K-Drama: City Hunter

Hello and welcome to you (Bienvenue chers lecteurs)^^
Thank you for viewing my blog^_^
I hope that you'll find my blog postings interesting to read, I'm now posting overviews of the K-drama that i am currently watching, which is called City Hunter.

This korean drama is based on the manga 'City Hunter' which was created by Tsukasa Hojo, a manga artist whose drawings and story writing I really like^^  The manga consists of 35 books published from 1985 to 1992.
The genre of this manga: Action, comedy and crime fiction

When I was 12 or 13 years old, I read several of the City Hunter manga and also watched its anime mostly in french though and I even learnt the opening song of the anime by heart at that time haha^^
If you want to listen to the 'City Hunter' anime opening song that i used to watch when i was younger, you can click on the following link:

City Hunter anime french opening song

After watching the video from the link posted above, you'll notice that the name of 'City Hunter' is known as 'Nicky Larson' in the french translation of the anime.  Don't get confused with the names, Nicky Larson is the french name for City Hunter whereas in the manga City Hunter's name is Ryo Saeba.

In the manga of 'City Hunter':

Ryo Saeba is a 'sweeper' known as City Hunter.  He and his sidekick Kaori Makimura (her french name is Laura) are hired to solve problems that the police is unable or unwilling to handle. From what I can remember from the manga, Ryo Saeba is an assassin trained since a child in a guerilla troupe.  He lost his parents in an airplane crash (resulting in a phobia of airplanes) during which he miraculously survived and was abducted or adopted by a guerilla troupe (i don't remember the location of the guerilla troupe).  That's how he was brought up as an assassin skilled in using all types of firearms, learnt many fighting techniques and shoots very accurately (example: he can shoot many times through the same hole on a target, he is also a sniper i.e. he can shoot from long distances of up to about 400m...i think).  However, after Kaori became his partner he stopped killing and took on various types of jobs ranging from body guard, spy to investigator.

When he's not keeping the streets of Tokyo (Shinjuku) clean, Ryo is chasing the ladies and Kaori chases after him to hit him with a giant hammer whenever he's being indecent to or stalking the ladies^^ There are many funny gags created in these situations I remember^^

Ryo Saeba is a character who hides his feelings and his heavy past is hardly mentioned in the anime, most of it was mentioned briefly in the manga.  Ryo is known to be a player who constantly flirts with pretty girls.  Eventually, we learn that Kaori and Ryo actually love each other but they don't dare to admit it because Ryo cannot allow himself to fall in love in this dangerous life he leads.

In the french translation of the manga; Ryo said: « une femme peut tomber amoureuse d'une personne pour le reste de sa vie, moi je ne peux l'être que de temps en temps » (Amour, Destin et un Magnum 357) !


I've translated the above french words below:
Ryo said: "A woman can fall in love with a person for the rest of her life, for me it can only be now and then
OK!^^ Now I'm going to talk about the Korean drama of 'City Hunter', it's quite addictive because of the occasional suspense and cliffhangers.  City Hunter's name in this live action drama is Lee Yoon Sung and this role is played by handsome and talented actor Lee Min Ho.  

The plot of the City Hunter drama is very different from the storyline in the manga, so people who have read the manga before should not expect to see the same episodes and scenes from the anime in this live action drama.  The start of the drama does not immediately introduce the City Hunter, there's some dark and a bit complicated background story provided first, telling us about Yoon Sung's father, how the latter was betrayed and how Yoon Sung is raised up to become the City Hunter who seeks revenge from the 5 perpetrators who have ordered the assassination of his father and comrades who were soldiers sent on a secret mission.
So this was a very brief summary of how the drama begins^^
If you want to watch this drama, go to the google search bar on my blog and type: City hunter drama ep 1     

Thank you for reading my posts^^
I'll do some other reviews of the City Hunter drama next time^^
I hope you'll enjoy watching this drama^^

Super Junior M

What is Super Junior M ?

Super Junior is a South Korean idol group made up of 13 members.  They are artists trained in singing, dancing and even acting by SM Entertainment.  Super Junior is a concept group because they are different and more innovative compared to other boy bands.  Super Junior members are very versatile, they participate in various types of events in addition to their boy band activities.  Some Super Junior members have made solo songs, others are show hosts, radio hosts, actors and moreover they have held concerts in several countries and have become internationally renowned.  To produce different style of music and to target specific markets, Super Junior has formed four different sub-groups, namely:

1.  Super Junior-Happy (sub-group made up of members who are good comedians, they set up happy moods and sing lively songs)

2.  Super Junior M (Sub-group formed to target the chinese market, this sub-group has released chinese songs and has been operating in Taiwan, Hong Kong and other parts of China).  Their album for the year 2011 is called 'Perfection'.

3.  Super Junior-KRY (A trio consisting of the best vocalists from the main group)

4.  Super Junior T (Sub-group that sings trot songs)

The new album of Super Junior M for the year 2011 includes the songs listed below:

Super Junior M song: Love is sweet

Super Junior M song: My all is in you

Super Junior M song: Destiny

Super Junior M mv: Perfection

Super Junior M, Henry's solo song: Off my mind

Super Junior M song: True Love

I hope that you will enjoy Super Junior M's songs just like I did \(^o^)/

From this album I think Super Junior M has truly proven it's worth^^

K-Drama: Oh! My Lady

Hi everyone!
I've just finished watching the K-drama 'Oh! My Lady' and I love it.  The ending is a happy one, kind of like a modern love story(^o^)

Choi Si Won who played the lead actor in this drama really impressed me with his acting skills.  He is also a member of Korean boy band Super Junior, which is also a dance group.  Choi Si Won is very talented in singing, dancing and acting.  I hope to watch him in his future dramas^^.  The drama he is currently filming I think is a taiwanese drama called 'Extravagant Challenge', in this drama he will have to speak mandarin and that's quite a challenge for a foreigner.  But I'm sure that he'll do great in that drama as well^^

Profile of Choi Si Won:

Name: Choi Siwon
Birthday: 1986, April 7th
Height, weight: 183 cm, 75kg
Religion: Christian
Sibling: a younger sister, Choi Jiwon
Profession: Singer (SM Entertainment, Siwon is a member of Super Junior and it’s subgroup, Super Junior-M) , Actor, Model

Here are some links if you want to check out Choi Siwon's songs:
'I must be bad' sung by Choi Siwon, featured in k-drama Oh! My Lady
Choi Siwon's solo song: Who am I

K-Drama: My Name is Kim Sam Soon

Bonjour! Hello!
Hi there! ^^
I was thinking of some K-dramas that I have watched in the past and a fun one that came up to my mind was 'My Name is Kim Sam Soon'.  I really enjoyed watching this drama.  It is funny, interesting, romantic and I really like the main casts for this drama because they made a very good job in acting their parts in this story.  I also like the music in this drama, I think it really fits and emphasizes the different situations in the drama, when there is some funny situation, there's a music that makes you follow the action of the characters in the movie and anticipate their next action.  To watch the opening theme of the K-drama 'My Name is Kim Sam Soon', click on the following link: 
My Name is Kim Sam Soon_Opening song

This drama was a success in South Korea, with numerous viewers and received several Drama Awards in 2005. 
The lead actor of this drama is Hyun Bin.  It is in this drama that I first saw the actor Hyun Bin. 
The lead actress is Kim Sun-ah, she had to gain 15 pounds to play the role of Kim Sam Soon.
 
This drama is about the story of Kim Sam Soon, a woman in her thirties who works as a patissier.  She has a broken heart because she was betrayed by her boyfriend who was two-timing her.  She is a character who is quite realistic about life but sometimes her imagination makes her think up weird scenarios of how she would have wanted things to be like.  She also dislikes her name 'Sam Soon' and wants to change it to 'Hee Jin', because many people make fun of her old-fashioned and embarassing name.  However, this name was chosen by her father who has passed away and this must be the reason why she hesitates to change her name.  Kim Sam Soon is very skilled in baking pastries and finds a job at the restaurant owned by Hyun Jin-Heon (Hyun Bin), 27 year old man who is very rude and considered to be very cool by his employees. 

This series is very interesting to watch because it tells the story of a woman who finds love in her thirties with a younger man.  The love story between the two protagonist itself seems so improbable, that you'll simply adore the way they end up together without regarding the odds.  When you start watching the drama, it seems almost impossible for that good-looking and arrogant guy Hyun Jin-Heon to fall in love with a chubby and old woman like Kim Sam Soon.  I mean Hyun Jin Heon could have a younger and better looking woman but somehow he falls in love with old, long time single woman Kim Sam Soon.  The funny thing is that even when Hyun Jin Heon's long lost beloved girlfriend comes back chasing after him, he gradually loses interest in her and prefers Kim Sam Soon.  I recommend you watch this drama to see how Hyun Jin Heon falls in love with Kim Sam Soon, the plot and scenarios in this drama are really interesting and fun to watch.  You'll definitely have a good time while watching this drama. 
I think that Kim Sam Soon and Hyun Jin Heon really look good together.
They make a really cute couple^^

 

 The story has its touching and sad moments too.  But, this time I don't want to spoil it for you because I think it is better you watch it for yourself to enjoy it best^^

The problem of Water Scarcity and ways to overcome it

Hi^^
I have been researching on the problem of water scarcity lately and I believe it is an urgent problem that everyone should be concerned with.  The problem of water scarcity is as urgent as the problem of increasing carbon footprint or of energy depletion. 

Therefore, I came up with a set of recommendations which will help to implement a water management policy. This water management policy will promote the conservation of water which will also help businesses to comply with principle 8 of the UN global compact.

Principle 8: Undertake initiatives to promote greater environmental responsibility

For water scarce countries like South Africa where water is becoming an increasingly limited natural resource, such a recommendation will be very beneficial.

The aims of this recommendation are to:

1.  Overcome water scarcity

2. Reduce water pollution 

3.  Prevent water overuse

Firstly, businesses will have to provide water data disclosure, to locate the parts in their supply chain where the use  of water can be minimized.  Furthermore, the recommendation includes the application of alternative water sources.  For example, recycling waste water, by using treated waste water obtained from industrial waste water or from the city waste water treatment plants to wash away dust on construction sites or to cool down power plants. 

The second alternative is to use seawater wherever accessible.  In fact, raw seawater has become the new choice for big mining companies located in coastal regions. 

 The third option is to capture rainwater on-site. By installing rainwater harvesting tanks like the one in the picture below:

Now I will talk about the lessons learnt of several companies which have implemented a water management policy. 

The first example is Barrick gold mine which has excellent water reporting practices and a very comprehensive water accounting. Furthermore, it has implemented the industrial rainwater harvesting system as well as maximizing the use of seawater and recycled waste water in activities like dust suppression and excavation. Eventually in 2010, 31 percent of its water use was salt water.

De Beers has been implementing this water management policy to ensure that its daily water consumption does not adversely affect the local communities.  In 2008,its partner Debswana has achieved a 35% reduction in water consumption.

The next positive lesson learnt is Calpine power plant’s initiative to recycle waste water.   Calpine (Minnesota) has been using the Mankato city's treated wastewater to cool down its power generators, and has also provided funds to improve the City’s treatment system that cleans both the water that is used in the power plant and the water that the City discharges into the river. Overall, the discharge to the river is cleaner hence reducing water pollution.

Benefits of this recommendation to the business would be:

1.  Achieving sustainability by reducing dependence on main water supplies.

2.  Gaining a good reputation for its responsible water consumption practices.

3.  Saving money since there is a lesser need to clean polluted water sources. 

This recommendation can significantly save water, to ensure that there is more clean water for the local community.  It will also help to preserve the ecosystem.

However, it is very likely that not all three water saving strategies are feasible for all the businesses.  Therefore, from each companies’ water data disclosure, and environmental inspection like the distance from the sea or the frequency of rainfall, the companies will have to evaluate which alternative water source suits them best.

There is also the risk that companies refuse to cooperate, therefore it is important  that the participating companies encourage these reluctant companies to examine their corporate water issues and emphasize the advantages that better water management can present.

Another issue is the cost of implementing such a project.  This challenge can be overcome by gathering several companies to collaborate and fund a central water saving system from which they can all benefit.  Since, the cost of implementing this system is shared there will be less financial pressure on each company.

'Water Scarcity is a concern for all!

It is our duty to preserve our fresh water resources, to ensure that there is potable water for all communities and for future generations as well.

For a better world^_^