot betray her loyalty to Yoon and turn against the law for Sung-baek, yet she is not able to arrest Sung-baek during the crucial moment of the police attack. This eventually leads to dire consequences as the rebels, in their plot to topple the Emperors rule, use Chae-OK as a pawn to double-cross Yoon and his team during their investigation of the counterfeit ring.

Chae-Ok and Yoon eventually realise that Sung-baek is not a common thief/bandit, but the leader of a guerilla army training to overthrow the Emperor. Sung-baeks gang is protesting against the the prejudice brought about by the caste system, which is suffocating the people.
Sung-baek decides to forget Chae-Ok as he knows that loving her will ruin his big dream of destroying the old world order and to set up a new justice to the world. Chae-Ok also resolves to arrest Sung-baek to redeem herself for her betrayal to Yoon. Yoon on the other hand, seeing Chae-Ok slipping away from him because of Sung-baek, unleashes his feelings to her with heart-breaking consequences as well. How will it all end for Yoon, Chae-Ok and Sung-baek who are entangled together by love, loyalty and betrayal?

Review
Have you ever watched a serial that makes your heart ache so much that you feel that your chest is squeezed the entire time, yet your tear ducts are clogged from all the pain and no tears can fall? That is the feeling I had when I watched Damo. The love story of the 3 leads hurts so much that with each episode you yearn for at least one of them to find happiness, but alas the writers of the story will not grant you that peace.

I am not one to go for tragedies and I hate sad endings. I make it a point to find out the endings (so that I know whether it is worthy of my time) before I watch anything. But I think I have broken that rule with Damo.

Reading about the buzz surrounding this beautiful serial was too much for me, and I jumped on the first chance to catch it when I came across a dubbed copy of the serial in Mongkok. Despite the terrible quality, (it was well translated but hideously dubbed by different voices for the same character!!) I am so taken with the story, the performance of the leads, the wonderful dialogue and the unconventional method that was used to deliver a period drama. I think MBC weaves the best stories around!

The plot was fast-paced (unusual for Korean dramas) and brilliantly set up with a fair mix of action, drama, excitement, love and pain to keep viewers glued to the story from beginning to end. There were heroes and villains, people standing on different sides of the law, each with different views on what a better world should be. The writers did not overload the serial and focus on the love story alone, but were able to expand the plot to create an intriguing tale about politics, conspiracy, loyalty and betrayal.

The story tells of a Damo, Chae-Ok and her undying loyalty to her young master, and the complex relationship they share. All these are put to the test when she falls in love with a rebel bandit leader. The setting of the serial is a feudal Chosun dynasty where times were very different from modern days. Society was classified into strict and specific castes, and it was considered a crime to cross the boundaries of your caste.

Despite her lowly status, Chae-Ok is beautiful, intelligent, resourceful and a great swordswoman possessing great martial arts abilities. She is also a dedicated law enforcer, and stands for what she believes, which is considered a behaviour beyond her time. She throws herself completely into her task as a Damo to support her young master, who is the head of the Police force, in his cause.

Yoon is her young master and her closest kin since she was separated from her family while escaping arrest from the imperial guards. They share a relationship so deep and so close that they are willing to sacrifice their lives for each other. But due to the difference in their social status, they have both banished any thoughts of a possible union together. But Yoons affection for Chae-Ok are unleashed completely with the appearance of Jang.

Emperor Of The Sea

Casts:
Gwong-book / Jang Bogo
~ Choi Soo Jong
Yeomjang ~ Song Il Gook
Jeong-hwa ~ Soon Ae

Madam Jami ~ Chae Si Rae

Synopsis:
Based on the life of a true historical figure, Emperor of the Sea is an epic Korean Drama based on a novel by author Choi In Ho.

Jang Bo Go rises from a lowly slave to the military commander of the sea during the Unified Shilla Dynasty (676~935). Along the way, he battles pirates, and engages in a heated rivalry with Madam Jami, a Shilla noble who squares off against Jang Bo Go for trade rights in the South Sea. Yeomjang is Jang Bo Go's charismatic comrade, who supports Jang in his ascension to The Emperor of the Sea.

Review:
Very Good - This is a drama that has great balance between action and storyline - along with spectacular sets and costumes. It's not rated excellent only because of the casting - Choi Soo Jong doesn't seem to be the best choice for Jang Bogo.

The Return of The Condor Heroes

Casts:
Huang Xiao Ming 黄晓明 : Yang Guo 杨过
Crystal Liu 刘亦菲 : Xiao Long Nu 小龙女

Chapters:
Jinyong revised the novel in 1970 and again in 2004. There are 40 chapters in the 2nd and 3rd revisions of the novel. Each chapter has a 4-character title. Most of the revisions are either clarifications or minor alterations of character motivations. These are the titles for 3rd revision, slightly different from 2nd revision of the novel.



1風月無情 — No Love Under the Wind and the Moon
2故人之子 — A Friend’s Son
3投師終南 — Seeking Tutelage at Mount Zhongnan
4全真門下 — Under the Teaching of Quanzhen Sect
5活死人墓 — The Tomb of Living Dead
6玉女心經 — Heart-Manual of the Jade Maiden
7重陽遺刻 — Chongyang’s Markings
8白衣少女 — White Clothed Girl
9百計避敵 — A Hundred Ideas to Avoid Enemy
10少年英俠 — The Young Hero
11風塵睏頓 — A Pause from Roaming
12英雄大宴 — The Heroes’ Feast
13武林盟主 — The Chancellor of Martial Clans Wulin
14禮教大防 — Defending against Custom and Tradition
15東邪門人 — The Disciples of Eastern Heretic
16殺父深仇 — Avenging a Father’s Death
17絕情幽谷 — The Secluded Passionless Valley
18公孫谷主 — Valley Master Gongsun
19地底老婦 — The Old Woman of Underground
20俠之大者 — A Hero’s Top Imperative
21襄陽鏖兵 — Battle at Xiangyang
22危城女嬰 — The Baby Girl of a Falling City
23手足情仇 — Sibling Rivalry
24意亂情迷 — Turbulent Emotions
25內憂外患 — Domestic Strife, Foreign Aggression
26神雕重劍 — Divine Eagle’s Heavy Sword
27鬥智鬥力 — Fighting Strength with Wisdom
28洞房花燭 — Wedding Festivities
29劫難重重 — Ultimate Disasters
30離合無常 — Strange Encounters
31半枚靈丹 — The Other Half of the Antidote
32情是何物 — What Entity is Love
33風陵夜話 — Tales in the Night
34排難解紛 — Settling a Dispute
35三枚金針 — The Three Golden Needles
36生辰大禮 — The Birthday Celebration
37三世恩怨 — Gratitudes and Grudges of Three Generations
38生死茫茫 — Life and Death are Boundless
39大戰襄陽 — Battle of Xiangyang
40華山之巔 — The Summit of Mount Hua

Sypnosis:
The novel is set in mid-13th century at a time when the Song Dynasty was on the brink of demise. Hordes of Mongolian armies under the legacy of the late Khagan, Genghis Khan, raided their way across the northern plains, planning on conquering the Han empire of Song.
The integrity of Song was at its weakest. Official corruption and famine ran rampant throughout the land. Uncounted numbers of people were killed by the Mongolians and hundreds of settlements burned. The government was too weak to send out efficient military support and could only watch as cities were sacked by the Mongolian horde, one after another.
It was during this time that Guo Jing (郭靖) and Huang Rong (黃蓉) (the main characters of the previous installment The Legend of the Condor Heroes), with their unmatched reputation and skill, rallied hundreds of Martial Clans and defended the city of Xiangyang (襄陽), the last major stronghold still standing in the Mongolians' way.
The main characters are Yang Guo (楊過) and Xiaolongnü (小龍女). Yang Guo is the orphaned son of Yang Kang (楊康) and Mu Nianci (穆念慈), both characters of the prequel The Legend of the Condor Heroes. He never knew his father and could barely remember his mother. But their legacy, especially his father's, made him an outsider in the Martial World.
Xiaolongnü is a mysterious girl of unknown origin and whose past is slowly revealed in the plot.
Raised briefly by Guo Jing and Huang Rong, Yang Guo was later sent to train under the Quan Zhen Sect martial arts (All True Religion), he met Xiaolongnü of Ancient Tomb Sect (Gumu Pai), who became his teacher. When they first met, Yang Guo was an impetuous and mischievous 14-year-old while Xiaolongnü was a cold, unemotional 18-year-old. After years of living together in the Ancient Tomb and training in martial art, they eventually fell in love with each other.

Eternity: A Chinese Ghost Story 倩女幽魂

Casts:
Barbie Xu as Nie Xiao Qian
Daniel Chan as Ning Cai Cheng
Nie Yuan as Mo-Jun Qi-Ye
Jessica Hsuan as Si-Ma Hong-Ye

Synopsis :
The empire of Tang has enjoyed a hundred years of prosperity since its founding. However, calamities and dangers nearly always lurk within affluent times.
Famous Taoist sect, Xuan-Xin Zhen-Zong's forefather once discovered a huge stone cave in the deep mountain range, in the cave was a stone tablet carved with ancient writings. The ancient inscriptions foretold of all events since Tang Dynasty was founded, such as who would be the emperors, when would disasters occur, all of which were predicted with uncanny accuracy. What struck terror into the hearts of people was the last verse on the tablet, prophesying a grim future: When the constellation of Prince of Darkness Clashing with Seven Malignant Stars appears, Estranged Couple of Seven Lifetimes will be reborn. The demon sect will make use of the power from the acrimonious energy of the star-crossed lovers to dominate the world, turning it into a living hell. The tablet also stated clearly the time and place the Estranged Couple will be born, seemingly hoping that some destined person would stumble across the tablet, and come up with a plan to save the masses.

The young and capable Jin Guang (Shen Xiao Hai) is the Grand Priest of Tang kingdom, and also the present leader of Xuan-Xin Zhen-Zong Sect. At the designated time, Jin Guang calls forth his elders Yan Chi Xia (Yuen Wah) and Si-Ma San-Niang (Tien Niu) to forestall the demons. Together, they manage to locate the newborn babies of Estranged Couple of Seven Lifetimes. Demon realm's Moon Kingdom, under the leadership of Mo-Jun Liu-Dao (Gallen Lo), comes to get hold of the Estranged Couple of Seven Lifetimes, as was predicted. Yan Chi-Xia and his wife Si-Ma San-Niang, using all their might, fight bravely against Moon Kingdom. Both sides suffer heavy casualties. While Mo-Jun Liu-Dao is badly wounded, he succeeds in taking away the baby girl.
To prevent further complications, Jin-Guang wants to terminate the life of the baby boy, but Yan Chi-Xia and Si-Ma San-Niang cannot simply stand by idly doing nothing while an innocent baby gets killed. While already injured, they turn the table against Jin-Guang and battle against Xuan-Xin Zhen-Zong's disciples, affording time for the mother to bring the baby boy away.
After this major battle of good versus evil, Yan Chi-Xia and Si-Ma San-Niang disappear from the pugilistic circle. Mo-Jun Liu-Dao is rumoured to have died after being critically hurt by Yan Chi-Xia, and the world enjoys a longer period of peace, for the time being...

Eighteen years later, there lives an impoverished, honest scholar in the bustling city, who makes a living by selling paintings. However, all that he sells are imitations. This scholar is none other than Ning Cai-Cheng (Daniel Chan). Though kind at heart, he puts aside his conscience, replicates the paintings of famous painters flawlessly, and puts them up for sale as the genuine ones, in order to pay for his mother's the medical treatment.

One night, Ning Cai Cheng passes by Ruolan Temple and decides to spend the night there. Unexpectedly, he meets the baby girl who was snatched away by Mo-Jun Liu-Dao. Liu-Dao passed away eighteen years ago after being gravely injured by Yan Chi Xia, leaving behind his wife Empress Yin-Yue (Zhu Yan) and son Mo Jun Qi-Ye (Nie Yuan). Fearing that the orthodox sects may locate Nie Xiao-Qian, Empress Yin-Yue extracted Nie Xiao-Qian's soul and seal it within the body of a fox spirit with her witchcraft. And now, Nie Xiao Qian (Barbie Xu) has grown into a lovely little fox spirit and finally sees the most important man of her life, Ning Cai Cheng - the baby boy who escaped death.

Nie Xiao-Qian has been living in the remote Moon Kingdom, however, after reading Chronicles of Blue Demon, she longs to find true love. Once, she attempted to sneak away but was discovered by Mo-Jun Qi-Ye. The young Qi-Ye is actually carrying a torch for Xiao-Qian, and commiserating with her, he agrees to let Xiao-Qian enter the mortal world, but only when she agrees to a pact. She only has one month's limit to find her true love, and should he still love her even when she reveals her true form as a fox, she is granted freedom to enter or leave the demon realm. Mo-Jun Qi-Ye also gives her Teardrop of Blue Demon, which would glow when someone with genuine feelings for loves her expresses his love for her. Otherwise, she would have to remain forever in Moon Kingdom. If she breaks her vow, Grim Reaper would come after her.

Being ignorant and inexperienced, Xiao Qian fell into the hands of Tree Demon Mei Ji (Mai Jia Qi). As Nie Xiaoqian hides her identity, Mei Ji doesn't know her relations with Mo-Jun Qi-Ye. Under the pretext of helping Nie Xiao-Qian find true love, she uses her to lure men into her lair to help practise her demonic skills. Nie Xiao-Qian is unaware of Mei Ji's nefarious plan and as the time limit approaches, Nie Xiao Qian, seeing that Ning Cai-Cheng is the only guy in front of her, intends to use all means to make him fall for her. However, Ning Cai-Cheng remains unmoved, and even discovers that she is a demon and scampers madly away. Nie Xiao Qian is agitated and anxious, vowing that she would kill him. Fortunately, Zhu-Ge Liu-Yun (Jacky Wu), Yan Chi-Xia's disciple comes to his rescue. Yet, when Zhu-Ge Liu-Yun and Ning Cai-Cheng come to know that Nie Xiao-Qian is but a fox spirit looking for genuine love, they decide to help her fulfill her wish. Nie Xiao Qian jumps over the moon, and starts to have better impressions of Ning Cai Cheng.

Si-Ma Hong-Ye (Jessica Hsuan), daughter of Yan Chi-Xia and Si-Ma San-Niang, unhappy over her parents' separation, runs away from home and goes about subduing demons. At that time, on learning of Ruolan Temple being taken over by a tree demon and fox spirit, she travels there and runs into Nie Xiao-Qian. Thinking that she has been harming the people, she wants to destroy her. Fortunately, Zhu-Ge Liu-Yun intervenes. After coming to blows, the two realise they are from the same sect. Zhu-Ge Liu-Yun is Si-Ma Hong-Ye's senior, however, they have never met. Zhu-Ge Liu-Yun is an orphan whom Yan Chi Xia adopted as a disciple when he was five years old and sent to study with the sect's Elder.

While Zhuge Liuyun is incompetent in occult skills, he insists on labelling himself as Sima Hongye's senior. Si-Ma Hong-Ye, having witnessed his mediocre skills, refuses to acknowledge him as her senior, and seeking freedom of love, she spurns his love and turns down the arranged marriage, which hurts Zhu-Ge Liu-Yun. Both are not willing to budge an inch, thus setting the the fur flying whenever they meet. However, little did Hong Ye know that the silly lad is actually the man of her destiny. As it turns out, Xuan-Xin Zhen-Zong's forefather, as a counter measure to the demon realm making use of the negative energies of Star-Crossed Lovers of Seven Lifetimes to rule the world, decided to look for Destined Lovers of Seven Lifetimes to resist against them. As long as Zhu-Ge Liu Yun and Si-Ma Hong-Ye are devoted to each other, their undying love, coupled with priceless swords Gan Jiang and Mo Xie, would be puissant enough to eliminate the demon realm. However, they have become an odd couple instead...

Encantadia

Casts:
Sunshine Dizon : Pirena
Iza Calzado : Amihan
Karylle : Alena
Diana Zubiri : Danaya
Dingdong Dantes : Ybarro/Ybrahim
Jennylyn Mercado : Lira/Milagros
Mark Herras : Anthony
Yasmien Kurdi : Mira
Pen Medina : Hagorn
Polo Ravales : Hitano
Alfred Vargas : Aquil
Cindy Kurleto : Cassiopea
Ian Veneracion : Armeo
Jake Cuenca : Kahlil
Bobby Andrews : Asval
Michael Roy Jornales as Apek
Marky Lopez : Wantuk
Arthur Solinap : Muros
Nancy Castiglione : Muyak
Richard Gomez : Raquim
Dawn Zulueta : Mine-a

Sypnosis:

Encantadia is a term coined from the Filipino word encantada or encantado (which was in turn derived from the Spanish term) which means enchanted beings endowed with supernatural powers.
In the show, Encantadia is a vast enchanted realm comprising of four divided kingdoms where different mythical entities thrive. These four kingdoms bear the four precious stones that holds the land's balance. The kingdom of Adamya, Sapiro, Lireo, and Hathoria. The tranquility and future of Encantadia rests on the four gemstones of water, earth, air and fire; each being carefully kept by the bearers from each kingdom.
But when the Hathors, from the kingdom of Hathoria threatened to accumulate all the gems from the other bearers, hostility and war swept over the realm. It is a battle of three kingdoms against one.
The story unfolds in Lireo, the kingdom where Ynang Reyna Mine-a lives with her daughters Amihan, Alena, Danaya, and Pirena. The four Sangg'res are tasked to be the new keepers of the gemstones. Their skills in war and their powers as the royalty of the diwatas are believed to be the strength of Lireo. As long as the gemstones are kept properly, the balance of nature in Encantadia remains. But this story tells viewers that powers can also break precious relationships as Pirena had plotted the downfall of her own sister Amihan, who won the competition for the Lirean crown, and the other Sangg'res Danaya and Alena took Amihan's side.
With this situation, Lira, the long lost daughter of Amihan returned to Encantadia and tried to fulfill her mission of mending the broken relationships of the strong-willed gemstone keepers.

Kingdoms

Lireo
The land of the Diwatas is the Kingdom of Lireo, bounded on the east. The wise, strong, brave and powerful Cassiopea was the first ruler and founder of Lireo. Cassiopea helped, rather eluctantly with using the Jewel, at the extinction of Etheria and later became a member representing Lireo at the Council of Encantadia. At the start of the series, the ruler was Mine-a who was succeeded by her daughter Amihan. The ruler of Lireo carries either the title of Reyna or Ynang Reyna if she is already with sons/daughters. This kingdom is the keeper of the Jewel of Air. Lireo had 10 Queens during the series.
Lireo is considered the most progressive among the kingdoms. Their kingdom is obviously powered by a large windmill. They have the tallest towers and also seem to have cable cars in the palace. Their armies are the only ones who have Sasakyang Panghimpapawid (Airships). Their most powerful weapon of war is the Katapulto (fire catapult).

Sapiro
On the North of Encantadia is the Kingdom of Sapiro. The land of valiant, shrewd and cunning warriors, the Sapirians. At the start of the series, this vast kingdom was under the rule of King Armeo, his wife and queen Mayne, and his future heir Prince Ybrahim (also named Ybarro). This kingdom is the original keeper of the Jewel of Earth, the land blessed with precious metals and stones and its soil fertile enough for crops to grow. This also is the kingdom from where Prince Raquim, King Armeo's cousin and Amihan's father, hails from. It is also the kingdom that rescued the Adamians from the clutches of the Hathors during the time of their conquest. In that conquest, the Hathors got hold of two of the jewels and used this advantage to defeat the Sapirians who had but one gemstone. The whole kingdom was destroyed in that battle. King Armeo was also killed later in the fight with King Arvak, the Hathorian king at that time and the father of the present king Hagorn. But Arvak was killed by Prince Raquim , regained the gemstones and gave it to Queen Mine-a of Lireo for safeskeeping. Armeo's father, King Meno, helped the extinction of Etheria and became a member of the Council of Encantadia. So far, there are only two known surviving Sapirians from the Royal House: Ybrahim, the next heir to the throne, and Asval, a strange and mysterious warrior (whose real loyalties are uncertain and turned out to be a traitor) who was always with his two accomplices Bandok and Axilom.
The Sapirians are closely similar to the Diwatas, they can also teleport themselves to another place and shoot out blast bolts from their hands. However, they are more hostile, more cunning and shrewder than the denizens of Lireo. They have the ability to heal themself or others of a disease or any kinds of wounds. In contrast to Lirean royalty, Sapirian royalty is very much akin to the traditional patriarchal definition of an absolute monarchy. This means the eldest son of the king is next in line to rule the mystical kingdom. The Sapirian king is allowed to love whoever he wants to love and choose his wife but the difference from the Diwatas is that their race is dominated by men.
The Sapirians are best known for their unmatched skills in swordsmanship and archery. They are also proficient in hand-to-hand combat. Sapirians also have incredible strength, which they draw all their powers from. They are very shrewd and cunning, making them great allies and very dangerous enemies in battle.
The Sapirians are also involved in the founding of the kingdom of Lireo. The land where Lireo stands was once a forest where Prince Raquim brought the Diwatas to hide under Evades' protection during Queen Avria's great purge against the Diwatas. It was here that they found refuge and peace. Cassiopeia declared it Lireo. Until the war that brought down Etheria, Lireo flourished as a powerful kingdom next to Sapiro.

There are four tribes on Sapiro:
Adjantao : the land of the nomads
Ascano : the land of the Barbaros
Yudo-o : not much is known, but Rosas from Book 3 is said to be the last of her tribe.
Arnon : the tribe of Azulan (book 3), a mortal who fell in love with Amihan disguised as a powerful prince, the twin warriors Luntian and Violeta and the Adamian Dilawan.
Sapirians would be later revealed as miners. This would explain the riches they have hidden underground the caverns. They also produce the best wine in Encantadia

Adamya
Situated in the Southern tip of Encantadia, the Kingdom of Adamya is the home of the little people or prairies. These small yet intelligent creatures are called Adamians and are the keepers of the Jewel of Water. The kingdom is headed by its wise and faithful ruler Imaw, who possesses a staff that enables him to look into the past of a particular person it can also enable him to see current events he can also wield its awesome powers (it seems that the staff is a kind of history book compressed into a single object). Imaw's father Aegen helped the extinction of Etheria and became a member of the Council of Encantadia. Its dissidents, the Adamyans, are also friends to the two other dissidents in Encantadia as well as to the Mandirigmas particularly because of their friendly nature and great wisdom.
The Adamyans are also known for being hard working farmers. They have a vast plantation and beautiful beaches (for their kingdom is very near to the lake/sea/ocean of Adamya) in their kingdom. They seem to only gather food every time without a care in the world.
During one of Encantadia's most turbulent epoch, the Kingdom of Adamya was overpowered by the Hathors' conquest to seize the Water Gem from its keeper. In the battle that transpired, a majority of the little denizens of Adamya died.

Hathoria
On the western border is the Kingdom of Hathoria where the militaristic, vicious and power-famished Hathors abound, it is described as a dark, gloomy kingdom that is also full of decay. It is home to many dangerous beings, bounded by treacherous terrains and caverns. Hathors are known throughout encantadia for their prowess in battle and superior knowledge of the arts of war (only the Sapirians are more cunning and more war-like). During the latter half of his reign, the Hathorian King Arvak embarked on a campaign of conquest to steal all four elemental jewels that would signal the start of a chaotic era in the history of Encantadia. Arvak's ancient predecessor, Bartimus, had a hand in the extinction of Etheria and became a member of the Council (Konseho) of Encantadia. After Arvak died during the fall of Sapiro, his son and successor Hagorn ascended the throne and continued his work.
Hathors multiply every time Encantadia's two moons are simultaneously full. The Hathorian king and a good number of his followers go to Balaak, their place of multiplication. There the King performs a ritual wherein his blood is drunk by Hathors. The "anointed" Hathors are then left inside Balaak for seven days to spontaneously multiply.
Hathors are known to be the most spiritually connected with their ancestors. They have rituals in which the current king would be able to talk with a chosen ancestor. They are also the only people from Encantadia who is not blessed with long age. They grow old and die like humans.
In their battle against Lireo, Hathors were found to have flier commandos. These units were equipped with skydiving gears to attack and board Lirean airships.

Etheria
Note: These information are only for the dynasty of Etheria.
The most powerful kingdom yet in the dawning age of Encantadia. It is located on the middle of Encantadia, obviously surrounded by its neighboring kingdoms, making it the capital-kingdom. This is not only what many encantados call it, but also the most "scared-off" above all kingdoms, but that was in the ancient times.
Etheria contains four more sub-kingdoms, or called in Enchanta, Heras, or tribes in English. They are also the homes of the four guardians of the Golden Hourglass. Hera Andal, citadel of Etheria, housing the powerful Queen Avria, center of medicine of the kingdom, is located in the middle of Etheria. Hera Sensa, home to the "mind-benders" of Encantadia, where Hera Andora lives, located west of Hera Andal. Hera Volo, source of Hera Andal's Kawals and warriors, located just a liitle west from the Lireo-Etheria boundary, home of the time-keepers in Etheria who can manipulate the pace of time, place of origin of the most powerful warrior of Etheria, Hera Juvila. And Hera Aega, south of Etheria (far from the bustling cities of Hera Andal, Hera Sensa and Hera Volo), tribe of the women-warriors who can change the emotions of anyone they desire, tribe where Hera Odessa lives.
Etheria was reborn by its key, Sang'gre Cassandra, and was destroyed by the four Sang'gres, Pirena, Amihan, Alena and Danaya.

Maging Sino Ka Man

Casts:

John Lloyd Cruz: Eli Davide

Bea Alonzo: Jackie Madrigal

Sam Milby: JB Berenguer

Anne Curtis: Celine Magsaysay

Spoilers:

Maging Sino Ka Man Nagsimula na! Maging Sino Ka Man stars the country’s premier actors and actresses John Lloyd Cruz, Bea Alonzo, Anne Curtis and Sam Milby. Adding strength to this powerhouse roster of stars is newest Kapamilya, the country’s leading multi-awarded dramatic actor Christopher de Leon.

John Lloyd plays the role of Eli Davide, a persevering guy who comes from a poor family who believes that love can surpass every challenge that may come his way, even his stature in life. An accident and a brutal discovery prompts him to take back what was originally his.

Bea Alonzo is Jackie Madrigal, the unica hija of a banking magnate. She is the epitome of a rich girl living a perfect life, when in fact, she has internal struggles and conflicts that she combats everyday. She has a loving father, an attentive boyfriend, the looks, the wealth – but what is it that she’s missing in her life?

Anne Curtis is now Celine Magsaysay, a go-getter and aggressive girl who faces every trial in her life head on. She poses a tough image for everyone to see but in reality she is shadowed by a sadness that she cannot seem to let go off. In her image of steel is actually a heart of gold.

He was well-loved and received during his short stay as a housemate in Pinoy Big Brother Season 1 and following a hit movie You are the One, Sam Milby invades the small screen in MSKM as JB Berenguer, a part of a rich and prominent family who is closely attached to his mother. He could have anything a man could wish for, except for his freedom.

Christopher de Leon, joins the Kapamilya roster of stars as he plays Fidel Madrigal, the father of Jackie. Despite his successes in life, he still is in search for his true happiness. He is willing to risk everything he has to achieve the peace he has been longing to have for years.

Part of the stellar cast too is versatile actress Chin-chin Gutierrez as Corazon Vda. De Berenguer, an heir of an established corporation and JB’s controlling mother . She comes from a dark past that gives her a hateful outlook in life, but in her is a pure heart screaming to be freed.

Also starring in key roles are Dick Ysrael as Dadoods, Eli’s loving father; Smokey Manaloto as Pong, Eli’s older brother; Irma Adlawan as Imelda Magsaysay, sister to Fidel and mother to Celine; Glenda Garcia as Mamu G, Corazon’s younger sister and JB’s supportive auntie; Bing Pimentel as Monique Magsaysay, Fidel’s estranged wife and Jackie’s mom. Watch out also for interesting characters in Malou De Guzman, Ramon Zamora, Keanna Reeves, Crispin Pineda, Ryan Eigenmann, Debraliz, Izza Ignacio, Ricci Chan, Marissa Delgado, Joey Paras, Mario Magallona and Raul Montesa.

Autumn Fairy tale (Autumn In My Heart)

Synopsis:
The story begins during the teenage years of the two main characters: Yun Jun-suh (played by Choi Woo-hyeok) and Yun Eun-suh (played by Mun Geun-yeong). They both came from a rich industrialist's family and believed they are brother and sister by blood, until their parents discovered the truth after Eun-suh was involved in an automobile accident.
After blood tests were carried out by the doctor, it turns out that Eun-suh belongs to another parent, and Choi Shin-ae (played by Han Chae-yeong), belongs to the Yun family. At first, only the parents of Shin-ae and Eun-suh knew about this, but eventually, Shin-ae discovered the truth after she got into a fierce argument with her non-biological mother over gifts she received from Shin-ae's biological father. Eun-suh only discovered the truth after Shin-ae, now kicked out of the Choi residence, wants her biological parents to take her in. In the end, the two daughters were returned to their rightful parents. Eun-suh now lives with the Choi family, whose biological father have already died and her widowed mother operates a small food stall and lives in abject poverty.
Years went by, and in the duration, the entire Yun family went to the United States, where Jun-suh (now played by Song Seung-heon) returns to South Korea as a successful artist. He went back to the town he lived in, where he encountered his old friend, Han Tae-seok (played by Won Bin). They both resided in a hotel where Eun-suh (now played by Song Hye-gyo) works as a telephone receptionist. Tae-seok (who doesn't know about the entire brother and sister mixup that happened earlier) fell in love with Eun-suh and played games with her until she was terminated from the hotel she worked at. One day Eun-suh saw Joon-suh and followed him to the beach where he was with Yumi and Tae-sok and the two "siblings" finally met after ten years.
Both Eun-suh and Joon-suh pretended to have more of a sibling relationship in front of others at first but Shin-ae - angry at Eun-suh for taking away Tae-sok - exposed the two after she found a love letter Eun-suh had written for Joon-suh.
As a fight between Jun-suh and Tae-seok grows over their professed love for Eun-suh, she discovers she has leukemia (the same illness that took her biological father's life). She didn't tell anyone what happened until the disease was at a terminal stage. All hope was lost by now, and Eun-suh died as Jun-suh was carrying her around the beach for sightseeing.
Before Eun-suh died, she told Jun-seo not to follow her in death, and to continue living. However, Jun-suh, grief-stricken by the death of his lover and "sister", allowed himself to be struck by a truck (ironically the story starts with Eun-suh being struck by a truck), and he died shortly afterwards.

Trivia:

Autumn Fairy Tale (also known as Autumn in my Heart) is the first installment of the four part Endless Love drama series produced by South Korean TV Network KBS. It was produced in South Korea in 2000.

Success Story Of a Bright Girl

Casts:
Yang-soon (Jang Nara)
Han Gi-tae (Jang Hyuk)

Reviews:
In a year dominated by long dramas like Yain Shidae and Mermaid Girl, it was refreshing to see this little romantic comedy make its way to the top spots, and make its star one of the biggest attractions in Korean entertainment. Before this series, Jang Nara was a moderately popular singer in search of her first big hit. Fast forward almost a year, and here we are, with the country in full Jang Nara syndrome, with her records hitting record sales, and film offers piling up (she got a record 300 million won for her role in 'Oh! Happy Day' which is hitting theaters soon). Also, her father (stage actor Jang Myun-gyo a.k.a. Ju Oh-sung) has benefited tremendously from his daughter's success, recently being cast in 'Les Miserables.'
Yang-soon (Jang Nara) is a simple girl living in the countryside with her grandmother. She dreams of saving a prince from harm with her martial arts, and living happily with him ever after. Han Gi-tae (Jang Hyuk) is the president of a successful makeup company. He's the classic silver spoon case: spoiled, arrogant, taking everything for granted. His world changes when he accidentally falls in Yang-soon's bathtub (I'm not kidding you). It won't be her first meeting with Gi-tae, because she's forced to move to Seoul to work as a maid. Guess who will be her new boss?
Yang-soon's first contact with city life doesn't begin well. She's bullied at school, and doesn't connect with Na-hee (Han Eun-jung), Gi-tae's girlfriend. Thankfully, she also makes new friends. Seok-gu (Yoon Tae-young) seems attracted to her, and his sister Bo-bae (Chu Ja-hyun) actually becomes her best friend. But, even more surprising, Gi-tae seems to slowly warm up to her. When his career completely changes thanks to rival Joon-tae (Ryu Soo-young) and his father's behind the scenes intrigues, his outlook on life and Yang-soon's personality evolves. She's now the one who's actively trying to help him start his life from scratch, and make a better future for himself.
Yes, it all sounds terribly predictable, but don't worry. Bright Girl smartly takes its paper-thin plot and develops it around the characters, instead of shameless manipulation and/or ultra-convoluted plot developments. This might just be the funniest drama I've seen all year, because it never takes itself seriously. This positively affects the more dramatic portions of the series, so that they become actually touching. Also, while the characters are broad caricatures and follow the dichotomy of the genre, they're treated with such a lighthearted approach that it's hard to not be charmed by Jang Nara and company.
Displaying a quite impressive Chungcheong-do accent (at least from a non-native speaker's p.o.v.), she makes Yang-soon emerge from the walking cliche she seems at the beginning. Her stubborn insistence on only calling Gi-tae 'ajusshi' instead of 'oppa,' up till the end. Her devotion to her parents (no matter how often they get in trouble), and her manners perfectly convey her country girl upbringing, never mocking it (think of it as an affectionate tribute). Jang Nara might not be a great actress, but she has an addictive personality, a tremendous energy and screen presence which is evident from the first episode. Her chemistry with Jang Hyuk couldn't be better. He overacts a little too much, but most of the time that turns into laughter, too.
Bright Girl also benefits from good supporting performances. Kwon Hae-yo is always a pleasure to watch, no matter how small his roles are. He might just be the most underrated character actor working in Korea today. Yoon Tae-young and Chu Ja-hyun also make their characters likable and a little more realistic than the paper thin plot seemed to allow. Yang-soon's parents are a riot, and while Han Eun-jung shows little else other than her beauty, Ryu Soo-young is surprisingly effective as Joon-tae. His latest movie appearance in Summertime consisted of pretending to masturbate and having sex with Kim Ji-hyun, so that probably made his job in this series much easier to digest.
Despite the obvious flaws (this is not exactly an unconventional and terribly creative series), Bright Girl is really fun to watch. The characters are well developed and the performances very good. The manipulation never bothers, and it has a quick pace which will help even the most skeptic casual fan. In short, one of the funniest, most charming miniseries of the year.

Romance In Paris

Casts:

Kim Jung Eun: Vivian
Park Shin Yang : Carlo

Lee Dong Gun:

Reviews:

I had yet to watch another 2004 Korea drama production since Stairway to Heaven. For a while, I felt that the genre of Korean dramas had come to be stereotyped and typecast as sappy, romantic, authoritative dramas with each plot made up of repetitive, parallel and analogous storylines.
As I decided to choose a drama production to watch again, I was quite apprehensive on the choice of a drama. But after hearing positive reviews of Romance in Paris and the high ratings that it garnered, I was rather curious about this drama, and wondered if it would be as excellent a drama as others had described it to be.
Romance in Paris is addictive. With its first three episodes showing the landscape of Paris, it is no wonder why the audience would be beheld by the picturesque scenery of the city of Amour. The Eiffel Tower, Seine River and other sights and sounds of Paris are captivating in the opening scenes of this drama. However, this is not the only captivating factor. The drama itself is also alluring and draws viewers in with each subsequent episode.
This is a Cinderella story. Although there is no real prince living in palace with a line of maids and a butler, the male protagonist here could be said to be a reincarnation of one. Suave, rich, smart, he is everything that you could ask for in a guy. Our Cinderella is, as the name suggests, a poor, optimistic, beautiful lady with an enchanting smile that could melt almost any guy.
The actors in this show are excellent. It seems like the roles were tailored just for them. Our prince is Park Shin-yang, who is better known for his movies like A Promise and The Letter, both of which were hits in the 1990s, rather than drama roles. An outstanding actor, he gave an excellent rendition of the role, Han Ki-joo, who is the GM of a multi-national coporation dealing with cars. Initially, after viewing the first two episodes, his acting seemed a little stiff. In fact, I was wondering why the PD chose someone who cannot act to take upon the lead role. But as subsequent episodes were unveiled, I was really impressed with his performance.
Kim Jung-eun, best known for the movie Marrying the Mafia, is the hard-broke girl Kang Tae-young, who is constantly being fired in her part time jobs. Although she had never taken on the leading role in a drama production, Kim shows her own charisma and proved that she also is worthy of becoming an A-list actress. She is the one who provides the soul for the drama with her forgetful character and cutsey performance.
Of course, we should not forget another actor, Lee Dong-gun, who acts as Yoon Su-hyuk, who together with Park Shin-yang is head over heels for Kang Tae-young. It was amazing to see how much Lee Dong-gun has matured in his acting skills. When I first saw him in Ad Madness in 1999, he was still an aspiring singer acting in minor roles in small productions. But his depth in portraying Su-hyuk's inner emotions was overwhelming. At 24, he is definitely an excellent actor to look out for. In fact, after watching his performance in Romance in Paris, I had the urge to view his earlier works such as Sweet 18.
A Cinderella story, but is it a Cinderella ending? If there is one flaw in the drama, it is definitely the ending. After watching the ending, questions marks were flying in my head. It was simply incomprehensible. In fact, I had to re-watch the last episode again to try to understand the ending. But sad to say, another attempt to do that would be futile. My guess would be that the PD would want the audience to comprehend it at their own discretion.
Nice story, nice scenery, great soundtrack, great cast but bad ending. But if you are contemplating which Korean drama to watch, I would still highly recommend this one.

Dae Jang Geum (Jewel in The Palace)

Casts:
Lee Young-ae as Suh Jang-geum (서장금)
Ji Jin-hee as Min Jeong-ho (민정호)
Im Ho as Jung-jong (중종)
Hong Ri-na as Choi Geum-yeong 최금영

Synosis:

The story is set in Korea under the Joseon Dynasty, during the reigns of King Seongjong, King Yeonsan-gun (1494-1506) and King Jungjong (1506-1544). The story begins with the mother of young Yeonsan-gun (the Crown Prince at the time) being poisoned by a group of imperial guards under the order of the king.
After the incident, an imperial guard, Suh Cheon-su, who accompanied the group, returns to his home but suffers an accident on his way back. He is rescued by a Taoist hermit, who tells him that his life will revolve around three women: that he shall cause the death of the first woman, that he will save the life of the second woman but will also cause her to die, and a third woman who, finally, will cause his death, but who will be the savior of many lives. (It does not become clear until much later that the three women are Yeonsangun's mother, Jang-geum's mother, and lastly, Jang-geum herself.) The inner stress from the incident eventually causes him to resign. On the other hand, Lady Park, a royal kitchen apprentice, witnesses a conspiracy against the Queen Mother by Lady Choi (Lady Choi had mixed wolfsbane with other things in food to create dizziness to those who ate it) and is in turn indicted on false charges by the inner circle of senior kitchen staff, and ordered secretly executed per their internal procedures. She is saved by Lady Han, who secretly leaves a letter during the execution for her best friend in the palace, and later again saved inadvertently by the now retired Suh. The two depart to live in secret in a remote village, posing as lower class peasants; they marry, and raise a very bright young daughter, Suh Jang-geum.
In the year 1504, King Yeonsangun orders a massive investigation into his mother's murder, and eventually finds Suh and his family, partly because of a mistake on the part of his child, Jang-geum, in which Jang-geum had blurted out that her parents were not low-class citizens, that Suh was a military official in the palace. This is when people realize Jang-geum's father partook of the incident of the poisoning of the King's mother. Suh is arrested, and presumably later executed. Jang-geum and her mother flee, but Jang-geum's mother is severely wounded by her enemies, and before her death she tells Jang-geum her last wish, should she choose to do so, is for her to become the Top Lady (head chef in the royal palace kitchen) and record her case in the kitchen ladies' secret historical records book (to redress the wrong done to her honor).
Jang-geum goes through some adventures and manages to enter the palace. Through her courage, curiosity, talent, kind-heartedness and hard work, she helps Lady Han (her mother's best friend, which she does not discover until much later) to become the Top Lady. During her years in the palace, she is put under many ordeals and shunned because she is smarter than the other apprentices. Jang-geum, however, does not become discouraged and continues cooking with the mindset that no matter what, the goal of cooking is to bring good health and happiness to the person who eats the food. Unfortunately, a conspiracy headed by Lady Choi and her niece Geum-yeong, as well as high-rank officials and merchants who wanted the import market to remain a monopoly, results in the exile of Lady Han and Jang-geum to Jeju-do Island, in being accused for poisoning King Junjong with sulphur-laced ducks. On the way to Jeju-do, an exhausted Lady Han dies of a fever. Back in the palace, Lady Choi is chosen as Top Lady.
While Jang-geum is in the Jeju Island, she meets Jang-deok, whom she initially believed was a fellow slave. However she soon discovers that Jang-deok is a famous physician lady. Jang-deok's frank and pragmatic nature initially offends her, but she soon learns that she is truly dedicated to her profession of saving lives.
Jang-geum learns that competent medical women can be selected to through a test, and then can proceed to be trained as medical ladies in the palace. She realizes that only way to return the palace and avenge her mother and Lady Han, is to become a medical lady. Under Jang-deok, she learns medicine, and her hardworking and tenacious nature makes her extremely competent.
However, in her quest to become a medical lady, she has to learn to rid herself of the hatred that has welled up in her heart, in order to truly embrace the virtues of being a medical practitioner. This she does, and eventually successfully re-enters the palace.
Soon, she comes face to face with Geum-yeong, who has now become the Top Lady. Her predecessor, the ruthless Lady Choi, has become Chief Lady (head of palace ladies) after ousting the previous one. As they plot to rid themselves of her once and for all, Jang Geum's relationship with Lt. Min Jeung-ho intensifies, and the love story between them develops. Eventually, through a dramatic interrogation process, the past plots of Lady Choi and her subordinates are revealed, resulting in the destruction of the Choi family (with Geum-yeong as the family's last descendent) and high-ranking officials.
Through her selfless dedication to the royal family, her perseverance, and her talent and skill, she becomes recognised as the best medical personnel in the palace. Jang-Geum correctly diagnosed the Queen as having a stillborn foetus in her womb and saved her life as a result. With her daring wits, she managed to convince the Queen Mother to undergo treatment for her illness. She further earns the gratitude of the Queen, when she cured her son of smallpox, which was a fatal disease back in those days. Jang-Geum rooted out the correct causes of the King's chronic illness, which had been misdiagosed all this while by other royal physicians. With a strange turn of events, the King falls in love with Jang-Geum, but refrains from making her one of his royal concubines because he understood Jang-Geum's loves lie in Jeung-ho and in medicine. In order to see more of her, the King decides to make her his personal royal physician and confers on her the title of Dae Jang-Geum.
The King's wishes are met with much controversy and outcry from the scholars and male ministers, since having a woman placed at a position of such prestige was recognised as an open defiance of their patriachal society and confucianist beliefs. Jang-Geum, understanding that she would liberate the rights of Korean women by accepting the post, is reluctanly convinced and agrees. Min Jeung-ho, in his support of her, is recognised to be going against his scholar's teachings and is ordered to be exiled. They are then separated.
The King became critically-ill and there was little Jang-geum could do, despite her comprehensive understanding of his medical condition and attentive care. Jang-Geum knew that the King could no longer be treated with acupuncture or medicine. As a last resort, she carefully suggested a revolutionary approach, surgery. The court officials were horrified at her bold suggestion, as cutting up a person was totally unheard of and moreover, the King was considered too sacred to be allowed to bleed. Though the King believed in her, he was concerned that should the surgery fail, Jang-Geum would surely be put to death. With his condition deteriorating without undergoing Jang-Geum's proposed surgery, the King knew his end was near, but he was more worried about Jang-geum's fate when he passes on. To protect her, the King sent her away against her wishes. Under the King's arrangements, she reunites with Jeong-ho and they live together for eight years - married and with a daughter. All this while, Jang-Geum and Jeong-ho are compelled to lead vagrant lives, as their detractors have been searching for them since the King passed away. However, Jang-Geum continues to practise and help patients wherever she goes.
As a result, they were finally traced and ordered to return to the palace. Instead of being punished, they are both reinstated by the Queen Mother - formerly the Queen who favoured Jang-geum when she was a medical lady, and has now come into total power. Jang-geum is then ranked as an officer of the palace, and is reconferred the title of Dae Jang-Geum, while Jeung-ho also regains his previous post. She continues serving the royal family, and gains much-deserved respect and admiration from everyone. However, she and Jeung-ho were wary of the politics in the palace and decided to move on. The story ends as Jang-Geum successfully performs the first Caesarean surgery ever for a pregnant peasant-woman.

A Love To Kill

Cast
Bi as Kang Bok Goo
Shin Min Ah as Cha Eun Suk
Kim Sa Rang as Han Da Jung
Lee Ki Woo as Kim Joon Sung

Sypnosis
The story begins with a man named Kang Bok Goo (Bi), a tough fighter. His girl is Han Da Jung (Kim Sa Rang), much like Bok Goo, she's tough and she spends her day collecting money from people that owe her. Bok Goo's older brother, Kang Min Goo (Kim Young Jae), left Bok Goo ten years ago when they got into a fight. He had never seen him in ten years.
One day, he meets his brother for the first time in ten years. They chat on a tall building, talking about how their lives had been for the past ten years. On a giant t.v. screen, it announces the wedding of the famous superstar, Cha Eun Suk (Shin Min Ah) and Kim Joon Sung (Lee Ki Woo), the youngest son of a powerful company. Min Goo, in delusion that the Eun Suk he sees on the t.v. is the real Eun Suk, walks to the t.v. and falls of the building. Bok Goo sends his hyung [older brother] to the hospital and finds out that the damage done to his brother was so great, most of his brain is ruined and his brother is now a human vegetable. Bok Goo also finds out that the only reason his hyung did this was because Cha Eun Suk is his ex-girlfriend, though they broke up, he still loves her as she still loves him.
This marriage was only made because Eun Suk was drunk and she slept on stairs, Joon Sung only tried to wake her up, but he fell over her making it look like he was raping her. Someone caught footage of this and revealed it to the public. Joon Sung's father was ashamed of his son and got angry at him, and the only way to clear things up with his father was to marry Eun Suk though she strongly disagreed, she had to anyway to avoid shame to her family.
Bok Goo gets angry with Eun Suk because he believes she is the reason her brother is a human vegetable. To get her back for it, he applies to be her bodyguard and finds a way to make her fall in love with him by doing all the things his hyung (brother) had done for her in the past to help her remind herself of Min Goo. Bok Goo, in the act of making her fall in love with him, falls in love with Eun Suk and from time to time, forgets what she had done to his hyung. Eun Suk falls for it though, although she resisted. Little does she know that Bok Goo only plans to break up with her so she can feel the pain his hyung felt when she broke up with him...
And then there's Han Da Jung. What about her? She who loves Kang Bok Goo so much, and is scarred because of him. In truth, it seems to be a bit like Bok Goo is with her because he feels like he owes it to her. She saved him in a fire, and because of it, she has scars. What about this girl who would do anything for Bok Goo, and loves him to death. What about her?

It Started With a Kiss

Cast
Ariel Lin as Yuan Xiang Qin 袁湘琴
Joe Cheng as Jiang Zhi Shu 江直樹
Jiro Wang as Jin Yuan Feng 金元豐
Tiffany Xu as Pei Zi Yu 裴子瑜

Synopsis:
The story starts out where you see a high school girl named Yuan Xiang Qin (Ariel Lin) holding a love letter in her hands. Approaching her, was the genius Jiang Zhi Shu, who had an IQ of 200. He was Xiang Qin's crush for 2 years and she finally had the guts to tell him her true feelings. But a cold rejection is given to Xiang Qin and she falls back to the ground, still holding the love letter. When she goes to their school's gym, her constant admirer Jin Yuan Feng (Jiro Wang) is pleased about the rejection, but unhappy about Xiang Qin's sadness. On the same day, the house that Xiang Qin's father (Tang Tsung Sheng) built collapses in a level 2 earthquake, destroying the house completely. Luckily, Ah Cai's [Xiang Qin's father] high school friend, Jiang Ah Li (Chang Yung Cheng) helps them out and asks them to live at their house. Little does Xiang Qin know that her father's friend is Zhi Shu's dad and she is forced to live with them until then. Xiang Qin spends more time with Zhi Shu and gets to know him more. She lives with the Jiang's until graduation day. On their graduation night, Zhi Shu kisses Xiang Qin without saying anything more about it, which meant to Xiang Qin that the kiss meant nothing. Then the following year, the two are admitted to the same college. Zhi Shu meets the beautiful and smart Pei Zi Yu (Tiffany Xu), who happens to have a big crush on him. Soon after, Ah Cai decides they should move out, thinking they can't spend the rest of their lives at the Jiang's house. They do move out, but only for a short while, because Zhi Shu's mom (Cyndi Chao) finds out about their kiss and she makes them move back in their house, hoping that one day the two will get married.

Trivia
*The series was based on the Japanese shoujo manga "Itazura na kiss" (Mischievous kiss) by Tada Kaoru.
*The are 23 volumes of the manga.
*There is no ending for the manga; the series was still running in Margaret when the author passed away at the age of 38 from a brain aneurysm.
Itazura na kiss (1996) is the Japanese adaptation.
*The filming of It Started with a Kiss lasted one entire year. Some scenes were filmed in different seasons, which resulted in many goofs.
*The director, Qu You Ning, made two cameos in the drama: One as the fat, middle age woman on a bus who accuses Ah Jin was taking advantage of her and another as Zhi Shu's boyfriend in *Xiang Qin's imagination (birthday gift giving scene).
The sequel is set to air in September 2007 due to the show's high ratings in Taiwan.

Chinese Paladin(Eternal Love)

Cast:
Hu Ge (胡歌) as Li Xiaoyao (李逍遥)
Liu Yifei (刘亦菲) as Zhao Ling'er (赵灵儿)
An Yixuan (安以轩) as Lin Yueru (林月如)
Liu Pinyan (刘品言) as A Nu (阿奴)

Brief Summary:

The game starts with Li Xiaoyao riding on a sword, chasing down some delinquent imps. The two imps take shelter in a nearby cave. Xiaoyao decides to go in and inspect. Once inside he finds that the entire cave is swarmed by imps. Xiaoyao then bravely fight his way to the top, where he confronts their queen, a vampire with a Jack-O-Lantern. A fight ensues, with Xiaoyao losing. As the demon queen was about to strike him down with her army of imps, a frying pan lands on Xiaoyao's head.

Xiaoyao then wakes up on the floor, with his aunt yelling at him for being such a slackoff. She then tells him that a trio from the Black Miao tribe has come to the inn, looking for a place to stay. Xiaoyao then happily runs out to greet the trio. The three then asked for 2 rooms and food and wine. As Xiaoyao went down to get the food he is stopped by his aunt. His aunt is once again yelling off, but not at Xiaoyao this time. A beggar is in the doorway. His aunt then told Xiaoyao to shoo him away, which does not work. The beggar said that if Xiaoyao can bring him just a gulp of beer then he would leave. Xiaoyao is then called into the kitchen.

His aunt, busy cooking, tells Xiaoyao to take the tray of food up to the tribesmen. When Xiaoyao brought the tray, however, the two tribesmen(their leader is off in another room) were furious when they found how tasteless the wine was. They then sent Xiaoyao away, saying they got their own wine. Turns out that Xiaoyao's aunt watered down the wine to save money(their inn didn't have much business). Not wanting the wine to go to waste and to get the beggar away, Xiaoyao gave the wine to the beggar. He then knew one "gulp" was different depending on who said it, as the beggar drank the entire bottle in "one gulp". Xiaoyao then started to spaz at the beggar for drinking the entire bottle. The beggar promptly told him that there was barely even a quarter cup's worth of wine in the bottle(which also promptly shut Xiaoyao up). The beggar also told Xiaoyao that he would teach him a few sword moves in exchange for the wine. He then recites a poem, then disappears.

As Xiaoyao is trying to figure out what just happen his aunt called him again. Apparently she needed shrimp for her dish and was out of stock so Xiaoyao had to go into town and get some. On the way into town Xiaoyao met up with some old friends, one of which was Won Siaohu. Siaohu then told Xiaoyao that his father, who was recently sick and on the verge of death, was completely cured by a magical pill given to him by a beautiful maiden on Xian Ling island.
When Xiaoyao got home. He found his aunt deathly sick. The local doctor was unable to do anything beyond saying "take this and we can only hope for the best". Unable to accept being alone, Xiaoyao then turned to the story told to him by Siaohu earlier. As he was about to leave, the three tribesmen(from earlier) told him that a special pill was needed to penetrate the powerful aura on the island and a special hammer was needed to destroy the stone guardians and open the way to the island. Xiaoyao then quickly thank them and took off.

When he arrived at the docks, however, he found that no one would take him as the storms out in the sea were too dangerous for ships. Taking a dangerous gamble, he hired a ship and braved a storm to reach the island. Upon arriving he found the island's fauna to be very hostle. When he chased them off he found himself at a small pool, where the only method of travel was with large waterlilies. In the pool was 11 large statues, these were the guardians. He patiently hopped from one lily to another and shattered all 11 statues, breaking the hammer in the process. Large flowers started to emerge from the water and formed a road to the island.

On the island he found a beautiful maiden....taking a bath. To get the medicine he needed Xiaoyao stole the maiden's clothes, offering to trade them for the medicine. The maiden then pointed out that she can't get the medicine without her clothes.

The Legend of Sword and Fairy, originally named Xianjian Qixia Zhuan