Team Dramabeans: What we're watching » Dramabeans Korean drama recaps

184 January 1, 2022December 31, 2021

Team Dramabeans: What we’re watching

by DB Staff

Happy New Year, everyone! And a happy 2022 to all ♥

What are we all watching this week? What kept you reaching for more (or agonizing when there was no more), and what made you want to throw your remote through the screen? Time to weigh in…

The Silent Sea: I’m usually not into sci-fi about space travel, since I’m scared of heights and falling, and the visuals make me nauseous. I’m also scared of drowning, so this drama was basically my worst nightmare. Despite all of that, I was easily sucked in by the story and the quiet tension. It reminded me a lot of the horror film The Thing, as they both take place in claustrophobic locations with “Oh no, who’s gonna be next?” vibes.

Snowdrop: What the hell is going on with this show? It’s trying to be an epic drama and a black comedy at the same time, and the end result is just straight-up bizarre. The shootout and hostage situation at the girls’ dorm was clearly meant to be intense and frightening — and it was — so I had no idea how to react to the bits of humor thrown in. I have no idea how to react to this show, period, yet, for some reason, I’m still curious enough to keep watching.

Bulgasal: Immortal Souls: Those twists, y’all… they really got me! I’m much more invested now, and I’m looking forward to what else the story holds. Twists aside, I think I was most surprised to see just how much Hwal truly cared for his late wife. I assumed his feelings were mostly guilt and pity, but it seems like he really loved her. It certainly makes things in the present-day storyline interesting.

Our Beloved Summer: I did not think this show would make me mega swoon, but AHHHH, that rain scene! So swoony! So satisfying and well-earned! 😍

missvictrix

Currently weecapping: Our Beloved Summer, Bulgasal: Immortal Souls

Flower of Evil: Randomly returning to this drama since I never got more than a few episodes in and heard it was pretty satisfying (is that true?). I half re-watched Episode 1, and I was bored. But I have thoughts! Right now I’m fixated on Moon Chae-won’s character in that lovely white dress getting called into the police station to interrogate someone. I love this storytelling element – the heroine all dressed up for a certain scene only to be pulled into a different environment where there’s a tonal clash. There’s something strangely satisfying about this, no matter the drama, and no matter how tropey. Heck, I liked it enough to do it in real life, once purposefully going to the gas station to fill up my tank in a black floor-length gown on my way home from a wedding, hah. There’s just something wonderful about discontinuity.

DaebakGrits

Currently weecapping: Moonshine

Our Beloved Summer: Just when I decided I was fully on Team Ji-woong, our OTP kissed. Ugh, my heart is breaking. The more I watch this show, the more I want it to be about healing and moving on from past relationships, so I’m definitely rooting for the alternate pairings now, especially Ji-woong. I’m not going to get my way, am I?

The One and Only: Hesitated to start this one because it will undoubtedly be a tear-jerker, but I was pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed the friendship between the three women. I’ve only watched the first two episodes, but there were parts that had me laughing out loud. So, I may end up destroying a box of tissues for this drama’s finale, but hopefully the episodes leading up to it will continue to be a nice mixture of comedy and justice porn.

What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim: Have I mentioned that I hate the brother? Yes? Oh well. Still hate him. I get that he’s harboring some guilt and lost his memory and woe is him, but I just don’t find him sympathetic. At. All. At least my friend finds my constant groaning whenever he’s on screen entertaining. On a plus note, we’re at the point where all the secrets are out in the open, so now, if I remember correctly, things are pretty much fluffy rom-com and smooth sailing from this point on.

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51 lillamy

January 2, 2022 at 12:59 PM

THE ONE AND ONLY: This is one of those dramas where mood is everything. I've only watched two episodes but I feel for the friendship that will develop between the three women.

RED SLEEVE: First thing's first - Junho was phenomenal. And the hanboks! The colors, the designs! 😘
Secondly, as a historical drama, this was really magnificently written and directed. The musical score also felt like something out of a fairy tale. Apart from the fairy palace, I enjoyed the drama quite much. Only the final episodes felt sluggish. The romance, on the other hand, I have mixed feelings about. San won't be joining my favorite male leads anytime ever. Only on her deathbed, Deok-im confessed to having feelings for him and even then, she refused to speak her love out loud. I understand this was the only thing she was left in control of, the uncertainty of her feelings for him. Still, she chose to stay with him and I felt she spent a lot of time regretting this. The only time I felt she was happy was the dumpling scene. I suppose the ending wouldn't have felt so bitter-sweet if only some of the happy times were shown as well.

UGLY BEAUTY: Now, this is just a happy pill. The show manages to find an amazing balance between sadness and comedy, the cute and lesser likable sides of humans. Moon Ga-young is slaying it as the heroine. That karaoke brawl at the end of episode six is just the best, I was so moved at how all her friends just show up, one after another, and throws themselves into the fight with no questions asked. Please repeat this onto the queen of bullying.

RAINLESS GOD: So it all came down to Lemed's jealousy over Kakarayan's attention. Huh. I'm off to watch the final episode. I will be tired tomorrow at work, but some sacrifices we must all make!

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52 DancingEmma

January 2, 2022 at 6:30 PM

Would any of you beanies care to share how you access good recent and recentish Korean films? I find it very difficult to find a streaming service that has a decent Korean film collection licensed for broadcasting in Australia. It is frustrating for sure. If you’re happy to share, I am interested in reading about how any of you (wherever you may be) with a similar interest access such movies. Thank you!

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53 Jellybn

January 2, 2022 at 7:57 PM

I really appreciate your review on The Silent Sea @sailorjumun! I like sci-fi movies and shows for the most part, but some of them can make me so dizzy that I have to fast forward a lot!! I am also terrified of heights, drowning, and claustrophobic spaces, but still, sci-fi calls out to me especially if the story is good. I think I can check it out now!

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54 chillichocolate

January 2, 2022 at 11:43 PM

After the emotionally draining final episodes of The Red Sleeve, I had to put my thoughts into words. I said it in an earlier comment that treating this show as a tragic historical drama would be more appropriate instead of expecting it to be an epic romance. This was the mistake I kept making but the last two episodes made it very clear that in their current situation Yi San and Deokim could never have had an equal and fulfilling relationship. Despite their love blooming from genuine affection and admiration for each other, they are both product of their circumstances and pretty much shaped by their position. For Yi San, he could never imagine a life outside of being a CP/King and the love he has for Deokim is warped in possessiveness and entitlement. While for Deokim, she had to make an incredibly difficult choice between her own freedom and love. Yi San was a great King but he could never be the husband that Deokim wanted or give her the life that she wished for. I genuinely think she tried to make the best out of her circumstances and find happiness within small moments but loving a King who had to put others before her and share him with other women took its toll on her mental and physical health.

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chillichocolate

January 2, 2022 at 11:44 PM

It was saddening to see once vibrant and cheerful Deokim slowly loose herself, her sense of purpose and even her friends in some capacity. All the moments between the four friends had me crying. The moment where she imagines her younger, carefree-self and says goodbye to that life was heart-breaking. I loved the bond between them and their dream of living together near a bookshop after they retire. Gyeonghui being the last of them still alive, loosing her friends one by one made me cry. I have seen several comments on other platforms saying Deokim was being selfish by withholding her love and not being direct with her feelings or prioritising her friends over Yi San. As Deokim said holding out her feelings was probably one thing she could keep for herself and I loved her for this piece of resistance. She chose to be with Yi San but that didn’t mean she wasn’t upset or saddened by how her life had turned out. Choices are never black or white and just because she agreed to be with him doesn’t mean that she HAS to be okay with their situations or have moments of regret. Both Junho and Seyoung made these character their own and despite several pacing issues, repetitiveness and some whacky plot lines (Fairy Palace thing), this was a well-produced and acted sageuk.

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wapz

January 3, 2022 at 11:15 AM

Totally agree with you. But i think it's not your fault for treating the show as an epic romance, it's the writer's. In total, i liked the first six episodes and the last two of RSC the most because they brought the whole point of the story home. I wish they had done that before but they didn't because we never saw anything about DI. Whenever San threatened her or approached her, we just never got her perspective. The only time we ever got a hint of how DI felt was when she said being around the King is suffocating. And then in the last two episodes. I understand that one reason for not showing it could've been Jeongjo. He's a beloved King, showing DI's resistance against being with him may have left a worse impression regarding him. Hence, they had to avoid that, though him continuously threateneing DI didn't leave a good impression either. All in all I hope we could've gotten much more of DI throughout but the last two episodes deserve the credit for showing that. So yeah the writer didn't want us to take this as a tragedy in the middle part of the show and was kind of romanticizing San while only in the last epiaode we realized that DI didn't even want anything she got from being with him.

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chillichocolate

January 3, 2022 at 1:40 PM

Yeah, I loved the first 6 episodes but the middle episodes were definitely confusing regarding the relationship aspect. They kept repeating the same things - Yi San confessing, Deokim rejecting/being vague, saving each other and repeat. There were still many moments that I enjoyed but the overall vibe was not the same. In episode 7 when he grabbed Deokim's neck, I thought this type of thing won't happen again. But he kept on being terribly possessive and didn't even like that Deokim trusted her friends more than him. If their intention was to show an imbalanced relationship then they should have given more time to show that dynamic. Instead of wasting so much time with the Fairy Palace plot, they should have got the leads together by 14th episode. Maybe it was clash between writers and the channel, since people wanted more couple/shippy moments. What you are saying regarding public perception of King Jeongjo could be another factor. But like Court Lady Seo said 'A good king is not necessarily a good husband.'

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DancingEmma

January 3, 2022 at 3:13 PM

You are absolutely right. Sadly, without romanticising San, it is very unlikely that the RS would have done as well as it has.
Centuries of global patriarchy has predicated vast numbers of men and sadly many women to see women’s lives only of worth in relation to men, and when there is such a huge power differential, everything is magnified. And, romanticisation makes all kinds of brutality easier to sell.

Thinking of the thematic choices of the RS, I tried to find an English translation of the novel (one day my Korean will be good enough to read and understand but till then..) but can’t find one so it is difficult for me to ascertain whether the drama’s fundamental shortcomings were reflective of the novel and/or its writer/s’ choices.

Given the dearth of extant personal accounts, so much became a matter of conjecture and that was reflected in the overarching narrative which time and again emphasised the institutional disempowerment of Deok Im not only through San’s suffocating sense of entitlement but also mostly through largely contrived plots. What it failed to tell was a reimagined and more in depth story of Deok Im. The nonsensical ninja fairies subplot which wasted so much time that could have been spent on fleshing out Deok Im’s inner life as well as her relationship with her brother (a stronger actor in that role could have imbued the role with more weight but as a skeletal role, it was a thankless one) and more about Deok Im’s close circle of friends who enriched her life. And, the list can go on.

In the end, what gave me many moments of pleasure was due to the acting prowess of many of the cast which consistently far outshone the story-telling and directing.

Healer’s

January 3, 2022 at 4:10 PM

@ DancingEmma: agreed! Romanticism sells. And Junho sells. Although I love Junho to bits and still enjoyed RSC, it is the least favourite drama and San is the least favourite charactor among his. But Junho did well in portraying San. Se-young did a nice job too.

OldLawyer

January 5, 2022 at 5:49 PM

The show actually did a good job of showing the unequal power dynamic between our two lead characters. And for those who ask why the story shows Deok Im resisting for so long- that is actually historical fact.

As for the romanticization of the story and the way that San is portrayed it is important to remember that he is one of the most beloved kings in the history of Korea- not least because of his struggle to bring an end to slavery.

Perhaps one of the lessons that this show really illustrated was the tragedy of the adoption of Confucianism. Prior to that happening the status of women in Korea was higher in Korea than in any other society- not only in Asia but arguably anywhere in the world outside of Viking Era Scandinavia. During the history of Silla there were even 3 ruling queens.

chillichocolate

January 6, 2022 at 9:36 AM

@OldLawyer what you said about Confucianism changing the social dynamic of East-Asia is really interesting. I don't have much idea about pre-Confucianism times. Is there any show/movie set in those time that you might know?

55 Deeja

January 3, 2022 at 12:30 AM

The Red Sleeve : Final episode -I had to pause after Dok Im's death, it's too much sadness. I'm just frustrated that she didn't even utter the word 'I love you'. It's just me. Haha. I need some spoiler before I can move on, and I'm glad to read the comments in this post about how to view the sageuk drama. It's not a romance drama, it's sageuk; I second to this opinion. Mostly I kept on watching not because of the romance. The story for every episode itself is very interesting. Continuing on, my tears keep rolling down, watching the King, it felt as if, if not because of his responsibility to run the country, he wouldn't have the strength to keep on living. He lost so many of his loved ones - his dear father, beloved grandpa, a long-time close friend Hong Dok Ro, beloved Dok Im; it's too sad... This is one of the kdrama that I managed to watch with love and anticipation from the first episode to the finale.

Bad and Crazy : My happy pill! (But I still can't stand the violence added- I have to close my eyes when such scenes begin.) I love seeing K's giddyness everytime he's with Hui Gyeom.

Our Beloved Summer : Can't stop laughing while watching episode 7! Entering episode 8, I'm swooning the final minutes scene! I thought Choi Ung's flashback is meaningless, but I'm surprised to see that it works perfect in this episode.

The Witch Part 1: I've been pausing this movie because I'm a chicken. I watched it for Kim Da Mi, but I'm scared to continue watching when Kim Da Mi met Choi Woo Shil for the first time. But a big thank you to Our Beloved Summer, I decided to continue The Witch and I'm glad I'm picking it up! For me, the story is clever! Love love love it! But because of too much violence, I had to re-watch Our Beloved Summer to kind of cleanse my feeling. Haha. I hope both lead will do more drama or movie together as lead in the future. Love seeing them together!

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56 celcovington

January 3, 2022 at 5:03 AM

Sad to see The Secret Royal Inspector and Joy end. I was all in for the hijinks and Taecyon.

Watching Catch The Ghost currently for my KSH appetite. I am also finishing Oh My Ghostess since I skipped through some parts before (too difficult not to binge).

The Single's Inferno was surprisingly entertaining and has me hooked until the finale next week.