ADAMAS (episodes 1-4):
Adamas Adamas Adamas, I subscribed to Disney+ for you!

Please be worth it! How could I resist double twinsies Ji-Sung huh?

The tension, the mystery, the incredible chemistry between Author-nim and our married to a chaebol murderer Eun Hye-so (Seo Ji-hye)……or potentially also our secret undercover cop Choi Tae-sung (Heo Sung-tae)?

Please don’t disappoint, I’m counting on you

Love,
Your eternally grateful kdrama fan to live in a country that’s not apart of the Disney+ geo blocking scheme

TAXI DRIVER (episodes 9-11):

You know when one watches Taxi Driver there seems to be some serious ethical debate about vigilantism and whatnot buuuuut

Am I watching this because I am seriously thirsting after Lee Je-hoon? YESSSSS

Do I agree with the show’s politics? NOPE

Should I care? PROBABLY

But do I care? NOOOOPE

Am I currently looking at all the gifs featuring our infamous vigilante Kim Do-ki? YEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSS

Should YOU fellow beanie watch Taxi Driver? Maybe… dunno…are you a Lee Je-hoon fan…?

COMPLETED
Jinxed at First - 'Completed' with the help of loads of fast-forwarding and recaps. The last-minute amnesia felt like I'd time-traveled to a 2010s kdrama. Definitely one of the weirdest shows I've seen in a while.

ONGOING
Café Minamdang - Gu Tae-su is such a boring villain and the drug-addled chaebol is worse. But at least they are not like the FL who demands to be let out while being burned alive 🤦‍♀️. I am persisting for SIG and the 2nd couple only.

Extraordinary Attorney - Min-woo and Tae Su-mi need to get a life. Meanwhile evil drama gods stay away from Myeong-seok!

Alchemy of Souls - Was a bit of rush watching the two episodes back-to-back. Love this show.

STARTED
Adamas (Ep 1 - 4) - Strong start (except for the super predictable birth secret). I like the broody tone of it where every line seems like foreshadowing. I always expect Prosecutor Bro to be killed off any minute purely off of the ominous dialogue.

Big Mouth - So good to see LJS on screen again. I like that our hero is the opposite of the badass lawyers we've been getting in all thrillers recently. Jerry is the most likely suspect for Big Mouse right now, right?

Today's Webtoon - Choi Daniel is 🥰 and the show is cute.

The Good Detective S2 - Iffy subs but it's nice to see the team back together. Tired of all the violence against women that pervades these thrillers though.

Poong, the Joseon Psychiatrist - Glad we moved out of the palace early on for some refreshing sageuk dynamics. Looking forward to next week.

ALCHEMY OF SOULS (Ep 13-14) There are now a lot more questions than answers. Uk’s genius status is because he was born 20 years ago under the King’s Star? OK. Bu-Yeon’s training with Jin Mu ended with him throwing her in the lake presuming killing her? But Bu-Yeon is the product of the ice stone; did he not know that? I was correct that an ice stone can be implanted in a (dead) person to resurrect them. Now, recalling the tempest storm, there was more than one hailstone; creating more than one ice stone?

There are so many soul shifters one cannot keep count. The paranoid non-magical king is a real puppet. Master Lee claiming to be a soul shifter himself (apparently mages bodies wear out like real humans) to find other shifters is suspect (then why is he using the Jin family relic dog). Is the new soul shifter the Shaman’s body with the Queen’s real soul? Is she Jin Mu’s insurance policy if fake queen goes rogue?

What is the final end game? Jin Mu has the palace and the ice stone - - is it merely to destroy Songrim? To overthrow the Jin matrilineal clan?

For 12 episodes we never saw the marks on Mu-doek. Continuity error? Sudden re-write to seal the reveal? There is more viewer angst than plot development.

CLEANING UP (Ep.15-16) The show lost its steam about at the halfway point. It meandered to a final all-happy conclusion which leaves no lessons learned or accountability for actions. For the three cleaning ladies, despite their criminal activities and resulting harm, they had no consequences. Their immorality was profitable - - they all reached their dreams. They did try to hammer home bits of sadness (reveal Jan Di was not part of her son’s life; the convenience store clerk’s death because of her stock losses; an ungrateful son who who wanted money over morals).

The take down of the Captain was too easy. The final dangerous gangster scenes were stale because you knew nothing bad would happen to Yong Mi. If you want an example of a zero chemistry couple, it is Yong Mi and Mr. Lee. In-Kyung and Du-Young’s push pull romance was supposed to be sweet but it soured by greed and again, lack of real chemistry.

The series tried to be a lot under a small tent premise with a below average result.

THE WITCH IS ALIVE (Becoming Witch) (Ep.6) You ALWAYS have a written settlement agreement signed before you file for agreed divorce. Another flaw in the legal logic. But getting married prior getting divorced is adultery as Korea recognizes common law marriages. Both Nak Gu and Ma-Ri are fools, crazy fools so their comedy works. The wedding scene was over-the-top.

Hee-Soo’s story gets some meat-on-the-bone with her mother-in-law’s will. Her husband is a creep with the worst noble idiocy nonsense story. He used his wife to take care of his mother because his own siblings are money grabbing fools. He wanted to divorce years ago but needed a “free” caretaker. At best in sorting out the mess in her life, Hee-Soo got a “free” sperm...

I'm travelling, visiting my family... and holidaying 🙂 ...and giving all my (very) limited viewing time to Dating Attorney. I love how the show is not black and white and presents a colourful palette of views instead (and makes us think), being it a dating life of a mentally challenged person... or what it means to be an attorney. I'm also now fully team Junho 😍 and while I had previously issues with his steps FORWARD, I'm happy with his step BACK and letting Woo Young lead. He is also able to respectfully express his own views and wishes in the relationship... and I'm more and more believing that they can work together. And I love their love language! 😍 - that Young Woo thinks of Junho as often as of whales... and that Junho wants to be her personal hugging chair. 😍
(My only disappointment with the show now is Tae Sumi. And I don't like the ominous cough 😳)

I still managed to check Webtoon - it's OK, though I can't shake off the feeling that the Japanese original probably fares better (I have not seen it, just think that the Japanese style and quirkiness would fit better).

And I finished Link - I mourn a bit that the last third was not as good as the rest... and I terribly missed the black humour. I wish they had more focused on the town people (especially on the central woman trio of Dahyun, Mom and Grandma) than on the culprit. I also wasn't fan of the urge to suddenly pair everyone... and Gye Hoon and Dahyun (and Ma and Grandma) should have left the city and start afresh somewhere else. Still, when the show was good, it was really good... and I was happy that Jingu and Moon Gayoung had such a good chemistry together. (I also loved the closing song of the early episodes.)

Extraordinary Attorney Woo: Episode 11 was the weakest of the series so far but there were still good moments with Young-woo and Jun-ho. I do wish Jun-ho wasn’t so underdeveloped though. The case in Episode 12 was better, especially since gender discrimination has been such a hot button issue in South Korea. I hope Young-woo ends up working with Attorney Ryu by the end of the series. I’m disappointed in the direction the show has gone with Min-woo and Tae Su-mi. I also hope Attorney Jung isn’t sick.

Alchemy of Souls: There were good moments this week, but the storyline is really dragging. This drama doesn’t need 30 episodes, it just needs to get on with things. It seems like the imposter storyline is taking forever to really get started. I hate that Uk is a genius, but then I tend to be annoyed by the Chosen One trope. The Crown Prince remains my fave. The Master Lee cliffhanger was good, but I was distracted by how cheap and rickety the King’s crown looked.

Adamas: I’m loving Ji Sung, as usual, but I’m also surprisingly invested in this drama. Kairos was not a fluke, this PD is really good. As an American, the fact that the chaebol baddie has an evil plan to legalize guns for profit seems about right. Lady Kwon is cray cray.

Today’s Webtoon: I love the slice-of-life feel of this drama. Choi Daniel is cute in this, and I like his character. Jun-young might like his job more if he had a supervisor like him. I really liked the moment in Episode 3 where Ma Eum’s female coworker took her aside and taught her the stuff she didn’t know. Yay for nice coworkers.

Poong The Joseon Psychiatrist: I didn’t love it or hate it. The episodes were a little uneven. Kim Sang-kyung was a little less hammy than he was in Racket Boys. Joseon-era characters talking about stuff like acid reflux takes me out of the show, but maybe that was a translation issue.

Carter: I didn’t make it long. Joo Won needs a new agent.

Extraordinary Attorney Woo: 9.0 This week featured cameos by the White Truck of D You Deserved It Asshole, and by So-yi of Alchemy. Next week can the team please successfully represent a web site that is being plagued by bots?

Alchemy of Souls: 8.5

Today's Webtoon: 7.5

Big Mouth: 6.5

Wild Boar Hunting: __ Wild Bore. I lasted about 15 minutes. The Weecap sounds like it picks up later but wouldn't be my kind of show anyway.

Good Detective 2: __ Wild Boar crossover? With the Wild Boar Hunting the cops? Anyway, we need a Better Detective to track down higher quality subs. Dropped partway thru day 1.

Cafe Minamdang: 6.5

Poong the Joseon Psychiatrist: 5.5 I haven't seen much of Kim Hyang-gi since Queen's Classroom and Snowy Road. She was good enough in those so I can't just drop this one so soon even if it seems lame so far.

Jinxed At First: 5.5 Amnesia -- a suitably forgettable ending.

Carter: 👎 (Netflix k-movie) Non-stop "excitement" can be quite tiresome. Even it if had made sense and I could have seen it all clearly movie would still have been bad. 👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎 Do I need to say it again? 👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎

Oh, and in case I wasn't clear 👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎👎

JAPAN - TVER.JP - yeah

Waru - watching - 7 out of 10

Nice Flight - 4/10 - selling ikemen - what's with story and camera work.

Lost and Found - 7.5 out of 10 - quality of summer.

Nurse - timepass 6/10

Chihayafuru - manga's last chapter is up - this is what is shoujo - romance is what matters. everyone at each other for who is better couple - completely ignoring themes and other goals of story and characters. typical shoujo waste.

Adamas - For all the topnotch security in Haesong villa, Woosin is really reckless without abandon and censor. It’s only a matter of time before the Chairman holds him up for it, which will spell definite trouble if the chairman makes him accountable in a trying situation. I am definitely sure the chairman is picking up on his behavior but is letting him go for the obvious reasons.
The fact that I can breathe relief here with respect to Heo Sung-tae is a joy of it’s own.

Alchemy of Souls - For how long will you tease Mudeok x Park Jin confrontation?
The romances sort of took a back seat this week but the snippets of Kim Do-joo and Hemp Master was surely enough. In Master Heo’s voice, will you man up, Park Jin. Tsk. Tsk. Tsk. Despite the frustration with Park Jin’s romance life, I do find him a honorable man who honors the code. Even in Jang Gang’s absence, he’s still being his guy’s guy. I do want him to break the code though and pursue Kim Do-joo with the same wavelength as Hemp Master Lee. And can we have more of Dang-gu and Cho-yeon both with the romance, and them breaking bad guys.

It’s Beautiful Now - And finally, the bomb is dropped. Everything was set stage by stage at the right time, with exact precision for the bomb drop.
I just can’t understand what’s going to happen between Yuna, Soojae and Jiho. I’m sure Yuna doesn’t like Jiho, while Jiho does like her wholeheartedly, and Soojae has now completely let go of Yuna's hand while she’s still having hots for him, or is it pity she has for Soojae.

Today’s Webtoon - Holla there, Hemp Master Lee!
What a premiere. And to the ending of ep 2, what a way to kill someone’s joy. Here’s me hoping Ma-eun still keeps her positive disposition.
On the job description, I thought a PD is a big bang position. I’m confused with the job descriptions they are having here.

The Good Detective - This one is dark. Reallllly dark. It doesn’t dampen the fun though. Besides, I have JMS to watch on screen. I also like the plotline about the mental health of a member of the force with regards to convicting criminals. It’s a different sequence of it’s own - a drama within a drama. I trust The Good Detective to touch this issue properly.

I came across Nothing Serious 2021 movie. The cast here is at the top. The story is common yet well done. And then, there’s Son Seok-ku 🤗. I guess the beauty of film is that we do not get to see angst span over several unnecessary episodes.
I do have one shocker question – Who wrote this movie. In all my live of watching kdramas I’ve never seen or heard an explicit script. This one is off the charts in my kdrama list with it’s explicitness😂.

Cafe Minamdang: So she will obviously be saved, but how will she get out, hmmmmm. I am now just here for Su Cheol and Hye Jun. That man stands no chance against her.

Poong: I liked it. I thought it would be more fun and lighthearted but I guess not. I really really like that the Eun Woo is smart. I also like that she saved Poong's life. I can do without the Palace intrigue, but is it a real Saeguk without it.

Extraordinary Attorney Woo: The cases this week were really interesting. There are cases here in the states that are similar to the discrimination case. Where the law is discriminatory in impact and not on its face. The fact that anyone is allowed to get away with that annoys the crap out of. Whether in impact or on its face, discrimination is discrimination. As for our couple, I really need Young Woo to get herself together. Poor Jun ho was so hurt and rightly so that she didn't think they were dating. Also I thought those dad jokes were funny. 😅

Adamas: So Lady Kwon basically confirming she will commit murder to protect the Chairman, who can take care of himself by the way, is very disturbing. She is Woo-Shin's greatest foe, honestly. I would also like the brothers to come together before the end. That would be really nice. Also it is nice seeing Oh Dae Hwan back as a villain, his more recent puppy dog roles almost made me forget. lol.

Today's webtoon: I was very sick last night, so couldn't watch, but will watch today.

Good Detective 2: So the chase has begun. We now just have to find the mysterious guy in the backpack. I wonder if we will have a newspaper angle this season too.

EXTRAORDINARY ATTORNEY WOO is our very favorite show, and I quite enjoyed this week’s episodes. Netflix picked a winner when they chose this one- it is getting a lot of viewers worldwide, not just in Korea. It deserves the attention.

They also picked a real winner with ALCHEMY OF SOULS which continues to be another favorite watch. A casting problem for season 2? At some point Netflix's bad habit of splitting shows into artificial 'seasons' was going to catch up with them and this time it obviously did- I do hope that we are not too disappointed with the result.

With the birth secret revealed to all on the weekender IT'S BEAUTIFUL NOW the writer has now set a new standard for awkward situations: Mirae accepted our middle brother’s beautiful proposal- the families have met- but now they may not be able to marry. Truly the path of true love ne’er did run straight. Which can now also be said for our youngest brother and Yoona.

My wife is now fully caught up on the highly rated Chinese Costume fantasy drama IMMORTAL SAMSARA as well as all available episodes of the even more highly rated costume drama LOVE LIKE THE GALAXY. While waiting for new episodes to post she decided to re-watch the classic MASTERS SUN. If you have not seen it you should. Actually, I could say that for all three of these shows.

My wife has also just started a somewhat lighter hearted but well rated Chinese Costume Drama A FEMALE STUDENT ARRIVES AT THE IMPERIAL COLLEGE. Just a couple of episodes so far but she seems to like it.

She also went ahead and watched the first episodes of POONG, THE JOSEON PSYCHIATRIST and liked it. I was not really available to watch due to the press of work. Which is also the reason why we have not been able to continue watching YOU ARE MY GLORY- but will be getting back to it. And I have still not been able to get to TODAY’S WEBTOON. Which is a shame because it looks like fun.

Cafe Minamdang Is it really an issue if she died in the trailer? 🙄

Poong the Joseon Psychiatrist Now, they set up the story, I'm excited to watch them working together.

Extraordinary Attorney Woo This drama is so good. It's a delight to watch Woo-Young growing as a lawyer but as a person too.

Big Mouth I watched the first episode but couldn't motive myself to watch the second... But there is Kwak Dong-Yeon >_<

Today's Webtoon It's a nice drama for now. But nothing more.

The Good Detective 2 Looks like the Police put themselves in this situation because of their ego.

Alchemy of Souls What a disapointing kiss scene. I don't believe in this couple and I didn't think the couple reached this point of their "love story". The kiss scene couldn't make me change my opinion and kinda made it worse :p

The King's Affection BTS It's interesting to see how the production has to film the different scenes that take place in the same place when it's outside the studios. The actors need to be in different state of mind and act in continuity.

Extraordinary Attorney Woo (Episode 11-12) - Mood: B-
When you have a Truck of Doom as a deus ex machina that somehow didn’t feel out of place, you would’ve expected a good week of episodes. Sadly, that wasn’t to be with the makjang train speeding up with Su Mi and Min Woo: seriously, I can write a whole thesis about using that wasted time on developing Jun Ho, Myung Seok & CEO Han. As for Su Yeon, I’m neutral on her romance arc: I feel like it would’ve been more interesting she became friends with the bar people and not be so focused on finding a man but I understand she’s trying to move on from Jun Ho (though I fear it was all just a smokescreen for the Kahi PPL). Surprisingly, it’s the romance that’s carrying the drama when I didn’t expect it to do so.
For next week, I hope we’re not going down that cliche unsupportive parents route? And Myung Seok better be healthy!

Jinxed at First (Series review) - Mood progression: D+ / D+ / D / D- / D- / D- / D- / D-
If you’re a fan of the leads, all the more you shouldn’t watch this. Just wish them well with the pay-check that they got.

Big Mouth (Episode 1-2) - Mood: C
Given Chang Ho’s blatant recklessness in blackmailing Ji Hoon behind Do Ha’s back, I find it very hard to believe that it wasn’t premeditated: maybe I’ll be disappointed later on if I hear it’s just dumb thriller protagonist moves but I do hope that Chang Ho’s concocting an elaborate Machiavellian act, if not acting in cahoots with the actual Big Mouse? I’m not sure what’s the point of Jerry’s character but I’m certain Kwak Dong Yeon will kill it once again (yes we are still waiting for his 1st lead role). I do find myself worrying that there won’t be much if any substance within the evil quartet.

Today’s Webtoon (Episode 1-2) - Mood: C
It’s decent? You can tell that the drama has your usual hodgepodge of filler characters and plot annoyances, from that backstabbing assistant to the scheming director to the disapproving dad to the conniving colleague. Also, the writer so regretfully ignored the potential that the hook had (imagine all the enactments we could’ve had?) and went for the very much blander workplace drama replete with subservient relationships and a past tragedy. But I do see the potential for some interesting character development for the 2 new employees if they can ground each other accordingly. We’ll see?

Cafe Minamdang (Episode 11-12) - Mood: D
As lame and predictable as the side couple was (also very creepy considering how she forced herself upon him), it was still better than the love triangle or the dragged out mystery. They tried giving Auntie Im a backstory but it feels forced.

Adamas (Episode 3-4) - Mood: D+
Ahn Bo Hyun! That’ll certainly help me tide over the continued OTT from the butler which I seriously hate a lot.

Also watching: Wild Boar Hunting

Series I was particularly looking forward to this week: EXTRAORDINARY ATTORNY WOO (warm, soothing) and ADAMAS (suspenseful and stylish).

ALCHEMY OF SOULS: the two weekly episodes always include one episode that I find extremely lengthy. Last week I fast-forwarded for the first time.

After episode 3, I haven't made my final decision on TODAY'S WEBTOON. I liked the last episode better than the first two, but the series hasn't really grabbed me yet.

I liked the first two episodes of POONG, THE JOSEON PSYCHIATRIST better than expected, I'm excited about the next episodes.

In between I watch OH MY GHOSTESS (Cho Jung-seok looks adorable in the black chef uniform).

Extraordinary Lawyer – novelty is wearing off. Struggling to finish ep. 11.
Alchemy of Souls – Still loving it and still looking forward to Saturdays! Earlier this week, I re-watched from episode one, and the drama is even more awesome binged! I picked up details which I missed or have forgotten.
Lost in the Kunlun Mountains – watched first 3.5 episodes. Story is holding my interest so far. Plus, ML is devastatingly good to look at.
Heart of Genius – first 10 episodes were awesome with the kids, world building and mystery hinting at an epic romance between two young people living in two universes. Introduce time travel on top of travelling to a parallel universe, and the story gets even more exciting! But... the Second decade of the series was a let-down after the initial Great Expectations.
Third decade of the series … are we still watching the same drama???

Extraordinary Attorney Woo (11-12): Min wo !!! (frustrated sigh). How low can he stoop for the sake of professional jealousy. I wonder how his redemption arc is gonna be. Our new couple hit few bumps and more as per the previews, I hope they resolve it soon. I wish they have others options for Sunshine other than Min woo.
39 (1-16): What a boring show. It all a SYN show with Mi do’s character’s illness in the background. Such a waste of talent. Boring and bland.
Green mother’s club (1-16): What a weird show. I hated the way EP treats her husband when he is so caring and tolerant. The character leaves no chance to make us deeply frustrated. Regarding Jin ha’s and Rhea’s character, the actress was quite good but I feel no sympathy towards Jin ha. The way she stole Louis (although he is actually a douche) and her fake acts really annoyed me. It can be the lack of a motherly figure and the mental illness that might have made her extremely envious and negative towards EP, but even with the final episodes I can’t quiet warm up to this character. The turned a very weird angle with the adoptive sibling plot. I mean how messed up are you to marry someone who resembles your adoptive sister and then expect her (the wife) to have her (the adoptive sister) mannerisms and feel frustrated when that doesn’t happen.
Oh my Venus (1-8): Its so entertaining. I love both the leads. Now that the confessions are over I hope the grandma might be a villain in our couple’s lives. The only drawback was the character Yi jin. Joon sung has the patience of a saint. I definitely wouldn’t have been able to tolerate her like him.

I also started with the first episode of “Today’s webtoon” and liked it so far.

Interesting mix of cases in ATTORNEY WOO and some really unlikable clients! Bad, mean, shady people also need lawyers - maybe even more often than other people. Did not see the truck of doom coming, but I cannot say I felt terribly sorry for the victim.
Oh, the judge with his obsession with genealogy - how I loved it when it finally backfired on him. Well played attorney Ryu! I feel really sorry for all these women that they lost this case. It screams unfair!

BOAR HUNTING is very interesting and also very tense. It is never a good idea to shoot into a shrub without actually having vision of the target - big NO for any hunter I would have thought.

ADAMAS is also very well made and Ji-Sung is better here than in his two previous dramas.

Finished JINXED. It was a slightly weird, but also enjoyable ride. Even the memory loss worked here.

I only started to enjoy BIG MOUTH when LJS tried to end his life by provoking the most violent criminals in prison - and it did not work. He somehow managed to make even the psycho burst into tears instead and seems to be on the path to becoming the highly respected boss of all these vicious villains.

Started the GOOD DETECTIVE and WEBTOON, both fine so far.

SHE WOULD NEVER KNOW— I love that tension of wanting to finish because you are invested in the story and not wanting to watch the last episode because you don’t want to let the characters go. That is this drama in a nutshell for me. I will miss the KLAR team greatly.

EXTRAORDINARY ATTORNEY WOO (only up to episode 11)—Well, that was the first time I felt satisfied by the use of the Truck of Doom. I prefer it as an agent of poetic justice. Also, I have run out of adjectives (or words) to describe my love for our whale couple; I am just emitting high pitch noises that thankfully no one but my dog can hear. I was relieved Young Woo’s father saw the kiss so he is aware that her life is more balanced than he thought when it comes to the weight and measures of struggle and happiness.

UNCANNY COUNTER—Rewatch. Enjoyable as the first time (and I can FF the more bloody scenes. Relief!). But it finally occurred to me that the actor who plays Ga Mo Tak looks awfully familiar. A niggling idea that I have seen him somewhere recently, perhaps with more sartorial elegance and the inability to woo a lady. Hmmm….

HOT STOVE LEAGUE—Rewatch. PEB withdrawals during the week with no EAW. Also, Namgoong Min vs. Oh Jung Se. The only drawback is I am missing Jo Byeong Kyu in dramaland currently. It’s hard to believe his range as an actor when I watch him playing high schooler So Moon in UC at the same time. Oh, and it's a tragedy the only the first episode was recapped on DB.

ALCHEMY OF SOULS— I am still immersed and enjoying the ride. These two episodes were some of my favorites and not, surprisingly, because of the kiss (although I do think it was just right for where these characters are). Cheeky Wook strikes again!
I love a trickster tale. My favorite book character of all times is a brilliant, cheeky trickster and I think I love Wook and Mu Deok so much because they fall in this type. I also appreciate the balance of humor and drama we got; the Hong Sisters know when to undercut a romantic scene or to spread humor over a serious scene.
Now on to the crown prince. Thank goodness he came back with remorse and didn’t let his jealously ruin him. I would have been saddened to loose the delightful pair of Mu Deok (should I call her Cho Yeong now?) and the CP. Also, its enjoyable when we get a peek at CP’s sharp brain under his bafoonery—he is not quite as simple as he appears to be, is he? I hope that bodes well.
If we end part 2 with all my dear characters alive and given a satisfying ending that fits within the established logic—I know this is a lot, but a girl can dream—this will take MGIAG’s spot as my favorite Hong Sister’s drama.

MY ROOMMATE IS A GUMIHO—I finally finished after a long, very long break! I had to stop because the anticipated angst was too much, but I am glad I finished it. So much fun and too cute. Also, the cutest secondary couple, coming close to Dan Ah and Yeong Hwa. Plus a cameo from Oh Jung Se that came out of nowhere and...

A Dream of Splendor: Enjoying this so far (always a sucker for smart, independent female leads, and enjoying the tea lore).

Poong Joseon Psychiatrist
It’s not what I expected but I am enjoying. If they keep the current balance then I will be able to keep watching through the bits of historical dramas that get on my nerves.

Today’s webtoon
I am enjoying this one. It does seem that the new recruits were thrown in the deep end with their role and I think it’s unfair on them and the artist to not set them up with the basics as they can only add their own uniqueness once they have a firm foundation. Getting shouted at or being left with no guidance at all is not an induction.

I keep forgetting to ask is short trousers with white socks a thing as I keep seeing it on K dramas and it just reminds me of She was pretty when Shinhyuk kept calling Hyejin ‘Jackson’ because her trousers reminded him of Michael Jackson.🤣

Mimicus
I like that we are learning along with the boys what has gone on between the mothers.

Miracle (2022)
It was a nice finish in the end and it seems that they wanted to focus more on friendship and internal growth of the characters than the love triangle. I am glad that they sorted out the unfair trainee situation as it made no sense that someone who had been out the game for three years and has a risky disability would be showcased at such a big event when all the other trainees have put in the years and still aren’t considered good enough.

I caved in and started Alchemy of Souls (finished ep. 7). I knew I shouldn't do it before at least the first season is out and I can read the comments on the ending, but nooo, so I here I am. Now I'm preparing for the impending classic K-fantasy-drama dr*ck of an ending while simultaneously hoping that I'm wrong, because I honestly don't remember when was the last time I watched a drama with a story that makes me jump on my couch (I'm in a vast minority here because I wasn't drawn in by the actors). Anyway, I'm in awe of how actually smart the ridiculous fantasy plot has managed to stay until now (or the plot holes just flew over my head, which is also fine), and I have the urge to pet the OTP on their heads whenever they appear onscreen. My only complaint so far are the Crown Prince's and Dang-gu's eyebrows and the old grey-haired master's cheek blush - too LOL-inducing.

ALCHEMY: I had a surprisingly measured reaction to the news that Jung So-min (whom I always enjoy, think is ridiculously gorgeous, and am loving in this role) won't be back for the second season. But whatever the fully story behind this reality, it's not as if the writing hasn't laid the groundwork for this to happen in a believable way that won't necessarily destroy the overall experience. The whole plot is about body switching, and we did see the physical form of Naksu previously, so it doesn't *not* make sense that she would eventually return. And wouldn't both Naksu/Mu Deok and Uk want to know for sure that they love each other's souls, regardless of the package they come in? I can totally see that type of story unfolding and being compelling.

I guess at the end of the day I feel like if this show is going to go off the rails, it's going to be because of the writing (and the Hong sisters losing interest or focus at some point) and not because of who is playing Mu-Deok/Naksu.

The show continues to be fun at present, although I wish the kiss had been a smidge less wooden on Mu-Deok's part (these are passionate people. They should kiss at least semi-passionately!).

WOO: I am really impressed with how the romance is unfolding. That scene culminating in the handhold through the blinds was both hilarious and incredibly swoony. I also love that as wonderful as Jun-ho is, he doesn't come across as some kind of mythical creature (man who loves autistic woman); he acts like a man who simply loves Young Woo, who just happens to be autistic. And it's not a dynamic where he's forced to subvert his own desires. He makes accommodations to fit her needs, but communicates his own to her in a way she can understand. They're written as very compatible, with both getting what they need from each other, and that's how all relationships should be.

CAFE MIN: I keep pressing play, try to turn my brain off, and find something to enjoy--even if that's just SIG obviously having a great time with the part. I also like the idea of the supporting romance, and want to see how we get there. But my god, I just cannot get past episode 3! It keeps hitting me anew that I don't really know what's going on (even though it's not that complicated) and I don't care about these characters. It's very clear the FL is miscast (and I feel bad for her because I thought she was excellent in Mad For Each Other) but even with a different casting choice there, I'm not sure the story would have worked any better. Shame. It has been several years since I really loved a SIG drama and that feels all kinds of wrong.

Definitely planning on starting Today's Webtoon . . . today :)

I'm waiting for September for a few kdramas to release; none of the currently airing ones interest me.

In the meantime, I've hopped aboard the Severance bandwagon (any Beanies watching this show?). I've heard rave reviews about it and checked it out, and my goodness, it is indeed a work of genius. Severance is dark satire at it's finest - what you'd get if you extended a Black Mirror episode to a whole show. It is such a horrifyingly brilliant take of the corporate work culture that my mouth dropped open at many scenes. The show is shaping up to become a cultural hit if it keeps up this excellence.

Apple TV has been knocking it out of the park with its productions - Severance, Pachinko, Ted Lasso. It's fast approaching HBO quality.

One the Woman: Finished binging. A satisfying watch with its snappy and funny dialogue, fast-paced revenge story, likable good-guys, and the fun-to-watch bad guys. There wasn't anything particularly unique about the plot; it just superbly nailed the basics and made the drama feel like a favorite soda or beer to pair with your fried chicken after a difficult day.

Alchemy of Souls: It's slowed down a bit, but I'm still entranced by the drama and its characters and how everything is unfolding. On top of that, we've got fun dialogue and character moments, which is also hard to do considering some dramas fail at it. Now that Jin Mu's got his sights on our duo, Mu-deok's body is definitely Bu-yeon, and Park Jin is also side-eying our ever-helpful maid..the pressure is on.

Cafe Minamdang: I'm glad the characters are teaming up, but the mystery/crime-solving is wearing me out with the clown car of villains with zero presence. This week, I was actually more invested in the fluffy rom-com scenes of both couples, even though I wasn't that into them before. Just want to watch good-looking people flirt and make out.

Poong - Joseon Psychiatrist: The first episode was hard to get through with the setting up, but the second episode gives a better idea of where the drama is going. It's going for warmth and understanding even if a little too pat.

Extraordinary Attorney Woo: Loved how we had 2 episodes that covered women's vulnerable positions in society and shows how Young-woo navigates ethical dilemmas. And a Truck of Doom that was actually welcomed!

Jinxed at First
So Seul Mi turning into a witch turned her into a normal person… well, if that’s what it takes. Looking for Seul Mi in Ep.15 took much too long. Dong Shik the villain is almost my favorite person in this drama. I did like the very end, with not only a wedding, but a baby, stinky diapers, sleep deprivation and cuddles! What I will remember later about this drama: the fairytale-like apartment and certainly Seul Mi’s gorgeous hair.
Café Minamdang
Ziggy is such a tease… three almost-kisses in the last episodes - even though we have to imagine someone else as his kissing partner. I really did not want to see Jae Hui acting cute when thinking about Han Jun. The second romance is so much more fun, I love how Hye Joon takes the initiative and Soo Cheol is so coy 😉 The investigation is progressing, and Jae Hui gets to activate her superpowers, that was good to watch. But at the end of the episode, she’s back to dumb detective once again, stepping into the suspect’s trailer all alone, in the woods, in the middle of the night… ☹
Extraordinary Attorney Woo
Again, the romance is not my favorite. But the episode about womens’ discrimination at the workplace was great. And I think that attorney’s office would be much better suited to Woo and her sense of justice. I wonder why she works as an attorney at all, would being a prosecutor not fit her talents (and her shortcomings) a lot better?
Alchemy of Souls
I love it and want it to never end… But I read about the wish for more action by the “four seasons”, and I would appreciate that, too! The sword fight was a good start.
Miracle
A bit slow in the last episodes, bringing in some drama with the girl group and N&S at the last minute=episode. And I wonder why they didn’t have more music in an idol drama? Still, I liked it alright.
Today’s Webtoon (Ep. 2+3)
I don’t read webtoons, but the view behind the scenes is fascinating and makes me want to try them out. I especially liked Ep.2 with the older writer – great acting, and what a beautiful work environment he had! On Mandu is still cute and full of energy, I get how that might be too much for some viewers, but I like her (both the character and the actress). Also Park Ho San as the always amused head of department; I just realized that I know him from Would You Like A Cup Of Coffee, a wonderful little drama, recommendation courtesy of OldLawyer, thanks again for that one! My current preoccupation: who is that around Jun Yeong at home? His girlfriend, wife, sister, mother?? – exactly what writer-nims want us to guess right now…
Big Mouth
This is much better than I expected. I like the setup, Chang Ho having to be a Big Mouse against his will, and Mi Ho is one capable and tough FL!
Extraordinary You
Our current girlfriend watch. The interesting premise, the acting, the beautiful setting – perfect for an easy summer watch. It does get a bit slow later, but we only have a couple of episodes left. Our very personal squealworthy...

I’ve saved the final episode of Chief Kim for tonight so I can watch both new episodes of Alchemy of Souls tomorrow. Namgoon Min is amazing in CK, of course, but Junho just crushed it too. The existence of polar-opposite characters named Seo Yul (both played by idols!) in dramas I’m watching concurrently continues to cause me frequent momentary befuddlement.

I also watched a few episodes of Would You Like a Cup of Coffee?, which is pleasant and inspired me to mess around with the set-up of my espresso machine. Unfortunately, I made things worse instead of better.

Up next: probably a couple of Korean movies and finally finishing Bridgerton season 2 to fill in the hiatus week of Alchemy.

Love Like the Galaxy - I might be finding the episodes about the palace less interesting than the earlier episodes but there is still some good laugh out loud moments. Is it because the narrative has Niaonaio to be very intelligent but it really feels like she's getting played by the Crown Prince's wife? And does Lady Lou really need to become all jealous? It was funny because they didn't go that direction with her cousin and Qiqi and that made me so happy...but it seems no other female character around her age is safe.
That cliffhanger right before the weekend, lol.

Today's Webtoon - I rather enjoyed seeing that not everyone who has the best CV and interview skills are the best person for the job.

Sandman - quite a visual feast. Unfortunately the show never managed to make me think Morpheus was in any real danger.

My drama watching schedule is pretty empty nowadays but I’m enjoying it nonetheless.

Extraordinary Attorney Woo
I can’t get enough of this drama. It puts a smile on my face every week. I really hope we’ll get a satisfying ending. I’m a bit worried that they will pull the cliché « moving abroad followed by a time jump » ending.

While impatiently waiting for new episodes of EAW, I’m watching the Chinese drama Hikaru no Go and I am absolutely loving it. I was expecting a typical « sport » coming-of-age drama with an emphasis on friendship (which I got), but I was also pleasantly surprised with its touch of fantasy. I also really like our main character Shi Guang. His growth as a go player and as a character is much more compelling than I expected.

Okay, I love reading what everyone is watching and enjoying (or not?).
However I am just falling into Chinese historicals and a question popped into my head. If Dickens was doing serial dramas would he be Xuxia or Kdrama?
We know he was into long form, multiple characters and published his stories serialized in newspapers. We also know that people in the North American colonies waited on the dock for the next episode.
Think about THAT. Not clicking on refresh or looking for subbed trailers but actually getting out into the elements, come rain or shine or snow, and waiting for a ship to come in that had the next episode. They would scream, "Is little Nell alive?".
I have that compulsion for only two dramas: Love Like the Galaxy and Dream of Splendor.
Just sayin' Dickens lives, but Kdramas need to get jiggy wid it.

It's been a long time since I came to WWW thread! Good to be back

Recently completed HEART OF A GENIUS. It was a crazy ride, with many plot twists, and craziness, but yet I quite enjoyed and was entertained by it. It def has a lot of flaws and i can see why many people dropped half way through. The casting was terrific, especially the child actors. if anyone wants to check out, I would say its worth it just for the child actors (watch ep 1-10).
The daily schedule of this drama made it impossible for me to watch anything else.

Alchemy - Dropped. Lost interest after ep 10 or so.
Cafe M - Dropped. The FL's acting just didn't work for me. Sorry Ziggy!
Adamas - Watched Ep 1&2. Ji Sung, enough said. Will be watching it to the end.
Webtoon - I like it. I am happy to see a professional, respectful workplace in a drama.

Carter- MissVictrix convinced me to watch this movie. Hopefully soon.

It's Beautiful Now: I was 4 episodes behind so I just saw that my babies got married!!!! I'm so happy about that.
Soo Jae and Yu Na are breaking my heart.
Oh, and Soo Jae is so relatable. When you're good at something, you think the normal thing is to choose that as your path, but sometimes we're good at things that doesn't make us happy.

Extraordinary Attorney Woo (the title is too long, for real): Low key I wanted Woo to go to that lady's law firm.

Desires and marriage (EP2): My bestie and I started this one for no reason.
Sometimes it feels like a fun makjang, other times it feels like a boring makjang. Can they go Penthouse crazy already? I need some comedy.

I just discovered this afternoon that all 16 episodes of Yoo Doo-joon’s drama THERE IS NO GIL PIL-SOO/NEVER GIVE UP a is available on Netflix US. It originally aired May 4- June 23.
@ally-le, have you seen this yet?
My only YDJ dramas are RADIO ROMANCE (2018) and the 2 episode SPLASH SPLASH LOVE (2015). I enjoyed both and so thanks Netflix for picking up NEVER GIVE UP. I will definitely be watching this.

I'm one with @missvictrix wondering how they managed to unbeautyfied Kwak Shi-yang in Cafe Minamdang. I wish the wacky humour were less present, but I take what I can of suave Seo In Guk.

In a start for my watching partner, we have started two on-going dramas: Extraordinary Attorney and Alchemy of Souls.
It delays our viewing of Moon lovers, though we cannot stay long far from the magnetic sunny smile of Lee Joon Gi.

Following a beanie recommendation, I have resumed (and finished) the funny cdrama Day of becoming you. Good body-swaping romance with a twist.

I found myself aspired by Love like the galaxy. Is it the gorgious costumes, grand cinematography, the sharp dialogues since each encounter in the palace is a verbal duel, Zhao Lu Si smile ? I blame my lask of sleep on it.

I finally finished Who Rules the World and it ended what we in Swedish call 'lagom'. It's basically an expression for something being lukewarm and comfortable without being excessive in any way. Everything in this drama was lagom. Except for the romance. I couldn't buy it. The protagonists seemed more like friends or siblings than lovers and their chemistry was of the same kind. There are really few kissing scenes, and in these scenes, the actors seem uncomfortable. Like, really, uncomfortable. The villain was unfortunately not given any depth and my heart bleeds for my love of prince Feng Chang who completely vanishes of the screen in the latter half of the middle. I sincerely hope the popularity of this drama brings more roles to the actor.

Moving on, I find Fight My Way to be an awesome drama. The T-shirts of Dong Wan (the #LOVE? I died😂), Go Ae Ra's expressions, the cute coach. If only Seol Hee could dump Joo Man and the ex have a fateful encounter with the truck of doom.

And speaking of Park Seo Joon, I squealed last night when I was watching the movie Parasite and suddenly heard his voice before he came into view. Overall, I see why there was such fuss over Parasite and it was a good commentary on Korean society and desperation. I am slightly disappointed in how the female characters were utilized. Apart from the mother of the rich family, the rest felt like means to introduce or to further the male characters in some way.

Had little time for drama this week as the long-awaited Sandman became available on Netflix. How nice for a change to have a main character that is as cold and arrogant as you would expect a god to be. Dying to read the comics but noticed that the reservations on the library stretch their way to Christmas. I'll settle for reading Good Omens again.

K Dramas: Attorney Woo,Fiery Priest Boar Hunt

C drama: Love Like the Galaxy

J dramas: Lost Man Found, Cinecon e Ikou! , Ame ni Kieta Himawari, rewatch Sleeper Hit

YouTube: ItchyBoots Motorcycle travels, Sherlock Holmes

Ongoing:

Extraordinary Attorney Woo. Unpopular opinion: the storyline seems to be getting corny. I understand the sister's opinion on the relationship.

Alchemy of Souls. I'm not a fan of the fantasy genre. I like Jung So-min ever since I saw her in that sweet, romantic scene in the film "Twenty" with Kang Ha-neul. I'm on episode 3 and will give it until episode 6 to decide whether I will continue.

Previously Aired: My Mister. I'm only on episode 4 and this show will make it to my top 5. The story is well-written and the corporate scheming is believable. I love the male lead and his brothers.