Twenty Five Twenty One: This is the rare drama that has managed to convince me that the leads actually have a deep connection. The phone book scenes were really beautiful. Yi-jin’s lunch with Hee-do and her Sweetie Pie was hilarious. The acting, writing, cinematography and OST have really come together to make something special.

Business Proposal: This was the kind of cheesy kdrama I used to love, but I kind of grew out of them, I think. Still, this was an easy watch. I liked our two leading ladies and the grandpa was fun. I’m always up for a good drama in drama, especially if it has pork cutlet and drumstick slaps. The archaeopteryx jokes were amusing. Really, the only thing I disliked was Ahn Hyo-seop. Cardboard cutouts have more charisma.

Forecasting Love and Weather: The conversation between Ha-kyung and Shi-woo at the end of Episode 6 was the first time I believed they had a connection. Then Ha-kyung asked him to move in and I went right back to thinking their relationship was a speeding train headed for disaster. I’m finding the other employees more interesting, thankfully.

Thirty-Nine: Maybe I’ve just adjusted my expectations, but I enjoyed this week’s episodes. Mi-jo and Chan-young are the real OTP of the show but Mi-jo and Sun-woo are growing on me. Of all of the recent pairings who had a ONS right off the back, I believe their connection the most. I llike that Joo-hee keeps watching Run On.

Love (ft. Marriage & Divorce): This drama was always bad but now it’s BAD. The ghost possession was embarrassing and then there was Song Won lying there dead with her eyes open. Is she going to be a ghost too? Or maybe a twin since some other parts of the S2 cliffhanger seem to be happening. I like the new Pan Sa-hyun better than the old one but the other two recasts are a fail for me, especially the stepmom. The new actress has none of the old one’s girlish cunning. She’s just an outright b****. All of that said, I will be right back in front of my television for Episode 3.

Military Prosecutor Doberman: I thought this would be a one and done for me, not being interested in the military, but I liked it much more than I expected. While it has another predictable corruption plot, I liked seeing Jo Bo-ah kicking ass and the leads knowingly playing each other.

Young Lady and Gentlemen: I’m so sick of Se-ra’s schemes and Dan Dan and Young-guk breaking up every other episode while Soo-chul huffs and puffs and tries to send her to the U.S. It’s a bad version of Groundhog’s Day, which is a shame because there were actual issues they could have explored.

THIRTY, NINE (Ep 5-6): The continuity continues to be off. The Ending being shown first then trying to weave the same narrative back to the sad ending is a grind. It reminds me of the time when all automobiles starting to look the same because all of the auto design schools used the same CAD program. The writer may be out-thinking herself by having one character’s (Mijo) sadness permeate each episode in order to create sad endings for the other characters.

When you see the Behind the Scene footage, the three girlfriends are funny, talkative and having a good time hanging out with each other. They teased SYJ’s styling when she showed up for the college club entrance scene because they did not know how she would dress. Somehow, their on-set happy vibe is not getting on film. The director does have experience doing comedy (Spring is Spring) but I think so far the light GF banter is fading away perhaps because how the show was produced. The BTS shows the technical shooting process of shooting parts of scripts out of order hampers team chemistry as the actors cannot naturally grow into their roles in linear episode shooting. During rehearsals, the female leads have fun with each other, but it does not fully translate into the show. Most of the crew defer to SYJ’s direction/suggestions. And in the cast commentary, they cringed at their 3 a.m. to 4 a.m. shoots. They shoot a “ fun scene” then the next one is an “emotional” one. At the halfway point, the show is still more of the SYJ wedding hiatus highlight reel than a three-girlfriend slice-of-life drama. SYJ’s CF sponsorships are becoming more overt, too.

The next episode, 7, will be interesting because it was partly filmed when shooting wrapped in mid-January. Will the second half have more continuity and flow issues? The series goes on a one-week hiatus due to the presidential election. This pushes the show’s conclusion ironically to SYJ’s rumored wedding day.

BUSINESS PROPOSAL (Ep 1-2) The first episode was too “cartoony” for me. Also, direct honesty is the best solution for any relationship, especially at the beginning. I like the two female leads, Kim Se Jung and Seol In Ah, and the chairman’s personality, but the male leads are mannequins in the acting department. Even the best comedy straight man needs some personality.

I generally dislike the love-at-first-sight “bump” trope. Young Seo, who is against blind date marriage proposals to put her best friend Ha Ri in career danger, falls for a Sung Hoon who could be anything from a nice guy to a serial killer.

I will to suspend belief to watch this one, which is fine since the contract marriage/scam the parents old trope is tired unless the show ramps up the crazy and weird. Just keep weird, show.

25-21 - I like that so far there is no romance and that Hee Do and Yi Jin are *just* supporting ech other - they are for each other that ONE PERSON cheering them on... and helping to get up and reach for their dreams.
(I also loooooved Yi Jin's giggles during Heedo's date. 😄 )

Business Proposal - aaaaah, I think I had too high expectations about this (and I need to adjust to all the changes they made from the manhwa)... I find the work team boring (team leader's glasses are nice though 🙂) and the family scenes don't work for me either. (I also somehow missed the original Goblin Kim Shin joke from the webtoon). That said I was in stitches when they brought (and kept) the archaeopteryx 😂 😂 I also like that the male lead finds peace in cooking and cleaning... and grandpa and his drama comments is a gem! 💕

Still watching Weather (is Yoo Jin pregnant and doesn't know with whom?) and F4 Thailand (I need the turn point!!).

Super-brief summary update!

STARTED
A Business Proposal - It's cute. I'm in.

Military Prosecutor Doberman - Didn't get time for it this week. Maybe next week?

ONGOING
Rookie Cops - I doubt they'll kill off one of the baby cops. The professor is the most likely candidate so far.

Thirty-nine - The preview! Are they really going to use a truck of doom on a terminally ill patient? Why are all these shows so eager to kill off characters?

Grid - Still intrigued. Still hate the one episode a week format.

Forecasting Love and Weather - The weather is more interesting than the people.

Twenty-five Twenty-one - Love love love this.

Through the Darkness - We got more than one smile from Ha-young 🥳.

C-DRAMAS
Still watching The Autumn Ballad and Royal Feast.

CRICKET - female odi world cupp.

no promotion no advertising no news - horrible work done by ICC
prrevious 2 worrld cups inncreased viewership as well as ratings. Spectatoors increased too and ICC loudly broadcast how much resources theyy are spending and how much female crriicket is progressing in new regions - this is the outcome we gget - Everyone going for image buildup and makeover.

Aaustralia vs. Pak - 1st test match in pak in 25 yeaars. bbig big moment.

Grid (Episode 3) - Mood: C
Of course the male lead in a sci-fi thriller has a childhood trauma: oh dear I expected better from this writer. And as for the rest of the show, it’s dragging: no follow-up on the bribe or text message from last week? Eo Jin’s still a blank slate!

Twenty Five Twenty One (Episode 5-6) - Mood: C-
While I can begrudgingly accept the plot device that forced the OTP’s separation, it was the reunion that felt off: I think the writer’s stretching it with two coincidental meetings that were portrayed as destiny. Also, Yu Rim’s character seems to be headed down the inferiority complex path which is worrying to say the least. As for Ji Woong and Seung Wan, the two characters could’ve been combined into one and the plot wouldn’t have changed much: aren’t they leads, where is the development? Stop wasting time on useless cameos and random English dialogue: almost half the show has aired?

Business Proposal (Episode 1-2) - Mood: D+
The main setup reminded me of She Was Pretty without the lookism and childhood connection: it does feel like we won’t be getting double love triangles amongst the leads as well so hurray! And unfortunately that’s pretty much all the good comments I have for the premiere: fine, I won’t harp on the character caricatures since they’re clearly leaning into it, but moments like the flying slipper and the accidental kiss are just not it. Also, couldn’t we just have a friendship between Min Woo and Ha Ri? Or at least anything interesting about the side characters? Right now I just see six fillers?

Thirty-Nine (Episode 5-6) - Mood: D
Honestly I couldn’t really care less about any arc besides Joo Hee’s and the chef’s now, though they’ve got to be really careful not to let their friendship turn into an emotional affair. Hopefully they get more screen time during the 2nd half?

Forecasting Love and Weather (Episode 5-6) - Mood: D-
The leeching parent trope? It’s so horrible that it eclipses the gossiping girl, the husband who’s taking a sabbatical and even the contrived suicide trauma reveal? It’s also awfully convenient that spectacled guy lives in the same apartment.

Rookie Cops (Episode 11-12) - Mood: D-
I sincerely hope no one’s naive enough to buy what this writer’s spinning this week with regards to the CEO arc. Well at this point the abrupt development of multiple non-OTP romances are all red herring for the mystery death: bad writing.

Twenty five twenty one. What a wonderful drama. I always look forward to Saturdays and Sundays,because of 2521. The writing is superb.

Business Proposal. Just wanted to watch it because my Mondays are free. Never knew I will fall in love with the drama.

The Gentleman and the Young Lady. This is the first time i am watching a long weekend drama. I didn't even finish Glass Mask that year. This drama just disappointed me. I watch it but I fast-forward it. Just want to know how it will end. No joy watching it any more.

Hello Sharpshooter. Another drama that I am just watching for watching sake. Well, it will end next week, so let's see how it goes.

I will pick up Through the Darkness soon.

Business Proposal: It took me 3 attempts to get past the first 15 minutes but then I was hooked. It's fun. I like fun.

Forecasting Love & Weather: This is just an easy watch and is spending time on others besides the leads which works for me. For all the angst over the ages of the leads, it really hasn't been an issue for me. I wonder if the "rebound relationship" concept is a thing in Korea.

25/21: I am waaay behind. I like it but maybe not quite so much as everyone else but I'm also, again, way behind.

Ghost Doctor: Love the bromance. I waited until this was done to jump in and I'm glad as it is quite addictive. I feel like Son Naeun got dumped in psycho 2nd female lead territory and am glad to see that she (and UEE for that matter) seem to be doing fine here. This is really a bromance between Rain and KB. Rain is a handsome guy who isn't afraid to be self-deprecating and silly in performance which I saw in Come Back Mister.

The One and Only: Dropped. I came back from some traveling and cannot jump back in. Made it to around episode 8 or 9. Waaay too much time on the murder story.

39: I had issues with the first 4 episodes that were mentioned here by others in the past, but episodes 5 & 6 calmed it down and it found a bit of its groove. If it was 16 episodes, I might have dropped but an easy enough watch, though still uneven. I mean at the end of episode 6 all that crazy kneeling etc. How about, "She has cancer and is gonna die so if you wait a few months, you can try to get your man back though why you want him, I don't know."

Young Lady & Gentleman: Always in the 30ies episode count that I can't take it anymore. I'm reading the synopsis and will check out the last episode. This had a great start but oh well.

Netflix: Pieces of Her: I checked this out after reading a review that called it "excessively mediocre". I mean I love that and am going to use it and I immediately knew what they meant. Basically Toni Collette is awesome and her and her co-star elevated the whole thing but I needed a background show cuz I'm working on a project.

Midnight at the Pera Palace
39 didn't look that appealing on Wednesday, so this newly released Turkish dramas' synopsis was way more interesting. Plus since its been long that I saw a Turkish drama, that too a short one and was familiar with the female lead, it was an easy pick. I checked it out and loved it. I guess its the most satisfactory time travel I have seen since SD1D with the changes making sense. The entire show was quite charming and bingeable. I completed it in two days. But I'll have to say by the end I was reminded why I stick with K, C, J and T dramas, they end. I don't like cliffhangers pointing towards a second season but there being no surity of one. I will definitely check it out if there's one released a year later but at least the show did well with what it had to solve this season (albeit a little rushed in the last episode).
Twenty Five Twenty One
What can I say?! This drama does show don't tell correctly. I love the insightful monologues dramas do but I prefer them showing us everything rather than telling in lengthy dialogues. Plus, they chose such an exciting sport for the story. Everytime they scream, it uplifts my spirits too. You never know, I may pick up a sport by the end of the show, I really want to. Even if I won't be aiming for a win. But I hope the show remains as uplifting as it is right now. Also, the drama's doing some really good smooth transitions. They are not on your face or flashy but tasteful.
Business Proposal
Didn't like the first epiaode but quite liked the second one. Dating/Marriage contract is my catnip anyway so I'll continue watching. Kim Se Jung and Seol In Ah are doing a really good job here.

I am in for all the dramas on your list but school won't let me🥺😭

Business Proposal The COM in rom-com was really well used with the archaeopteryx's animations, change of clothes, the drama in the drama, etc. I love the duo of girls, they're fire! Sadly, I don't like AHS's acting. Yeah, he's character is cold but he's just wooden, he doesn't have this touch of self derision.

Military Prosecutor Doberman The doberman is a cinnamon roll in the BTS scenes.

Thirty-Nine The story is kinda disapointing. Cha-Young is the only character I really care for.

Through the Darkness I was wondering where was Ha-Young's limit, we could see it in the last episode. I'm really happy that he's not alone and Young-Soo looks after him.

Twenty Five Twenty One With the title, I didn't think the highschool period would be so long. But it's a pleasure to see Hee-Do growing as a woman and athlete :)

Forecasting Love and Weather I don't understand Ha-Kyung. She's supposed to be professional but she always mixes her private and professional life. She doesn't want people to know about her relationship at work but offered him to live with her...

Grid One episode by week makes the story being slow.

Rookie Cops At this point, they could study any other subject like art, sciences, it won't change anything to the story and their behavior. Why they got their only copy of the video outside of their school without hidding it?

F4 Thailand I hope after this today episode, we will get more happiness and less angst.

I finished the Nokdu Flower rewatch. This remains one of the best dramas, a must see for every history lover. No plot holes, no fillers, no annoying tropes. Brilliant writing, acting, and directing.

Twenty-Five, Twenty-One: 8.5 Doing for fencing what Racket Boys did for badminton? Kim Tae-ri lights up the screen, and I don't have complaints about any aspect of the show.

Juvenile Justice: 6.5 (days 4/10) I should be more grateful for a kdrama that tried to be serious and (for a while) not to be too kdrama-ish, but some parts just didn't click for me. Didn't really like any of the leads or the Mother-In-Law-of-Doom, and the writer sometimes laid things on too thick.

Tracer: 6.0 (day 6)

A Business Proposal: 8.0 Deftly treading on the right side of the line between making fun of k-rom-com tropes and depending on them.

Military Prosecutor Doberman: 7.5 Fairly well done, and Jo Bo-ah was especially fun in her wig, but the baddies are the type that sometimes drive me away from a show. We'll see.

Grid: 7.0 Too much that I didn't understand this week. I expect it will get better later.

Rookie Cops: 5.5 I didn't get into kdramas to watch beach town tourism bureau PPL.

Business Proposal: Just joy this drama. I love the characters. I love a drama in a drama. I love love the food slaps, just hilarious. Also Harabuji is my favorite!!!

Military Prosecutor Doberman: The villains are super cartoonish and boring. Do Be Man is okay. The real star is Jo Bo A and she is why I am watching.

Rookie Cops: Still cute for what it is. The psycopath chaebol has been done to death, so this is a rather boring arc. However, I still like our students.

Grid: We are slowly getting more answers, but also more questions. We know our Ghost is a time jumper that moves through time. We know she can kill people with her doohickey. We know she needs sugar to survive.

Thirty, Nine: dropped. I realized I only really liked Chan- Young. They have way too much Mi Joo and not enough Ju Hui. I also don't like Jin Seok, I think sucks. Chan Young by herself wasn't enough to keep me.

Tracer: Awaiting episode 7, hwaiting taxpayer subs.

Through the Darkness: They caught their guy and are starting to realize the efficacy of profiling. This drama is so good.

Twenty Five Twenty One: My weekend joy. I love this drama so much, Kim Tae Ri has acquired a fan for life. Just pure JOY.

Aham..

Currently watching:
1. Business Proposal: This has very fast become my new crack. It is SO MUCH FUN lol. I can't remember the last time I watched something and laughed out loud so many times like this. Yes, life has been stressful lately; so clicking play on this one seems to be the very correct choice. Contrary to many opinions, I don't find the ML lacking personality or charisma at all. I think he looks clean and cute. The way he normally "rubs" his hair is so cartoony but I really like it. The show seems very manga-ish and it's a good thing since it is an adaptation from a manga (?) The best part of it is our lovely, doe-eyed FL. I think I've found a new actress I like. It is her. She brightens every scene she is in, and her funny facial expressions are always on point. You can't but laugh with her. Another opinion I don't share with the majority of opinions here is that I don't really like the second-lead couple. I like them individually, but perhaps I don't like and believe in the idea of love at first sight anymore so I don't find this love at first sight thing cute; on the other hand, I can't help but feel like their relationship isn't built on a strong foundation and thus isn't healthy..

2. FLAW: Hmm... you know what the funny thing is? 😂 Once I finished watching the first two eps of Business Proposal (and granted I rewatched most of them again for the second time) I can't remember anything about FLAW like at all. What has BP done to me? 🤣🤣🤣

3. (Non-Kdrama) Sweet Magnolias (American series): LOVE THIS ONE TO PIECES. I haven't watched any American series for the long time, but I'm loving this one a lot. There are 2 seasons already and I binged them all in no time. I had many good cries watching all of them. The show is truly beautiful and heartwarming in all possible senses.

4. MOLANG: Omo.. lol somehow I discovered this aesthetically beautiful show (probably made for a baby or a toddler). It's a bit fun when you need to wind down and need something you can't really comprehend. It also relaxes me because I see a lot of beautiful colors and lovely cartoon characters. Only an episode is fine for one watch. More than that.. well perhaps that's not a very good idea unless you want to become a toddler again. Let's stick with one ep per one watch.

The Legend of Condor Heroes (2017)
There probably aren't any Wuxia fans on a site like this but anyone who is a fan of C-dramaland should give this a shot. Currently on episode 16 and so far it's the best version of this story out of all the remakes and adaptations (I've seen some of the 03,06 and 94 versions).

The casting is on point, the acting is good, the action choreography is and cinematography is great.

Also my sister is in town for 3 weeks for work (and is mooching off me instead of staying in a hotel) and is watching What's wrong with as Secretary Kim (2018), i forgot how much i liked this drama.

Kim Mi-So has to be one of the most likeable drama Heroines of all time.

This is one of those rare periods where I'm basically loving everything I'm watching.

FORECASTING LOVE & WEATHER: Although a very different drama in tone and content, I like this one for the same reasons I enjoyed "Our Beloved Summer": the show isn't trying to radically change the romcom genre; it's just telling a straightforward story about two people trying to connect and remain true to themselves. Sometimes the weather metaphors can get a bit clunky, but I am invested in all the (many) relationships the writers are developing. The only exception is the should-not-have-happened marriage between the second leads, but even there, I'm anxious to see Yoon Park's scenes, even when his character is laughably immature, clueless, or even casually cruel. In fact, I'm loving all the performances here: this is the most I've ever liked Song Kang (clearly, he's much better at playing warm, genial, cute guy than he is aloof, brooding, male model guy), and PMY is always wonderful in my eyes, but her ability to imbue her characters with dignity, even when they make mistakes or hurt others, is particularly effective and endearing here. I don't always love workplace dramas, and workplace romances are so fraught in real life that it's sometimes difficult for me to just turn off the "but what about the power dynamics?" part of my brain, but there's something about this drama that's allowing me to move beyond those feelings and just enjoy the interactions.

MILITARY PROSECUTOR DOBERMAN: Despite the awkwardly worded title and the fact that the synopsis did nothing for me, I'm absolutely loving this. It's fast, has snappy dialogue, and even with what seems to be a cardboard cutout villain, it remains suspenseful and fun. I've seen the FL in other projects and thought she was perfectly fine, but at the same time, she never grabbed me. Here, she and her character are both awesome. After "My Name," I warmed up to Ahn Bo Hyun, and he's excellent here as well.

BUSINESS PROPOSAL: I'll admit I'm still lukewarm on Ahn Hyo-seop (I wish I could say his performance is "just-walked-out-of-a-manhwa" perfection as missvictrix sees it, but for me, he's just so obviously acting the part rather than being the part that I'm taken out of the world of the drama during most of his scenes) but everything else is clicking for me. It's goofy and fun. The FL is fantastic, as are her BFF shenanigans with the second lead; the Grandpa is adorable and it's so nice to see the actor having fun after his tour-de-force in "Red Sleeve"; and the self-aware, tropey tone makes it feel like everyone involved is enjoying the story along with the audience. So fun!

BUSINESS PROPOSAL may not be very original, but it happens to have a plotline that I adore. Two episodes in it is hitting all the right notes and is already our very favorite show. It is a romcom which understands that it is supposed to be a comedy: We have not laughed that much in a long time. And here is something unique- Second leads you can love because they have their own separate love story and are not in competition for the affections of the first leads. If you are not watching this one you are missing out.

FORECASTING LOVE & WEATHER is still one of our favorite shows. Episodes 5 and 6 has really fleshed out our love square but also brought out a lot more of the secondary characters, including introducing our male lead’s despicable father.

Having finished IDOL: THE COUPE, which she liked a lot, my wife continued the music theme with LET ME BE YOUR KNIGHT. She also watched the Sageuk QUEEN: LOVE AND WAR which had her glued to the screen- it is good. How good? She stayed up until 3 AM to finish it. But, of course she could not stay away from her beloved Chinese Costume Dramas forever and is now watching LOVE OF A THOUSAND YEARS.

She also binge-watched the just concluded K-drama GHOST DOCTOR and loved it

Meanwhile KING OF TEARS is back with episodes 13 and 14. It is still a very good show.

YOUNG LADY AND GENTLEMAN. All but one of our secondary romances is side-lined. The story has been bent out of shape. Our Young Lady and Gentleman are again separated , the children are crying and Jo Sara is despicable.. There are some characters in a weekender that you come to hate- and Chief Jo is at the top of that list. I have said it before and I will say it again: One amnesia is bad enough but a second simply makes the plot ridiculous. We have six episodes to go and all I can do is ask: How is the writer going to fix this mess?

I am having a lot of fun with the new dramas.
Chuckling away in BUSINESS PROPOSAL. I love Kim Se-jung and her energy, she is just a very likable actress. Nice versions of 'choosing the right outfit' scenes. Love the humour. Samantha and Rachel - is there an inside joke that only the writer knows about?

Different, but also enjoyable is DOBERMANN. Glad that I can finally look at Jo Bo-ha and not think about Forest and clams. Love her badass performance. Both these dramas are a relaxing relief to the dark and often difficult to watch, but still gripping JUVENILE JUSTICE and THROUGH THE DARKNESS.

The rivalry between the two girls in 25-21 is not pleasant, but probably very realistic at that level of sport. Altogether still the best drama at the moment.

39 is getting worse and worse, I am only watching, because I like the cast. I get the feeling that there is not much of a story and the writer is clutching at straws to fill the screen time. Colouring in books as a date - really?? Poor Cha-young cannot have any peace or privacy, I hope she sets boundaries soon for all her friends who are hogging her flat uninvited.

I rarely like Sci-fi dramas and GRID is not one to convert me, despite the cast. Will give this one a miss.

Twenty One Twenty Five- How can the episodes be so so good and so engaging every single time. Not a single boring moment. The show is love really. I like the separation part and the reunion after almost an year later. I love how Yi Jin is such a big fan of Hee Do's and he does everything in his hand to make her one step closer to her dream. Such a man and friend is rare. And Hee Do really is living up to the promise to make him happy even when he is struggling. I love the phone booth part. That place gave a lot of hope to each other. Love these two together.

Business Proposal - Utter chaos, but in a good way. I know the show somehow lacks the depth of the characters kind of, but i like how this has all the elements of the cliche romcom and even the old tropes we all know, but i still cant keep laughing and liking the first 2 ep. The show just delivered it so prettily and i accept it so happily. Liking the leads and their chemistry. Kim Sejong is the queen of expressions and i just damn love her.

Juvenile Justice- Finished the series within 2 days and i liked it. Good courtroom drama.

I'm reserving some of the shows everyone else is watching, except Forecasting, but enjoying the comments on them here. Meanwhile Inspired by the fantasy thread earlier this week, I watched a few episodes of a couple of fantasy romances. So this entry really should have been in the fantasy section—I apologize for confusing dramabeans categories. The problem I have with fantasy romances is that the fantasy often undermines the romance, so instead of enjoying the chemistry between the leads you say things like –“Wait—should they be sleeping together if he’s dead?”

Still, I read the thread and was impressed by what people wrote, so I decided to check out a couple mentioned. I couldn’t find a couple of the highly recommended ones, but I did speed through Strong Woman Do Bong Soon, making liberal use of my fast forwarding superpower. I didn’t like that the romantic lead, Park Hyung Sik, pretended to be gay, and then was encouraged at times to act like a 12 year old girl, to emphasize that in this drama, the woman wore the pants in the relationship. In that regard, though, this was the only Korean rom-com I’ve ever seen where the homoerotic attraction between the two male romantic rivals was actually made explicit, in a drunken near kiss. Again, I guess that was acceptable because Bong-Soon had the traditionally “masculine” power in this show, as shown in the conclusion, when she snaps at her husband for bothering her at work as he struggles to raise their newborns. But, as I can attest from personal experience, having the Dad stay home and get beat up by the children while the super hero Mom makes the world a better place is not actually fantasy!

Meanwhile, in the first episodes of My Roommate is a Gumiho, again, since Jang Ki-yong is supposed to be ancient, they have him act world-weary, in other words, around 60, which makes his relationship with the college student played by Hyeri seem really creepy—even though both actors are in their late 20s. I haven’t finished the show, but maybe he doesn’t become human, turns into a fox, and she keeps him as a pet, which would be a cute ending!

As for the fantasy, I can perfectly accept that a 999 year old Gumiho with the human form of a 28 year old spits his life bead into the body of a college student, she then willingly moves in with him, and they fall in love. Things like that happen every day. But the fact that character Gye Sun-woo—good looking, campus idol, and a “player”-- is also a HISTORY MAJOR absolutely strains the bounds of credulity! Fantasy is one thing, but lets not descend into lunacy! (Any of you, who like me, are former history majors, know EXACTLY what I’m talking about.)

King of Tears, Lee Bang Won – I already have a bias as I watch this, I’m pro-LBW and whatever stunt he’s going pull I’m in for. What I can’t see past is his father’s constant antagonism for his son, for doing what he couldn’t have the motivation to do but he’s definitely enjoying from. Not only did he sideline his sons, but he sure knows to send him to a danger zone. So why do you expect him not to resist or bicker? And I really enjoy Lady Min as a character, such a force to be reckoned with, no wonder late Queen Kang already had a little bit of dread of her. That brief display of swordswoman-ship was the highlight of last week’s installment. It answered her stand during the prev prev kings attack on their manor.

Juvenile Justice Ep 2 – I definitely wasn’t expecting that reveal, but what I especially liked was the ruling, it was Judge Max-esque even though she didn’t conclude as presiding Judge.

Twenty Five, Twenty One – Kim Tae-ri is selling the teenager vibe perfectly, it’s a flawless portrayal. The stunt with the senior fencers, it was an ear to ear grinning from me. Go go girl.

Sponsor – I really haven’t connected to this properly yet, but it is interesting story.

Grid – If only we could have a little more story. We’re settling into the story yet it seems like we do not have all the details needed. The one episode a week is killing, by the way. Jung Sa Byeok’s own story is what I’m waiting for. How come her almost perfect immunity? We have more questions. The Ghost character is pretty young with an innocent look and structure, it just makes her more mysterious.

Business Proposal – I had lots of laughter watching, loud laughter. The coomon tropes are forgiven, cause its well done, and its never boring.

Forecasting Love & Weather (1-6) I had low expectations for this one and was pleasantly surprised as how much I'm enjoying it. You can feel the writer's interest and respect for weather and the profession of weather forecasting. Yay for making great supporting characters! I like how Ha-kyung wasn't wrong about needing to collect that data back to 10 years. I'm in love with her smirk when the 2nd female lead was trying to act all lovey-dovey with her ex in the cafeteria.

Twenty five Twenty one (1-4) Another one that was better than I expected. The teasers made it seem like Hee-do was going to be crushing on Yi-jin, but she actually had a strong hero worship of the 2nd female lead (rooting for the 2 gals to be BFFs). And her other love is Full House. I love the leads' friendship and how there isn't any of that crush business so far. Lots of great, quiet emotional moments especially with Nam Joo-hyuk's Yi-jin.

A Business Proposal I had read the webtoon before and enjoyed it. There are some changes since some things work better in webtoon format vs drama. Thought the premier week was a lot of fun with lots of humor. The deep-fried cutlet slap is one for the books! And the commentary on how much it must have hurt since it's fried. I love how the drama adaptation really enhanced the two female leads' friendship. Kim Se-jung and Seol In-ah better be getting some best couple award at the end of the year. I could watch an entire drama of the two gals just getting into hijinx.

Like everyone else, I’m enjoying BUSINESS PROPOSAL - so much that I went looking for another contract relationship drama and landed on 1% OF SOMETHING. I’ve seen it before and at the time I liked it but thought the hero was too much of a jerk at the start…this time I was expecting that and he wasn’t as bad as I remembered, so I just like it.

With my sister I’m watching LOVE NOW and DAWSONS CREEK - slow going because she works nights so we only watch on her weekends. Will probably still be watching these at the end of the year 😅

I’m watching a lot! It’ll get to me eventually, but I’m enjoying myself now so whatever.

Business Proposal: My new obsession. While definitely not as deep or poignant as other shows on here, there is a kdrama magic to this show that’s pulling me in. The humour, the shameless love of tropes, the character archetypes, and the self-awareness holding it together: I love it. Samantha and Rachel you will always be famous.

F4 Thailand: Boys Over Flowers: I’m writing this before watching this Saturday’s episode so my opinion remains basically the same as last week’s. I can’t believe this adaptation is actually well-written and I am thoroughly charmed by it. Also, MJ, Kavin, and Kaning need more screentime.

Grid: I’ve been spoiled by the two-episode/week, +60 minutes runtime formula of kdramas and it’s showing. While I’m very much enjoying Grid and everything it has to offer, I just wish there was more of it. Each week, I’m left with a tantalizing piece of the puzzle that’s not enough to satiate my curiosity. I should’ve just binged this after it finished. And that’s before getting into the Disney+ geoblocking nonsense. Lee So-yeon, please make your next dramas netflix or viki exclusives.

Thirty-Nine: I’m sorry to say, but I’m slowly losing interest. Not enough to drop it just yet, but I hope they can find a better balance between the romances and the friendship, because there’s far too much of the former when I’m mostly here for the latter. I’m also not thrilled that there’s hints of a birth secret about Mi-jo that Chan-young’s mother seems involved with. The show was doing so well showing Mi-jo content with her status as an adopted child, why change that now when there’s already ten other plots to deal with? Oh I don’t get it. Also, they have to change Yeon Woo-jin’s hair because that monstrosity is a f-cking CRIME.

Through the Darkness: Ha-young’s slowly unraveling and it is honestly difficult to watch. Examining the psyches of such depraved people on a regular basis meant that it was almost inevitable that something would snap, but man is it tough to watch. Thank god for Young-soo, because Ha-young desperately needs people anchoring him to reality and telling him that he’s loved and cared for. The acting and writing in this show is just top-notch.

Tracer: I’m behind on this and I’m sorry to myself for that because I just know I’m missing out! Also kinda off-topic, but what Im Si-wan did to show support to Ukraine was just lovely. What an incredibly thoughtful way to do so.

Twenty Five Twenty One: THIS. This one’s going to be on all the good lists come end-of-year. The rare sort of drama where every element just fits in beautifully in this perfect synchrony. I can’t even describe what a joy it is to watch something so gorgeously rendered, so competently made. There is not a single beat that doesn’t work. A true masterpiece in the making.

Ah....

The Kings Affection - I managed to finish this. It could have been 12 episodes. I had to FF a lot of it. And there was a problem on episode 15...

The red sleeve - I started watching this after episode 15 of the kings affection. I thought it was gonna be a really boring one, but oh boy, I was so wrong. The character development in this drama, is the most beautiful thing ever. Junho was amazing in it. Yes, there was that mess in the middle, but it really opened my eyes on how the palace worked. How everyone had its own place there inside, etc. The things that a King needs to be a King. I dont think I can get over this drama, one of the best of our time.

Grid - I tried, but pass.

25 - I tried, but pass too. Maybe in the future.

Forecasting Love and Weather - I tried, but it is a pass. I dont think this is the right cast for this drama. The ex boyfriend just doesnt sell his acting to me, I dont know what Song Kang is doing in a drama. It is not fun or a melodrama, it is just there.

Business Proposal - It is cute, it works. I am enjoying it. I like how they mix actors with animation.

39 - I am loving this drama, except for the blur filter. I like that we get to see the extensions of their lives and the problems e hey, I am 39 too this year.

I’m quite shallow this week. Focusing only on pretty things on my watch.

Through The Darkness
I didn’t know lip biting/clamping can look so sexy.

39
Obvious that V for Valentino is a main PPL but, why they look tacky in the drama?

2 Days 1 Night
I LIKE Na Inwoo here. He’s energetic, positive, fresh, naive and in love with his hyungs. Chemistry is crackling.
I can’t believe after 15 yrs the show still able to present something new.

Men Figure Skating
Been replaying Yuzuru Hanyu’s programs the whole week. I’ve been a big fan since winter Olympic Sochi 2014 and until today he is still the best.
His program, Haru Yo Koi is legendary.

Over the last couple of weeks I managed to finish Devil Judge (over the top everything, it was fun but it made my brain hurt), Beyond Evil (a good drama but it took me so long to watch it that I kind of lost track) and am currently inching my way towards the finale of Vincenzo (episodes 14-17 felt a bit repetitive, but things pick up nicely at the end). Netflix being an a**hole in my region at least gives me the opportunity to clean up my "currently watching list". I'm still intensely jealous of all the people having fun with 25-21 and Business Proposal though 😂
Last night watched Pirates with my kids. We all fell asleep. The best thing about it were the crazy hairs. What a waste of Kang Haneul! Ti make up for it, today we started watching Arcane and it's awesome. Checked out Prosecutor Doberman, but am afraid it's another vigilante revenge story, and it's too soon for me after all the Devil Judge madness, so I'm kind of waiting for Beanies' feedback on that one. Same for Juvenile Justice.
Is it my impression, or Viki is streaming less and less airing dramas? There seem to be a lot more webdramas and cdramas there nowadays

Twenty Five, Twenty One: I feel like I just gush about this show every week, but what can I do…it’s consistently excellent. Na Hee Do is so easy to root for, and I’m SO along for the journey.

Business Proposal: Kdrama tropes aplenty, but that need not be a bad thing. Kim Se-Jeong is super charming, and her relationship with her BFF is adorable. Our ML is…there. He’s so stock standard, I’m not sure I would have noticed if they had just put a cardboard standee and dubbed in his lines. Ahn Hyo-Seop has never been my favourite actor, and it’s not looking like he’s going to blow my socks off here. But as long as he’s not actively making the show worse I’ll be fine.

Military Prosecutor Doberman: Solid opening week! I like both the actors in the lead spots, and they did subvert my expectations a little bit with the first “case.” Another show that doesn’t seem like it’s going to reinvent the wheel, but looking like a fun show.

Grid: I know I said I’d hold off…but I couldn’t help myself. I still dislike the one episode week. All the performances are good at least, and the overall story is still intriguing. I wouldn’t mind at least a LITTLE breadcrumb on what might be going on. Just a bunch of theories tumbling around and I’m looking for a hand hold to grip on to.

Watching 4 ongoing shows every week is quite a feat for me. Good thing Demon Slayer on Netflix is still only up to 2 seasons. Otherwise it'll be 5 ongoing shows for me. A far cry from my long kdrama hiatus for the past years. Goes to show how amazing the shows are this season! If I had to compare these shows to drinks..

25-21: Hot choco with marshmallows on a cold, cold night. It wraps you in its embrace in the best way possible. ☕🥰🥰

39: Hot Green Tea. It's a bit bitter and you're wondering why you're still sipping. But it's healthy and it gives you a dose of reality and a wisdom that comes with age.

Forecasting Love and Weather: Brewed Coffee. It's the usual and pales in comparison with other choices. But it's familiar and it does the job. 😅

Business Proposal: Coke Float. It's sweet. It's bubbly. It's the perfect balm to a hot sweaty day. You're not getting any healthy calories but who cares? It's yummy!

Demon Slayer: It's that tall glass of your favorite iced coffee. It hypes you up and you're just wanting for more. Ugh. 2023 seems so far away! 😩

A PIECE OF YOUR MIND: I really like this drama, it's soothing and warm and emotionally relatable in a lot of ways. But seriously, this whole Norwegian side story is just dumbfounding me. Anyone who's lived some time in that kind of climate knows how to dress. The snow-storms that took both the lives of Ji-Soo and Ha-won's mother, I've scampered through on a hour long walk to school though admittedly at the time, I was not wearing open designer clothes in summer shoes and sporting a fine do instead of a proper hat. Some anecdotal info on the matter is that those kind of large snowflakes sported in those scenes usually occur when the temperature is very mild, around zero or even above. Hardly something that has you freeze to death. Thankfully, this remains my only gripe with the drama, though it is a strong one.

TRUE BEAUTY: That time skip gave new hope to my second lead ship but now, with only one episode to go, it's looking like it only hoisted its sail to immediately be shot down to the bottom of the sea. If there were to be a second season featuring Han Seo-jun as lead, I'd definitely tune in.

Through the Darkness - Kim Nam-Gil remains wonderful.

A Business Proposal - can the company mascot become an archaeopteryx? (Yes, I really want to see people walk around in an inflatable dinosaur costume.)

Royal Feast - Absolutely loved the scene where she told him she didn't want to be his concubine and when she left, skipped away.

F4 Thailand - playing catchup

Through The Darkness.

YouTube videos, machinists making stuff, mudlarkers finding stuff, ancient history.

My Golden Life (EP4): When this drama was airing I tried to watch it and then dropped it... I'm starting to remember why I dropped it😅 But I'm curious about the two boys' love story so I'll probably keep watching for them.

I also watched a couple of web dramas this week.

25-21: About to watch episode 8. I appreciate that the two leads aren't already in love etc etc tc. Episode 7 was really good. So whenever the review gets posted I'll be excited to see the reactions!

Forecasting: Getting better. Again, why is everyone's so perfect???

Business Proposal: Interesting. Though I want to bring up (like someone else did perhaps last week) the excessive drinking. I am not sure if waking up not remembering what happened the night before is the best scenario. And how does anyone go to work in that condition?

Thirty-nine: Joo hee got some screen time. Everyone's skin is still glowing.

Military Prosecutor Doberman: Love it. Ahn Bo-hyun is awesome as always and Jo Bo-Ah is crazy awesome and badass.

Business Proposal: Also love it. Completes my Monday and Tuesday viewings. Love how funny this show is turning out to be. Also… Seol In-ah!!!!! I LOVE that she is showing more of a comedic and more exciting aspect of her acting.

Thirty nine: I like it. Just going to take it all in as I go.

Forecasting Love and Weather: Ooof… I can’t even recommend this to my friends. Yet, since I’m at the halfway point, I guess I’ll power through.

Ki-jun needs to be punched every time he plays the victim card.
Yoo-jin, ugh.

Every time I see those 2 on screen suffering, I don’t feel bad at all. Their characters deserve every horrible thing they have coming their way.

The Song Kang and Park Min-young pairing… I just feel it’s such a mis-match. Unless they’re really going for that cougar vibe.

25/21: I love this show more and more every week and I save this show for last, after I watch Forecasting Weather and Love.

After my 7 year hiatus, I've been catching up on dramas I missed and rewatching old favorites to see how they hold up so many years later.

Just finished Her Private Life and OMG their relationship! The drama had a few flaws but having spent part of my 40's as a Big Bang fan, I could relate to the fangirling lol. Loved Kim Jae Wook since Coffee Prince, but haven't watched any of his other works because they're simply not my cup of tea. I was so thrilled to see him as the lead and he did not disappoint! And Park Min Young was delightful as always.

Rewatched Secret Garden this past week. While I enjoyed the rewatch and the nostalgia, this is one that didn't hold up so well 11 years later. There were parts I loved, but this time the parts that annoyed me were too overwhelming to ignore like I did the first time.

Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha gave me the warm fuzzies. Loved all the side characters as much as I loved the main couple.

Daughter and I had covid last month so we used the time off from work to rewatch some oldies but goodies from the J-drama world: Mei-chan no Shitsuji, Hana Kimi (the first Japanese version with Oguri Shun), and Atashinchi no Danshi.

From the reviews so far, Business Proposal sounds like it's just my style. I'll wait until finishes airing before watching it though.

Starting a rewatch of Faith because I just want to drool over Lee Min Ho in historical garb.

Started Crash Landing on You but it's on hold at the moment. Two Hyun Bin dramas at once was more than my heart could handle lol. I'll pick it back up after I finish Faith.

After reading some of your comments, I have started to watch "A business proposal" and I am enjoying it a lot. It's been a while since I was hooked to a drama so quickly!!
I am so happy!!!!