Finished Under The Queen’s Umbrella
A really good drama coming to a really good end. I especially enjoyed the final minutes of the queen with her sons and at the very last, the umbrella coming full circle.
Curtain Call
I presumed once Jae Heon’s identity was known to some people, everything would be out in the open at once, but that’s why I’m not a writer. I found it really well done how for two episodes people knew but didn’t act, for very different reasons. And charismatic Mun Sung is finally in the picture, he also got a back history that’s supposed to justify his crimes?
Reborn Rich
The fantastic acting really got to me last week. Regarding the story, we didn’t see the alter ego at all, what became of him? I’m looking forward to how the fantasy part works out. Also, I’m wondering if people in SK see this as being about Samsung, and if this is a reason that it has such huge viewing rates?
Revenge of Others
It took me some time to figure out what the photo at the end of the episode meant… we knew that neither Gi Osung or Jae Beom cannot be trusted. But how can I make myself believe in Jae Beom’s split personality or whatever it will turn out to be? It’s just so unlikely.
Cheer Up
No more secret dating, great! This show is a joy to watch. But the previewed separation is totally unnecessary, please don’t do that, show! I’ll take two hours straight of our cute couple being adorable instead…
May I Help You
Didn’t have time on Thursday and Friday and missed this weeks episodes.
Finished At a Distance, Spring Is Green and enjoyed it immensely. The male friendship is so heartwarming, it’s rare to see that as the main topic in a drama.
Summer Strike
I was sick this week and wanted something easy to watch, this was a good choice, until Ep. 6 and how Bom being injured by her father was being treated, and the way Ji Young is pushing for Dae Beom to go with her to Seoul without ever asking or thinking about his best interest.
KDrama friend project:
On recommendation of my friend, I’m watching You Are My Spring A great healing drama with a thriller thrown in, I actually find that both parts go together well. Acting, chemistry and especially the camerawork are great! Plus: a person who doesn’t drink, very rare in kdramas…
My problem right now: between Summer Strike, You Are My Spring, May I Help You, Revenge of Others and more I’m confusing the childrens’ back stories – abusive parents, drinking, violence, death, orphanages all around…

My wife enjoyed a Chinese Costume drama on Amazon Prime: JOURNEY TO THE WEST, which is a very classic Chinese story that has been dramatized before (the original book was written in or around 1592): This version is really well done.

We had also intentionally paused watching episodes 19 and 20 of ALCHEMY OF SOULS until this week so that the jump to season 2 would flow more naturally. The show has been incredibly well done. Everything works. Now we are looking ahead to the second season. ALCHEMY OF SOULS is starting up again. Buckle up.

My wife absolutely loved UNDER THE QUEEN’S UMBRELLA, a show which was masterfully done from start to finish. I know that there are those who say that this has not been a great year for Kdrama but in truth we have seen some incredible shows including this one as well as ALCHEMY OF SOULS and earlier in the year KING OF TEARS to name just one more. Every year has its share of clunkers and disappointments but in time those get lost and forgotten while the truly great dramas continue to be there for us.

THREE BOLD SIBLINGS- It had to be So-rim who confessed to Moo-young and she did that in episode 21- and, of course, because he is a good, serious and decent man he turned her down, explaining that he had a daughter and that she should find someone better. Problem: He just proved by doing this that there is no one better. Men like Mooyoung are rare indeed and so we have a brokenhearted So-rim who was left crying- and who also knows that he really does like her. It is poignant moments like these that distinguish the weekender from other kinds of shows. Does this make Mooyoung a fool? Not at all, he did what he thought was right and what was rational, even though he hated doing it, not realizing that he and she might be the exception to a more general rule. Yet then we see him show up before her dad’s restaurant after closing time with a fully decorated Christmas tree- he cannot help it, he wants to do things for her, because he loves her. So-rim quickly realizes who did it of course. We get to really appreciate Moo-young’s character when we compare his actions to the way out of line behavior of So-ims younger brother towards the ML’s aunt: His out-of-control thoughtlessness stands in such sharp contrast to Mooyoung’s serious caring and thoughtfulness.

If you have been watching the wonderful Chinese costume drama- or waiting to do so until you could binge the whole thing, the final episodes of NEW LIFE BEGINS were posted this week. It has been a great show.

We were only able to watch one episode of the C-drama SHE AND HER PERFECT HUSBAND. It is a good show, but the release rate of the episodes has slowed down.

Completed:
Under the Queen's Umbrella
New Life Begins - it is a welcome surprise and well worth watching.

On a different note - what happened to the website koreandrama.org?

There was a start, a middle and finish for Gaus and it was a total crack fest all the way through. I loved it so much I'm actually longing for a second season. How does Kwak Dong-yeon manage to be the epitome of cute, lost, slightly himbo and sexy all in a matter of minutes?

Lighter And Princess: I'm slightly amazed I've stuck with this drama till the final episodes. The male lead is a total tsundere and gets away on multiple occasions with being cruel to the female lead and this never has any repercussions for him. Instead, she chases him even more diligently. There is a severe imbalance of power and dependancy in their relationship and it doesn't bode well. This whole show reminds me of the early 2000's in terms of gender roles.

Fiery Priest: Those high-tier villains are so boring, I've started to skip their scenes. The low-tier villains, on the other hand, are well acted and written and I find them quite entertaining. And Kim Nam-gil is glorious.

Recently Completed:

Connect: It was fun, and I enjoyed it for what it was, but ultimately felt underwhelmed by it. Sloppy writing and I think it wanted to be deeper than it actually was. Still, I liked the main cast and the visuals were cool. I'd be up for watching a second season, though I won't be super disappointed if there isn't...

The Imperial Coroner (China): I loved this! Was a bit clunky in the beginning, but once it settled into itself around the five episode mark it got really good! Sort of felt like the drama Poong Joseon Psychiatrist wanted to be - coroner was a female lead unconcerned with social norms, genius male lead, found family, mystery, political intrigue - the difference is it did it all really well. Extremely refreshing in its approach to relationships, both romantic and otherwise - trust, mutual respect, healthy communication! A really lovely historical drama.

In progress:
Hell is Other People: Just started this and I'm in love! A creepy, derelict building, shady characters, really cool cinematography... I feel like I'm in for a wild, strange ride.

May I Help You: Finally started this after putting it on my watchlist, as I'm hearing good things about it. Not sure I'm totally sold on it after the first episode but I like the set up enough to keep going. That scene of Hyeri's character walking down the sidewalk drinking her beer out of a straw with zero F's to give was too relatable haha.

The Moon Brightens for You (China): Went into this with low expectations, as out the many Wuxia on my watchlist it had the lowest ratings and mixed reviews. But for once I'm pleasantly surprised! It's a bit cheesy here and there, but the story's engaging and I like the characters, and the it subverts the usual tropes in a fun way.

Completed:
Under the Queen's Umbrella. I enjoyed this very much.
Signal. I was watching this while waiting for the new episodes for the above. I've become a new fan of Kim Hye-soo. It was odd to see other actors from UTQU here as well, Prince Ui-seong is the young Sun-woo in the latter show.
Gaus Electronics. Hahaha! I see now why many loved this show. I, too, am hoping for a second season. But with the very low ratings in S. Korea, I won't hold my breath.

In danger of being dropped:
Curtain Call. I admire Kang Haneul's work and also Go Doo-shim's. But this drama is so underwhelming. Perhaps it's because I'm attached to the original play and film (Argentina, 1951), that I'm not buying the storyline. The possible noona romance is so off-putting. Ha Ji-won is no Gong Hyo-jin (KHN's co-star in When the Camellia Blooms), and Son Ye-jin (FL role was first offered to her) had to go marry off Hyun Bin. She would have been the better actress to play the FL. I am still hoping the fake couple ends up together, which happens in the original work.

Started:
The Good Detective. Crime/legal genres are my favorite. Hope this one is good.

Currently watching and enjoying CURTAIN CALL and Cdrama ORDINARY GREATNESS. SUMMER STRIKE is another thing.
Last weekend I finished UNDER THE QUEEN’S UMBRELLA which along with THROUGH THE DARKNESS were the two best kdramas I watched in 2022. Both 5 stars!
I have been thinking about UTQU. In UTQU there was one scene after another with Kim Hye-soo and the young actors playing the princes (Queen Im’s and the concubine’s sons) and every scene made the young actor shine. Credit must go to Director Kim Hyung-sik and Writer Park Ba-ra but most of the credit has to go to the generosity of Kim Hye-soo in how she acted with these young actors. I can only think she made a lot of friends with these young guys.

Reborn Rich is the only drama consuming my 100% attention. After the massive cliffhanger of Ep 10, I’m sitting on pins and needles for Ep 11 tonight - might re-watch Ep 1 to get a sense of how things might piece together.

It is kind of like a modern day saeguk about who’s getting the throne except the lead is not really chasing the throne. What makes it such an engaging watch, apart from blending the past and present events into one interesting story about its times and eras, is the all round superb acting. I can’t find any weak link here - the siblings, spouses, sidekicks all bringing their best performance and each character coming alive as one unforgettable performance. This in itself is an achievement.

And, of course, Lee Sung-min and Song Jun-ki is undisputedly the best pairing this year. The tension through the screen is exploding every time the two are in the same frame.

I was trying to avoid watching First Love: Hatsukoi, but eventually relented and finished it in 1.5 days. It hits close to home. An unexpected gift from a screenwriter, director, songwriter, and singer who are all around my age. A warm hug from a fellow 40 year old to give us courage as we embark on this decade. Now I am listening to First Love on repeat. It really got to me! I can't go back to my first love, but I can watch this drama and relive those glorious sweet days.

****Alchemy of Souls Part 2 SPOILER****
It is lovely to see our Daeho folk again even though Jung Somin’s absence is heavily felt.
This first episode was confusing to me as despite the repeated references to Wook as a monster in the promos, Lee Jaewook didn’t convey the requisite angst and alienation. He seemed thinner in the face and Wook came across as rather world weary. It will be interesting to see how and if the mood shifts to a grimmer gear as the drama progresses.
They are also not mentioning Mudeok at all by name which is clearly intended to keep the audience wondering how could that be? What if Jung Somin’s cameo comes at the end when she appears again as Buyeon and reunites with Wook?
A few stray observations:
1. Go Yoonjung’s voice at times sounded to me somewhat like Jung Somin’s. Am I off base? I thought this was intentional too so as to keep Mudeok in the ether without mentioning her explicitly.
2. Go Yoonjung is incredibly beautiful for sure but I will suspend my judgment for the time being about whether or not she can pull off this role.
3. The pickle-making misadventures of Park Jin would have been funnier had the atmosphere of doom and gloom had more gravitas to it. As it is, he didn’t come across as sad or tortured which seemed odd. Just extra kooky and as clueless as ever.

"Unlock my Boss' appears to be the series 'A Piece of Your Mind' taken to its logical absurdist conclusion. My issue with the original series was no matter how well acted and well written I just couldn't buy the base premise of a person's consciousness recreated in an AI device. 'Gaus Electronics' lampooned that concept recently.

Just watching some old stuff: Robber, Lovers in Prague, and got caught up in a rewatch of Nice Guy. That is a fun melo, music is awesome.

@solstices (1) where do you watch musical livestreams? (2) are they available in the states? (3) how can I watch them too? Please and thank you! I’m tired of stalking the PlayDB YouTube channel for scraps and clips 🥲

I started Living with yourself and found it excellent.
Seriously contemplating whether I should start the Recipe for farewell.
One episode to go to finish Under the queen's umbrella - I am a bit nervous about not liking the end.