Me 4 weeks ago: I'm going to try to comment on every WWW post from now on!
Me now: ...woops

So, I have a lot of catching up to do, huh?

Hospital Playlist (12/12): Slice-of-life near-perfection. In true HosPlay fashion, the finale made me laugh as much as it made me cry. I know many people complain about the episode lengths, but it honestly got to the point for me with this show where I didn’t notice the time passing. I could stay in this world with these characters forever and it wouldn’t seem too long. That, I think, is the mark of a truly exceptional slice-of-life drama. I have my issues with the way the lovelines in this show were handled, but everything else was perfect to me. I can’t wait for 2021.

Mystic Pop-up Bar (10/12): Love, love, love. I haven't watched the last episodes yet, but this is my favorite drama and my favorite roles from all 3 of our main cast members now. Their dynamic is pitch-perfect, and I loved both the world building and the storytelling in this drama. I'm gonna miss it!

Old School Intern (5/24): Decided to drop this one. It was pretty funny and I enjoyed the cast, but the story and shenanigans were already getting stale for me.

Team Bulldog: Off-duty Investigation (8/12): Another one dropped. I was enjoying this one, but their decision to make a trans character a killer put a bad taste in my mouth and I quickly lost interest in the rest of the story as well.

My Unfamiliar Family (8/16): LOVING this one! Probably my favorite show airing at the moment! All of these family members are so complex, and I love learning about their lives and how they became the people that they are. The characters are just so well-written, and well-acted. Yes, it's melodramatic, but in a way that feels real, and I'm pleasantly surprised by how they've dealt with our gay characters' stories so far. Tae-hyung's story is given the complexity it deserves, and I love seeing how his relationship with Eun-joo is developing. I truly hope these two can be friends by the end of this.

Backstreet Rookie (1/16): Dropped like a hot potato. Anyone who believes this drama isn't racist and offensive is just being willfully ignorant.

It's Okay to Not Be Okay (2/16): Like everyone else, I'm loving this! It's very well-made so far, and while I don't necessarily think it will be a drama that really makes me Feel like my favorites do, I can tell that it will be fun. Seo Ye-ji is killing it as always. Love her!

Forest of Secrets (6/16): Very slowly making my way through (I just don't have much time at the moment!) but still loving every second of it when I do watch it.

I'm also still making my way through both Dal-ja's Spring and Because This Life is Our First with my friend(s) and, of course, having the time of my life. I hope Lee Min-ki stops sending coffee trucks to sets and starts getting his butt back on a drama set! I'm begging!...

Confession: I have not loved any drama since the pandemic because I've been in a funk of depression and stress. I've enjoyed stuff like Mystic Pop-up Bar but could not get invested like the old days (i.e., four months ago), so all my favorite dramas of the year are pre-pandemic (Romantic Doctor Teacher Kim 2, Crash Landing on You)...until It's Okay to Not Be Okay. I love this so much. It's dark and heavy and needs trigger warnings, and the leads are broken and make me cry ("Your lips are smiling, but your eyes are sad." I felt that.). Moon Kang-tae and Go Moon-young are my favorite OTP of the year for their visuals (stunning) and chemistry (fire) and sexual tension, but I'm wary about their romance because they have such an unhealthy relationship (she, an unhealthy obsession), and love is not a cure for mental illness. Kang-tae speaking banmal back to Moon-young gives me all the feels. This show is beautiful and relatable and exactly what I'm in the mood for. In conclusion, the world is still a mess, but Kim Soo-hyun saved my 2020. Welcome back, Oppa.

I was excited to watch some good old fashion wuxia drama in the guise of detective procedural, but Ancient Detective turned out to be one of the most solidly written shows I have watched this year. It starts out as a slow burn, so one would need a little patience for all the pieces to set in place for the plot to propel forward. The story does have a compelling central mystery, but the payoff is all in the ragtag gang which forms around the intelligent hero along his quest.

At first glance the ML seems to be a bit bland (a Wuxia hero who doesn’t Kung Fu! Whaaat?), but again and again through every one of the choices and the action it follows the hero proves to practices the strictest Wuxia code as the most principled, just, and kindest person who deserves the complete devotion and admiration of everyone he meets. I highly recommend to give Ancient Detective a try! Since the story revolves around a central mystery, do try to avoid spoilers. The last few episodes kept me on the edge of my seat until the very last minute of last episode.

At first the ridiculous title Oops, the King is in Love’s made me curious and after 13 episodes Oops has been absolutely delightful. The setup is similar to Moonlight Drawn by Clouds but without the tragic family history and with a more slapsticky tone. All the women characters are smart and driven in their own ways. There is stupid or annoying character, not even the second leads! We even get couple of wonderfully silly sidekicks in the forms of royal guards. Yes, certain suspension of disbelief needs to be exercised as in most crossdressing dramas but all is in good fun. Show, please don’t let me down!

Special shout out to the male lead Zhu Jian who is new to me. Perhaps not the prettiest actor out there, he has a versatile look that makes me believe that this Emperor is a clever schemer who despite limited power is able to maneuver his way capably in court. And oh yes, all of his hidden loving smiles around his favorite eunuch are adorable and his actions increasingly swoonier by the episode. I have also grown to love the heroine who reveals herself to be a thoughtful and pragmatic young woman who strives to shape her own destiny.

Both Ancient Detective and Oops, the King is in Love have 24 episodes of 40 minute each. Ancient Detective is available on Viki and Oops on iQIYI, etc..

The Oops trailer: https://youtu.be/rTZTlycbNnA

Also watching and loving: My Unfamiliar Family, It’s Okay to Not Be Okay
On hold: The Love by Hypnotic, Fake Princess
Trying to catch up: Dinner Mate, Oh My Baby
On the list: Looking forward to Steven Zhang’s Chiaki in Symphony’s Romance

It has been more than a month when I wrote my first enthusiastic post about Tiger and Rose (and perhaps even convinced some Beanies to watch 🙂). Unfortunately my watching time is limited and I could finish the drama only this week, but it was nice to see every week the increasing number of Beanies watching and loving the show (and to feel like a proud Mamma 😊 ).
I personally loved the show till the very end, though I admit it was hard to watch eps 17-19 as I'm not a fan of angst and Noble Idiocy... and I missed the humour - only heroine's sentence “Without wifi and smartphone there is only depression left in this world” saved ME from the deepest despair 😁. Luckily the last 5 episodes were strong again, not only because the humour was back (and what a wonderful Mother-In-Law!), but I also liked all the turns of events, how the heroine got back to her world (Han Shuo was sooo right about the difference of his sacrifice in the original script and now) ...and that they did get back to the Han Actor's comments in episode 1... and generally addressed what a bad and a good script is. I think I would still love spending more time in the modern times and that they would give more time and nuance to the final reveal (and give us some swoony moments 😊). Still, I consider this a very good drama, I expected an easy comedy, but it gave me much more, I especially appreciated the intelligence and the great characters (being it the Queen or the funny sidekicks) ... and I'm now looking for other dramas of the main lead (and his moving eyebrows 😁).

It’s Okay Not To Be Okay: I might be on the super minority here, but to me this week’s episode is just not that interesting. It’s visually stunning, and both Kim Soo-hyun and Seo Yeji are killing it with their amazing acting, but I’m just not feeling it. I feel like there’s little substance to the story and therefore it makes me unable to connect to both character. And I wish the k-dramaland stop using the “childhood sweethearts destined to be together” tropes. It’s getting old and I’m getting tired of it. When it appears in this drama, I couldn’t stop myself from exclaiming: “Again!?” I really hope that this drama is not going to be another rom-com with a splash of mental illness. I will still follow it since it’s Kim Soo-hyun’s comeback drama project and I just love love him so much to give this one up

My Love, Enlighten Me: I went without any expectation for this drama. I just want to see Eleanor Lee, that’s the only motivation I have for this drama. And to be honest, this drama is full of all the sappy tropes of the rom-com, from mistaken identity, bickering enemies turn into lovers, second male lead who didn’t know the word giving up (even after being told that she DIDN’T love him), critical illness, and many more. But what I enjoy from this drama is to see the growth of the female lead, Liu Nuannuan, from being an ex-idol to a successful career woman. And other things that I enjoy is that this drama use those tropes but not stuck in that tropes for long. The misunderstanding between the two leads are quickly cleared, the break-up that didn’t feel like a break-up, and parents problems that’s resolved in speed of light. And I might be the only one who think this, but I genuinely think that both leads, Han Che and Liu Nuannuan, are together in real life. Their interaction is just so natural it’s killing me. Overall, I would recommend this drama to everyone who like rom-com. Very worth watching

JAPAN

Kotaki brothers - 7.5 out if 10 - house husband. good episode

Penshion - 6/10 - those adults jokes. that indian guy and some this short chat show works.

Peanut Butter Sandwich - 6/10

Korea

Divorce Family - 4/10 dropped - gonna check in between episodes scenes in future

Gay Chef - 4/10 - nothing good to say about this cheap show
Dinner bait - 4.5/10 - now even hero-heroine as turned into a bit of annoyance. everyone's a busybody, interfering into others lives. Hero-Heroine are playing yes sir - yes ma'am game.

Backstreet nonsense - 3/10 - still a nonsense. wife that beats husband. Son that wags tail against all women. nonsense violence and much more. violence isn't humour.

MILF - 4/10. Seriously, it reminds you of few hollywood movies and even porn titles where female lead acts suggestive around the young meat. doesn't matter whether characters are around same age.
Writer and director are both into this suggestive play. its blatant.
They in a way are reducing their main leads to mere props for all this ridiculous buffoonery.

Dinner Mate - I am enjoying this drama immensely. I like that the leads relationship has progressed despite the meddling exes efforts. Utterly charmed by the downlow dating of HK and DH. Looking forward to more of their chemistry 🥰

Its Okay to Not be Okay - its the Show's premier week and there were a lot of info and pretty to take in. Seo Ye Ji is absolutely beautiful here as your antisocial and prickly writer. Kim Soo Hyun is also beautiful to look at but has softer edges that MY is attracted to. I will continue watching to find out what is it about those darn butterflies and red shoes.💃

Bride of the Century - still watching and enjoying the push and pull between our chaebol and candy doppelganger.👫

Reply 1988 - most likely will stop skipping thru my fave scenes and just enjoy the show like it was meant to be. Savor every minute why I love this show in the first place - family, friendship and relationship of the ensemble cast.💥

I think we all have one thing common after IOTNBO aired last week, that is we all want to cry a little at the leads' beauty.

It’s Okay not to be Okay. I’ve already spammed the wall with screenshots and comments, so I’ll just say one word: Wow!!

My unfamiliar family. Show doesn’t give us a break, as the see some advances. EunJoo and TaeHyeong apparently have decided to find out a solution to their marriage / problem together. I really appreciate TH calling EJ to tell her he’s sorry, this could be his first step to healing. ChanHyeok and EunHee still confuse me in so many ways… I’d love them to remain as friends, but I’ll accept any direction their relation is taking. As for mum and dad, I always had the feeling that he had never cheated on her and sort of was confirmed this week. I also never thought Young Sik was dad’s son, and that the stars stickers in the truck were related to him. Now that dad has recovered his memories, we’ll see (or not…).

Will you have dinner with me. I just don’t know how can DoHee resist HaeKyung charm. I would have fallen in his arms the minute after his confession. Wait... a minute? A second! I love these two together, they share a wonderful chemistry.

Oh my baby . I can’t stand JaeYoung, I’m done with him. At this point I’m really worried about DoHa and how her parents can be such emotional illiterate. Someone please let HaRi raise that child so she can receive real love.

Mystic Pop Up Bar. I loved everything about this show, and above all Choi Won Young. I will not recommend enough to anyone who wants to enjoy a funny, emotional and heartfelt drama. It was a long time since I was this moved by a drama with so many different emotions. If you haven’t watched, please do. You won’t regret.

After trying a couple (or more) of finished dramas to binge watch, I decided to gave another chance to Perfume which I had dropped in episode 5, and alsoThe Producers, because I got anxious I didn’t have KSH 24/7 I’m having real fun watching both.

I just finished Matrimonial Chaos last week and boy, what a drama! I think I'm still under its afterglow even a week later. Apologies in advance because this is going to get long. I just adore this drama so much, and apparently I have a lot to say.

This drama is the weirdest slice of life I've watched. It told a sad story in the most humorous way possible. And most often than not, it ended up make me cried and laughed at the same time. Or sometimes, just felt overwhelmed by feelings that I didn't even know how to articulate.

This drama always made me feel things that just too complicated for words. Heck, sometimes it was even too complicated for my own heart to discern. It's not only a matter of seeing events unfolded from 4 or more different (and equally right) points of view. It's more about how even the characters themselves were not so sure what they were feeling at any given moment. It's an unnerving experience to process things together with the caracters, to not always know things in advance as a viewer. It made each of their emotional experience that much more powerful and genuine. And it made it harder for me to condemn their action or reaction.

It told a story about life so matter of factly, without sugarcoating it. How you can't help but view things because of the past, present, and your longed-for future that shaped you as a person. How most of the times there's no right or wrong, just different views. But dangit, sometimes people desperately wanted the problems in life to come with a neat solution, like a multiple choice exam at school. Sadly, real life is never as easy as that.

It's real. It's convoluted. Just as convoluted as its criss-crossing relationships that couldn't be boxed with neatly put-on label. Watching this drama is a hard-to-describe experience, punctuated by freely come-and-go side characters that made this world felt truly lived in.

Will you have dinner with me?: As soon as Jae Hyuk spoke about the cake I knew he was allergic. He is an insane person. Also does Korea not have something similar to HIPAA, my God finding out someone's medical history is so easy. lol. Now onto my favorite non toxic couple. I LOVE forehead kisses. It brings forth far more intimacy than lip kisses. They are ADORABLE.

My unfamiliar Family: I agree about the sentiment of friends carrying your sadness on their back. It is really sweet. However ooof for Eun Joo, imagine falling in love with someone who in this case will never love you the way you want them too. There are rare instances of gay people falling in love with the opposite sex, but I don't think kdramas are quite there yet. So this is just sad all around. Also Tae Hyeong stills owes Eun Joo all the apologies. I'm waiting sir.

Mystic Pop Up Bar: What a lovely drama. I enjoyed it fully and I loved the ending. It was sweet and pat, as a drama like this needed. I'm happy my little family is together.

Oh My Baby: Jang Na Ra is a MONSTER actress. The last 10 minutes was a masterclass in resignation and utter heartbreak. (Sidebar: Also that book about Mom was weird) When she told him she was fine until she broke down in front of the book, I was crying with her.

It's Okay Not to Be Okay/ Psycho but it is Okay: WOW. That is it, I like to take my time with the show, so haven't watched todays episode yet.

A quick question: Where can I watch "Twogether"? (I live in Europe but not in U.K)

I am fond of both the guys. I have never seen Jasper in anything else except fiction shows so am curious.

The only show i am following is "Dinner mates". (I am back to reading and writing a lot)

I finished an old Japanese show called "My Boss, My Hero". It had it's own problems but what I could not get over with is the view it takes to education. Education as a mean to "learn new things and discover the pleasure of knowledge". The school nurse is one of my favourite character.

Hee..
This week I watched
1. It's Okay Not to Be Okay (thoroughly enjoying the drama particularly Seo Yeji's Go Moon Young.)
2. Running Man (this show has been my routine from the start and it's been 10 years already)
3. How Do You Play? by Yoo Jae Suk (SSAK 3 is already so fun)
4. Heart Signal 3 ep 13 ( Reality shows has this feel that dramas cannot have and I can't help but repeat the parts I like).

The only kdrama I'm live watching is My Unfamiliar Family, which keeps its makjang quotient intact this week. I found the opening of It's Okay To Not Be Okay very disturbing and uncomfortable, and I will wait for recaps and more comments to see where it's all headed.  

I've been investing more time in catching up with the back catalog of k/c/tw dramas that so many of you are already veterans in. I dug deep, and found this Taiwanese coming of age/slice of life (yeah, I seem to like this stuff) gem, In a Good Way. The OTP chemistry was all kinds of off the charts awesome. It's so old-school, they barely touch each other till the 13th episode, and even then, remain fairly saintly about everything. There's a total of two liplocks, and a lot of hand-holding and hugging. But I felt I hadn't seen this kind of chemistry in drama before, even when the leads were not on the screen together. 
It is not a perfect drama, by any means, starting with a badly translated title (the Chinese title "My era of freedom" is so much more appropriate); the story had great material (independence, true character growth), which could have been better presented if the episode run were tighter; very strong second ML/FL, whose storylines were allowed to deteriorate. It also had usual TW-drama problems, and the noble idiocy - laden ending does not seem to have satisfied many people (I was okay with it). I think the drama ending was made with the never-begun-but-long-speculated movie sequel in mind. Overall, this was an imperfect but thoroughly enjoyable drama, with an OTP pairing that is right up there with the best and the brightest.

My other discovery, which I raved about last time, and have now finished, has been My Huckleberry Friends. That drama was perfect in every way, this is how cliched stories should be televised. However, I thought the (usual) time skip at the end was so utterly unnecessary, and it would have been a finer show without it. Ah well.

While exploring other shows in the same genre, I picked up but very quickly dropped With You and Suddenly This Summer. For various reasons, neither worked for me.

Mystic Pop-up Bar (Episode 11-12)
The writing was definitely a lot weaker when it was about the past since it could be summarised as a rich man poor girl story (loosely comparing to the leads’ classes), overbearing parents, power struggles, a boring villain (complete with a victim complex arising from daddy issues) and one big misunderstanding. I also felt that we did get a ‘happy ending’ of sorts with everything tied up way too neatly (which to quote Gwi is truly anticlimactic): what happened to the contract that Gwi signed? But I was mostly satisfied with the emotional journey that the show brought me along (not entirely as Wol Ju’s mother was nowhere to be found: Gwi teased that she was watching!) and remain one very delighted watcher.

Sweet Munchies (Episode 9-10)
Jin Sung’s lie getting exposed because of him shouting at Jin Woo made me roar in laughter because it’s karma for him blocking his brother’s career for his own sanity (then again, I guess we’re supposed to assume homeless senior placed numerous hidden cameras all over the workplace which I cannot fathom how JTBC green-lighted it). I felt like slapping him when he just came clean to Tae Wan: it was a selfish tantrum and a desperate move that Tae Wan did not deserve, not mentioning all the optics where a gay person is finally brave enough to come out but is dealt with sarcastic rebuke.

My Unfamiliar Family (Episode 7-8)
My ‘Ji Woo is possibly gay’ conspiracy theory gets to survive into the second half of the show! His repeated insistence that he has a girlfriend is kind of making me thrilled and scared that his secret might be the next to explode (or maybe it’s just him repressing his feelings for Seo Young and I got trolled). The first half really lived up to its name: Chan Hyuk who isn’t part of the family is the one who knows most about the family’s secrets and plays confidant to all three kids. I feel a little iffy on his romance arc: can’t he just remain friends with everyone? It’s really not the time for a relationship!

It's Okay to Not Be Okay (Episode 1-2)
The directing and acting are great but I’m going to pour cold water on the writing: the leads are connected in the past, they have traumas related to their parents, 2nd female lead has a crush on the male lead while hating the female lead, male lead’s friendship may be at risk due to romance and autistic brother is used to force the leads together. So what I feel overall is the sense that we’re going the route of hijinks at the hospital and mental health is just a thematic choice that the show won’t delve into other than OTP development purposes. Still, I’ll watch for another week before deciding.

Also watching: Will You Have Dinner With Me (Episode 17-20) / Oh My Baby (Episode 13-14) / Backstreet Rookie (Episode 1-3)

Will You Have Dinner With Me Ramyun in a convenient store... Why the FL became so shy.

Sweet Munchies Tae Wan is a cutie and deserves happiness.

My Unfamiliar Family The best family drama! I need more scenes between Eun-hee and Chan-hyuk, I love their converstions.

Oh My Baby I just wanted to punch Jae-kyung everytime he was talking with his pity tone... I understand Hari' pain but I think Yi-san's one is forgotten.

Backstreet Rookie Beside the cartoonish humor, I like the interactions between the characters. The Pulp Fiction's parody was fun, but JCW shouldn't have this haircut in the futur! KJY looked super pretty.

Team Bulldog: Off-duty Investigation I found the profiler, the pathologist and the barman more fun to watch than the leads.

It's Okay to Not Be Okay A cameo from Kwak Dong Yeon \o/ Otherwise, this drama's ambiance is so unique, I really like it. The leads have an electric chemistry.

Life Senjou no Bokura I really like Shirasu Jin in I Don't Love You Yet, so I'm happy that he has a new lead role. It's a short BL drama but it look nice for now.