River: Our OTP are adorable. I am so glad Nam In Woo has settled into this role. Now on to the couple I care about. OMG Geon and Mo Young are hot fire🔥🔥🔥🔥. I used to watch a lot of Viki before the paywall and one of my favorite things about Viki were the comments at the top. One of the things the commenters used to say when an OTP came on was NOW KISS. That was my singular thought any time Mo Young and Geon were on screen. If they are not end game this drama will have wasted such wonderful chemistry. The OTP and 2OTP are the only reason I am so invested in this drama.

Joseon Exorcist: I am really sad for this production. The people who lost their jobs and the behind the scenes people for getting backlash. That being said I probably wasn’t going to watch the drama anyway. The first episode was really weird. I didn’t know if they were zombies or vampires. I didn’t understand why zombies would suck blood or why vampires would be out in daylight. Then I didn’t understand why they needed an exorcist for either of those things, it was confusing.

Navillera: This drama is so CUTE. The Haraboji is so adorable. The first episode was a little weird, but the 2nd episode sold me. I will watch this until the end. Go ahed Haraboji Manager.

Sisyphus: SIGH. The kiss was cute. Still watching, thankfully there are 4 episodes left and I can finally be put out of my misery.

Oh!Master: Will watch in 3 weeks. I hear good things from @Eazel.

Vincenzo: My pill of joy and happiness. Continue to thrive.

I'm still in love with You Are My Hero - it's still soooo cuuuute 💕 and I'm giggling and squealing... and can't wait for the next episodes. (I also love that the actors are not dubbed and I can hear their true voices.)

Vincenzo - my opinion about the show hasn't changed - I still find it unbalanced and I'm still missing Lawyer Dad... My current favourites are Fanboy Secret Agent and Intruding Pigeon 😆 I also like that Vincenzo is finally unleashing his darker Mafia side... and that they finally know who the real Boss is (or was it a fake cliffhanger?)

Navillera - first episode was a bit too melo for my current needs... but then episode two turned on the charm and humour and I'm in!

Hello, It's Me - I'm sad that Evil Aunt is taking over and sucking out all our happiness (making our Puppy cry is a crime!!). At least I'm glad that Jieun didn't disappoint me.. and I hope Doyun has a secret plan!!

Nana As Lee Minki's Landlady - I didn't know how much I missed a true romcom until I watched this! I'm enjoying every second the two protagonists are on my screen 😊💕

Mouse (Episode 7-8) - Mood: C+
Show, why is the writing quality going down the drain? 1) Why is Bong Yi able to get so near a high-profile suspect, who definitely should be under high security, much less attempt to murder him? 2) Why the amnesia & time skip tropes: Han Kook’s case is left unresolved? 3) Why is Hong Joo able to trespass a murder site and fumble around with evidence? 4)
Why is a criminal on death row allowed to come out of jail and operate on someone? 5) Why is Moo Chi being so dumb: there are still people like Bong Yi who depend on him! 6) Why is there the makjang brain transplant trope? I’m annoyed!

Beyond Evil (Episode 9-10) - Mood: B
With Joo Won’s embrace of Dong Sik and Dong Sik grabbing his hand to acknowledge it, are they finally going to cease all the mind games and start working together before more deaths occur? It was mildly interesting to see Joo Won step out of his comfort zone and try to emulate Dong Sik’s chaos but I’m worried that the 2nd half of the show might be way too predictable: if the culprit this time round is Joo Won’s father and Joo Won happens to be at the right place and time to learn this that would be no fun. Maybe a twist involving the 2 substation cops? They do need to get out of filler zone.

Sisyphus: The Myth (Episode 11-12) - Mood: D+
As much as I dreaded it, it was to zero surprise that the romantic subplot finally emerged from the shadows. I’m always not happy whenever plots that don’t require romance include it and in here the story has now largely become girl vs the world to which I’m not thrilled, to say the least. Sigma’s origin being revealed unfortunately dooms Sun and Eddie: now, it’s certain their character arcs can be dumbed down as jealousy towards Tae Sul. I still find Sigma comical as a villain: sure he has daddy issues and bullies but he’s victimising himself to such a grandiose extent that there’s zero greyness?

Hello? It's Me! (Episode 9-12) - Mood: B- (9-10), C (11-12)
The third-quarter curse has unfortunately come to haunt this drama too: 1) I was praying for some big twist where Aunt isn’t actually a villain but instead there was that stupid plagiarism incident? 2) The Shadows of Death chasing after Ha Ni is way too overdramatic for this show: why not have the old phone be crucial to her return and have the rain stop the moment they learn this from the shaman if it needs to be dragged out? 3) One childhood connection between the leads is enough: why have another one where her father had saved him? 4) Do Yun: I swear I better see a fake out next week!

Surprisingly, Navillera was difficult for me to finish even though I expected to enjoy it. But I’ve seen the Beanie love it has received and will go at it again next week!

Vincenzo: Episodes 9 and 10 got quite dark. I liked Cha-young and Vincenzo’s chats and the residents and their hidden skills. This PD has quickly become one of my faves.

Navillera: This drama is going to be a gem, I can tell. Grandpa is so freaking cute. I love his love for ballet and how seriously he takes his new role as Chae-rok’s manager. Song Kang is okay in his role.

Oh! Master: It’s not the greatest thing ever but it’s cute and the leads have nice chemistry. Nana is so pretty.

Mouse: So …. About that final scene. That’s the same question I had the whole episode. Yes would be a huge jump the shark moment. But Ba-reum being Jae-hoon doesn’t really feel right anymore. His niceness feels genuine now, there are just those pesky psychopathic memories. Losing Yo-han feels like a waste as I felt he was an interesting character. How many characters will be alive in the end and will they all be murderers or attempted murderers.

Beyond Evil: Finally, they are working together. How are they going to fill the remaining episodes?

Revolutionary Sister: The sisters are beyond awful, but I’m interested in the middle sister and Kim Kyung-nam who thankfully lost the wig.

Sisyphus: Episode 11 was a bore. Sigma’s origin story is dumb but the child actor was quite good. Everyone who says the past/future can’t be changed really means it can’t be changed because they only care about saving one person.

@missvictrix omg, I looooove Kim Taehoon in Navillera! 😍

Navillera: Love it. Just a simple and easy watch and glad they went with the 12 episodes.

The Sword and the Brocade: I'm scene skipping because I've lost all interest in who murdered her mother (my guess is the quiet concubine ....it's always the quiet ones) and harem politics. I really enjoyed the first 10 episodes and this is one of my favorites from Wallace Chung who actually shows some humor in this show. I realized in the 4 or so dramas I've seen him in, he barely has occasion to crack a smile. However, I am re-writing the drama in my head as I'm watching it. Never a good sign. So many better ways this show could have gone.

I've been watching a lot of Brit Box these days. I'm probably gonna take a break from C-dramas as every female lead is in Mary Sue territory these days and it is getting old. It looks like there might be a few k-dramas coming around that are interesting.

Oh, almost forgot. I watched the new J-drama on Viki though I forget the title. It was a instant marriage/cohabitation story. It was a total fluff show bordering on Japanese propaganda to get married and eventually make babies because, ladies, we know your guy is gonna treat you like this guy. Anyway, an easy watch except for right away the lead actor's face reminded me so much of Haruma Miura it was like a gut-punch.

It's Holi weekend so Happy Holi everyone! Soooo many shows this week.

Ongoing
River Where the Moon Rises - Significant plot movement AND movement on the real OTP of the show which is Geon and Mo-yong. Much better set of episodes even if Dal's training felt like the Goguryeo version of "wax on, wax off".

Sisyphus - Ep. 11 was more emotional than I expected. The scene with Taesan 💔. The reveal around Sigma in Ep. 12 was also well done. But there are so many things that make no sense. Why does Control Bureau only pursue them off and on? Why are there only 72 hrs left to D-Day? Weren't they in late September when Seo-hae was injected? Only two more weeks to go 😅

Mouse - WTF was that Ep. 8 ending. This is the most makjang thriller ever. And yet I love it. In spite of the mouse scenes 🙈. I love that this show never goes where I expect it to go. I am slightly less worried about the 20 episodes now.

Beyond Evil - We lost grey Han Ju-won too soon IMO. But Ju-won slowly becoming a part of the Munju group was nice to see even if it came at a tragic cost. I'd predicted Yu Yeon's death turning out the way it did. But you still have to feel for both Jeong-je and Dong-sik here.

Vincenzo - Things got pretty bloody this week. And about time. I'm so ready for Vincenzo to start meting out some true mafia-style justice.

New Shows
Joseon Exorcist - Really liked the first two episodes in spite of all the blood and gore. RIP

Navillera - What a sweet story. Park In-hwan is a joy to watch as is Kim Tae-hoon as the teacher. Song Kang seems rather green and a little over the top compared to the rest of the cast but I'm definitely in.

Oh! Master - Predictable start (though the Truck of Doom and associated parts were a surprise) but I will watch this ALL the way through because I need a respite from severed heads, dystopian time travel, chopped fingers and more. How cute was that scene with the little girl in the record store.

C-dramas
Done with all 18 subbed episodes of Word of Honor. A lot more sect politics compared to the novel but they've stayed fairly faithful to the leads. Liking it a lot.
You Are My Hero - the DOTS comparisons are obvious and some of the medicine is downright silly but what a cute OTP. It just makes me feel all warm and squishy. Shy Bai Jing Ting is 🥰.

TIMES (Ep 9-10) No matter what we do, Nature tries to create adaptive balance. With TIMES "correcting" the past fatalities phone calls are always balanced by a character suffering some new crisis or downfall. The script is meandering at this point; relying more on the law of unintended consequences than a direct line to the finish.

REVOLUTIONARY SISTERS: (1/2 Ep.) I immediately dropped this show because the three sisters were so loathesome and none of the other characters had any redeeming qualities.

OH MASTER! (EP 1-2) I had the exact opposite reaction to this show. The characters back stories were not unbelievable which gave some balance to comedic moments. Nana's expressions really suit comedy roles. So far so good.

BEAUTIFUL WORLD (2019) (EP 1-2) In a watch slump, I checked out Cho Yeo Jeong's past works to find this drama. It seems fresh and relevant in Korea's recent massive bullying scandals. The story starts off with a tragic crime, a coverup and angry parents trying to find the truth.

Sisyphus - driving me mad now. Why do we need such loooong flashbacks? 10 mins of nothing happening (other than lovingly constructed CGI shots of post-apocalyptic Seoul) for the final useful plot point to be dropped in the last 10 secs. Why? Whyyyyyy?? Staying just because I want to know how it will wrap up.

Vincenzo - still making me laugh and still fascinated by where it will go. Wondering how they're going to get the gold plot and the Babel plot to come together...

Navillera - a great start. Haraboji is going to be a firm favourite, and although I'm pretty sure we all know exactly how this is going to progress and where it's going to end, I think it's going to get there with a lot of heart and charm.

Oh! Master - the moment I knew I would keep watching this came in the music shop. Up to that point, ML seemed to be just a royal pain - but then the little girl charmed the decent self out of him and I was sold. Looking forward to seeing where this will go - and hoping the "You've only got an extension" isn't going to result in a spectacular display of noble idiocy later on...

CRICKET -

West indies Vs, Sri lanka - Test Match had become quite interesting but at last it was no dramatic on the 5ht day.

India Vs. England - Meh.

Waiting for New Zealand Vs. India - World test Championship

Beyond Evil: havent watch eps 11. I still dont understand why Juwon stay salty towards Dongshik? Because Dongshik use hin as a tool to catch the killer? Both are fucked up but i still understand why Dongshik do all of those things.

Times: i caaaannnnttt how the male lead become so dumb dumb and didnt even try listen to female lead.

Vincenzo: the last scene of eps 10 was so so beautifully shot. Need to stop shipping Chayoung and Vincenzo bcs i know the writer wont give me happy ending

Hello Me: Yuhyeon our sweetest giant is so pitiful. Apparently his family (except for his dad) betray him :((( he wish nothing but their happiness but ofc they had to break his giant heart. I love how Bahn Hani has her personal supporters right now

Vincenzo: One of my happy watches. I just love how Vincenzo and Cha-young both have that swagger, as if they've been working together for years. I was a little iffy about the neighbors, but I'm starting to appreciate them and realize that they have their own skills and pasts.

Hello Me: The drama that brings the warm fuzzies. It's just so sweet, which matches the snack/confectionary theme in this drama. I disliked Anthony and how he got so much screentime in the beginning, but I now love his interactions with young Ha-ni. I hope Do-yun is only pretending to go along with his mom in order to stop her.

Mouse (binged and caught up): Wow, the number of psychopaths/attempted-murderers/murderer-abetters seem to be multiplying . Seems messier than Choi Ran's last 2 works, but I still want to know what happens next. I hope that ending "revelation" was just another fakeout and not an actual plot point because that would really be too ridiculous. There is some weird doctor+government conspiracy going on and random brain surgeries going on. And why the obsession with Bong yi?

Joseon Exorcist (ep 1 and half of ep 2): Was a little underwhelmed by the first episode and a half, but bummed for the actors and staff that it's getting cancelled. I'm surprised these issues were not caught in the planning stages.

River Where the Moon Rises/b> The Princess is the weakest character, she's so bland. This drama could have been so good with a female character as the center.

Joseon Exorcist I didn't watch the first 2 episodes yet and now I don't know if I will...

Navillera I loved the scenes with the Grandpa, he's so cute. I hope he will talk to his wife and won't hide his new hobby longer. I'm curious to see how will evolve his relationships with his children. I wasn't really interested by Chae-Rok's scenes.

Oh! Master Lee Min Ki should have learned to cross the road after Shut Up Flower Boy Band...

Sisyphusand Mouse I don't really care about what will happen and didn't watch the last episodes... I will catch up later.

Beyond Evil It joined the category of "it could have been so much better"

Vincenzo After watching the teaser for the episode 11, I'm super excited! Go go go Cha Young!

I'm pretty disapointed by every drama for now... I don't know, I found the writting pretty weak when they have good production and great actors. It's kinda frustrating. It's why I watched Extraordinary You again because I needed a Danoh to make me smile, she's my spirit animal! I can swoon over Haru over and over again.

Navillera for the win this week. I love everything about it so far. Song Kang has his work cut out for him alongside the grandpa and the ballet instructor. Loved him in Sweet Home, so I bet he will shine. I am eagerly anticipating when Deok-chul's wife finds about about the lessons.

Sisyphus Am I the only person who doesn't understand what the heck is going on? I pretty much gave up a couple of episodes ago and then tried again with the latest from this week and have absolutely said goodbye to the show. The emotional connection was never there for me at any point between our two leads. And the time travel - maybe I am just tired of time travel storylines.

How to be Thirty This is pretty light but I am liking it. I love the three female leads and I think the male leads are pretty charming, especially the younger man in love with the broadcaster.

Oh My Master I would love to be able to see this one, but am unwilling to subscribe to another streaming service. Both leads are favorites of mine, so maybe it will make it somewhere I already subscribe to eventually.

Vincenzo Man oh man is this show dragging along and it's really 20 episodes? Isn't that almost 30 hours of a show? Too much. I am going to keep on with it, I guess, because I love the fight scenes. I could care less about the romance, which seems to be Vincenzo's stance as well, but I was bolstered by the tailor's surprise fighting skills. Oh and now Vincenzo's right hand guy is upset with the latest developments? Is he going to turn on his boss? If so, that's a really tired trope but with 20 episodes, what are you going to do with all that time?

-completed-

LOVE ALARM 2 - (watched:complete/ratings:2/10) Boring, frustrating, lack of chemistry, and an unexplored theme (the app was a very interesting idea, wished they had explored it a bit more)…I have nothing else to say but sigh.

KIMETSU NO YAIBA THE MOVIE - (watched:complete/ratings:8/10) I read the manga, so I knew what was going to happen in the movie. Even so, I cried a river during the finale (so so sad, my heart ached for them). Can’t wait for Season 2!

MADE IN ABYSS THE MOVIE - (watched:complete/ratings:6/10) I mean, I don’t actually enjoy Made in Abyss, too much gore and miserable scenes. But for some reason, I cannot say goodbye to our cute/lovable trio. I just can’t…So, bring in the gore and the suffering!

MOXIE - (watched:complete/ratings:7/10) Okay, a movie about feminism. I watched this movie without knowing what to expect. But I was happily surprised. It has its flaws obviously (vandalism should not be an alternative to make your voice heard /or when the girls were happy for Vivian’s best friend being falsely accused for being moxie, and there was no apology or sympathy thereafter). But it was a good production with a successful conclusion for all our girls.

-ongoing-

RIVER WHERE THE MOON RISES - (watched:ep12/ratings:6/10) The edits have improved. However, I can clearly see the differences between the scenes shot in winter and the scenes shot in spring (even the light effects are different). But the production team is doing their best, and so are the actors, especially In-woo (poor guy, I saw a BTS vid where he said he did not sleep the night before and was super tired/sleepy). PS: I read that Ji-soo is 186 cm and Na In-woo is 187 cm, but why do I feel that Na In-woo is the giant one? Or are their heights incorrect? Na In-woo looks like an adorable giant in River!

OH MY LADYLORD - (watched:ep2/ratings:7/10) Okay, kinda like Full House. I like what I see so far. Nana is super gorgeous. The moms are endearing (no evil mother this time). The ML’s father is disgusting and putting a facade (but I think the mother knows about his affair). And…Oh gosh, the truck of doom! That surprised me! And then…a guy in a white suit appeared (so does this drama have a supernatural element after all?). I’m intrigued.

River where the moon rises. Go Geon and Mo Yong are just so damn hot together. And he’s finally admitting his feelings for her: he called her by her name and told her he would open his heart for her...I almost died. And that preview! Monday is so far away. I also appreciate all the effort the crew is putting in reshooting episodes 1 to 6, although I think they should include episodes 7 and 8. Just one suggestion: try another soundtrack music. It’s horrible. And work on the editing. It’s awful.

Navillera. I loved the premiere. I said it felt like When the weather is fine meets My unfamiliar family (and we have a smiling Kim Tae Hoon!!). I was afraid Song Kang couldn’t convince me as a dancer, but even if there’s a stunt/dancer for the most technical shoots, he can really pass as one. When episode 2 finished I was sad I could not have more of it.

Oh, Master! aka Mindy’s drama. I wasn’t expecting the supernatural part and don’t know where it may lead us. Anyway, I enjoy how adorable LMK and Nana are, and had a wide smile while watching. I think this drama will be my happy pill.

Vincenzo. I said last week that I felt drama will get darker and indeed it went there. I’m not really happy with how violent it is turning. I mean, I’m ok with violence if needed, but right now I don’t see the point to this level of dead bodies. It reminds me to how I felt about the last episodes of Uncanny counter. But, I’ve read Nichkhun and Chansung are making special appearances on the drama, so I’m already excited, haha… Oh, and of course, I love Taec.

I couldn’t watch Sisyphus or Not yet 30 but I’m planning to catch up during the weekend.

I finished The Expanse and can’t recommend it enough to all sci-fi lovers.

Wow, my comment is awaiting moderation... I wonder what is wrong with it... maybe DB thinks my love for Taec is excessive 🧐

Joseon Excorcist: 7.0 In which the writer a king has bloody well had enough and preemptively kills some netizens townsfolk. FWIW, my original comment before the cancellation was going to be "Some of their attempts at humor might be ok in another show but seem out of place here." Especially now.

Vincenzo: 8.0

Times: 8.5 OMG! A ToD that was (probably) a genuine accident(?)

Beyond Evil: 6.5

Oh! Master: 7.0

River Where the Moon Rises: 7.5

Sisyphus: The Myth: 3.0 Day 11: Sentimental Pretentious Filler, scored a big fat zero. To make it worse, it seems like the whole point of the injection issue from last week was to set it up. 👎 Day 12: kid was not believable. Don't be shocked if the score goes up again next week.

Hello Stale Old Trope Me: 3.0 Into the Mandatory Falsely-Accused Section, which I always hate. Also, vacuum cleaner. Don't be shocked if the score goes up again next week.

I'm dropping Sisyphus and Vincenzo this week. Cannot be bothered to keep anymore. Vincenzo does still hold mild promise, but now that new, better shows have premiered, I'm out.

The shows I'm continuing are Mouse, which is a just a whole lot of fun! and Beyond Evil which I may end up dropping. The serial killers in both, but especially in Beyond Evil, disproportionately target women, and to be honest, I'm not in the mood to watch this depiction of misogyny. So I'll likely drop the show I like less. I'm also half-watching the Thai adaptation of Let's Fight Ghost, but without real interest. Should probably drop.

New shows: Navillera and Oh My Ladylord. I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED, Navillera. How can one not? Super excited for what it has in store for us. Still tentative about Oh My Ladylord - other than that unexpected supernatural twist, I'm not sure it offers anything different from other rom coms. Of course, if its well done, it'll still be an enjoyable watch - but its too early to say just yet. Also, I'm half watching it for Kang Min-hyuk, and didn't appreciate his absence from the first 2 eps.

I've also been watching a few BL shows - because why not overload on TV when I have interviews and exams - and of those, I like 1000 Stars (Thai) well enough though its not too intelligent, half liked You Make Me Dance (Korean), am torn over the season 2 of We Best Love (Taiwanese); and plan to check out Word of Honor (Chinese) since everyone's raving over it.

River Where the Moon Rises: I keep giving this drama "one more week," but let's be real, I'm never gonna stop. We've had four episodes now with Na In-woo firmly in the saddle, and I like the different energy he brings to the character. I liked this week how Ga-jin expressed guilt and remorse for what she put him through - that sword scuffle was well done. But let's be real: I'm mostly still here for those few seconds in the ep 13 preview that are promising me some catharsis for the pressure cooker that is Go Geon and Mo-yong.

How to Be Thirty: light, cute, easy to watch and quick episodes - it's like having a satisfyingly delicious and yet low-calorie snack.

Sisyphus: just...what? To the end of this drama and beyond, I will never understand what it's actually about. Does the drama even know what it's actually about?!

Oh! Master: I need some fluffy in my drama life, and this fits the bill. A little tropey, and I don't get the TOD, but the adorable scene in the music shop with the little girl was perfect, as is the OTP. I feel like this may be one of those dramas that needs a good two weeks to kick off, but regardless I'm probably in for the long haul just because of Nana and LMK.

Navillera: Haraboji is the haraboji that I have always wanted. Haraboji, may all your dreams come true!

Vincenzo: I watch this in spurts, so I'll undoubtedly finish like Mi-joo crossing the marathon line as they're taking down the arch. I feel like I always know what's happened due to the copious clips and recap videos all over the shop, so maybe that's why I don't have much of a sense of urgency. Also because I have the impression that it's not going to have a happy ending, and I'm doing my best to avoid pain where I can.

Ah @missvictrix!
So now for you VINCENZO "Sleeps with the Fishes"?
Oh my.

Sidebar. Any talk around the DB water cooler when the NAVILLERA recaps will begin?
I really enjoyed the first two episodes. I am rooting for my two MLs.

Sisyphus: The Myth
The biggest mystery surrounding this show is: why am I still so invested and entertained?
Is it my love for fun sci-fi or my newfound love for Jo Seungwoo that is the culprit?
Nevertheless, I hope to see Park Shinhye doing more action scenes in her future projects because she is great in them.

Mouse Ep6
I am always going to be 2 episodes behind on this since it is the only show I can watch with French subtitles right now and they tend to be release a week later than English subtitles. I'm here for dark Lee Seunggi. I want to see if he can pull it off. However, the spoilers I have seen for the next 2 episodes are making me hesitant to watch them.

Navillera
The premise was unique enough to catch my attention and I am so glad I decided to check it out. Deokchul is so precious and funny, it is impossible not to root for him.

Vincenzo
I love this show. Ok Taecyeon is great in this role. I haven't liked a drama villain in so long. He succeeds in being hilarious yet terrifying. That is a difficult task to achieve without coming off as over the top or cartoony.

I finished watching my first Xianxia drama last week. It took some getting used to during the first few episodes but then I was hooked.
Ashes of Love was such a great fantasy romance. Highly enjoyable with great story arcs. My favourite one was when they were in the mortal realm. Those 63 episodes flew by with minimal dragging.

However, I was shock to see that many had second lead syndrome...I understand that Run Yu had a more developed backstory which served to incite pity and sympathy from the viewers. Nevertheless, he was extremely manipulative and he did terrible things, especially to the female lead Jin Mi...

I was too busy watching dramas behind multiple dramas...that I didn't really watch any fictional drama 🥲.

Now that Nevillera has begun, my life is saved and so much better.

1. Nevillera: (2/12) Absolutely beautiful. Everything, well almost everything, is perfect. I knew I was gonna love it from the opening scene. This is my definition of a very well-made show; the cast and crew are great, the production, the story, the music and the everything. If we had Weather last year, I'm so happy I have Nevillera this year. I hope I didn't jinx it by saying that.

2. Call My Agent (ss2 ep1): A Beanie suggested this show to me and I am glad I checked it out. I didn't really get the humor, but I think it was a fun show and the makeup French women wear is just so subtle and gorgeous. The story is ofc over-the-top, but it's so entertaining.

I'm glad we are over the Dark Age of Kdramas that had been ongoing for the past few months. I also hope that there won't be the cancelling culture as the result of the current cancellation of a show case in SK.

My wife and I both enjoyed the J-drama romcom IN HOUSE MARRIAGE HONEY which was delightful, light, and romantic too. We also watched the classic OH MY LADY, which is still the best noona romance of all time.

My wife is enjoying the Chinese costume dramas BE MY CAT as well as SWORD AND THE BROCADE. But in the course of doing that she also stumbled across the sageuk TALE OF NOKDU which she has really liked. She continues to look forward to new episodes of RIVER WHERE THE MOON RISES and finds the “replacement” ML better than the original one.

We also saw the first episodes of NAVILLERA. We both really liked it. My wife keeps asking when we can next see the ballerino. She has never been a patient person but I can hardly blame her- this does look like a special show. I think that Missvictrix’s description of the ballet master is spot on but it is Chae-rok and our haraboji who are the absolute center of this show. Even the bully bad guy’s are human- they have a real reason to be angry with Chae-rok and so, even if they are being irrational they are human and understandable. Haraboji’s backstory is rich too- and his family includes a pretty granddaughter who just happens to be working where Chae-rok has his part-time job…..

In short, NAVILLERA has all the hallmarks of a well written drama with great storytelling.

We have also seen the first episodes of OH MASTER and will continue to watch although the story has not quite yet come together. This is surprising given that the leads are Lee Min-ki and Nana.

I have now seen the first four episodes of the new weekender REVOLUTIONARY SISTERS. Spousal abuse takes many forms and at the heart of the story appears to be an abused husband. But he is not an entirely sympathetic character either. There are many layers yet to be peeled away I think but I actually find this encouraging. The previous weekender was pretty bland. I like that we are starting this show with characters that you can not so much relate to as react to- I actually dislike most of them and that is a good thing at the beginning of a long story. As for the touted “murder mystery” it was really only an act of vandalism which had unforeseen consequences- but the police investigation adds to the plot. I have the real answer to why the mother died: It was karma pure and simple. Weekenders are supposed to be stories about families, not corporate power struggles and that is what REVOLUTIONARY SISTERS promises to be.

I am also catching the J-drama UCHI NO MUSUME WA, KARESHI GA DEKINAE! Which can be loosely translated as “please date my daughter, she doesn’t have a boyfriend”. It is a fun show.

Like Missvictrix I have given up on VINCENZO. I cannot quite put my finger on why- it is not an awful show but just one that somehow was not quite ringing true.

Vincenzo: The show is bananas and I'm not sure if it's actually "good" but it's hitting the spot right now, maybe because its particular energy matches the overall craziness that is 2020/2021

Her Private Life: I was in the mood for a good rom-com, and was pleasantly surprised by this - it gets tangled up in its melodramatic plot twists at the end but it was refreshing to see a female romantic lead who was also a smart, highly competent professional. Park Min Young has also come a long way as an actor since her earlier roles.

Be Melodramatic: Just started this, and it's . . . odd. Something about the way it's paced/written/directed makes it hard to figure out exactly who the secondary characters are and how they all relate to the main characters. I also can't decide how I feel about the magical realism elements - I get that they're part of the show's "style" but I'm ambivalent about how dramatically effective they are.

How to Be 30 Episode 8- Nothing happened in the episode. Why do they always have characters who make themselves miserable with overthinking. Just confront and get it over with girl. Its totally cute that the young boyfriend is part of the group now. :D Now I'm going to just wait for the rest of the episodes to release and watch in one go.

Off the Course- Watched the first episode.. it was really nice, I'm waiting for some free time to finish it. There was an Itaewon Class reference in it that really cracked me up. The actress playing the mother is really good and I would love to drive around in that van.

bring on the fun! i am tired of blood and dark.finally another tender drama in navillera! its a perfect mix of old and young dreams and personalities to bring out the best of each other!

Mouse: I personally am not a fan of the amnesia storyline and felt there was a dip this week. Seems to me that they're setting up a sudden heroic redemption for Ba-reum by introducing this new innocent personality.

Vincenzo: Despite questionable motives I still enjoy this campy show. It's dark, it's weird, it's hot. I NEED MORE!

Beyond Evil: I'm a little late but so glad I found this show. Such a glorious character drama mixed with suspense/thriller. The constant war of wits between the main characters is riveting.

Navillera: My break from the other grimdark shows. Let's be honest, I'm watching for Song Kang's sweaty dancer muscles.

Mouse: I didn’t realise I was watching that intently and then I accidentally exclaimed out loud when Ba Reum got hit in episode 8 because I wasn’t expecting it. It’s been appointment viewing for me (and I’m really hoping the writer can either sell me a good brain transplant story or it’s a fake out). I think the cast are doing a good job (Lee Seung Gi killing me because his character so lovely when he’s being nice but I don’t trust him at all) but I have my doubts about where the plot is going.

Other than that I’m watching oldie but goodie My Lovely Sam Soon which is excellent thus far (episode 13). I am deeply amused by Hyun Bin’s hair and also the fact that he is meant to be in his late 20s but is clearly still a CHILD (I think he’s about 22/23?) .

A couple premiere’s this week, and I enjoyed both of the ones I watched!

Navillera: A fun new show! It pretty much gave me exactly what I was expecting, and pulled it off with the competency I would expect from such a cast. The part where our lead is balancing for a minute with the flashback was great. Showing he’s just that special kind of crazy.

Oh! Master: I’m a huge fan of both our leads, so I knew I was going to be checking this one out. It was a little by the books, but I was smiling along. Lee Min-Ki is always great, but his last couple of shows were just alright. Because This is My First Life is still an all time fav of mine and I’ll be watching this one unless it really drops off.

I’m dropping Revolutionary Sisters. I’m just convinced this writer can’t write good characters. They’re not flawed in an interesting way, they’re all just awful people. I just get progressively more upset with their decisions and when I see a little growth they instantly regress backwards 2 steps to their 1 forward. The detective also makes all other cops in kdramas look like Sherlock Holmes. He’s basically there to set up cheap “cliffhangers” at the end of an episode. Ugh. 5 episodes was my limit. Save your time and don’t bother with this one.

Random side note as well...WHAT is with that ending “song.” Calling it music actually offends me a little and I can’t think of any particular song or piece of music that’s ever been this bad in my eyes (ears?).

I picked up Beyond Evil again. I had dropped it at episode 3, but have pretty my binged my way back to current. It really does get better once they stop baiting us with our leads. Speaking of which...

Mouse: They’re just gonna skirt past the dead bird huh? Is the last cliffhanger line just a bad translation? Does he actually think his brain was switched? I can suspend my disbelief quite a bit...but that will absolutely make me drop this show if THAT is the reason for this turn...

Just started watching The Princess Hours (2006) and I am quietly laughing so hard because
1. It's so dated
2. Yoon Eun-hye is wonderful
3. It's Ju Ji-hoon
4. I'm trying hard not to think of The Last Empress (which I'm sure it's nothing like, but the futuristic stuff is v similiar)
5. and in honour of the remake to come

I'm also wondering if this little gem would have met the same fate as some of the present sageuks if it had been shown today. While I understand the culture wars (claims that China invented kimchi etc) that have brought Joseon Exorcist to this point, I loved, loved, loved Mr Queen, and nothing will ever change my mind.