Drama Review | I See Dead People – Duang Ta Tee Sam

Sunday, 24 October 2021

Director : Pawanrat Naksuriya

Writer : Eklikit

Cast :  James Assarasakorn, Mew Nittha Jirayungyurn, Pat Napapa Thantrakul, Aun Witaya, Freud Chatphong, Pramote Thianchaikerdsilp, Chai Chatayodom Hiranya, Fresh Arisara Wongchalee

Production Company : Citizen Kane

Distributor : Ch3, Netflix

Genre : Horror / Comedy / Romance

Running Episodes : 16 episodes (110 minutes per episode)

Release Date : 31st August 2021

Trailer : N/A

Drama I See Dead People arahan Pawanrat Naksuriya yang ditayangkan di Netflix mengisahkan tentang perjalanan Treekarn (James Assarasakorn) di Bangkok untuk mencari teman wanitanya, Pum (Mew Nittha Jirayungyurn). Treekarn mempunyai kelebihan istimewa bila mempunyai ‘mata ketiga’ yang membolehkan dia melihat hantu sejak kecil. Dia ingin ditahbiskan dan menjadi sami supaya dapat buang kelebihan tersebut sebab dia pun takut bila melihat hantu. Dek kerana keputusan yang dianggap mementingkan diri itulah, Pum lari ke Bangkok. 

Di Bangkok dia bertemu dengan Hideko (Pat Napapa Thantrakul), pemilik sebuah restoran makanan Jepun yang hampir kemalangan akibat ditolak oleh roh jahat. Roh tersebut mengekori ke mana saja Hideko pergi kerana berdendam apabila kedainya ditutup gara-gara tak mampu membayar sewa kepada pemilik asal. Kerana salah faham, Hideko yang menjadi mangsa. 

Terhutang budi dengan tindakan Treekarn menyelamatkannya dan juga kerana wajah yang kacak, Hideko buat keputusan untuk beri tempat tinggal dan kerja di restorannya. Selepas Treekarn berjaya menghantar roh yang berdendam ke alam barzakh, restoran Hideko sentiasa penuh dengan pelanggan. Di restoran Hideko juga lah Treekarn berjaya menemukan Pum tapi perempuan tersebut seolah tidak mengenalinya. Katanya dia adalah Parisa dan bekerja di Syarikat Pembinaan T.

Kebetulan Parisa juga mencari tempat tinggal dan kemudiannya menyewa di rumah Hideko. Makin lama Treekarn perhatikan perangai Parisa persis seperti Pum walaupun Parisa lebih feminine, sopan dan lemah lembut. Disebabkan kebolehan Treekarn juga Syarikat Pembinaan T melantik dia untuk menghalau hantu sebelum mereka mula ubah suai rumah klien mengikut citarasa yang diingini. 

Lakorn I See Dead People ni memang penuh dengan hantu tapi tak lah seram mana sebab genre dia komedi so hantu yang muncul pun cantik je macam Waree ataupun mak kepada Chef O (Aun Witaya). Pelik jugak kenapa Tree selalu takut sampai terbeliak mata dia setiap kali terjumpa hantu padahal kita nampak yang cantik je. Then baru teringat dalam episod 1 bila ada scene dia nampak hantu dalam bas. Kita nampak hantu yang cantik tapi mata Tree nampak wajah yang menyeramkan. Sama juga dengan scene Pun (Freud) yang nampak wajah Jib cantik padahal ngeri kemain. 

Awalnya drama ni best and fun lah dengan gelagat semua pekerja Hideko termasuklah Hideko sendiri yang masuk air tapi dekat episod-episod hujung dah mula draggy. Mungkin sebab nak cukupkan kuota 16 episod tu kot. Rengsa jugak lah nak habiskan sebab 1 episod dah sejam lebih. Ada juga scene yang macam tak logik ataupun sengaja diulang untuk tambahkan elemen dramatik dan saspen. Lepas tengok drama ni jadi senang terkejut bukan sebab hantu pun tapi sebab Hideko dengan Wow asyik menjerit. 

Heroin lakorn ni Mew tapi Pat lebih menyerlah dengan watak Hideko sebab dia kelakar dan cantik. Tak makeup pun cantik jugak. Wardrobe dia sepanjang 16 episod pun trendy belaka. Bukan setakat outfit dia je tapi hairstyle dia pun sentiasa berubah. Scene Chef O propose dia dekat pasar tu pun cantik dan kreatif bila Chef O guna cili dan bawang sebagai jambangan bunga. Kisah cinta diorang lagi sweet daripada Tree dan Mew. Dah la Chef O tu sejenis yang cool dan tenang orangnya. Contra betul dengan Hideko. 

Sinematografi lakorn I See Dead People ni biasa je, tak lah kena touch up menggunakan filter tertentu tapi still menarik lah sebab beberapa lokasi dihias cantik. Suka tengok semua scene yang diorang shoot dekat Kanchaburi sebab kampung tu cantik dengan keindahan alam semulajadi walaupun ada hantu yang suka makan tikus haha. Rumah dekat sana pun cantik dengan senibina tradisional walaupun rumah ada hantu yang jaga. Rumah Wonchana sama dengan rumah Chaba dalam Thong Ek : The Herbal Master (2019). Furniture pun cantik sebab dibuat dengan kayu jati. 

Overall lakorn ni not bad lah nak layan kalau bosan dan perlukan jalan cerita yang komedi dan santai cuma yang tak bestnya dia terlampau panjang lah. Banyak juga nasihat supaya berbuat baik dan kumpul dharma supaya dapat dilahirkan semula dan roh tenang di alam sana. 

1. Team Production +0.7, 2. Visual +0.7, 3. Audio +0.4, 4. Storyline +0.5, 5. Casting +1, 6. Genre +0.5, 7. Themes +1, 8. Editing +0.5, 9. Social Message +1, 10. Personal Thought +0.5 = 6.8/10

Lirik Lagu Nang - Iman Troye

Saturday, 23 October 2021

Lagu Nang karya Ezra Kong bertemakan kisah mitos lagenda mengenai Putri Gunung Banang, salah seorang adik-beradik Putri Gunung Ledang. Kalau Putri Gunung Ledang terkenal dengan 7 syarat aneh kepada Sultan Melaka, Putri Gunung Banang yang terletak di pinggir Batu Pahat pula terkenal sebagai penjaga kawasan tersebut. 

Tak semua orang dapat melihat kecantikan puteri tersebut sebab dia tinggal di perkampungan bunian. Kalau dicari memang tak jumpa tapi kalau sesat dalam hutan, kemungkinan dia akan munculkan diri. Ada yang kata Putri Gunung Banang adalah penjaga harta di alam bunian. Kisah puteri ni pernah dijadikan filem pada tahun 1959 terbitan Shaw Brothers dan pernah juga diceritakan dalam lagu Sharifah Aini. 

Kalau dulu komposer dan penulis lirik Pak Ngah yang selalu buat lagu dengan genre etnik kreatif tapi sekarang Ezra Kong pula yang tiup dan hidupkan kembali warisan budaya kita kepada generasi muda. Lagu ni boleh tahan lah sebab melodi dia rancak tapi lirik lagu tu tak menarik penceritaannya ditambah pula sebutan Iman Troye yang kurang jelas. 

Kudos to team production terutamanya art team dan VERSE 1wardrobe team yang sediakan busana songket yang cantik dengan fesyen yang menarik. 


LIRIK LAGU NANG

Penyanyi : Iman Troye 

Lirik : Ezra Kong, A. Ramlee

Komposer : Ezra Kong

Studio : XO House


VERSE 1

 Kicau murai batu puteri

Bunyi-bunyian jelita

Tak nampak waktu dicari

Bila sesat di jumpa


Satu di antara tujuh

Datangnya dari Jawa

Baru bertemu aduh aduh

Kau tanya namanya

Baru bertemu aduh aduh

Ini jawabnya...


PRE CHORUS

Nada malam irama pujangga

Teringat gurindam aha aha


CHORUS

Nung ba ba ba ba

Nang nang nang

Ho-o-wo

Asalkan aku bahagia

Yang penting kita senang bila bersama-sama

Asalkan kita bahagia

Tidak perlu punya apa-apa

Nang nang nang

Nang nang nang kita

Tidak perlu punya apa-apa

Nang nang nang

Nang nang nang kerna

Kerana kau berhati mulia


VERSE 2

Puncaknya menjulang tinggi

Menghadap selat Melaka

Jika tak kau ketahui

Ini kisah lagenda

Adik beradiknya tujuh

Oh cantik dan menggoda

Baru bertemu aduh aduh

Ku tanya namanya

Baru bertemu aduh aduh

Dan ini jawabnya...


Nada malam irama pujangga

Teringat gurindam a-ha a-ha

Nung ba ba ba

Ba nang nang nang

Ho-o-wo

Asalkan aku bahagia

Yang penting kita senang bila bersama-sama

Asalkan kita bahagia

Tidak perlu punya apa-apa

Nang nang nang

Nang nang nang kita

Tidak perlu punya apa-apa

Nang nang nang

Nang nang nang kerna

Kerana kau berhati mulia


BRIDGE

Walaupun miskin dan tak berharta

Namun hatinya jujur saksama

Cukuplah buat hamba

Ho-o-wo

Asalkan aku bahagia

Yang penting kita senang bila bersama-sama

Asalkan kita bahagia

Tidak perlu punya apa-apa

Nang nang nang

Nang nang nang kita

Tidak perlu punya apa-apa

Nang nang nang

Nang nang nang kerna

Kerana kau berhati mulia


POST CHORUS

Bukan kerna rupa bukan kerna harta

Kerana kau berhati mulia

Bukan kerna rupa bukan kerna harta

Ia

Kerana kau berhati mulia

Kerana kau berhati mulia

Junhoe iKON for Dazed Magazine

Excited bila Twitter penuh dengan gambar Junhoe dalam majalah Dazed keluaran November 2021. Happy bila Junhoe dapat featured dalam majalah ni sebab photographer dia pro habis. Dia tahu konsep yang sesuai dengan subjek dia. Sebelum ni Junhoe pernah muncul pada tahun 2018. Konsep untuk edisi kali ni adalah pemuisi dan Junhoe adalah idol star pertama yang featured untuk Dazed Text. 


Dazed : "DAZED TEXT" is a content to introduces one's own literary composition. When I started this project, I thought of Ju-Ne without hesitation. Do you still love poetry and continue to write poems?

Junhoe : Yes, of course. I  still write it constantly. However, I didn't have much time to read these days, but I'm trying to make time to read again. But for writing poetry itself, I still do it constantly. 

Dazed : It's not easy to release and read your own  literary composition publicly, and you did it. I'm curious about how you feel about today's shoot.

Junhoe : We filmed with the concept of a poet. The concept itself was really fun. It was also impressive to use books, vending machines and various props. I think the fans will really like it. 


Dazed : You also had a lot of worries about reading poems. Please introduce the poem "Truth".

Junhoe : Truth, which I wrote a few months ago, is about God. You know as you read, I wrote it when I thought that we took things we couldn't miss as things we couldn't see. We could only believe things that could be seen as we could confirm it, and we might get tempted. Whereas things couldn't be seen are easily be missed because they couldn't be seen. I thought that the part shouldn't be missed is something couldn't be seen.

Dazed : Then what are the things that could be seen and couldn't be seen for Junhoe?

Junhoe : Things could be seen are faces of people each by each, someone else's words, it could be the temptations that you feel. I think things couldn't be seen are trust and love.


Dazed :  Your literary composition comes from your own experience. 

Junhoe : Yes, that's right. I think I usually write based on my experience as a foundation too. That's why they're all different. Because the feelings and contents are different every time. That's how human emotions are. I tend to change my emotions frequently. I think that's why I've been able to write tirelessly and persistently somehow. 

Dazed : Then, what role does writing play to Ju-Ne?

Junhoe : I think it's simple. It's a release. There are often times where I feel relieved as I write. When my feelings are getting more intense, I do write words that hold those feelings. It feels like that feeling is dissolved well. And if I'm satisfied with the work I've written, strangely, those strong feelings will be calmed by the thought that I've made a good piece. As I said, it's a way to release.


Dazed : In the last interview with "DAZED", you said you wanted to publish a collection of poems. You're going to publish a book. What kind of title do you want to come up with?

Junhoe : Hmmm, I think I need to think more. I think it'll be a sentence that can represent me, but I can't decide yet. I think I can do it if I think about it a little bit. 

Dazed : Have you thought about the theme of the book?

Junhoe : I think the theme is my various emotions. And what I wrote has a chameleon tendency. There is a poem I wrote with the influence after reading Haruki Murakami's novel, and a poem I wrote with the influence after reading Ki Hyung-do's poem book. That's why my style of writing poem is different.


Dazed : There is also an introduction to the author at the beginning of the book. I wonder how you want to introduce yourself if you publish a book. 

Junhoe : I'd like to introduce myself as a person with sensitive basal ganglia. People with sensitive basal ganglia are said to be sensitive to insecurity. This kind of insecurity and the peacefulness that comes afterwards are reflected in words. When people read my book, will it become an opportunity to look through the life of a writer who has sensitive basal ganglia? (Laughs)


Dazed : I feel in you the robustness that comes from nowhere. And in that, there are subtle feelings. What are your thoughts recently?

Junhoe : These days, I think a lot about the new passion. So I think a lot about this and that. Meanwhile, I'm trying to reduce these thoughts. I have a lot of useless worries and concerns, but they are rather unnecessary. The more I think about it, I'd have more and more thoughts and it would flow towards a bad direction. So I'm trying to reduce those thoughts and think simple. 

Dazed : Then, Ju-Ne, what comforts you?

Junhoe : Walking. Walking is incredible. When I'm frustrated, I walk about 10-12km. When I walk while listening to music and thinking about this and that while moving my body, my worries disappear like a lie, and my mind feels clear and purified. I got consolation from it directly. 


Dazed : What music do you listen to when you walk? 

Junhoe : I think it's different every time. Normally after 1 or 2 hours, I will rather listen to classical music that have no lyrics because of unclear mind. I feel good as I listen to classic music because I feel like I'm in a movie scene. As such, it seems like I imagine a lot as I walk. 



Dazed : It seems like your worries and thoughts resonate deeply on the stage too. Especially the song 'Spark' that you sang on Kingdom : Legendary War, I still remember it. I'm looking forward to your solo activities. 

Junhoe : I want to release my feelings with music through the solo album if there's an opportunity. Not only that, but I also want to take on the challenge of acting. Currently I'm interested to acting and I'm taking acting class and I'm on my way of preparation for acting project. As I took acting lessons I found that acting is really fun, and I usually enjoy watching movies too. 

Dazed : What is the movie that you're deeply impressed by as you prepare for acting?

Junhoe : I'm deeply impressed by the movies Die Bad and The City of Violence. Because I'm a kicking prodigy. (Laugh) I'd like to take on the challenge of action film genre too. I think I'd be really grateful if I get to act. And I'm also Ryoo Seung-wan director's fan. 


Dazed : You guys showed various stages that makes iKON's charm could be felt on Kingdom : Legendary War. iKON's unique and strong energy is standing out. What is the hint for iKON's comeback?

Junhoe : First of all, we want to make a comeback as soon as possible. There are few shortlisted songs. I think we will probably make comeback when we've sorted out those songs. 

Dazed : Finally, what kind of person do you want people to remember you as?

Junhoe : A person who gives positive energy. I want to be a person who gives good influence.