This week... I have been charmed.

...I've been charmed by Dali (despite some lolly cringing at the beginning) and I think Park Kyu Yeong is doing a really nice job. I'm also charmed by Muhak (Kim Min Jae is just perfection, especially at all those nuances). And... I love them together! 😍 (And isn't it nice that they both seem to be decent people?)

...I've been charmed by Yumi... and her Cells. Actually, I'm right there among them, cheering on! (That date with Wooki was an emotional rollercoaster! So well done! And then they crack me down with the automatic doll 😂😂). I'm also ready to be charmed by Woong and his Cell(s?) 😀

...and I'm still charmed by Seaside Hometown and its inhabitants, especially the main trio is my beach cocktail pleasure... and I'm sunbathing in all their interactions (and dimples). 😎🍹

Balancing all the charm and cuteness by the black cuteness of Definitely not Today.

Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha: Last week was slower but no less enjoyable. I liked the 2D1N references. Hye-jin, Doo-shik and Sung-hyun are such a fun, chaotic trio. I don’t want romance to ruin that. Stay drinking buddies, please. I’m glad we got some backstory and hopefully a bit of growth from Nam-sook.

Yumi’s Cells: First off, Kim Go-eun is so good as Yumi. It’s been a while since I’ve liked her this much in a role. She’s one of those actresses that can say so much with her eyes and little micro expressions. I had so much secondhand embarrassment watching Yumi, especially in Episode 2. The scene where she was fighting back tears was so relatable. The cells sometimes take me out of the story, and it feels like my niece changed the channel during my k-drama, but I’m getting used to them. I was dying when Woong’s humor cell showed up. I was dying when Woong showed up, period. I know I shouldn’t get attached, but it’s too late. Their blind date was really cute until Hysterius took over.

Hometown: I had high expectations for this drama and thankfully, I like it so far. I have no clue what is going on, but the atmosphere is sufficiently mysterious. Are we dealing with some kind of cult, which uses the tape to activate people somehow, making them see things? Han Ye-ri and Yoo Jae-myung are reliably good. Uhm Tae-gu hasn’t had much airtime yet, but that man is crazy charismatic.

Dal-li and Gamjatang: I had zero expectations for this drama but the first two episodes were kind of cute. I was pleasantly surprised by Park Kyu-young. Her Dal-li had a quiet dignity that really drew me in. Her English was good too. The problem is that I don’t care about anything outside of Dal-li and her interactions with the male lead, so I can see the drama becoming a drag.

High Class: Even the chef has an hidden agenda. Yeo-wool needs some allies. Danny will probably go over to her side, but not sure I want him to after seeing his stalker locker. I understand that Na-yoon thinks Yeo-wool killed the husband, that’s fair, but the husband is the one who had two wives. Don’t hate on each other for that. The creep even bought them the same ring, dress, and handbag. The child actors are so good.

CRICKET -

As said last week - England's tour to pak is cancelled. yep.
IPL is going on but i can't get into it at all - yeah yeah

Most important is this - hehe

https://twitter.com/ICC/status/1437328759737110529

And a 14 year old kid girl was playing village cricket and posted her bowling stats on /r/cricket - majority members being males. Gonna share that kid's bowling too.

Squid Game (Series review)
The battle royale genre is something that has been done before particularly in Japanese media: going into this, I hoped that this Korean take on that concept would have its own uniqueness. Sadly to say, I was just disappointed with how so predictable some of the twists were and how many of the developments played out. In particular, the cop’s arc just had 0 integration with the main plot: it was just filler which could’ve been cut without affecting the plot. There was also that lame stereotyping of rich western villains: it just backfires on the diversity they had envisioned for through Ali’s casting.

Yumi's Cells (Episode 1-2) - Mood: C+
Despite being apprehensive about the use of animation, the transitions between Cell Town and reality are quite smooth and don’t disrupt the flow of the story. I do also appreciate the way the show has done some world-building so far but I want more and not just in the OTP (prime cells were a good start!). However, the characterisation has me worried: both leads are fine (frankly they’re milquetoast but it’s okay I guess) but the others don’t inspire much confidence. Ugi has a crush on the Section Chief, right? But being a mainstream drama, I can’t imagine his arc will be positive representation.

High Class (Episode 5-6) - Mood: C
It’s awfully convenient that Yeo Wool is in the right place and time to gather crucial info, whether it be the hit and run of the helper (her helpfulness will come back to bless her!), overhearing the conversation between Na Yoon and Ji Sun, or even Jae In unwittingly submitting herself as bait to force the truth out of Na Yoon. Speaking of which, Jae In really has the thieving spirit in her: I groaned when she stole the phone but chuckled when she also folded the paper airplane and gave it to Yi Chan! Overall, the show’s doing decent not dragging out the obvious stuff while keeping things mysterious.

Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha (Episode 7-8) - Mood: D+
So that’s the third mystery? How disappointing! Based on the fact that Du Sik already features in the trauma mystery, it feels that the lottery winner is someone else, though honestly I’m not invested in speculating who it is. Also, I apologise if this sounds heartless but losing your child due to unfortunate circumstances doesn’t give you the liberty to do crimes and trash other people’s lives: Hye Jin had already expressed her distaste, also, it’s disheartening that the show simply pretended Nam Sook did nothing wrong? Love triangle: jealousy nonsense aside, I’m not thrilled for parent disapproval.

Also watched:
- One The Woman (Episode 1-2) - Mood: C-, It’s makjang but Honey Lee is rocking it wonderfully well?
- Dal-li and Gamjatang (Episode 1-2) - Mood: C-, I like it but there’s quite a lot of awkward writing moments.
- The Great Shaman Ga Doo Shim (Episode 10): The cliffhanger was laughingly predictable!

ONGOING
Hometown Cha-cha-cha - The almost kiss, the slow-mo hair tying, the petty jealousy - the show continues to be full of tropes. But somehow it still feels charming and sweet. I felt bad for poor Du-sik feeling replaced by Sung-hyun wherever he went. But then we get Hye-jin drinking the medicine and Du-sik eating the awful porridge and all feels right with the world 🎶

Lovers of the Red Sky - No episodes this week 😔

The Great Shaman Ga Doo-shim - Not surprised by who ended up being the 'last' student. Surprised by the kiss. Bracing for the final battle next week.

STARTED
Dali and Gamjatang - Kim Min-jae 😍 is so good at making you believe the romance. Park Gyu-young is also keeping up despite the awful hairstyle. The side characters seem to be straight out of a makjang so would appreciate toning down the shouting. Looking forward to more from Kwon Yul and Hwang Hee.

C-DRAMAS
Completed Forever and Ever, which stayed good till the end.

Still watching Cute Programmer but the ML's idiocy is getting on my nerves now.

Started A Female Student Arrives at the Imperial College, which is cute if a little narratively slow.

The great shaman Ga Doo Shim. Still waiting for subs on Viki.

Hometown Chachahcha. I’m so happy I’m watching this drama. A wonderful happy pill, a romcom and nothing more. I love our dimple OTP and even though we didn’t get that episode 8 kiss, that hug felt like one: sincere and needed.

The Veil. I follow NGM on IG and I knew how hard he worked out, but man, he seems a totally different person from his previous roles, and that’s what I love the most about him. I liked first week a lot, the pace was intense. I had important Total Recall vibes. So far I don’t trust anyone. Not even Han JiHyuk. I said I had Total Recall vibes.

Confession (2019). It’s a good crime drama with a good cast, but the music is awful, it distracts me more than Junho. Yes, you’ve read correctly. Even so, with all its tropes it’s entertaining.

I continue my rewatch of Be Melodramatic and I’m loving it, and I gave a try to YuMi’s cells but couldn’t finish episode one and to DaLi and the Cocky Prince which was fine but nothing more and even if I’m happy to watch a smliey KMJ, I’m not totally convinced although I will try to stick to missvictrix four episode rule (also, I’m tired of watching romcoms with murderers around).

And on Monday we will have Red Sky back. Can’t wait.

I'm quite a cranky viewer nowadays, I think. I finished SQUID GAME. I thought it was visually good, but emotionally, did not quite hit the right notes for me. It was good to see Lee Jung-jae onscreen, though.

THE GREAT SHAMAN GA DOO SHIM: is my happy place. Even plot points/things that annoy me in other dramas don't bother me in her. Love this show!

LOVERS OF THE RED SKY: A giant yawn for me. Sooooo boring.

CDRAMAS:
Finished THE BOND. 7/10. The middle did drive me crazy, but overall a pretty good drama. Very well worth the watch, even if only for the beginning and ending.

MY BARGAIN QUEEN: it is soooo bad, my goodness. Every main actor in this show is A, A-, or B+ list. There is NO reason for them to be in this shbles of a drama.

SINGAPORE : The ferryman: legends of Nanyang - not a good show, but not bad neither. A bit scary, but more of fantasy ghost stories than horror ghost stories.

Police University: We shall see new episodes this upcoming week.

Lovers of the Red Sky: I’m so excited for it to be back.

High Class: I’m glad she knows her husband’s mistress. I am only sad this divide will affect the kids. I want them to stay friends.

Hometown: Well, that is a beginning. It looks like demons/ghosts/spirits are involved in this. Uhm Tae Goo is once again playing a disturbed character, but he is good at it. I want to see him in a comedy once day. My favorite thing about Uhm Tae Goo is his voice, even when he is speaking softly, it is mesmerizing to me. So the mystery is where Lee Re, where did she runoff to?

Da Li and the Cocky Prince: I loved it, squeeeeeeee. What a fabulous beginning. Also our cocky prince is already in love. It is delightful, Kim Min Jae does earnest really well. The leads have good chemistry and I like them together. I wish she didn’t have to be poor for this drama to work, but whatever. I loved it.

The Veil: NGM got real buff for this, he is great as always. The drama is very run of mill with a predictable storyline, so I’m honestly not watching for that.

One the Woman: I like it. I have seen the story before, but I am enjoying it regardless. It is nice that Seung Wook recognizes that she isn’t Mi Na. It is also nice that they won’t be each other’s first love, even she looks like her. I take my victories as I get them, ha.

Yumi’s Cells: I wanted to love it. I liked the outside story. However, they stayed too long on the animation so it took me out of the scene. It is unfortunate.

Hometown Cha Cha Cha: The preview seems to show that DS is going to be forced to speed up his confession. They are going the fake relationship route, maybe he will be nicer to her. Team Hye Jin for life, lol. We shall see what happens. Also I wanted to add they really glossed over the damage that rumors can cause, regardless of the fact that her daughter died, her nosinesss is harmful and doesn’t get excuses from me.

Lost: I just want to know what happens in that room.

Hometown It's intriguing. It was kinda hard to follow with the constant jumps in the time. I felt some nostalgia to see them use cassette :p

Young Lady and Gentleman The direction was really beautiful. The actors were great, PKH was beautiful in this style. I found funny that in 2021, some actors still drive the car like in old movies. 😂

The Veil When I commented that the ML did this to himself, I actually didn't watch the last 5 minutes of the first episode yet (my train had arrived at the station), so I was really surprised!

Human Disqualification I'm kinda lost in the timeline of the events of BJ's life.

Yumi's Cells It's super cute. It reminds me a French writer http://english.bouletcorp.com/2017/01/19/your-comment-here/

Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha It's my happy pill for the week! I love everything in this drama!

Squid Game I found it quite disordered. The sets were awesome, the casting was good but not extraordinary. The societal message and the story didn't really work for me.

The Great Shaman GDS They're so adorable!

You Raise Me Up Poor ML, surrounded by the worst doctors! The guy is depressive, tried to kill himself, but he's the one who had to lecture professionals... It's sad because the theme could have been adressed way better and made in a good drama.

I missed Red Sky but not Police University...

Prison Playbook⚾👮(14/16): I left prison for a couple of weeks and did not know how much I had missed the inmates and guards until I pressed play on the last quarter. I was back to cackling within 5 minutes, because that is how long it takes for Looney to piss anyone off.😆I am sad however, to see Kaist leave all of a sudden. He is not the first, nor the last inmate to do so, but now Looney has one less daily target! It all falls to Captain Yoo now, and he delivers as expected.😆

The Great Shaman Ga Doo Shim👻👧(10/12): Na Woo-Soo, way to spoil the romance!💔

Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha🌊🦷(8/16):🎵Lalalalalalalalala, Romantic Weeeekeeend🎵 Lee Sang-Yi is going to give me massive SLS, right? I have only seen him as baddies or comic relief until now, so I doubted he could pull off the second lead prince charming character we are so used to. However, I was pleasantly surprised. I usually associate PD’s with glamour and elite in K-dramas, but Sang-Yi portrays a nice and flawed human who just happens to work as a PD. I need to give kudos to the writing as well, because a mutual crush between good university friends is more realistic than the usual female lead- second male lead storylines.

Lovers of the Red Sky🖌️🦋👁️(4/16): I understand your pain Beanies, but Chuseok is a blessing in disguise when you need to catch up 6 episodes!😂 I only remember Gong Myung from Individualist Ms. Ji-Young, so I understand why he always gets the puppy second lead roles. I am not sure if he will be a puppy prince in this role, but he is doing pompous prince a lot better than I gave him credit for!😆 Ahn Hyo-Seop will forever be our adorable Chan (Don’t think, fil!), but his opposite Haram is quickly catching up!😳 I cracked up at his “What on earth is going on?” facial expression in the background when Cheon-Gi accidentally hit the prince!🤣 And that gentle, deep voice.😍

Speaking of voices...I am trying to add Dali and Gamjatang to complete my week schedule, but I am actually already exceeding my K-drama limits!🤭

Squid Game: I wasn’t sure about this one, but the promise of a Gong Yoo cameo may have enticed me into giving it a shot. I’m no episode 7 now, and it’s so well done. You can feel the desperation and I love how we still get glimpses of humanity in the players. I’m less enthusiastic about the show now that the VIPs have been introduced, though. I feel like they really weaken the story. Two more episodes to go, so maybe they will prove their value.
Be Yourself:Breezy campus Cdrama, that didn’t demand much of me as a viewer. It was refreshing in that it focused more on the 4 friends and less on the romances. There were love lines, but the girls’ relationships and growth were always in the center. I was especially thrilled that there weren’t any dumb girls who barely get into college and spend 4 years following around a guy. They were all smart and talented in their own ways.
Human Disqualification: I will never be disappointed by Ryu Jun-Yeol’s looks. I don’t get why people think he can’t carry this show. I have been hoping for another My Mister and I don’t know if that is fair to this show. I am really enjoying it and think it’s going to continue to get more interesting and thoughtful. I like it when characters are a little gray and conflicted about what they want. And I really don’t think they are going to sleep together. I would like to ask the TOD to arrange a date with that mother-in-law. She spends a lot of time roaming around the neighborhood. There are opportunities there…
Hometown Cha-cha-cha: This is a happy pill and I dig it. I love the color palette and wacky neighborhood folks, but I really like the chemistry that is building between the OTP. I’m ready for the tragic backstory to come out and for everyone to start being honest about their feelings. Now that we’re past the halfway point, I’m sure it will start spilling out.

On the Verge of Insanity: The writing and acting stayed strong through the end, but I've worked in too many dysfunctional workplaces for this to be exactly a fun, relaxing watch. They did do a great job capturing the nuances of abusive, narcissistic bosses/co-workers though.

The Imperial Coroner: A lot of fun so far - I particularly enjoy vaguely dissolute sidekick Jing Yi.

Yumi's Cells: 8.6 Fashion in prison -- next best thing to Fashion Police.

The Veil: 8.5 At least I won't fall asleep in front of this one. Nicely executed crime/action show. Would be even better if only I could erase the memories of other times I've seen the same plot points.

One the Woman: 7.7 Wait a minute. Didn't I just watch another show where someone had lost their memory? Seriously, like 10 minutes ago.

Chuseok Holiday Preemptions: 0.001 😡

Squid Games: 8.5 (ep 3 / 9) Since the wounded cop fell off a Cliff of Non-Doom into the Ocean of Healing... if there is a 2nd season I assume we'll see him again.

Hometown Cha Cha Cha: 6.5

Hometown: 7.0 Not bad, but my high expectations leave me a bit disappointed. And who decided it was a good idea to have two concurrent shows with such similar titles? At least this one might keep me awake. Or if we average out the "Cha Cha Cha" and sinister factors do we get two normal home towns or two bland nothing shows?

Dal-li and Gamjatang: 8.0 Seems better than it seems like it ought to.

The Great Shaman Ga Doo Shim: 8.0 Have any of the below-average students ever tried to transfer out?

The Great Shaman Ga Doo Shim
I have yet to watch this week episode but I am little bummed out that Viki's thumbnail was a spoiler...

Erased
I watched the anime adaptation of the manga years ago and I thought it was finally time to check out the live-action adaptation on Netflix. The drama was beautifully shot and the young actors were the heart of the show. The criticism I have for the Japanese drama are similar to the ones I had for the anime. I guess the manga is to blame for the weak characterization and lackluster ending (although I do remember the anime having a different and slightly better ending...).

Tomorrow With You
I'm only on episode 12 so I have yet to see the ending. This drama has such mixed reviews so I don't know what to expect. I would have never watched it if I had not stumbled across a fan vid on youtube which convinced me to check it out. The people who have enjoyed it have called it a slow-burner. I sure hope that is true.

That said, I am enjoying it so far. The time travelling is a bit messy but still gives food for thoughts. Is it really better to know your future? Can you really change what is meant to be?

I also like that the drama focuses on the relationship rather than the romance. I particularly enjoy the focus on communication. Lee Jehoon and Shin Minah are nauseatingly cute together; I mostly find it funny but I also cringe at time. There is only so much aegyo I can take. Thankfully, they also have great onscreen chemistry together. The sexual tension and the kisses are worth it.

Finally, each episode features at least one use of a long take. Love it!

THE VEIL (Ep 1 & 2): Han Ji-Hyuk (Namkoong Min) was the best agent at the National Intelligence Service (NIS). He was admired by his peers, but his disappearance put the NIS in a crisis. One year later, Han Ji-Hyuk returns to the NIS to find the traitor that caused him to fall into his bottomless pit.

When a dark story starts in a gruesome place then gets truly evil, it is bound to raise the emotional bile in the viewer. What could be worse than a human trawler in the open sea harvesting organs? The set up is clear: in this world there is no ethics, no right or wrong, no morality. Every main character is sinister and evil. The gang brutality is way over the top. HJH is the ticking time bomb monster created by NIS to do its dirty work. His character is a Rambo-Godzilla role: the monster has to destroy the nation in order to save it. But it is hard to say at this point whether HJH is a hero or anti-hero character.

HIGH CLASS (Ep 5 & 6): The episodes confirms several theories about Yeo Wool’s husband’s infidelity, millions in missing money, and whom her real enemies are at the school. There are a lot of bad characters with secrets wanting a piece of Yeo Wool (or more likely the husband’s the missing investment money). Every time Yeo Wool seems to get the upper hand, people around her push her farther back in an attempt to isolate her so she gives up. Her relationship with Na-Yoon seems to be in shambles with counter-accusations that she may be unable to deny. Only quibbles are the increasing PPL and the tired mom group’s selfish school politics and posturing for status.

Variety: THE SIXTH SENSE (Finale): Season 2 ended with another surprising twist. Looking forward to Season 3.

Oh, lemme brag here for a moment re SQUID GAME

(SPOILER ALERT FOR THOSE WHO DON'T WANT TO BE SPOILED!!!)
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I figured out from hearing the masked guy's voice in earlier episodes that it was Lee Byung-hun, and I am so proud of myself for that!!! Dassall.

Tempted : I tried the first episode long time ago, but I can't bring myself to continue it.

Somehow I give it another chance after watching Mad Dog - digging Woo Do Hwan's drama.

For me Tempted is bearable with WDH & Joy, their scenes are the most cute, full with emotions and sweet. Other scenes, especially with Soo Ji and Se Ju, I just fast forwarded most of them, they are so depressing..

This is my second time watching Joy, and I like her better in this drama. Much much much better than her character in The Liar & His Lover.

Joy in Tempted is independent, smart and the best part is that she's not that easily swayed by men. She has the strength to say no to Gi Yeong & her coursemates. But she's also full of smile and so bright with Shi Hyun.

Super love her acting & character in this drama!

Hometown cha cha cha (7-8): So the episodes were fine but I did not like the SML. His interactions with the village people felt so artificial. I dont know if it was intended that way. It felt like he is weaseling his way into a space where he doesnot belong. I even skipped a few of his scenes when I couldn't take it anymore. I hope he tones down a bit in the coming episodes. The side stories are going strong esp the arc of the divorced couple and the friend. NS annoyed the hell out of me because even nosiness has a limit. Yea she has a backstory but your grief is not a justification for poking your nose into everybody's private affairs. I totally disagree with the landlady. I can forgive them but never can encourage the continuous poking no matter what. The leads are still wonderful.

Lovers of red sky (3-6): I love it. The wait for the next episodes is a real torture. I have no comments on CGI since I am enjoying everything else. The story is confusing when the deities themselves are wavering from the rules. Thanks to @sicarius that I have a few doubts clarified. There are still so many u answered questions but I am ready for the coming episodes without much bother about them. The leads doing such a good job esp KYJ. She looks so beautiful and charming. I am also loving the insight it gives about the world of artists. The different techniques of analyzing a painting and how it is always more than what it looks. Esp the final piece of our FL. How artistic it is to depict something like that. It is the first sargun I will be completing after Mr queen.

OLDER
World of Married (1-6): I miss my makjang quota and was looking for an apt series and decided to watch this. It might not be a makjang but it's dark enough to fill the quota. What a series !!!! Its dark, its raw, its vulnerable. The scene where the FL curled up sobbing on the kitchen floor was gut wrenching. It's well made and well paced. I am not a fan of HSH but she is doing a decent job here. Much better than her acting in the train wreck Nevertheless.
I felt so angry and sad when the FL found out about everyone's betrayal. That scene where she is watching everyone enjoying themselves .... That scene was portrayed so well that I felt that sense of betrayal. And how did she even stayed sane till the divorce? I was worried that she might have very bad mental breakdown but she handled it quiet well. It's my first Kim Hee ae drama but her performance is totally mind blowing. It .makes me wanna try her previous projects and I am sure I will give her future projects a try.

Great Shaman Ga Doo Shim: Woo-soo is so slick. Please let the two reunite in another drama one day.

Howntown Cha Cha Cha: I root for our OTP, but I would personally find Sung-hyun irresistible. I hope Sung-hyun doesn't fall in too deep. I really like his relationship with Doo-shik and everyone in the town and his cheerful demeanor. I want all the characters except for the mystery pervert to find happiness, even when they're being annoying.

Yumi's Cells: Adorable. Kim Go-eun may not look like the cartoon character, but she's killing it in this role. I just want to give her a big hug and root for her like her cells. I do find the drama sort of anxiety-inducing - the whole examining every little thing and the rollerocaster of emotions while navigating crushes and blind dates. Unexpected umbrella scenes tend to be pretty cliche but the one in episode 3 really got to me.

Dali and Gamjatang (just the first episode): Fun, but not a must-watch yet. I ike how it's both sort of cliche and different. The couple gets along really well despite the misunderstandings that would cause the characters to blow up in another drama. Park Kyu-young probably has the best english-speaking delivery of any kdrama actor for whom English wasn't already their first language.

Went back memory lane to binge My Unfamiliar Family (completed) and BTLIMF(episode 12) and I wasn't disappointed. The melo slice-of-life MUF offered balanced with the cuteness of Chan-Hyuk and Eun-hee. I think I enjoyed the recaps of BTLIMF more than watching it myself, but that's not going to make any less its richness. And Encounter (episode 14) is tugging my heartstrings.

Hospital Playlist 2: I think this is the one drama I made sure to watch every week despite my ongoing drama slump, and it never raised down the lever. Although a lot of things were settled off screen, one scene I was hoping but was rubbed off was MinHa - SeokHyung's mom confrontations. Rooting for this weird social guy and lively lady is my no 1 ship of the pairings the entire seasons. Their awkward romance kinda grew on me. Sarang-hae.
Lovers of the Red Sky: I'm just enjoying the drama cause it's a saguek, no connections yet. But the story is interesting as it goes. That confrontation at the drawing competition, that was bold.
Human Disqualification: I think the other name for this drama captures everything: I'm lost. Its feels empty, really bleak but intriguing which happens to be why I'm watching this.
The Road: Tragedy of One - Currently at episode 2. Began this for Yoon Se Ah, though I'm yet to see her full action but this drama is wow! Coming to the realization of that reveal as ep 2 drew close, I was like 'You panicked for the son who needed no protection'.

Was LOVERS OF THE RED SKY pre-empted by Chuseok? Why the hiatus? We were so disappointed. There were no new episodes this week so we had to find other shows to watch. So we watched the first episode of DALI AND GAMJATANG which Viki has decided to rename DALI AND COCKY PRINCE. So far it has been delightful, although we only got part of the way into the second episode when the subtitles ran out. My hunch about Dali’s name was confirmed in the first episode- she actually was named for Salvador Dali, one of the very greatest artists of the twentieth century (and exceptionally eccentric, even for an artist) so I will continue to type her name as Dali rather than Da-li. In any case we find the show charming and look forward to more of it.

We continued to watch the new C-Drama GO INTO YOUR HEART on VIKI. It is charming, light and even ridiculous- just what we need after watching the second season of the Masterpiece Mystery Theater drama UNFORGOTTEN, which is good but intense. My wife also watched the first season of the Hallmark Channel’s CHESAPEAKE SHORES (not near as intense) and three MISS MARPLE mysteries as well.

But of course my wife has also been watching another wonderful Chinese Costume Drama- the week it has been JUN JIU LING. She has also started ASHES OF LOVE which is very highly rated.

We also watched more of HIKARU NO GO which is a really good and continued to watch the lighter MOONLIGHT. Yes, that means we are watching two shows centered around the game of GO- at the same time.

I also decided to check out another light but silly Chinese rom-com by watching a few episodes of OH, MY SWEET LIAR! Even the title song is fun- it resembles a Tango and the whole show seems to resemble a dance in its storytelling. While not as compelling as some other C-drama costume rom-coms it is better than some. For a more modern on my wife had us check out SWEET SWEET which so far is fairly cute despite the almost cringey stupidity of the female lead. Sometimes it seems like Chinese writers fail to understand something very important about men: We are attracted to beauty but we also are attracted to women who have brains. Quite frankly I feel offended at the shallowness attributed to men.

And this is where I have to admit that we have yet to begin watching YUMI AND HER CELLS. I have to plead the demands of work and promise to check it out before next Saturday. But HOMETOWN CHA CHA CHA continues to charm the socks off of us and we really look for ward to the new episodes.

BE MY DREAM FAMILY has entered its final stretch and I will miss it when it is done.

And look at me taking to dramas this week to avoid real-life deadlines.

Currently Airing

Dali and the Cocky Prince: I enjoyed this first episode. The humor is a hit or miss at times. But I’m really liking Dali. I wish there wasn’t a mystery aspect, but I don’t think we’re going to be able to avoid that without the drama being fewer episodes. I’m really digging the styling here. It’s definitely not what I would typically like, but it fits here. (I also like Dali’s hair, haha.) I’m excited to see our two leads together. I’m liking their chemistry already. (ep. 1)

Finished Airing

My Roommate is a Gumiho: Pick a side here. You either take a break or you don’t. Or, instead of breaking up, just limit interactions to phone calls. Dates that don’t involve close contact. I don’t know why it’s so difficult to pick the middle ground here. The ‘red string of fate’ plotline is also annoying here. If it were between the main leads, sure, it’s fine. But I don’t like the second lead. Glad I know they won’t end up together. (ep. 10)

L.U.C.A.: The Beginning: I randomly decided to start this one up again since DALI AND THE COCKY PRINCE’s second episode wasn’t fully translated yet. I gotta say, I’m enjoying the action in this. I have a thing for plots that revolve around a character being on the run. I have two caveats though: the female lead gets hurt all the time and bounces right back up from serious injuries in the blink of an eye, and the police are a bit dumb here. I rated these episodes the highest though, this week. (ep. 2-3)

Completed

Blue Birthday: These final couple episodes never reached a 100% on being subbed, so I just went ahead and watched them anyways. Whole drama was okay. The ending was weird. The female lead basically ends up being a 30 year old who ends up with a 15 year old (if I interpreted the ending correctly – there was a time skip that just wasn’t very well done). Probably wouldn’t recommend to anyone, which is too bad, because I found the early episodes to be quite fun. *6 out of 10 stars*

Touch Me If You Can: I thought the premise of this webdrama was interesting: a female succubus who meets a man whose touch is different from others (don’t worry, this is pretty much TV-14 rated). It was just okay. The female character was mostly annoying. I don’t know if this was the actress or how her character was written. And then she’s magically turned human with a kiss at the end. And the two leads meet (both with no memory of their time together) at the end. Cliché. (ep. 1-6) *5.5 out of 10 stars*

Only two shows left on my Must Watch list - The Veil and One the Woman (which is turning out a lot better than I expected, given the premise). A couple other casually watching - Cha Cha is one.

My kdrama slump has caused me to fall down the cdrama rabbit hole.
I've watched a few cdramas before but they've not made much of an impression--until now. I went from watching Be Yourself (campus drama) to One and Only (historical romance) which then made me crave for substantial historical, so I decided to watch Nirvana in Fire, which was just *wow*. I'm so happy for the blog that recapped NiF because it helped me fully appreciate a lot of the historical and cultural nuances. I'm now watching Like a Flowing River. The ups and downs (so many downs T_T) of the main character's work life gives me Verge of Insanity and Misaeng vibes. I wonder if any beanies have seen it? Tagging @pickleddragon because I think you watch the non-fluffy kind of cdramas?

I have to say I really like the way these cdramas are filmed. I don't know much about cinematography but for one, there are far less close-ups compared to kdramas. The actors are given much more breathing room. This makes for much more natural acting in my opinion, since so much visual focus is not given to a particular individual (s) you can actually appreciate the setting and how the characters interact with it, as well their body language towards each other which makes the platonic relationships seem more natural. Since I've mentioned relationships, I also like that unless it's the main genre, romance doesn't overshadow the plot or the characters' entire existence, unlike with kdramas. Going back to filming style, I frequently find myself calling kdramas overstylised--which has its own charm too. Of course there are overstylised cdramas too (clearing targeting international audience) but my point is that an understated filming style is rare to come by in kdrama land. One last comment: there is an element of unpredictability with the cdramas I've listed except One and Only, I was surprised to see them not following the formulas I've gotten so used to. I think a part of this is the license of longer episode runs with shorter episode length--the pace is more leisurely than kdramas which need fast development with high impact to hook viewers. The slower pacing works really well for slice-of-life dramas such as Like a Flowing River, it gives a fully fleshed picture of the characters' lives as they meet new people and leave others behind.

3Cha - Less of a love-triangle and more Seong-Hyeon putting Doo-shik off-balance. Hye-jin may be a bit too oblivious to Seong-Hyeon's intentions.

Lost - Kinda hope the pacing will pick up or maybe its a good reminder that its good to slow down, take your time, and enjoy the moment. Tangerine?

The Veil - took a bit to warm up to this drama. Namkoong Min gives a solid delivery even if I don't really like Han Ji-Hyuk at this point.

You Raise Me Up - the unprofessionalism of the doctors is just too irritating.

Dali and Cocky Prince - Kim Min-Jae and Park Gyu-Young are delightful.

Am I the Only One with Butterflies? - Very short but cute.

I think I'm a whole day late for this post, lol.

Currently watching: Human Disqualification--not sure what I think, but I'll put up with a lot for a weekly dose of Ryu Jun-yeol;
Yumi's Cells--completely charmed by this adorable show/concept, also really like the two leads

Recently finished: Squid Game--we've all seen these kinds of battle royale shows before, don't think this mined any new territory, but it was visually brilliant and quite easy to binge; also props to the show for not just taking the easy way out and going brownface for the Ali character

Dropped: Hometown 3Cha--everyone seems to be in love with this drama, but it did nothing for me, proving that everything is not for everyone. Oh well.

The Veil (Ep 3&4) - We now know a bit more about Je-yi's motive to be involved in the field. Basically everyone is suspicious at this point as to who are the rats (I'd say more than one) in the organization. I'm interested to see what comes next with the revelation at the end of ep 4.

Hometown (Ep 1&2) - I think this story is practically delivered based on 3 individuals perspective. We see the detective who is on the case, the family who returned to their hometown after a tragedy and the estranged family member who allegedly is the caused of the tragedy. The first ep does gives out a creepy horror kind of feel but by the 2 ep I'm thinking that the strange going on are more cult and hypnosis related. There's no cha cha cha here but I'm hooked :P Can't wait for the next episodes :)

A bunch of new shows on my docket:

Dali: I like both our leads, but that first episode was pretty much a throwaway. Way too much time spent at the art exhibit. Second episode was stronger, but I hope it picks up even more from here on. I’ll watch at least a couple more.

Yumi’s Cells: Again with the first episode not really wowing me. Glad I pushed through to episode 2 though, as it had some more meat on it’s bones and I’m now fully charmed by our two leads. The joke cell was telling some BAD jokes and the automatic reactions from our FL was pretty funny. The emotion cell having a deadpan look on her face holding it up just hit me right in the funny bone.

The Veil: Standard as far this type of story goes. Our ML is why I’m here, and he’s doing a good job. Was a pretty brutal fight scene, and the story is progressing pretty quickly.

One the Woman: Honey’s facial expressions are pretty consistently hiliarious. She does get pretty over the top at some points (kind of reminds me of jdrama overacting) but it’s fun to watch her verbally smack this horrible conglomerate family.

Definitely Not Today: Quick little Cdrama that I checked out because I liked the actors from the last show I saw them in. Pretty dark humour, but it worked for me. I kind of wish we got some more, and the ending/villains seemed pretty rushed but I enjoyed my time with the show.

This week for me are ...
The Veil - This show is a lot bloodier than I expected in ep 3. Story wise I'm in between invested and not... because if not for Namgoong Min it's not a genre that I'd even glance at, especially with how intense and bloody it is. Do I care for Han Ji Hyuk? Yea. Do I want him to catch the real baddies? Maybe. Am I sure I'll be as interested till the end of the series? Maybe not? Not because it's bad, really, it's cool. I guess it's just not really my genre afterall?

Confession - Speaking of "my" genre, legal is another one that I wouldn't touch which become an exception with this drama because of Junho. Oh, Junho, the things I do for you (yes to Chief Kim casts having dramas back to back btw). It was rather slow after it enters 8 - 12ish but ep 12 picks it up. I kinda got bored in those ep and wished viu would be so kind to provide a speed setting (seriously why don't they?). I actually watched the first 7 eps in a few days, like, binged it. Then it's okay I guess.

Run On - I kind of forgot I was watching this when I started the other dramas. But it's the drama I go to before sleep, I take it slowly with this one because I actually enjoyed it. Seo Dan Ah is my faveee!

Perhaps I'm in that slump period of my life, nothing seemed to really grab my attention. But here are some things that helped boost up my mood.

Finished:
1. Hospital Playlist 2: I just can't resist this feel-good show. No matter how scattered the plot is this ss, I just couldn't resist watching every episode. I am that kind of person that never hits the ff button, so a show with good storyline and uplifting sub-stories can really do it for me. Kudos to HP2's cast and crew again. You managed to pull off the ss. I am looking forward to SS3.

Watching:
1. 18 Again. I think I'm in that phase that I started to question "What if I could change something in my past...", so this show seemed to be the one for me. I just finished ep1 a moment ago, and I feel good about this one.

2. 2D1N: The Heirs eps are a little bit long and boring, but I'm glad we got to see a lot of SK cultural heritage registered under UNESCO. I hope the next eps will be more funny though. I desperately need my weekly dose of brainless laugh.

Currently on pause:
1. Hometown Cha Cha Cha: This is unbelievable. BB just made a comeback after half a year not appearing on the small screen. But the heart wants what it wants. It seems like my heart is needing something that Homecha can't cater. I really liked this one up to ep6. I will probably come back to it again in the future.

Still watching sporadic episodes of VINCENZO and loving it. I loved Taec more when he had his bubbly konglish moments instead of psycho maniac ones, but I also do appreciate his character evolving with the story. Alas, the best of both worlds can not be had. =(

I tried watching IMITATION but had to drop it after episode two as it made me miserable. I pity idols and cannot for the life of me understand why anyone would bet such tolling life and endless struggle for such a slim chance of gain when success is such a fleeting thing. I feel, no matter the outcome if the series, I'd feel such remorse on their account that'd be all I'd take with me.

On the other hand, I found DINNER MATE on iqiyi and it is marvelous! I loathe the exes and am truly thankful how the mc's are handling the situation when they come into play. Such grown-up behaviour. And the food! My gosh! And some trot as a bonus. Yay!

Watching: HD/LOST,The Veil, Journey To The West (1986), Kodoku no Gurume Season 9 Ep 11

Very late to this after a very, very exhausting week. I don’t have the energy to write in detail about my feelings on the shows. But there are so many good ones!

Dal-li and Gamjatang: I’m so happy that dramabeans isn’t using the official international title. I enjoyed the premiere much more than I anticipated. Park Gyu-young’s hair is better in film (still don’t love it), and I really like her character. I would like to thank God for Kim Min-jae’s voice.

Great Shaman Ga Doo-shim: I just love this show so much. Literally everything about it except the very short run-time. I would make this all into a huge appreciation post if I could.

Hometown: This was a given from the beginning, but wow the acting is strong in this one. Han Ye-ri is perfect, Yoo Jae-myung is compelling, and Uhm Tae-goo just oozes charisma. His character barely has any screentime yet, but every moment is magnetic. He just has this presence.

Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha: My weekend seaside vacation continues! And holy shit that confession… my skin is clear, my crops are flourishing, my grades are perfect, my depression is gone. Hye-jin and Du-shik together gives me great joy and bisexual panic. And that’s basically what I need to cope.

Human Disqualification: On to the show that decidedly does not give me great joy, but is too poignant and beautiful for me to give it up. I wish I waited until I was in a better mindset to give it the appreciation it deserves. For now, I’m watching for the beauty of Ryu Jun-yeol.

Lovers of the Red Sky: Literally the only reason I look forward to mondays. I am SO READY for the preemption to be over.

The Veil: Violent as hell, but somehow a super cathartic watch (yes, really). Namgoong Min is awesome in this and the action is truly incredible stuff.

Yumi’s Cells: I still find the animation style of the cells unbearable, but the cells themselves are a hoot. Kim Go-eun is pitch-perfect in this role and I’m so happy that she finally gets a role where her talents can shine. That said, I do find it strange that Yu-mi’s entire life seems to revolve around romance. I know this is a romance drama, but come on.
…..
I finished Squid Game. I didn’t find it to be a masterpiece on the level of previous kdrama Netflix originals, but it was still a solid watch. Definitely happy to see how globally successful it is (I can’t believe it’s no.1 in Canada of all places). Maybe a pathway for more global kdrama hits?

JUST FINISHED

K-DRAMAS

Strongest Deliveryman – I finished this last week.; a solid 8.5 out of 10 for me. I rather looked forward to watching the second couple more than the main couple. Am I alone in this? Kim Seon Ho steals every scene he’s in. I’ve only watched a few of his dramas (only caught him in this one by chance – this drama has been on my watchlist for a while) but now I intend to check out all of them.

Secret Royal Agent - This drama was a light watch and mostly predictable (there were some surprises). I’m rating it 8 out of 10 mostly because of the supporting actors – Lee Yi Kyung and Lee Tae Hwan. Kwon Nara was okay in this drama too. I rather enjoyed the scenes where the Royal Inspector shows his badge and all the guards rush in to arrest the corrupt officials and their henchmen. However, they kind of damsel’d one of the women too much and it was getting ridiculous. In some ways, the drama reminded me of Vincenzo because you can always depend on our team to win out in the end; there’s almost no suspense at all; although while Vincenzo was a black comedy, this is just pure comedy. I just wished Kim Myung Soo was as good as Song Joong Ki – maybe he will be someday.

K-MOVIE

Innocent Steps 7 out of 10. A young and adorable Moon Geun Young was great in this film; I just wished there was more of a payoff in the end; this had so much potential. It could be that my movie watching experience was clouded by all the advertisements that kept interrupting my viewing. I caught this on Asiancrush.com, they show ads roughly every 8 minutes (I timed it!) and the ads can range from 5 to 7 at a time!

The Classic 9 out of 10. I laughed and cried and got caught up in the love stories from the two different time periods. When I wondered why one of the songs in this movie sounded familiar, I realized it was one of the covers in Hospital Playlist (it’s the song entitled “Me to You, You to Me”) in Season 1. Ah, first love. Sigh.

NON-ASIAN MOVIE
Funny GirlBarbra Streisand’s film debut role. She is wonderful in this but this movie is so darn long. Netflix even included the intermission (where only music is playing but the screen is black) in it. LOL. 8 out of 10.

CURRENTLY WATCHING

K-DRAMAS

Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha I look forward to weekends because of this fluff. That last episode had me squee-ing.

Hometown I thought this was a straight serial killer mystery but it looks like there are supernatural elements in it? It doesn’t matter; I will keep watching. Han Ye Ri is back on my screen and all is right with the world. How about a drama (or film) with Han Ye Ri and Kim Seon Ho in it? I don’t know what kind of story it would be but they are both such good actors I will definitely watch it.

VoiceI’m starting from Season 1. Currently at episode 5 out of 16. Good so far. Ending is almost always a cliffhanger...

I've come out of lurking (last post was..2018?) to say that Yumi's Cells is so freaking cute and I love it!! I think Kim Go Eun is the only actor/actress that can make me want to comment.

I'm up to the latest episode which is currently ep 4, it does make me wonder where her family is in all of this. She seems like quite the lonely person with few friends, so I can see how she gets totally swept up in a new romance.

Contrary to my username, can't wait to see more!!

Watching Lost, was watching Veil, crazy violent, meh

Hometown Cha Cha Cha, Binged watched from start to latest. I’m there for Shin Min-a. The story could have done without the stabby pervert imho.

Will watch Kodoku no Gurume Season 9 finale