5 Recommended Asian Dramas [Recent]

A list requested by a friend. :)

1. My Girlfriend is a Gumiho (known as My Girlfriend is a Nine-Tailed Fox)
    - Comedy, Romance, Fantasy [16 Episodes]
    - Leads: Lee Seung Gi (Shining Inheritance) and Shin Min Ah (A Love To Kill)
    - Preview
    - Online/Streaming (with English Subs)
    - Torrent (Links for english subs available)

2. I.R.I.S
    - Action, Romance [20 Episodes]
    - Leads: Lee Byung Hun (All In, G.I Joe: Rise of the Cobra) and Kim Tae Hee (Love Story in Harvard)
    - Preview
    - Online/Streaming (with English Subs): Viki  OR MySoju

3. Autumn's Concerto
    - Romance [21 Episodes]
    - Leads: Vaness Wu (Meteor Garden) and Andy An  
    - Preview
    - Online/Streaming (with English Subs)

4. Shining Inheritance (aka Brilliant Legacy)
    - Drama, Romance [28 Episodes]
    - Leads: Lee Seung Gi and Han Hyo Joo (Spring Waltz) 
    - Preview
    - Online/Streaming (with English Subs)

5. Hi, My Sweetheart!
    - Comedy, Romance [14 Episodes]
    - Leads: Rainie Yang (Devil Beside You) and Show Luo  
    - Preview
    - Online/Streaming (with English Subs)
    - Torrent (Links for english subs available)

Runners Up 
Personal Preference (aka Personal Taste/Perfect Match) - Romance, Comedy [16 Episodes]
Leads: Lee Min Ho (Boys Over Flowers) and Son Ye Jin (A Moment To Remember)
Online/Streaming

Worlds Within (aka The World That They Live In) - Romance [16 Episodes]
Leads: Hyun Bin (My Name is Kim Sam Soon) and Song Hye Kyo (Full House, Autumn In My Heart)
Online/Streaming

Oh! My Lady - Romance, Comedy [16 Episodes]
Leads: Choi Si Won (Super Junior) and Chae Rim (All About Eve)
Online/Streaming

Secret Garden - Comedy, Romance [ongoing]
Leads: Hyun Bin and Ha Ji Won (Damo)
Online/Streaming

[Movie] Tristan + Isolde (2006)

                                 "How many did you love before me? ..... None.

                                                                        And after me? ...... None"

                                                                                                       - Tristan and Isolde

Before Romeo and Juliet, there was Tristan and Isolde. A story about two people who fell in love in the midst of war between the Irish and the British after the fall of the Roman Empire. As Lord Marke of Cornwall tries to unite the people of Britain, Irish king Donnchadh tried every possible way to interfere resulting to the death of Tristan's parents. Lord Marke took Tristan in after the attack and treated him as his own son who grew up as one of British's most courageous warriors. During their attack on an Irish slave caravan, Tristan got wounded with Morholt's poisonous sword which paralyzed all his senses and resulted to his temporary death. Believed to have really died on the fight, Tristan was sent out to the sea on a funeral boat that eventually reached the shore of Ireland where he was found by King Donnchadh's only daughter, Isolde. The two eventually fell in love. Tristan had to leave Ireland to prevent being caught and came back to Britain. As for the Irish, King Donnchadh thought of a plan to break off the loyalty between the people of Britain that of which includes marrying off his only daughter Isolde to one of their kings.

I will not compare this film to Romeo and Juliet because personally, I think it held it's own share of epic stories about sacrifice and everlasting love. The thing that I love about the story was the fact that it wasn't just the two main characters who were willing to sacrifice their feelings for someone else' happiness - that just because you have given someone almost your whole life, it doesn't stop you from giving him more even though it means less happiness for you.

Trailer:

Tristan + Isolde stars James Franco, Sophia Myles, Rufus Sewell, and David O'Hara (to name a few).

[Movie] Great Expectations (1998)

                            "Do you know what this is? 

                                                                It's my heart.... and it's broken"

                                                                                                       - Finnegan Bell

Great Expectations (1998) was a movie based upon a Charles Dickens' classic about a young, talented man named Finn and his struggles on pursuing an unrequited childhood love. While looking for something to draw, young Finn accidentally met Lustig, an escaped convict. For some reason, Finn chose to helped him escape rather than letting the police know his whereabouts. After that day, he never saw him again. A few days later, along with his uncle Joe, they went to meet Ms. Dinsmoor - the richest lady in the gulf and while waiting for his uncle outside the house, he met Estella - Ms. Dinsmoor's niece. He became her dance partner and playmate and she became his first (and probably only) love.

Ethan Hawke as Finn and Gwyneth Paltrow as Estella were really good together on screen. I have always been a fan of Ethan (after seeing Before Sunset and Before Sunrise) and this time was no different. This, however, was the first time I've seen Gwyneth played a character like Estella's and she did a very fine job. There were a few scenes from the movie that left an impression on me. Most specifically was the fountain scene where young Estella suddenly gave Finn a kiss in which I think was one of the best movie moments I have seen so far.

Screenshots:

Great Expectations stars Ethan Hawke, Gwyneth Paltrow, Anne Bancroft, Chris Cooper, and Robert De Niro.