Happiness (Episode 7-8) - Mood: C+
While I appreciate that Yi Hyun made full use of the precious info given to him by the gym trainer before he was shot by Tae Seok (I cackled watching Joo Hyung’s tables get overturned), it feels quite coincidental that the Next pill looks very similar to his digestive medicine, so much so that Joo Hyung got tricked by them. The gradual descent of the older cop into religious fanaticism is a cliche overdone in survival thrillers that I’m left pretty cold by the cliffhanger. As was in the first half, what happens outside the apartments is more interesting: Tae Seok’s bait was this week’s highlight by a mile.

Idol: The Coup (Episode 7-8) - Mood: C
I can’t deny it was absolutely gratifying to watch Cotton Candy finally get traction but there’s a lot of stuff that made it really awkward narratively: 1) Yes the CEO is becoming softer and yay character development, but it’s rather lame that the catalyst for that change was his feelings for Jenna, 2) Ray had a point about Ji Han being reckless without thinking about Mars (leaking the song is a no) but it was presented in this weirdly antagonistic vibe, 3) Jenna’s choice ended up being anti-climatic as the collaboration still happened in the end, 4) I can already see the love triangle being a conflict.

School 2021 (Episode 3-4) - Mood: C-
As much as I disliked the suicide fake-out (because it was cliffhanger bait), I find myself impressed at Seo Young’s character development this week. And she’s a 2nd female lead at that!

Let Me Be Your Knight (Episode 4) - Mood: D+
A second love triangle? But then again, every boy in that mansion is brooding.

Chimera (Episode 9-10) - Mood: D+
Ok, the copycat arc ended quickly and we got a juicy reveal for past Chimera! This second half is starting off well?

The Red Sleeve Cuff (Episode 5-6) - Mood: D
Court Lady Jo’s motivations are simply “blame the child for his parent’s mistake” nonsense, also, the tutor’s confirmed to be another greedy villain so this plot isn’t going uphill anytime soon. And they’ve got no more abs to spare?

Melancholia (Episode 7-8) - Mood: D-
To be honest, I’m not thrilled that the 2nd half will be focused on revenge. Isn’t the best revenge living well?

The King's Affection (Episode 15-16) - Mood: D-
It wasn’t funny suspending my disbelief about who saw some things and who didn’t saw other things, also, placenta chamber plot device made me roll my eyes so hard.

Reflection of You (Episode 15-16) - Mood progression: B / C+ / C / C+ / C / C- / D+ / D-
If only the story had been about two woman bonding over existential crises and forming an unlikely friendship! Alas, it was not to be.

Now We Are Breaking Up (Episode 5-6) - Mood: D-
God, why is there another obstacle in the obsessed model? And we’ve terminal illness + cheating combination tropes?

ONGOING
Jirisan - The mystery is more intricate than I expected. The fact that it's related to the flooding was an interesting surprise. But I really hope the show isn't planning to fridge another female ranger in the grand interest of the story.

Inspector Koo - Pre-empted .

Chimera - Mom's backstory ended up being way darker than I had expected. I'm glad she killed all of them, sort of.

The King's Affection - I'm definitely the only one who fast-forwarded through the romance. Only to land at THAT death. RIP Commander Yoon 😢 though maybe sageuk peeps should stop going near cliffs now.

Secret Royal Inspector & Joy - What was the point of killing off the Inspector for like 20 minutes? Why were the last 5-10 minutes just flashbacks played to music? Are they running out of content? Anyway BeadBoy (thanks to the Beanie who coined the name) is interesting.

Melancholia - Show has too many characters. We've exchanged one generation of evil rich kids and parents for another except the OG evil kids are still around to ruin things 🙄. And then the leads running what feels like two parallel revenge tracks - why not just talk to each other and work together?

The Red Sleeve Cuff - Did something other than the bath tub scene happen in Ep. 6? My memory is all fogged up from the hot water 😳.
Ep. 7 - We do not grab people by the neck no matter how unhappy we are 🤨. Bad San!

Now We Are Breaking Up - It wasn't bad enough that we had the FL pining for a decade for a man she dated for 2 months but now there's another woman pining for her CHEATING fiancé for the same amount of time. You'd think these super-successful women would find something (or someone) better to do.

Reflection of You: I said in the first episode recap that Li-sa would be the killer though Hui-ju, Hae-won, Hyun-sung and Woo-jae himself all had a hand in it. I spent the series hating everyone, but in the end, I just felt sad. Li-sa and Ho-su bore the brunt of their parents' wrongdoings, but it was clear that all of the characters were twisted by their own upbringings. These were not emotionally healthy individuals who knew how to forgive and move on. I can’t say I liked this drama, but I think it handled the themes well and the acting and cinematography were very good.

Happiness: Yi-hyun!! If anyone can resist the thirst, it is probably him. It was smart to try to find the infected but Sae-bom and Yi-hyun went about it in a pretty reckless way. The Beanie who said the pastor was probably infected and that’s why the zombie ran away was right.

Work Later, Drink Now: I really hope a second season does happen because I need more! Lee Sun-bin, Jung Eun-ji and Han Sunhwa were great in their roles.

The King’s Affection: Stuff happened this week (RIP Commander Yoon) but it still felt rather slow. There were some dumb plot points too, like the bad guys just happening across the twin umbilical cords and the kissing out in the open.

Secret Royal Inspector and Joy: I’m here for Tae-soo. His scenes in Episode 8 were really good, but oh, it’s going to end badly for him.

Melancholia: Seung-yoo certainly accomplished a lot in four years. I was okay with the teacher-student relationship when Seung-yoo was a student because he was clearly a troubled kid with a crush that Yoon-su did not reciprocate. I’m uncomfortable with the adult Seung-yoo practically stalking an uncomfortable Yoon-su though.

Hahaha, ok School 2021, you got me with the cliffhanger of the previous week. Though I'm not complaining, I like it this way better. I also like that we uncover some facts and history in snippets (and don't mind some of them being a bit cliché or predictable). And, ha, Seoyoung is even more badass than our handsome biker 😁

I paused Braking Now and went back to Lady and Gentleman as I needed to knit a scarf for my daughter. For knitting, it was an OK background, but I find the recent Be My Dream Family a better show.

Still watching Rain God... and waiting for the right mood to start Red Sleeve.

Also waiting for Choi Wooshik (in Our Beloved Summer). ❤

CRICKET -

New Zealand Vs. India - 10 wickets - such a big big big achievement.

So female cricket unranked team beat raked team in the tournament that decides who gonna play in future world cup and then other matches get cancelled because of health concerns. The raked team automatically is now in the world cup and that's when female unranked cricket team is better than males ranked team.

Also double the pay for female cricketers
Also double the viewership.
This is market where growth potential is huge. Money matters and money potential is huge and also creates free of cost image for you - empowerment and equality and more and you have got the money and respect all on your side. You see the customers you go for it.

Sports is more business than any other business out there.

Red Cuff of the Sleeve Ep 7 This has been the most entertaining Sageuk so far. The actors are wonderful, every frame is rich in colour and every scene is splendid. Looking forward to see how Deok Im will give up her court maid position without compromising on her principles.

Happiness Ep 9 The drama has gathered all the resources on Covid-19 and has successfully tied it to the fictional virus. Wonderful leads trying to keep the horrible apartment people safe which parallel's health care givers and covidiots.

Reflection of You Ep 15-16 The drama was good from start to finish, though it was a frustrating watch as none of the characters were likeable. In the end, HW and HJ lives were reflections of each other and everyone got what they deserved and my final take away was "Revenge never brings peace".

The King’s Affection: Their broad daylight kisses are both a delight and scary because they are bound to get caught. We have 4 episodes left, I haven’t the faintest whether this will be a happy or sad ending. Here is hoping our couple makes it.

Secret Royal Inspector and Joy: This drama continues to be fun. There is nothing special about it, but we all like hijinks and shenanigans with a touch of romance. This offers that so I am content.

School 2021L I really like this drama. It is so cute. I think it does a good job of showcasing the issues and joys of everyone. It seems like thankfully there will be no love triangle. Just students trying to make it to adulthood.

Reflection of You: I really thought the ending would be some bloodbath or melodramatic proportions, but it really wasn’t. Our leads were punished, for the most part, according to their just deserts. Hui Ju was left all alone and her husband was left without her. I actually kind of liked the ending, although a bit anti-climactic considering the drama of the previous episodes.

Happiness: 6 episodes left and we have a case. I wonder if they will make him resist for a very long time and overcame or let him go full zompire. I also wonder if he will tell his wife. Hmmmm

One Ordinary Day: So we got the big guns lawyer, I wonder why she took the case.

Now we are breaking up: So, Soo Wan was cheating on his fiancé and didn’t tell his girlfriend. SMH. None of that explains why he was speeding in the rain. I also really like the jersey dress with the print.

The red sleeve: It was a nice touch to show the prince’s body from Deok Im’s perspective. I don’t really have much to say on this drama, it is just very very good.

Chimera: So now we know who the original Chimera is and why she did it. That was an unexpected twist. Did not see that coming. I really thought our cop and doctor were brothers, but I was wrong. This was a good plot twist.

Inspector Koo: Back to our serial killer meeting a power killer. I still don’t like a shadow is making me do it, but it is fine, whatever.

NOW WE ARE BREAKING UP (Ep. 5-6) Jae-Koo’s delusion “property rights” thinking that Young Eun is his woman is now beyond degrading but manipulative. She bought his Paris alley picture that made him strong enough to pursue his dreams. So what? If her buying that bleak photograph was the portal to be soul mates why did he send her a note through his brother? He did not the courage to talk to her does not impart “I saw her first so she is mine” rights. So what if she dated his brother for two months? Why did it take you ten years to meet her? Just because she had a one-night stand with you does not validate your delusions that she is the one, she loves you, or wants you. His constant imposition of himself into her life is manipulative misbehavior trying to coax a “debt” she would owe to him so he can collect his prize, her. The next “bomb” he can level on her psyche is that Soo-Wan was cheating on his fiancee when he was with Young Eun. He can twist it that it was not a real love that she is stuck on in her memory, but only the convenient “other woman.” Is his plan to shatter Young Eun’s self-esteem so her can pick up the pieces? It is real sick way to get someone to like you.

The bigger problem in the series is that the secondary story lines are better than the main one. At least there is some character motivation behind their actions. No one appreciates Young Eun’s loyalty to the company, so why does she not move on to another brand instead of being a constant lap dog for the CEO’s children?

Red Sleeve Cuff: Well written, acted, directed and edited with nice pacing. Very addictive drama.

Now, We Are Broken Up: Not well written, acted, directed or edited but around episode 5 the pacing and story started working more so I find myself still watching it. It's like the writer wanted to freshen up an old school melodrama. It's not working but I'm short of contemporary dramas and here I am for another week.

The King's Affection: I realize I am never jumping back in after stalling on episode 9. Dropped.

Secret Royal Inspector: I kinda pay attention when I'm watching, or folding laundry or whatever. Total background drama.

The Crowned Clown: I skipped this because I had already seen the movie it was based on so I just couldn't see putting in 16 hours. I am considering it though so my question is this: Is it worth it? Help me out a bit. I remember good reviews at the time but sometimes that is hype and upon reflection, people change their views.

Secret Royal Inspector and Joy. The drama is really dumb. Did anyone believe our perfect secret inspector would be dead? Noooooooo. Anyway, Bead Boy and his tortured self and super cutie Taec keep me going. Everything is so anachronistic I should be mad at the drama, but I jus don’t care. I still don’t like FL. But you know what? I love Taec!

Would you want a cup of coffee?. What a wonderful little drama. I loved to bits. If you haven’t watched, please do.

Show window: The Queen’s house. I don’t like makjang and I wish I could ignore all Song Yoon Ah plastic surgery, but I need to give this drama a chance because I’m a good fangirl and I love Chansung. First two episodes were a good setting and I guess I’ll be watching next two episodes to see how it goes, but so far as over the top as expected.

Reflection of you. It’s over and I am quite satisfied with the ending, although I don’t get (well I do, it was a plot device) why HJ didn’t call the police when LiSa deservedly stabbed WooJae: it was clearly self defense. LiSa is the only part I’m really sad about. I mean, HJ may have acted out of love in her mind, but she didn’t love LiSa in the first place. That girl is going to grow up as traumatized as her aunt and may become the psycho her aunt is now. The acting on episode 16 was top notch for me. This is a good drama, with a very good production, directing, writing and acting but I just can’t recommend it. It was so exhausting. So much.

Red Sleeve. The bath scene. Nothing more to add, your honor. Well, yes. I love Junho.

Jirisan. Everything is hilarious about this. Can someone explain me how if Chief Do and GooYoung are with JJHx2 when we learn YangSun had the accident (and connecting the dots would have made her a victim of the killer) the drama has been pretending to misguide us this much? Oh! Because the killer has a partner… but we have stated by now that the partner is already dead!! Such a terrible writing. Worse than directing...

On the verge of insanity. I really pity sometimes Dang Ja Young. She just wants the job done and she has to fight one obstacle after another. Moon So-ri is like always, killing it.

The King's Affection It's still my favourite airing drama. I like how the politics (Hwi needs to fight her grandfather, the Prince Wosan and keeping her secret...) and the romance are balanced, it keeps my interest. I like how the couple can be together just by Ji-Woon becoming a scribe. His father found him a good job at the Palace :p I like how the writer is not trying to fill the story with every character in every episode. They came when it makes sense to the story.

Idol: The Coup This story is : one step forward for three steps back...

Secret Royal Inspector and Joy 7-8 I see no difference between the BTS and the drama itself, just the actors having fun :p

School 2021 I care more about the second leads than the main ones...

The Red Sleeve Cuff I was kinda hoping that the bath scene would last longer 🙄

Happiness I want Sae-Bom to settle her neighbors's hash.

The Wheel of Time It's not a KDrama but everytime Daniel Henney is on my screen, it reminds me the first time I watched him in Spring Waltz.

Henceforth Junho is going to be San-ah to me. Whenever I see the guy it will be “oh, San-ah!”

Reflection of You: Sad yet rich and satisfying. This show knew what it wanted to do from start to end and delivered. Like I posted elsewhere— everything came full circle. It’s not a nice story. But it’s a good drama about the cycle of despair among people who are both victim and perpetrator, who each make terrible choices, and are either too proud or too cowardly to forgive or ask for forgiveness. Seonwoo and Bar Man have long broken out of that cycle. Revenge never brings you or anyone any good, but I guess for many people it is a lesson that needs to be learned the hard way. I’m glad I watched this drama, and I’m glad that it’s over.

Inspector Koo: Uh…

Melancholia: I’m still behind. The comments about adult Seungyoo and his stalkerish behavior are not very encouraging…

Jirisan: 7.0 Filling in the gaps, but still can't decide whether to be a serial-killer show or a park ranger rescue-of-the-week show, and still not good at filming a Dark and Stormy Night so we can see what's going on.

Happiness: 7.7

Inspector Koo: __ 😡 Come back soon!

So I Married an Anti-Fan: 4.5 (day 16 - at last!) My hard-earned kpop-themed Bean for the year.

Work Later, Drink Now: 8.0 for the series, 9.5 for the finale.

Secret Royal Inspector & Joy: 7.8

King's Affection: 7.0

Chimera: 7.9 Ye Olde "Get him to open the door by saying he has a package" routine. That wouldn't work here in America where they mostly just ring the doorbell and run, leaving you to race the porch pirates. But show is picking up near the end.

Wow! I have 43 completed Beans already this year, not counting shows I am still watching. Of course I may be pushing it by counting Joseon Exorcist but hey, I watched all two episodes :) The short Netflix shows also make it easy to boost my count, as did the even shorter Bite Sisters, whose 10 episodes added up to less than 2 hours.

The Fiery Priest - OK, but I didn't really buy the gospel that beating the crap out of your enemies is the path to spiritual growth.

Currently Watching:

THE KING'S AFFECTION: My interest in this one has waned a bit, and I didn't get through this week's episodes. Although the stakes are literally life and death right now, and the leads have sweet chemistry, I'm missing the intensity of earlier episodes, especially in terms of their interactions.

RED SLEEVE: Still my favorite and this is why: although the common tropes are there (childhood connection; the leads literally falling into each other's arms; scheming acolytes; toxic family relationships) the writing still surprises me. For example, the bath scene was clearly a way to show that the CP was jealous and also heighten the sexual tension. Check and check, but what struck me was the unpredictability of the conversation they had. CP is grouchy and accusing Deok-im of being too close to his right-hand man in public. We've seen a version of this scene in a million dramas and it always plays out roughly the same. But in this one, instead of reveling in his obvious jealousy, the FL chastised him for noticing that she was being harassed--as all court ladies are nearly all the time--and not intervening. His interjection of "I don't care about any other court ladies but you!" didn't make her swoon, either. She just looked at him like "And you're proud of that?!" So then when they have their moment of proximity a few seconds later, it's fluttery for the conventional reasons (Jun ho + bench press and planks = every viewer doing the same slow blink as Deok-im) but it's even hotter because we've just seen the characters challenge and learn from each other in a much more interesting way. Can't wait to watch this week's episodes.

HAPPINESS: Finally some progress in the plot an in the lead's relationship. I'm ready for the building rep and the adulterous attorney to get bit, though.

Wow, it has been a while since I was on Dramabeans. Life, you know? I hope Beanies are all doing well.

HOGU’S LOVE - I had been yearning to rewatch this one because I have been on a Choi Woo Shik appreciation spree in anticipation of Our Beloved Summer (I cannot wait). Boy, the rewatch was extremely fun! It was the perfect mix of rib-aching humor, pathos, heart, and, of course, a cute angel baby. Uee and Choi Woo Shik had that lovely, easy chemistry too. Not to mention Choi Woo Shik and Lim Seul Ong. Hahahaha.

ON THE VERGE OF INSANITY–I am enjoying the Misaeng vibes. I like nothing better than a well-crafted slice-of-life drama. I have heard Beanies rave about this one and I understand why.

JUST BETWEEN LOVERS–Lee Junho. Since I am not watching RED SLEEVE CUFF ( historical Kdramas are usually hard emotional watches for me ), I felt a Junho-shaped hole and needed to fill it. And this story will always get me in the heart. What a gem of a drama.

KING OF MASKED SINGER–continues to be a weekly family tradition and feels like comfort food. We are caught up to the live episodes and no longer have the luxury of watching episodes nights in a row. I cannot wait until circumstances allow an audience though. It really invigorates the show.

SHUT UP FLOWER BOY BAND–I am finally watching this! I know how much Javabeans delighted in this drama; her recaps are love letters to the show. Still early, but I am enjoying the teen angst done well and Sung Joon’s intensity.

SECRET INSPECTOR & JOY–I don’t know why I like this except for Taecyeon’s comical faces and the shenanigans he and his boys and Joy get up to. I could do without the very heavy modern hand, but I guess for a Korean audience the themes would be relatable. Overall, it is a light watch (for now), which is welcome right now.

START-UP- Sooo good! I am rewatching with even more enjoyment. There is so much to enjoy! Can I say how much I adore Suzy for her quirky personality. Knitting Nam Do-San just has my heart. Ji Pyeong and Halmeoni make my heart grow 3 sizes larger–truly they are the heart of this drama. And Won In-Jae. Really, Kang Han Na is a talented actress and has a knack of making us fall in love with her not-quite likable characters (see JUST BETWEEN LOVERS, for example). And the rest of the ensemble just makes the show zing for me.

RED SLEEVE CUFF and ONE ORDINARY DAY are wonderful to watch. Both have excellent acting and a well written story. I just love how our smart court lady Deok-Im blurts out her real thoughts, the crown prince likes this, too, ha! I also like that the crown prince is very aware of and at the same time very comfortable with his privilege and sense of entitlement, after all he grew up as a prince and is used to it. Junho is so good in this.

I just noticed that Kim Soo-Hyun's character in Ordinary Day is called Kim Hyun-Soo. Was that deliberate? His acting is excellent here and so is Cha Seung Won. Not so keen on the inevitable prison violence (it is always the same).

I still like MELANCHOLIA and especially Lee Do Hyun. Shin Soo-Yeon is a joy to watch as Choi Si-An who does stand up to the school bullies. The story itself is not the best, I don't think that going back to that horrible school to undo a wrong is very clever. Maybe it just shows my prejudice, but I always associate a maths genius with glasses and not with motor bikes.

HAPPINESS is still a good watch and INSPECTOR JOY is a nice show to relax with. With JIRISAN and KINGS AFFECTION I am more interested in how it will wrap up.

Wish I could remember which Beanie recommended the THE GREATEST LOVE (2011) as a good Hong Sister drama. This last week I sat smiling and crying like an idiot through all 16 episodes. Had never seen Cha Seung Won before: Wow. His performance as the cold arrogant lead was super hilarious and way surpasses even Park Seo Joon in Whats Wrong with Sec'y Kim, and maybe PSJ was inspired by that. The FL, Gong Hyo-Jin, I know she is highly regarded but I find her a bit bland for some reason and doesnt change much from one drama to the next. I was happy to see secondary ML Yoon Kye-Sang, who I had enjoyed so much in the film "Love Guide for Dumpees."

After Greatest Love, I needed something more serious, so have started DR JOHN, which was on many lists of underrated shows. Looks very promising.

Film NIGHT IN PARADISE (Netflix). All the blood and gore you could possibly want to spice up your holiday season, but done in a well-produced arty way. Korea, why do you keep doing this?

Have been waiting for VANISHING, new French/Korean film, to be released somewhere. Stars Yoo Yeon-Seok playing a detective. My favorite K-stars are going international; Park Seo Joon is hitting the world stage in 2022 in a MARVEL film; can hardly wait for that one.

The buzz worthy drama of the week goes to HAPPINESS AND RED SLEEVE CUFF.

JIRISAN: dropped. I'm tired. Like most beanies I had high hopes seeing the hype has been there for a year. I remember when the news was out about the casting, a lot of people were talking about how this power-cast is going to shake up dramaland. My eyes are on SNOWDROP now, this too had been everywhere I turn on social media. As for Jirisan, I'll just wait till episode 16 to see who this killer with his sophisticated network truly is.

HAPPINESS: (9) I'm moving a protest truck to TVN's office if anything happens to Yihyun. Someone please get me the address, cause I'll be adding my therapy bills to the damages they've caused.

RED SLEEVE CUFF: If this drama maintains it's momentum, it'll be the best saguek of 2021 (I have not watched Bossam yet). HOLY Abs, my Good Lord 😋😋. If I were Deuk-im, I would have volunteered to be his concubine even if temporary. He is too hot.

And as for my fellows on the issue of him grabbing her neck and harassing her, plz don't fail to forget that this story is not from our modern times, they lived in a time where women had little or no say. What do you expect from a Prince who had everything under his feet now swept off due to him being rejected? There will be no excuses if it were to be our 21st century but then, you dare not refuse the Prince favour.

This week my wife binge watched the Chinese Costume drama JOY OF LIFE, which she described to me as “the weirdest one yet”. Perhaps so but it must also have been good because she was absolutely mesmerized the entire time and stayed up late to finish it.

I absolutely loved the J-drama rom-com FROM FIVE TO NINE. And not just because, as others have observed, the two leads are both ridiculously beautiful although that also is true. I think it has as much to do with the dynamics of their two families- and the contrast between them.

I also took some time to catch up to where my wife was on SUPER RICH- a nice J-drama with a strong female lead.

My wife continues to enjoy JIRISAN and THE KING’S AFFECTION. But our absolute favorite continues to be RED SLEEVE CUFF. It is just so good.

We are also really liking SECRET ROYAL INSPECTOR AND JOY. I would not call it the best show of the year- just a fun one. But for me those are the best shows even as I can admire the artistry of the best shows.

The amnesia story arc continues to play out in the weekend family drama YOUNG LADY AND GENTLEMAN. It appears to be nearing its conclusion while at least one of our side romances has gotten back on track but another is stalled and the third is really just getting started. Lots of future angst stored up there.

I am trying to space out my viewing of each new episode of WOULD YOU LIKE A CUP OF COFFEE? I do not want this special show to end even as I know it must.

DaebakGrits continues to enjoy WHATS WRONG WITH SECRETARY KIM- a classic romcom that was so good that Rakuten Viki (Viki is owned by a Japanese company) frequently features it in their web adds- in fact just yesterday when I went to check the main web page for the Japan Times there it was- a large web add for Viki featuring WWWSK that pictures Young-joon in all his narcissistic glory just as Secretary Kim is handing him her resignation letter. It is not a perfect drama but is a good one and wellworth watching even with its flaws.

The Red Sleeve - I’m still loving this drama. I like the musical score. I think the absence of vocals gives it a feeling of elegance, like an Ivory Merchant film. I did not care for the creepy Court Lady cult. But when Deok Im was retelling her story to the King, and the hug at the end of Ep 8 had me 😭

The King’s Affection - this week’s episodes gave me little pleasure. I couldn’t relax because I knew trouble was coming. I hated seeing Commander Yoon die. Poor Eunuch Hong. He wept just as he did as a child when the Prince died.

Now, Breaking Up - The lack of dramas I find interesting has made me stick with this one. It’s gotten better on some fronts. I enjoy seeing the business side of the fashion industry and the fashion show was cool. Still not feeling the heat between the leads.

Secret Royal Inspector and Joy: I'm really liking how it's sort of an ensemble show and the supporting characters are interesting and the good guys are likable. They even gave the evil MIL a tiny bit of conscience. I like how the female characters seen to have more agency since this is a comedic, fusion sageuk. I have a huge crush on the murdery-but-not-as-bad baddie, Tae-seo. His scene with his dad was intense and heartbreaking.

Sunbae Don't Put on That Lipstick: I've been pleasantly surprised by this one. It's so so good. Yes, the hero seems questionable at first but by the 3rd ep he is solid. I'm not even sure how to explain this one? It has a slower and mellow feel but keeps up a nice forward momentum and stays fairly light in feel so far.
If you haven't watched it I'd definitely recommend it, especially for this time of year. It just has that winter watch feel to it. Also, I like that it doesn't do that thing that some of the romance dramas do when the leads just stare for like 2 minutes. It could be staring at each other, staring out a window, or staring at their coffee.
I do wish the subs would actually use the terms like "sunbae" but what can you do.
Will put a warning that it is easy to stay up too late when watching though. It's hard not to think the "just one more ep".

When not watching Sunbae I've been doing mini binges of the Chinese drama A River Runs Through it. I have used my ff a little on this one as I am not as interested in some of the secondary characters relationships as much. This is one that starts out in Highschool then through college and I believe into adulthood. I really enjoyed the Highschool part when we saw more of their neighborhood and got to see their friendship group develop before the romantic entanglements really kicked in. I like the romance but I wish they'd cleared up one aspect a little sooner.