Remembrance of things past - Chinese drama
This is what Thirty nine wished it could have been. It’s a slice of life and has a friendship group like Dear my friends was for the Ajumma generation. I didn’t watch My liberation notes or Our blues but I think it’s that level of realism that it’s aiming for. It’s funny and really sad too. It covers big issues like cancer, suicide, job loss, dating, and family dynamics but so far it’s not toxic or trauma for the sake of it. I am on episode 5 and already seeing it as the top contender for my drama of the year. I called 25,21 when I was in the early stages of watching that and that was still my conclusion at the end of the year. I am hoping this show doesn’t disappoint but as it’s only 12 episodes and was designed to be part of a series of short quality dramas I am hopeful they will maintain the quality throughout.

Unlock the boss
I am hoping the last two episodes bring the funny back and has a happy ending even if the CEO dies and the newly formed couple end up adopting Minah and translating Seyeon’s dream of working in a hotel to running a guest house near Insung’s family.

The forbidden marriage
Looking forward to the return this week.

Midnight diner
I have two seasons to finish before my subscription ends

Three bold siblings
…

Completed

The Rational life Chinese a jie di lian (Noona romance)
Loved it. Raising the issues of the reluctance to move from petrol to alternative energy to run cars. As an electric car owner I loved that this very real issue is being raised in drama land and weaved into the story about prejudices about women in the workplace, singleness and age gap relationships.

Alchemy - I want to love it (and most of the time I do), but episode 7 started losing me a bit - the saving of Yul was so anticlimactic!! I thought they were building up for the release of the firebird, that Jin Mu used Yul to reach his hidden goal! Oh well. Also, I thought that Uk would fulfill the promise he gave to Mama Jin by going to live with Naksu in her mom's place 😁 (and I expected a lot of hijinks from that 😁😁).

And then... I really didn't like the ending of episode 8 - I wanted Naksu/Mudok to show her steel... and her cunning and tactical side. (Well, I generally want Naksu to unleash her assassin skills, fight them all and becoming the Queen under the Star and rule them all. 😁 )

And yet... I rewatched both episodes, something I hardly ever do (and I would even say that it is better on a rewatch).

And yet... I'm excited for this weekend... and hope for a satisfying finale. Is the Blue Hem on Jang Uk's robe a sign of hope?? 😁

Alchemy of Souls: Headed into the last week and I am not prepared. I am expecting a very bittersweet ending, and I only hope that it does justice to our characters’ stories and keeps them consistent with who we’ve learned that they are.

Unlock My Boss: I am totally charmed by this show. In-seong is such a gem, and the entire public recognizing it was so satisfying. And our OTP is so cute! In-seong could not stop giggling after their kiss and it was so infectious. I’m in denial about Ma-pi, so no need to go into it.

What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim: Well that was incredibly delightful. Spoiler Warning from here! There’s a little part of me that wishes Mi-so had decided to do something else career-wise, but she loves her job and her coworkers and her workload got a lot better with another person, so who am I to decide which dreams are right for her? I could understand Yeong-joon’s mom and the difficult decisions she had to make back in the day, but when she found out that he and Mi-so were dating and her first impulse was to be worried about how it would affect Seong-yeon, I was so disgusted. Didn’t we just go through this? Didn’t you just learn your lesson that asking one son to give up any semblance of happiness for the other one is a distinctly bad idea? Luckily Seong-yeon has been going to therapy and can make a better-adjusted decision than she can. I still don’t like him but I applaud his choice to get help, which he certainly needed and should have had much earlier. But honestly these complaints are minor and don’t at all reflect how much I loved this drama. What an absolute load of fun. I loved that we got to (basically) resolve the trauma part of the storyline and still had loads of time for them to figure out how to navigate their relationship. I loved that it was Mi-so who ended up having to make the conscious decision to spend less time doing work things and more time doing wedding things, rather than Yeong-joon. I loved Ji-ah and her brave confession and insistence that Gwi-nam not sacrifice everything about his present for his future. And I loved that Secretary Seol ended up making some mistakes that worked out for the good of everyone!

Prison Playbook: Started this because I realized it’s leaving Netflix (in the US) toward the end of the month and didn’t want to miss my chance! Just watched the first two episodes, but it’s pretty great so far. I can understand why so many Beanies had it in their top ten lists.

Red Balloon - I'm almost having no one to cheer for here. I've come to the conclusion that's there's not exactly good guy here except for Cha-won and Dae-goon. I hope Red Balloon doesn't turn him into something else. Except for Cha-won there's no one I'm rooting for. Formerly Nam-chul was in the mix but now he's not. The very thing that his FIL worried about was the first thing he committed, although I am sure and clear that he did so not because he now has access to the accounts.

Trolley - They can tease me all they want with the JD tattoo but I'm not buying into it at all. Soo-bin is outright rude and I find it shocking and patronizing that the adults in the house are letting her get away with her attitude.

Alchemy of Souls - I have no expectations whatsoever for this one. Just give me my weddings. All won't be forgiven but at least I'll have something nice to remember you with.

Unlock the Boss Ep 4- Commentless. I'm enjoying the watch and, great comedic timing.

While I didn't watch a some airing dramas as I spent most of my time catching up to Trolley and Red Balloon, the others suffered. But they wouldn't if I hadn't stumbled upon Dae Mul. I'm currently on ep 9 and it's been a ride all the way. At least I'm having enough of Kwon Sang-woo and another chance to watch Go Hyun-jung on screen.

I've completed Birthcare Center and it was a good wrap. I want another Yoon Park drama on my screen soon. I have one to rewatch if ever I want to see him onscreen.

Trolley:This drama continues to be wrought with tension. I am so annoyed that the sexual harassers parents continue to be terrible. Their creepy obsession with their sons is probably what caused them to think they were above it all in the first place. Smh. I am happy Hye Joo and Joong Do have each other.

Unlock the Boss: I hope Hyungnim is just severely injured. The trio plus a mini member's relationship was really precious. They became a sweet little family with the housekeeper. Don't make me sad show.

The interest of love: Only the FL is actually likeable. Everyone else is varying degrees of unlikeable and entitled. I still like the drama though, something about the way it is paced and put together makes me come back week after week.

The forbidden marriage: They brought some of the the funny back. This drama is best when So Rang is cutting up, that is the strength of the drama. Unfortunately, the Kim Young Dae is punching above his weight class in terms of acting and Park Ju Hyun is simply out acting him, as is Kim Woo Seok. Ahhh well, so long as they keep the funny coming, I am happy.

Payback: Super excited for this.

Agency: Warily excited for this.

THE GLORY (Ep. 3-8) Dong-eun states that her revenge will all be legal, but some of her means are borderline. The first four episodes had a Parasite quality to them; thematically, the Go game victory is to bring Yeon-jin’s house down by strategic moves. Her first victim died not by her hand, but by her suggestion to the son. If that is the blueprint, then she will not have blood per se on her hands. She is trying to align the bully group against each other. She is already in Yeon-jin’s head; the birth secret card is what will bring down the house.

This is a very dark series, especially captured in the lighting (or lack thereof). In my opinion, this mood and direction is helping SHK in her acting style. The underlining theme that is coming to the surface is evil begets more evil.

ALCHEMY OF SOULS (Ep. 7-8): For a show about magic, there has not been a lot of magic. For a show about lost lovers, it took an eternity for the OTP to even recognize each other. For the grand conflict of control of Daeho, Uk and the CP only have a few brief conversations. For a show about ridding the world of monsters, Jin Mu remains steadfastly in power. Part 2 has been bogged down in "telling and not showing" the action we miss in Part 1. The biggest thud this weekend will be if we do not get Bu-Yeon's full story, her capture of Naksu, and her end game.

Payback: nice start! I'm really going to enjoy this show. I actually find interesting all the corruption, legal system and politics, debts, etc. And I would watch anything (except for Mr Black) for Moon Chae Won.
Island: hilarious.
Drink Now Work Later 2: ☹️☹️☹️ don't fight girls, please.
Brain Works: I like our duo. They're so petty and dumb 🤣 they really deserve each other, I bet they'll be besties by the end of the show.
Trolley: I really want our couple to stay strong and supportive till the end. They're too precious.
Dr Park's Clinic: so fun!
Forbidden Marriage: So Rang is going to be my favorite FL this year, isn't she?
Jang Ok Jeong (on hold): I need spoilers to decide if I should keep watching it.
Yong Pal (on hold): I don't remember why I didn't binged it.
Jugglers (rewatch): this show is so cute. 2017 was such a nice year for dramas.
The Miracle We Met (rewatch): crazy stuff. I didn't remember much apparently.
3BS: I hope the daughter helps them get back together.
The Love in Your Eyes: my favorite couple right now. They're so adorable.

Surprisingly, my watchlist ended up being all cdramas this week.

Currently Watching :
Flight to You: I love Wang Kai and Seven and they are amazing here. The show does capture the biases and stereotypes of women pilots very well. It’s frustrating at times. But overall a very satisfying watch. The slow burn romance is killing me. And Wang Kai has the most beautiful hands.. le sigh 😍
Hi Venus: Can’t go wrong with this screenwriter. A fun romcom and easy watch. Their flirt game for 15 episodes in on point.
Meet Yourself: Again, from the director/screenwriter duo I love. This show is like a warm cuppa at the end of a long winter day. Beautiful healing slice of life drama, set in a village with some interesting and lovable characters. Gorgeous village and cinematography. Might feel unrealistic at times, but can be overlooked.
So happy to see Li Xian in a modern drama and he plays the lovable dorky do-gooder well. And of course, the gorgeous Crystal Liu.

Completed:
Curtain Call

To start this week :
Payback - watched 10 min but was stressed about what would go wrong and who might die. (after all, Revenge can’t start until you are wronged!!).
Trolley - The show I am most curious about after seeing recaps. Must make time.

ALCHEMY OF SOULS - I am in eager dread for the last two episodes.
More than a drama, this has been an experience, and I have enjoyed every moment. But gosh darn it, if Wook and Naksu only get the shadow of happiness and not the solid body of it, I am going to be upset.

And I hope that Jin Mu is proven how utterly blind he is when it comes to the strength of love. His insistence that caring for anyone is weakness drove me mad these past episodes; he and Voldemort would be best buds.

The awkward scene (awkward for the abrupt inclusion) with So-i’s body was on one hand good for Yul to understand the depth of her feelings for him (sob), but I do wonder at the inclusion. Is this a set up for her body being the house for Jin Bu-yeon’s soul (original recipe)? How ironic and tragic, if the body of the fake heir became the appearance for the soul of the real one.

Also, this drama makes me want to hold a turtle.

GAUS ELECTRONICS — Never thought the best commercials I have ever seen would be from a drama.
I gave this a second chance, and I am glad I did. I have been in the right mood for its zany humor. I was not expecting the tender poignant moments nor the cracky loveliness. Kwak Dong Yeon, give me back my heart!

RESET - I could say this is a cross between SPEED and GROUNDHOG DAY, but that is only the tip of the iceberg.
Every detail in intricately plotted and carefully laid out. It is a psychological thriller as much as an investigation into the human heart. It is in my list of all-time favorite dramas now.
Bai Jinting and Zhao Jin Mai are excellent as two ordinary people drawn into extraordinary circumstances. But while most of the story is centered on them, the storytelling is so deft that by the end of the drama I dare you not to care about all the characters.

MISSING: THE OTHER SIDE — a drama that warms the heart slightly more than it breaks it.
So good. Just so good. Off to watch the second season and hopefully Thomas will get the proper send off long overdue for him and the writers will leave poor Wook’s head alone.

RECIPE FOR FAREWELL — If someone made a drama recipe for “Healing Heartbreak” this would be it. Plus, now I want to try out all the recipes.

NEW LIFE BEGINS — adorable start and I enjoy the female friendships —-3rd’s 24 heavenly treasures are a hoot and steal the show for sure—and Bai Jinting (again!).
I have not warmed up to the FL quite yet though, which is unusual for me. I can understand that naïveté and cultural differences would explain some of her actions but I just couldn’t understand some of her actions and I am just hoping she matures (in many aspects). I do love that she is a foodie and that the drama gives her the chance to explore her passion in the palace and makes it a strength for her character.
Otherwise, I am really enjoying the drama and thank Beanies for the rec.

Forbidden Marriage: 7.4 Guess they were serious about forbidding it last week, but back to normal now?

Alchemy of Souls s2: 8.0 The get-the-worm-out-of-Yul bit seemed like an awfully convoluted way to arrange a kiss (with Yul). Not my favorite part of the series. I was hoping they'd save So-yi somehow, and I am hoping that the final week will be 9.x level epic. Expect/hope both Naksu & Bu-yeon survive, but who gets which body?

Island: 7.8 Lots of running around and screaming in week 1, but nothing draggy or offensively stupid. Finally a kdrama character that knows to finish the job when he's knifing somebody. Week 2 - a bit of a letdown, and where's the Revenge of Others guy when we need him? We've even got one of the girls from RoO as a victim.

Brain Works: 5.0 - and that's being generous. Out after 50 minutes but could left much earlier. The "genius" brain is so unethical and obnoxious I don't want him on my screen. The exaggerated "timid" brain is almost as bad. Cha Tae-Hyun playing Cha Tae-Hyun is what passes for almost tolerable, but that's the best I can say.

Unlock the Boss: 7.5

Alchemy of Souls s1 rewatch: 9.0 For ep 17/20. Season 2 is good so far, but I prefer s1. S2 has nothing to match Mu-deuk's death stares and side-eyes, or even her early "who will I kill first when I regain my powers" and her later "I'll be their servant just this one more time".

Don't you just hate it when a show isn't in DB's list of currently airing dramas and you don't know it has started until you see DB's "First Impressions" post and you're too late for its premier-week What We're Watching so you have to comment on four episodes next week. #island

Recipe For Farewell (Series review) - Mood: B / B+ / B+ / B / B+ / A-
Once again, I’m earnestly asking the Dramabeans staff to give us Beanies at least a formal space to share all our thoughts about this absolutely gorgeous show. Even the slight misstep that it had in Yeo Jin’s arc was way better than the best that I watched in other shows! But where do I even start when it comes to reviewing this show? The trailer teased us about all the food and the show itself actually featured food as a motif right to the very end: a beauty rarely accomplished. I loved how a simple request from our terminally ill lead, Da Jung, snowballed into a tale of heartwarming emotion without ever relying on the histrionics that other shows often faltered to when they need plot to fill up the airtime. The supermarket cashier is who I now benchmark all supporting characters against: he didn’t get a major arc of his own, but yet it felt otherwise. It’s such an incredible pity that this show didn’t blow up because the actors did so well, right down to the extras. I’m certain this project will be a meaningful one for the established stars but I’m also glad that Jin Ho Eun gets to place this in his resume: this is exactly the show a young and upcoming star needs, with loads of lessons to learn from the seniors, actual narratives to practice your skills and most importantly, none of that reliance on being the lucky stars to shine in a trashy story. Hurray!

Missing: The Other Side 2 (Episode 5-6) - Mood: C-
The cliffhanger did feel a bit anticlimactic: the audience already knows that Blondie isn’t Goliath and as for Il Yong’s reveal, it would’ve been only a twist if he wasn’t connected to the drug gang. There’s also the weird dreams that only Wook (why?) is having and a boat in the woods: in short, there’s many parallel stories and it feels messy? I hope the 2nd half clears it up.

Unlock the Boss (Episode 9-10) - Mood: C-
Writer’s trying hard to make the corporate side of the story interesting with some very standard highs and lows for In Sung, our hero, in the penultimate week, as well as adding pity stories for another predictable antagonist and their sidekick. But it was all undermined by the death of Ma Pi whose relationship with Min Ah was narratively superior than all of the nonsense.

The Interest of Love (Episode 5-6) - Mood: D-
And so we continue with some of the most profound themes we’ve ever seen in dramaland: all sorts of plot contrivances for the sake of blocking open communication between the OTP, followed by locking them up together after the female lead has chosen the 2nd male lead. But of course he inexplicably breaks up with her just as the male lead picks the 2nd female lead.

ALCHEMY OF SOUL is such a beautiful, rich tale and I hope for a satisfying ending. Please, no season 3, as much as I like the drama and Jang Uk's perfectly timed and big entrances and the rest of the cast.

TROLLEY is another great watch and there are many more secrets to be revealed (slowly). The writing and performance is nuanced and really good. I also find the dynamic between the still grieving mother and her daughter interesting - it is patriarchy in action, upheld by women.
The mother clearly thinks that her son, a future lawyer, was superior and that the poor, unimportant girl from the orphanage should just get over herself, there were only a few scratches, nothing really serious happened and she had offered generous compensation. The daughter suspects that her mother would not have been equally upset, if something bad had happened to her and she is desperate to win her mother's love by also blaming her former friend and the coming up with this terrible apology scheme.

UNLOCK THE BOSS is another nice drama to watch, although I had to laugh that in a drama about AI a character is killed for trying to hand over a PRINT OUT!, not even a memory stick or sending the report by email.

Cliff-hangers are standard drama fare, but the one in this week's INTEREST OF LOVE made me angry. Su-yeong can hear the reason for the sudden break-up, but not I? I suspect some sort of 'noble' reason, he breaks up for her own good (for which he is naturally the best judge!). It was so nice to see these two together, much nicer than Sang-su and Mi-kyung. She really should not be happy with a boyfriend who only can give her 1%.

Pleased that FORBIDDEN MARRIAGE is back, I love a nice, and not too challenging, relaxing watch.

Red balloon (5-6): I dont know where this is going. I am feeling bad for Ba Da. EU Kang is au conventional FL that you root for. The part between NC and the sister was equally bad

Work later drink now S2 (9-10): I like Ji goo most among the trio for her no nonsense attitude. JY might love Ji goo but I felt it was wrong from her side to act like that no matter what. The director was right " Who have her the right to decide who is good and who is not ". She acted selfish and I guess she know that too. Although this incident might be a trigger for Ji goo to finally put herself above her friends and extend a chance to her counter lead, I still can justify JY's actions. Esp the Ji goo "a expression when JY asked for her counter parts's name ( I forgot what his name was).

Hi Venus
If you really want to watch a true romcom with mature and sensible adults that have some very funny moments, swoony and squee worthy chemistry plus thorough conversations, this show is ideal for a winter cozy watch.
I'm kinda sad it's over.

Meet Yourself
Liking its slice of life and grounded feel. Still not hooked yet as of ep 6. But I enjoy it as a relaxing watch.

Alchemy of Souls
The only kdrama on my list. They are um slowly going in the background of cdramas. Nonetheless I hope this wraps up without inciting more frustration.

I binged all of She and Her Perfect Husband over the last week, and I really enjoyed it. When I sat down to watch a contract marriage romcom, I wasn't expecting a feminist critique of hiring and other workplace practices, but I'm glad I got both. (Highly recommend skipping all scenes with the FL's bff and brother, they're neither important nor good.)

Once I finished that, I looked for another Xu Kai drama to watch because I needed to know whether he could actually act. Falling Into Your Smile was sufficient enough to prove that he was directed to act the way he did in She and Her Perfect Husband, so I forgive him for giving me almost nothing in the first 28 episodes of SAHPH. If anyone has any Yang Mi recs, I'm all ears. Eyeing her 2017 movie Reset for a weekend watch.

Alchemy of Souls was nothing to write home about last week. I feel the same about Island. So I ended up rewatching a lot of old faves to make up for the deficit. I'm back at work this week, so my drama watching time is significantly reduced. 😔

I watched FLOWER OF EVIL.

There were so many things I LOVED about this show. Although interestingly the parts didn’t sum up as a whole that I can love, but it still left a very pleasant aftertaste for me.

I LOVE Lee Jun Gi and his acting style, and he was perfect here. He exudes so much energy and charisma that it is mesmerizing.

I have always loved Moon Chae Won, ever since she was a frantic but extremely relatable second lead in Shinning Inheritance, to when she was one of the best female lead characters ever in The Princess’ Man. She definitely showed her experience here.

I loved both cop sunbaes.
Choi Young Joon had fantastic characterization and delivery, I was waiting for and loving his smallest scenes the whole time.
Choi Dae Hoon is a different matter. I have a ridiculous soft spot for him and I don’t even know why! I’m always happy to see him in dramas and he usually turns rogue and breaks my heart LOL . You can imagine my surprise and delight at his role here. I LOVED watching him, and if I ever rewatch this show it will be because of these two and their hoobae, and their chief.

Jang Hee Jin is another one I have always had a soft spot for, since 2005 no less. I liked watching her too.

On the whole, I’m happy to ignore everything else. So it’s a win.

Now I'm watching SH**TING STARS. I'll hold my comments for next week.

The Fabulous
Out on Netflix here, so both my friend and I could watch this. An easy but satisfying watch for both of us. We enjoyed studying the outfits, accessories, makeup, styling and the glimpse behind the scenes to see how airport outfits, sponsors and marketing work.
Unlock My Boss
An unexpectedly good watch, I love our lead trio and especially the girl. I hope the end of Ep. 10 is not what it looked like, I don’t want to lose Ma Pi!
Forbidden Marriage
It seems like I only have dramas I love to watch right now 😊I got to catch up on this and saw 6 episodes in a row. Such great fun! It has everything right from the start: love, grief, self-reference, fun and jokes, a love triangle, some easy-to-understand palace politics. Kim Woo Seok has an easier role here, he was awesome as Noh Tae Nam in Military Prosecutor Doberman.
Island
I seriously love KNG; here he is either in full action or just looking seriously good while not talking… Cha Eun Woo is soo pretty, I find his acting adequate and his Italian pretty good! Mi Ho doesn’t understand anything and is a damsel in distress who thinks money can solve anything, but I guess that’s what she’s like in the Webtoon, too. Thankfully, Lee Da Hee’s styling is so much better than in Love Is For Suckers.
About CGI and directing: If I was ungracious, I would say this is a B class Fantasy Horror Comedy with lots of eye candy, but I won’t since I’m enjoying it so much. It’s way too short, though! I thought Season 1 would have 12 episodes, but it turns out S1 only has 6 episodes. According to MDL, S2 will air starting Feb.3, so at least it’s only a short wait.
King Of The Desert
This very short drama is like a collection of short stories with connections through the protagonists. At first, it felt Kafkaesque to me; it is more like a social experiment about what people do for money and what it does to them (think Squid Game without the violence). The first episode was really good, the others were not quite up to that standard, but it was interesting and stays in my mind. How did I find this? Lee Hong Nae in Uncanny Counter was the first devilishly attractive villain I ever saw in Kdramas, he has a support role here.
KDrama friend project:
I didn’t continue Run On recently but am watching The Guest on even more urgent recommendation from my friend. It’s riveting but scary… and now I’ve seen my fair share of exorcisms between this and Island! If it gets too scary, I just look at both MLs as the romantic leads I’ve seen them as (in You Are My Spring and Crazy Love + Her Private Life, respectively).
Together, we’re watching a lot of kpop content and then some BL: Minato’s Laundromat, The New Employee, and The Director Who Buys Me Dinner. Also, we’re waiting for Alchemy of Souls to be released on Netflix in Europe, so we can watch that together.

I’ve been so busy with Christmas that I have hardly checked any drama. As I can’t seem to engage with any new drama (I tried Brain Works and was not in the mood), I’m focusing on finishing the dramas I couldn’t finish last year.

The Island. (Ep. 3). I Enjoyed the first episodes, a good blend of action and humor. But I hate the filter used on KNG face, although it got better on episode 3. I have to praise CEW Italian accent, by the way. A one thing more: why can’t LDH have a friend stylist? Why is she dressed and styled by her worst enemy? The bangs are distracting all the time, and why on Earth put her on high boots ALL the time. This is LIFS all over again.

Never give up (Ep. 13). I liked the side plot of the son trying to find happiness in what he loves, I think it showed so well the situation we see so many times in which adults are just focusing on making their sons the number one no matter what because they equal success to happiness. I also loved the little makjangish love triangle between the three kids (or was it a square?), it also showed how toxic relations can be from the moment someone considers you owe something to them. As for the adults, I will love writers stop using the “fist love” trope this way. It was not even a first love, but a first crush. I have to say I loved how Pilau despite being concerned and hurt by the lies of two people he trusted acted in a surprisingly mature way for a ML.

The Good Detective 2 (Ep. 12). I’m finding this drama so good. As always I love how no one is good or evil, even the evil ones. Every one lies in the grey zone.

New life begins. (Ep. 13). I’m liking a lot this cute drama, and find it very interesting how it deals with the role of women in society. I also love the beautiful production, the costumes and of course all the china… oh, I’m in love with every single piece of decorative arts shown.

Island: So I watched the first two episodes of this because, well, Kim Nam-Gil, demon hunter, but the weird combo of k-drama cliches and B-movie horror means I'm unlikely to continue. I mean, did our chaebol heiress really need to end up in a contract relationship with a semi-immortal man-demon by the end of episode 2?

Alchemy of Souls: Yul lives! The turtle lives! There is still a lot to enjoy about it, but I'm starting to really worry that the drama won't let Naksu do anything remotely cool. It's wasting the talent and training GYJ has. I'm a bit tired of Wook coming to save the day.

Forbidden Marriage: My enjoyment has dropped a lot since the first episode. The argument that the king has abandoned his throne because he slept out one night and was gone for the morning had me side-eying. Sorang and the modern references are keeping this show afloat for me.

Reborn Rich: (up to ep 11): Binging it! The story moves at a great clip and the directing and acting are fantastic. And I like the touches of humor too (Hyung-joon is the true visionary. lol). I am riveted by everyone, especially by Haraboji. I hate, fear, respect, and pity him. I was a little horrified by egregiously small and unappetizing-looking "New York pizza" with barely any tomato sauce in one of the earlier episodes. I know the ending already and am skeptical how it could actually be possible...

Dream of Splendor (up to ep 28): paused here since I'm sensing there is going to be a rift and I'm already mad at the ML for the Guilty-Ghosting trope, especially when he knows that that FL is in a precarious situation. I'm loving the scenes involving our tea house ladies using their heads. I may have to forward through the romance angst.

Silence of the Monster (up to ep 27): May have to bank the episodes and FF through to the nd. The whole Chufeng and his master subplot is getting annoying. This really a drama hard-carried by the directing and artistic direction.

Hi Venus (up to ep 12): Cute and light. I love how the supporting characters are like the audience cheering for the OTP to get together.

Didn't really have much to watch this week 😔.

ONGOING
Alchemy of Souls S2 - I guess I'm excited for the finale? I'm not really sure how to feel about this season.

Unlock My Boss - Well that death (if it's a death?) was unnecessary. Poor Mapi.

The Forbidden Marriage - The bathtub scene was a deliberate parody of The Red Sleev right? Still funny. I'm so glad this is back. It's the only purely fun show each week.

WATCHLIST
Planning to try Payback and Agency over the weekend.

C-DRAMAS
Completed Hi Venus (great!) and The Silence of the Monster (good but too long, the MLs were great).

Started Meet Yourself, which is by the same writer as Hi Venus and Go Ahead, and I'm enjoying it like all their earlier works.

Brain Works Just here for the comic duo :p

Missing: The Other Side 2 I really liked the addittion of his "daughter", they're cute together. Ahn So-hee is still an average actress, I can't see the difference between her dramas's characters.
Wednesday-Thursday (January 4-5)

Unlock the Boss Don't kill Ma-Pi!

The Interest of Love It's a slow torture but I really like it.

The Forbidden Marriage They failed to show the FL's feelings for the King... with all her antics, it's hard to see her true heart and why she loves him.

Alchemy of Souls 2 They made me finding Uk boring. He's too perfect. LJW is just doing grand entrance at this point...

Recipe of Farewell It was a great drama. The theme was hard but they made it in a very serene way.

ALCHEMY OF SOULS: This show has given me so much pleasure that I promise I won't complain about the ending--as long as it's not stupid. Or overly tragic. Or ambiguous. I don't need happiness all around or big weddings or universal triumph of good over evil. Just the leads together with full knowledge of each other in some form or another. Thank you.

THE FORBIDDEN MARRIAGE: This is still a cute, easy watch but I cannot get over my acute longing for the actors playing the first and second leads to switch places.

UNLOCK THE BOSS: This drama has been such a wonderful surprise with a male lead that's impossible not to root for. I'm only half following the central mystery, but it's twistier than I expected. The show is clever, and balances heavy and light very well, although I am assuming there was a major fake-out at the end of episode 10. And I loved the kiss! These two are very believable together.

INTEREST OF LOVE: I will applaud the writers for making me fall in love with the FL after I found her cold and remote for the first two episodes. I wish I felt a real pull and connection between the leads, but it hasn't happened yet. Still, there's something about the slice of life angst of this drama that keeps me watching. I'm hoping that eventually the romances will spark for me.

TROLLEY: As infuriating as it was to watch people treat a violent sexual assault as a privilege or no big deal or evidence of the woman's worthlessness, this show is impossible for me not to watch. The writing is so compelling and even though I know things are going to get extraordinarily painful for all involved, I also trust that justice will eventually be served for the characters. It'll be a hard road to get there, though, and likely mean the marriage at the center will fracture at some point.

I will be finishing Alchemy of souls Light and shadow and I want this drama and universe to continue despite its flaws. I'm starting to wonder if the misogyny is deliberate to make us react, such as in The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin. But this is probably me overthinking.
Blood is in pause.
Protect the boss is fun althrough dated. I noticed that there are english song in the background, one other thing that has changed in the production.
I also have started cdramas The silence of the monster. The leads are all so yound and slender.
But the other drama I'm engrossed with is Unchained love (or Forbidden love). I'll risk disagreing with the Dylan Wang fans in the room, but he is not at Wu Lei or Lee Jae Wook level and not so funny either. The banters, bickering and fun situations are the high point of this comedy.

Out of desperation during these dark rainy Seattle days, am currently re-watching MARRIAGE NOT DATING (2014). Just needed a guaranteed laugh.

SUMMER STRIKE: I'm partial to dramas that take place in the countryside (I'LL COME TO YOU WHEN THE WEATHER'S FINE, ONCE UPON A SMALL TOWN, MY LIBERATION NOTES, OUR BLUES). The disenchanted rat-race-dropout theme is one I never get tired of. In its last episodes (only 12 of them), SUMMER STRIKE made a wrong turn and lost its way by throwing in a murder and making the romantic leads into detectives. SPOILER: The romance eventually reaches a crashing crescendo of hand-holding.

Finished two Seo In-Guk dramas:
SHOPAHOLIC LOUIS: My first time seeing SI-G. Shopaholic is a pretty well written comedy with good consistency all the way through. It was easy to get pulled along through the story as it jumped quickly from one plot thread to the next. SI-G overplays the awkward, childlike innocence of the main character, but he’s pretty adorable.

Next, DOOM AT YOUR SERVICE. A complete switch from SIG's character inn Shopaholic. Halfway through, I started to lean heavy on the fast forward button. It’s hard to identify with characters whose lines of dialogue seem randomly pulled out of a hat.