The King’s Affection: Well ..Jung Ji Un….he said your move Prince. I am curious if he is going to explain it away or stick to his guns. Presumably explain it away. Looks like marriage is going to come up next episode, that should be fun.

High Class: Well that was a rather unexpected ending in the way he died. All’s well that ends well though. This drama was just fine, nothing spectacular, but a pleasant sort of drama.

Dali and the cocky Prince: Well finally a kiss without a slap. Then sexy times. Good for them, no blushing virginal adults here, ha. I am actually glad their “break” wasn’t a break up, just a re-evaluation. I appreciate that she recognize dthey could not be properly on the same footing as long as he is her debtor. That was nice. As for the rest, I’m meh on it. TJ’s villainy is actually annoying now. SMH

Reflection of You: A drama about people who keep making terrible decisions for the sake of “love.” I do think Hui Ju actually likes her husband. I can’t tell yet if what she feels for Woo Jae is lust or something else. Maybe he is freeing to her. As for Hae won, my dude go and let God. Go be happy with someone who loves all of you. Li-Sa is an insane brat and actively needs discipline and therapy.

Dr. Brain: This drama doesn’t make much sense. He is supposedly an emotionless genius, but doesn’t know experiments 101. You need to be able to replicate results, you can rely on one result as proof that something works. Why does he suddenly believe his comatose wife, is it because of the other guy’s memory or does he care now. This isn’t clear. We shall see, it is only 6 episodes, so I’ll watch all of it.

One the Woman: We are in the final two episodes. SIGH the plastic surgery doesn’t make any sense. Your vocal cords and height don’t change when you change your face. How silly. Last 2 eps, here we go.

Inspector Koo: I will look with different eyes at our little serial killer. Her affectation really bothered me, but a fellow beanie suggested that I it was deliberate on the character’s part, so I’ll try to see it from that perspective.

Chimera: A cold case and murder. The first 2 episodes were not too bad.

Happiness: Vampiricism as a virus. I’ve seen that before. However, this looks interesting, so will continue on.

COMPLETED
Binge-watched Once Again to check off the long-form drama item on my r/KDRAMA challenge checklist. Surprisingly engaging and the couples were cute though there really wasn't enough content for 50 episodes.

ONGOING
Jirisan - I still like this and I even like the almost procedural format of it but the directing is really messy. The most important moments are glossed over and the unimportant ones get long drawn out takes - finding out who the spectre is should have been a bigger moment than the whole long scene where Yi-kang is scared of the Chief interrupting her investigation.

The King's Affection - The Ming Eunuch was so OTT it was unbelievable not least because of how young Park Ki-woong is to be an all-powerful eunuch. Anyone feel like we'll see him again when the war for the throne hots up? At least the OTP and Hyun are still golden. I like how Rowoon and Park Eun-bin seem to be in two different dramas, maybe intentionally so? He's in a romcom and she's in a political thriller and I'm worried about when these worlds will collide. Also BOO show, how dare you hurt my precious silent bodyguard and court lady 😠.

Dali and Gamjatang - They are hanging on to the big reveal, that all of us guessed, till the final week since the show has a wafer thin plot. At least our leads are together for real but some of the dating aegyo reminded me of how cutesy HomeCha got when they started dating and it was equally cringey here.

STARTED
Inspector Koo - Loved the scene with Lee Young-ae and Kim Hae-sook - so intelligently shot and framed. I like the whole host of characters though I'm reserving judgement on Kim Hye-jun's performance for now. Anyway Santa is precious and I'm going to be very mad if anyone hurts him (insert B99 Rosa meme).

Chimera - Very predictable and visibly dated. Parts of it remind me of Awake and that's not a good thing. But I like cheerful Park Hae-soo!

C-DRAMAS
Didn't get any time…

I finally checked Jirisan... and I think I'm dropping it. I expected some slice of life from the lives of Park Rangers... with contemplative shots of the beautiful Jirisan Park... and I got some overdramatic and irresponsible search for a missing person... with some mysterious visions... and then even a murderer??? Though the biggest crime was that with their fast (and shaky) camera they didn't give Jirisan the time to really shine! Less is sometimes More! I was looking forward to reminisce my hike from years ago (starting in the Piagol Valley)... and I just got annoyed.

Dali - I'm happy there was no Noble Idiocy, though I wish Dali communicated better during the 13th episode (it looked more as means to stretch the episode). But I can forgive her - she was very progressive the next episode :--) And Muhak was so cutely happy and giddy afterwards :--)))
There were some silly antics between Muhak and Wontak I could do without, but it made me laugh anyway 😄 Also, what a difference between Dali's two suitors and their approach and (sort of) confession! And I love that Muhak cooks, loves cooking... and shows his care through it.
(Another thing I love and think the show is doing well are the cliffhangers.)

Still enjoying Bite Sisters.

Inspector Koo: I’m loving the quirkiness and kind of indie vibes. They smartly took the very best part of Killing Eve and discarded the rest. I love that there are so many powerful women, each of them with male minions. Speaking of male minions, Santa’s silent reaction to everything cracked me up. The actresses are all amazing; I loved gangster Kim Hae-sook.

Yumi’s Cells: “There is no separate male lead. There is only one lead here.” Yes! I look forward to seeing Yumi grow in Season 2. It makes me sad that she had no life outside her relationship. On a shallow note, I really liked Yumi’s wardrobe.

Jirisan: The episodes were better this week, but I was still bored. JJH and JJH have very little onscreen chemistry, which makes me wonder what will happen if there is ever another season of Kingdom. Maybe it’s the directing because everyone is blah, even Oh Jung-se. Didn’t anyone tell these people not to accept yogurt drinks from strangers?

Happiness: A post-COVID world and now something is making people thirsty for blood. Life better not imitate art. I’ll wear a mask but not a muzzle.

Doctor Brain: Well, this took some weird turns, but I’m interested enough to watch Episode 2. Lee Sun-kyun is good, and the drama is well made.

The King’s Affection: I didn’t like the Ming envoy storyline, but I couldn’t help but think that the Eunuch’s forbidden love story sounded way more interesting than what’s going on in this show.

Reflection of You: This week was repetitive. Hae-won is so pathetic, yet her glimmers of self-awareness keep me from hating her. Hee-joo is completely shameless.

Currently watching:
- The king's affection: Watching this for the fluff, the eye-candy and the reverse-harem shenanigans, with gender-bended tropes. Rowoon is endearing, and I think his beanpole height is a nice contrast to just how fluffy his character is! xD PEB is killing it, and might be my favorite cross-dressing performance, right up there with Megan Lai. The last time I had as much fun, was probably watching the Romance of Tiger & Rose, and I do think TKA would have done slightly better with me, had it been an out-and-out screwball comedy. 'Sunbae.. lipstick', 'Brahms' and 'Love in the Moonlight' are on my immediate PTW after this!

- Would you like a cup of coffee?: Somebody said this is the most 'japanese' k-drama, and I couldn't agree more! :) Live watching this for 30mins twice a week is the perfect mid-week/ weekend relaxation I need. Bonus points cuz I love coffee, and there was a Harry Potter reference this week! T_T

- Check out the event: A cute little mini-series, focusing on a phase of a relationship that we aren't used to seeing in formulaic 16-ep k-dramas. This is one of those scripts that made zero sense to me (just like many IRL couples I know), but I was oddly & utterly charmed....WTH! I heard lots of complaints how this was trying to be a wannabe 'The Package', but I haven't seen that yet thankfully, so all's good. Infact, if this is a sampler of how good 'The Package' is actually, then that leaves me pretty excited!

Recently finished:
- Korean Pork Belly Rhapsody: Thank heavens I finished my dinner before watching this. Again, Dalri-Gamjatang fans must check this one out. The docu on every cut and variety of pork, and village/ city traditions around the meat, would definitely make Moo-Hak proud! <3

Weekend movie:
- More than Blue: Watched the taiwan movie-version. Oh MY GOD. WHAT IN THE WORLD OF 'GIFT OF THE MAGI' twist was that? Holy shit. While I knew the absolute very ending of the story, my mind was BLOWN with the change in the story's POV. Damn, for the first one hour that made zero sense, the last 45 mins were nothing short of an epiphany. All I can say, is I don't pity the dead, I pity those that they leave behind. Still tearing up, as I type. This is one of those stories, where indeed the other side's perspective is SO much sadder. Kinda like Youth of May's ending, but on steroids. A stunning watch. T_T My only regret is not watching the original (cuz of the bad print), and missing out on Lee Bo Young's heartbreaking performance.

Marinating on my watchlist/ Dropped:
- Beauty Inside: I have lost motivation cuz I'm really not invested in how the story wraps up. Still, 10 eps in for the Lee Min-Ki pretty. Even Ahn Jae-Hyun's adorbs is not helping.
- Forever n Ever: They do the most mundane things and yet I watch. iQiyi really should have 3x for all the crappy stuff they keep churning out.
- Jirisan: ...

CRICKET - World cup T20 this time around is not much fun. Pitches aren't good and kind giving sides lot of troubles.

Group A had more interesting matches.
Group B the easy group turned out to be more entertaining - Only if Afghans had won their match against Pak then there would be 4 teams going till the last match of the round for the top 2 places.
Ad still 3 teams are fighting for 2nd place so as to qualify for semi final

I'm with Kiwis but it would have been amazing to see Afghanistan in semi-final of a sports event.

Crcket demands lot of mathematical calculations in tournaments. Your performance can affect all contenders in various way.

If afghanistan beats New Zealand then India can directly qualify for semi-final and both the competing teams would be out. Yes. OFcourse little bit of math needs to favour Indian team. That's what cricket do, the undeserving becomes deserving and the contenders become losers.

Tomorrow is the day that will decide who reaches semi-final.

HIGH CLASS (Ep. 15 & 16): I waited to see the final two episodes back to back. Episode 15 had too much suspension of belief plot points (Na-Yoon’s mom on the small boat; Yeo Wool not struggling when hitting the water; how Ji Yong escaped again with a serious wound - - - is he an iron man swimmer?; how a billion dollar wire transfer can be made in a simple phone call; and Yeo Wool’s trap). Ji-Sun’s rich arrogance fall from grace was predictable but was too simplistically told. The police incompetence in corruption cases unless it handed a case on a silver platter continues to be a serious “dramatic” fail in k-dramas. I thought early on Ji Yong’s plan was to take the money and his kids and run off to a new life overseas (with another woman). But it seems his only motivation was the money (with the gall of stealing laundered money from a HK crime family). I guess endless greed begets endless stupidity.

The last episode was mostly a slow, elongated epilogue to show bad people getting what they deserve and the fallen rich fade to average normalcy. The show’s background of Jeju’s rich opulence was the star of the series.

As with many programs this year, this series could have been better. The first four episodes did a good job setting up the premise with clues and clear boundaries. But then the stories began to trip over themselves. It would have been better to have a real chess match between the clever criminal and the smart woman lawyer instead Yeo Wool reacting to events leading to a sudden role reversal ending. The writer did not have the understanding of high finance and international business so we were only left to generalizations and suspect conclusions as how Ji Yong, the foundation and the HK gang operated their schemes, or how Yeo Wool planned to trap Ji Yong. Jo Yeo Jeong’s portrayal of a woman thrown to the wolves by a greedy husband was muted because her character came off scared and timid though we were told she was a brilliant corporate lawyer. We never saw that brilliance. The series was about relationships but never gave us the depth of characters thoughts, feelings and experiences that led them to escape to Jeju.

SQUID GAME (Ep. 1 - 3): The series show the opulence and movie quality of Korean filmmaking. The set-up, the set details provide gritty realism. And even though the down-and-out back ground stories can be classified as stereotypical, the actors provide relatable interpretations of them. I can see why this is a gritty comparison to the human nature exploration in “Parasite.”

Reflection of You (Episode 7-8) - Mood: C+
It’s funny how my opinion of this show goes up and down like a rollercoaster: it’s surprisingly rather engaging this week despite the growing likelihood that Woo Jae is indeed pretending and Ho Su is his? However, outside of the main leads, I’m just not interested in any side character except Sun Woo: in fact, in an alternate universe, I would’ve had him as the fourth lead instead, gotten rid of the whole Taerim conglomerate (family, school, hospital) and made his conflict that of having to choose between his sister and his crush. His arc is intriguing but there’s 0 relation with any of the other arcs?

The King's Affection (Episode 7-8) - Mood: D+
In an attempt to make this Ming subplot not a Saguek Cliche, the writer has tried to give the envoy some backstory. But wait a minute, how do I empathise with him if he cut off Court Lady Kim’s hair? She’s not an elite and didn’t deserve the humiliation! So it just backfires and I can only conclude that this arc is a filler to last us until the arranged bride conflict which appears in the preview. I guess at the very least, the girl who the envoy loves wasn’t Dam: that would’ve been an overkill in terms of childhood connections. But honestly Show, why are you dragging stuff out when you have six leads?

Inspector Koo (Episode 1-2) - Mood: C+
The first time I watched the premiere, I found myself skipping many parts and eventually even considering dropping the show: it was weird in a way that didn’t intrigue me and I wasn’t personally appreciative of the switcheroo between both female leads (though technically it was an interesting setup). What has gotten me to stay, however, is the reveal that K used to kill indiscriminately but modified her modus operandi: I wonder what caused the shift? I suspect it might be due to Koo’s husband, which also explains why she’s drawn to the inspector. The children foundation feels pretty cliche tho.

Chimera (Episode 1-2) - Mood: C-
This show certainly had the better first impression as compared to the show above due to that cold open but I think the character caricatures that come along with every standard whodunit thriller eventually dampened my enthusiasm. Yes, you’ve got amazing leads who are trying their best to elevate the material they’re given, but I’ve certainly seen this plot before and pretty much guessed the death well before it happened. I hope that 1) The reporter won’t be a nuisance, 2) FBI lady won’t become a damsel, 3) There isn’t the usual conspiracy/corruption nonsense. But I don’t have high hopes?

Also watched:
- One The Woman (Episode 13-14) - Mood: D, The show’s just going through the motions this week.
- Dal-li and Gamjatang (Episode 13-14) - Mood: D+, They avoided noble idiocy! But Tae Jin’s arc is unsalvageable at this point.

The King's Affection It's my happy pill with action. Ji-Woon and Hwi are super cute. I love every place they chose for filming.

Dal-li and Gamjatang The story became boring, the investigation took too much place. Dali is exhausting me... Once she's strong, the next time she let her being hit by a stranger... Except Won Tak, I don't really care anymore.

Inspector Koo I'm not sure about this one. I will test the episodes 3 and 4.

Jirisan It doesn't make you want to go for a walk there. It's more like graveyard than a bucolic place. I still have the 4th episode to watch... or not.

I want to test Chimera, Happiness and Dr Brain. But Kdrama and SF don't work well together...

Lost/Human Disqualification (2 episodes left)
I finally got to watch Ryu Joonyeol's and Jeon Doyeon's comeback drama and it did not disappoint so far. Although some parts can be draggy, the chemistry between Gangjae and Bujung is captivating. I get so impatient when they are not on the screen together. I also love how all the characters are lost in their own way and they are all nuanced. Even the awful mother in law can stir some sympathy in me.

Search: WWW (4 episodes left)
My favourite part of this drama other than the strong female ensemble are the work-related debates about ethics and fairness. I like how we always get both sides of the issues and it isn't always clear what is the "right" side. I was also pleasantly surprised to see Lee Jaewook in this. His character's makjang drama is hilarious.

I was planning to watch the first episode of The Red Sleeve but it got push back out of the blue or am I mistaken? I was sure it was coming out yesterday but now it's premiere is on the 12? Is there a reason for this?

I decided to check out Happiness instead. It's been a while since I watched anything with Park Hyungshik and Han Hyojoo. The first episode was intriguing and...bold considering we are still very much in Covid times.

Dali and Gamjatang: No noble idiots and lots of adorkableness - I'll call that a win

Bite Sisters: 8.5 Days 1 - 6, and I especially liked the end of day 5. Kang Han-na goes from being an insanely beautiful ex-gumiho in Roommate to being a ridiculously beautiful vampire here. There are worse actresses to keep casting as supernatural beauties. Note - people are uploading subbed episodes on Youtube.

Yumi's Cells: 6.0

Inspector Koo: 8.5 The lead is a messy slob compulsive computer gamer. Might be my kind of show :) Funny, unconventional, un-kdrama-y in a good way.

One the Woman: 8.0

Moebius: The Veil: 7.0 Not bad, but I've gotten a bit tired of their approach.

Jirisan: 8.0 Nobody will accuse it of being Cheerysan. At least the cinematography has calmed down.

King's Affection: 7.5 A very kdrama-y kdrama. Not horrible, but comparison to Bite Sisters and Inspector Koo highlights how bland parts of it have been since the adult cast moved in.

Dal-li and Gamjatang: 8.0

Work Later, Drink Now: 6.0

Dr. Brain: 5.0

Yumi's cells (13-14): It was heartbreaking but I appreciate how the drama didnot go for the normal "happily ever after" suddenly. Woong and Yumi need to sort so many issues and I hope season 2 focus on that. Or will there be a new lead in S2? We will get to know next year. On the whole its a refreshing and relatable drama and can't wait for the next season.

Jirisan (3): Viki suddenly decided to start airing the episodes 1 week late so I could watch only Ep 3. I am trying hard to process the transitions and story. Thankful to DB for recapping this, I watch the episode and wait for the recap to get a full picture.

Inspector Koo (1-2): I am surprised how much I enjoyed the first 2 episodes. They did a great job with transition in story telling and cinematography. Kim hye jung is amazing. Her character already give me creeps. I also loved how the drama shows and holds up.
The pace was good so far . Will definitely continue watching this.

Chimera (1): I liked the first episode. Will watch for a week more to see if I should continue or drop.

King's affection (7-8): The backstory of Enunch was interesting though it doesn't justify how he intentionally injured the bodyguard and the lady. What excuse will JW give our crown prince for that peck?😆

Reflection of you (7-8): And the history repeats again. I wonder if HW has an underlying plan. The monologue of HW "I wanted to display my misfortune. I wanted everyone to know what I lost and to whom " somehow implied she has a plan. I wonder if HW plan to get WJ and Hj lose control so that they restart their affair just that she can expose it and thereby make HJ lose everything. Its obvious that even with a memory loss he is fascinated by HJ. It's weird how self destructive HW is but it's kind of more realistic. Although all the characters are frustrating and manipulative I lowkey wanted HW to love herself and be happy. I have lost my respect for HJ in the cheating episode and also with her holier than thou attitude and also for WJ who couldn't respect HW enough to atleast give her a proper breakup in the past . It's also an irony that HJ is suspecting her husband of an affair. I also feel the whole murder blame around HJ 'a brother is a red herring.

PS: HJ's blank faced smile is soo creepy !!!!

Coffee (2-3): The effect of coffee is waning. Might drop it soon.

Happiness (1): Finally PHS is back. I liked the first episode. The plot looks promising and I love both the leads. The on AMD off subtitles in viki were a letdown though.

OLDER

Great shaman (6-12) : The magic rules were not consistent but I still had fun. I have my complaints regarding the FL, may be she will be better in the next season.

JIRISAN: Literally watching episode 5 now while typing. 😂 Just enjoyed a moment of heart-pounding thrills and it’s slowed down a bit now.

YUMI’S CELLS: Episode 12 now so I’ll probably finish this tomorrow. I love how the cells are just so on point - when Reason and Emotion war with each other, how like Hunger I am, how like (lazy) Clean-up cell I am too. And yes, Lust is just hilarious when he shows up.

THE UNCANNY COUNTER: Yes, I’m late to the party! I went through a Cdrama phase so I missed this a few months back. I’m not sure if I’ll be able to take it, so please, no spoilers, but are there more gruesome scenes than the one in episode 1 where the pipe rammed through someone’s body and someone else killed a woman with a rock (and hit her several times that his face was spattered with blood)?

Last week I couldn’t comment so here it goes my drama watching of the last two weeks.

Lost / Human DisqualificationI loved this imperfect drama, great acting (from everyone except you know who), one of the best OST and BGM I can recall. Could it have been better? Sure, but I loved its slow path and Ryoo Joon Heol as walking sex (not my description). My favorite part was the honest talk Bujung and JungSoo had on the final episode. Very well done, show.

Lovers of the Red Sky. I really enjoyed this drama up to episode 12 more or less, I would left aside all the inconsistencies and plot holes it had, but the last four episodes were a bit of a joke, with new information every five minutes to “explain” things out of nowhere. That epilogue felt totally unnecessary and I missed why CheonGi was not blind anymore, and sincerely, I don’t care. But I will always be grateful to Viki for that unedited scene in episode 16 that made laugh and enjoy the finale. Forever in my heart.

Reflection of you. Wow. This drama is so confusing, so many secrets, not a single likable character and on episode 8 and not a single explanation. And here I am, watching and… liking it?

Jirisan. Week 1 was horrible, as I said in the recaps, I felt the directing was awful because actors were running around like headless chickens like they didn’t know what they were doing. Week 2 got better. I’m giving it another week because my love for JJHx2 is immense and I’m intrigued to watch Yun Ji On on an evil character. He’s always a favorite of mine.

On the verge of insanity. This drama is finally available on Viki on my zone and after hearing so many good things about it, I decided to give it a try, and it’s totally worth it. Moon So Ri never disappoints me.

Dr. Brain. That was a weird beginning and I’m having Flatliners vibes. It’s only six episodes so let’s see what next week gives us. And besides, I can’t say no The Voice.

Do you want a cup of coffee?. I see another cute little drama coming. Watched episodes 1 & 2 and loved the atmosphere so far.

Mad Dog (2017). This drama is so bad is good. I’m having so much fun, specially considering I work in a claims department of an insurance company. I can tell you my job is not that thrilling.

And next week it’s babes week!!! Both Royal Secret Inspector & Joy and The Red Sleeve are airing and I can’t me more excited. Yay.

Currently Airing:

Dal-li and Gamjatang: This continues to be the drama I enjoy the most. It's not revolutionizing the genre, but it's so consistently enjoyable, the leads have great chemistry, and the balance of the comedic with the seedy (forged art, drugs, and toxic rich people indulging in psychological and/or physical abuse) just works for me.

Ep. 13 made me a bit frustrated with Dal-li. I absolutely appreciate the way the writing and the acting make it clear that she is dealing with an immense amount of stress right now with attacks coming ceaselessly from all sides. Her ability to retain her dignity and act within character at all times is admirable but can she please stop ignoring Moo Hawk's calls, keep that phone charged, and let him know definitively that she's not getting back with Tae-jin? My heart just ached for him all episode long. But then Ep. 14 happened and I loved her again, lol. I also love any time romantic dramas portray sex as a normal and healthy part of a loving relationship--especially from the woman's perspective-- without first suggesting holding hands and closed mouth kisses are enough forever and ever. So I definitely appreciated their moves forward in that direction.

The King’s Affection: This drama isn't the gender-bending slapstick I expected; it has more depth and there's way less ruminating of the "How could I be attracted to a guy?" variety than I was dreading. I expected PEB to be amazing, and she is, and I also think Rowoon is doing fine, especially with the comedic scenes (loved his drunken playfulness). I truly have no idea where exactly this one is going. The premise itself clearly dictates this will not end well but at the same time, the tone is surprisingly light and hopeful at intervals so I never feel a sense of impending doom. At any rate, I appreciate that this drama holds my attention in nearly every scene and is so, so pretty to look at. That's really all I wanted, I guess.

Older Shows:

Nevertheless: I know this one received very little love but curiosity got the better of me and I started it. I've only seen one episode, and I'm intrigued enough to keep watching. It could be that I'm now far enough removed from my early twenties that I can handle the cringe of watching a young woman obsess over the very last guy she needs right now. And I appreciate the tight camera work, lovely framing of the shots, and intriguing side characters. So I'm willing to give this one a go.

Witch's Romance: I just love this. It's so fun and romantic with well developed leads. I'm slowly making my way through because I know I'll miss it when it's done.

Dali: so much I've liked about this show, especially just the fact that I looked forward to it each week. However these last two eps lost the sparkle and felt like it was trying too hard. I honestly think the writer could do well with an editor or something. Someone who could take all her great ideas and focus them. Keep the tone of the show more consistent too.

Secret Love: the heroine is finally getting out of prison. These first eps are kind of odd in pacing as everything that could happen is happening, but at the same ti.e it feels like it is moving really slow and taking too long to set up the main story.

Ending Again: A web drama on Viki. Nothing really to say, it just was. Watched it because it was a contract marriage and the short and fast eps. But it focused more on the heroine getting over a past love that any marriage of convenience hijinks. However I did like the fl.

To My Star: Another web drama. This one I'd have watched a full drama off. Really sweet love story and the leads had good chemistry.

OMG, I have just realised that next week will be really busy in kdramaland. I mean REALLY BUSY!

Red Sky (finished): Great ending for the OTP and super odd ending for the useless royal subplot. Annoyed that they saved the info dump for the final week. Would have worked better as a 12 episoder since the drama didn't fully leverage its great setup and characters and treaded water for a few episodes. Still, it was an engaging multi-genre drama. I think the high points are still the painting parts and Chun-gi's interactions with her family and friends. Low point is the dumbass royal family+palace people and their deplorable mismanagement of the whole Ma Wang thing. Curious to find out if the novel is better and more coherent.

Dali and Gamjatang (up to ep 10): I'm behind. So Moo-hak gets slapped for saying something nasty, but Tae-jin gets to still be Oppa after he dumped her and is now treating her like property? *shrugs* Drama sparkles when the OTP are together and on the same side and is irritating otherwise (exception: Our Won-tak) Not sure if the OTP is enough to bring me to the finish line.

Not sure if I will continue King's Affection. After missing it for a wee

@daebakgrits, your comments crack me up! It’s so true about Tae Jin and I reallllly hate when Da Li’s cousin is on the screen. Last night I literally said out loud, “wow this guy may be the worst Korean actor I’ve ever seen”. Laughing that it was your week to see ladies’ hair get whacked off.

Rainless love in a godless land
This is the highlight of my week. Strong story and acting. Plus really fast paced. Too bad it airs only once a week. When Taiwanese make dramas they make them well.

Yumi's cells
I loved thi season and am definitely looking forward to the next. My fri, sat are already so empty without it.

TKA
This is weaker than the two but I kind of enjoy it. The male leads and probably every other actor is weaker than PEB and the child actress was even better than her. They don't have a grand story to tell though.

Lovers of the Red Sky🖌️🦋👁️(16/16): I camped on my sofa and stared at all the pretty for the remaining six episodes. No idea whether that counts as watching, but I got my fifth bean without the aid of a blue screen!🥳 Kwak Si-Yang needs to be a romcom lead next!🥰

Dal-ri and Gamjatang 🖼️🐖(12/16): Angst week.🙄 Those who did not give 100% on the toxic behavior scale made more than up for it this week! Which is practically every character on this show. Now I understand exactly why I avoided Brahms.😩Dali deserves the world and instead she gets this bunch as a supporting cast. I hope she can rise above them and the big mess they insist on creating. Fortunately Moo-Hak is all into his OTP and he will not have any of that noble idiocy rubbish in the last quarter.😤

Bring It On Ghost💪👻(5/16): Bong-Pal has softened towards Hyun-ji and it fortunately rubbed off on me. I feel for her wanting to be a human again, but that does not give you the right to just demand kisses, lodgings, food, dresses, shoes and entrance to private rooms from a guy simply because he can see ghosts like you.😤Luckily she has toned it down as the two of them are starting to bond with each other and with our Ghostnet idiots. Judging by his high-pitched screeching around Chun-Sang, I would say that In-Rang could use some other friends.😂

DaLi & Gamjatang: I will always say that they could have focused the story just around DaLi saving the art gallery and what that would have entailed and skipped the political/business machinations. However, they avoided the noble idiocy so I appreciate that. I also feel like they have kept the drama from getting too heavy since this is a rom/com. Also, I actually saw this couple fall in love instead of the instalove, which is a pet peeve of mine. Overall, my fav couple of the year.

The King's Affection: They are having little story arcs now so a week on dealing with saving the tutor, a week dealing with the jerk from Ming and now I see a week dealing with the Prince having to find a wife. I'm enjoying it but don't necessarily take it all that serious. It has the same type vibe as 100 Days My Prince...comedic with a sprinkle of drama here and there. Rowoon is doing okay in the comedic aspects just like DO did in 100 Days, but when the heavy drama stuff happens we'll see. That's when DO didn't work that well for me.

Inspector Koo: Dropped- I liked the first episode but realized that we had a "big bad" situation. I'm not watching Koo being lead around by some serial killer for 12 episodes. At the end if viewers say it was the best thing ever, I might reconsider but I have Red John Syndrome which doesn't allow me to ever enjoy this kind of scenario ever again.

Netflix: I'm watching The Movies of Our Life or something like that which is the behind the scenes of the making of famous American movies. What strikes me is that it is amazing that any movie survives the film making process.

Yumi's Cell: I have decided to wait until all the seasons are done before watching. I am fine with multiple seasons but I don't like being left hanging in case it doesn't happen. I waited until Downton Abbey was entirely over before watching. The Brits take forever and I knew a few spoilers but enjoyed it much more that way.

RED SKY: Left hanging. Finished MY NAME on Netflix, Han So-Hee was fantastic, the action (it was nearly all action) was brutal and believable. She is good as Ja Ji-Won for action IMHO. She truly came across as a damaged, wounded animal.
Family drama YOUNG LADY & GENTLEMAN continues to be my little happy place. I've watched enough family dramas to know all will end well. Looking forward to the two historical dramas coming out this week.

Work is keeping me busy, but i was able to catch up with some dramas .

1. Reflection of You - This show is going in circles. Some parts of the show is so gripping, but most parts are boring. Neither character in this drama is good. Everyone has their own grey shades and their own agendas. Though i know the reason for Hae-won to be protective of her now amnesiac husband and she has her own revenge agenda, i dont know why i just wish she just stops what she is doing and just forget about Woo Jae and start her life again. Her smirks give me so much creeps sometimes. I either dont seem to like the actress or is it because of the character ? I cant even understand Hee Joo either. I dont know whether she even liked Woo Jae or was using him. Btw, i just love the chemistry between Hee Joo and Woo Jae. I know i shouldn't support them, but man these two has such sizzling chemistry. I want to see more scenes on them even though this is wrong on so many levels.

2. Jirisan- Finished ep 1 and had watched 2nd episode halfway. and i am liking it so far. There is mystery, there is so many things to be unfolded. I love the casting. Cant wait to watch the other episodes which has aired.

3. Inspector Koo - Finished ep 1 and its good. The highschool girl gives me so much creeps and it is utterly scary. What lengths she can go when she becomes an adult. I just dont understand why k-drama's sometimes make the lead characters be so dirty. It was so disgusting that a former police officer, despite her reasons, she was living in spacious apartment full of trash, have flies and what not in her hair.. It just made me feel like vomiting. Ughh.. I want to unsee those scenes. Other than this nauseating scenes, other parts were good.

@daebakgrits Thanks for reminding me how much I loved YYK as bad boy Dong Mae!

I'm behind on everything this week. Got caught up in Cdrama Jun Jiu Ling and couldn't put it down to watch other shows as it was amazing. It deserves a wonderful rating for the FL alone but the writing, the directing and acting was on par and the show's a heavy contender for my favorite of the year. For all you costume drama lovers out there, I truly recommend this treat. The three male leads were remarkable in their own way, even the crazy one. He got a lot of negativity in the comments, but I just loved the actor's devotion.

We are really loving DALI AND GAMJATANG. The penultimate episodes were not as fun but still had some nice moments. But Tae-jin is awful and really needs to go to prison. We will get to see how this all wraps up next week. This has been one of our favorite shows of the year despite the baddies.

My son and my wife both really like JIRISAN. I liked the first episode but find the later episodes confusing. The cinematography is good- and accurate. Instead of a ‘pristine’ wilderness we are constantly presented with nature as it really is: A gloriously grimy mess with lots of mud.

My wife finished THE FLAME’S DAUGHTER. She reallly liked it. She is now watching something far lighter: A LOVE SO ROMANTIC. Light as in fluffy- really really fluffy. But this does not stop her from also staying current with the new episodes of THE KINGS AFFECTION.

I have started the J-drama SUPER RICH. I am also current with CAN’T RUN AWAY FROM LOVE and talso YOU, ME AND BACH- waiting for new episodes to post and be subtitled. J-dramas are really hit or miss with me- some are very good and some are just duds. But the best, like MIDNIGHT DINER, are wonderful.

I have been eagerly looking forward to each new episode of weekend family drama YOUNG LADY AND GENTLEMAN. This week our Young Lady found herself fighting the feelings she has developed for her boss while her father has been re-united with his long lost (and rich) sister- who has a son who has already met another member of his family. We are obviously being set up for all sorts of fun “but we are (kind of) related” angst. Her Boss (The Gentleman) and Young Lady discovered that they had already met when she was twelve or so when he was in the military and they keep describing him as having been a soldier. Except that he was not- and I take serious umbrage at this description. In that first episode he was wearing the uniform of a Naval Officer. As a former naval person I take offense at a sailor being described as a soldier. I have nothing against soldiers as such but a sailor is not a soldier, period. The life and work of a sailor is far different from than that of a soldier- the environments in which they live and work are vastly different- it is in fact a completely different experience. OK, there I have said it and gotten this off my chest. That being said I really look forward to each new episode of this show.

I have seen the next episode of WOULD YOU LIKE A CUP OF COFFEE? I am liking this show better now- and it really does have some of the vibes of a J-drama.

Darli: I don’t know what it is in this one that made me like it very much. Perhaps it’s from Moo-hak’s remarks? I’ve loved this show since the beginning, and I always admire the music and costume departments of the show. The way they always make certain scenes look like paintings is worth praising. This might end up being my fav of this year (together with Nevertheless and Sell Your Haunted House).

Sometimes, I wish Darli could be more independent and fight back by herself, but I also guess that’s not the way the show intends to go. This show is an old-school Kdrama with colorful characters and tropes used with some twists. It’s a comfort and refreshing show for me.

Something is done so wonderfully right about this one and there is magic in it which I think I haven’t seen so long in recent Kdramas I’ve watched.

Haechi this is my favorite of my currently watching shows. I don't understand why I am only watching this now. I think it has a lot to do with my new found appreciation for JIW in sageuk because of Bossam. I like his turn as the neglected and misunderstood prince.  I am only  1/3 of the drama in and I know this will get more interesting.
Dali & the Cocky Prince - I love Dali and although I like MH I just wish they would tone down the cringey lovestruck MH next week. One episode is more than enough.
Jirisan - i love JJH and JJH and the mystery is keeping my attention so far. I love the beautiful backdrops and the supporting cast are wonderful. The time jumps can be confusing and it sometime makes me want them to stay in the timeline where Hyun Jo is an active ranger. We shall see how long this show can keep my interest.
One the Woman - I am still watching this just to see how they will catch the evil cousin. But other than that this show really has nothing new to offer. If you like this kind of show then its a good filler watch.
The King's Affection - i am tempted to drop this once I choose another sageuk from the new ones coming up. For now this is on hold.

My varieties: 3MAD: Doctors, Street Woman Fighter Special, We Don't Bite, 2D1N

Nothing's grabbing me at the moment.
1. The King's Affection: visually beautiful.
2. Inspector Koo: hard to see unconnected to Killing Eve.
3. Reflection of You: the kiss was 🔥 but I'm still hoping there's more to it than 2 women fighting over a man, no matter how beautiful he looks. (BTW beauty comes with damage: he's been drugged and hit by a car and been in a coma for 5? years, and I'm not optimistic that's going be all)
4. One the Woman: at ep 4. Nothing to say yet.
5. Jirisan: paused at ep 2, but will catch up today. Trying to filter out everyone's disappointment.
6. Chimera: ok because Park Hae-soo

I'm going to do some catching up:
Youth of May. I'm ready for it now. I really want to see Snowdrop. Some of the scenes in the preview look v like the historical scenes in 1987: When the Day Comes, so I'm assuming they are taken from actual footage.
Will also start Dr Brain
I really want something clever, dark, twisted, and mysterious. Or something based on actual events.

Beanies, Woo Dohwan is coming back to Dramaland! It's been too long, really!

About what I've been watching: finished 3 dramas in a week, which is something I guess hasn't happened for a long time now, because this year I've been dropping so much stuff - including dramas I like, but am not in the right headspace to watch. Been a bit out of focus lately...
Anyways, here it goes:
*Lovers of the Red Sky: don't want to trash it any more than I already did in my fan wall. My two main takeaways are:
- it was super pretty but didn't make any sense at all
- Kwak Siyang shines bright even with a mediocre script
*Human Disqualification: liked very much the main characters - and Ryu Junyol and Jeon Doyon are outstanding actors-, and the Father-Daughter relationship is truly touching, but found the other side-stories a bit meh. Still, it is superb, in a very slow but intense way.

*Yumi's Cells: loved the source webtoon, and found the drama delightful. It's full of corky but on point ways to illustrate common behaviours and emotions, and I love it that it is one of the few dramas that don't sell romantic love as a life goal. Can't wait to see Yumi growing even more and becoming less reliant on romantic relationships to find happiness. "There isn't a Male Lead, this story only has a main character." 💚

Besides, I'm gearing up for Dali and Gamjatang's last week, and kind of watching The King's Affection -