Today’s webtoon
I was expecting to laugh out loud at least once in the first episode, I didn’t. There were parts that made me smile or cringe for her but it feels like there is going to be a settling in period and I am not sure, because I have a number of weekend dramas on the go whether I can be bothered to put in the effort to stay live watching with this one. I will give it until episode four as it’s a much better fit than the other shows I stuck with for at least a fortnight. I will definitely get the bean even if I wait to binge watch later.

Mimicus
I am getting back into the web drama short episodes format. I like coming of age and idol dramas and looking forward to finding out how the rivalry of the mothers came to be played out in the children.

Miracle (2022)
I loved that the photographer gave the idols a run for their money in terms of the reaction of the female staff when they saw him. This drama has an invisible disability impacting on the career options of the female lead and it will be interesting to see how this is catered for in an industry focused on perfection.

Dear X who doesn’t love me
I like the twist regarding the relationship coming from nowhere and the powerful effect of the mind on the second female lead. It’s good we are hearing more about the impact of the effects on the men if they all spoke together about their experiences could they get her expelled for sexual exploitation? It’s not always about the means but also the victim impact.
Am I the only one wondering about the book having the power to get out of the bin but not being able to reappear on Heesoo’s possession when taken by Sejin.

Flower boy Ramen shop
This is an ok older drama filler for the empty week days.

High end crush
Started this one but shouty boss and over the top comedic effect boss and his minions are too much for me if this cuts out part way through then I can continue but if it’s going to continue for 90% of the season it will be a hard pass.

It has Shopping king Louis vibes with the independent woman surviving the perils of the countryside but then having to deal with the challenges of an urban lifestyle in a big city.

Scent of a woman
I started to watch this again as I needed something to calm me down after spending time laughing hysterically because of Dramabeans comments! I think the problem I have with the drama’s slow pace is the female lead is on a count down and way too much time is being spent not updating key people or enjoying herself. I also think they have overly exaggerated the contrast between the females one looks like a real life Barbie doll in terms of the way they have done her eye make up and the other presents as a down trodden woman in appearance and actions.

Healer
This needs focus so I have to be in the right frame of mind to watch and this week I needed low maintenance content that didn’t require any brain power. So will pick it again up as my energy levels increase.

Completed:...

Finished so many dramas that my ongoing list has only 3 dramas now. But there are so many more dramas incoming that this state probably won't last!

COMPLETED
Doctor Lawyer - Jayden's story was exactly what everyone expected. The drama overall was more boring than you'd expect from a medical-legal-thriller.

Why Her - Laughable amounts of "oh I just happened to record ALL OF THE CRIMES without pixelation and with perfect camera angles". What a waste of time.

Link - It was a neat but believable resolution. Nice to see the restaurant finally open 😅. The leads really sold this show throughout.

Insider - So much was packed into the last 2 episodes. I didn't like that Jin-hyung didn't get his comeuppance since he was among the worst. Still a good show. I wouldn't mind a S2 provided it had more Sun-oh.

ONGOING
Café Minamdang - FL abusing her power to fake-arrest ML as a suspect and force him to undergo hypnosis. Apparently cops can do anything they want except actually catch criminals 🙄. I can see Na-dan being killed off - his grandmother was probably mentioned to make it doubly sad.

Extraordinary Attorney - All the squees for the kiss scene. That was sweet and lovely. Min-woo continues to be anything but sweet and lovely. Don't know why they ruined the mom's character after such a good ending last week.

Alchemy of Souls - The Cheonbugwon folks directly attacked Yul and co and nobody was bothered? Wouldn't that alone be enough cause to directly investigate Jin Mu? Still Ep. 12 was great.

WATCHLIST
Adamas (paused when I saw Lee Geung-young again), Big Mouth, Today's Webtoon, and S2 of The Good Detective.

Extraordinary Attorney Woo: Episode 9 wasn’t my favorite episode but Episode 10 was really good. I thought the kiss scene was handled well.

Link: Eat, Love, Kill: I really enjoyed this series. The first half was my favorite thanks to the black humor but the second half was still pretty good. The grandma/mom/daughter trio were my favorite, but Gye-hoon was an interesting character as well. This was the first drama I actually liked Yeo Jin-goo in.

Alchemy of Souls: I’m actually hoping Nak-su gets her body back and kicks some butt because Mu-deok is becoming tedious. Uk and the Crown Prince’s meet cute on the bridge was the best part of both episodes. I liked Dang-gu and Cho-yeon too.

Adamas: The first two episodes were on the slower side as they set the story up, but they were intriguing. I like mansions full of creepy people, so I will forgive them for going the typical chaebol baddie route. Ji Sung does a good job playing the twins. Woo-shin is my early favorite.

Today’s Webtoon: I liked the first episode. Kim Se-jeong is really likeable. She pops onscreen. We’ve gotten a lot of dramas involving the webtoons, but I like the workplace/slice-of-life feel to this one.

Insider: It wrapped up okay, I guess. The story lost a lot of steam after losing Sun-oh.

Witch is Alive: I feel sorry for Hee-soo.

Extraordinary Attorney Woo (Episode 9-10) - Mood: B
As much as I don’t want to get disappointed by the show, it’s finally happened with the epilogue and the nonsense that began way back in the 1st episode with CEO Han visiting Young Woo’s father. It gets worse when you realise Min Woo’s the one who’s going to pounce on this birth secret trope. You know what, I would’ve even preferred a love square cliche between Soo Yeon, Hairy, Donggeurami and Min Woo over this mess. And it’s not like the show should have any trouble finding content: this week’s procedurals were great and there’s a mine of narrative arcs to be had when it comes to the love between Jun Ho and Young Woo or more of Jun Ho’s background that doesn’t revolve around his annoying friend?

Link: Eat, Love, Kill (Series review) - Mood progression: C+ / C+ / C+ / C / C- / D+ / D / D
Writer, the title consists of four words and you failed to cover the 1st two words in any significant depth: no, whatever it was in the finale doesn’t count when it’s clear you’re just wrapping up stuff and charging towards a happy ending. And then there’s the mystery of who even bludgeoned Jin Geun right in the 1st episode that wasn’t concluded: yes, he’s one big plot device and it doesn’t really matter but you can’t just ignore what set the story in motion in the first place. For a show like this, I was hoping for someone like Jin Hoo to be the main lead: a bystander perspective might be interesting.

Cleaning Up (Series review) - Mood progression: D+ / C- / D / D- / D- / D / D- / D
It’s really frustrating to review this show because this show always had glimpses of potential, for instance, the death of Kim Hye Yoon’s character was a great consequence of Yong Mi’s actions, except you realise that she was kind of blackmailed into doing it because of the sleazy politician. I also didn’t like how the show favoured Yong Mi’s arc over the other two ladies and there were many useless characters like the cleaner head or Su Ja’s husband or In Kyung’s ex.

Cafe Minamdang (Episode 9-10) - Mood: D
You’re telling me that all it took was a hypnosis session for Jae Hee to eliminate her distrust of Han Jun? Y’all, this is so hilariously bad. Also, the whole shadow organisation with the police/politics/prosecutor villain nonsense is so lacklustre regardless of whether Do Won’s part of it or not. I’m surprised that the Minamdang gang didn’t know Jae Hee’s the sis, but they also have horrendous security and do terrible food PPL and the religion mom arc’s a big waste of screen time.

Adamas (Episode 1-2) - Mood: D+
2 Ji Sungs are headlining this show and the writer just throws in the lamest typecast in the first week. Oh dear.

Jinxed at First (Episode 13-14) - Mood: D-
The show spoils next week’s cliffhanger and also shoves noble idiocy in our face. Thankfully, it ends next week. Hurray!

ALCHEMY OF SOULS (Ep 11-12) I like Oh Nara as an actress/personality, but in the past few episodes her airtime outweighs Mu-Deok and Uk’s screen time. Episode 11 was mostly weak , lame high school romance filler. The CP wager seems farfetched since he has nothing of real value to gain from the exchange. But we know the Queen has the ice stone making not only soul ejector powder but alchemy of souls spheres to do complete transfers. Is she from the Choi clan? Jin Mu has his Jimmy Jones mage cult promising immortality through forbidden sorcery. Lady Jin’s father is about to sell out the Jin clan with the fake missing daughter. He does not realize he can gain clearer power through a Songrim son-in-law.

Episode 12 puts everything at risk but the “rules” about soul shifting continue to be vague and inconsistent. If one shifts a soul, it will not become a monster until it bleeds or loses energy. But a mage using his powers loses energy would become one, no? MD energy gate was closed; but in last survival mode, her instincts react with the unintended consequence of shifting. We are still in the dark on the science of the magic that is the ice stone.

CLEANING UP (Ep.13-14) I really did not like the unlikely return of the revengeful Captain, who befitting the theme of not having any common sense, wanting to whack poor Yong Mi. I still do not get the Lee’s affection toward Yong Mi since there is no interest or chemistry on her part. To be honest, she would be better off with the loan shark. In-Kyung romance with Du-Young is more appropriate. Soo-ja’s family continues to be unsavory, unkind and cruel to her for no apparent reason.

Jan-Di making huge borrowed bets with the cleaning ladies enforces the wrong stereotype that in order for women to succeed they have to do something beyond their merits to get ahead. Lee’s advice to Yong-mi about insider trading is just another form of gambling addiction was spot on. It is harder to watch the story continue to drag through the mud with the same mistakes and without moving characters or story forward. The set-up of a final dangerous stock manipulation scheme does not have the thrill it could have because the series ran out of gas about halfway through.

THE WITCH IS ALIVE (Becoming Witch) (Ep.5) It was not a surprise that Hee Soo’s real story was left hanging out to dry with accusations, misinformation and assumptions about Mother’s death. Her husband is still a tool now that the D card has been played.

Speaking about a deck of divorce cards, Nak-Gu is getting the WORST legal advice on the planet. Dive head first into the public quicksand knowing Ma-Ri is a dangerous and better counter-striker. I like how the one reporter rolled his eyes at the press conference. How could Nak-Gu think eloping with his mistress and running over his wife would score points with a judge? Any TV judge would sentence them to stay together, forever.

The one story line that really went off the rails was Jin-A. Is...

Is anyone else having trouble posting comments? The system says my comment was posted but I don't see it and it won't let me post it again as a 'duplicate comment'.

Cafe Minamdang: Watching Han Joon in his element is really fun. He not only has excellent observational skills, but he is also quick on his feet. I appreciate he now knows that Jae Hui is his friend's sister. Even though I think this will make him more stubborn about not allowing her to help him.

Link: I thought it was a nice ending. I also thought it was a kindness that evil man did burying the father and daughter together. I am glad the. restaurant opened up as well. Also the reveal of the relationship between mother and daughter-in law was so sweet. I am glad Da Hyun has such a great family.

Extraordinary Attorney Woo: What a pair of cases this week. They were well handled and thought out. Both men were going to jail, but was their sentence just, no, was it legal, yes. It took a good look at what happens when the law hits a gray area. Also awkward and adorable kisses. I see she kisses longer than she holds hands, ha.

Insider: It ended well with an open ending. They were a touch to close to too many twists, however it was fine and I am not opposed to a season 2.

Adamas: The first two episodes are pretty slow, but I think because it has a lot of people to introduce. We now know the twins are both on a path to see who their father's killer is. The twins seem close, but also not close. Their interactions were interesting.

Today's Webtoon: The first episode was cute. It looks like it is going to be a regular office drama and I dig it. I like that Ma Eum wasn't just working multiple jobs because she needed to survive, I like that she is doing it because she wanted to find something she was passionate about.

Big Mouth: I just started and haven't finished the episode yet. It is fine so far. Yoo-na is already starting to make me itch though.

Good Detective 2: I am so excited to start this!!

Adamas - If this keeps up with the premiere momentum, it’s going to be a ride. Very captivating premise. A captivating ride all through, please.
Dual Ji Sung. I guess novelists can be very good investigators too.
Madam Kwon is making one hell of a impression. You can’t just ignore her presence.

Alchemy of Souls - I’m just waiting for this one to air again while anticipating the teased revelations, and hopefully, the plot movements I am so hoping for.

It’s Beautiful Now - If Yoonjae and Haejun keeps up with their attitude, they’re gonna be losing points. Big ones at that. How they are viewing pertinent issues without attentive hands, and ignoring Kyung-ae’s concerns about the said issues…I’m worried for the both of them.
It seems like the birth saga is going to be out this time. The teasing for two straight weeks now isn’t it, please😩. Just let it start, even if it won’t drop.

Extraordinary Attorney Woo - Just one question. How low is Min-woo going to descend?

Becoming Witch - Lee Nakgu🤦🏽. Moo-young🤦🏽🤦🏽. These husbands are a huge piece of work. Divorce? What? How? I wouldn’t put a hidden kid past this man.

Doctor Lawyer: 6.0 Baddie's wife & son flipped too easily. Prosecutor/FL collapsing was very kdrama. A certain new character was even more kdrama. Overall the finale was quite kdrama, but about as good as we could expect, considering what went before.
Last season Lee Kyoung-Young played a baddie, died at the end, and instantly reincarnated as baddies in two shows. Now those are over, he has died in one of them -- how many baddies will he come back as next season?? Is he a Hydra?

Why Her?: 5.0 Entire finale was about a kdrama as you can get.

Alchemy of Souls: 8.5

Cafe Minamdang: 6.5 The new evil shaman was the redhead in L.U.C.A and the store security girl in Mystic Pop-up Bar. She was an asset in those shows, and this one could use the help.

Link: Eat, Love, Die: 6.0 Finally recognize the kidnapper/murderer. Suspect that he knows you know. Start walking down deserted alleys instead of staying where there are people around while you call for help. Because kdrama. The show's score for the week would also be a generous estimate of the FL's IQ.

Extraordinary Attorney Woo: 9.5

Jinxed At First: 6.5

Adamas: 4.0 Yet another Lee Kyoung-Young baddie. Yet another kdrama trying to outdo all the other kdramas by doing more extreme kdrama things. My tolerance for shows like this has fallen off a cliff - Why Her pushed me over the edge. Even if they do Extreme Kdrama well, these shows just make appreciate shows like Alchemy and Extraordinary all the more.

Today's Webtoon: 7.0

Big Mouth: 6.6 Not terrible, but when Miss Dances With Ramen is the best part of an episode...

Cafe Minamdang Han-Jun using his sexy brain are always the best scenes.

Link: Eat, Love, Kill The couple was the best part with the humor. The killing part had a lot of holes. The OST was really great!

Extraordinary Attorney Woo I like everything in this drama! 😍

Alchemy of Souls I'm tired by the ML and the FL. I want him to act as an adult and not as a baby, I don't understand why the FL would fall in love with him and I would prefer she focus on regaining her strength.

Miracle The FL should just give up the 2 male baby leads and find a new job with professional people.

Why Her It's over \o/ and deleted from my computer.

Yumi's Cells 2 Kim Go-Eun was great in this role. But the magic from the first season wasn't present in the second one.

I need to try Big Mouth just for Kwak Dong-Yeon, because I'm not really interested by the plot or the actors, Today's Webtoon looks fun and The Good Detective 2, in my memory I liked the characters but not the plot in the season 1.

ATTONRNEY WOO continues to impress! There is so much to ponder about from episode 10. Was the judges decision the right one? Yes, on balance I think so. Not because I won't allow the disabled girl to fall in love and feel sexual desire, I am sure it was love for her and I am also sure that her mother does not want to accept 'adult' behaviour in her daughter. The problem is the young man, I do not believe that he is in love with her, but that he is taking advantage of the disability of the girl which makes him an abuser. The girl is not on trial here, but the young man and I cannot blame the unpleasant mother, the psychologist and the judge for trying to protect a vulnerable girl.

The court case also allows us to recognize just how thoughtful and decent Jun-ho is, how he agonizes whether starting a relationship with Young-woo is good for her - and for him. He knows it will not be easy. I love how they both are aware of the difficulties and how they deal with the clumsy first kiss!

I would also join the children's liberation army with Gu Kyo-hwan as their leader!

I am a bit troubled with the writing in MR X WHO DOESN'T LOVE ME. It seems to be aimed at young adults, but the way the main character is using her magic notebook is not just an error of judgement or immaturity as the drama seems to say, but definitely abusive in a predatory way. That she is a wallflower who is always overlooked is no excuse.

Finished LINK and am happy that it ended with the opening of the restaurant. The link element was always the weakest part of the drama and the scene with the little sister setting her brother 'free' of his guilt made me cringe, little girls of her age do not speak in this way. Other than that I very much liked the drama.

The new dramas look very promising, especially ADAMAS. The first episode already hooked me. I am also very pleased to see Lee Jong-seok again in BIG MOUTH.

JINXED and ALCHEMY are also still on my watch list, both very enjoyable.

Cafe Minamdang: I'm glad we got some movement this week and a possible team-up. I've been annoyed at how this drama has been just making the characters not teaming up and go in circles in order to run out the clock.

Alchemy of Souls: That hug! *content sigh* I love seeing Mu-deok/Naksu and Uk regularly take leaps of faith when working with each other. Brotherhood and loyalty are big themes in wuxia type stories so I'm glad AoS emphasizes that (even though Naksu's a girl). The secondary characters remain charming and interesting. I'm glad to see Uk taking the ugly gold frog challenges seriously and levelling up. And Mu-deok/Naksu definitely gained a new disturbing skill.

Extraordinary Attorney Woo: The show is handling the romance and its challenges quite well. It doesn't overtake the drama and, like the cases, fits in with Young-woo's growth and learning. This week's got cases with a lot of gray and no neat resolution. Just lots of things to chew on. I wonder if some parents and academies were pissed at being called out on the biggest hit this year.

One the Woman (up to ep 9): I'm loving it so much. I think I had trouble with the first half hour when it first aired, so I didn't go further, but this time I forged on, and it's been so much fun! I wonder sometimes about live-watching vs binging later: it's great to theorize when live-watching but the week-to-week format makes me notice faults more. I feel like I can watch with noticing too many faults when binging.

Today's Webtoon is on my list but I promise to watch it with a friend.

Alchemy: Back from traveling and 3 episodes behind and that's before this weekend. I'm looking forward to catching up as this is still working for me.

Extraordinary Woo: I didn't like the courtroom scenes because I'm suspending reality when witnesses are chitchatting along with the lawyers looking like - hold it, did I ask a question. This drama works better for me when the courtroom scenes are held to a minimum. All the secret mom stuff is unnecessary. (There is a Netflix show on people on the spectrum and their stories of finding love. Haven't watched it but the algorithm sent it my way I assume because I'm watching this show.)

Romance/Remarriage - the 8 episode Kim Hee Sun drama on Netflix. Can't remember the title. Very well done and nicely paced revenge/romance show. I respect that the show was able to build up a believable connection between the leads with all the crazy going on. Could have done with less meet ups between the two ladies.

Persuasion (Netflix): Watched this with my daughter before my trip. It's the You Go Girl version. I'm not offended but don't understand why the writers didn't understand the story makes no sense when you change the lead character this way. She would have just walked up to the guy and said, "Dude, my bad. Let's get it on". However, Richard Grant (I think I got the name right) was amazing and worth watching the whole dang thing for. (I think they wanted to give this version the 2020 Emma type update and it doesn't work for this character.)

The Gray Man (Netflix): aka Bourne meets Wick. But I Iike Gosling so I just fast forward through the boring bits.

Finally, dramaland is airing dramas that aren't up my alley at all, save one (yes, you read that right), so I can happily return to back-watching some gems that I had missed out over a decade of absence/ hiatus from the Asian drama scenes. Currently watching:

1. Go Back Couple: I realized the gaping void of satisfaction that needed to be filled by a certain Familiar Wife was festering to the point of hatred. Having dropped Somehow 18 and Shining For One Thing (cannot get behind the character devs at all ), I decided GBC was the answer, and hoo boy, has it completely hit me in the right spots! I'm more the kind to tear-up at heartfelt, emotional moments instead of pure-tragedy, so it had been quite some time since I smiled & welled-up at the same breath; since Captain Ri whispered 'piano' to his baby tomato plant as a part of a '12-happy-words-a-day' plan given by Seri, to be specific.
The first episode was viscerally raw, and grabbed me in the feels from the get-go. Ever since, Jin-Joo & Mom, the 90's nostalgia, the pining for their child, etc... all have been exactly what I wanted/ needed. My worries of jinxing a finale train-wreck is also reassured, as I see the love & adulation from the Beanies, as well as the fact that it's the same team behind 18 Again! <3 <3

2. Attorney Woo: Yet to catch up on this week. Super excited because I think I spotted a Koo Kyo Hwan cameo? ^^

Eagerly waiting for Animals to finish dropping the finale, and of course JCW's hospice drama! :)

Link – Finished
Almost every person that was guilty in a part of Gye Young’s disappearance gets a chance to make up for it in these episodes, and they are all rewarded with some sort of happy end. I loved the explanation of the link, and the way it was introduced. Little Gye Young appeared several times with that message - for me, that was not too much, but the affirmation of her forgiveness was necessary. The lovely, happy children at the very end were a joy to see! Yeo Jin Goo and Moon Ga Young were wonderful throughout the show, and the OST was great.
I don’t understand the low ratings for this drama AT ALL.
Insider – Finished
More gruesome violence – but it didn’t hit me that hard as in the first half of the show, maybe because it’s less personal now. The death count in the last two episodes: 60 in the media, plus at least 3 that we see additionally. A good show and I’m not sorry to have watched it.
Why Her - Finished
Well, it got a wrap up, as usual for this show with a lot of twists, last minute evidence and testimony. At the shot of TK building at night with Choi Tae Guk’s voice over about everything and every person there was his property, I thought this might have been a great show. And I don’t get the high ratings for this show as opposed to other current ones at all.
Doctor Lawyer - Finished
This show didn’t do what it should have done, exploring law and medicine when they overlap or contradict each other. Watched and sort of enjoyed it for Jayden, but not for all the ridiculous medicine, revenge, corruption and politics.
Café Minamdang
Best part: “real” profiling instead of high-tech information. Love the Minamdang crew with all my heart, love the colorful world, costumes etc. and ignore the rest…
Jinxed at First
Enjoyed this week’s episodes, the curse was explained and several issues cleared up nicely. Now, the question is if the foreseen future can be changed… As the upcoming episodes are the final ones for a kdrama, it certainly will be changed!
Extraordinary Attorney Woo
It’s a great show, loved by so many, but not my personal favorite. Loved the Childrens’ Liberation Army and the wonderful child actors!
Alchemy of Souls
I’m up to the current episodes now, enjoyed watching episodes 5-12 back to back so much. The meeting on the bridge was wonderful! Now I’m back to waiting for new episodes all week… and this is one of the few dramas where I wish it would never end.
Miracle
A nice, fun watch. And so much more fun to watch the enmity between Luice and Si Woo if you know that they are bandmates and friends in real life!
Today’s Webtoon
Loved this from the opening credits, and had a big smile on my face all through the first episode. The setting around webtoons, the humor, many loveable side characters, Kim See Jeong, the fierce and funny judo athlete, and Dimples from The King’s Affection <3!
Big Mouth
Checked Ep.1. I’m not very into Lee Song Juk’s acting skills, but I liked him alright here. The storyline so...

Kairos: Has a tight, well-thought-out plot and I appreciated that it let both leads make smart choices. However, it also has a remarkably high level of trauma per square inch, even by k-drama standards, and I didn't find all the characters' choices believable (sooo many folks ready to commit homicide for such a small social circle). Also, I'm all for taking down "the man", but it would be nice to have an occasional CEO who wasn't straight up spawn of Satan, if for no other reason than it would make for more interesting plot dynamics.

LINK: I think this is one that will age well, and people who didn't watch it when it aired will discover it later on. There were certainly gaps in the writing here and there, and things left unexplained (either deliberately or not) but I felt satisfied by how it all wrapped up. It told a complete story of loss and healing with some foodie porn thrown in. The biggest question for me going in was if the leads would have chemistry and they really, really did. But the main surprise was how well the director and writer handled a multi-generational ensemble cast. Loved the reveal that the grandmother was really mom's mother-in-law.

ATTORNEY WOO: Another very well-crafted drama. I usually don't love case-of-the-week type shows, but this one works for me because the cases are integrated so well into the on-going storylines. And even though I wanted to kick him several times, I like how the show portrays Min Woo as more nuanced than a simple villain. He does and says offensive and unkind things, but he very much represents mainstream's society defense of itself when it comes to embracing people who don't immediately conform in the way we want them to. His harping on the nepotism angle behind Woo Young's hiring while ignoring the discrimination that led to it being employed in the first place is particularly striking as it's the type of rhetorical sleight of hand that people arguing against social programs or systemic discrimination like to employ. It will be interesting to see how he expands his myopic view of the world, and I'm hopeful it's not just because he falls in love.

I also love the romance with Jun-ho. The actors and director all do such a wonderful job of showing some of Young Woo's quirks and social awkwardness in a humorous way (like when she was pulling out his chair and opening doors for him) without ever mocking her. I'm as charmed as Jun-ho. At the same time, it's clear that they both know the challenges of having a relationship when one person is atypical and the other loves her for everything she is, but that doesn't change the reality that they live in a society that will always be judging them.

ALCHEMY: Despite the cheap homophobic joke of the CP and Woong running to each other on the bridge, this show continues to delight. It's a fantasy romance with a lot of romantic stories, and yet the plot still zooms along, the world-building is engrossing (note that it might also be contradictory and hard to follow--my criteria is simply if I'm enjoying spending time in the world and I am), and the actors (especially our leads as well as those in the Maid Kim triangle) seem to be reveling in their roles. The tone is perfect, too--fairly light, but with high stakes. This is what I wanted "Hotel Luna" to be.

DEAR M: I started this because I liked "Love Playlist" and this feels like an expansion of that one. It's predictable but well-paced. I'm drawn to dramas that portray college experiences (fun, innocent,...

Red heart: I binged through this and finished it in one week. As a sageuk fan, I think it was a really good one. Except from the excessive watery eyes especially from the King, the characters and plot were interesting. I loved how there really was not one big villain who was trying to put the king down just for the sake of politics. The table reversal with the queen dowager was a nice twist. Each character had their own, understantable motivation for their actions and it made the whole watching experience so interesting. I also particularly liked the cinematography and the costumes, the attention to details was very impressive. I think it's among my favorite this year.

Why her (ep 7) : though Seo Hyun Jin is one of my favorite actress and I really wanted to see how Oh Soo Jae would fare, I have a hard time picking it back up. The pairing bothers me so much and the ML's acting is so green, it is sometimes cringe-worthy. I don't think I can take it. It's likely a drop for me , unfortunately...

Finishing up Goblin this evening, last 2 eps. I think I'm emotionally prepared, maybe.

About halfway through Suspicious Partner. This is the second drama I've watched with Ji Chang Wook, the other being Healer (obviously). I will probably watch his upcoming drama just for him.

Making veeeeeeeery slow progress with the Cdrama A Girl Like Me. Not quite sure why I lost steam at the halfway mark, but I suspect it's because all the focus is on the plots to put the second prince on the throne.

Recently finished the Cdrama Love at Night. ML was pretty hot when he was all broody and such, and I enjoyed the romance. Got bored with the second couple and ended up skipping a lot of their scenes in the second half of the drama.

Who Rules the World has been on pause until I finish Goblin, cause I want to give Yang Yang my full attention :D

On the reading front, I'm currently reading the novel that Falling Into Your Smile was based on. I have finished the novels for You Are My Glory and Love O2O. It was interesting to compare with the dramas. I also read the novel Heart Protection, which is being made into a drama called Back From the Brink. Same ML as A Girl Like Me, which is A-okay with me cause he is so pretty. I really enjoyed the novel so I hope they do a good job with the drama, especially when he turns into a dragon.

EXTRAORDINARY ATTORNEY WOO is one of our very favorite shows of the entire year. We look forward to the new episodes as eagerly as we did each episode of BUSINESS PROPOSAL (for once Mondays were fun). I am not sure if it possible to give any higher praise than that. The kiss at the end of the most recent episode was simply too sweet for words. I agree with Daebakgrits about how well the show respected the realities of romance for people on the spectrum.

We also love ALCHEMY OF SOULS. Jung So-min picked a winner when she decided to do this one. This is the whole package: A good story, great acting by a great cast, great cinematography and excellent costuming. It takes a lot to create a great fantasy drama. We love this show almost as much as ATTORNEY WOO, which is to say a lot.

My wife went ahead and binge-watched REMARRIAGE AND DESIRES while I was working. She enjoyed this satirical revenge story much more than I had expected.

But what my wife has really been loving is the wonderful Chinese Costume Drama LOVE LIKE THE GALAXY. It is simply one of the best. But the same can also be said for the very fine Chinese Costume Drama A DREAM OF SPLENDOR which was just recently posted to Viki in its entirety. She binge-watched it and loved it from beginning to end. Now she is watching IMMORTAL SAMSARA, another good one, this one being a fantasy costume drama.

We have just started the Cdrama YOU ARE MY GLORY starring the fabulous Dilmurat Dilraba. It can now be found on Viki. My thanks to my fellow beanies for recommending it

This week the weekender IT'S BEAUTIFUL NOW gave us a funeral and then our first wedding. Our Lady Lawyer and our eldest brother are now married. But perhaps the best part was the departure of a nasty and greedy sister-in-law- and not a moment too soon. No, it was not her funeral- what a pity.

I have not yet started TODAY’S WEBTOON but may be able to get to it this weekend. I have been looking forward to this show. And we are now behind on JINXED AT FIRST, which is not a comment on the quality of that show but rather reflects the fact that dramatically we are facing an embarrassment of riches- there are just that many good shows right now.

EXTRAORDINARY ATTORNY WOO is the highlight of the week, as always.

ALCHEMY OF SOULS is also watched every week, of course.

New series I've started:
ADAMAS is exciting enough so far that I will definitely watch the next episodes. Will see how the show develops.

The first episode of TODAY'S WEBTOON was cute, but I'm not really hooked yet.

After watching both seasons of HOSPITAL PLAYLIST, I have now moved on to REPLY 1997. However, I always have my problems with older series (exposure, sound effects, acting).

I've just finished THE GOOD DETECTIVE, so I'm ready for the second season. If only I knew where it was streaming.

Completed:
Insider. I want a second season, don't know if this will happen. I need more Yo-han and Seon-ho. What happened to the latter is unknown. I'll watch any show that Kang Ha-neul is in. Too bad not to many saw this show. It did have editing problems. But I'm beginning to see a pattern in my KDrama-watching habit: I tend to like KDramas with absolutely no romance or just a hint.

Ongoing:
Extraordinary Attorney Woo. Episode 9 I fast-forwarded a lot. It was predictable. Koo Kyo-hwan was charming and fun to watch in D. P. and repeated it here. He's a good actor and I guess I wanted something new. Episode 10, there is a romance? I'd prefer that it remained platonic or "hinted". It's not that she doesn't deserve one but I prefer the show to stick to the courtroom drama, her bio-mom drama, and maybe side-stories of the support cast. I've neurodivergent family members, worked with NDs as a clinician and how romance is dealt with realistically can be heartbreaking. And I don't want that for EAW.

A week ago I knew for sure i have many things to say about Link but when it finally ends, i have no words. My slow brain is still processing and i'm not sure if it's a good or bad thing? Maybe Link is so special that i can't just call it bad/good/average drama.

I'm watching Big Mouth. I'm laughing at myself now because i've been saying i won't watch this for months, even though i'm a long time fan of LJS, but HEY IT'S ANOTHER TIME TO SUPPORT LJS🥲😅
This drama is surprisingly quite dark (i have no idea why i'm still surprised) but what bothers me more is the background music... what a dramatic backsound for not so dramatic scenes?

Meanwhile, i'm challenging myself by watching My Mister and My Liberation Notes at the same time. Beanies, i want a very good cry so wish me luck.

Alchemy of Souls: While I still absolutely love this show, I’m a little concerned at having to engage in a few mental contortions and some motivated reasoning to make sense of why MD/Naksu acted the way she did in ep. 11, and I got impatient with all the non-plot-advancing side stories. Overall, though, it’s tremendous fun and Jung So-min continues to be fabulous as her fierce assassin nature is slowly tempered by the acceptance and friendship of people she thought were her enemies, by having to adapt to her weak new body, and of course by love.

Link: finished satisfactorily and thank goodness the restaurant finally opened so they could stop wasting groceries. Yeo Jin-goo was so affecting - I’m looking forward to whatever he does next.

Still watching and enjoying Chief Kim in between current shows. I’ll wait a while on Today’s Webtoon and <Big Mouth to see what others have to say about them. Nothing that involves the stock market, start-ups, or shamans for me, though.

Misaeng👨‍💼(20/20): These last two episodes really brought out the waterworks. Chief Oh pointed out that it was not like he was dying, but just like Geu-Rae I was not having any of it!😭Even the newbies were crying when he left.😢It did surprise me that the CEO was demoted and Chief Oh got spared originally, because cynical me expected it to be the other way around. However, as CEO correctly predicted that he would simply climb up again elsewhere while Chief Oh would be the one to suffer, I realized that his lack of direct interference in that prediction was a more realistic and more tragic outcome in the end. Also, of course the office politics would not allow Geu-Rae to stay, but it was still heartwarming to see the other newbies and colleagues fight for him in this company where everyone usually has to fight and suffer by themselves. Our Sales Team 3 got reunited in a better place, so I can say goodbye in peace.😊

Shining Inheritance💍(18/28): Okay, I officially dislike Jun-Se. You want her to see you as a man? Stop patronizing and give her the respect and the agency she deserves.😠Eun-Sung keeps asking him to stop meddling because she wants to face her challenges by herself, but he simply keeps going behind her back. He crossed the line this week when he used his connections to get Eun-Sung and Hwan an important delivery customer. Not only did Eun-Sung explicitly ask him not to interfere, it also robbed Hwan of an important achievement that would have been a huge step forward in his personal journey.😠

Horrible Histories Season 1🐀(6/13): It is a shame that I did not bother to properly watch this masterpiece back in college when we would incorporate videoclips in our English History Powerpoints. Hilarious sketches with interesting history facts and quizzes, all about the nasty stuff they don’t teach at schools.😉Thirty minutes of laughter after a long day!🥳

So many 'big' dramas but the one that I enthusiastically pounce on when an episode comes out is the mini web series 'Dear X Who Doesn't Love Me'. Episode 8 subverted so many standard tropes in just 21 minutes.

Link ELK (Up to Ep6) - I was happy they felt relief that they didn't kill stalker-dude but I was expecting they would have been more upset that she still has a violent & deluded stalker following her.

SIG's Cafe (Up to Ep2) - episode 2 starting with showing how violent the CEO is was a big turn off. I still like the ridiculousness of the show so hopefully that was just a one off.
Oh Yeon-Seo doesn't seem to fit into the ridiculousness well (if at all) which is a bummer. Which makes me wonder what Kim Seul-Gi would have have done with this role (*Happy Beam*).

Started a few episodes of Immortal Samsara but I'm not in the mood for the betraying/jealous sister trope so I didn't get to far.

Love Like the Galaxy - Both the Empress and Consort Yue seem cool. As fun as watching Consort Yue tell everyone off, I really love how the Empress was so kind to NN. Too bad their daughters are quite different. But NN can't be a DID without someone bullying her, so it'd be "bad" if she entered the palace and made friends with everyone.
I really like Leo Wu's portrayal of LBY and Zhao Lusi does really well with NN. And I wish they'd age NN up. Also, was LBY's controlling authoritarianism really needed when they first were engaged? Wasn't forcing her into an engagement enough of something they could have argued over? It would be nice not to romanticize these traits, being that if the story had a different focus LBY could have easily been seen as a villain.

Old Fashion Cupcake - ha, I knew I read this manga. Re-reading it again, the drama did so well with the material. Though this series certainly hits different being a mid-30s without hobbies person than whenever I first read this in my 20s.

Heart of Genius
9 episodes in, I really like this show. If it continues well it can turn out to be the only good tike travel I have seen after SD1D.
AOS
I wish they speed up things a little. Only 7 episodes left. But i guess that's also why they needed another season.

Youth of May : I'm aware this show has a sad ending. But I didn't know it was about something big during 1980.

I think this is my first time watching a kdrama with the uprising background. It's horrifying for me. I'm a fan of thriller genre but this theme hits different... The torture at the camp, the soldiers beating civilians...

I'm now at episode 9, but because the ending of the most episode showed next episode might have something with live bullet, I think I'm not ready for it.

Here's my condolences to the family and loved ones who experience the real Gwangju Uprising...

Pacing, pacing, pacing. Now that I've jumped into Chinese historicals I am overwhelmed with choices. Still gobbling up Love Like the Galaxy but expecting the bloody stuff to return soon. Settled on Dream of Splendor because I love the core "found-sisters" and their mutual support and life affirmation.
Have to say the first kiss in Extraordinary WYW was one of the best ever. The on/off light switch, the gentle coaching and the willingness to respect and adapt to the other.
DANG! I forgot to watch AoS today. Something to look forward to tomorrow.
Meanwhile drama watching is getting me through weed-pulling season. Desert dwellers are prohibited by law from complaining about rain. Weed seeds that have remained dormant for years are bursting with joy. Since we won't use nasty weed killers we must hand pick. We love audiobooks too.

Taxi Driver (episodes 1-8):

LOL Taxi Driver’s ep 1-2 recap comment section became Lee Je-hoon’s nose appreciation thread haha not complaining but I feel like his wink game is sorely under-appreciated!

Can’t believe this was aired on SBS tho

Episodes 3-4 were my favourite, I completely and utterly enjoyed Lee Je-hoon’s character fucking with those teenage bullies 😂😂😂

Sooooooo I get the show’s villains are the BADDEST of the BADDIES and are completely & unequivocally EEEEVIL but I still feel like there has to be a line somewhere and imprisoning them in a hen like cage/ chicken coop ready for live organ harvesting just goes a tad too far for me

Cafe Minamdang (Ep 9 & 10) - I think there will be a potential showdown between shamans it seems (good vs evil). The identity of the real villain is still murky right now and the cafe + police gang are still trying to outwit each other with comical results....

Link: E,L,K (Ep 15 - Finale) - I have a lot of what if's when it comes to this drama. Not that I'm expecting it to be great but the execution could have been better with a 12 eps series rather than 16. Those brooding, looking across the horizon, flashbacks, sudden burst of emotions due to an apparent link scenes can actually fill up 4 eps. What's clear here is the sense of 'regret' and 'forgiveness' for all the characters and this is the main take away from Link imo. The overall cast is good too so until next time Yeo Jin-gu :)

Adamas (Ep 1&2) - Better than what I expected since I thought this will be a bit similar to Ji-sung's previous drama The Devil Judge with it's dystopian settings. Nice to see Seo Ji-hye here as well so I'm looking forward to next week's eps to see what's the story is really about.

Big Mouth (Ep 1&2) - Lee Jong-suk doesn't looked like he aged a bit....ok I'm straying off here :P Basically LJS's character here has got to be the most hopeless, useless and naïve lawyer there is and he also have a big mouth thus the title....However I'm a bit confused as it should be big mouth or big mouse though since both are applicable depending on whether he's out or in prison....

Premieres for the week and other shows ending!

Cafe Minamdang *5.5/10*
Score sloooowly dropping as we go on. It’s just not doing anything to blow me away. There was some forward momentum on the overall plot at least.

Extraordinary Attorney Woo *9/10*
Another great week from a great show. The cases were alright, and I’m not sure what side we were supposed to come down on for the second one (perhaps that was the point?). Glad Woo Young didn’t have to see the exchange between her “mother” and father. I felt myself getting mad just watching it, so kudos to both the actors.

Alchemy of Souls *8/10*
Fun week (at least of the one episode thus far), though I kind of wish they hadn’t spoiled the kiss from the upcoming episode in the previews. The chemistry is still excellent between our leads. They also aren’t tip toeing around whose body Naksu hopped into now are they? Seems like that’ll end up being a whole lot of drama between the families when it becomes known.

Today’s Webtoon *9/10*
Glad to see Sejeong back on our screens so soon. Seems like a solid character for her to play as well. Her energy is infectious and I look forward to some feel good stories about the creation of webtoons. I haven’t seen the japanese original so I’m not sure how it compares, but I’m having fun thus far.

Big Mouth *8.5/10*
Just watched the first of the two episodes, but so far so good. I like the chemistry between our ML and FL, and things look like they’re about to kick into high gear REAL fast based on that 2nd episode preview.

COMPLETED:

Link: Eat, Love, Kill *6.5/10* for the series
Started strong, ended…alright. I thoroughly enjoyed our leads, and the tone shifting was handled pretty well throughout. The main link gimmick did not play into things as much as I expected it to. Also they never really explained it in any meaningful way (sticker power?). Not a show I’d watch again, but if someone was asking for recommendations for a very watchable show from either of the leads, I could recommend it.

Insider *6/10* for the series
Great cast, and good performances throughout but couldn’t really save a lackluster ending. I really enjoyed the gambling near the beginning and when it went away from that it became a little too predictable with the twists.

The summer of re-watching has morphed into the the summer of novels. My greatest find so far and by far is Don't Be So Proud by Sui Huo Zhu (awesomely funny gender reversal story).

However, I couldn't resist the new addition of The Day of Becoming You on Viki, one of my favorite dramas and I've also started watching Fight For My Way, which seems like a great show so far. All current dramas are on pause over the summer. I have two episodes left on Who Rules the World so I suppose that's my number one priority, but it's a bit draggy. I'd really like to read the novel, which I understand is quite different, but I can't find a translation.

I just watched episode 13 of Alchemy of Souls and I liked it so much that I wished it wouldn't end. The plotting was just right and the characters are having so much fun. The only silly thing is that Jin Mu continues to stonewall at obvious places where he would get busted. Not to get into politics but it resembles certain current events where something obviously happened and yet he somehow tries to hide the evidence, making everyone suspicious.

Luckily, he doesn't do that too much and I continue to enjoy the growth in the characters and as well as the unfolding of the wonderful mysteries of the land of Daeho. Also, enjoying the budding bromance between the Crown Prince and Jang Uk.

AoS - while this still remains a good watch, I am still not convinced with the OTP romance. I do not know whether it is the characters or the actors, but I feel like they are well suited to be siblings or at least besties with the same goal instead. I also hope that their sole motivation to win over their enemies is not going to be because of their love only. Right now, JU's single motivation is to get the icestone to save Naksu only, forget about preserving peace and preventing evil to reign. And Naksu's motivation is.. hmmn what is Naksu's motivation? Thirteen episodes and everything seems to be still just set-up eps.

Atty Woo - still the show that is worth the buzz and this week's episodes continue to be thought-provoking. I hope they forget about the birth secret scandal thread, it is really unnecessary. They need to continue their exposition on the realities of autism via the cases and WYW's journey as an adult atty.

Dropped Jinxed, Cafe M.
Started Today's Webtoon and am liking it.

Was also sick for 3 days so binge-watched Remarriage and Desires (surprisingly liked it, the 8 episode format I think worked well as a makjang plot did not get too cringey, and Link (finally) which was, I think a good black comedy indeed. Just wish they did not turn too melodramatic in the last episodes.

Extraordinary Attorney Woo

I am ok with the pace and the romance and the growth of all these characters. I wish i would have a better look of Young woo's friend's life, and her own issues, and not only having her be an ear for Young woo to tell her stories.
Jun-ho is LOVE!

K dramas Attorney Woo , started Fiery Priest dropped Alchemy , picked On The Verge of Insanity back up midway .

Watched K film The Policeman's Lineage featuring Cho Jin-woong & Choi Woo-shik, I liked it, based on a Japanese novel.

C dramaLove Like The Galaxy

J drama Lost Man Found waiting on subs

YouTube Itchy boots motorcycle travels, also Sherlock Holmes, a vast array of material to choose from.