BUSINESS PROPOSAL (Ep 7-8) Episode 7 launched both relationships. The OTP fake BF scam quickly turned into a real one because Tae-Moo was HONEST to HR. The second OTP was even better; an immediate joint confession and re-take of their first time together was the right timing and bonding for their relationship. In fact, their bickering and making up is very nice change of pace reality that grounds the show. Grandpa on relationship rampage is always fun and endearing but the last blind date was handled as a mystery. Adding a nosy aunt as a new character seems out of place. And I still don’t like the chef’s proprietary attitude toward HR’s personal life. These episodes were lighter on humor and more cued on awkward situations.

THIRTY, NINE (Ep 9-10): Ep 9 fraud mother extorting money is really a dead end story arc having no business interfering with the main story: the leads’ final days with CY. The writer continually puts hurdles in the path of a normal story. We get a little more CY, but she is more of everyone’s problem solver. I really wish she would have stuck to her guns and told JS to go home for good. She should spend more time with her parents and not him because there is no future with him. And his divorce wrapped up too nice and neat to be believable.

We still have too much Mijo runtime. The beach proposal was like eating a stale saltine. SU’s father’s attitude towards orphans is beating a dead horse - - - just to make Mijo mentally suffer some more? Episode 10 was basically mostly about Mijo and her biological mother causing problems. She won’t let her BF in on her crisis - - - this does not bode well for any healthy long term relationship.

There were many opportunities to open up JH character and her backstory but that chance was snuffed out with the prison road trip and the cake caper. JH does have an interesting perspective on things but she is never given a chance to speak up because of MJ and CY’s more overt personalties. We did get a glimpse of her feeling like the third wheel in the friendship when she talked to Mijo privately. She has just as much worries and anxiety as Mijo but Mijo is the one who gets all the support.

With two episodes to go, there are two many Mijo story threads to finish before the funeral.

Variety: SIXTH SENSE (Season 3) is back. It is still a fun concept show. And I got episode one right for once.

Twenty Five Twenty One: Another great week of episodes. I freaking love Seung-wan. Her mom is awesome, as well. Ye-ji’s storyline was good too. I love this drama so much.

Business Proposal: I wish I was as excited about this drama as other Beanies. I liked the second leads a lot until this week. They have chemistry, but I hated that Young-seo was blackout drunk for their first kiss/sex. I didn't care for the whole hiking plot either. They don't seem to have much in common. At least the leads have food in common. I hope there is more Grandpa next week.

Forecasting Love and Weather: What a tedious pair of episodes. The only thing I liked was the penguin couple. Shi-woo’s dad is the worst. Ha-kyung had a line that she never let her personal feelings interfere with her work, which made me laugh. All of these fools bring their personal life to the office.

Thirty Nine: This drama isn’t the greatest, but I still find it an easy enough watch. I really dislike the biological mom storyline though. It’s so unnecessary. I’m glad Joo-hee finally brought up how Mi-jo and Chan-young leave her out of things.

Love (ft. Marriage and Divorce): How did this drama become one of the highlights of my week? It’s hilariously bad in a way I need right now. Pi Young’s scenes with her daughter were really good. I don’t know how everything involving the kids can be so well written and the rest of the show such trash. They obviously mean for Dong Ma to be swoony, but he is a walking red flag.

Military Prosecutor Doberman: No Hwa Young cutting off the leg was completely implausible but kind of awesome. I like her as a villain.

Bridgerton: I’m happy it is back! The Viscount Who Loved Me was my favorite book. I don’t love some of the changes they made but the chemistry is on point. Love the family scenes. They nailed the Pall Mall scene, which made me happy.

CRICKET - this female world cup is the most competitive and at the same time least prompted world cup. Australia as usual at top and all other teams trying to catch up and compete.

World Test Championship - Male - it has become even more exciting. Australia has almost made to final and can still not be in final. Next few test matches gonna turn the tables as well as hopes of millions of viewers.

Bangladesh has win 2022 lottery - 1st ever test win in new zealand - 1st ever ODI and series win in South Africa - female world cup win.

Macedonia - oh yeah - football.

ONGOING
Business Proposal - Nice to see misunderstandings cleared quickly and Min-woo put in his place. But I need more Grandpa 😠.

Crazy Love - The show lingered just a tad too long on some jokes this time but it's still funny and fun.

Thirty-nine - I thought the Si-wan cameo would be pointless but I got tears in my eyes when he hugged Chan-young. I wish we had seen more moments like that with Chan-young in focus.

Grid - Plot movement! I saw the twist coming when he looked at his phone the first time round but still well done show for keeping us on our toes.

Forecasting Love and Weather - I had complained about the greedy dad trope way back in Ep. 6. It's amazing that they somehow managed to make an even worse use of the character this time round. Show needs to ease off on the weather metaphors and voiceovers.

Twenty-five Twenty-one - I'm glad Seung-wan got her chance to shine. This show warms my heart in all the best ways.

I'm going to wait for Soundtrack #1 (4 40-minute episodes is basically a Hindi movie!) and Pachinko to be over before I binge. I can't take another Grid-like situation 😅.

C-DRAMAS
Dropped Royal Feast. Started Legally Romance (also read the book!). Still watching The Oath of Love.

Beautiful Days 2001 - finally finished (after a 2 year break!). I can't say I was thrilled with the last third (melo Forced Separation + Terminal Disease), though at least when the Disease hits, the Couple finally gets back together, has a wedding... and even a happyend. Will remember it for smexy and playful Lee Byung Hun, very young Shin Mina... and some good kisses 😁

Business Proposal also has some good kisses 😁 and I like and enjoy all 4 couples - Taemu+Hari, Sunghoon+Youngseo, Taemu+Sunghoon and Hari+Youngseo, especially Hari and Youngseo 🤩. Haraboji is the cherry on the top. 🙂

Another cherry on the top are Wit and Folly's Deepdives for F4 Thailand. This really elevates the watching for me. And I was happy that Kavin and Kanning were central this week.

I'm not yet sure how happy I'm about Soundtrack, I'm currently more worried about Eunsoo's livers than Sunwoo's unrequited love.

25-21 - I giggled when Heedo was upset and Yijin was trying to keep the umbrella above her 🙂 And Seungwan, oh Seungwan, you grabbed my heart and I felt so much for you. You have my admiration... and your mom rocks ❤

(Need to catch up with Crazy Love and Weather.)

Twenty Five Twenty One: Yes, @missvictrix, your logic makes sense to me. I’m feeling apprehensive about watching the remaining four episodes. I get the feeling we are now approaching the beginning of the end. Not because of the drama’s conclusion, but the end of our lovely couple and the closeness of the friends, or The Fab Five, as I think of them.
A Business Proposal: That kiss on the bridge!!! I so love this show.
Forecasting Love and Weather: Not as emotionally vested, but I’m sticking with it.
Thirty, Nine: This show has been a disappointment for me, but I had to stay home for a delivery and I caught up on the episodes. Episode 10 finally felt honest and real. I’ll continue watching.
Pachinko: Finished episodes 1&2. The quality of the production and the acting is top notch. IMO, this is not a “drama”. It’s a Hollywood production of a book by the same name that tells the story of a Korean/Japanese family. The opening credits, while fun, was a bit jarring. Still not sure how I feel about it. But, let me just say that I’ve never been a huge Lee Min-Ho fan, but he looks awfully good here. He has definitely gotten better looking with age.

@missvictrix Hah the same with 25-21 because I know it is good and I like it, I ve caught up at ep 7 and not moved forward. Everytime I watch it, I feel like I missed something big from my teenage years, & I don't what it is, it makes me a little bit uncomfortable. Weird since I know what I have been through till today is what shapes me into what I am right now. I will wait till it is over. Should not over think a drama 😂

Those who claim that K-drama is being "corrupted by western values” will probably pounce on THE KING OF PIGS, a supremely nasty web series. What they’d have failed to notice is that the show so far is nowhere near as dark as the original 2011 film. For a start, the two male protagonists are much more sympathetic than their film equivalents, to the extent that Hwang Kyung-min’s arc veers dangerously close to vigilante porn. Luckily the show is always careful to show us the consequences of Kyung-min’s acts of vengeance - not just for his own mental and physical condition, but also for his relationships with others, his family and even his work and finances. I’m also pretty impressed with the use of flashbacks as the memories that plague Kyung-min and Jung Jong-seok. That toilet scene is as visceral an evocation of remembered trauma as I’ve ever encountered.

So far Kim Dong-wook is getting all the great scenes - the toilet! the hospital! the blooding in the carpark! - with Kim Seong-kyu kind of standing on the sidelines. But judging by Jong-seok’s not entirely professional willingness to be beaten up at the start of ep1, the guy is probably not short of a demon or two himself. Most of all, I want to see the King of Pigs emerge from his hoodie and his desk in the corner to give the bullies a taste of their own medicine. Yikes, I guess I’m susceptible to vigilante porn too.

Rewatching SHINING FOR ONE THING for the 2nd time! This gem tells the story of a 28 year old lady who travelled 10 years back to high school. A classmate whom she did not even know or remember appeared in front of her. She later learnt that this boy tragically fell off a lighthouse and she realised her mission was to save him. SHINING is not a coming of age high school drama, it’s more mystery and romance. Rating: 9/10 - a first class production all round. The story builds and builds. They mystery was a page turner. Romance was cute, poignant and epic. OST is haunting, divine, addictive. Acting was on point.

Twenty Five, Twenty One – still loving it. 9/10

Forecasting Love and Weather – I like meteorology and the romance. 8/10
Business Proposal - oops! Grandpa is going to cause problems because she is not of the same class. 7-7.5/10

Grid (Episode 6) - Mood: C+
“Time doesn’t flow”: well this means that anything can happen, which can be great if it’s unexpected and not so if it’s a deus ex machina waiting for us later. Sad to see the deputy director die, but it’s a good narrative push for the 2nd half?

A Superior Day (Episode 2) - Mood: D+
Wow, I wasn’t expecting Dong Joo to go from red herring to victim that quickly, though it’s very frustrating that Ho Chul only thought about helping him out after he got stabbed like a gazillion times? I guess we’re in for some lead stupidity?

Business Proposal (Episode 7-8) - Mood: C-
It’s very concerning that Young Seo drunk till the point of amnesia or that her cousin was developed exactly the way I’d feared last week but I guess expecting this show’s writer to step up in the second half wasn’t happening anyway if they assumed they could coast on the actors (Kim Min Kyu can definitely kiss!). I also wished that Min Woo was not written so simplistically: there is a world where Yoo Ra doesn’t exist and he sincerely supports Ha Ri’s new relationship, while supporting her any time she says no (frankly speaking, him pushing on after her initial rejection was really weird).

Twenty Five Twenty One (Episode 11-12) - Mood: C
Though I’m glad that Ji Woong and Seung Wan finally had an arc for themselves (well, Ye Ji got her moment too), if I’m picky I would say that corporal punishment is rather unimaginative but the general theme of letting go works well. Both Yu Rim and Hee Do’s mother had their moment of reflection: again, it’s fine but nothing impressive. However, I’m surely not enthused about Ho Jin’s extended cameo: we don’t need a jealousy scene in the penultimate week of all times (like hello, some moments between Seung Wan and Yi Jin’s brother work as filler). I’ve got a feeling Ji Woong saw that kiss?

Forecasting Love and Weather (Episode 11-12) - Mood: D+
Just when I was about to praise the show for some surprisingly mature conversations and developments, it goes for an incredibly lame plot device to get us the classic episode 12 breakup. And Ha Kyung’s mother is still marriage obsessed.

Thirty-Nine (Episode 9-10) - Mood: D
Even without the ex-wife who didn’t deserve a redemption arc, there are still 3 sets of horrible drama parents! But we’ll have Im Si Wan’s cameo to satisfy us despite the chef and Joo Hee’s relationship developing at a snail’s pace.

Crazy Love (Episode 5-6) - Mood: D-
Even though he accused Sina of being accomplices with Kang Min, I believe Mr Noh already suspects Se Gi: he took an interesting glance at his hand during the ladder scene. This show specialises in the drama but I just find it so awkward.

Business Drama: I hope they bring back more Harabuji shenanigans and that fabulous drama. Our couples established and now here come the hurdles of all the lies told to future in laws.

Military Prosecutor Doberman: When I say I was shocked that man cut off his leg. I said OMG he cut off his leg. WTF. The General is stone cold and I have to say I kind of love it. I wish the show was just a little better written though because they tried to give some nuance to her character, but fail fully. I am enjoying this drama.

Kill Heel: I dropped it because when I missed an episode. I forgot I missed it and didn't much care.

Twenty Five Twenty One: I want to know how this ends. I hope we have a good ending for our characters.

Kill Heel - It's all about Ki Mo-ran because she's intense, mysterious and seems to have her hand in everything. But oh, that little twist at the end of episode 5 with Bae Ok-sun! What is going on?! (I still have to watch episode 6).

Forecasting Love & Weather - I'm soooo done with Si-woo's father and Forecaster Um's wife.

Because This Is My First Life🐌🏠🐈(13/16): Room 19 is another one of those things that I can fully appreciate now, but would not have worked for me when it aired five years ago. Jung-Min has an interesting past with Se-Hee and it seems like she will have an interesting professional future with Ji-Ho. I was startled when Ji-Ho did not mince her words and just frankly announced to Jung-Min what had happened to her and how Jung-Min did not even flinch. Then I thought about it, and it does makes sense for two women from this particular work field, with the special bond they have, to be this blunt about such matters.

F4 Thailand: Boys Over Flowers⭐(13/16): Kavin got his episode to shine and I hope he finally gets the closure he needs in the remaining episodes. I would prefer for him and Kaning to date, but I am satisfied if they just remain as close friends. Kavin might be a player, but I like how he treats Gorya and Kaning as friends, rather than as a female friend like he did with Mona.

Twenty-Five Twenty-One🤺(12/16): Hee-Do’s mother is not my favorite character for obvious reasons, but my eyes got teary when she finally broke down. Some people have to talk about their grief, while others literally cannot. I hope she can find some closure for herself and her relationships with both Hee-Do and her work. Seung-Wan’s mother was the other one that opened the floodgates. It is not easy to support someone when you disagree with their choice, and I bet it is even harder when that person is your own child that in your point of view could have made a better choice. However, her mom just held her accountable for the consequences and sided with her, which is a reaction I often miss in real life interactions.

A Business Proposal🦤(8/12): The second third of this gem is all about our archaeopteryx wooing his lady. Some of it under pretense of work in true CEO style, but his other moments more than made up for it. I adore him the most whenever he is just a man in love, smiling with heart eyes or putting jerks that undervalue his beloved in their rightful place. I am not fond of the way our second couple got together, but I hope their passion will extend the bedroom and show itself in other aspects of their relationship as well. Maybe grandpa should meddle more...

Im watching all the 12 ongoing dramas right now but the dramas im hooked the most are 2521, ABP, FLW, MPDBM.

I honestly didnt like ABP during it's first half but it got way better overall during the 2nd half and i was invested. 2521 exceeded my expectation. FLW is actually quite good but ppl may not be into this now, same goes for MPDBM underrated chemistries.

A Business Proposal: 8.0 Oh dear. Someone gets clumsy, trips and hurts an ankle. You get one guess which gender.

Twenty-Five, Twenty-One: 8.5

Tracer: 7.5 (days 7 & 8)

Crazy Love Drinking: 7.0 Excessive (forced) drinking and excessive purchases of designer clothes. I don't like those even in a show that likes to deliberately overdo/mock standard tropes. Otherwise show is ok.

Military Prosecutor Doberman: 7.9 Most shows that try to do the same-old but also outdo every other show don't do it as well as this one did in the last few minutes of day 8.

Grid: 7.0 It feels like a good show, but I don't understand where they are going and I can't quite shake the fear that we may be in for a dud of an ending.

King of Pigs: N/R The first few minutes didn't seem horrible, but weren't to my taste.

Pachinko: 8.0

A Superior Day: 7.5 Better (and *slightly* less implausible) than the description on Asianwiki had me expecting.

Business Proposal: Some hiccups, but still my weekly happy pill. Like solstices, I loved that moment when Hari put Minwoo in his place. I don’t blame him for reacting badly after overhearing (and misinterpreting) that conversation, but the dude sure thinks so low of someone he calls his friend. He and his girlfriend can yeet themselves out of Hari’s bubble.

Twenty One Twenty Five: I am only halfway through. I was relieved Yijin took the initiative to interview the referee — those news reports (and questions!) were too one-sided and everyone else simply went with the flow. So far I find the show solidly written and full of heart and when a line hits me, it hits hard. I enjoy it. I like it, a lot. But I want to love it.

Out of the beanies discussion at the thread about dramas you like but others hate, I’ve gone down the rabbit hole of rewatching Jealousy Incarnate (Dare to Dream at Netflix). It is even better than the first time - such a well-constructed drama by a clear visioned writer and the great acting. It is one of those sublime productions that there’s never any filler moment despite its 24-episode run. Really treasure every scene and dialogues.

Like some of you, I don’t feel secure enough to watch 25 21 for fear of the anticipated upset. Might just watch it until all remaining episodes are out.

Pachinko
I'm going in knowing nothing but I'm not sure if my expectations are too high for this one. 2 episodes in, it hasn't impressed me yet. For some reason, I think South Korean creators are really good at family dramas and bringing out emotions. Some moments would've shone more in the hands of a SK PD. But the production is American so can't say much about that. I don't know enough to talk about that.

25 21
Still good

Grid
Still confusing. At least with a tiny bit clarity.

Business Proposal
Glad it's only 12 episodes. It's my happy pill but could've totally been filled had there been 16 episodes.

We are watching the 3 great, but slightly flawed dramas--Business Proposal, Twenty-Five Twenty-One, and Through the Darkness--just great TV and then I'm casting around for less engrossing fare that I can watch while exercising--thanks to contributors yesterday who recommended some C-dramas to me.
Anyway, I know this will offend many, but I wonder if the very slight unease which many of us feel as we proceed through 25-21 is a sign of a minor weakness in the writing of the show? And that is, in her haste to drive home the undeniably true lesson that there is no such thing as lasting happiness, unalloyed triumph, or enduring community, the writer is too quick to undercut those feelings in the show. So rather than enjoy that kiss that ended the last episode, I have a strong feeling that the very next episode is going to end the relationship entirely, and I base that feeling on what has happened in the show previously.
Let me be clear, this is not a really severe criticism of what is undeniably beautiful writing, but for me, it does make the last 4 episodes key. We already know things are not going to end totally happily, which is fine and true, but if there are more tragedies, I'm going to say the show is more bitter than sweet.

We are loving BUSINESS PROPOSAL so very much. So is the home audience- the ratings have been very high and for good reason. This show proves that a Korean rom-com can be done without serial killers, political corruption or corporate chaebol back-stabbing. More importantly it has demonstrated that when a show is done without being diluted by such nonsense the show will be more successful, not less. This show has shown the value of putting the comedy back into the rom-com- and that is the real winning formula.

More rough weather in this last week’s episodes of FORECASTING LOVE & WEATHER.

I had to wait for subtitles to complete before finishing the J-drama ONLY JUST MARRIED. I liked it enough but as J-drama romcoms go I have enjoyed others more. For a better introduction to these I would recommend AN INCURABLE CASE OF LOVE, IN-HOUSE MARRIAGE HONEY or FROM FIVE TO NINE. Although none of these can compare to the classic MISCHIEVIOUS KISS: LOVE IN TOKYO- but that story has been told in many versions in several countries so I am not sure it belongs in the same category even if it is based upon a Japanese Manga (Itazurra Na Kissu). Speaking of classic Japanese shows. Viki will soon be showing the original Japanese BOYS OVER FLOWERS (or, more properly HANNA YORI DANGO which, I am told, is better translated as “Preferred Over Flowers”) as well as BOYS OVER FLOWERS 2.

YOUNG LADY AND GENTLEMAN did not end last weekend but will be ending this weekend. The penultimate episodes awkwardly tied up some loose ends but things are still messy. Did I mention that Baby Momma has a second bout of cancer? So two cancers to go with two amnesias. At least we will hopefully get some closure for this mess this weekend. I guess that the writer knew what the audience wanted given that ratings for this show have been high but what was once dramatically very promising has simply collapsed into inchoate drivel. I will finish it only out of curiosity or maybe just inertia (or to get the bean).

Rough weather in this last week’s episodes of FORECASTING LOVE & WEATHER but we are still enjoying it.

From our library I brought home the DVDs for the Hong Kong crime comedy AL CAPPUCINO. Hong Kong shows tend to be very different from T-dramas, mainland Chinese C-dramas, etc. Rougher edges but they can be quite fun. Also on DVD- the final set of POIROT mysteries as played by David Suchet. It is unlikely that anyone else will ever match Suchet’s performance as Agatha Christie’s Belgian detective.

She has been watching the C-drama THE OATH OF LOVE and really enjoyed the Chinese costume fantasy movie LEGEND OF THE DEMON CAT.

She also finally watched RESET and declared that it was fantastic.

We were finally able to catch up on KING OF TEARS. This sageuk is not for the faint of heart but continues to lay out the story of the beginnings of Joseon in tragic Shakespearean fashion.

For those who might be interested. Netflix now has season 2 of...

Super happy that BUSINESS PROPOSAL despite all its cuteness is never cheesy, probably because of ML acting style. The humour is great, I could even watch the fairground trope which normally bores me to death. Loved the mountain hike of the second couple and Young-seo apologizing for nagging too much (she did!). Sweet of her. Please writer, skip the noble idiocy break up trope!

It must be hard to keep the wackiness going, but after a slight dip in episode 5, CRAZY LOVE came back full strength in episode 6. I think that Go-jin will soon realize that Shin-ah is almost the only person around him who is not pretending to be nice and friendly. He knows exactly how horribly she is treating him, quite on purpose and openly. She also protects him and stands up to him when he is mean about the potatoes present, surely he is not used to this and is starting to respect her more.

As good as it is, I am always a little apprehensive watching 25-21, because the ending is likely to hurt. I could also do with a little less baby voice from Hee-do. Not sure that it was the right thing for Seung-wan to drop of of school, the teacher should have been the one to suffer. Mum could have used her power dressing (oh, the hair and pearl necklace!) to drum up support from other parents to put pressure on the school.

Not too impressed about the developments in WEATHER FORECASTING. I find all the characters now annoying, although the penguin lessons are quite interesting in more than one way.

SOUNDTRACK ok so far. Not sure about KING OF PIGS. It is a bit weird, Episode 2 was a little better, but I really hate to watch school bullying, and especially the by-standers who allow bullies to get away with it by looking the other way.

Interesting villain who is into blood art in SUPERIOR DAY. The rest is just ok.

Business Proposal Clearly, it's not a drama where we need to think. But weirdly, I wasn't so impressed by the kissing scenes from the main couple, they were kinda lacking... synchronization?

Thirty-Nine Cha-Young is really the only charachter I care about. Mi-Jo opened the Pandora box and now must pay the consequence, Joo-Hee... why they made her acting like a little girl but styled like an ajumma?

Twenty Five Twenty One I really like it and I'm ready for any end.

Forecasting Love and Weather The last 2 episodes were really bad. I don't really care for the couple.

Soundtrack #1 There was nothing new in the story. PHS already made his puppy eyes in Happiness. Fortunaly, there are only 4 episodes.

Grid Waiting for the end to binge it.

Pachinko I'm curious about it. But oddly, the reviews making it the best drama of 2022 put a damper on my curiosity.

Forecasting: Last weekend were definitely the "oh crap, how many episodes do we still have left" moment in the writer's room. Hopefully things will even out this weekend and we get back on track. Don't give us characters who we understand and accept as flawed and then make them act in a totally wackadoo way because you need some filler episodes.

Business Proposal: It's fun but am pretty happy it is just 12 episodes. I am also over the trope of the chef now maybe reconsidering his relationship with the lead gal. The whole thing where he actually knew she liked him and he still stayed away until she finds someone else is just so ugh. This drama is supposed to refresh tired drama tropes so I don't mind them, but that one I'm so over.

Ghost Doctor: What a great drama. It isn't romance centric so I get that it doesn't get the buzz that a Business Proposal or Red Cuff Sleeve get but the storytelling has been done quite well (at least at episode 9 where I am at at this time.)

Thirty Nine: This is now a background drama. I never want to see SYJ cry in a drama ever again. That over the top sobbing...no thanks.

King of Pigs – The premise is out of my mind. The level of abuse Kyung Min received is another level I have not seen on screen. Spoiler from the recap didn’t even reduce the reactions to the act. Those guys tampered with his health and psyche. Still waiting to see how things unfold and how the bullying revolved around Jung-suk. The poor wife had it up to here, but never was I expecting the pillar of support come crashing down.

Love ft Marriage and Divorce – My one objection: why kill off Song Won if you were gonna make her a ghost? How many ghosts now? Are we still counting? Making a fool out of Boo Hye Ryung twice isn’t fair. What exactly do you intend to do with her character, she is an independent woman not one who threw herself at two brothers and got none. Ride on with your shenanigans, show.

To the happy laughing pills of the week, Business Proposal and Crazy Love hits the spots again. I give it one credit to BP, it is how it treated the second lead story. It isn’t filler-esque or plot device, its more fast-paced than the leads. For a smart-pant like Noh Go-jin, having Si-na on your suspect list is a disappointment. Your 190 IQ should have done better. When do we get Si-na’s health as a part of the plot.

Grid – A miracle had better be in the works. The actions of the higher ups with the ghost et al is a perfect mirror of what happens IRL – losing focus of what is important.

Kill Heel – This is one of the moments where I smell fire. You popped the champagne too early woo Hyun.

Forecasting Love and Weather – Some character flaws are okay here, but some are not. Main Leads – break up and never make up. Second Main Leads – Work things out. Assistant Director Oh call out your husband woman. Mr Um and Wife – you told him to leave the house, however you are now querying him for not objecting as to why he had better leave. Give the man a platform to act on instead of making him walk on eggshells around you and, don’t be selfish. Involving your kid in your issue isn’t a part of the rules. You clearly love each other both its turned into resentment. And show, don’t ruin the one good relationship whose flaw complement each other and bring them together.

Juvenile Justice Ep 5 – Get me some tissues.

King of Tears Lee Bang-won – King Taejo had it coming for him. Alienating the very one who cemented this for you sure has dire consequences. Face it.

Sponsor – This is a drag. Don’t become another Snowdrop.

Through the Darkness Ep 3 – The profiling done here is sound. I’ll definitely get back to you once the mood kicks in.

Finally got access to Drive My Car , the Japanese contender for a best pic Oscar. Only halfway through and it's pretty dour, in a slow, quiet style. Don't think it has much of a chance of winning. Recalling the giddy joy of live-watching Parasite win that had me literally jumping for joy.
First episode of Pachinko strikes me as a distinctly hybrid production i.e. basically an American story about Korean diaspora. The subtitles are delayed and the opening dance-number is ummm, interesting?
Crossing fingers and toes that A Business Proposal revs up the laughs for its final four eps and sticks the landing.
Will don a life vest and foul-weather gear to make it through Forecasting L & W next eps. Wondering if the 12 episode format would have tightened up the storytelling in this drama. Pretty stagnant (or occluded in weather-speak) right now.
Always end up watching 25 - 21 last because, I can't quite say, maybe a whiff of impending doom?
Lastly, for cultural comparison, one could not get two more different shows than Love Is Blind, Brasil </b) vs the same show in Japan . The former has me shouting, "Just walk out NOW, girl, that man is trash", while the latter had me whispering, "Honey, just leave, he is so gay."

A week of being behind because busy.
Didn't manage to make any headway into Military Prosecutor Doberman but looking forward to the pupper reunion.
Up to Ep7 with A Business Proposal and wishing they'd avoided the dubious consent stuff.
I'm hesitating opening Ep 13 of Legally Romance because I don't quite want to know what the speech was about. But its quirky and fun.
Really happy for more Kaning and Kavin screen time in F4 Thailand. And Thyme's giving advice! He's growing up T.T
And there is taxes.

Pachinko: Signed up for a free Apple trial to watch this. Production quality is top notch - I see where some of that $150M budget went. I'm absolutely gobsmacked by the actress who plays young Sunja. I read that this is her first acting role and I don't get how that's possible because she is SO GOOD. She's as good as veteran actors. It's like hitting a homerun on your first bat at the World Series.

Business Proposal: My face was essentially Hari's in ep 7's dinner scene. Idk how AHS got through saying his lines with a straight face.

Bridgerton S2: Anthony is much hotter than the Duke from S1.

@missvictrix
I feel exactly the same way about Twenty Five Twenty One! I love it too much. And the present time scenes make me warry.

Weather forecast : Its tedious to watch. 4 more episodes to go and I will be done with this. Si - woo's dad is such a selfish character. Imagine having such a dad !!! I felt annoyed by Forecaster Um's wife also. She strikes me as someone who just wanted to put all the blame on the husband. I get it , he might have been absent but the lady leaves no chance to blame not to mention the accusation of an affair without enquiring much.
The saving grace of the show is the penguin couple. I lenjoyed their interactions.

Love (Marriage ft divorce): What a crazy show !!! It's so bad but equally addictive. The history professor is so bad and I loved how the kids esp the girl showed him.his place. I can exactly see the man who hurt and how he cant process the fact that Si eun manage to find a good man. I feel skeptical about Dong ma. Am I suppose to find him swoony? Because he shows a lot of red flags. And finally I feel so bad for HR. She might not be the best character but she deserves so much more than a ghost possessed mother. If the other lead ladies can start over with a new man, she also equally deserves it. After grandpa ghost's departure, it is now SW's turn and it's really unfair to HR. I also loved Jia's character arc. That girl is mature enough and I liked how she was ready to atleast agree for meeting Dong ma.

Business Proposal : I was not expecting to enjoy it but it's so good. Who would have thought that removing glasses can be hot too!!! ???

25-21: Might be the minority here. The show didnot appealed much to me so dropped it after ep 4.

TWENTY FIVE, TWENTY ONE: I completely understand missvictrix's point about loving this one so much it's almost impossible to actually watch. I've only seen about half of the available episodes but I'm calling it a masterpiece right now. There are so many things to praise, from the performances to the sense of place to the dialogue, but I'm also struck by how romantic it is without any romance tropes at all. In fact, the most mundane things--a stack of coins in a public phone booth, writing on the handle of a sword, steady eye contact--are, in the hands of an obviously very gifted writer and director, more powerful than 10,000 conventional confessions or kisses would be. I also like how the two leads can just say things like "When I saw you, my heart stopped" or "Wait for me" and it's so sincere without being overly sentimental or cringey. I have no issue with the age difference, either, probably because I understand exactly why they're drawn to each other. And it helps that the ML knows that the FL isn't ready yet to own her feelings and he gives her that space to realize how she's feeling and to decide if she wishes to act on it. The only thing I don't understand is why we've been told from the episode 1 that these two didn't end up together. In fact, I have no idea at all what purpose the present day scenes serve. But since everything else is so well done, I have to believe the writer has a plan here that will be satisfying.

CRAZY LOVE: Really liked these latest episodes which were very funny but did a better job of fleshing out the leads and making them seem less like caricatures. I can even start to see very faint glimmers of a promising bond between them.

BUSINESS PROPOSAL: Best second couple ever, imo. And the leads work for me, too, especially since we shifted to dealing with Ha-ri's insecurities. My only complaint is that I wish her family and home life resonated more deeply because those scenes seem largely wasted.

FORECASTING: I like this drama, but these were the weakest two episodes and it feels like the writer is trying too hard with the metaphors and overly ponderous inner monologues. Soo-hi's dad is a creep, but I'm also glad the show is sticking with that characterization because people who are this narcissistic and greedy never really change. I also felt for the forecaster's wife. Even though he seems to be willing to make some (half-hearted) efforts at this point, she's right that for a long time he simply preferred living his life away from them. And the subtext there is "because you didn't love us enough." Now he seems ready to be a father, but I'm not sure he loves his wife. I certainly see why she thinks he doesn't, and if that's the case, she's right that divorce is the best thing to do. But I love penguin couple! More of them, please.

Pachinko
i don't like the chapters shuffled like a deck of cards.
i don't like the portrayal of Hansu saying mean things to Sunja. that didn't happen in the book.
i hope it makes sense to those that did not read the book. it is a great story, painful at times, but it is important to know what they had to (still do?) go through to live in japan.

Turning Red: I have to dedicate a whole separate post to Turning Red aka the best thing I watched this week and probably one of the best things I'll watch in all year. Hats off to Domee Shi for producing an enchanting, adorable, and heart-warming Pixar film that's a love letter to the Asian-American/Canadian growing up experience. The animation was incredible (the food porn!), all the references to Asian culture were well done (THOSE AUNTIES!), the red panda was adorabs, and I laughed my head off at how boy-crazy and spunky the characters were (reminds me of current BTS craze). I'm so very glad Pixar is telling more diverse stories that lets minorities feel represented.

So, I’m the only one who LOL’d at the bridge kiss in BP because … why the hell were they in the middle of a bridge?

Business proposal
Easy and simple watch, but a true delight which always leaves me wanting more.
I feel, Hari fell kind of easily, or maybe somewhat fast, after he confessed, but I won't complain about that.
Second couple: I also don't find them compatible, but... they live next door, so.... they will keep on seeing each other anyways.... they can develop things they would like to do together.
Grandpa, where are you???

I am a very happy person now that I'm watching not only 1 BUT 3 dramas! This rarely happens.

1. ABP: Hilarious. I love almost everything about it. I have to give huge part of the credit to the actress who played the FL: I daresay because of her facial expressions and acting, this show has been a success. I can't remember how many times I laughed out loud because of the FL's facial reactions. I do agree with @missvictrix, I find KTM to be very adorable. Having said all this, there are certain things I don't like about the show. The first thing is the subplot of having the FL pushed the restroom door and made the Chairman fell, I think that wasn't funny. The second thing, which is indeed very serious imo, is the black-out thing that happened to the SFL. I know the show intended to make it hilarious but it isn't. It is a crime, and no one should glamorize it for any reason.

2. 2521: <3 <3 <3

3. FLAW: I told some Beanies that I thought of this one as comfort food. Nothing is particularly new or makes you go OMO, but the story kinda flows naturally. The pacing of the show is good and it is mostly a relaxing watch. The makeup of the SFL is always beautiful.

Today is Sunday which means we are getting another ep of 2521! I'm eagerly waiting for it. It's only 3 hours to go.

I finished Hwayugi yesterday and actually liked it more than I would have thought. Seeing as the show is rather slow and is very dialogue centered, it doesn't get boring and the use of my ff-button was sparse. The female lead is by far the weakest link in both script and cast so I had some difficulty rooting for her. She was boring, uninterested and foolhardy. But it's evident the male lead actors were having a hoot and Lee See-young was mesmerizing and a total scene stealer. And though I may never think about Hwayugi without mentally barking "take the ff-ing bracelet off!!", it was an entertaining watch.

Twenty-One Twenty-Five:
I started this drama after four episodes aired just to give it a try unbeknownst to me that I would fall in love with this drama. As this drama is coming to its close, I fear that the ending may leave me heartbroken.

Business Proposal: Yes, it tropes and storylines we have seen before in K-drama. The actor/actress brings me such joy in performing this story. Kim Se Jeong reminds me of Emma Stone I could see her fitting well in American romantic comedy movies.

Young Lady & the Gentleman: this drama could have been so much better. It so many missed opportunities that could have been explored with this drama.

@missvictrix I'm with you completely on Twenty Five Twenty One. I like it so much I can't watch it at the moment. A disaster for ratings however if everyone feels the same!

Twenty-five twenty-one is making me lose focus on my own life. And these latest episodes are not helping, I know this is what I get for starting an ongoing drama. I swear this show has turned me into a teenager; looking for hints, reading fan theories, and everything else that comes with it. I'm an emotional wreck at this point.

So as I have for so many years - I get in my fanciest pajamas to watch all these genius OSCAR artists. My hubby and I stood to applaud Ms Youn. Yes, I finished Drive My Car but thought it was very ego-driven. Not Kore eda, just sayin'.
Spent many hours this week trying to catch up with all the nominees. What I love is the dedication. You are in a minor production but you are getting in to the Dolby.