ONGOING
Red Heart - I hope the King becomes more ruthless in his choices. Right now he's no match for Councilor Park. And why does he always have tears in his eyes. Happens so often it makes me wonder if it is an acting choice or if it's just really windy where they're shooting!

Love All Play - Too much angst. All the parts I don't like were amplified - especially Taeyang's self-flagellation.

Shooting Stars - Missed last week. Will catch up over the weekend.

Tomorrow - I cannot stop thinking about the Statue of Peace since last week's episodes. It's so depressing that things like that have been happening to women for centuries and are still happening in parts of the world.

Again My Life - The directing and editing choices make this so much less exciting than it could beg. Hee-a's character's main purpose being to peddle PPL is hilarious.

From Now On, Showtime - Ahn is pretty creepy as the evil spirit. Was I mistaken or is the OG evil spirit the same as the present day cop crush?

My Liberation Notes - Talked about Tae-hoon's sister needing to get a grip last week and that still stands. I think Gu and Mi-jeong separating was probably for the best for now. Excited to see how Mi-jeong's life changes in the future.

Our Blues - Toxic friendship from pretty much everyone in the Eun-hee and Mi-ran story.

My Liberation Notes: It’s a good thing Son Seuk-gu is hot and charismatic because his character is pretty cliché. I like both Gi-jung and Tae-hoon, but I don’t understand how their relationship went from A to B. The new addition to the Liberation Club was nice.

Our Blues: Eun-hee needs better friends. Her friendship with Mi-ran is toxic, but it’s a familiar dynamic.

Bloody Heart: This drama continues to be absolutely gorgeous. I don’t even mind that the story is a bit predictable because it is so beautiful to watch, and they do a good job building the tension. Yoo Jung trying to become Queen should spice things up.

Shooting Stars: While I don’t care about the romance, I was amused by Han Byeol screaming and running away after Tae-sung’s confession. Jung Yeol and Tae-sung’s scenes were fun too. I laughed at Jung Yeol’s “What sort of life have you led?” I hope the drama doesn’t get bogged down by mom and housekeeper angst.

Showtime Begins!: The bad guys confessing while the ghosts made them dance was amusing. Shin Hyun joon’s guest appearance as a Grim Reaper was fun. I wish the drama would forget about romance.

Love All Play: Poor Tae-jung. I just want to give him a hug. I didn’t enjoy this week’s episodes much. I really dislike Joon-young and this conflict is hard to watch. Aside from Coach, the parents in this drama really suck.

Green Mothers’ Club: Eun-pyo dodged a bullet with Louis. So he was in love with his adoptive sister but couldn’t be with her while their parents were alive so married her doppelganger. Okayyyy. It sure didn’t take him long after Jin-ha died to start boning his sister. The director’s wife is the worst for defending her creepy husband for so long.

The Killer’s Shopping List: The killer was predictable but it was a nice enough drama. Points for handling Fish’s storyline respectfully.

Apologies for the length, lol.

Bloody Heart: Ottoke, what are we going to do with this drama. Our leads are in a pickle. It is a follow your heart or follow power drama. The King is in deep s^&t. He needs power in order to not completely become a puppet, but the woman he loves won’t let him LIVE (lol). He is constantly worried about her. He can’t focus on the task at hand, which is impregnating Yeon Hee and consolidating power for the future. Meanwhile Jung said, we are in this together, I am going to be your Queen, I don’t care about the rest. The Left Counsel meanwhile is plotting something and I am not quite sure what. Jung obviously isn’t his niece, so what does he want. The casual way they punish the servants is true to form and frightening. That being said, idk who the director is, but s/he is doing an amazing job. There are certain frames, where I have literally said out loud, that is stunning.

Woori The Virgin: I like this drama. It is very extra. I like watching Raphael and Woori the most though because they both treat each other like adults. They have good conversations and he really includes her in things. Team Raphael. Her boyfriend is nice enough, but that is just it, he is nice enough, but he treats her like his child. Constantly saying I will take care of everything.

Love All Play: They really made it a point to show that all the parents except the coach are garbage people. My goodness, why are they all so awful. So Tae Yang has a whole mother who treats her as if she doesn’t exist. Her father/adoptive father acts like she is a rock with no feelings. No wonder she takes everything on herself. She has been abandoned and treated as self-sufficient, so that is what she goes back to in crisis. Tae Joon must be an almost literal breath of fresh air, she isn’t as constricted around him because he just likes her, and has never left her. As for Tae Joon’s parents, they really dropped the ball. He doesn’t act out so they treat him as easy, dismissing his feelings and paying attention only to Joon Young who is the worst. SMH

Again My life: So this is still moving along, but now we have a new antagonist I guess in Lee Min Soo. It seems a little late in the game, but I guess. There are only 3 more episodes left, I am not sure what they are going to do.

Sh%^ting Stars: So, our leads got together, very awkwardly and are mostly gross, but I am here for it. Jae Hyun and Yu Naaaaa, lol, well I am happy for them. Hopefully, they will work better together. As for the lawyer, aside from the pettiness, he never really had a chance because he has no personality. The gay rumors were played for laughs, but honestly it wasn’t that bad. No one was grossed out, just a little shocked. The PR women were hilarious. As for Si Duk(Yoo Sung II), falling for Ho Young, meh. I thought he had more chemistry with Jae Hyun, the crush I can understand it, but I don’t think it is necessary. I am curious about what they will do with Ki bbeum and the lawyer...

Shooting Stars: I think this drama is such a fun and easy watch.

Find Me In Your Memory: And because of Shooting Stars, I decided to give this show a watch and am really enjoying it. I don't know why I didn't watch it when it aired. This is a case where I think the synopsis of the drama sounded totally unappealing to me.

My Liberation Notes: Continue to enjoy this one but also kind of feel like it is time for it to finish up and yet we have two weeks left.

Showtime! & Ghost Doctor: I need to jump back into.

JAPAN -

Honest Real Estate - 6/10 - nothing amazing is happening. everything is predictable. time pass

Waru - 7.5 out of 10 - easily beats every other tv show from any demography.

heath isn't at par so can't concentrate much.

Viki took very recently aired Japanese show - they were promoting it from spring march - and Full time wife escapist is official name. SONY GEM aired the show live with the same name.

Our Blues - I’m so so preparing for Eun-hee’s outburst. And Ho-shik rubs off as a no-taking-of-shit guy. He doesn’t hide his displeasure.

My Liberation Notes - A breakup that happens in kdramaland that I convinced myself wouldn’t happen in this drama despite all the signs but happened anyway. Did I over trust that the writer wouldn’t dish out a breakup since the writing has been so good. Chang-hee’s changed, the effect of Rolls-Royce have weared off, I was definitely banking on the this. I really hope he discovers why he is actually pissed of by A-reum.

Green Mothers Club - A lookalike…really🙄, show. The dead should stay. And I strongly suspect her husband. While the presumption is Jin-ha caused the rift in France, what if Luis actually approached Jin-ha, in cahoots with this Rhea, and the leaked photos are actually Rhea’s and since no one knows her existence, Jin-ha takes the fall, Rhea comes into the picture and life goes on. Her husband could even be in cahoots with all this ish.
I assumed the show was setting up Chun-hui as the villain. It’s disappointing that they’re shifting focus. She was a more interesting baddie. Still it’s a relief she’s on the other side of wrong, for now.
For someone like Young-mi who speaks so much about character and perspective, she’s so easily manipulated by her husband. WTH if they’ve signed the actor they needed, she is not the one who messed up. She is wise, yet unsmart.

Bloody Heart - I so much like the new look of the Royal robes. Here I was thinking it was because it was because it is based on a fictional king, never figured that production synced in the same weather.
Costume aside, the king being at the receiving end this week is....argh. Lady Jung better come up with her own survival antics as the men in her life are evil and meh.

The Killer's Shopping List (Series review) - Mood progression: C+ / C+ / C+ / C+
Given how the show didn’t shy away from topics such as transgenderism, I expected a twist where Yul’s dad wasn’t the abuser: first, Veggie’s husband already met the male abuser quota and there is the social message that women can be abusers too, second, it explains why Yul’s dad killed only women if he felt emasculated. Nevertheless, I did enjoy all the red herrings and most of the characters felt developed, though there were fillers (part timer) and frustrations (fat cop).

Tomorrow (Series review) - Mood progression: D+ / D+ / C- / D / D / D / D / D
This show reminds me a lot of Hotel del Luna: a male lead who is just a wallflower in the overall plot, an excess of procedurals with next to no character development followed by rushed backstory arcs, a historical tragedy involving the female lead and a fantasy involving the afterlife. And then this also had the mismanaged subject matter of suicide.

My Liberation Notes (Episode 11-12) - Mood: B
You see, all the show had to do was give us moments of actual character development like the Joy club manager being the newest member of the Liberation Club and I’ll gladly sing unrestrained praises. But of course, the gang nonsense is now the cause of the classic 3/4 separation trope and it’ll be the cliche reunion stuff next week, I guess. So frustrating!

Shooting Stars (Episode 7-8) - Mood: C-
A more convincing love triangle would’ve been between Yoo Sung/Ho Young/Si Deok but even that would require skill to not let it become cliche? I also don’t get why there’s housekeeper/mom nonsense and now with that shadowy cemetery figure it’s clear this links to dead friend (groan). Yoo Na/Jae Hyun: it’s hard to get invested with minimum development?

Note after Episode 9: LMAO they really switched to another love triangle. I would’ve preferred none of that though.

Showtime Begins! (Episode 7-8) - Mood: C-
I thought the show was aiming for Evil Spirit to be the accomplice that helped out the betraying husband but it appears we’ll have to wait for another week before villain stuff happens? And it seems like past-Seul Hae was also involved in a love triangle too? I wonder why only Cha Woong’s remembering the past: Seul Hae also had a brush with death as well.

Woori the Virgin (Episode 3-4) - Mood: D+
Selfish characters continue to make the show uninteresting: Gang Jae lying by omission 3 times (!), Sung Il blurting out him being Woo Ri’s bio dad or even Ma Ri cosplaying as an abuse victim in the preview. The OTP is okay so far but idk?

Love All Play (Episode 9-10) - Mood: D
Tae Jun, the longer you delay telling the truth the more it’s gonna hurt when Tae Yang’s literally baring her soul for you.

Green Mothers’ Club (Episode 13-14) - Mood: D-
Stepsister?! Y’all, the show lost its marbles.

OUR BLUES (Ep 11-12)
Friendship is not servitude.
Loyalty is not servitude.
Friendships can also be toxic relationships.

You can understand as a teen why Eun-hee wanted and needed to be Mi-ran's friend since Eun-hee was poor and all the other kids looked down on her. She had no true friends so she had to settle for a mean one. But they are now adults, and Mi-ran should have learned to grow up instead of riding her selfish, pretty privilege into the ground.

Eun-hee’s relationship with Mi-Ran is the betrayal of friendship; one who takes advantage of another; a taker not a giver; one who has a sense of loyalty and obligation for the past and the other so self-centered to understand what she has done.

Ho-sik and In-Gwon’s reconciliation was short as they are back to bickering which is in character. Seon-ah finally gets her long distance support system through Dong-Seok, who still is an unforgivable scum for how he treats his mother.

Captain Joon’ and Young-Ok’s relationship is a push pull in slow motion. Joon answering her phone was a violation of privacy and trust. She does not give up her secrets too easily; and Ms. Hyeon’s talk being cut off adds to the sadness of her tale.

KILLER SHOPPING LIST (Ep 7-8/Finale)
Overall the series was good. The ensemble cast was fine but Kwang Soo still has too much Running Man DNA in his acting. I am still impressed by the quality of Korean child actors as Yul (Ahn Se-Bin) did a wonderful job in a difficult role. The writer also gets a nod for having a coherent script. The short series format did not give the director time to evolve complete back stories for the main characters, especially the romance between Dae-Sung and A-Hee. But overall, it was a good series.

OUR BLUES (Ep 11-12) It is a good series but hard to watch. Mi-Ran and Eun-hee's "best" friendship turns into a toxic one.

You can understand as a teen why Eun-hee wanted and needed to be Mi-ran's friend since Eun-hee was poor and all the other kids looked down on her. She had no true friends so she had to settle for a mean one. But they are now adults, and Mi-ran should have learned to grow up instead of riding her selfish, pretty privilege into the ground.

Eun-hee’s has a hard, rough exterior but she is too nice and soft on the inside.

Ho-sik and In-Gwon’s reconciliation was short as they are back to bickering which is in character. Seon-ah finally gets her long distance support system through Dong-Seok, who still is an unforgivable scum for how he treats his mother.

Captain Joon’ and Young-Ok’s relationship is a push-pull, in slow motion. Joon answering her phone was a violation of privacy and trust. She does not give up her secrets too easily; and Ms. Hyeon’s talk being cut off adds to the sadness of her tale.

The anthology of misery continues to pile up like a land fill. I wonder if there will be one event that turns the tone of the series by its end.

Furthermore, my favorite show is SHOOTING STARS. Episode 9: So much cuteness. Love is in the air - unless you are a housekeeper. Poor lawyer, in a dating scandal with the love rival.
I hope the show continues this light and easy, even if there are some clouds rolling in right now.

LOVE ALL PLAY is not quite as light and breezy, but the couple Tae-joon and Tae-yang is just too cute.

Another weekly series is WOORI THE VIRGIN. I wasn't convinced by the first two episodes, but episode 4 got better, so I'll keep watching, even if the charm and humor of JANE THE VIRGIN is unfortunately not reached.

In my search for the CDrama DIVORCE LAWYERS, I stumbled across the KDrama DIVORCE LAWYERS IN LOVE. It sounded interesting because the trope enemies to lovers always works for me. I liked the first 8 episodes, but then it suddenly became so extremely saccharine that I was afraid of getting diabetes and going into a coma from boredom.

Currently Watching: Love All play. Our ML's sister is such a pain in the ass. She is too sassy and I don't like her attitude. I personally believe that regardless of what happened in the past, there should be room for forgiveness. We'll, I guess she isn't ready to forgive. Although I like our main couple but I enjoy seeing Yumin and Junghwa. Sorry I don't know his name. I love watching them and seeing Yumin do everything to make him come out of his shell.

Tomorrow: I will miss this show. I got to see how people's words have a way of affecting people. Personally, I learnt a lot about mental health and how to be someone whose words can heal a broken heart.

Shooting Stars: Such a great drama. I always look forward to this drama. Let the mysteries be unveiled.

C-drama: When you be me. I have seen how ladies dress like men and change their manners but I have never seen body being swapped. The drama was just hilarious. Kiddo Ma is a good actor. Watching it was fun.

I miss My Unicorn girlfriend. The male lead looks like Ji Chang Wook. They smile the same way. I miss this drama.

Shooting Stars: I loved episode 9! It's a weird mixture tonally, but they manage to capture the emotions really well. I love the contrast between Tae-sung as a professional and him in a real relationship. Their kiss was so sweet!

I just finished Suspicious Partners and loved it. There was unnecessary angst and I'm not sure what I think about their childhood connection, but it was a fun watch and their chemistry was great. ^^

From Now, Showtime!: 8.5 Jin Ki-Joo is great and all the gang are fun. Not much of a fan of the baddie, but he's a small price to pay for the hijinks.

Again My Life: 6.5 If I could get a do-over like Hee-woo would I even start this show? For my next mutant baby drama how about I just inbreed this one -- have rerun Hee-woo save the baddie's assistant / future reaper so she doesn't become a reaper and can't save original Hee-woo and the whole show disappears in a puff of illogic.

Tomorrow: 7.5 Remind me to never cyberbully Kim Hee-sun's old friends. Or let her cook for me.

Shooting Stars: 6.5

Red Heart: 7.5 All that talk about inspecting Kang Han-na's body in day 5 :)

Love All Play: 4.0 Newly returned baddie bitch alleged person and jerk assistant coach are sucking the remaining fun out of a show that I wasn't enjoying much anyway.

Killer's Shopping List: 8.0

As expected, Gu is going back to the city in LIBERATION CLUB. I think I will miss his scruffy, comfy outfits and unkempt hair. His polished city look cannot really compete. It also looks as if he is walking differently in the countryside than in the city.
Ki-jung has a big mountain to climb to develop a good relationship with Ta-hoon's daughter. The girl knows perfectly well that the only reason this woman will be showing any interest in her is as the daughter of the man she likes, not for herself as a person. Ki-jung will have to be very patient - not her strength.
I can't wait to see what else the writer has up her sleeves.

The angst is settling in for LOVE ALL PLAY. As always, the hardest think to forgive is a lie and Tae-joon will soon find this to be true, although I can understand the strong reasons he has to keep his relation to Joon-young a secret. Joon-young's character is a bit too extreme for my liking, even if the actress is very good in playing these unlikable characters. My favourite bit, apart from the warm love between the Park twins is the newfound friendship between Jung-hwan and Tae-joon.

For laughs there is still SHOOTING STARS and WOORI. I also still like the dark and dangerous world of RED HEART. Also still hanging in for OUR BLUES. Why do people always shout at each other there?

After a slightly longer drama slump, I have started checking the newer dramas with a lot of older ones on hold.
Tomorrow (1-15): I watched the first episode with very less expectation but ended up enjoying it. RW and KHS are not my fav artists still I enjoyed the premises and the new cases every week. The story of the twins was hard hitting so was ep 14 where we finally saw the backstory of both Go Ryeon and Joong gil. I only wish for more LSH. He is such a great actor; the makers could have utilized his talent but instead we have to be satisfied with his cameos at the end of each episode.
Shooting Stars (1-8): Totally loved it. The drama is fun and it’s been a while I have watched something that has all elements I love. The bickering, petty jealous lead and a dense female and adorable side characters. It has everything for a perfect easy watch. I have liked almost all the works of LSH and KYD already has fans from his stint in Penthouse and Extraordinary you. They are so cute and awkward as a couple. I am all in !!!
Showtime (1): Just watched the first episode while I am all in for the ghosts and their antics, I gt a little bit annoyed with our FL. I hope that changes in the future episodes. I laughed at so many instances. Can’t wait to watch the rest of the episodes. PHJ decked up all in black is a vision!!!
Sound of Magic (1-6): I did not expect the drama to focus on mental health and pressure of educational systems. “Since when did this world become a place where even dreams have to meet a standard?” is a quote that’s going to stay with me for a while. There is a hard-hitting truth behind those words. The series was better than my expectations. JCW is a good actor and at various places I could see that. The musicals could have been reduced. Most of the songs were not memorable. CSE pulled off the character Yoo Ah yi well. She s the soul of this show and her micro expressions was on point at all places. HIY has also done a good job. Overall, the drama is for a one-time watch.
Planning to start Bloody heart during weekend.

Red Heart This show is like mayonnaise, there are every element like acting, beautiful scenery, great ost, but it doesn't really work.

Woori the Virgin Team Raphael!

Love All Play I wonder why they chose badminton. It could be any sport, they failed to make this sport interesting like they did in Racket Boys.

The Killer's Shopping List Now, it ended, I can catch up.

Tomorrow Joong-Gil messed up a lot. At least, when Jun-Woong was messing, it's because he cared and wanted to help.

Showtime Begins! I totally watch it for Jin Ki-Joo, she's adorable.

Our Blues I think they shouldn't have so many characters, they won't be able to give a satisfying conclusion to all the of them.

Shooting Stars Young-Dae is playing his role in Extraordinary You, a rich celebrity who falls in love with a less famous girl, he has a birth secret. Except in this one, it's not a parody :p

My Liberation Notes I need a little bit of happiness for the characters.

Again My Life I think I dropped it... I'm still stuck at the 7th episode.

Liberation - I'm here for the snippets of wisdom, like Don't drive someone else's car. I also like the Liberation Club rules... and yay for a new member!
@sicarius: If last week zombies came to my mind, this week it was Aliens 😄
Though... I'm glad that Kijung finally mentioned the daughter.
And I liked that she refused to play the push-pull games... and made her colleague and Boss to pause. Btw, I'm liking the Boss more and more... and he and Kijung could actually be a good couple - he would be the anchor for Kijung and keep her on Earth (😁)... and she would keep his life interesting... and with no games. 🙂

Woori - I miss the crack element. Episode 2 was promising, but this week was again blendish (except the ultrasound checkup 😄). I want to laugh moooore!!

Still watching and enjoying Shooting Star and It's Beautiful Now.

We are hooked on WOORI THE VIRGIN- and part of the reason may be that we never saw the American re-make nor the South American original. But some of the telenovella flavor is definitely there and it makes this show much more than the usual K-drama romcom. It is nice to see Sung Hoon back in a comedy- which is where his talents lie- nor does this suggest that he is not a good actor- comedy is actually the hardest dramatic genre and those who have the talent for it should be prized for that. (LOVE ft MARRIAGE AND DIVORCE?- what was he thinking? Such a waste).

We cannot says enough good things about both FROM NOW ON, SHOWTIME and SHOOTING STARS- we are enjoying them both.

We also continue to be captivated (as in enthralled) by OUR BLUES. It is simply so well written and I can see why the show was able to gather a stellar cast.

On Netflix my wife found the Chinese historical costume drama KING’S WAR which is about the struggle that occurred over the four years between the fall of the Chin dynasty and the establishment of the Han dynasty in China. It accurately portrays the totalitarian nature of Chin- perhaps the first time that such rule was ever attempted (totalitarianism is not a new idea- it was also the nature of the Incan Empire as well). To say that this extremely important moment in Chinese history is being given its due is almost an understatement- this drama has no less than 80 episodes. It will take a while to get through it but it is very good and a worthwhile watch.

I continue to eagerly look forward to the next episodes of the weekender IT'S BEAUTIFUL NOW. Our middle brother is now committed to his relationship with his former client. But jealousy is now rearing its head as he has to work with a pretty assistant writer. And his boss, our lady lawyer, is now enjoying dates with oldest brother- perhaps a little too much given the demands she is making on him. On the one hand it is charming to see a mature forty-two year old professional woman acting like a smitten teenager, even giggling, But on the other hand our poor dentist is having a hard time although he is sincerely working at it. As for our youngest couple- it looks like things are about to blow up and that will finally have the family fully engaged in the story. This could not remain a sort of triple romcom forever, it is time for real family conflicts to arise- and lead to real growth by our characters.

I am also watching the J-drama comedy OH MY BOSS! LOVE NOT INCLUDED. The female lead is a favorite actress of mine and she is doing well in this one. Do not be fooled by the alternate title “Oh My Boss, Love is a Bonus Book” because that is a total head fake- there is no relationship between this Japanese show and that wonderful K-drama. But I have to recommend this J-drama because what it really is is a good romcom adaption, or perhaps more accurately a variation on, THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA- not a re-make as such, nor is it a parody or even satire...

Again My Life
Watching this with my Kdrama friend, who is a big fan of Lee Joon Gi. We are both happy getting enough of him, since he is in 90% of the show, Tae Sub in 5% and the rest of the cast have to share the rest of the screentime. Where are the women?? Did they just need some females to put on the poster? Anyway, I’m glad that now not all of Hee Woo’s plans work out as he thought they would, with his knowledge of the previous future he is overpowered anyway. Looking forward to seeing the supernatural story unfold, but the show might save that for the last two episodes… And we missed the action scenes this time, there used to be one in every episode!
Tomorrow
The other show I’m watching with my friend. We both enjoy supernatural dramas, and this is right up our alley. Netflix in Europe is often late (we haven’t gotten 21,25 at all, it’s scheduled for August ☹), and we are one week behind on Tomorrow. So for us last week’s episodes are the one’s with Ryung Goo’s back story and the pregnancy theme. My heart went out to the orphaned mother. Without too much drama, we saw her grief, depression and how desperately she tried to look “fine” to the world around her. Also the handling of rude customers by Goo Ryun and the Boss!!
We both appreciate Rowoon here very much: after all he is the maknae, the puppy dog, the comic relief and also the one who empathises with every case.
Still way too little Lee Soo Hyuk!
Our Blues
I like the format with character stories spanning several episodes, and I like that it shows us the motivations and history of previously unlikeable characters while they grow.
Of course it’s totally unrealistic to heal depression by a good talking to or by pulling yourself out of it, but at least it was good to see that Seon Ah and Dong Seok listened to each other and have each other’s best interest at heart. For him, the growing needs to happen urgently.
P.S. I started to watch this only after Jimin’s OST came out 😉 and I hope they will still use it after Seon Ah and Dong Seok’s story is out of the main focus!
I still don’t like Eun Hee, I find her nosy and meddling. I’m looking forward to how she will express her frustration with Mi Ran – that incident a year ago was really awful - and how that will change their relationship. It’s hard to lose a lifelong friendship, even if it isn’t working anymore.
As for Jung Joon and Young Ok, their romantic scenes were wonderful, and he is so adorably in love! But her behaviour while diving is inexcusable, even if she desperately needs the money for a reason we still are not to know, I guess it’s a sibling with mental problems somewhere.
Shooting Stars
Is it common in Dramaland to get so many great Romcoms at the same time? I loved Crazy Love, just finished the wonderful Business Proposal and am enjoying Shooting Stars very much. Aside from the cute romance and the hilarious comedy (inebriated rookie actor!!), the look “behind the scenes” of actor’s agencies is really...

My Liberation Notes: While I'm not as in love with show as a lot of folks, I did really enjoy this past week's episodes. Ki Jung is definitely my favorite sibling and she got some great moments, and the Liberation Club meet-ups are gold.

Sh**ting Stars - Really enjoying the humour in this show. Otherwise, the main couple being so ignorant about dating feels, well, dated. Really wish the writer had chosen different about the that, ML's immaturity, and recognizing Africa is a continent/avoiding savior tropes. All the side ships are actually more interesting.

The Killer's Shopping List (Ep1) - love the mother! Though a bit sad that I probably missed out on some of the puns due to translation.

Love All Play - The last two episodes were a lot. Honestly would like to blame it all on how bad the parents are.
Park Ju-Hyun and Chae Jong-Hyeop give such a great portrayal here. Hopefully Park Ji-Hyun one day can portay a nice character.

My Liberation Diary - holding strong to binge it later

From Now, Showtime - honestly would love more ghost employees, as they are the best part.

My Liberation Notes
This may be a spoiler for those who haven't watched the recent episode but I'll try not to spoil. This show really pulled a My Ajusshi there by which I mean made me cry. That was very unexpected. The time difference now really makes sense. Gu left in spring 2019 and we're probably now in winter 2022 or later 2021.

Red Heart
I think having a backstory elaborated setup may have helped in feeling the story more but I'm good as is. I feel the show is doing a really good job and when it starts it hooks me in and doesn't let go till it finishes. Only this week's epispdes were rather predictable while others have been predictable yet unpredictable. So i feel it will keep improving. Can't wait for Monday!

Woori the virgin
I like the fact that it's giving me surprises, probably because I didn't watch the American remake. And I like the fact that... apparently, the bad ones are not as baddie as to hate them.
I laugh out loud when Raphael's father said he should not be criticised since Woori didn't accept the money he offered, 😂😂😂😂😂😂
As if there was no harm done, LOL.

But anyway, it is still in the beginning, I wouldn't put my hands in the fire because of this drama, but I am watching and enjoying what I can, so far.

liberation notes

In a way, it is a very weird drama. But I really enjoy that it's not predictable. Really, I will never be able to guess how it will end, being we are more than the half way through it... I have no idea where the characters are heading. But that is appealing to me.

Entertainer
Finished. Very good. I am glad I watched it again. It is always a worth rewatching material for me.
Also: what a wonderful actor Ji Sung is!!!! 😊😍😍

DON'T CALL IT MYSTERY--my top show recently has been this clever, unique Japanese detective show. Totono is a university student who just wants to eat his curry but he is a magnet for trouble and ends up unofficially consulting for the police and solving mysteries. The genius of the show is the lighthearted tone that somehow does not detract from the somber stories and the compassion Totono has for everyone. Think Sherlock with people skills. So. Well. Done.
TOMORROW--I have to give credit for the writer(s) and production team. They have set out to tell the stories they wanted (needed?) to. A hard watch, but the acting keeps me coming back. I have never been a fan of Lee Soo Hyuck, but I get it now, and I hope he actually gets a leading part in a good drama now. Kim Hee Sun is a marvel and I will be looking up her other projects. But the actors who tell the weekly stories are just as good.
SHOOTING STARS--gosh, I love stories that show the workings of the entertainment industry, and I am enjoying the managers and PR department. And I have a soft place for Lee Sung Kyung. So it should be a recipe to love it, but something is missing (I am only on ep 4). Or perhaps the main male lead is too antagonistic to Han Byul? I am enjoying everything but thier relationship. I laughed out loud when Yoo Na and Jae Hyun are paired up as bickering actors since the actors played an adorable couple in Be My Boyfriend; I look forward to see their stories develop. But I just adore Ho Yeong (the practicing shutting the car door epilogue scene!) and the rest of the Starforce team.

A lot of beanies seem to find Our Blues depressing. It is heavy, but for me it is hopeful, rather than depressing. We all struggle at different points in our lives with family, friends, ourselves, and love interests. But how we deal and handle the struggles is the difference between acceptance or misery. Each of the stories being told seem very real to me, and I like the way the series shows that in spite of the hardships, we cope and find joy in the smaller things. I'm very hopeful for the teen parents and their fathers.

Finished watching:
Pachinko: Cannot believe there would be a drama to cure me off my Lemon Ho apathy. Human hatred is capable of xenophobia, even against those who do not have a different skin color as you. Compelling and insightful watch. Cinematography & story-telling blew my socks off. 9/10
Light the Night: Turned quite predictable by mid of s3. Nonetheless, amazing to see the sheer amount of Taiwanese stars (eye candy) as support, guest roles and cameos, made possible by one & only Ruby Lin! Also, vintage fashion, yay! 7.5/10

Watching:
Liberation Notes: This is one drama where I *need* the Boss X FL to happen. Can Chang-Hee please hit Noona with a frying pan? Also, Mi-Jeong for Yakuza-wife, asap. 8.5/10
Our Blues: The toxic friendship feels incredibly real, and Yeong Ok's 'secret' incredibly predictable. Can we have more of Woobie biceps please? Teen-parent arc was absolutely stellar, so 8/10!

Dropped: Sh**ting stars, felt nothing for the characters.

Might start soon: Mr. Sunshine (in the mood for some masochistic ugly-tears) and Cherry Magic (as a palate cleanser)

From Now On, Showtime (up to ep 8): Just fun and adorable with lots of heart! This week, we also got a flustered Grim Reaper and tangoing villains as icing on the cake! I love the family feeling of this drama and the resolution for super heroine Yoon Min-sook was awesome.

Shooting Stars (up to ep 9) Lots of fun and cuteness and secondhand embarrassment from Taesung and Han-byeol's loveydoveyness. I love hanging out with the characters twice a week every week and the several potential romances brewing.

Tomorrow (finished) Ended on a great note though it wasn't completely what I expected. I liked how we got another parallel in the Ryu Cho-hee case and Ryeon's past with Ryeon going HAM on the rumormongers. What a rollercoaster ride this drama has been with some high highs and low lows.

Legally Romance (up to ep 26) C-drama. Back to the land of the living with our heroine. They're navigating it pretty well. Instead of feeling bitter that the last 25 episodes were a coma dream, she found a new lease on life. So proud she passed the bar!

Master of My Own (up to ep 25) C-drama. The romance stuff was introduced about 13 (?) episodes in. I'm not digging it much since the leading and supporting guys in this drama are pretty lackluster (male lead has been upgraded from POS to just okay). But lots of great female characters, including our kickass heroine.

Shooting Stars. It's a happy pill. And really squeeable. And Tae Sung's confession to her was sooo cute - and really touching. All the (potential) couples are adorbs, and I actually appreciate that the suspicious housekeeper turned out to be a psycho fan, and not some misguided revenge-driven grieving mother. As far as mothers go, I find the real Mother here irritating - the combination of the big-diva-who-was-a-non-mother-but-still-feels-entitled-to-her-son's-affections-and the actress's botoxed face with girlish mannerisms is just... No.
On another note, I really like Yu Sung. (Both of them, but I mean the original one here.) He's just so devoted to his protegés and collegues, it's lovely.

*Calibrating Comment* *LOADING…*
*bEEP* *bEEP* *bEEP*
NO WORDS FOUND.

Tomorrow
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Love All Play
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Bloody Heart
-_-
MLN
-_-
Shooting Stars
🙌
Showtime
🙌

My Liberation Notes
I cried when Gu screamed Yeom Mijung! On episode 13. He has so much, too much even, but he doesn’t have the one thing that he wants the most.

Bridgerton
I read all the 8 books of Bridgerton family. I have all these imaginations about Daphne and The Duke, Anthony and Kate playing pall mall, Colin with his green eyes and Penelope with her ‘bland’ appearence, all the way to Hyacinth the youngest.
I must say I’m largely disappointed with the interpretation or portrayal or whatever they call it with the series. I’m okay with any colors, I agree no one above the others, but I want to see Simon’s cold grey eyes and Colin’s playful, extrovert, everyone’s fave personality but instead….yeah….

Dear Beanies: I evacuated this week, entirely voluntary, but the smoke from huge wildfires was messing up my lungs. We went up to an area where we used to camp many years ago and it was lush and green and cool.
I have evacuated for two hurricanes and now two forest fires. Evacuation sucks.
The first time I just escaped with my two cats (hurricane South Florida). The second time to a friend's house that had survived a previous storm. Now my second huge forest fire.
It is interesting to examine what one packs, given two hours to go. My husband and son packed their musical instruments; I packed baby pictures. Nobody thought to bring passports, deeds, titles to cars,etc.
What would you pack?

Shooting Stars:
Something about it. There's simultaneously not much going on but so much going on. I sort of love it. It's tacky in just the right places and cute in all the rest. Very easy watch and something to unwind to.

Again My Life:
It's like an isekai but he's back in the same world. And it's just the type of show that has low stakes as you watch the main character gather resources and allies to defeat the big bad. It's not unenjoyable but there's not much substance. The plot is very anime-adaptation-of-a-light-novel-esque: "I died and reincarnated into the same world to defeat the evil politician".

My Liberation Notes:
Not much to say aside from I really like it and Son Sukku is hella hot.

Showtime Begins:
I have a history of liking the friendly ghost type dramas (see Oh My Ghostess and Bring it On Ghost), and it's the same here.

NBA:
I'm also following the playoff run. I hope the Miami Heat go far. It'd be a great upset if they win over the Celtics. As for the west coast, I just hope that the Mavs don't get swept.

Tomorrow (Completed): Finally completed this one after almost dropping it at around 10th episode. While I commend the showmakers for handling a difficult topic, the execution was way off. I almost wish that the instead of suicide cases, it focused more on the grim reapers or more world-building. Case-of-the-week story telling made it such a chore to watch. It didn't help that the show was on weekend. Except for the Koo Ryeon and Park Joongil storyline, there was no other ongoing story that would make you wait for the next episodes. There were some compelling stories one with the veteran, with the dog and comfort women. KR and PJG backstory also delivered all the angst and tragedy we were being fed throughout but the resolution to their story felt rushed and unfinished. KHS and LSH had such intense chemistry they managed to carry many of the viewers through to the finale. I just wished the show gave them more scenes, and their storyline was the major focus. Hope we will finally get to see LSH in a lead role soon.

Pretty packed week, and added some Cdramas to mix things up.

Shooting Stars *5/10*
I’m enjoying our main couple, and even most of the side characters are still fun and charming…then we get to the “villain” reveal. Oof. She was shifty for sure, but the motivation is…he didn’t accept a gift? That took the wind out of my sails BIG TIME.

Love All Play *7.5/10*
I’m still really enjoying this one, and each week our FL somehow manages to make me both happy, and incredibly sad. Just watching her trying to tough everything out and understanding some of how she grew up. Right in the feels. The initial flashback of how she got into badminton, and then we cut to years later where it seems like she’s mostly been afraid of losing her new family by disappointing them.

Then all the drama with her sunbae coming back. I’ll admit this actress usually does play pretty awful or unlikeable characters…and she’s continuing that trend a little here. That being said I can SORT of see where she’s coming from. It was still her idea to not see a doctor immediately, and she went along with a friend to have fun and they had an accident. Bitterness for the situation I get, but blaming her (seemingly) close friend is rough.

Again My Life *5/10*
Nearly at the finishing line here. No real surprises anymore, and the formula has been well established. It’s average tv, with a fun lead and a bog standard storyline that started with a pretty interesting hook and basically just used it to have him redo everything in tropey kdrama paint by numbers.

Showtime Begins! *8/10*
I think this might be my favourite show currently airing…it’s fun and Jin Ki-Joo is just a pleasure to watch. I like our ghosts and the banter between them and the living (as well as each other). The villain is a little basic, and is less tied into the overall story than I expected. I’m a little saddened I could see the heel turn of the husband coming, but kdrama has drilled these tropes into me. I think in this kind of drama it may have been a bigger twist if he WASN’T a psycho.

Our Blues *7/10*
This seems like uncomfortable conversations, the kdrama. They’ve got great actors so they’re mostly landing but it’s getting a little mentally exhausting to watch every person on this island get dragged week after week.

My Liberation Notes *8/10*
Another contender for my favourite. I think I more reliably enjoy Showtime, but this also has some GREAT performances. Lee Min-Ki absolutely crushes it. I remember reading someone very accurately say he’s so different in all his roles, and I wholeheartedly agree. That bit where he’s about to tell Mr. Gu about his car, and we see him weighing up which shoes to wear, before very ACCURATELY picking the running shoes was just pitch perfect setup. I knew what was coming, and it was still hilarious. The little yelp. So good. I will say, the Mr. Gu and Mi-Jeong long quiet moments are starting to drag a little for me...

Sh**ting Stars: Just watched episode 9 and our main leads are actually together. I loved the confession and their first kiss scene. The nervousness, vulnerability and longing shown by the leads was just amazing. I didn't expect them to turn into high school kids with first relationship but considering how both of them to revert back to bickering children when fighting, it strangely makes sense. I loved all their dorky (and cringey) interactions. I like the Lawyer in the beginning but when he started to pursue OHB, I didn't feel any chemistry between them. Maybe its just me but at times he came off kind of pushy and trying-too-hard-to-be-cool. Compared to GTS's earnest confession, it seems GTS has won me over.

Again My Life: I am through 12 episodes, and tbh I am just watching it for LJG. I dont know if its just me but out of all the female characters, I like Hee-ah the least. I think Hee-woo has the most spark with the reporter Han-mi, even Kyu-ri but when he is with Hee-ah there is nothing. Its a good thing that the show is not focused on romance otherwise we would have been forced to watch an incredibly boring couple.

Showtime, Begins: I continue to enjoy all the shenanigans with the ghosts but I haven't connected with the main leads yet. It is still entertaining and easy to watch but I don't think there was a need to bring past-life connection. The leads already have a connection through their grandfather/father, giving them a tragic backstory feels unnecessary for a lighthearted show

SHOOTING STARS: I love this! I wish I was privy to the many references to actual happenings in the entertainment industry or recognized the many cameos on the show. This would have added an interesting element to the show, but I'm very pleased with the character driven storylines and most of all, Kim Young-dae. His facial expressions are just golden.

MASTER OF MY OWN: So, 20 episodes in and there is still no romance. And more importantly, I don't see how they could form a credible romance in the remaining episodes either as the male lead appears to have the emotional intelligence level of a snow cone. The best part of the show is undoubtedly the FLs professional growth and I'm glad the show focuses on this.

I continued on BUSINESS PROPOSAL as Netflix now has finally released this in my region. But I'm still unsatisfied how the show has focused on creating conflict between Na-ri and the Grandfather, they would be such a great team but instead I feel the gap between them widens with every episode. Come clean and charm him instead!

THE KILLER'S SHOPPING LIST: After I read that a [spoiler] character would be featured in this show, I simply had to check it out. The wacky murder mystery doesn't hurt. So far, I like the strong women that are everything but your typical damsels in distress, Dae-sung as the oblivious genius, and the general humorous tone. Here's hoping the actual mystery and the way [spoiler] is handled doesn't disappoint, but so far, I'm charmed.

SH**TING STARS: Frankly, I thought the first episode was terrible with regard to its unnecessarily racist poverty p*rn. And that opinion hasn't changed. That said, I'm stressed out and wanted a new show to unwind, so I gave it another chance. The main romance is actually very sweet and somehow works for me even though I started out despising Tae-sung with the fierceness of a thousand suns. The show's currently become a little too dramatic for my taste, but I hope the lighter comedic moments will keep me engaged in the future.

SHOWTIME BEGINS: There are so many fantasy elements here that I usually tend to hate, but I still consider this one to be great fun. For me, the show truly shines when it mixes comedy with fantasy and when Cha-woong is allowed to join in on the fun. I'm kind of afraid that the next few episodes will be full of angsty reveals, twists and drama, so I hope we get more shippy moments (a confession, a hug or, dare I say it, even a kiss?) between the show's OTP to swoon over as well as, of course, more fun ghost shenanigans.

SOUL MECHANIC: Started watching this one entirely for SHK, but I'm growing more and more fond of his leading lady played by JSM. Woo-joo's vulnerable and strong. She's weird, difficult, and conflicted. Even after just a few episodes, I am already rooting for her to heal and recover. Normally, I tend to be careful with shows about mental health issues which is probably why I'm feeling more than a little anxious about the prospect of a therapist/patient romance here. But! I have high hopes for this one and I'm already halfway in love with both leads myself. (Blame it on the talent and the pretty of the actors!) So, in sum: How could I honestly fault them for falling for each other?

There is a new Kimura Takuya serial ongoing! Just not sure where can I watch it.

And Yamapi is back too! What can I do?

My Liberation Notes: WOW.
Woori: I like it, but I want less crime and more fun.
Showtime: I wasn't sure about the Goryeo plot but now I'm happy about it since the evil spirit is in love with and won't dare to kill her. This show is adorable, btw. In my top 3 of favorites right now.
It's Beautiful Now: omg the parking lot dance was iconic. I think they're going to be my favorite couple of the year. They're HILARIOUS and adorable.
Shooting Stars: All the ships are sailing and I love it. The maknae actors are so fun.

This weekend was awesome, dramaland is on fire.