Premiere Watch: Thirty-Nine, Grid, I Haven’t Done My Best Yet
by missvictrix
Our premieres last weekend were not enough to fill the drama void, and while we’re still awaiting new fare from the Big Three, this week we have new shows from JTBC and two streaming services. Between a kick@ass Lee Shi-young and an always-wonderful Sohn Ye-jin, I don’t know what to watch first!
Thirty-Nine
Time slot: Wednesday-Thursday
Broadcaster: JTBC
Genre: Drama, romance, friendship
Episode count: 12
Reasons to watch: Going based on what we’ve seen and heard of Thirty-Nine thus far, this drama has everything I love… and everything I hate. Give me all the well-written shows about female friendships, navigating life, dealing with milestones, and being surprised by romance. But please do not give me tales of terminal illness that make my heart bleed and my eyes weep. As to how this drama will balance these things is yet to be seen, but even with one of my least favorite plot lines ever, I’m still really excited to see this drama. It looks like it will be an authentic portrayal of life and love… and I guess the rest is just a matter of how many tissues one has stockpiled.
Grid
Time slot: Wednesday
Broadcaster: Disney+
Genre: Sci-fi, action, mystery, thriller
Episode count: 10
Reasons to watch: As with Thirty-Nine mentioned above, I’m a bit torn on this drama. While it boasts a film director, the writer of Forest of Secrets, and a great cast, it is, after all, a sci-fi drama. I love sci-fi, but it’s rare that a K-drama can pull one off well, and Grid starts off with a dystopic setup that requires a lot of credible world-building to make it all work. Who is this mysterious “Ghost” that saved the world, and why should we care? Why the manhunt? And speaking of mysterious scenarios, how will Disney+ handle the release of their original K-content going forward, and how soon will we see their current strategy change?
I Haven’t Done My Best Yet
Time slot: Friday
Broadcaster: TVING
Genre: Comedy
Episode count: TBD
Reasons to watch: I want to get behind these quirky low-buzz TVING dramas, but this one has two things stacked against it: my disappointment with Dr. Park’s Clinic, and my utter fear and loathing of Park Hae-joon after A Couple’s World (dang, was he good!). Of course, neither of those things should matter here, since this is a fun manhwa adaptation that looks it will be random, weird, and strangely relatable. I’m not saying I won’t check it out, just to be certain I’m not missing a hidden gem…
RELATED POSTS
- Sohn Ye-jin, Jeon Mi-do, and Kim Ji-hyun turn Thirty-Nine together in new promos
- Sohn Ye-jin, Jeon Mi-do, and Kim Ji-hyun are friends for life in JTBC’s Thirty, Nine
- Cherishing the here and now with Sohn Ye-jin, Jeon Mi-do, and Kim Ji-hyun
- Seo Kang-joon hunts for the truth in new promos for Disney+’s Grid
- The chase begins in new promos for Disney+’s Grid
- Disney+ joins the K-drama scene with mystery-thriller Grid
- News bites: February 5, 2022
- News bites: January 29, 2022
Tags: Grid, I Haven't Done My Best Yet, Premiere Watch, Thirty-Nine
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1 Islander north
February 15, 2022 at 12:14 PM
Any legal sites for I Haven't Done My Best Yet in US? Thanks.
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bomibeans
February 15, 2022 at 12:21 PM
No, unless you can understand Korean and sign up for TVing. Only illegal dram***l has it.
I'm curious about that drama too.
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gia
February 17, 2022 at 11:21 AM
Disney+... hahaha
may you mean free legal site
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gia
February 17, 2022 at 11:22 AM
oups... wrong anwser... it was for Grid
Sorry...
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2 miss h
February 15, 2022 at 12:27 PM
I'm definitely going to try Thirty-nine but the writer and terminal illness plot has me worried.
I want to watch Grid but guess it will be put on hold until Disney+ gets around to releasing it in the U.S. At least by then I will know if the sci-fi was done well.
I Haven't Done My Best Yet sounds right up my alley but given the genre and lack of big names, it might not get licensed anywhere.
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Lord Cobol (Kdramas, like water, flow downhill)
February 15, 2022 at 2:52 PM
None of these scream "Must watch!" at me but Grid may be the pick of the litter. As for where/how to watch it... might be a "cool" way somehow (?)
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3 Kurama
February 15, 2022 at 1:11 PM
Definitely 39! I don't know for the terminal illness but in the last trailer, it wasn't one of them in the bed being sick... So I have hopes.
Grid is exciting for the casting and the writer and completely untrustworthy just by the fact that is a sci-fi kdrama.
For I Haven’t Done My Best Yet, I have the same doubts, @missvictrix !
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4 Miky
February 15, 2022 at 1:42 PM
I'm actually anticipating all of them!
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5 Jezz
February 15, 2022 at 3:45 PM
Thirty-Nine will be legally stream on Netflix.
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6 ladynightshade wants her own ryu sunjae
February 16, 2022 at 10:19 AM
I simultaneously anticipate and fear all three of these releases.
Case One: Why couldn’t the writer have kept Thirty-Nine as the normal, slice-of-life story everyone wanted it to be? It’s so rare for dramas to handle terminal illnesses with care or medical accuracy, and I’m deeply skeptical that’s going to change here. But that cast! Those romantic pairings!! The friendships!!! If I’m going to be burned, I might as well prepare in advance.
Case Two: Sci-fi in kdramas. Oh boy. I consider myself to be a true sci-fi aficionado. It’s probably my favourite genre of literature (high fantasy is the other choice) and I love, love, love myself a good sci-fi tv series. However, it is staggeringly difficult to think of kdrama sci-fi stories that are…watchable. Unless they include time-travelling magical walkie-talkies/cellphones (think: Signal, Kairos. But are those even sci-fi or just plain fantasy?) There’s a reason why I hold 2017’s Circle so dear to my heart. Maybe Grid can finally join the ranks, but I’m prepared for disappointment. Lee So-yeon has never let me down though…
Case three: TVING dramas tend to either be duds or gems. Unfortunately, most I’ve tried skew towards the former category. And that’s before getting into international licensing, which TVING dramas don’t usually get because these people can’t even do capitalism right. How hard is it to license these shows with an almost guaranteed global audience? Why is this an issue with not one, but two shows on this list??
So yeah, I have concerns.
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7 welh
February 16, 2022 at 11:08 AM
Is it just me, thinking that the Thirty-Nine launch seemed choppy and unfocused? The first trailer was a great set up for a friend based silly drama. Then the producer pushed more trailers with really too much information about plot - - - it gave me thoughts about the terminal illness story line in NWABU because the show had no other dramatic one - - - and questions about where the show would be headed.
Then the industry faux pas of having one of your lead's personal life overshadow the show's marketing made the news stories focused more on SYJ's marriage and not the other cast members. Granted, in SK, it is newsworthy, but the timing of it was odd; in reality, she did not have to announce it just prior to the press conference. She did not have to announce it at all. Now, her March marriage will get more coverage and public response than her show.
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Atlas
February 16, 2022 at 5:24 PM
Do you think she was happy to take away all the attention from the drama for which everyone worked hard? Definitely not .
They were going to get married in March . And it was highly likely that someone would have leaked it . Imagine if people got to know abt it during airing of the drama ,it would have been worse.
Also, the press questions for thirty nine were submitted on 10th Feb. Thus they decided to announce it after the deadline was over so as to avoid any marriage related questions .Still they congratulated her anyways and she stuttered saying she doesn't know what to say as it is not related to her drama but thanked everyone for supporting her.
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Atlas
February 16, 2022 at 5:31 PM
To summarise it . They were put in a tight spot. The only window they had was 10th to 15th Feb. And they chose the earliest date. Son ye jin is the last person who would want her work to be affected by her personal life. Everyone knows marriage /dating news are not beneficial in the run upto a drama's premiere. No one would willingly do that.
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welh
February 17, 2022 at 10:53 AM
I understand your points, but the option of not announcing it before the premiere would have not taken away from the press conference and pre-promotion. It could have been announced after four episodes were aired when the show had gotten its legs.
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Atlas
February 17, 2022 at 1:39 PM
It was a loose loose situation for them anyways. Maybe they thought announcing it during airing of the drama would be worse hence chose the other option.
As a viewer , i can only speak for myself. Imo it was better this way. Had they announced it like after 4 episodes, the immersion in the story would have been disturbed, the concentration- broken. I got 5 days to deal with her marriage news before the drama premiere. After that i was ready to see her as mijo and not yejin.
Liberty
February 17, 2022 at 12:45 PM
I agree with you, her personal life overshadowed the drama. I feel bad for the other two women. You can see the awkwardness in the press conference and them looking like supporting cast instead of co-lead stars.
And SYJ wearing black to stand out and making it about her, it was kind of disrespectful to the other cast who wore light pastel colors.
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Atlas
February 17, 2022 at 1:40 PM
You are seriously complaining abt dress colour💀💀💀.
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Herlina
February 18, 2022 at 3:40 AM
Lol. Now you just sound likr a hater than anything else with that dress color comment. In fact, both of you are (or maybe just one, you here)
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8 The Kdrama Enthusiast
February 16, 2022 at 1:57 PM
I want to watch "I Haven't Done My Best Yet." I'm only just finding out about it, but of the three, it looks the most appealing to me.
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9 amara
February 16, 2022 at 8:48 PM
hmm @ ghost.....thinking.....i extra dont support disney+ but it looks lowkey fun. hMMM
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amara
February 16, 2022 at 8:48 PM
*grid !!!
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10 parkchuna is looking for an Emperor Penguin 🍉
February 17, 2022 at 7:19 AM
Out of curiosity, what’s wrong with Disney+ strategy of their k-drama release?
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wapz
February 17, 2022 at 8:05 AM
There must be greater licensing fees in some regions than others maybe? Netflix does not release theor shows simulataneously in all regions till date too but not for those that are exclusively on Netflix I guess.
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11 DancingEmma
February 17, 2022 at 4:41 PM
I watched the first ep of Thirty-Nine and I know I am being a soft touch about this - but only up to a point - because of liking the actors. Specifically:
My likes: The friends’ dynamic; frank question and answer re sex and the reality of possible awkwardness the day after the one night stand.
My dislikes: The retrograde ‘catfight’ inclusion. I hate this trope with the fire of a thousand burning suns; the largely unrealistic depiction of not knowing the name of the person you have had sex with and then the discovery and shock trope asserting itself when it is convenient plot-wise; there are three friends but 2 got much more airtime and attention paid to them. I understand that Son Yejin is the star focus but for an ensemble cast, it is tonally dissonant to stuff up the balance in the first ep. If only that vile fight scene had been excluded. There would have been time to do justice to each friend’s intro; the flagging of a death right at the beginning. I thought it was a poor choice as whether it turns out to be a McGuffin or if it will actually happen, will be a major spoiler. A big no no; and last but not least, according to a Son Yejin recent interview, the Yeon Woojin’s character has been written as a flawless human being which is so unrealistic. I too have a soft spot for such occasional imaginary humans but we all know that all people are flawed so it is problematic to write such characters.
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ladynightshade wants her own ryu sunjae
February 17, 2022 at 4:52 PM
@dncingemma: Pretty much the exact same opinions I had. I would also add in the infidelity plot line in my dislikes. I hate cheating and there are rarely understandable justifications for cheating in this day and age. Jeon Mi-do and Lee Mu-saeng were fine together, I don’t get why the writer chose to do this. They’re only alienating the characters to audiences at this point.
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DancingEmma
February 17, 2022 at 4:53 PM
@ladynightshade: Most def should have added yours to my list. I disliked it too.
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