CRASH COURSE IN ROMANCE (Ep 3&4):
This drama is what I look forward to the most, and it always makes me smile (aside from the unnecessary murder/stalker plot). I know I’m not engaging in the conversation but sometimes I like to watch a drama privately and just enjoy it for what it is.

BAIT:
I don’t want to get too hyped because I only watched the first five minutes of Bait but wow it blew me away, the dialogue was crazy good and I didn’t even see Jang Geun-seok yet! But then Heo Sung-tae always makes a compelling villain. (Tho one of these days I want to see him playing a sweet and loving single father)

WARNING:
The rest of the comment will be me being slightly unhinged and ranting about two dramas that drove me crazy this week. One good and one bad (I’m pretty sure you can guess which)

STRANGERS AGAIN: DROPPED

Kang So-ra babe, I’ve waited so long for you to came back to dramaland, and even longer for you to be in a GOOD drama. Girl fire your agent immediately you are too precious to be in mediocre and bad dramas. But just like Jae-gyeom’s character said, I’ll wait, I’m good at waiting, I’ll always wait for you…

Jang Seung-jo, maate I have nothing against you, I even liked you in Familiar Wife. I know you got the short end of the stick with playing such a god awful character, but I don’t think I can see you for a while without feeling so much rage that I just want to punch your gorgeous face through my laptop screen. And I can’t afford a laptop replacement you know?

Strangers again
This had elements of the classic love/hate rom coms, although there is conflict it’s light hearted enough in its approach to be bearable for me. The first divorce case was awful for the poor man, the difficulties trusting others after that gaslighting will be so hard for him.

Agency
Started this one but won’t continue as it’s going to be full of game playing and setting people up to fail and I don’t care about the main lead enough to share her journey to victory.

Crash course in love
Enjoying this one it makes me laugh out loud. I am interested in the story of the brother who stays locked away during the day and roams at night with a pellet gun. My current theories are he is connected to the student who killed herself or may have had a breakdown due to pressure from their mum. This has vibes of the Green mothers’ club and A moment of eighteen. The actress playing the mum of the insecure girl is getting typecast as an education obsessed controlling mum character. I hope she gets more parts like the one she played in On the verge of insanity.

I am confused that despite South Korea building a nation of trained killers for their own protection from their neighbour North Korea, there is a tendency to show men post training, behaving like they don’t know the basics. A random shot is fired and literally the last man standing is the only one who would know exactly what to do under those circumstances. Meanwhile, everyone else acted instinctively.

Three bold siblings
Fast forwarding a lot through this one but glad my theory was right about the blackmail plot line.

Meet yourself- Chinese slice of life with a hint of romance
Lovely slow paced character led drama with a young woman who goes to the countryside to reset her life after an unexpected reminder that life on Planet earth is unpredictable.
It has a mellow OST with one song in English called Days by Chen Li it has a similar style to Rachael Yamagata songs from Something in the rain and One Spring Night which captures the mood of the drama perfectly.

COMPLETED
The Forbidden Marriage - Fin.

ONGOING
Payback - The alliance at the end of Ep. 7 feels like it won't last through Ep. 8.

Crash Course in Romance - Weekly happy pill minus the pushing teenagers off of balconies.

Poong S2 - The Darcy-esque Ep. 5 issue was great (lol @ 'save our doors'). Another sageuk delving into modern dramas for laughs - I think it's become a trend after Mr. Queen - but it was still funny. Ep. 6 was back to boring sadly.

Can We Be Strangers? - The show solves issues based on how it wants the story to go not based on anything remotely reasonable - man who tries to run over ex with car becomes Hollywood star, custody battle is solved by Truck of Doom, and based on the preview the ML's trauma about kids (maybe due to his sister Eun-byeol's death?) will be solved by dating a woman with a child 🙄.

C-DRAMAS
Binged Joy of Life - Had been avoiding it because the ending had been spoiled for me but I'm glad I watched it. This is how you do palace politics well. Hope they actually get around to S2 this year.

Completed The Blood of Youth - Loved it but this show needed a LOT more Wuxin. In fact it might even work better as a romance between Wuxin and Xiao Se!

Still watching and loving Meet Yourself. Ep. 26 was 💯.

Crash Course in Romance: Trying to ignore the fact that all the other Beanies are probably right about Dong-hui and enjoy him being kind and caring for as long as possible. He was so smiley but sad in Prison Playbook and I just want him to be what he seems to be, instead of someone going around shooting people. I honestly don’t mind darker plot threads in my rom coms most of the time, but I do hate it when characters I really like turn out to be the baddies. *sigh* Loving just about everything else about this though, so I’m not going to let that situation ruin this for me.

Strangers Again: I love it when a drama makes us have OPINIONS and this one is delivering for sure! I came out of this week like, “Wow I can totally understand why the ML felt he needed to take drastic measures to escape from the FL” and half the Beanies agreed with me, and half the Beanies hate him hahaha! I can see this drama going either way with a second-chance romance. She crushed him and he wounded her, but if they can both learn and grow, I think they could work. Or just become more mature people who have relationships with other people. Also, if dramaland is going to turn Dong-hui into a serial killer in Crash Course (see above), then they should have to do the same for Jae-gyeom (SML) in this drama. Would it be out of place? Definitely. Would it make him less boring? Also definitely.

Payback: I’ve only watched the first few episodes so far because I just started this, but I’m liking it! And not just because I want Lee Seon-kyun to read me a bedtime story every time he opens his mouth. It’s fun to see him in this role where he’s so blase about things and is surrounded by worriers. I loved all the flashbacks of the family he found with Joon-kyung and her mom, they were great together. I know everything will hit the fan soon, so I’m bracing for impact.

Strangers - this show is not too strong at the law departement and the cases more serve as a vehicle to move the story of our protagonists further (the child custody for example was really glossed over, and I can't even with the wandering unattended little girl and then ToD! 🙄 at the airport.) However, the moment we focus on our leads, I'm all in and appreciate both - the comedy and the serious beats. This week the show really surprised me with the real reason behind the divorce. I may not agree with the way Eunboem solved their problems (and clearly communication was one of their serious issues), but I can completely understand his exhaustion and desperation... and why he did what he did (and was willing to pay so much alimony to Hara). I really like the unexpected layers... and that things are not black and white. And I wouldn't mind if this time this is a story about coming to terms with the break up, learning from it... and moving on. (Though I would probably a bit mourn all the sparks between our leading actors 😁)

Still liking Crash Course (but the thriller element) and watched a bit more of Lethal Man. 😊

Crash Course in Romance’
Enjoying a good romcom after a long time!

Strangers Again
Ouch! Did not see that coming. I will be continuing to see how they go from here. I am still team - stay divorced and find your own happiness. Unless the show convinces me otherwise.

The New employee dropped.
Another BL with no depth. One lead constantly smiling and looking pretty. Boss who thinks crossing the line is ok. Two kisses while one party was super drunk. Really show? Are we still doing this?

Kokdu
Just watched half an episode. Didn’t feel much for the previous life backstory. It’s not my genre but will still give 2 episodes before I decide.

CDRAMAS
Hi Venus -COMPLETED.
I didn’t love it as much as others. I liked that the leads were mature and I enjoyed their conversations. I liked the FL’s thoughts and her evolution, into a stronger and more confident woman who was willing to find her own happiness.
I think my issue was that it was too ‘perfect’. Everything between them was textbook perfect and I got bored.. lol.. I find it hard to believe they had no difference of opinions or even minor conflicts to resolve. They were too ‘agreeable’.
Also, that she was his secretary for 90% of the drama irked me. It was too convenient a writing. I wanted to see her as a doctor and them getting together while still following their own work.
Also, the office politics was quite boring.
I probably would have enjoyed it more had it not got sandwiched between other dramas I was watching, those that I enjoyed a lot more.

Meet Yourself
Ep 26.
Gutted. I haven’t been able to move on from here. The realist in me sees this as THE END. And it hurts. That confession was so bitter sweet. And Hong Dou’s visit to NanNan’s house was heartbreaking. So raw and so painful.

Viva Femina
I see Jasper Liu, I click play. I am not too invested but seems decent so far. If I think too much I might probably have some issues but thankfully all my mental drama space is fully occupied :)

Time and him are just right
No progress this week. Mostly a drop.

The Forbidden Marriage (Series review) - Mood progression: D / D / D / D- / D- / D-
As I had remarked 4 weeks ago when watching the 3rd and 4th episodes of the show, finishing this show was meant for me to judge the acting skills of the leads under iffy writing and questionable characterisation. Well, my mood progression does say it all: no one really managed to keep me invested. But I’ll say that at least no one made the terrible plot worse, I guess?

Crash Course in Romance (Episode 3-4) - Mood: C-
The plot so far seems to be a mashup of two shows I’d watched, Green Mothers’ Club and Crazy Love (will highly recommend you save your sanity and not waste your time on them), which doesn’t inspire my confidence in the least bit. I hope the metal ball shooter won’t be the assistant but it’s being acted by Shin Jae Ha and that’s rather scary.

Missing: The Other Side 2 (Episode 11-12) - Mood: C-
The show has its moments, for example when Pan Seok is fibbing like a boss and Jun Ho is trying his best not to giggle and providing a coverup story afterwards. But I don’t have much hope with the show being able to wrap up everything smoothly without rushing something next week. I’m already finding the desperate miracle explanation by Il Yong somewhat awkward.

Strangers Again (Episode 3-4) - Mood: D+
I knew there would be a lot of legal nonsense since this wasn’t a law show but nothing could’ve prepared me for that mess? Right now, the plot has turned so makjang that I’m wondering what on earth made me even feel hyped for this show. I don’t understand why the story couldn’t have been about discovering what went wrong with marriage life instead of a fake affair.

The Interest of Love (Episode 11-12) - Mood: D-
Out of the four leads, Jong Hyun had the highest chance of walking away from this mess unscathed given his separation in class within the bank and his relative unawareness of everything but all of that turned to ashes with this week’s cliffhanger. I’m pretty sure they’ll turn him into an emotional cheater because that’s how you attempt to underplay the awful first leads.

The interest of love: SIGH, SIGH, SIGH😤😤😤. SIGH. Misery loves company and it is filled to capacity. For why is Soo Young doing this? I don't think it is fully noble idiocy, I actually think this is her way of getting out of the bank. They briefly show a flash on her computer screen of transferring to another bank and I think this is her way of doing it. She wants to run away and get away. Why Gyeong Pil is participating, that I don't know. As for why Soo Young didn't tell Jong Hyeon she wants to break up, I honestly thinks she feels an obligation to help him succeed. She wants him to past the police exam because she went to get him in the first place. I don't think Jong Hyeon is a deadbeat, I think he has lost confidence and doesn't know what to do. He also wants to break up with Soo Yeong, but can't because he feels obligated and she has taken care of him. He gave her an out and she didn't take it. If they were both just honest, it would solve everything, but then we wouldn't have a drama I guess. As for Mi Gyeong, they really did the actress dirty, because her character has zero redeeming qualities. She is the absolute worst. As for Sang Su, sir, sigh, lol.

Strangers Again: What a discussion on marriage. I have said all the things on my wall and the recap page. I really enjoy this drama.

Agency: Lets go Ah In.

Payback: Haven't seen episode 7 yet, but excited.

Triple K: Waiting for my friend to move in, I promised to watch it with her, we begin tonight.

Crash course in romance: This drama continues to be great.

While I was thankful it wasn't what I feared for in Strangers Again, dayum! I didn't see that coming at all. I'm glad it is up for discussion though.

We got a set of awful moms in Crash Course in Romance...but... anything to bring our leads together. I do not want Seo-jin to change and become a better mom, I want her to see for the second time the adverse effects of her actions and see for herself what she is doing to her herself and those around her.

I'm enjoying the tussle in Agency. It's interesting.
I particularly liked how Ah-in made a comment about Won-hee's dress culture but promoted her either ways. Won-hee earned her keep. And Ah-in used a very good example to let her find a motive/incentive to vary her grooming.
And CEO Jo plus Ah-in's work sunbae. I like this two persons already.
Add in a flustered Mr. Park and it's just a good dessert to follow a fine meal.

Completed The Forbidden Marriage. As long as I didn't take it seriously it wasn't a painful watch at all.
But I must give props to the Queen Dowager. She wasn't the problem after all. One of the steessless Queen Dowagers in my kdrama history.

I'm waiting for Trolley to be back and I can't express how delighted I am that Red Balloon is back on screen today🤭🤭🤭.

Agree with @missvictrix about Bros on Foot! I missed the natural conversations people have and Yeo Jin-goo's awkwardness with the college sunbae ... precious! Watching: Crash Course in Romance (very delighted with the story as it unfolds), Interest of Love (don't really like women who force themselves on women who are too polite to say no); Strangers Again (surprised with the real reason for the divorce but I sympathize with the man); and last, Three Bold Siblings (hope they finish this DNA testing soon, it's been a month with the same problem, people!). Missed Brain Works and Red Balloon this week.

Strangers Again: I’m on the fence about this show. Something feels off; like it can’t decide if it’s a melo or a rom-com. I think I would enjoy this show better if the leads were not lawyers. It’s challenging to overlook the blatant breach of professional ethics, which worsens each week. It’s become a joke. Why couldn’t they have been rival horticulturists who split because Ha-ra stole Eun-bum’s breakthrough research on plant cultivation? Or so she thought . . .

Forbidden Marriage: Yes, the ending was cheesy, but after the endless disappointing dramas over the last couple of years, I’ll take it.

Broker (2022 film): I saw this when it played for a limited time in my city. Everyone’s acting was spot on, even the child actor and the baby (babies?). It reminded me a bit of Little Miss Sunshine; the characters are flawed but sympathetic, and the broken-down van. Overall, I found it enjoyable, and unlike so many dramas, the ending was fitting.

Hi everyone!

I am currently watching and really liking ISLAND....except for Cha Eun-woo, who just ruins every scene he is in, kmt. Kim Nam-gil is a pleasure to watch and I am interested to see where the story takes us.

I am also almost done with NEW LIFE BEGINS (CDrama), and that was totally unrealistic, but an absolute delight to watch.

Strangers Again : I like the unsual dynamics between our divorced couple. She announces her distaste toward him publicly because of their broken marriage but also at a lot of moments she shows camaraderei resulted from more than a decade of friendship. The writer don’t chose full cliche of spiteful hatred or unrealistic good affinity toward each other after divorce. It was a good premieres and I’ll watch another 4 episodes to choose either stay or leaving.

Agency : Leaving. After the first 2 episodes. 1. I don’t understand why she chose to stay in that company. She is competent, highly regarded and trusted with a lot of project. Her position and intelligence were high enough to learn about how the company works and probably she knows some their trade secrets here and there. She is the ace, the clients picked the company because of her, so why bother to stay if those eel oldies don’t apprecite her? I don’t buy if the reason is because her education background. Companies aren’t shallow, especially if they know the advertising goddess is being treated poorly in her workplace, they’ll come to her like bees to flowers. I’ll hire her, paying her high enough for her skills and competitor’s company secrets she knows.

2. Why were they trampled on her before they can use her? She is chosen as a director to open the path for the heiress, but why are they opened their card before milking her dry? What if she chose to ruin all projects, or just staying still without doing nothing? There is nothing for them to make sure she is staying depite what they are doing to her unless she is some kind of twisted woman who is like to being hurt. I hate stupid minded villains and hero with unreasonable thought.

Crash Course in Romance : the only problem I have in this show is tht we have to pretend that the female lead isn’t looking old enough to have a teen daughter. Maybe it’s not only one, I also isn’t excited with the murder plot. But, everything else are so enjoyable so far and enough to make me eager for more.

Missing: The Other Side 2 He's alive!

Strangers Again Lawyers again... and not good ones... 2022 is back?

The Interest of Love The writing and directing are so good! Am I a terrible person if I like so much to watch the characters sabotaging themselves?

Crash Course in Romance The BTS scene killed me 🤣

Decoy I liked this first episode. I'm so happy to see JGS back \o/

Idol Band Eun-Bin and Taemin have such good voice!

Crash Course in Romance (Ep.4). I love our leads and I just need more of them together. I hate the murder subplot because I want this to be jus a simple rom-com. Having said this, I really like how every character is so relatable in the drama: from leads, to the kids, to the mums and teachers. My heart will be broken when we learn Dong Hui is the killer *sighs*.

The interest of love (Ep.12). Our four leads need some therapy, for real. At least Sang Soo is showing some character growth, but for all the rest: Mi Kyung and Jung Hyun just cling to one person but not for the right reasons, but to prove those are “my person” no matter what even if they know they are not loved and I don’t really think they love them. As for Son Young and her passive aggressive self… wow, she’s the best at destroying sand castles for sure. Even with all that happened I think Kyung Pil is a good friend (I know, I know…). The only character I like is Sang Son’s mum. Let’s get her the Mum of the Year award. She deserves it.

Strangers again (Ep. 4). I was on Team Cheating and even if there is no cheating involved I am ok. After all, cheating would have been a matter of time as Eun Beam said. Right now I don’t want our leads to be end game, just for them to learn how to live their lives happily on their own. One thing: I’m not liking Bi Chwi and Si Wook plot, the reverse of roles is not funny because the relation wouldn’t be funny the other way around. Si Wook clearly feels uncomfortable about their one night affair and keeps being chased by bI Chwi… would it be funny if it was the other way round? I don’t think so.

Payback Ep. 7 (half of it). I’m having fun watching, and so far this is all I ask from a drama.

Kokdu: Season of deity (ep. 1). I didn’t like episode 1, mainly because I don’t like FL. May give episode 2 a chance or not. I really don’t see how this story can make it to 16 episodes, honestly, no matter how much I adore KJH.

The Good Detective 2 (ep.12). I can’t stop saying how this drama deals with being human.

Adamas (ep. 12). I really love this drama… why does it take me so much in between episodes. This is why I hate not live watching.

New life begins. (Ep. 22). Slowly going on. I love all female characters and their bond. This drama says so much pretending to not say so much.

Completed
Forbidden Marriage.
Glory part 1

Ongoing- Crash Course in Romance- so good so far.

Forbidden Marriage: 6.5 Final ep was 98.285% "Get a room".

Payback: 7.0

Crash Course In Romance: 7.6 At least this time the FHoD didn't harm any poor innocent cars. #fallinghumanofdoom

Strangers Again: 7.4 For a while it seemed like they were making fun of kdramaland and I was having fun watching it. Then kid + crosswalk + headlights = 👎👎👎

Bait: 7.5 Parts were very dark -- more literally than figuratively -- but I rather liked the bits I could actually see. Wasn't expecting to like a show with this ML -- lets just say I didn't love Love Rain and Daebak wasn't daebak. They had me afraid of another 6-hour Friday Night of Doom, but it seems they're doing just 2 hours a week (?).

Kokdu: Season of Deity: ?? I don't know how to rate this. Ask me next week. Some parts were good (or at least fun), but I didn't like the hospital politics or the typecast baddie, or seeing the Falling Human of Doom victimize that poor innocent car.

The Rise of Phoenixes: Continues to be excellent, with great acting across the board. While he's not a lead here, it's been striking to watch Bai Jing Ting play a role so totally different from his geeky, awkward video game designer in Reset - I wouldn't have pegged him as a gorgeous, taciturn young swordsman, but here we are.

For anyone disappointed in Summer Strike, I highly recommend the Chinese Meet Yourself. No murder side plot, just lots of hours of beautiful footage in a pretty place like cats walking around flowers and sunset at the lake. The main couple”s conflict centers around the fact that the FL is taking a break from the city but intends to return, while the ML has returned to invest in his home village. ML doesn’t want to tell her to move for him, so he gives her space to make up her mind. Highly recommend!

Crash Course in Romance: The thriller element is really irking me but at least it only took up like 5% of the episodes. There are quite a lot of happy and warm moments, though I'm disappointed with the moms being meaner than in the first week. I'm digging the upcoming deal that the leads are striking. He gets his food and they both get to to (secretly) stick it to the academy owner and moms. But I also foresee potential scandal.

Dream of Splendor: Finished it! Loved it. It was rough in some parts with the main romance, but the drama is really about these three women standing up for themselves, using the knowledge they've gained from their low status in life to build a successful business and protect themselves, and showing what they're made of when their mettle is put to the test again and again.

Love In Time (2022, up to episode 18): Binging this. I'm really enjoy the balance of romance, mystery, and time travel with a dollop of comedy. It keeps the time travel premise as simple as possible and spotlights the interactions and teamwork between the two leads (or three...the 2022 version of the ML and the 2021 versions of the FL and ML). I love how there is a different vibe between the FL and each version of the ML and the FL is clearly in love with one and not the other.

Paused on Poong, Joseon Psychiatrist. I may catch episode 5 since it seems interesting. Not sure if I can take the swings between happily awwing at our Clinic family and then being so incredibly frustrated with the petty crap coming from palace politics.

Currently watching Crash Course In Romance, and it's easily my favorite watch right now. I like how the relationship between the leads is progressing in fits and starts. There's progress and then regression and then sudden acceleration. So far, no notes--not even on the thriller elements. I know Shin Jae-ha's casting is causing concern, especially as the show hasn't yet shown us why he was casted, but I'm holding on to hope that it won't be for the obvious reason.

Also watching Find Yourself (because Victoria Song) and Island (technically) but not as engaged with those as I could be.

I recently finished Forever and Ever (for Bai Lu, almost nothing happens in this drama and that's okay), Hi Venus (very cute and good), The Day of Becoming You, and Love Between Fairy and Devil (took me a few weeks to get used to the Yu Shuxin character but I did it).

Upcoming on my tbw list are Go Ahead (another Song Weilong), Love In Time (Chinese remake of a Taiwanese show), Strangers Again (there's more chatter around this show than I anticipated so it's moved up on the list), and Payback.

Nothing new, as I've had KDramas on mostly for background noise or to block out actual noise outside while doing other things. I'm as picky about my background noise as I am about actual viewing, so after several false starts with unpromising KDramas, I settled on the oldie but goodie, Baby-faced Beauty again.

As a "노처녀" (nohchunyu) ahjumma, I've anything but the title suggestion, but I really like underdog stories where FLs gets their big break and succeed. This is a really old one about working in fashion, so I'm doubly fond. JNR is great, though much more timid than her more recent roles where she plays stronger characters, and it's nice to see her talent progression. The acting itself is a bit makjang from all the characters, but still worth the second viewing (or maybe a very time-lapsed third viewing).

Definitely takes the edge off from experiencing yet another sunny, too-warm January day to serve as a very real reminder about global warming in Eastern US. Why is there no winter weather?!

Crash Course in Romance 👨‍🏫🍲(4/16): One Sunday afternoon binge of the first four episodes and I am hooked. I came for Jung Kyung-ho in a romcom, but I am staying for him as well as our female lead and her little banchan family. I actually hope that Hae-E and Sun-Jae remain besties. Both characters and their relationship remind me a bit of Seung-Wan and Ji-Woong from Twenty-Five Twenty-One. Sun-Jae is under a lot of pressure from his mother, and his friendship with Hae-E seems to keep him sane. Enter hockey player Geon-Hu, who asks Hae-E to teach him to study. If she agrees, Sun-Jae will not be seeing her as often anymore, which means he loses his bestie, the only person that keeps him sane. I can understand why that would cause overprotectiveness or jealousy, but not necessarily the romantic kind. Hae-E on the other hand, would probably thrive in a relationship, whether platonic or romantic, with Geon-Hu. Sun-Jae is a good friend, but his mother and the whole academics drama are toxic baggage he cannot simply shake off. Hae-E needs to grow and follow her ambitions as far from that toxicity as possible. What better way to do so than tutoring a jock with ambitions to reshape his future, who has no clue about that toxicity? Do not forget to add the private tutoring and mentoring she is about to receive from our instructor!😉

Fruits Basket (2019) Season 1🍙🐈(4/25): My brain vaguely remembers watching the old version last year, but I welcome the reminder. The new version of the anime is more alive and colorful than the older version, and I am getting hooked a lot faster than last year as a result. Shigure is pervy. Yuki is sarcastic. Tohru is too good for everybody, but Kyo has potential to become good enough for her.🤩

The Golden Girls Season 1👵👵👵👵(8/25):🎵Thank you for being a friend🎵This show has been on my radar for a while, but I worried I would not be able to relate since I could be a (grand)daughter to those ladies. In the end we are all women, and their troubles will be mine in a few decades anyway. Amazing how these ladies grow on you in a few episodes. I want to make sure Rose is protected at all times, Blanche stays the Belle she is and Dorothy keeps verbally paving the way for Sophia to deliver the final blow.🤣