Premiere Watch: Men Are Men, The Good Detective, Was It Love, Graceful Friends, Train
by missvictrix
No, it’s not a mistake — there really are five dramas starting up this week! I don’t know if I should jump for joy, or mourn for all the hours I’m about to lose. They’re actually quite a fun and diverse handful of dramas, too, which makes it all the more exciting. Rom-coms with love-inundated heroines, detectives hunting killers (sometimes in parallel universes), and a murder mystery amongst friends… I’m convinced. Sign me up!
Men Are Men
Time slot: Monday & Tuesday
Broadcaster: KBS
Genre: Fantasy, romance
Episode count: 16
Reasons to watch: If you miss Hwang Jung-eum after the end of Mystic Pop-up Bar, the pre-production stars have aligned, and her next drama Men Are Men, is happening on Monday! While I admit she’s not my favorite actress, I do have a serious soft spot for our male leads here: Yoon Hyun-min and Seo Ji-hoon. Both confess their love for our heroine, who fully plans to stay single — and I honestly have no idea how this drama will handle a love triangle of this nature. Or how we will. Team Hyun-min? Team Ji-hoon? Wait, can’t we just have both?
The Good Detective
Time slot: Monday & Tuesday
Broadcaster: JTBC
Genre: Crime, investigative
Episode count: 16
Reasons to watch: I’m super into the sunbae/hoobae detective setup we have here with Sohn Hyun-joo (always fantastic) partnered up with Jang Seung-jo (yay, a lead role!) to dig into some nasty crime. The two are very different kinds of detectives, but methinks they will balance each other out perfectly, and one person’s strength will balance the other’s weakness, and vice versa. It looks gritty and dark and suspenseful, but the fact that this is a JTBC drama makes me expect some good character-driven story to flesh out the crime procedural plot skeleton. Ugh, gross analogy there, but I guess it fits the genre?
Was It Love
Time slot: Wednesday & Thursday
Broadcaster: JTBC
Genre: Rom-com
Episode count: 16
Reasons to watch: Our second rom-com to premiere this week is another embarrassment of riches suitors story, and while these types of stories might be the new trend, I’m sure not getting tired of it yet — are you? In Was It Love, our single heroine Song Ji-hyo suddenly has four men in her life: Sohn Ho-joon, Kim Min-joon, Song Jong-ho, and Gu Ja-sung. My head/heart hurts already! Will our OTP be quickly identified (a la Oh My Baby), or will we actually be left guessing which contender (if any) our heroine will choose? I might as well just say off the bat my vote is with Sohn Ho-joon.
Graceful Friends
Time slot: Friday & Saturday
Broadcaster: JTBC
Genre: Mystery, thriller
Episode count: 17
Reasons to watch: Of all the dramas premiering this week, Graceful Friends strikes me as the most different. While it gives off similar vibes to Sky Castle and A Couple’s World in terms of stylization and crisp production, murder mysteries are not common to dramaland, so I’m pretty intrigued (especially having grown up on Agatha Christie novels). The ensemble cast is impressive to say the least — boasting Yoo Joon-sang, Song Yoon-ah, Bae Soo-bin, and Kim Won-hae just to name a few. I’m expecting some sleek, twisted, heart-pounding suspense, and even betting on understated suspense, which is the best kind to me.
Train
Time slot: Saturday & Sunday
Broadcaster: OCN
Genre: Mystery, thriller
Episode count: 12
Reasons to watch: In case you’re craving more parallel universe mayhem (yeah, didn’t think so), we have Yoon Shi-yoon x2 to look forward to with OCN’s Train. Yoon was recently awesome in Psychopath Diary, and I’m starting to really like him in more dark, serious fare. Maybe he will be a good match for OCN, whose dramas (to me) are always better when they contain actors that bring some human warmth to offset the usually bleak premises. Here, Yoon is chasing a serial killer across both dimensions to protect his loved one. Not much new in that description, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be great. Yoonie, bring it!
RELATED POSTS
- Yoo Joon-sang gives a toast in new stills from JTBC’s Elegant Friends
- Hwang Jung-eum leaps to the past in Men Are Men teaser
- Hwang Jung-eum leaves the world of marriage in Men Are Men
- A murder mystery unfolds in Elegant Friends
- Sohn Hyun-joo pursues the hidden truth behind a murder in Model Detective
- Song Ji-hyo’s four suitors come to save the day in new teaser for JTBC’s Did We Love
- Sohn Hyun-joo, Jang Seung-jo, Lee Elijah sign on for new JTBC drama
- Song Ji-hyo to be romanced by Sohn Ho-joon, Kim Min-joon, Gu Ja-sung, and Song Jong-ho in JTBC’s Begin Again
- Kyung Su-jin confronts Yoon Shi-yoon in latest stills for OCN drama Train
Tags: Graceful Friends, Men Are Men, Premiere Watch, The Good Detective, Train, Was It Love
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1 YY Chats with Toast Between Bites
July 6, 2020 at 6:44 AM
What if it were the reverse? The hot guy gets hit on by four or more girls? SSR could play the hot cold guy. Right, @katakwasabi? And, no. I am absolutely NOT going to tag @leetennant.
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Kairoskat 💐
July 6, 2020 at 7:33 AM
Yes. RH can play hot cold guy. Comeback in a fluffy romcom~~~ RH and sunny! Comeback~~~~
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mindy
July 6, 2020 at 7:40 AM
Isn't that most dramas?
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SW unnie
July 6, 2020 at 7:58 AM
But it's seldom to have a drama like this with 2 or 3 likable women who pine over one man without getting into bitch-mode. I can name a few very good dramas (starting with the Reply series) where lovable guys fall in love with one girl and regardless of which ship you are on, you don't hate the other guy. I actually would love to see a drama à la Reply with reverse roles.
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spazmo
July 6, 2020 at 9:49 AM
wasn't that Ex-Girlfriends Club?
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LT is Irresistibly Indifferent and reminded of the slow march of death
July 6, 2020 at 1:38 PM
Oops?
YY you haven't been driven to tattoo my initials on your back or anything have you?
I ask out of love.
Hey at least this tag didn't have anything to do with my stalker, who seems to have gotten the message regarding my indifference.
But isn't the whole "woman in the midst of four men" thing an old old trope. I'm thinking Cinderella and the Four Knights-esque plotline. Wasn't this inspired by BOF originally? It feels old school.
It would be hard not to see the opposite as turning into a pron plot - but then Korea seems open to that these days (oops, broke my new rule).
The person you should be tagging here is @egads for whom Korea has created her own personal version of hell.
Train: Eternal Yoon Shi-yoon.
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YY Chats with Toast Between Bites
July 6, 2020 at 9:14 PM
I am obliged to tag @ndlessjoie now, since you have mentioned tattoos and backs. You understand that I am compelled to tag you, mugyuljoie. LT started this. And...I have the strangest urge to tag @wishfultoki, all of a sudden. No idea why. Why, toki, why?
#TattooThatBackForAHotPiggyBack
#HelpCan'tStopTagging
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mugyuljoie is preciousss
July 7, 2020 at 10:00 AM
Love the hashtags! I'm hoping to see LT brazenly sprawled across another back! @leetennant
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WishfulToki
July 14, 2020 at 7:47 PM
Hello @yyishere, thanks for tagging! I don't know why you summoned me, unless you want me to compose an LT piano theme? I can make it brash and bold, like the letters on Lee Min Ho's coat. Or chilling and silvery, for whenever her stalker enters the scene.
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2 🍙 kimbap noona
July 6, 2020 at 7:09 AM
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3 panshel
July 6, 2020 at 7:19 AM
I'm watching Graceful Friends, which will be JTBC's next big hit. It looks like a mix between Sky Castle and the murder mystery game Clue. "Colonel Mustard in the library with the candlestick.
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parkchuna 🍉
July 6, 2020 at 7:59 AM
I like your confidence/faith in the drama. Hope it goes well!
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4 Playstore, Okay Or Not Okay
July 6, 2020 at 7:25 AM
I wish OCN could get into a deal like studio dragon did with NETFLIX. Their contents are more suitable for the platform than just be aired for a very small demographic of South Korea.
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mindy
July 6, 2020 at 7:44 AM
Studio Dragon does produce many OCN dramas, many of which are on Netflix like Possessed, The Lies Within, and Rugal. Netflix doesn't seem to get every Studio Dragon production, though, including non-OCN ones.
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Jangkrik
July 6, 2020 at 7:30 PM
I don't know why you hope like that. NETFLIX is exclusive, they wont allow co-existance. I'm afraid if more Production Houses get deal with them, it will be monopolistic market in KDrama.
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5 seoul_searcher
July 6, 2020 at 7:51 AM
So many rom-coms this month, not that I’m complaining, but which one will actually be decent is the question. I can already predict the latter half of men are men being a total angst fest like every other rom-com with a fateful connection between the leads, and an annoying triangle, but I can only hope for the best with this cast...
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Linda Palapala
July 6, 2020 at 1:30 PM
I'm rather tired of triangles too. And even with the "twist" of having a gay designer as the odd man out (so to speak) in the triangle, they didn't make it unusual or special. It was just another triangle where he didn't get the guy.
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seoul_searcher
July 6, 2020 at 8:12 PM
I wish writers would learn to make it 1+1=2 and not 3
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JillofAllTrades
July 15, 2020 at 12:43 PM
Amen!
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6 Cloggie
July 6, 2020 at 7:52 AM
I really like the sound of Graceful Friends. Looks like a great cast and they're clearly trying to do something different: 17 episodes - that's novel.
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Kairoskat 💐
July 6, 2020 at 8:23 AM
The 1st teaser for Graceful Friends reminds me of Return and Han Da Gam was also in Return. Coincidently...Return has 17 episodes. Hahaha
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Cloggie
July 6, 2020 at 8:35 AM
I'm too used to even-number episode lengths 😁
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egads aka Dame Maggie
July 6, 2020 at 11:18 AM
17 just seems odd.
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Linda Palapala
July 6, 2020 at 1:28 PM
They're so sure of success they've just gone ahead and added the extra episode now instead of later.
Cloggie
July 6, 2020 at 1:43 PM
17 is odd
egads aka Dame Maggie
July 6, 2020 at 6:39 PM
17 is also prime.
7 Islander north
July 6, 2020 at 7:57 AM
Received email last week stating The Good Detective would start on Netflix today, searching Netflix shows nothing. Anyone know the status of legit sites where this is streaming or if and when it will come to Netflix? Thanks.
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windsun33
July 6, 2020 at 11:07 AM
"UPDATE: The Good Detective has begun airing in South Korea, but has not been made available to stream on Netflix. We’re now waiting for confirmation on when the series will be arriving.".
Not sure what is going on. For a while it seemed like most of the new kdramas would be on legit sites like Viki and NetFlix, but lately seeing more and more that don't seem to be licensed anywhere outside of Korea.
Which of course makes the pirate sites happy.
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Linda Palapala
July 6, 2020 at 1:27 PM
Plus the drama could be under a totally different title. I end up searching for the lead actor's name instead of the drama title.
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tsutsuloo
July 8, 2020 at 7:03 AM
Last year, Netflix began airing Possessed about four-six weeks after it'd already premiered in Korea. Netflix's lockdown meant having to tolerate weeks of subpar subs before it became legally available.
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8 Zora
July 6, 2020 at 9:45 AM
I would love to watch Graceful Friends but I can’t find it in Netflix or Viki.
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FiyaShady
July 6, 2020 at 10:40 AM
Anyone know who gets the privilage platform of airing it?
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yayabean
July 6, 2020 at 6:36 PM
I'm looking for it too. And so far, no luck.
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tsutsuloo
July 8, 2020 at 7:06 AM
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tsutsuloo
July 8, 2020 at 7:06 AM
Graceful Friends is set to premiere on Netflix, Fri. July 10, according to whats-on-netflix-dot-com.
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Zora
July 8, 2020 at 9:54 AM
Hopefully this is accurate. I tried looking it up but it doesn’t show up. Normally it would say if it’s coming soon just like when I checked IOTBNO before.
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9 larelle79
July 6, 2020 at 10:00 AM
I am gonna give Graceful Friends a chance just on the fact that the entire cast is all adults.
It does not have to be SKY Castle. Nothing will ever be SKY Castle.
Here is hoping that the series is good.
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10 Jezz
July 6, 2020 at 10:02 AM
With Oh My Baby will recap the 16th and final episode as up next on Dramabeans, we'll should decide what's next aside from Was It Love and Train: Men Are Men or Graceful Friends?
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11 egads aka Dame Maggie
July 6, 2020 at 11:20 AM
In case you’re craving more parallel universe mayhem (yeah, didn’t think so), we have Yoon Shi-yoon x2 to look forward to
lol missvictrix.
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mindy
July 6, 2020 at 11:26 AM
I thought about you when I read that last bit...
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12 Eazal
July 6, 2020 at 11:27 AM
I'd like to give it try to the first three, but unless I can find them in Viki, I'll pass. And even if they are, there are some serious problems with subs lately (I don't want to remember Good Casting, and now Memorials has episode 1, that aired a week ago at 76%)... sticking to old shows, I'm afraid.
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larelle79
July 6, 2020 at 12:19 PM
They need to just have a staff of paid translators.
This volunteer thing was and still is BS.
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windsun33
July 7, 2020 at 9:37 AM
Yup - Into the Ring has been out over a week, and still only about 50% subbed. Viki was pretty good for a while, but lately their subs have lagged way behind.
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13 Linda Palapala
July 6, 2020 at 11:39 AM
Team Seo Ji hoon. That's all I have to say...
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Linda Palapala
July 6, 2020 at 11:42 AM
On Viki, it's "To All the Guys Who Loved Me..."
I almost didn't find it.
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Eazal
July 6, 2020 at 12:25 PM
Thanks for this!! Finding dramas on Viki lately is getting harder and harder.
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Linda Palapala
July 6, 2020 at 12:45 PM
It's especially getting harder and harder to find good dramas (on Viki).
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Islander north
July 7, 2020 at 1:57 PM
And Kocowa! I think there's at least 3 new ones that are by the Big 3 that should absolutely go to Kocowa and no...not there. Frustrating as I have Netflix, Viki & Kocowa and still miss the some new dramas...usually the ones I'm interested in. What's to be done?
Zora
July 6, 2020 at 1:03 PM
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Miky
July 6, 2020 at 3:12 PM
U can search for dramas way easier on Viki if u look by country ex: Korean and after search for "On Air" or "Soon to Air"...in less than 2 min u can find what they offer asthe content isin't that huge and can recognize by poster and will bring in case other beanies have hard time searching via name etc...
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Linda Palapala
July 6, 2020 at 3:27 PM
I like searching by the actor's name because then I can see what else he's been in.
But I do also search by country.
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Miky
July 6, 2020 at 3:39 PM
That's what i also do with Cdramas for ex. because mostly i know the korean actors dramas but sadly many aren't on there so i usually use mydramalist tokeep track of new or older stuff jjaja
14 bong-soo
July 6, 2020 at 2:05 PM
The two crime dramas here that I will be watching are:
1. OCN’s TRAIN which is on Viki’s “Coming Soon” list with the note “Available on 7/11/20”; and
2. JTBC’s THE GOOD DETECTIVE/MODEL DETECTIVE and previously aka on Netflix as EXEMPLARY DETECTIVE. Suddenly availability angst.
Episode one aired Mon. 6 July in SK. As @windsun33 noted above Netflix issued a statement re availability. You can read it here:
https://www.whats-on-netflix.com/coming-soon/new-k-dramas-on-netflix-july-2020/
I hope this is a minor blip and the episodes become available soon.
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miss h
July 6, 2020 at 3:49 PM
That's not Netflix. It even says at the bottom that it is a fan site and the authors have no affiliation with Netflix. They aren't exactly reliable.
The Good Detective is on ODK though I don't know whether it will be subbed.
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bong-soo
July 6, 2020 at 5:22 PM
Thanks @missh for the clarification.
Re ODK. I am a paid subscriber and checked earlier and it was available without subs.
Good news. I just checked again and episode one of THE GOOD DETECTIVE is now available subbed in English.
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15 soulsearch12
July 6, 2020 at 2:11 PM
Ooh Graceful Friends looks like the next smash hit. Its rated 19 like World of the Married too. Looks fun!
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16 Bebot
July 6, 2020 at 4:13 PM
Was it love i think Sohn is the male lead. Can't wait for graceful friends and Train but sad that it will be competing for Kim Soo Hyun's drama It's okay not to be okay which is a good drama and I'm loving it.
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17 Yuyuu, The Drama Queen
July 6, 2020 at 6:53 PM
The only one on my radar is Graceful Friends
I'm hoping it will turn out to be a good whodunnit and another sleek, non-generic (by mainstream k-drama standards), not solely "youth-oriented" production from JTBC.
Also THAT CAST (I am most exited for Song Yoona bc I haven't seen for a while)!!!
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18 Maq
July 7, 2020 at 9:25 AM
My proposal: how about Hyun-min and Ji-hoon's characters end up with each other rather than with Hwang Jung-eum's character?
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PakalanaPikake
July 8, 2020 at 5:13 AM
@smaltwalt Maq,
That's exactly what I was thinking. Hyun-min and Ji-hoon can continue their karmic bromance from MAMA FAIRY AND THE WOODCUTTER, and maybe cadge a cameo from the kingly blacksmith's old matchmaker, Kim Min-jae (JOSEON MARRIAGE AGENCY). Designer Kang Tae-wan (SWEET MUNCHIES) can set up shop to keep them all spiffily suited -- and share a house with Hwang Jung-eum's character. ;-)
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PakalanaPikake
July 11, 2020 at 1:16 AM
@smaltwalt Maq,
After watching ep. 2, I had to laugh and think that our crystal balls / trope detectors are working overtime. Methinks we're being trolled. ;-)
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Maq
July 11, 2020 at 11:43 AM
I still think YHM and SJH would be a better couple, even though a faux gay romance is just a gag for this show (I did die of laughter with the tent scene, though).
I will say, though, that SJH is killing it in this drama. Very impressed by him (I think this is the silliest/pettiest character I've ever seen him play).
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JillofAllTrades
July 15, 2020 at 12:46 PM
Hear hear! The last outing together for these guys it was really their story and the fairy was the classic McGuffin!
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19 myra
July 7, 2020 at 12:41 PM
Actually there are six dramas premiering this week, there is a shorter wed-thursday drama called ''She knows everything'' on MBC
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20 Krabkrab
July 7, 2020 at 8:33 PM
Quite excited for Train. I want my 2x Yoon Shi-yoon now
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21 raekaddict
July 7, 2020 at 9:36 PM
Graceful friends has the most contradicting name and poster ever...they dont look anything graceful or friendly!!!😅 😂😅 😂
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22 OldLawyer
July 7, 2020 at 10:13 PM
MEN ARE MEN Iis being carried on Vike as TP ALL THE GUYS WHO LOVED ME. Subtitling is well underway.
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OldLawyer
July 7, 2020 at 10:32 PM
OK, thats "Viki" and TO ALL THEY GUYS WHO LOVED ME. Clearly it is time for me to go to bed.
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23 Kairoskat 💐
July 7, 2020 at 11:58 PM
There's one drama missing from the list: Miss Lee Knows or She Knows Everything. It will air on MBC starting from 8th July and there will only be 4 episodes. Only 4! I'm intrigued~~~ 😆
http://asianwiki.com/She_Knows_Everything
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24 Lincoln Gu
July 8, 2020 at 5:45 AM
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25 vira
July 8, 2020 at 10:35 PM
1. i am not a fan of hwang jung eum..just cant seem to watch her even if the drama was good..sorry..
2. good detective was intriguing..will continue to watch
3. was it love : i love all the cast. but Noh Hanee was just great. i love song ji hyo, but may be the red lipstick make her look older. she looked much younger with neutral coloured lipstick ( running man red lipstick vs knowing brother soft coloured lipstick). and something about her tone of voice and the way she yell all the time in the first episode got me a bit down...but i`ll keep watching..the way every character first appeared with no slow motion or wind blow, i like it..much more natural..
4. excited to watch train & graceful friends. yay..
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26 varms
July 9, 2020 at 5:45 AM
I haven't watched Was It Love yet and my vote is also with Son Ho Joon, haha... Is the mom in It's Okay To Not Be Okay also pulling double duty in this drama?
Also I checked out Men Are Men and suffice it to say that after Episode 2, I'll stick around for next week's episodes.... It's so hard to choose between these two men! ❤️ ❤️ The synopsis is different from what I watched because there's elements of fantasy in this.
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