Cricket - ODI and T20 matches but not much going on. West indies vs. South Africa matches were hard fought. but still lacked a lot that makes Cricket fun. Test cricket is where everything good is.

Now waiting for India Vs. England test series. ODI and T20 look good for a world cup.

I am still really enjoying My Roommate is Gumiho. The erupting, unexpected belly laughs are what keeps me hooked.

Racket Boys (Episode 9-10) - Mood: B+
Head Coach Bae certainly had a reputation for being strict but he had never been shown to be physical towards during coaching so I guess something big must have awaiting us next week. Given that the show has already covered physical assault by coaches (Coach Yoon and his friend), I wonder how the writer will try to avoid repeating similar themes. Also puzzling me is why Hae Kang lied about not being the Liar: he’s the only one wearing bright-coloured pants! I doubt it’s because he’s still in game mode? That birthday party though: just so many narrative elements packaged so beautifully!

Hospital Playlist 2 (Episode 3) - Mood: B
I gave the show a pass last week but I’m not giving one this week: why are we seeing the same scenes from season 1? I already knew that the other CS professor was terrible at his job or that Jong Su’s children are not very filial, so that just felt like the writer was padding the screen time. While they did well introducing new elements such as the fixed intern, it doesn’t make sense that we didn’t even get a follow up on the pregnant lady who Seok Hyung might have just saved. Ik Sun’s accident is a recycled plot point as well and it’s only a matter of time before Ik Jun finds that out, breakup or not!

At a Distance Spring Is Green (Episode 5-6) - Mood: C-
Dear show, you don’t want to make the second half be all about two separate love triangles: why couldn’t we just focus on the two friendship trios of the roommates and the presentation teammates? Part of why it’s so narratively awkward: why does Min Joo suddenly love Soo Hyun? All he did was clean up after her mess, protect his bro and serve her meat? Now, it would be more impactful if we knew her backstory: maybe she was scapegoated with no one protecting her and left to fend for herself? But all we know is that she had a breakup! And don’t get me started on the bullies & professors.

My Roommate Is a Gumiho (Episode 11-12) - Mood: D+
As with other mediocre shows, there’s always a breakup that happens at the third-quarter mark because of some quite peculiar character choices: Woo Yeo, you did so well notifying Dam about the red thread, so why didn’t you do just that when you had to source for human energy? Then again she knew nothing about the deadline too, which I fully expect to be the reason why the OTP will reunite next week. The second couple is cute to watch but the plot is frankly insulting at this point. As for Sun Woo, the characterisation has become such a train wreck that I’m wondering how his arc will end.

Doom at Your Service (Episode 15-16) - Mood progression: C+ / C / C- / D+ / D / D- / D- / D-
Kang Tae Oh’s only scene together with Seo In Guk felt like the writer was contractually obligated to pair them.

Nevertheless: Dropped.

Hospital Playlist 2: Lee Kyu-hyung! Not thrilled his cameo was used to hit us over the head that Song-hwa and Ik-jun will get together eventually. The little girl better get a heart. I thought her mother was heartbreaking, genuinely happy that the other child was getting a heart but heartbroken her daughter was still waiting.

Bossam: Steal the Fate: Shut up and climb the ladder. I had to laugh at Court Lady Jo and Chun-bae getting more action than Ba-woo and Soo-kyung. They had a nice wedding scene though.

Mine: I think the writer redeemed herself from Melty even though Mine wasn’t terribly engaging. I have to applaud her for giving drama land it’s first lesbian lead and writing a makjang drama where the female leads actually respected and supported each other.

Nevertheless: Big eww at Na-bi wiping off the lipstick and kissing Jae-un. I don’t get the attraction. This kind of drama rides or dies on the leads, and while they have chemistry, I’m still underwhelmed by the acting. Maybe that’s not fair though since he has no POV and she is kind of underdeveloped.

Racket Boys: This drama is as heartwarming as ever, but I still don’t like Coach Yoon (or the acting) or think he deserves the birthday party or track suit or those precious boys. I think the hamminess of both the character and actor stands out even more because the kids are so dang good and realistic.

At a Distance, Spring is Green: This drama isn’t great but there is something about it I like. Pushing the tropey stuff aside, I can relate to So-bin and her crippling anxiety, Soo-hyun not having time or energy for any nonsense and Joon wanting a friend.

On the Verge of Insanity: I still find this dry, but I liked the second week better with Ban-seok trying to survive in HR. He would be an asset to HR if the job was about doing the right thing instead of the right thing for the company.

Love Ft. Marriage & Divorce: Still only watching the mom with the two kids (though I did see the ghost of the dead husband possess his son’s body as stepmom was about to kiss him. My eyes, my eyes!) and I’m going to laugh when the mistress inevitably dumps her horrible ex.

On the Verge of Insanity eps3-4: Choi Ban-seok's transfer to HR is a disaster for him but obviously a gift for viewers, cos we get to see both managerial and technical sides of Hanmyeong Electronics through his eyes. This week, the war of the vacuum cleaners (robot vs. cordless) is used as a vehicle for a range of workplace issues: sexual harassment; supposedly valuable employees getting away with all kinds of misconduct; the neglect and even exploitation of capable young staff; etc.

There wasn’t that much interaction between Moon So-ri and Jung Jae-young last week, but this week the sparks really start flying. Like all the best odd couples, they use their strengths to make up for each other’s weaknesses. Tbh I love seeing Jung Jae-young browbeaten by a strong woman, maybe because he played so many macho men earlier in his career. I also enjoyed Kim Nam-hee’s character, a more than usually realistic portrayal of a genius in the contemporary Korean workplace. No, he doesn’t get to astound all and sundry with his amazing insights (a la Jung Jae-young’s Baek Beom in Partners for Justice). He just performs his run-of-the-mill tasks more quickly than everybody else, and spends the rest of the time dozing off at his desk.

I'm less grumpy, though still slumpy and watched much less than usual.

Roommate - I like Dam and Fox... but... lately, Jaejin and Hyesun are taking over. I love them 💕

Nevertheless - the second episode didn't impress me and I think the main reason is that, for me, Song Kang doesn't fit the role and is miscast, he is too closed off (and giving too negative vibe) and instead of being irresistible he is uncomfortable. I don't know the original webtoon (and I'm trying to avoid any spoilers), but I think Jaeun should be someone with more friendly and carefree and playful vibe (... and yet utterly seductive...), someone who is a charmer. (Kang Taeoh from Run On? Or perhaps Kim Minjae?). Anyway, I'm probably still continuing as I'm interested in the other students (Sol! 💕)

On the Verge of Insanity - a show I didn't expect to watch at all as office dramas usually are not my cup of tea (though I looooved Misaeng). However, one day I randomly checked and now I'm deep in. The male lead is no idol baby face... and yet he grabs all my attention... I also like the heroine (that smack to her ex-husband was so satisfying 😀), though I don't envy her job. And I like the music (don't know why, but it just sets the mood well). And who would know that wireless robot vacuums would provide such a dramatic arch 😀

I managed to finish Doom at your service and I have a bean. I have the same feeling about this drama I got about Sisyphus: nothing made sense, it could have been much better and the leads are such remarkable actors doing an excellent job with what they were giving. I wouldn’t say though this drama was lazy written, but overthoughtly (if this word exists) written. I never got to understood the contract, God, Doom or how OTP fell in love. I’m not complaining though, but I’m glad it’s over and that we got Kevin back #justiceforKevin.

So, what have I been watching this week? Well, I really had the intention to watch all the current dramas I am watching, but 2PM comeback got in the way. Name the MV, variety shoe, article, twitter thread or IG post and I have seen it / read it / interacted with it. Several times. It was a long wait but it’s really worth it and I’m enjoying every minute, as you could have guessed by the content of my wall. I’m really sorry if my enthusiasm is a bit too much, but my fangirl heart is full of love for them. I don’t know when will I recover my life, but so far I’m the happiest beanie!!

COMPLETED
Doom at Your Service - It all ended exactly the way we all knew it would. Sigh. At least I got to enjoy diva Nam Da-reum with a crush. He seemed to be having a lot of fun with his mini-role.

ONGOING
Racket Boys - Saving this for the weekend since I wanted to watch something unabashedly cute to end the week - also minimizes time between episodes!

My Roommate is a Gumiho - Ah the red string of fate makes me so angry. But not as angry as I am at the (potentially) Cheating Mr. Pox. At least Do Jae-jin is still perfection.

Monthly Magazine Home - It's bad that I'm more invested in the jerk CEO than the nice editor but Young-won's storyline - something bad happens to her nearly every episode - is exhausting. Plus Kim Ji-seok was hilarious - putting his kpop career to good use in that dance scene 🤣

Hospital Playlist S2 - I'm finding some things a little too on the nose in this season. As nice as it was to see Lee Kyu-hyung (Looney!), his story perfectly reflecting whatever Song-hwa is debating made me want to roll my eyes. I think I'm in the minority with this but I find the love lives of the 5 friends not particularly interesting at this point. The patient stories were very moving though. Next week seems to be Jun-wan focussed, who is by far my favourite character, so I'm looking forward to it.

Bossam - I'm playing catch up as the finale looms and all the politics is exhausting. Grateful for the beanies who are sharing more context through reviews/ recaps 🙏

BINGED
Two older dramas - Sweet 18 and I Really, Really Like You - both were nice enough but not particularly memorable.

C-DRAMAS
Completed The Day of Becoming You. Watching nothing else as I wait for some better c-dramas to come around.

At a Distance, Spring Is Green The ML makes me feel unconfortable. I understand that his actions are shown as caring but I found him intrusive. For the actor, I was thinking that Japanese actors are kinda better to make this kind of role that requires a little bit of rebellion, charm, charisma and pain.

Racket Boys Hae-Kang & Se-Yoon 😍

Doom at Your Service It's over and I will wait for a better drama with SIG.

On the Verge of Insanity It's interesting to see the inner workings of such an society.

Monthly Magazine Home I really like Jung So-Min, she's really good in this kind of role. But the story is not appealing for now.

My Roommate Is a Gumiho The ML reminds me the one in DDSSLLS, he's very nice with the FL, protects her but at the end, you realized he's always lying and acts like she's a child...

Hospital Playlist 2 This drama is the best when it focus on the friendship and the patient's stories, but boring with the romances.

Nevertheless I would like to see more of their life as art students, it's the best part for me.

Imitation The story is so slow.

Bossam I'm behind.

Halfway through MINE. It makes Graceful Family look like Shakespeare. Woman of Dignity must've been a one-off for this writer.

Doom: Dropped around episode 6 with no regrets.

My Roommate is a Gumiho: I am probably going to end up skipping through a few episodes, but I'm invested enough to continue. I am generally not picky about acting. When others complain about acting/editing/directing etc., I am all about the writing. I generally can overlook a lot in other areas. I liked the actor in My Mister so I'm going with him not being able to emote in romance dramas. It's one of the first times this type thing has bugged me and I've seen a lot of idol actors over the years. Who knows, I haven't read the source material so maybe this is the way it was supposed to be played but it has really hindered my enjoyment of this show. The humor is what has kept me going.

Bossam: There is so much I like about this drama but I need to jump back in before I lose steam. Those 20 episodes when I think 16 could have done the trick.

Amazon Prime: Bosch (the last season). One of the best shows on a streaming service from one of the best contemporary crime writers in the U. S. It took me three tries to get into season one a few years ago because of the way the story started when I was used to the novel. I might go re-watch the whole thing someday.

Bride of the Water God
Randomly started watching it. As if it was meant to be. I knew enough of the overall storyline through dramabeans, so was avoiding it. And yet enough time had passed for me to kind have forgotten most of what I knew. Hence, started with it.
7 episodes in and have enjoyed it a lot. It made me laugh during the initial episodes alot (Moo-ney). Enjoyed the God struggling to get a grasp of this world. But the tone is changing to serious now as Haebak is finally begining to know this world well.
But something has gone wrong with me. Nam Joo Hyuk is so good looking. Why am I not able to have a crush on him. WHY? It is frustating. And somehow Im Joo Hwan, the more I look at him like a moon he is subtly shining to me. Banjjak Banjjak.
Rest watched a lot of Korean mini series on youtube.

BOSSAM: STEALING FATE
Finale week already? The drama has consistently delivered on history and realistically portraying the situation of women in Joseon. I feel the balance of romance and history perfect until Ep. 11. Episodes 12-18 were more politics-heavy (which I love) but may not be for everyone. Hoping for a happy ending, as long as people learn how to climb ladders a bit faster...

Film review
@marcusnyc20 marcus fla, thank you for mentioning THE BATTLE OF JANGSARI (2019). I went into it with little expectations and ended up a crying mess. I forgot that war films can do that to me. My favourite boys are in it: Kim Sung-cheol, Lee Jae-wook, Choi Minho (the role of a soldier suits him). Kim Sung-cheol stole every scene. I don't know why Megan Fox is credited as the lead because her role was minor... Star power I guess. The few American actors did a good job of showing how little Americans knew or cared about the Korean War. Reviewers were just as bad: "a bit more tears and hand-holding than American films". I'm no expert, but I know that it was about Korean fighting Korean on Korean soil, families torn apart, displaced and losing everything just because other countries decided to fight out the Cold War there. Of course there were tears! Stupid reviewers. *blood boiling*

Hp2 - fills my heart. My precious ❤️

Racket boys - such a gem but I agree coach yoon didn’t deserve that party. I mean, he drank the night before an important match for the boys and made the boys loose their chance to play. And that topped with bad lacklustre acting, we get coach yoon.

Nevertheless - dropped. It leaves a bad taste in my mouth. It is just such and uncomfortable drama. Not because of the topic at all I think but because of the tone and underdeveloped characters and the college setting. Think this could be have better digestible if the setting was not college and the fl character was not such a stupid spineless idiot. The male lead should have been irresistible but instead became super creepy and a sex maniac. He seems to be the guy who brushes up against you hard in a club, gets your drunk and takes you in motel to force himself on you. That’s the vibe I get from this drama. Hard pass.

Doom at your service - very underwhelming and very very repetitive. This should have been a two episode mini drama if this was all the Story the writers had to tell. I’ll wait for better dramas from both pgy and sig.

Home magazine - watching to fill void in my life from dramaland currently. And the actress is my fav and although nothing new or better or exciting in this drama, it has not yet turned me off. But continue that story arc for the other female editor and I may just be out. Because while there is nothing awesome to keep me watching this drama, it’ll be an added struggle to watch if it leaves a bad taste in my mouth about the other characters because then the balance will be off.

What is the point of keeping a to-watch list if I always end up watching a drama that is not on it? I am such a mood watcher...Does anyone else have this problem?

I was feeling under the weather this week and while scrolling through Tumblr, I stumbled upon a gif set from a cdrama I had never heard of. For some reason, that was enough for me to ditch my to-watch list and watch this relatively unknown youth drama... Flourish in Time

The drama is your run-of-the-mill Chinese youth drama about childhood best friends falling in love. The first episode was mediocre at best, but luckily the drama quickly moved past its cringe-y melodramatic setup and chose to focus more on its slice-of-life aspects. The saving grace of this drama is the main leads. Despite the age gap of the actors, the main leads have a sweet on-screen chemistry; it is easy to believe that they are indeed best friends. The age gap would have bothered me more if this drama had not been G-rated and the love story had not been 100% innocent. Also I got to admit that I love that fortune-telling chicken our main characters have as a pet.

Hospital Playlist 2
Ouff the highlight of the last episode was definitely the mothers. I felt so bad for Eunji's mom who has been a pillar for all the other moms of the PICU and yet...Eunji better get her miracle too!
On a down note, I am bit disappointed about the fans' reaction towards Iksun having a best friend who is a guy. Although she never was a favourite of mine and I was never really invested in hers and Junwan's relationship, I don't think it's fair to hate her. So far, she has not done anything wrong in my opinion.

Doom
The last episode was the most pointless. It had sweet moments but I could not really enjoy them because I did not care about either romances. I think Episode 15 would have been a good enough ending. In the end, I found the drama watchable but extremely bland. Thus, I wouldn't call it bad per se...just very disappointing.
The soundtrack was the only thing I fully enjoyed from beginning to end.

Nevertheless
I like that this is not a love story. I hope it stays that way.
I am also enjoying the soundtrack. I want to get my hands on that one song with the catchy acoustic guitar strumming.

My Roommate is a Gumiho
I love the characters and the laughter...but I am not a fan of love triangles, especially forced ones. I'm still wary about where this story is heading (especially the romance) but I'm still enjoying it.

Bossam: Steal the Throne Fate: 7.0 #*&+^-$% birth secrets :( (Yes, I'm thinking an inappropriate word -- will it let me say that?)

Voice 4 6.0 Quit clowning around.

Racket Boys: 8.0

Doom at Your Service: 6.0

My Roommate Is a Gumiho 8.5 Dam! Since you can see the red tape string, have you tried scissors? If ordinary scissors won't cut it, I know a Nigerian Prince who sells bridges and Enchanted Scissors.

Actually, who cares about Roommates & Gumihos? We just want more of Kang Han-na and those great lines they give her.

Happy weekend, Beanies~

I still managed to watch Hospital Playlist on time this week. It's amazing that we have three episodes already. I'm trash for wintergarden so naturally I'm happily lapping up all the not-so-secret lovey dovey that I waited a year for, lmao.

That said, the heart of the show for me has always been the 99z friendship...and I hope we could still focus more on it... Seeing Lee Kyuhyung in Episode 3 made me squeal in glee until we got to his conversation with Songhwa, which seemed rather too in-your-face (?) for my liking. And now that I think about it, some comedic timings and moments so far feel just a liiiiiiiiittle off. In writing, music cues, and even recycled scenarios from season 1 (something I expected from this PD-writer duo). And I wish the band scene audio didn't bother me.

Still, this show gives me warmth and all the feels. Seasonal dramas can be tricky and I simply need to manage my expectations...

Other dramas on-hold:
- Racket Boys: the last episode I remember is the one where the Coach drove to the wrong gym and the boys didn't even get to play. I got so mad I had to pause the show.
- Lovestruck in the City: Still halfway. Eunho is a mystery yet I cannot bring myself to dislike her (and not just because Kim Jiwon plays her).

Aaaand I'll probably start Monthly House sometime next week. Yes to Kim Jiseok + Boom Boom.

Prison Playbook⚾👮 (2/16): I hate to dishonor this masterpiece with my shallowness, but…Kim Kyung-Nam, seriously?😲 Tiramisu Cake and now this Cutiepie?😲 Who will be next?🤔 How many episodes until I can fill one cell with all my favourites?🤭 Fiiine, I’ll try to say something about the actual episode…we all know Tiramisu Cake can sing like an angel, but his dry prison hymns spoke to my soul.❤️😉

Racket Boys🏸👦👦👦👦👦👧👧(9/16): Bless my heart, cameos from Tiramisu Cake, Lee Si-Eon and other familiar faces! It always feels like bumping into old friends whenever that happens.🤗Speaking of friendships, this show really taught me a valuable lesson. Pre-university me was a loner, so it was hard for me to grasp at first how much their friendship influenced their love for badminton. Woo-Chan could play badminton anywhere his father went, but disobeyed his father and stayed in Haenam with his friends. Hae-Kang left for baseball because his previous badminton teammates betrayed him, came back to badminton and stayed because his current team mates have become his friends. In-Sol joined because he had no friends. Seeing them grow as a team on and off the court has been both heartwarming and eye-opening.🥰

Reply 1988 - The ensemble cast is great, but I wish the show didn't lean so hard into the "angel in the house" model of saintly motherhood/wifedom. Because a guy not knowing how to put his own clothes on is a reason to run, not a sign that you should fall for him because he "needs" you. Also, I want to strangle the goat.

Bossam - mostly caught up, and I still generally like the main characters, but the show has been all over the place thematically and dramatically. I wish it had picked a single narrative through line to really dig into rather than hoping from political intrigue to outlaw romance to tortured bromance to female empowerment to class conflict without ever really fleshing any of them out.

At a Distance, Spring is Green: Hmmmmm. The stalking and harassment seems to have lessened for SH from Joon, which is a relief. I think SH is still my favorite character. I am glad he is getting some breaks in life. As for So Bin and her best friend, I am not sure I understand what is happening to them. I can’t tell if she stopped being his friend or she is just not talking to him temporarily. He seems to like her, but won’t go there. So Bin’s relationship with Joon is weird too because they are trying to make it romantic, but it really isn’t working. Their chemistry is mostly platonic. Hmmmm

Racket Boys: Continues to be DELIGHTFUL. I can’t say enough good things about this show. It is just so wholesome.

Doom at your Service: I got a bean. I got to see excellent chemistry between PBY and SIG. I got to see SIG. That is it, lol.

My Roommate is a Gumiho: The sheer number of times I said inappropriate in these past two episodes is baffling. I have no idea why I am still watching. I am fully hoping that a professor at that university isn’t requiring his students to couple up in order to get good grades. I really hope it is a silly rumor started by students because that would be so insanely inappropriate that I would be rendered speechless. I also really really hate the red string of destiny. It is insanely gross in this context. She already decided she didn’t want to be with Sun Woo, why are we literally forcing it. I don’t understand. Lee Dam is some kind of weirdo object to be won and taken by either a Gumiho or a human. She isn’t allowed to make her own decisions because one lies to her and the other she is being forced to like because of the red string of destiny. It is fully gross, at least with the Gumiho she actually likes him. ICK NAST. I’m probably going to drop because everything about the between the 1L and 2L is toxic and gross.

Hospital Playlist: They really took a hammer and smashed you in the nose with the friends to lovers anecdote there. I loved the cameo, but Song Hwa was hit with a sledgehammer. Lol. Also, I sobbed right alongside Eunji’s mother. She was taking care of that woman and then trying her hardest to be so cheerful. Sometimes it is too much. Heart transplants are hard, especially for children, a child has to die for your child to live. So you pray for a miracle, but goodness me. I love this show. Also Ik Joon is such a superstar. I laughed at his stupid joke about his pelvis, I was right there with Dr. Do cackling at the joke. I was waiting for Woo Joo to show his cute face and he continued to be ADORABLE.

Nevertheless: Hmmmm, Na Bi you in danger girl. That is my comment.

The Devil Judge: I hope it is good, I hope it is good.

The Day of Becoming You
I paused all my kdramas (i was watching just 2 anyway lol) to binge this nearly perfect show.
It has been quite long since I have loved a rom com this much. Having the best main leads, excellent comedy, as well as a meaningful story. There is a slight issue in the ending but I chose to ignore that altogether because everything else in this show was great for me. I hope Chinese dramas make more such dramas with susbtance and humor.

Hospital Playlist: I just love these characters so much. Not just our main group but all the side characters too. The little moment of showing the girl in the hospital bed alone broke my heart. I'm curious about her storyline. Also, Jo Jung suk is so charismatic on screen.

Nevertheless: I'm still not sure how I actually feel about this one, but I keep checking Netflix so I'm hooked. I do want to see more of the girls hanging out together or in art class.

Derry Girls: Almost finished both seasons. Adore these girls and their "wee english fella" This has been perfect to come home and watch after work while in this horrible heat wave. I'd also rec their Great British Baking Show ep as they were all super charming on it.

Thinking of adding Racket Boys this week as Beanies seem to be loving it.

The RACKET BOYS and girls are still going strong. I can't get enough of Hae-Kang's muttering ' he is so annoying'. Great cameos in every episode, too.

There is something nice about ON THE VERGE OF INSANITY, too. Despite the depressing developments at this company, it is fun to see how Choi Ban-seok takes to his new, unfamiliar task, uncovering and calling out the shady or mean practices all around. I loved his bartering with Dang Ja-young over the number of reports he has to make.

HOSPITAL PLAYLIST 2 is another one with a good strong script and performance. The weakest part so far is the way the Ik-soon accident was put into place. It was clear from the phone conversation with the reassurance that all will be fine, that all will not be fine at all and that the secret relationship will be uncovered, soon.

GUMMIHO ROOMMATE is reaching the apparently always required break up stage. The most interesting part for me was that gummiho is not always nice and considerate, but is perfectly at ease drawing energy from the fellow professor. Annoyingly for him, he has been caught out by Miss Dam, though. Hands on chest - great comedy performance from Kang Han-Na.

Some good laughs at MONTHLY MAGAZINE HOME, too. Ja-sung lapping up the comment from So-Min that he is a good guy, only to get annoyed when he hears her saying nice things to other people, too.

Birth secret not unexpected in BOSSAM, but not very original either. The politics is getting a bit boring and I am fed up with the king throwing his daughter under the bus all the time. Lovely wedding scene, though.

NEVERTEHLESS could become more interesting or really bad, not sure yet. I like the way the camera is being used. There is also a certain elegance in the way Song Kang moves, it must be due to all the ballet lessons from Navillera.

Monthly Magazine Ep 1-2 - I like Kim Ji-Suk and grumpy characters, that's my excuse for this show. The first ep had him be a real jerk so I almost dropped it but after that he improves. There is too much happening to the heroine on these first eps but maybe that's just that weird idea of kdramas of punching the FL to make her more likable.

Nevertheless - It's slow but interesting. It's nice not knowing where this show is going. It's the main reason I like it and I suspect it's the also the reason people seem put off by it. We've had thousands of jerks and shy heroines before but the doubt about the main roles isn't usually there. Is this a story about a naive girl who has an attraction for controlling men? Maybe she's mostly trying to prove something to herself? Will she learn something from this? Is it about a jerk being reformed by true love? I hope not because there's too many of this kind already on dramaland. It's also very pretty and has a great soundtrack. I like the college students acting like regular people too, it's more realistic than average dramas.

RACKET BOYS--In addition to loving this drama for itself, I was recently reminded by a personal experience why I watch Kdramas. I was hurt by someone close and as I was processing my feelings and future action, the boys from this drama came to mind. Every time an adult has failed them they have been forgiving and don't let the action of other's influence them toward hate and anger. Wow! It may seem silly, but it was these scenes that popped into my head at the moment when I had to decide if I was going to forgive this person close to me.
THIS is why I watch Kdramas. They are not perfect and there are aspects that I would wish were different. Not every drama is commendable either--in quality or in content. BUT overall for me I am reminded and inspired to be a better person within my relationships and interactions with others. So thank you to all the Kdramas that have changed me.

I watched Ji Jin-hee this week. I watched him go from so cute and adorable to so heartbreaking and hot. I watched him go from man-child to the stoutest husband. I saw him with the sweetest, slaying smile to the saddest eyes. I watched him bulldoze over others to willingly having his heart stifled and crushed a thousand times. I saw him reluctantly dragged in love to falling headlong in fascination. I saw him court in the weirdest way ever to decisively committing. I watched him as a socially clueless man and then as a watchful power-wielder. I ... could go on and on...

In short, I watched him in two dramas, and he's captured my heart again!

The Man Who Can't Marry (2009) - This drama is so much fun, it delivers the chuckles consistently, from beginning to end. There's no angst, no villains, no crazy second leads. Just a lot of gentle growth and subtle realisations, delivered with humour. And it ends warmly, with all the relationships intact. Such a cute, endearing drama.

Misty - I thought no leading lady could better Han Tae-joo from Watcher, I was wrong. I thought Que Sera Sera would be the most intense romance ever, I was wrong.
Go Hye-ran, this lady has the biggest balls I've ever seen in dramaland, men included. And her husband - his disappointment, his stoic bearing, his commitment - oof, he just crushed my heart. Best drama husband ever!
This is such a stressful watch. I forget to breathe. The heart thumps. My blood pressure has me clutching the back of my head, drama style. And every scene is embedded in my mind, clear as ever. Which is good, I don't want to forget this drama soon.

- DOOM AT YOUR SERVICE: I had felt a little tired because of the Jeju episode, but during the last episodes the drama improved. Even the love triangle showed its potential and proved to be a beautiful story of letting go and moving on.
It wasn't without flaws, but I don't regret watching it and was satisfied by the finale. I loved the warmth of the family.
Uncertain between 7 and 7,5/10.

- MY ROOMMATE IS A GUMIHO: even with a little angst, it's always my happy pill. Hye-sun and Jae-jin are the sweetest.

- MONTHLY MAGAZINE HOME: I am confused about this show. One minute I think that I don't like it and should drop it, then I find myself laughing out loud.
Not a fan of the characterization of the ML.

- HELLO, ME!: my Sunday show. It is fun and has heart. Teen Ha-ni is adorable, adult Ha-ni is relatable. I love the ML and his smile. Not a fan of the aunt and her scheming, it feels like an "old" (and boring) story.

- BEYOND EVIL: this show is absolutely beautiful. I wasn't hooked by the first episodes (knowing that in a Kdrama it is almost impossible that the ML is the culprit, I found his smile forced and annoying), but now I am loving it. I didn't expect that the murderer (and what a creepy one) would be revealed so soon; the story is very gripping.

- MY LITTLE HAPPINESS: I know this was loved by lots of beanies, but probably this genre isn't my cup of tea. After the leads became a couple, it seems that there isn't much plot. The SLs are still interesting, though.

- HEAVEN OFFICIAL'S BLESSING: a Chinese animated series. The graphic design (I hope this is the right word) is beautiful, but after some episodes, the plot became confused. It had potential and I hope the second season will be better. 6/10.

Current -

MONTHLY MAGAZINE HOME - this showed up on Viki, and I like it so far (ep2). Although if he is a mega rich time poor property mogul you’d think he’d have better things to do than micromanage a magazine writer, but ok. He should spend some of that time buying new suits because some of his are distractingly ugly.

RACKET BOYS - up to ep 4. Watching with my sister, chosen solely because of seeing a screenshot of “Queenstown”, New Zealand (I love seeing international portrayals of NZ, even if brief). It’s a nice drama so far.

ROOMMATE GUMIUO and DOOM still exist in my watch list and I will probably finish them. I will not be finishing NEVERTHELESS.

Older -
I binged ROMANTIC DOCTOR TEACHER KIM S1 (it was good) and off the back of that managed to make it to the end of WARM AND COZY, only about three years after starting it the first time. It was a nice advertisement for Jeju Island but as a drama it’s overly long for the story it has.

I’ve been casting about trying to find another older drama to watch - have tried THE DIVORCE LAWYER IN LOVE (FL is awful and had to FF in first episode, not a good sign), ACCIDENTAL COUPLE (ML so far painfully naive to the point of stupid which is not something I find funny or appealing) and IMAGINARY CAT(so far all cats are real).
Didn’t get hooked by any of these so am rewatching (with some FF) Taiwanese drama LOVE AROUND. I saw it the first time when I first started watching dramas and it is so over the top (“how could brother get beaten up by those guys? There were only ten of them!” “He was previously injured or he could have taken them easily”); it’s fun.

Variety shows -
MASTER IN THE HOUSE had the first episode without Sungrok and Eunwoo, and I really enjoyed it. I think the format works better with four members instead of five, so I hope they keep that.

I am working to catch up on several shows.

MY ROOMMATE IS A GUMIHO continues to be entertaining, Hyeri is perfect but Kang Hanna dominates every scene she is in: The drama gods will have failed us if she does not get a lead role next.

MONTHLY MAGAZINE HOME is very watchable but the male lead is wearing on me- just a bit. But we are still enjoying it thanks to Jung So-min and there have been some surprises in the most recent episodes. Good news for anyone wo does not get iQIYI- Viki now has this show too, though it appears that the episodes will be released there two weeks after airing on iQIYI.

The daily drama BE MY DREAM FAMILY is, if anything, getting even better. There were some really nice moments this week- and one truly well deserved comeuppance- not to mention that the news at the end of Fridays episode gives us a new difficulty and yet at the same time one more thing to smile about. I am sometimes able to watch at lunchtime, when a break is a really needed. This is my daily dose of smiles.

But sometimes smiles can be found elsewhere as well, I have also started the Chinese Costume Comedy TRUTH OR DARE. Plot wise it is remarkably silly- but sometimes silly is good. Or as Missvictrix put it “Sometimes ridiculous is just what you need.” This one has it by the boatload. She also mentioned BEAUTIFUL GONG SHIM- if you have never seen that one you should (one of my favorite comments of all time is that her wig deserves its own acting credit).

My wife is now current on BOSSAM. She is also enjoying the Chinese costume drama TIME FLIES AND YOU ARE HERE.

Did I mention how good it is to have HOSPITAL PLAYLIST back for a second season? It is like the return of an old friend.

ON THE VERGE OF INSANITY was not on my radar but the early returns seem favorable. I remember Jung Jae-young from the great DUEL (2017) and I am a Lee Sang-yeob fan but have not seen him since WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING (2017). With BOSSAM wrapping up I think I will take a look at INSANITY or maybe VERGE is better.

Racket Boys: God do I love this show. It is so accurate in the way it captures teenagers. When the doctor said that in middle school, all a person wants to know is who their real friends are, it hit me. It was just bang on. I absolutely adore the way Se Yoon and Hae Kang are. These two are so awkward and adorable and so many things I can't put into words, I love them. Also Yoon Dam's tiny smiles at Han Sol have my heart.
Gumiho: Haven't watched this week's episodes due to time constraints but watched the clips and someone needs to put Gye Sun Woo out of his misery. He has basically zero contribution to the lot. I might just watch Kiss Goblin to get more Bae In Hyuk. Also I love Jae Jin and Hye Sun together. Jae Jin may turn out to be my favourite supporting male character of all time.
Hospital Playlist: I want more of patients and friendships and family. This show shines when it does these themes. The romance seems forced at this point, mainly because the first season didn't make romance a central theme. The only exception to this is our Winter Garden. One of the reasons I love this show is that I really connect with the patients' stories due to the cultural similarities between Korea and India. Also I genuinely feel like they are forcing Iksong at this point. I said it. I know it is an unpopular opinion but that is what I feel.
Imitation: This show could have greatly benefited from the 2 episodes per week format because one episode each week makes the story move at a really slow pace. I love Ji Hak, the industry needs more people like him. I just want to go and give Eun Jo a huge hug. Also La Rim A is the coolest second female lead ever. She isn't afraid to go after what she wants and knows when to back out. I respect you girl.

Not watching anything ongoing at the moment.

Initially started Navillera (ep 8/12), added The Third Charm (ep 4/16), but pretty munch bingeing on Eternal Love (ep 33/58), a Cdrama.

Navillera: a bit slow-paced for me, but with the latest revelation about Mr. Sim (sniff), things will probably pick up!

The Third Charm: adorable so far and I’m curious what will happen to our couple. I sense conflict coming up when I continue it.

Eternal Love: my second historical mainland Chinese film and I am loving it! I’ll probably binge and finish the rest this weekend. Then go back to the other 2 shows when I finish.

Rewatch of Midnight Diner 1 & 2
Ep 5 next for Racket Boys
Watching Believer K movie
Watched first 3 Eps of J drama Konto ga Hajimaru
Nevertheless, different for a K drama, wish the story telling was a bit tighter.

My Roommate is a Gumiho (1-6): The drama became finally available on VIKI in my region although it's 2 episodes behind the original airing. Anyways, I love it. It’s hilarious, goofy, swoony everything I need at this time. I got really creepy vibes from the ML in the initial episodes but find myself falling for him in the next episodes. I mean how can you not fall for a fox who can quote book references so romantically?? . It’s my first time watching Hyeri, and I loved her come backs and comic timings not to mention the spot on facial reactions. The color codes of the show are beautiful too. I also loved how the show threw us a possible killer track. So we have a bad gumiho on loose who is probably in search of a fox bead?The beige costumes, the sun struck poses and orange & yellow trees, I can go on and on about how I much I enjoyed everything. I like how our Fox is 900+ but still so dumb. He just niece zoned her?? Didn’t you learn anything in all these years?? and Hyeri’s expression !!! Lmao I can’t stop laughing. And when I thought it can’t get anymore funnier, she just uncle zoned him….LOL. And Kang Hana is just so hilarious. I loved her sequences and how I wish makers to fully utilize her potential. I liked In Hyuk’s character too. Such a difference from his role in “At a distance”. He is just starting out but I am sure I will watch out for his future works.
At a distance spring is Green (5-6): Okay. I don’t know where the storyline is going. The storyline depresses me but the curiosity is making me watch this every week. I thought we might have a concentric triangle here but this week’s episodes hinted on a love square or whatever that is called. I still can’t connect with Joon and the two characters I root for here are NSH and his female friend. That scene where he was fired from his job and his helplessness, I felt for him there. The FL has shown a bit of growth but I feel more than a bf, she is in need of a therapist to overcome her fear and traumas. The people around our leads are serious jerks. The professor who fired her and the seniors!!How I wish I could just toss them aside or make them disappear. I keep wondering if NSH will end up with any of the girls. I mean, the red haired girl is nice (I keep forgetting her name), but I didn’t find any chemistry between NSH and her. We do not know her back story and from whatever we have been shown, hers felt more like an infatuation or high school crush rather than something deep. Finally with his female friend (I keep forgetting her name too), I felt a comfortable bonding but not potential for a romantic relationship though I wish they explore that.
Hospital Playlist (3): What a turn of events it was! I hope Ik-Sun isn’t cheating. I hope things get cleared soon. Our winter garden couple is so adorable. And hopefully we are gonna get a slow burn development from Song Hwa’s side. The one week wait is too long.
Nevertheless (2): Watching it just because I am curious about JE and his...

Doom At Your Service: got the bean. If ever there was a drama that spent 16 episodes chasing its tail, it's this one. And I say this having watched Sisyphus, which was a drama about actual time loops.

Racket Boys Kids: my current favorite. I am as devoted. I'm moved every week, and every week I laugh out loud. This is a slice-of-life done very well, and it just has so much heart.

My Roomate Is a Gumiho: I groaned when they introduced the totally unecesary Red Thread of Destiny, but then if they didn't, what would they have Playboy 2L do for the rest of the drama? As the expected angsty breakup has now occurred after an episode replete with the standard, "I'm not good enough for her/I can't offer her that" fare, Hye-sun and Jae-jin are my MVPs now, so I'm watching pretty much for them now.

Hospital Playlist 2: I do enjoy this, but, wow, are they hitting us heavy over the head with the love lines. Watching ep 3, I had just sadly uttered, "But where is my little U-ju?" when he suddenly burst through the door, surgeon-washed hands up! My heart! His appa Ik-jun remains my firm favorite, and I loved this week's song.

Monthly Magazine Home: felt like this one took a bit to get moving, but I'm enjoying it now. The leads are great, and I'm warming to the rest of the magazine staff, too. Good chemistry with the OTP, and I'm super curious to see how they're going to play out this line with Unnie and her sugar daddy.

DOOM AT YOUR SERVICE: The two final episodes were lovely, packed with meaningful get togethers and family centered. If the show had been penned like this from the start, I'd been in love.
I still vouch for the second leads to have their own show. That was sizzling. From the OTP I got more of a feeling of fondness.

BLOODY ROMANCE:❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

MOONLIGHT: This is so cute! Above that, the FL is truly inspiring in her aspirations to becoming an awesome editor and not letting people step all over her. As a side note, I discovered qiyi has a feature where you can edit the play speed. With entire episodes on 1,25, I still have time to read the subtitles, the music is peppier and everyone speaks like me! No need for fast-forwarding. Ka-ching!