Racket Boys (Episode 1-2) - Mood: A-
I’m an absolute sucker for any show that has ragtag group dynamics but even more so when its a group of children! It’s an interesting setup with Hae Kang pursuing baseball despite being a badminton prodigy: he has an almost forced kind of disdain for the sport he started off with, which indicates to me that there’s definitely a complex backstory behind his switch. I’m totally expecting character development and more from the Prison Playbook writer: the actors have the talent to pull off the nuances required. 1.5 hours: that’ll be sufficient time to get to know the entire ensemble, yeah?

My Roommate Is a Gumiho (Episode 3-4) - Mood: C+
Even if he’s not being a jerk and has reconciled with Dam, Woo Yeo still hasn’t spilt all the Marble’s secrets with her: it’ll no doubt be a point of lame conflict in the future when she learns about it. As for Sun Woo, the bet will be his undoing: I just hope at this point he won’t be the killer (that moment when Woo Yeo took a second glance looks sus) because that is just an awkward way to maintain the character’s relevancy once the love triangle can’t be dragged out any more. I’m waiting in anticipation for Jae Jin and Hye Sun’s romance to begin: we’re off to an ambiguous start but I know it’ll grow.

Doom at Your Service (Episode 7-8) - Mood: D+
It’s been half the show and we still have nothing besides smudges of a hint to Doom’s backstory: this is when I just lose my interest in the main arc in the show until the writer decides to stop the cryptic dialogue. As for the love triangle, am I going to slap the writer for the lame miscommunication trope (worse than being a noble idiot), the romanticising of that kiss between Joo Ik and Ji Na (which was plain sexual harassment) or the totally coincidental timing in which both guys decide to tell her the truth (it’s so obviously dragging)? Is there an ending where she ditches them both for the brother?

Law School (Episode 14-15) - Mood: C+, Did the production use the appendix burst as an excuse in order to avoid extra editing? Is Kang Dan never going to reunite with her sister?

Sell Your Haunted House (Episode 14-15) - Mood: C, That cliffhanger was bad. Just no. And it does seem like a deus ex machina, the way Ji Ah and In Bum got rid of the egg ghost?

Youth of May (Episode 9-10) - Mood: C, Hee Tae’s father may be another cog but he’s still a jerk. It does feel like an awkward last minute attempt to humanise him?

Dark Hole (Episode 9-10) - Mood: D+, They’ve finally found the monster’s weakness! But I don’t think there’s going to be a satisfying finale that covers the origin of this monster.

Taxi Driver (Episode 15-16) - Mood progression: C- / C / C- / D+ / D+ / D / D- / D, The finale was decent but it’s too little too late.

Bossam: Steal the Fate: Episodes 9 and 10 were so good! I loved the book plot and the politics continue to be surprisingly interesting. Soo-kyung is such a great heroine, willing to do her part for her little “family,” even if requires “studying” erotic novels lol. Yuri and Jung Il-woo have the best chemistry I’ve seen in a while. The ending of Episode 10 was so beautiful and swoony and bittersweet. I like that the romance has been a slow-burn one. The drama has a great OST too.

Youth of May: I was a little worried about how the drama would handle the Gwangju Uprising, but I think they did a pretty good job of showing the chaos and brutality with the resources they had. I like that we are seeing it from many perspectives: Doctors and nurses, student activists, the forcibly conscripted soldier, kids, innocent civilians who just tried to help.

Racket Boys: The first week was fun! I already love our racket boys. Tang Joon-sang is such a promising young actor. Coach dad is a bit too hammy but I can ignore it. I like the countryside setting and after all of the dark and violent dramas, it’s nice to watch people be nice.

Mad for Each Other: This drama is really winning me over. I like the way the relationship is developing, with the self defense lessons and FL feeling safe around the big barking dog that doesn’t bite women lol. I like both characters and think the drama is handling their mental health issues fairly well.

Mine: Still boring but one thing I do like about this drama is that the sister-in-laws have each other’s backs. The eldest son makes me laugh, and I enjoyed his scenes with the male servant. I’m guessing the nun is Ji-yong’s biological mother.

Law School: Kind of a boring week. Watching the characters try to bring Congressman Ko just isn’t that interesting.

Sweet & Sour: I did not expect the twist. That was a very creepy and sad rebound.

SELL YOUR HAUNTED HOUSE is absolutely our favorite show but, sadly, is nearing its end. The final episode will air next week, but what a cliffhanger at the end of episode 15! Fortunately HOSPITAL PLAYLIST will reurn at the end of the following week.

What can I say about MY ROOMMATE IS A GUMIHO? Other than watch it or you are missing out.

My wife and I are also watching MAD ABOUT EACH OTHER and we really like it. We usually do not like shows that involve mental illness but this one works (and the psychiatrist is not an idiot) and is very watchable.

The daily drama BE MY DREAM FAMILY is surprisingly good. There are the first stirrings of romances for four people all of whom truly deserve to have someone in their lives.

The Chinese romcom HELLO, MR. GU still delivers laughs but we now have birth secrets and family/corporate politics as well. Chinese shows are usually written to have more episodes so this was probably to be expected.

I have had to write to iQIYI abut the severely incomplete subtitles on the C-drama rom-com MOONLIGHT. For instance: There are times when the lyrics of the background music are subtitled but not what the actors are actually saying or, even more maddening, when the leads text each other we see the Chinese characters on their cell phone screens and hear their voices in Mandarin- but the only English that appears are the names of the people sending the texts. It is as if someone had decided that if at least some English words appear on the screen that qualifies as “subtitled”. We will pause our viewing of the drama to allow iQIYI to get this fixed.

SO I MARRIED THE ANTI-FAN is watchable and entertaining, but it is a re-make of a Chinese movie. At times the additions needed to stretch it to drama length show. It is still worth watching, but will not be the drama of the year.

My wife finished THE IMPERIAL CORONER and highly recommends it. She is now watching MISS THE DRAGON as well as THE GENERAL’S LADY, which she has binged- and is already at episode 22.

I'm really enjoying Gumi-roommate, it's funny and I laugh a lot. I also love our spunky Dam who doesn't take any crap (and it is a role Hyeri can shine in).

Sadly, I'm not enjoying Doom as I want to and the show is losing me. I started rolling my eyes during episode 7 (especially when Writer Friend was banging on the doors 🙄). And that's not a good sign...

Bossam - I like Sookyung... and I love Yuri as Sookyung. And oh those special novels 😂 (still need to catch E10)

Antifan - that sneaky kiss in the car... that's a kiss I can live with 😀
Also, would we consider this a better show if the setting was a high school??

Doom at Your Service: 7.0 One of the irritating things is that the ML's blue-black hair clashes with brownish hair :) But it will take more than that to make me drop a Park Bo-Young show.

Taxi Driver: 6.0 A revenge/vigilante show that had to walk back it's main theme. The lock-them-away-in-horrible-conditions-but-don't-kill-them idea never made sense. Revenge shows should be like revenge itself -- don't wimp out at the end.

Bossam: Steal the Fate: 7.0 Joseon sex-ed :)

Racket Boys: 5.5 Not much happening. Needs a few ghosts or gumihos or serial killers to spice things up. And is there some special reason why the couple would want to commit suicide out in the boonies instead of at home??

Mad for Each Other: Dropped

Youth of May: 9.0

Law School: 9.1 I'll have to watch out for future Ryoo Hye-Young shows.

My Roommate Is a Gumiho 8.5

Sell Your Haunted House: 7.0

Doom at your service. I love watching, and I don’t try to find any other meaning that the fact that I’m liking it for no reason. I’ve already said I could be listening to Lee Soo Hyuk’s voice reading his shopping list and it would be ok for me. Even so I have to admit that ep. 9 preview gave me a bad feeling… I just hope we stick to simply nonsense and avoid going on a stupid loop of noble idiocy. Stick to nonsense, drama. Listen to this beanie.

Youth of May. I found the courage to watch episodes 7 and 8 and I survived the angst. I really shouldn’t be watching this one, not because it is not good, but because I don’t need this much pain. LDH, you are the one to blame.

Racket boys. I loved it. A lot. What a lovely sweet drama with sweet characters. I love this slice of life. Note: Is Choi Hyun Wook (WooChan, one of the Racket boys) the younger version of Jang Ki Yong? And I’m so happy to see again Lee JiWon, I was totally impressed by her in The Uncanny Counter.

My roommate is a Gumiho. I was totally going to skip this one, but after seeing all the comments on the beanie wall, I decided to give it a try and… I loved it! It is so funny! I love when a drama doesn’t take itself seriously and this one nails it. I have only watched episodes 1 and 2 and I already love them all. I need more Kang Hanna.

Sell your haunted house. I haven’t been disappointed a single time by this drama. Not once. I loved how it transitioned from the weekly ghost story into this darker situation with the egg ghost. It’s refreshing to see how every character (even the sides ones) have evolved in such a meaningful way. But above all, Jang Nara is absolutely amazing as JiAh (I know I’m being repetitive, I’ve been saying this since the premiere).

So I married an antifan. I wait for Fridays just to watch this one, such a guilty pleasure. Can someone hit 2Fl in the head, please? Maybe her character will make some sense then. Anyway, I love more and more GeunYoung, she’s growing and is acting more and more adult and in charge of her life, and I keep wishing she and Manager Seo fell in love.

Move to Heaven. I watched only episode 1 and I liked it. Now it’s will be a bit complicated to go on with this watch while I’m so engaged with Racket Boys. Tang Joon Sang, you’re doing really good.

Undercover: I forgot to mention Han Go-eun last week. She’s almost unrecognisable but very good as a burnt-out former agent who is used, abused and abandoned by her bosses.

Also re-watched one of my favourite J-dramas, Lady Joker (2013), based on Takamura Kaoru’s novel. The first half of the novel has recently been translated into English; reading it, I realised just what a feat of adaptation the 7-part Wowow series is. Takamura’s magnum opus is very magnum indeed - the translation of the second half will only appear next year! - but the show manages to capture its state-of-the-nation aspects as well as the struggles of individual characters.

Lady Joker’s world is dominated by men, most of whom - no matter how intelligent or well-intentioned, or whether they are part of the establishment or teeter on the edges of society - find themselves trapped within the rigid hierarchies and conventions of their time. The show’s central event, the kidnapping of Hinode Beer’s CEO, is triggered by the accumulation of injustices in the kidnappers’ lives; what’s worse, its aftermath spirals into a morass that engulfs yet more people. Like Forest of Secrets, Lady Joker isn’t an easy watch, but once you get to know its huge cast, it becomes surprisingly pacy and suspenseful. Unfortunately, it’s only available (with fansubs) on dodgy streaming sites.

Youth of May: I am not looking forward to the end of this drama. I went in fully knowing it would be tragic, but ye dramagods, this is awful. i don't know who dies and why they die. I hope it isn't our main couple, but honestly it could be anyone, even though I am thinking now it is one of the kids because the man did not look to be in his late 60s, but in his 50s. However, dramas fudge actors older all the time.

Racket Boys: Adorable show about the fierce competition in the world of middle/high school competition. I love that his sort of incompetent father is married to his fabulous overachieving mother.

Doom at your service: This drama continues to be nonsensical with not very good writing. God is petty, petty. However, Doom and Dong Kyung continue to be the height of sizzling chemistry despite petty interference. Does anyone else remember the scene where Doom is on the roof, dressed in jeans and a white shirt, and wondering who he is? Literally nothing happens after that to address that scene. I was like what happened.

Sell your Haunted house: Well that was a cliffhanger. I am glad they got rid of the egg ghost, that was a great scene between the two. Also Director Do's cartoon mustache villainy is too much, it is the worst written part of an otherwise good drama.

My Roommate is a Gumiho: This drama is cute, but I cringe every time she calls him Orishin and every time he is paternalistic towards her. It takes me right out of any romance and all I think this is a grandfather/grandaughter relationship. It is really uncomfortable.I need them to work on this.

Sweet & Sour: The ending of this movie was unexpected. After I got over my shock, I laughed hysterically. Very strange drama. I'm glad they didn't do what I thought they did though.

CRICKET - June - Cricket season - Its at top -

New Zealand Vs. England - 1st 2 days were boring and 3rd day was to wash the ground with good rain. 4th day going on with England almost escaping the follow-on. Draw is most possible. Still, anything can happen - 1 and half day left. lot of time.

World Test Championship - just 2 weeks away. yes yes yes.

Neatherlands Vs. Ireland - What a match 1st was. 1 run for a win and that dramatic runout that could be called a difference between a win and lose. 2nd match the the real team came back strongly.

Awesome summer has started for awesome Cricket.

DAEBAK REALTY (Ep. 14-15): Even before these episodes, I was OK with the series having a sad ending. It has started to rap up the missing puzzle pieces like Hwa-jung’s baby’s death and her relationship with Mi-jin. The Director Do story line was too k-drama formula for my taste in the complex world building by the writer. The most disappointing aspect of these episodes was the mood killing and overdone chip PPL. I hated it as it ruined the scene. It was as forced as using a sledgehammer to secure a finishing nail into antique Victorian chair. With the cliffhanger to the finale, will JiAh actually have the ability to say goodbye to her mother?

BOSSAM (Ep 9-10): Young Master is still a dangerous pest. His obsession about losing the princess is putting our entire outlaw family in danger. It is the family moments that are the key to the series. The court ladies attempt at erotica in order to make money to survive was brilliant, believable, comedic tension. It seems like there is now a new “get out of jail” free card but it is doubtful it has its full potential if Ba Woo is actually in jail.

Variety:

HOUSE ON WHEELS 2 (Ep 9) Part 2 with Yoon A and Kim Byong Cheol was better after sleeping in the camper. I like it when the guests actively participate like Yoon A making breakfast. I also like the activities like the ziplining adventure. You can really tell that the guests are enjoying themselves with new experiences.

COMPLETED
Taxi Driver - Weak ending. Like I feared last week, the story with Oh Chul Young just felt tacked on and unnecessary. Given that the show ended with everyone basically getting away with their crimes and a revival of the revenge team, I'm not sure what the message is here.

ONGOING
Bossam - The scene where Ba-wu looks at the princess through the peephole was so sweet. I like that problems don't resolve themselves all of a sudden in this show - be it the books issue or the more weighty traitor issue.

Youth of May - Ah this week was difficult to watch. How horrifying that these atrocities happened in real life.

Doom at Your Service - The internal monologues in this show are exhausting. The characters end up describing what they are feeling rather than just showing, with multiple flashbacks to boot. Also I rolled my eyes so hard when Joo-ik was interrupted by the doorbell.

Mad for Each Other - I like the little team these two are forming together. You don't even need those tiny hints of attraction to feel their connection.

Law School - Yawn. Even the hilarious wig saga didn't make this enjoyable.

Daebak Real Estate - I liked the episodes and the way they resolved the egg ghost thing rationally but that was an extremely unnecessary stabbing. They should have removed DHS much earlier from the story so we could focus on exorcising mom.

My Roommate is a Gumiho - I like how gentle and respectful the main characters are to each other. And I appreciate the chuckles every few minutes.

STARTED
Racket Boys - What a fun start! I like the whole host of characters. It's not a unique underdog sports story but it's funny and heartwarming. Just what I needed from a drama right now.

C-DRAMAS
Watching Please Feel at Ease Mr. Ling, Flourish in Time and Moonlight.

The Beanieverse swallowed away my WWW update last week, so I'll keep it short in the hopes that it won't happen again. Don't have much to report, anyway, because this week only had time to catch up and giggle and swoon and get teary-eyed at Bossam 😍😂
I have Imitation and the Gumiho roommate to catch up with. Both light, -not super original but fun - dramas
Loving the K-pop setting in Imitation, and am just hoping Candy FL and Tsundere ML don't turn into Noble Idiots, because so far it's being a really enjoyable ride.
Still have the intention to finish Taxi Driver, but kind of lost engagement with the drama

I want to start RACKET BOYS but I'm too busy obsessing over BOSSAM: the characters, the acting, the directing, the music, the history, the romance. And we're only halfway through! 😍

Join the fun on Hangout No 2: https://www.dramabeans.com/2021/06/drama-hangout-bossam-steal-the-fate-pt-2/ It's great to have other beanies to squee with.

I did not watch SYHH because I'm still disappointed by episode 13. I'm following the live reactions though, so I know that episodes 14 and 15 are much better. Jang Nara was supposedly spectacular in episode 15. I'll probably get back to it this weekend.

I've dropped Moonlight because there is no weight to the story. I know it's a romcom but it's getting too formulaic for my liking. However, I'm okay with Esther Yu's voice. In fact, I found her vocal colour to be perfect for the OST she sang for the show.

I also watched a bit of Mine. I can't remember if I wrote about it already, but I thought the miscarriage scene was hilarious. The position of the blood puddle is very off given how the scene was executed and that threw me off. The funniest part was when the maid took out her phone to call someone, and the camera turned to Kim Seo-hyung. I almost spit my drink out. Emm... shouldn't she call the hospital? That was a ridiculous sequence of events. I should've dropped this earlier.

Finally, I caught a few games of the Suns-Lakers series. I'm happy that the Suns won with some good fortune, and I hope that CP3 wins the chip this year (by some miracle). If he doesn't, I hope that it's any team but the Nets. The only way to (semi) prove that the road taken is the hardest is to not win the championship at the end, and therefore I hope KD never wins one in his tenure with the Nets.

Watcher - My third watch, and I think I understand about 85% of the story now :D But I love this drama! Everyone is suspicious, and no one is faultless. The action isn't slick or overpowering but actually cool, the story leaves you all confuzzled, but I can't stop watching. And the cast is *chef's kiss*.
Seo Kang-joon is such a revelation. He is brash and ready to let loose. So when he fights, it's with all the exploding fury of youth. Contrast that with Eun-seop's stillness in I'll Go to You When the Weather is Fine, and I'm a goner.
And Kim Hyun-joo as Han Tae-joo? She is so so captivating. I love calm, strong women like her. Her cunning choices and strategic moves, and serene sass leave every character dumbfounded at least once. And then she's so graceful in her vulnerable moments. She's openly selfish and calculating, and yet so warm too.
The Man Who Can't Get Married (2009) - I saw the first episode, and it's sweet fun, charming like the dramas of that period. The beanies say it gets funnier, so that's encouraging.
I bet the behind-the-scenes of Uhm Jung-hwa baring Ji Jin-hee's bottom are a hoot. I expected it to happen off-screen!

Hospital Playlist
I am almost done my rewatch of season 1. Only two episodes left! I can't believe how poorly I timed my rewatch. Now I'll have to wait 2 weeks before new episodes.

I forgot how invested I was in Songhwa and Ikjun's relationship. I keep anticipating impatiently for their scenes together. It is so sweet how comfortable they are together.
Uju is adorable. The way he talks about his "mother-in-law" and calls Ikjun "Abeonim" instead of "appa". Too precious and funny.

And can I just say that Yoo Yeonsuk always looks like he is having the time of his life when he is playing the drums. Everyone else is so serious and focus on their performance, and he's in the back all with the biggest, brightest smile.

Youth of May
What a cruel cliffhanger this week. I like this drama because I am attached to its characters (minus Heetae's dad), but I also dislike it for the same reason because I know there is a possibility I'll be hurt at the end.
I like how Heetae and Myunghee's power dynamics are pretty balanced in their relationship so far. I particularly enjoyed the "Stop telling me what I can and cannot do" scene.

Doom at your Service
I wish I could love this drama as much as its fans. I really want to love it, but I don't. Yet, I'm too stubborn to stop watching halfway through. Also, there are some parts here and there that I do find myself enjoying.

Funnily enough, Dongkyung's brother was the character I liked the least at first, but now I am hoping the drama will stop collecting clichés and provide us with a conclusion to that side love triangle that involves Jina choosing herself and maybe also choosing Seonkyung hahaha
Jooik and Hyungyu are not your only options here.

However, I am afraid that would be too much to ask from this writer, but I hope to be wrong.

Youth of May I like this drama but I'm not in fond of, I think Girl Generation 1979 did better by using this period as background.

Racket BoysThis show is great! I love these teenagers who look and act like normal ones! Not too rich or poor, not genius or completely stupid, etc. The other characters are nice too. I love the story takes place in the countryside too.

Doom at Your Service Not idea what the story has in store for us but I like it.

Sell Your Haunted House I like how the story gives to Ji-A the time to deal with her feelings. It's not buried or rushed to prioritize the action. Or when she understood why her mother was stuck there, she didn't find a miracle solution, she needs to be happy to let her mother go. It was a good idea to find the people who formed the Egg Ghost to get rid of. And clearly the first time, Ji-A did it because Im-Bum was there.

Law School This drama works only thanks to the characters because the story is really weird.

My Roommate Is a Gumiho I really could like it if the casting was different, it's kinda frustrating.

Bossam It looks hard to make people believe she's dead...

Imitation The story is so slow... One episode by week doesn't help.

Kingdom It's over. SF9 is free! Move was the best performance!

Finished: River Where the Moon Rises. Predictable ending in a way. Kim So-hyun is an actress to watch. I can't wait until she gets more mature roles.

Still at it: Flower of Evil. Beyond Evil. Be Melodramatic. These are so good that I am procrastinating to finish them. It's Okay Not to Be Okay. I'm in danger of dropping this. It romanticizes mental health and I find this abominable. I do like the main actress and I think she's very talented. It's a shame that she's being punished because of what she's been accused of.

Will pick up: Since I'm done with RwtMR, I will start watching Taxi Driver again which I've put on hold.

Mad for Each Other: LADLEMAN! That was hilarious (the superhero music!) even though the scene started out really scary. I love this drama, and I root for our duo so much!! I was surprised at how the drama handled crossdressing. Didn't recognize him at first but glad to see An Woo-Yeon back on screen.

Roommate is a Gumiho: The drama does feel like an anime come to life, complete with some wacky, irreverent humor and those achingly sweet moments. For me, the strength of this drama is its surprising relatability even though the premise is so fantastical. Lee Dam - her words, actions, thought process, and feelings - feels so relatable. Casting Hyeri works here! Mr.Gumiho's pretty sweet, and dense Hye-sun is cute.

Doom at your service Where can I get a mug with Nam Da-reum's face on it? I still don't get the story and the writing in unwieldly, but drama just sweeps me away and it's got those moments that make my heart hurt with emotion at times. The scenes are really great individually.

Sell Your Haunted House CEO Do is the drama's weakest link, so I was worried that we would spend all our time on him for ep 14-16. I was happy to find that episodes 14 and 15 weren't focused on him. The old team reassembled; even the cop was helpful; and like missvictrix mentioned, I like how it has come full circle with the egg ghost.

So I Married an Anti-fan Easy-watch since I skip the scenes with the terrible 2nd leads. Starting to get impatient for them to wrap it up, so I'm not sure if I will last 16 episodes. I do wonder at Joon's fame. He's only got the one song.

Imperial Coroner C-drama. Just continually impressed by measured pace, interesting storytelling, and the great characters. Like the drama's meticulous leads, the writer and production team are very careful and deliberate with the implementation of this drama.

Bossam: Loved the addition of erotic novel writing to the plot, and I appreciate the way this show acknowledges female desire in the context of a deeply repressive patriarchal society. Oddly, I'm not super invested in the love line (and I'm normally a huge Jung Il-Woo fan) but I do want Hwa In to get some steamy fun times with someone for her own personal growth, edification and enjoyment (and hey, it's critical research for drawing better pictures!).

Sell Your Haunted House: I am still enjoying the show quite a lot despite the pre-emption disrupting the pace.
The show continues to show that humans are worse than ghosts.
It was quite ironic that in drama about ghost Ji-ah got hurt mostly because of humans.
My roommate is gumiho : Woo-yeo might the nicest gumiho in the history of k-drama. He is keeping secrets from Dam about the marble but compared to other gumihos he is downright angel.
I quite like Dam as well. Surprisingly they could work well. She is history nerd and he is Mr. history himself.
Law School: The show could have been much more with better written villain. The show had other ingredients just right.
Imitation: It’s reminds me of classic old k-dramas with cold on the surface, successful male lead and struggling, hopeful female lead but the show has a special ingredient that makes it quite enjoyable.
Mad for each other: I do like how leads are working through their issues and seeking help. The show has surprisingly sensitive portrayal of mental health issues.
Doom : The show is getting pretentious by each passing episode. I am surprised that I am still watching this show. It shows that I like PBY, SIG and LSH more than I thought.
Mine: The show is great choice for background noise when you are doing chores. Watching this show at 1.5x speeds makes it bearable (barely).

Move to Heaven - It is very good, sometimes a little melodramatic but the characters and main plot make up for it.

DAYS - It is ironic, this show wanted so much to be Goblin that it fell into the same trap. A rushed illogical romance, followed by every character acting in a crazy manner.

Here's my Plan ep 1 - Great first episode. More people should be talking about this. It reminds me of Extracurricular.

Mad for Each Other - They are adorable. This is how to do slow romance and how to build real relationships between characters. Even the side characters are nicely done. Also it's great to get a kdrama with a therapist doing her job and being useful to others. It also manages to have that slice of life feel so I wish shows like these had 50 eps, why can't this kind of thing be a weekender? It has so much heart, it is delicate when dealing with subjects like crossdressing and mental health but still manages to be honest without being corny or unrealistic or preachy.

Finally started Undercover as wanting something different to balance my two happy pills of MRIAG and Racket Boys. It certainly does not disappoint. Two episodes in and I’m sucked into the intense world of JJH and KHJ (who are effectively a variation of the Youth of May couple). I like the very solid ensemble cast with especially strong veterans, making this a meaty watch.

My Roommate is A Gumiho: This the drama that I had been waiting for so long. It got me out of my slump and I am so glad I gave it a shot. his week's episodes cemented my love for this drama. Hyeri is perfect and so is Jang Ki Young. His micro-expressions are life. I am looking forward to the romance between Kang Hanna and Kim Do Wan. I really don't know how it will start or turn out. This week showed us that even though Hye Sun may be lacking in book knowledge but she is clever. I am so glad this drama came into my life. I actually have something to look forward to every week.

What I'm watching:

1. SYHH:
I really liked the episodic crimes, so when the plot moved to deal with the main arc I lost a bit of that enthusiasm. I actually think ep13 was a nice transitional episode, but when I watched eps 14 and 15 I was a bit bored. I don't really know what happened, but perhaps I just didn't find the minor arcs, the story and plot devices that believable. So in all, I think the show kinda lost me in the most recent episodes.

2. 2D1N (variety show):
I'm glad this one exists. It's really my weekly happy pill. The cast is so great with one another. Never fails to make me laugh.

3. House on Wheels 2 (variety show):
I still haven't got back to it, but I really like this one. This one is a super healing show for me.

Finished:
1. Move to Heaven:
I had heard a lot of good things about this one, so I gave it a go. It didn't disappoint, and exceeded my very high expectations. I didn't cry every episode, but I did in some. When looking back, you'll see that the drama tried to capture many forms of love -children's love for their parents, a long-married couple's love for one another, small children's love for their teacher, the love between father and son, etc. Some used the word 'love' to hurt the other person. It is a complex show that will allow you the opportunity to see 'love' in all its glory.

It's all about love. -

❤️

Sell Your Haunted House: this drama is really a "coupled episode" drama, so the sequence feels a bit off since they pre-empted one ep for sports. I felt like from 13 onwards, we've been back on track. Jang Na-ra is a legend, and I bow to her.

So I Married the Anti-Fan: I...love this. Officially. I look forward to Fridays to sit down with wine and watch this frivolity, as fluffy and vapid as cotton candy, and just as sweet. Sooyoung is a delight, and I adore her.

Doom At Your Service: I'm still watching this, and I'm still snarking about it, but I feel like I'm part of a movement now, and I can't stop. Park Bo-young is persisting, and I admire her.

My Roommate is a Gumiho: the antics make me laugh, and best of all, it doesn't take itself seriously at all. Aren't those usually the kind of people who are the most fun? Kang Han-na steals her scenes , oozing hypnotic self-confidence, and I will strive to emulate her.

Need to start Racket Boys and looking forward to a slew of (hopefully) good stuff starting this month. The tvN lineup for the second half of 2021 looks dynamite (please, please!). I need to dip back into Mad For Each Other, which I somehow forgot about a bit. Happy watching, all!

Happy watching, all!

I’m a bit behind on everything because I’m visiting my sister this weekend (child free!) and we are spending the time eating delicious food and binge-watching My Girlfriend is A Gumiho. It is still an excellent drama. We’ve also been watching Begin Agsin 3 (when they’re in Italy). It’s totally foggy here - my flight was delayed and then cancelled and I had to fly to different airport and bus two hours to get here - and it’s making me want to go to Italy 🥲

I’m behind on SYHH, DAYS was as confusing as usual, Cdrsma Hello Mr Gu has run out of steam for me around ep 20. I haven’t had any time to watch more of Faith but that is possibly because I’ve been distracted by I Remember You/Hello Monster which feels like a mash up of everything I’ve been watching lately - Seo In Guk! Jang Na Ra! The ‘are psychopaths born or made’ premise from Mouse! (To which I have to say, if you think your child is a psychopath and your first response is to tell everyone they have moved abroad and lock them in the basement for re-education, maybe you should look at yourself first!) it is not very serious and so far I like it.

I was in a drama slump for 4 weeks, I came out of it this week.

I’ve finished Vincenzo It was good overall, even though some things were kind of lacking for me. I found myself watching it at 1,25 & sometimes even 2x the speed. It could have been shorter. I had a hard time with the FL & Taecyeon I love him but he’s just not a good actor. I was really happy with the villains’death. It was satisfying to actually see them die & not get away.

I’ve also finished Beyond evil It was a bit confusing at times. I liked it. I don’t know if it is the script itself or the actors, but I found it really gripping & engaging. I love dark Yeo Jin Goo!

Sell Your Haunted House: preemptions mess up the pacing so I'm still back at episode 12 waiting for it to finish. I'll watch all four next week.

Law School: I just picked it up and it's an enjoyable show with shades of How To Get Away With Murder, although it doesn't have the pressure cooker amoral vibe of that show that made it so cracky. At episode 4 it's a fun watch though and I can't believe how much I'm enjoying the previously bland Kim Bum. Speaking of....

Tale of the Nine Tailed Fox: Still fuzzy on why I pressed play on this and even fuzzier on why I continued after its super creepy paedophile flashback. You'd think at this point the casual paedophilia in Asian dramas would not faze me but it still does (Let me tell you how far I got past Goong's "we're selling our underage daughter to pay off our debts" premise - not far). Still, if I ignore the romance, the fact that Lee Dong-wook has had so much plastic surgery that his face is about to collapse (seriously, he needs an intervention) and fast forward all the skeevy paedophile flashbacks, I quite enjoy this show. Oh and Kim Bum is great. Did I mention him?

Doom At Your Service: Whyyyyyyy????*
*This question is multi-purpose.

I may or may not be talked into doing a live recap rewatch of the crazed makjang Taiwanese drama Fall In Love With Me. If I do end up going for it, I'll do it on Discord.

SCRIPTING YOUR DESTINY--Loved, loved, loved! And then I watched episode 10. I only have myself to blame since I knew who the writer was going in. Still, despite the what-just-happend-to-me ending, I do not regret watching this short drama. But oh, how I wish there had been two more episodes to wrap up and give us a resolved ending even if it were a sad one.
RACKET BOYS- I love quirky, but this was almost too quirky at the beginning. I wanted to give it a try because of the response here from Beanies. Thank goodness I kept watching. I am chomping at the bit for the next episode.
ANTI-FAN--Definition of guilty pleasure. I am so happy that I have 3 episodes to watch tonight! However, I do wish the immature boy love of pulling the pig-tails would leave dramaland for good.
HOSPITAL PLAYLIST-finished my rewatch having fallen for the characters even more deeply. It was especially fun because my knowledge of the Korean language and culture has grown since my first watch. For example, I laughed when in the last episode Song Hwa told Jeong Won that he made the right choice and then said "winter was coming". Hahahaa. The word play was so satisfying.
SELL YOUR HAUNTED HOUSE--I am waiting to watch the last 4 episodes all together. Pacing informs how I enjoy dramas too much.

My original comment has been thrown into moderation for some reason so I’ll keep this one short...but anyway, I’m on holiday child free and my sister and I have spent the best part of the last two days bingeing MY GIRLFRIEND IS A GUMIHO for the millionth time. I love it so much.

- My Roommate Is a Gumiho: My happy pill. I adore Lee Dam's no-nonsense attitude, and Woo Yeo is just so swoony. Also digging the dumb fox lady and Dam's crying baby friend.

- Faith: Dropped after episode 8. LMH is ok here (sans the hideous wig), the dorky guard group are occasionally funny. But I can't get over how inappropriate the female lead is. She's a full grown woman, and a doctor on top of that, but she acts like a dumb teenager who goes around spouting nonsense. I really wanted to love the show but nothing exciting ever happens and the FL is too annoying. Even watching at 1.25x couldn't get me to focus on what's happening. Sorry to beanies who recommended this to me, but I had to let it go.

- Youth of May: On hold at episode 5. I decided to binge watch the show after it's done, just to save me from multiple weekly heartbreaks.

- Come and Hug Me: I came across a clip of this show on Youtube and got intrigued enough to watch it. I think the show has great potential and the premise is interesting enough. But holy moly, half of every episode are flashbacks from all kinds of timeline. I mean I'm ok with flashbacks here and there, but this is on another level lol. Also, every freaking time the main leads meet, they always have this intense gaze in slo-mo that drives me crazy because it's getting weird after a while (can't you say something meaningful instead?). It feels as if the writing doesn't have enough material so they have to drag everything to fill the 60 minute episode. Someone on MDL also suggested doing a bingo/drinking game for whenever they said Nak Won, Na Mu, monster, weak, pain, sorry or kill, and I agree, that would make watching this more bearable. Despite all, I'm sticking with the show because I feel strongly for the main couple and want to see how they weather through their family tragedy, but I'm watching it at 1.25x to keep everything up to speed.

- Arthdal Chronicles: Not rewatching the whole thing but I've been rewatching snippets here and there to join the discussions with the fandom on twitter. They're organizing a rewatch to celebrate 2 years of AC and get more attention to support the making of Season 2 (#RoadToArthdal2).