CRICKET - Yes yes yes. What a beautiful 1st test match. West indies of today is a weak team but they are now doing good job as a test team.
Holder's smile and soft, kind voice with humble attirtude. no arrogance. leading from front. Building a respectable team. A team that fights and can challenge any strong test team.

I really really enjoyed 1st test match. This is test cricket aka the real cricket aka the real life.

Then sky doing big interview with holding on racism and discrimination. Holding speaks and speaks well.

2nd test England ahead but let's see how West Indies innings.

5 days - 9 hours - so not much time for other media.

Watching: Was It love?
--- I think I know who the father is... I think they'll reveal it soon... But then again we're only on the ep 4 🤔
I'm sort of afraid what kind of twist the show has in store for us....

Rewatching: Stranger
--- Because season 2 is coming soon 🎉🎉🎉

Was It Love (Episode 3-4)
Disappointed but not surprised that the writing is that predictable: literally all the cliffhangers so far have Ae Jung and Dae Oh together while Yeon Woo who is the quintessential second male lead is always a step behind with the umbrella, the hand hold and even the wrist grab despite his continuous emotional support for her. One thing that gets me riled is why the show added that doppelgänger mess into the story: it should have been Pa Do softening towards Ae Jung due to Ha Nee taking care of Dong Chan and subsequently them bonding as single parents leading towards a crush on her.

Memorials (Episode 9-12)
The second leads in this show have the potential to become really interesting characters: Min Jae’s still invested in the relationship he and Se Ra shared for 9 years even though he’s chosen his career over her and might potentially flip for her when he realises he’s given too much up for his political aspirations (I wonder why Se Ra fell for him) while Hee Soo seems to be the only politician who is listening to Mr Bong and might even become Se Ra’s ally when she starts seeing her worth in spite of her inexperience. But the opposite can also happen due to the love factor which complicates stuff.

Graceful Friends (Episode 1-2)
I have to confess first that I’ve actually not watched SKY Castle or The World of the Married because I wasn’t a fan of the themes they tackled, so when JTBC started its promotions for this show as the hopeful successor of those two dramas I did have worries about whether it’ll be engaging enough. It turns out that I was partially right as the murder teased in the synopsis hasn’t even occured yet after the premier episodes and it was hard keeping up with all of the potential cheating in the quintet of friends. But I am intrigued by the characters who might keep me watching.

My Unfamiliar Family (Episode 13-14)
It’s quite obvious that it’s already the penultimate week when there’s suddenly some development for characters like Ji Woo whose secret I felt was honestly dropped like a bomb without a proper setup. When it comes to the wrapping up, I think the show might have forgotten about the other male coworker at Chan Hyuk’s company but I believe his purpose in the story was to kickstart Seo Young’s arc who then was a plot device for the third-quarter conflict between Eun Hee and Chan Hyuk. About the cliffhanger: Ji Woo is most likely catfished because if not his arc would have an abrupt end?

Also watching: It's Okay to Not Be Okay (Episode 7-8) / Men Are Men (Episode 5-8) / Will You Have Dinner With Me (Episode 29-32) / Backstreet Rookie (Episode 8-9)

Memorials: Checking many boxes. Funny and eccentric leads AND top-quality secondary cast. OST+BGM! (*finger hearts*) Tropeful of candy+school friends+childhood trauma+three girlfriends+difficult dads, but getting it all right. Quirky, dark humour on petty politicking. Interesting camerawork. Overall, a feel good, "romantic" show (emphasis on the double meaning of "romantic", as the show keeps reminding us). Six episodes in, I find no reason as yet to drop it (even if the slapstick is overdone). If it keeps at it, this will be close to the top of the pile for the year.

My Unfamiliar Family: Pitch-perfect makjang through and through. Show, Hear. Me. Loud. And. Clear.: Do NOT mess up the final two episodes.

A Thousand Goodnights: Started this tw-drama on a Beanie fanwall recommendation. In parts, it's a tribute to the filmmaker Chi Po-lin and his documentary, Beyond Beauty: Taiwan from Above. It's a beautiful hardsell / showcase / long advertisement for Taiwan tourism, with a lot of aerial shots, train rides and road trips. There is a little drama thrown in for entertainment value, of the introspective, philosophical, discover-yourself variety that only the Taiwanese seem to be doing / getting right (plug for my I, Myself fanwall rave from last week). This is clearly a genre I'm warming up to. I've only watched a couple of episodes. It seems slower than I'd have liked, although it's put Taiwan on my bucket list of places to visit already.  I'll stick it out longer to see where it's all headed.

Men are Men: Hyun Joo's reaction to Ji Woo confessing all of his creepy weird suggestions was spot on. It was the first time a kdrama heroine acted in a responsible manner. It didn't last of course, but the fact that she quit gave me hope, lol. It is a drama so she needed to come back, and the way she came back made sense. I am still enjoying this drama and I was Hwang Jung Eum is one of the few actresses with great chemistry with all her co-stars.

Will you have Dinner with me: The ending was fine. I was disappointed they kept bringing back the exes. Never have I disliked exes so much in a drama. Wow. The OTP was cute until the end. I hope they do another drama together and it is just them. I need to find out who the writer so we can have words about unnecessary side characters.

The Good Detective: Our detectives and intrepid reporter are on the case. Mystery abounds. Family ties and friendships. I like this drama, aside from the case, which is somewhat interesting in a generic way, I want to know more about our detectives. They interest me more than the case.

My unfamiliar family: Min Woo please continue to bring joy and frenetic energy to Eun Joo. She was charmed and incredibly annoyed by him. She needs that. Sang Shik you will not leave our Sooki-shi behind, she has had enough of your shenanigans. Chan Hyuk and Eun Hee❤️❤️❤️. As for our Maknae, and no baby, this will not end well for him.

Memorials: This show is so cute. Se-Ra recognizing her crush on Gong Myung spells drama for that poor man, ha, but he is looking forward to it. Homegirl is like a bulldozer when she wants something.I can't wait until she tells him. Also Ja Ryong is my favorite child secretary, where are his parents, lol.

It's Okay not to be Okay: I look forward to the weekend because of this show. I can't wait for this weekend's episode.

Train: Woah, here we go. Death is only the beginning to quote the mummy. This is very true for this drama. This should be good.

Just marathoned 12 episodes of Nobody Knows, and I’m amazed that such a drama was not only on prime-time terrestrial TV but did so well in the ratings. So far it seems on par with the likes of Netflix’s Extracurricular, and far better than some other recent(ish) cable shows. I haven’t detected any soapiness or cliche in the writing, especially when it comes to the relationships between various characters. Enough has been said about the central relationship between Cha Young-jin and Ko Eun-ho; I’m also very impressed with Eun-ho’s interactions with his troubled mother (played by the oft-overlooked but always superb Jang Young-nam), Sun-woo’s attempts to connect with his students, Detective Hwang’s mentoring of Young-jin, Young-jin’s fractious but far from stupid team and - last but not least - the disturbing band of misfits, pathetic yet dangerous, groomed by Baek Sang-ho.

As for Cha Young-jin — what a likeable, impressive and consistent character she is! There are too many cookie-cutter cold / angst-ridden / anti-social protagonists in dramaland, both male and female. I love how Young-jin is steely and formidable, but also kind and funny and a great boss and colleague. Gonna watch the final 4 episodes now - hope they don’t disappoint…!

Gameboys

A Filipino BL, available on YouTube. This drama consumed my daily life this past month. I keep refreshing social media accounts for new comments or search for new reaction videos. Other times I rewatch pastt episodes or listen to their OSTs.

This one just hits differently for me.

My Unfamiliar Family - Can't believe that it's ending next week and we only have two episodes to enjoy. Also feeling a little anxious because it's been SO GOOD that the final week might disappoint.

It's Okay Not To Be Okay We might be entering angsty territory this week. I'm not analyzing the drama as much as I can and just enjoying the ride.

Forest of Secrets/ Stranger Since S2 is coming next month, I decided to do a rewatch. I was planning to take it slow but with quarantine still going on in my city, there's nothing much to do so I finished it in less than a week. Still good and it feels like I watched it for the 1st time.

Was It Love? While watching the episodes this week, I have decided to turn off my brain. It made me wonder though, was Song Ji-hyo this 'screamy'? The kids and that cool unnie is what's keeping me.

Black Dog ep2 Watching the kids in Was It Love? made me want to watch a school drama. I remember how the fan wall was in love with this and I did want to check this out at that time because the cast (I love the ladies!) but just wasn't in the mood. Looking forward to a sleepless night xD

This week watching:

Will You Have Dinner With Me - On the one hand, I'll miss our main leads now that it's over, but on the other hand, I'm soooo glad I won't be seeing their exes! The exes won't be missed!

Men Are Men - Ok, so, the male lead's secretary's mom ..... she's kind of creepy the way she stares at him.

Memorials - Interesting showcase of the difficulties of trying to live a rule-abiding life while the people around you don't hold the same conviction. ..... The whole show has a quirky vibe and it works here.

Graceful Friends - Oh what a mess these people are in! (Or soon to be in one!) ..... How the psychiatrist didn't see trouble coming from that golf coach is beyond me.

It's Okay To Not Be Okay - Absolutely fantastic in every way!

I'm currently watching KBS2 2013 hit Sharks.

My unfamiliar family. I have the terrible feeling our sweet maknae has been scammed in the worst possible moment. I also hope he can return to SK to reunite with his family and that dad can recover alt last to have a nice talk with all his family.

Will you have dinner with me. We’ve had the most wonderful, attractive and funny OTP in a long time. I cry over the drama that could have been. I’m a forever fan of Lee Ji Hoon, he’s made the best out of the worst character ever. Not watching a Son Na Eun drama EVER AGAIN (unless it’s a 5 minutes cameo). And I loved the suggestion that ByeongJi and GeonWoo could be in a relationship, because they were precious.

Men are men. I don’t know what’s really happening. I couldn’t find the comedy in this week’s episodes and I found really creepy the attraction both ML have to FL. One is an abusive stalker that got her fired and the other is the little brother who confesses her love in a playground after she reminds taking him after school to play. Arghhhhhhhhhhhhh.

The Good Detective. I’m enjoying this a lot. If I leave aside all the tropes (police, prosecution and politics all corrupted and being the best baddies ever), I like the interaction with our two good detectives, even if I can see where the drama wants to lead us, i’m liking the way it is doing it.

Memorials.Viki’s getting a bit faster with subs and I managed to watch up to ep. 4. I’m having so much fun, enjoying so much our weirdo heroes. I love the aesthetics and the use of the fisheye camera on every episode.

Also watching Perfume and having fun; It’s Okay not to be Okay and The Producers and I’m totally in love with KSH and his acting skills, wow, he’s just wow…in such opposite roles. And finally Healer and I totally get why it is an all time favourite to all beanies, I’m savoring every episode and all the interactions between all the leads, and as every time it’s well done, I care very little for the usual tropes.

OMG... Dinner Mate's over already.

So I felt excited for Flower of Evil or Chip-In.

Men Are Men - Born Again & Again but the romcom version. They seem to be superficial characters, I'm more interested in their past lives.

IONTBO - I liked it more on the early eps. I'd probably like it more if it was a melo, as a romcom there are a lot of artificial things that keep happening to try to create comedy and romance. I still like the brothers very much and it's pretty.

Graceful Friends Ep1-2 - This could have used the director or PD of WOTM. This has potential to be good but drama doesn't know if it wants to be a dark comedy or a funny melodrama or a mystery. It also needs at least one very likable character to drive the narrative and too many little mysteries will make people confused. I have a feeling this will turn makjang with many crazy twists instead of fulling exploring the relationships between characters.

Into the Ring - I like the main leads because they are so boring in their passion for rules. I like this kind of people. Again the fact it is a romcom plays against the show, the ML's father overacts and the FL sometimes seems to be in a manga. Somewhere in this there is a good story about politics, first loves and someone finding their calling.

I'm wifi-less again, so no IONTBO for me this week. Also, been enjoying MUF a lot, and will be sorry to be late to the final two episodes... I'll probably try not to hang out here on DB to avoid spoilers for both. So, triple 😭😭😭 for me!

Hey everyone! I hope you’re all doing well!

Train - I am SO ready to delve into the parallel universe/other worldly stuff. Like quirkycase, I really appreciated that they didn’t just jump into the parallel universe immediately and leave the audience trying to understand what happened, but instead set up the “present” world with the initial motives while still having the other dimension present and introducing it to us gradually. I’m really looking forward to YSY’s acting in these upcoming episodes with the introduction of doppelgänger DW and seeing SK again, albeit in her doppelgänger form!

Tale of Nokdu - I’m on Ep. 20 right now and when I say I love everything about it so far, I’m not joking. From the initial moment, we started off with so many antics and comedic moments, it was perfect. And then, JDY cross-dressing in a widow village while living with a woman who was also cross-dressing (albeit not as often 😂) seemed so perfect to me. I’ve been a fan of sageuks for a while and while sometimes the politics of everything overshadows and kind of drags on, there hasn’t been a single moment where I haven’t been captivated by the screen. Plus, can we just talk about the backstories?? They’re so intricate and I love learning about them just as much as I love learning about the plot and moving through the story. Both NK and DJ come from a terrible past that are indirectly tied together. Plot wise, currently, ND is back in Hanyang with DJ and he’s becoming friends with the King during which Neungyang is continually scaring me because of his relationship with ND’s brother. I have a feeling this won’t end in all flowers and rainbows (despite my deeep hoping it will), but I’m excited to continue!

Crash Landing On You - So, I actually got the recommendation to watch this show from my aunt, who had never watched a K-Drama before in her life! She watched it for fun, got hooked, and fell in love with Hyun Bin. I decided to try it out and 12 episodes in and I have to say, I’m feeling the same way. The relationship between JH and SR is the cutest thing ever and their relationship is ridden with an continuous feeling of distraught that it hurts so much every time they say goodbye. I doubt it’s going to be possible, but I really want JH and the ducklings (including Man Bok) to stay in South Korea and live a great life with SR. Can we please have a happy ending where our main leads don’t have to say goodbye every other episode?! I’m so scared for the ending because the drama with the North and CK is only growing and it’s only going to get even worse for JH and Co to stay.

Thank you for reading! I know two of these dramas are pretty old, but I hope you can relate to my sentiments! 😌

My Unfamiliar Family: I just love this show. It came out of nowhere for me and has been a true delight. I'm really sad that it's coming to an end this week, because I'm watching a few other shows but nothing that I look forward to as much as this one.
It's Okay to Not Be Okay: As my husband calls it "the weird one." I'm really enjoying the quirky style and the relationships in this one. I need more drinking, though. I'm looking forward to todays show and what Kang-tae gets up to now that he's running away with the circus.
Because It's My First Life: Just wrapped up a rewatch for me, but a first watch for my hubby. He liked it and I loved the excuse to watch it again. I had forgotten just how much I enjoy the OST, too!
Some Day or One Day: I have heard so much about this one and while I used to watch a lot of Taiwanese dramas, it's been hard to make the switch back. I'm only on episode 3, but I have high hopes for this one. I know it's been a favorite with this group.

The Good Detective There is nothing special about the story but the casting is good.

My Unfamiliar Family I don't want this drama to end. I want more EH-CH on my screen! I love so much their interactions! I need to see EJ's happiness too.

Memorials It's really a fun drama. Seing the both girls fighting for the ML who has no clue what is happening the most of the time, it's funny. I want to ruffle his hair, he's so cute when he's disheveled.

Backstreet Rookie I like the lessons they give in this drama but I need more SB and DH, it's the 9th episode and their relationship is still the same.

It's Okay to Not Be Okay I thought that at a moment in the story MY would see a psy because she needs to talk about her past. But it looks they will take the "love heals everything"'s path.

Master in the House. This week's master was Lee Jung Hyun, popular late 90's pop singer and actress and the female lead for Peninsula aka Train to Busan sequel 🧟‍♂️. My personal highlight: Shin Sung Rok makes a convincing zombie and he looks good in pink ☺️.

Backstreet Rookie up to ep 9: I'm team cameo! It's interesting a cameo is still here until ep 9, it's like Jiwook got a bumped to second lead since his character has way more presence than the rich corporate guy 🙃. Anyways, BR genre according to wiki is romcom, slice of life. I like it's slice of life moments, because the main characters feel like real conflicted people and I like the parodies. I'm aware drama has it's issues but it also has a good story and Saetbyul has lots of character growth in 9 eps. I'm hoping for a platonic friendship between SB and Daehyun. Team SBxJiwook! Wooohooo~~

Memorials: I've said if know my fan wall and I'll say it again, I don't know why but this show is turning out to be one of my favourites. I can't put my finger on it . I'm loving our OTP and their romance and I wait for it every week. There is just something about the pairing of these two polar opposites that is winning me over. This week showed our FL being honest with herself and the kind of person she is. I loved that it was our ML who challenged her and called her out for lying to herself. He just accepted her first who she was and she and I both were so touched by that. I just finf6 this show really enjoyable. I'll be watching out for Nana now.
IOTNBO: I realise I may have been looking at this show with rose tinted glasses and reading up on points of view that are unlike mine has made me take those glasses off. I know that this drama is going to make us think, feel, cry and discuss things with others and that's something not every drama is able to manage. I want Kang Tae to discover himself so that he can be healthier and stronger.
Dinner Mate: I still don't get the obsession with the exes. Lee Ji Hoon has my respect for his acting skills. He made me empathise (not fully though) with Jae Hyuk by the end of the drama. The lead couple was the life of this drama and their chemistry was just amazing. They were cute and heartfelt and total couple goals. I'll be looking out for both their future projects from now onwards.
Know a side not, I'm really happy that Memorials is getting much more attention now. I recommend everyone to watch it

It's OK to Not ... Have Long Hair: 8.4

Men Are Men: 5.5 Likely drop. At least Hwang Jung-Eum had one good show this year.

Train: 7.5

The Good Detective: 7.2 Lee Elijah is good but not good enough. I get tired of rich criminals, corrupt cops & big cover-ups -- the things this show is beating us over the head with. At least in Train all that (if it exists) will be tucked away in another universe.

Memorials / Into the Ring: 7.5

Kittisaurus: 9.9 Hey, it may not be a kdrama, but it's Korean. With cats who probably wake up each morning wondering what obstacle course "Mommy" will prepare for them this time.

Have take a small hiatus from watching kdramas. Picked up Mystic Pop-Up Bar the other day and loved it more than I expected. For being a fantasy story, it was surprisingly simple and it doesn't dwell hard on the past, which is perfect for when you're not in the mood for breaking down complicated theories and relationships. The ultimate strength of this drama is its humor and heart, conveyed expertly by the people involved in the drama. I've enjoyed the work of our lead actors but the combination did feel weird when the drama was announced. After watching this drama, I've got to say the casting director must have some 6th sense for casting because the combo was pitch perfect.

Unfamiliar Family: I don't want this drama to end! This is the rare show where I love everybody though Eun Joo and Sang Sik are probably my ultimate favorites. Can the writer do a spin off with Eun Joo and the male Eun Hee running a law firm together?

Memorials: She likes him! Fist pump. The storyline may not be revolutionary but the writing, acting, directing has combined to produce a really fun drama. I love the quirky little touches the PD adds, like our OTP having a conversation at the stop light while the little kiddos drove by in the background in their cars.

The Good Detective: I'm enjoying this drama more than I expected. The case itself is generic, but I really like our two good detectives and their rapport.

Was it Love: Drama, please stop with the Whose the Daddy story line. This drama could not be more predictable so it's the writer.

Train: Off to a good start. I like Yoon Shi Yoon but not his acting, particularly, and I have dropped almost all of his dramas. His acting isn't bothering me here, and I like parallel worlds story lines (The King being a recent exception).

Graceful Friends: I really want to like this because of the cast but it's hard. Nobody is particularly likeable which wouldn't be a problem if they were interesting or entertaining. So far they are not. Psychiatrist wife is dumb.

It's Okay to Not Be Okay: It was nice to see KT smile.

I started IOTNBO expecting dark, thought-pondering fare.. It turns out to be actually lighter and fluffier than I thought. Psychology-wise, I guess It's Okay, That's Love wins. 😅

I'm only watching this show after I finished Mystic Pop-up Bar and Oh My Baby. Still thinking twice on starting Men are Men. Maybe I'll let it run halfway before I start it. Despite her screechy voice, I do like HJE's dramas (though I've only watched She Was Pretty, Kill Me Heal Me, and MPUB. I dropped The Undateables.). And Yoon Hyun Min as one of the MLs is a plus, although based on the beanies' comments, I might not like his role in Men. 😅

Most likely I'll go for a rewatch on old favorites. Top of the list would be It's Okay That's Love. 😅
Oh! And a catching up on good shows that I've missed: My Mister, Reply Series, Misaeng and SKY Castle. Phew! That's still a lot! 😬

All the My Unfamiliar Family talk! <3