I finally had time to dive into School Nurse and what a bizarre show! You were all right, it was trippy... and unique... and so different from the usual kdrama style. And yet, it gave me a lot of FEELS, something that kdramas can do sooo well (who else cried watching Hyemi's story?).

I won't pretend that I understood everything. Sometimes I got confused how the show abandoned some stories (what happened with Mackenzie? And the basketball student?), I wasn't sure about what exactly went between the two adult teams fighting for the school... whether 5.38 was just a randomly chosen number... and what was the symbolism of the ducks 😆... and yet the show strangely worked for me. (I also liked the music... and the directing... and the acting.)

I noticed some criticism of Korean pressures (and hypocrisy) at schools and of the power play of various teacher groups... there was some comentary about exploiting the school (and kids... and our Nurse)... and what happens when the kids don't have caring teachers around... But, for me, as being a teacher myself, the main story was about a teacher - a teacher caring for her kids, accepting them as they are and trying to nurture them well (and prevent them from straying away), thinking only about what's best for them... and then having to deal with the other teachers... and her own burn-out... I'm happy she found her strength back... and that she had a good and supporting team-mate who could say the right encouraging words and recharge her.

Brahms - I had no mood and energy to watch the latest episode (12) as I feared some angst and tensions... and I watched DoSolLaLaland instead... and smiled a lot (and it does have Shopping King's vibe.... though Lee Jae Wook seems to live in some Lee Jun Ki's thriller 😁 )

Okane no Kireme... the serie stopped after ep3... and ep4 was basically a farewell to Miura Haruma... I wish the series could continue (I really liked it)... and that MH didn't do what he did 😢... and that more people look for help... and find it...and avoid doing that fatal thing with no return possible...

Luckily the best romcom of the year Azzo and the Sticky Note Guy lifted my mood and I'm happy for their newlywed bliss... and getting sentimental, as today it has been exactly 20 years since my husband and me had our first date... ❤💕

JAPAN

Love Will Begin When Money Ends - 7 out of 10. Episode 04 the writer really did good job and so did director and actors. Why? Google Yourself. Saruhiko-Chan a toy represented the character Saruwatari and Actor Miura. Dialogues and the way whole episode is presented shows tribute given to Miura.

Real Game - 7 out of 10. Cute cute fukomoto Riko and good concept for only 1 episode. This concept can really become popular.

Maidens in Savage Season - 7.5/10. off high-school girls. Yamada Anna seriously looks like a middle-schooler.

I had a dream of that Girl - 6.5/10 - This dude got really lucky. all the can't act idols in 1 show and this guy being the hero. Short 1 episode stroies. overall, alright 1st episode.

18 Again (Episode 5-6)
You know what would have been better than two-faced Il Kwon? A repentant Il Kwon who becomes Duk Jin’s wingman! I don’t understand why dramas love to create pointless antagonists when greyer characters are much more explorable in terms of development (frankly speaking I felt sorry for Lee Ki Woo who had to play this sort of role 18 years into his career). However, I loved how the show dived into the effects of divorce on the family and gave us a surprising twist for Baseball Player who might become a worthy contender for Da Jung. If only that stupid preview was a fantasy!

Missing: The Other Side (Episode 9-10)
I guess it was finally time for me to let go my expectations of a great story disappear as the drama struggles to handle both the short-term procedurals as well as the overarching family mysteries while paying attention to the pacing of the show: we’re already going into the finale but there’s been 0 advancement of both Beom Soo’s and Joon Soo’s arcs (I’m sure there’s more behind the former’s light-triggered number recitation and the latter’s stranger aversion). I do want to give a shoutout to Ha Joon’s acting performance this week: his display of grief really captured all the feelings.

Private Lives (Episode 1-2)
Look producer, if each episode is going to be at least 75 minutes long, I would very much prefer you going 20 episodes of 1 hour each rather than this current insanity that you’ve done. I appreciate the fact that the cliffhangers do surprise me but I must say that it’s not because the twist was unexpected: it was actually the pacing that surprised me a lot as I had anticipated a long-con revenge style. Now, I’m worried for the writer because things can only get faster from now on and I’m not sure it won’t slow down. Off-topic: JTBC dramas are using the same workplace set! I was quite amused.

Tale of the Nine Tailed (Episode 1-2)
Lee Dong Wook must have gotten inspiration from Gong Yoo cause this show feels like a Goblin remake with a supernatural being waiting centuries for his fated bride. I don’t mind the references but honestly this plot where the female lead is the destined reincarnated human bores me to death no matter how darn hard they try to make her not be the damsel in distress. Honestly, I would have preferred a drama about the two brothers’ relationship: I feel like the story would be more interesting if Lee Yeon didn’t abandon Lee Rang for love. But yes it’s a romance plot.

Also watching: Zombie Detective (Episode 5-6) / Do You Like Brahms (Episode 11-12) / Record of Youth (Episode 9-10)

Do you like Brahms?: Of. Course I still do. SA’s insecurity is a hump she must overcome in order to become her best self. I think intuitively she understands that she probably won’t be able to make a career of being a violinist, but she wants to play at least once on a stage. If she is allowed to do that, I think she will be content to work elsewhere. Hopefully, when she plays with JY(I think that is how this will end) she will realize she is worthy. As for JY, he needs to find the joy in playing. However, due to the fact that he has always been burdened with something, whether it be his father’s debt or JK’s mother’s debt, he has never played for the joy of the music. The only time he ever seems free is with SA, so when they play it will free him up to feel joy in his music. I want JK to get the teaching job, she is very gifted and seems to get joy from it as well. I also need her to get new friends as well, it will be better for her in the long run.

Record of Youth: I didn’t realize until we reached the award show in episode 10, that we had just spent half of the episode showing what happened in the in between in episode 9. I really dislike this way of storytelling. It slows down the story and adds nothing to it. The drama is fairly tedious as is, but this makes it far worst. Also once again the writer focused on the shallow characters s/he refuses to develop. What is the point if you don’t give the character’s depth. SIGH.

Do Do Sol Sol La La Sol: I enjoyed the fact that Ra Ra was content to play for an audience of 1, her father. That was enough for her. I really understood her relationship with her father. I enjoy Go Ara’s take on this character. The first episode was okay, but the second episode fully sold me. She was hilarious and charming, that is all I ask for. As for Lee Jaw Wook’s character. Who is he? Is he the bodyguard of the dead person, is he the Chaebol? What is his deal? All we see is the back of his head at this oddly popular graduation recital. I liked how charmed he seemed by her and I always say it is better when the male lead likes the female lead first.

Private Lives: This was okay. I am not sure I am a fan. The production was oddly budget. The also used unnecessary twists to tell the story. I read this was written by the same person who wrote Cruel City. The drama was also ruined by unnecessary twists, but at least those were 6-7 episodes in. I’ll give it two more episodes before I drop it.

Tale of the Nine Tailed Fox: Kdramas really have to all these immortal older men meeting their soulmates when said soulmates are children. It is creepy and weird. It was a no in Goblin and a no here. That being said they don’t linger with her as a child. I don’t know how I feel about it, the writer doesn’t seem to know if s/he wants a comedy or a drama. The tonal changes give me a little whiplash. I will give this, two more episodes and go from there.

More than Friends: We will see if the characters continue to be...

Reply 1988 (7/20): @sc325 I finally figured out what has been giving me all this nostalgia feels: Jung-Hwan’s place has the same couches in the living room as my grandparents do!😊My sun Dong-Hwi deserves more screen time to spout more wisdom and help poor Taekkie navigate life. Do not feel bad, Taekkie. I am probably as helpless as you are, and I do not even know how to play baduk!😅 I hope Taek will get more screen time as well. Not only does Bogummy make him adorbs, but his lack of screen presence now isolates him even more from the other characters than his baduk career already does.🥺 Fortunately he gets to hug and cuddle with his friends during his downtime, I certainly would not mind being wedged between Sun-Woo and Taek!😇 Not like that would ever happen, with how smitten the former is with Bo-Ra. I am slowly warming up to her because she is thawing a bit, but she has some more defrosting to do. Our other resident grump got a door smacked on his face. I cackled, serves him right for eavesdropping…but that idiot with the bloody nose did not even mind!😄

Halloween month:🎃As a scaredy-cat I tend to avoid the festivities and horror and thrillers, but then I watched The School Nurse Files last week and was intrigued by the unexplainable dark and creepy vibes it possessed and how much I liked this show that was nothing like my standard K-drama palate. Of course this show is too tame for, say OCN, and I figured there should be more tame scary shows out there for me to try. I am eyeing Zombie Detective and Tale of the Nine-Tailed at the moment on the K-drama front, and started reading The Witches by Roald Dahl and Pride & Prejudice & Zombies. I also discovered quite a couple of movies on my infamous to-watch list that can be linked to Halloween, so I got all my bases covered!🎃

So many good dramas out there, or dramas that are not so good but I can't stop watching, or dramas that--well, you get the idea.
@missvictrix I am so with you on When I Was Most Beautiful: everything about it is ridiculous, but I adore it and really can't tell where it is headed. And yes, Kim Mi Kyung is killing it, as usual. She has this amazing quality of bringing dignity and truthfulness to even the most trite roles.
I am also watching DDSSLLSfdjkslaieinvk and it is just as cute as can be. It empties my brain and puts a smile on my face. Record of Youth also empties my brain and puzzles me... how can I know and care so little for these characters after literally hours of dialogue? I have decided it is not my fault. It's not me drama, it's you.

DYLB: I am putting it on pause till all episodes are aired. I need rainbows and sunshine after overload of toxic and miserable character. I can wait.
Lies after lies : I am loving the antagonist. She is cunning, manipulative and powerful. She always has upper hand. I am even suspicious about her supposed love for her dead child. I think he was nothing but pawn to her and she is using her fake grief to keep JES from finding out truth about her husband’s murder.
Record of Youth: Still acceptable watch.
Tale of Gumiho: I liked the first episode. LDW doing fine job. I have few issues with FML’s character. She is too reckless for my linking. She heads into situation without any backup plan and hopes for the best.

Stranger: Haven't yet watched the last episode but, overall, season 2 has been very uneven for me. I could have done without all the corporate scenes that seem very unnecessary. Still I enjoy catching up with these wonderful characters but find myself fine without a season 3.

Do You Like Brahms: I am caught up through episode 11 and am managing this one by judicious skipping. This drama went a bit sideways for me when Song Ah skips on back to the university to try to get into a graduate program. I think it is her age because her cluelessness (is that a word?) about this professor might be understandable in a 22 or 23 year old but seems odd for someone pushing 30. And the script writer is constantly doing the meeting of friends where the leads actually don't say anything and just stand there... and I could go on....so I will. It really bugged me when violin-fixer dude told SA he liked her. Now I know she's a heck of a lot nicer than me but any woman would say, "so why are you partaking of a drunken hook-up with my bff?" That is NOT what a guy does when he really likes you. Basically the lead actors are saving this show for me and I am in it - with a finger on the FF - til the end.

Tale of the Nine Tailed: I had no expectation going into this drama other than fantasy k-dramas tend to disappoint me in the end. So, yeah, I'm a sucker because I jumped in anyway but really like the start of this.

Zombie: I'm behind but hope to jump back in because it seemed kind of quirky.

Zombie Detective is fun, this role is perfect for Choi jin Hyuk.
Tale of the Nine-Tailed: nasty foxes are everywhere and they feed not only on your liver, but on your sadness as well. This show had a good start, but I wish it had more Hwayugi vibes - that drama was marvelous at establishing the demon world as monstrous and hilarious at the same time. This show wants to be more serious, but something is missing, maybe some technicalities in editing or directing, I don't know.

Do You Like Brahms: I knew Professor Lee wasn’t going to let Song Ah play in the orchestra. Professor Lee is at the top of my list right now but all of the professors are horrible, the mothers are horrible. I like Song Ah and Joon Young and find Jung Kyung interesting if not always likeable, but the rest of the drama is frustrating.

My Dangerous Wife: I haven’t watched the Japanese version, but I thought this got off to a strong start. So it's a Gone Girl type situation. Choi Won Young is so fine but his character is trash.

Tale of the Nine-Tailed Fox: This one is going to do well, I think, but I won’t be sticking with it. Fantasy is my least favorite genre and I have a Lee Dong Wook allergy. It was pretty cheesy, but I did like that the female lead was smart.

Do Do Sol Sol La La Sol: This definitely has similarities to Shopping King Louis but with weaker actors and not as good music. Seo In Guk made Louis work but Go Ara is not quite up to the task with Ra-ra. It didn’t help that there were so many crying scenes. Still, I like the writer and it’s an easy, light watch.

Private Lives: The episodes were so long. I was interested in the story but the episodes were a bit of a slog to get through due to the length. It took me a while to get used to the characters talking about filming a documentary. I thought Seohyun did a good job and the ending of Episode 2 has me excited for next week.

Lie After Lie: Ji Min is hot in investigative mode. There are other things to talk about like Kim Ho Ran going after Woo Joo, but I'll just leave it at a determined Ji Min is hot.

Missing: The Other Side: Poor Mr. Jang. It seems likely that his daughter is dead but was her body found and not identified? Searching for his daughter kept him alive, but he has Wook, Jong Ah and the village people now too.

Hey Beanies~~ hope you've all been well this week :)

Do You Like Brahms - When you're so emotionally attached to a drama and its characters, it's all you really think about every day. I think that's why this week's episodes hurt me that much. I definitely sensed myself feeling a lot more exhausted and tired these past few days (I know, it sounds dramatic doesn't it), but I guess that just goes to show the extent this drama has impacted me.

I've actually decided to wait and watch the last six episodes all in one go sometime later this year. Just for the sake of my mental health really because I think DYLB has sort of triggered a lot of negative thoughts on my own self-confidence recently. I know, I sound so silly that I can't even separate my real life from a drama and I'm at fault here for letting myself fall so hard for them ;-; For now, I'll just snoop around reading Brahmsie Beanies reactions to the last 4 episodes every now and again :) Don't worry I'm still on the Brahmsie Ship, will just be hanging around in the waiting lounge/room/lobby area for the time being :D

I couldn't get my focus on any other drama this week (ehumm yes because of DYLB) so that's all from me ^-^ Once again, I'm wishing you all a lovely week :) Stay safe and be well everyone!!

LIES OF LIES: (Episode 11) Putting aside the legal premise potholes, the story ramps up with media and personal manipulations without remorse for the characters destruction to come. Woo Joo has become the focal point of everyone's greed.
TALE OF THE NINE TAILED: (Episodes 1-2) When I hear Nine Tailed Fox, it is hard to get past the embedded Naruto world references. This series does seem to rely heavily on Mystic Pop Up Bar and Hotel de Luna references. Its world building is slow and its main characters not fully developed. It is one of those shows where you sit on the fence to whether stay or go.
Variety:
THE SIXTH SENSE: Finally, I got one fake store right.
HOW DO YOU PLAY?: I have come to think the dual managers are merely unnecessary filler.

Finished:

1. Coffee Prince: 100/10 This is my second time rewatch and it brought back all those light and fun youth years. It's a constant summer and will always be.

2. School Nurse Files: Weird is the word. How weird could this be was my constant question throughout the whole show. I don't know why but somehow it worked. I finished the show with the feeling of having so many things to think about. The show is full of symbolics and hidden messages and it makes this show very special and unique. And strange.

Watching:

3. Do Do: I like it. It's full of nonsense but it's a fun and light watch. It makes me happy, period. One strange thing is that I keep wanting the next episode even there is one more week to wait. I guess that's how much I like it.

4. Alice: Despite a very chic name, I'm feeling more bored and bored by the show. I feel like Joo Won is so underused here, and the plot is confusing and many characters are so cartoonish. Do Yeon almost doesn't appear on screen anymore. That's sad because I kinda like the actor and her character here. If it's not because I've spent hours watching this one since it started airing, I'd have dropped it by now. Joo Won, if you can't pick a good project next time, you'll be dismissed from my Oppa's list.

5. Virgin River: The first American series in many years that I picked up on Netflix. It is so far so good. It's such a refreshing change to watch something non-Korean. I'm loving the American nature I see on my screen. I almost felt like I could breathe in that clear and cold air there where the show was filmed.

Contemplating to watch:

6. Enola: It looks like a well-made show. I'll save this one for later.

7. Another American show I can't remember the name on Netflix

So many shows this week!

School Nurse Files - Finished. I have no idea what I saw, really, but the feelings I got from it are still lingering. And the mite eater and how she made me feel is a character I think I will not forget for a long time.

Do You Like Brahms - Yes, I still do. I think Song Ah's teacher has really a lot of fun playing one of the worst human beings in dramaland. On the other hand, apart from that lovely trip they took, this week's episodes felt like repeatedly listening to fingernails scratching on a blackboard. Uncomfortable and annoying.

Tale Of The Nine Tailed - I love that this show really just openly jumps into ints genre and all the ridiculousness on its tail. Lee Dong Wook's hair extensions in ye olden times! Wow. Just wow. I also liked the action sequences. This really works for me and my sweet tooth for this kind of show.

Lie After Lie - Evil grandma is pulling all the stops now. I love everything about this, except Se Mi, who is just annoying. And Ji Min-ssi, ridiculously hot ahjussi that he is, is the gift that keeps on giving.

Twinkle Twinkle Little Star - Full disclaimer: I am only watching this for Lee Jae Wook. Speaking of a gift that keeps on giving. When he feels something, I feel it too. If the show gives him at least as much screentime as in episode 2, I will stick to it.

Private Lives - Watched episode 1. Seems like a good show, but I am not in the mood for it right now and the episodes are all 80 minutes long... perhaps later on.

Also finished Stranger 2. I liked this season, but somehow I don't think it will stay with me the same way season 1 did.

Zombie Detective - Not caught up yet, but still rooting for him.

Grandpa Over Flowers Investigation Unit: wow this was bad. I wasn't really expecting good, but I thought I'd at least get a really wacky comedy ala Pegasus Market. The humor was not the humor I appreciate, granted some of it just went over my head with the word play. Some of the meta was fun especially with SuJu jokes, but it was not enough to elevate the show. Lee Soon-jae was perfectly casted and while I love Heechul, acting is not his forte. One of the grandfathers was just so sleazy but played for laughs. I never could care for him. The mystery was parts clever and parts dumber than dumb. Oh well. I got through it.
Oh My Venus: 2 bad choices in a row. I love that it is about health and not looks, but the ML is so frustrating with his I-need-to-suffer-pain-all-by-myself attitude. Henry is cute but so cringy. The 2nd leads are horrible and I don't understand why so much time is put into them. I still have 4 eps though left. Sigh.

Do you like Brahms: (episodes 11 and 12) didn’t drop it, but didn’t watch the two episodes either. I didn’t feel comfortable after reading the comments on the soompi forum and realizing that our dimple couple was having a really hard time. If I see the episodes picking up I’ll watch it. For sure.

18 Again: (episodes 5 and 6) didn’t watch it either. I will watch it, I just didn’t have time.

Do do sol sol la la sol: (episodes 1 and 2) I loved the first two episodes. I missed Go Ara so much and wanted her to make her feel like how I felt for her in Reply 1994 once again and even if the characters are different I didn’t realize how much I missed her.

Tale of the Nine Tailed: (episodes 1 and 2) why do the brothers remind me of Damon and Stefan Salvatore so much? Obviously Kim Bum is Damon with the rude attitude and stuff and yet LDW (he’s gorgeous here) didn’t fall in love with his first love’s reincarnation. Doppelgängers, anyone?

Record of youth: DROPPED. I’m so sorry Bogummie but I just can’t.

Mourning the first weekend without FOS2. *sniff*

I am three-quarters into Pinocchio, and @smaltwalt I now understand what you meant by the over-apologising! But it hasn't turned me off the story completely. I'm still curious to know where they go from here (ep 15). That said, the coincidences here are one too many, which definitely up the annoyance quotient.

Slowly working my way through Joy of Life, which has been truly excellent so far (25% in). Such *clever* humour and pitch perfect, poker faced delivery. And the production - omg - so high quality for a cdrama, it's managed to make me (temporarily, I assure you) overcome my costume allergy. In my determination to watch legally, I am stuck with an idiosyncratic WeTV site/app that decides subtitles should appear only after a dozen refreshes, and only once a day. However, this has prevented me from bingeing, which is probably a good thing.

Brahms is on hold after ep 9, and I have been "watching" through the fanwall and elsewhere only. There's enough rubbish happening in IRL to put me off, and I don't want to deal with drama-angst as well... I'm still here to collect puddles for the ship-dwellers, though!

Zombie Detective It's really fun to watch. I love the references to other drama like Boys Over Flowers, Mr Sunshine, Clean With Passion for Now, etc..

Do You Like Brahms Poor SA, she fought so much to get where she is now and there are still obstacles.

Record of Youth it's a nice drama but there is not a lot to tell about it...

Do Do Sol Sol La La Sol For me, Go Ara is bearable when she doesn't really talk and just look sad... But cute? Sparky? It didn't work at all for me. It's sad because the rest of the drama looks fun and interesting to watch. I like how the story is really about Twinkle Twinkle, Little Star.

Tale of the Nine Tailed It's a mix of Goblin, Hwayugy and The Guest.

Alice I didn't miss it the last week...

More Than Friends I want to watch it for the second lead. Not a big fan of the ML and the FL.

Missing: The Other Side They lost so much time because they didn't communicate...

Stranger 2 I will miss it so much! It was a great second season. I cried so much in the last episode... I was happy to have chosen to not watch it in the train. It would have been one hour being embarrassed...

Tale of the Nine Tailed: I wish there was no FL at all! Just a bunch of foxes n monsters n any other creatures except humans! And damn! LDW being fed up with everyone’s **** and rolling eyes to show impatience is everything! And that hair is🔥🦊 more scenes of brothers plz!
Lies After Lies: I love it! And Ji Min is the man of my dreams lol
Record of Youth: dropped:( sigh
DYLB?: I don’t know if I’m still watching it or not!

I’m also enjoying Cdrama, Dating in the Kitchen! The story is meh but Lin Shen in suit is a good reason to continue!

Zombie Detective: 8.5

Alice: 7.0

Tale of the 9-Tailed: 8.5 Seems to start where Gu Family Book left off. Points for having a resourceful female lead.

Private Lives: 7.8 Day 1 was fun, day 2 was a bit boring. What if someone's idea of a long con is tricking us into watching a long show with no payoff??

Do Do Blah Blah ZZzzzz: 1.145

Missing: The Other Side: 7.5 I still think dead Eun-su will come back to life somehow. The question is how.
It's an established kdramaland principle that a person who is in a coma can have a "ghost" just like a dead person's ghost. I've seen it in two different shows. So our likeliest way to bring her back to life is to have her be in a coma and not dead at all, but in this show the ghosts are supposed to be people who have not been found and I'm not sure who would be caring for her and keeping her body alive, especially without that counting as "found". Other possibilities (seen in one show each) include cursing at some god and shaming him/her/it into letting you return, giving up a chance for a good afterlife in return for a chance to go back and take care of unfinished business, being punished for some horrible crime (unlikely in her case), being sent on some sort of mission by the higher-ups, fancy alien artifacts, needing to take care of your loved ones, etc. I'm sure I'm missing some -- there are so many ways to come back to life it's surprising that anyone ever stays dead. Good old-fashioned prayer could have been a possibility except I don't recall it ever working in any other kdrama, and we all know kdramas can't be original or anything :)

Now that the worst of the academic year is behind me, and the craziness of the spring semester is still to be endured, I've flung myself back into K-dramas with abandon!
1. Do Sol Sol....bubblegum-ish but fun. I'll keep watching!
2. School Nurse Files: very intriguing with a killer OST.
3. Record of Youth: not sure where this is going but I like the second male lead way better.
4. Tale of the Nine-Tailed Gumiho: just started on Viki.

Tale of the Nine Tailed: I enjoyed this a ton. LDW is amazing and I like JBA so far. Its fast paced and a lot is happening that I'm not bored. Although I'm not a fan of the reincarnated love thing in dramas, it somehow fits here I guess. At least I wasn't put off by it. I really want to know what happened to the brothers and how everything went down. It was so nice to see Kim Bum on my screen.
18 Agan: Didnt get down to watching episode 6 cause I felt like it wasnt focussing much on the kids. Will get around to finishing it sometime this week. Also I'm really proud of Dae Young for letting go of his wife. It takes a lot of love and strength to do that

It looks like the actor Ahn Nae-Sang is everywhere right now...
He is currently in:
18 Again
More Than Friends
My Dangerous Wife
Do Do Sol Sol La La Sol
No Matter What (KBS daily drama starting on 10/12)

I know he is a respected actor but for some reason his acting bothers me... Maybe his thick hair lol
I wonder why he is this popular now while there are so many other good ahjussi actors out there... Oh well.