COMPLETED
Payback - Moon Chae-won was wasted in this. Last 2 episodes weren't particularly exciting but still a good show overall.

ONGOING
Our Blooming Youth - The leads are very cute together. I liked the intercut scenes of FL and 2FL as they relayed their life and investigation stories.

Can We Be Strangers? - This couple should not be together.

Kokdu: Season of Deity - What is a bad drama? This is a bad drama.

Crash Course in Romance - Hae-e is the best girl and must be protected. Also Jung Kyung-ho 🥰.

STARTED
The Heavenly Idol - Not as funny as I was hoping. OG Yeon-woo making a completely different vow was interesting.

C-DRAMAS
Binged Time and Him Are Just Right and My Calorie Boy. Both were a light, breezy watch.

Completed A League of Nobleman. Really liked it. While we were short-changed in the story slightly (probably by the censors 😒), the performances were great and this was a visual treat to watch.

Still watching Under the Microscope. Planning to watch Justice in the Dark.

Love to Hate You - this is not the best drama I have ever seen, but I loved it for what it was - a good old romcom, with no serial killers, court cases... you name it. True, it took me about 2-3 episodes to get hooked... but then I binged the rest in 1 day. And although I was loosing my interest a bit during the last 2 episodes (and wished for a different final arc, like Miran switching to a stunt career), I still enormously enjoyed the show, especially all the comedy, being it Silent Director or All Male Office. The show was making fun of clichés (Kangho's comments on the Drama Heroine at the beach 😄) and the actors were clearly enjoying the acting (Sena combining both 😄). I also liked the intimate moments, like Kangho showing Miran the emotional part of love making.
And then there was Kim Jihoon and his mane of glory, of course. 😄

Crash Course - ha, theI always played offence, defence is not my strong ability completely fits Haengsun 😄 and explains all my frustration with her. The invasion of privacy and the power of the public opinion and how it changes on a whim were scary. By now, I think there was enough suffering for Chiyeol and I hope he gets his happiness soon... and also students who will appreciate the amazing teacher he is.

Strangers - I still like the show for all those questions and points of view it brings... and I think it actually does bring a lot, given the traditional Korean society. However, this week, I was losing my connection with the characters, especially Hara's baby-manipulating Eunboem made me nearly hate her (though I suspect it is the writer who makes Hara behave according her needs). Shiwok, on the other hand, made me nearly cry with that care-package ❤️

The Starry Love - xianxia about twin sisters swapped at their double wedding with the Heavenly Immortal Prince and the Devil Prince. So far (2eps) I'm entertained.

Red Balloon - My head is one thing : blank.

Trolley - I've said everything I want to say in the comment section. They could have had a solid Trolley dilemma without sacrificing Joong-do in that manner. This, I'm not forgiving Trolley for, ever, even though I liked the watching experience.

Kokdu - Do this people know what they're doing at all. Is Seol-hui tied to Kokdu, or Kokdu and the soul initially inhabiting Kokdu's body?
It's just grating that I can't drop this, not in solidarity but because I like the drama 3 characters you can easily point out bring to the screen.

Our Blooming Youth - This one suffered from the FF button cause I watched the third episode right after watching Kokdu which I greatly ff'ed. But I won't say I missed anything either. Something is missing here that isn't drawing me in to the story.

Strangers Again - I'm cool if you're both back to being strangers, again.

Agency - I'm up for Hanna's reaction to the push and shove she got last week.

Crash Course in Romance - Now the secret that was never a problem is out.
It's the end of the 3rd quarter. Can we have some consequences for the All Care pokenosing moms?

Our Blooming Youth: They are quickly forging an emotional bond between our damaged leads, but I’m pretty here for it. I’ve always loved murder mysteries, and so far we’ve already got three of them in this show! I loved that we got a chance to know our prince better this week - all the seemingly conflicting parts of his personality come together really beautifully in him.

Crash Course in Romance: Hae-i continues to be the MVP of this whole situation. There are many things I love about this show, but now I get to add a high school bromance to the list and I couldn’t be happier.

Strangers Again: It seems like the show has decided the question of children is the main thing our leads have to overcome, which is sort of fair, they do. But I hope they also address Ha-ra’s absolute inability to do anything at all without steamrolling everyone around her, and especially Eun-beom. At one point she said “you have to tell me things, so I can understand you.” Yes, hon, but you should also assume that there is something to understand, and ask.

Goblin: I only have two episodes left and the tragedy has been in full force. At this point, our lonely shining Goblin might be the only person in the world whose memory has not been manipulated to tragic effect. I’m so grateful for the little moments of joy, like Shin and Eun-tak going on a trip together, and Shin going full fairy-godfather on the reincarnation of his faithful soldier and the little boy. But overall, it sort of hurts so good, and I’ll be sad to say goodbye to it soon.

Along with the Gods: The Last 49 Days: I watched the first one of these with my partner a few weeks ago, and it was fun and interesting (and I had to explain a lot of Korean afterlife things to him) but we both thought this one was much better. I loved getting the backstory of our guardians, and guessing how they were all interconnected as the truth was slowly revealed. Now he’s looking for everything else we have available to us starring either Ha Jung-woo or Ju Ji-hoon (he’s already a huge Ma Dong-seok fan), which is also great news for me!

𝗟𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗛𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗬𝗼𝘂:
Feisty Heroine ✅
Kind and handsome hunk of a Hero with an adorable smile ✅
Heart fluttering romance ✅ ✅
What’s not to love?! I binge watched this last weekend and I’m happy to see it’s one of Netflix’s Top 10 shows.
𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗔𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻: What a mess. But like a bad accident, I can’t look away. I don’t see how this gets satisfactorily resolved with just two episodes left.
𝗢𝘂𝗿 𝗕𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵: So far so good, but we’ll see what happens. Park Hyung-sik looks and acts so regal. And I love the friendship and sleuth solving skills of Jeon So Nee and Pyo Yi Jin. They’re like a Joseon-era Rizzoli and Isles. I hope we get to see a lot more of them together as opposed to palace politics.

Trolley: A good ending to a great show. I like that she recognized she needed to out her husband to show her daughter that sometimes tough decisions need to be made. I am glad they didn't give some weird reason for why he raped Yeo Jin, because that is usually what happens in rape. The men(usually) just do it because they can.The fact that Woo Jae let Ji Hoon just drown is going to eat at him the rest of his life. As for the bill not being passed that made me sad. I understand not wanting the association, but to discard it fully is not helpful, if something is good, even if the messenger is trash, take the good and dispose of the messenger.

Strangers Again: SIGH. Bi Chwi and Si Wook actually make a lot of sense to me, although other beanies seem to disagree. I think the show writer has been clunky in writing their relationship, but I think all the elements are there. Si Wook has genuinely liked Bi Chwi from the beginning. He has been constantly misunderstood by her. Every single time she has misunderstood him, he has gone and explained himself. He also knows her really well, which is why knew she was lying about him not being the baby daddy. As for Bi Chwi, it is clear to me she likes him, she is just being stubborn for no reason. Shrug, so I like them together. The main couple on the other hand are a hot mess and should never be together. Love isn't enough.

The heavenly Idol: It was fine, but didn't capture me like I wanted it to. So I didn't get to episode 2.

Kokdu: Continues to be bad, but I continue to laugh. When I stop laughing is when I will drop this drama.

Agency: Go Ah In continues to be the MVP, idk about that VR simulation though, hmmmm.

Crash course in Romance: It is not an affair, it is ROMANCE. So let it begin and let us enjoy. Hopefully the stupid murder side plot doesn't interfere too much. We want to continue to like Dong Hui for a little while longer.

Big Bet: We are finally coming to the flash forward. Timelines are aligning. Here we go in my Mario voice, lol.

Never grow old - Chinese coming of age
I am in the early stages of this 24 episode drama so I am still getting to know the characters. I am noticing a theme in my recent watches of children being raised by relatives/living away from parents who work in cities some distance away and the impact of the separation on the children. I have also seen older teens living on their own in K dramas too, they usually have single parents and we often see flashback to show they were on their own from a much younger age too; Love in contract, Our beloved summer, Moment of eighteen and Today’s webtoon all showed very little children being left on their own at night.

Strangers again
This show has me hooked but questioning why anyone likes the female lead as she really is the ‘all about me’ show when she is off duty.

Three bold siblings
..

The Lord of drama (2012)
Watching on YouTube so the ad breaks are frustrating me so i can watch in small batches although over all I am enjoying the general behind the scenes view. The themes about friendship and team work and whether to take the ‘if you can’t beat them join them’ approach or to stay true to yourself and fight corruption.

Completed
Unforgettable love - Chinese romance
A cold CEO and his non speaking cute young son both try to adopt a woman against her will to become a wife/mother in their family. She is a psychologist/psychiatrist (the subbers use the words interchangeably and I couldn’t work out which she was from her actions as they crossed so many ethical codes of conduct). I watched to the end but it was a forgettable story. I was also shocked that the main PPL was a skin whitening face mask promoted as safe because it is made from plants.

Dropped:
Quartet - Japanese drama
I wanted to watch and enjoy this drama about a group of individuals who join a quartet each with their own ulterior motives. However, one of the main characters is getting on my nerves, and I can not ignore their presence.

Books
The sense of wonder- Matthew Salesses
Listening on Audible so far I am very conscious that it has a male author and is embedded in the world of professional basketball. I am only in the first 30 minutes so prepared to give it time because it took me a while to get into Offering by Michael Byungju Kim but once in I really enjoyed the story.

So far I am able to connect because it is raising common themes about identity that were played out in my recent reads of books authored by or about Korean American characters.

DIVORCE LAWYER IN LOVE (2015)(Ep 9-16) The pace of the show was good to get the OTP confessions out in the open by Episode 8 but I wondered how the direction of the show would be affected by it. The obstinate mother becomes the wind in the lover’s sails as well as the rising tide of family guilt. I do not like possessive or clingy ex-BF plots. And the main characters lack of common sense in relationships begins to be (real world) overwhelmingly cliche. But the OTP find common ground by the end of Ep 14, obstacles and all. At this point, it has been well telegraphed how the show will end, all that is left is the journey. Lawyer So’s answer to his subway miracle was anti-climatic or should have been relayed by Soo Ah. Though there were dubious court room arcs, the series concluded well as a rom-com should: not quite a happily ever after for everyone but a good discussion of what is a “modern marriage.” JYJ carries the show with her expressiveness and charm. A binge worthy series.

Crash Course in Romance (Episode 9-10) - Mood: C-
Come on show, impress me by not turning Mr Ji into the killer and/or the brother! But realistically speaking, the show has no way out of this hole it has dug into itself: barring a new character, the only other one who fits the profile is probably the cop who was proactively investigating the case, which then leads to the killer cop trope. You may say, why judge it like a thriller, when it’s not one? Well, three murders had happened and the most tension in the narrative is somehow the mom gang. The sad thing about the cliffhanger is that it took 10 episodes for the characters to know what the audience already knew. Meh.

The Heavenly Idol (Episode 1-2) - Mood: C-
The most fun I had while watching the premiere was OG Yeon Woo calmly forcing Rembrary into a slave contract, though in hindsight I guess the other world is much better off without the devil and Yeon Woo wouldn’t have to do too much to fake it. I do fear that this might be the last we see of Yeon Woo for a good while as the setup is complete, in fact, it’s a pity that the fish out of water scenario that we viewed wasn’t Yeon Woo’s sudden trip to heaven. Let’s just hope the villain is interesting?

Strangers Again (Episode 9-10) - Mood: D+
This week’s foray into difference in attitudes towards parenthood really made me wonder: what if the divorce had been due to him wanting a child and her not wanting to, then both regretting their perspective after living life post-marriage, followed by the reunion where they fall back into love again while presuming that they now match up in wanting or not wanting to be parents, just that unfortunately she now wants a child while he doesn’t? That could the best drama about missed timings? I just wish we didn’t had to sit through this parenting nonsense x2 and random childhood trauma reveal in the eleventh hour!

Kokdu: Season of Deity (Episode 5-6) - Mood: D+
Do Jin Woo is back! I do feel like the connection between him and Kokdu has to be explained because the preview even has them telepathically communicating with each other, which has to mean something if the writer doesn’t intend for it to be an irritating plot hole. I also don’t get why the golfer isn’t the 2nd lead instead when the real ones are just narrative nonsense?

I'm still working my way through The Fiery Priest. I really hate corruption stuff because it makes me lose faith in humanity so it's taking me sometime to get through it. The episodes I have seen does make me think Kim Nam Gil is definitely holding back in Island haha. Cha EunWoo's character has all the dynamics while Nam Gil is mostly just stoic stares (from what I remember. That show legit puts me to sleep so I don't remember much of it)

I finished Anna. I'm kinda surprised that wasn't covered on here or at least discussed. It's a short drama, only 6 episodes.

I binged Taxi Driver which is what made me excited for S2. I really enjoy shows when actors can play multiple characters in addition to the main character. I think it's such a cool and rare thing to do and not necessarily easy to pull off.

Has anyone ever watched the show IZombie? It's a western show but that show is an example of playing the different characters while also playing the main role.

I watch Kokdu but I haven't watched this week's episodes yet

I watched the idol competetion show Peak Time which was cool.

Crash Course in Romance (Ep.10). It was not a dream!! I just love our leads together, I don’t care about the rest and the fact that my heart will be heartbroken when we learn who the killer is (why do I have the feeling that HaengSeong may suffer an attack?).

Strangers again (Ep. 10). Not a single couple in this drama should end up together. Seriously. They all will be unhappy ever after and make their children also unhappy.

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

Love to hate you. I liked the drama, specially the fact that adults acted adults and FL was both professional and open about her sex life, and she and ML were good together. Second leads story was totally unnecessary, specially considering that KWH acting was as flat as her character. Anyway, just a fun watch.

I keep on watching the documentary K-pop Generation and I keep recommending it even if you’re not a kpoper.

Also Beat coin /HK Coin is back. I watch this variety out of babes love, as Wooyung is part of the cast. It’s usually fun, but this week’s episode was so weird with the cast having a health check as part of the episode… why would I want anyone having a gastroscope done and rated??? Things like this make me wonder if I am really sane, you know? Fortunately the second part was funny.

Planning to give a try to The Heavenly Idol and also Our blooming youth. This week has been too stressing at work and also I have workers in my building that stressed me even more. I hate it when real life comes across my fangirling / drama life. *Deep sigh*

Our Blooming Youth I'm still trying why they thought the title was fitting this story... It sounds modern and about people realizing their dream, not about people wrongfully accused of killing their family.

Strangers Again The writer adresses interesting themes but in a very bad way...

The Heavenly Idol It looks more like a web drama like Must You Go than a TV drama.

Taxi Driver 2 Pyo Ye-Jin is busy.

Crash Course in Romance So now, we will get the fun and happy scenes back? I hope not too much of the murderer scenes...

Decoy When the second part will air?

Bros on Foot They're in a very far country from mine, so I will prefer to see them visiting and showing beautiful landscapes than them cooking again and again u_u

Is anyone watching Physical? it's really exciting.

I started Smile to Life and Time and Him are Just Right, both easy, light and fun, with very little drama.

I'm sipping Hi Venus and Love Like The Galaxy, because I wish they would never end.

Attempt with Jdrama Lesson in Love, first episode looks interesting.

Finished the Trolley ride which was a stressful, but also satisfying experience. I seem to be one of the few who think that Joong-do had to be made into a rapist, one who does not escape punishment through suicide (even though he tries), but in the end accepts that he is indeed guilty of a crime and needs to be judged and jailed. I was so pleased that Hye-joo finally stood up for herself.

Standing up for himself is something Eun-bum in STRANGERS AGAIN finds very hard. He avoids even small arguments such as over the choice of a TV program - but suffers in silence, building up his resentment. He even lies to have the most argument and conflict free divorce he can think of. That is also a form of betrayal, as bad as having an affair. He is not a person to be in a relationship with and I am starting to think that the much vilified SML would have been a much better partner for Oh Hara (who has no problem at all saying what she wants and probably does not understand people who don't). He did communicate well and did not allow her to boss him around. He also told her the truth about why he broke up with her.

After all these stressful and heavy dramas of recent weeks I was looking forward to some lighter entertainment. I quite liked the first episodes of HEAVENLY IDOL, it did what I expected, but I am still not sold on the humour in BLOOMING YOUTH, it feels a bit forced and I preferred the more zany fun of Forbidden Marriage.

The use of social media in CRASH COURSE IN ROMANCE was unpleasant to watch. The best moments were Chae-min and Min-jae coming to the defence of Ha-ee and bonding over this.

Looking forward to TAXI DRIVER 2, I hope they have not changed the title music.

3 Bold Siblings - the secret's out ... the sweet daughter turned out to be a brat = what a bad influence that boyfriend of hers is!
Our Blooming Youth - the action is fast-paced, I like it!
Crash Course in Romance - the winner of my affection for this batch of dramas
Strangers Again - both exes have their own hang ups, but they realize only now, btw, DINK or not, agreements are very crucial
Bros on Foot - these men - really make my day! Imagine Ji-hoon rolling on the ground to be given a 2nd chance

2 weeks ago I spilled a glass of water on my laptop and killed it dead. During the time without a laptop, all I had was my phone so I killed time rewatching favorite scenes from You Are My Glory and Love Between Fairy and Devil. But then on a whim I downloaded the Viki app >.>

Kokdu was fine for me until ep 6. I do plan to keep watching for now. I feel more invested in Kokdu's story than in the romance, which is a first for me.

Our Blooming Youth - have only watched the first 2 eps and like it so far.

Crash Course in romance.
Hae-ee stole the show this week, and I'm still loving the show. Hoping its ratings success opens the floodgates for more rom coms

Our Blooming Youth
Liking it so far solid chemistry between our leads and I'm digging the tropiness, everything from the cliff fall, the evil minister, the shady best friend the terrible disguises (seriously even Helen keller can tell she's a woman)

Three-Body
An excellent adaptation that managed to stick its landing, I'm hoping it was successful enough in China to warrant adaptations of the other two books. Also I'm glad the C-drama version came out first, its pretty much guaranteed that the western adaption will be hot garbage.

I Told Sunset About You (Thailand): A lovely, bittersweet coming of age drama that feels like watching a five-episode-long indie film. Nails all the angst, heartache, and giddiness of teen relationships, along with the terror that society will view you as an outcast because of what you feel and who you love.

I'm Sorry I Love You (rewatch) - Pretty much every scene in the last episode is a tearjerker. What got me this time was the soju scene between So Ji Sub and Jung Kyung Ho.
Now I need to watch another drama about lost souls, but with a happy ending. Any recommendations?

Payback: 5.5 Juggling too many plot twists, confessions, pens. Must not forget the pens.

Crash Course In Romance: 4.0

Our Blooming Youth: 7.6

Strangers Again: 6.5

The Heavenly Idol: 7.0 Are deities on earth the new Big Thing this season? Wouldn't "offerings" be a better word than "tributes" for all the PPL(?) candy? I might eventually decide this show is a brilliant send-up of kpoopland, but I'm not completely sold yet.

Taxi Driver s2: 7.5 It's Pyo Ye-jin week! She's here and she's in Blooming Youth. Fighting crime everywhere and everywhen.

Kokdu: Season of Deity: 7.0 Having fun with it, Sort-of. Mostly for the wrong reasons.
1: Not enough corpsicles this week. Will we get a bunch at the end or will they send all the baddies to prison according to the law? Don't kdramas always do the latter? What a waste of a good opportunity for painful divine retribution.
2: ML/god always doing what the FL orders him to, no matter how much he doesn't want to -- channeling every actor ever when the director tells them to do something?
3: ML/deity needs to get a kiss to break his centuries-old curse: Do Grim Reapers never get any action? Are Korean gods all incels? How different would Korean society be if they had gods like Zeus always coming down for some fun and making it possible for pregnant teens & single moms to claim their kid is the Son of God? (At least if her family has the power and influence to make the neighbors pretend to believe it). #godthefatherlitterally #ourfatherwhoartinheavenonlywhenthewifeislooking (sorry for the digression, but I've waited decades for an excuse to say that about Greek mythology)

OUR BLOOMING YOUTH: This is not quite the sageuk masterpiece that, say, "Red Sleeve" or "Mr. Queen" was for me, and it's not as well plotted or directed as "Under the Queen's Umbrella," but it's still very watchable and just surprising enough in its execution of tropes that it's my current favorite live watch. The most important thing for me is that the romance has great promise (I don't do sageuks that don't have at least some romance), and the chemistry is absolutely there between the leads, even without the extended stares and swelling OST accompaniment (note to editor/director: you don't need to do this. These two are sparky enough when they're interacting, and especially when Jae-yi fumbles with hooking the belt around the CP). The sleuthing--and the trips outside the palace and friend bonding it necessitates--are a nice break from the all-scheming-ministers/all-the-time political drama that sageuks typically rely on to build suspense. Also, I love PHS in this role.

STRANGERS AGAIN: It's frustrating when a show that had a fantastic premise, great actors, and writers capable of seeing hot button issues from multiple angles can't seem to stick the landing. I feel like they're trying too hard at this point to avoid writing the obvious story of compromise and re-discovered love between the leads. As for the second leads, because it's a given that the moment a woman gets pregnant in a drama (not just a kdrama, but most any show produced anywhere in the world), even if she considers abortion and it makes sense for her, she's going to have the baby, the second leads' story feels painfully by-the-numbers. The only thing keeping me hanging on now is that I can't stop staring and gaping at the ML's beautiful, sad eyes.

HATE TO LOVE YOU: Finished it this week, and was very happy to see it broke the Netflix USA Top 10. It did what it did very well, and despite a weak second couple (such a missed opportunity there!), left me happy and satisfied. They did so many things right, from displaying physical and emotional intimacy in a realistic way (yes, couples who are in love continue to kiss and have sex after the first time) without it ever feeling cringey or gratuitous, to showing the oh-too-real-reality of misogynist double standards that never seem to die. Plus, even with those painful beats, the show will still a joy to watch.

TROLLEY: I can appreciate the show for what it was--a well written, tautly plotted, brilliantly acted drama--but I also can't stop re-writing it in my head. I am definitely one who didn't think making the ML a rapist enhanced the plot or storytelling at all. Everything else he had done seemed to be enough, because it all stemmed in some way from his misguided idea that he was a good person who made good decisions because his intentions were always good. That was so relatable and interesting to me, and still resulted in enough dramatic tension and conflict within his marriage to fuel both the...

IN THE INTEREST OF LOVE: 1-14 of 16. Yoo Yeon Seok could probably be in anything he wanted, and after watching a few episodes I can see why he would want to be in ITIOF. It's a pretty ambitious drama. In the US we like to pretend that wealth and social class don't figure into relationships, but what I see in Kdramas like ITIOF is more honesty around this, and the issue is explored in a very thoughtful way. The characters, who don't always do what I want them to do, are complex and played by actors who know how to make them come alive. A woman having a rough life craves certainty. A man is torn between his desire for her vs. the expected, easier road to success. Both make a wrong choice. The story is constructed slowly and deliberately, never loses its footing, using seemingly irrelevant dialogue between supporting characters to amplify the inner fears of Sang-su and Soo-yeong. It's masterful storytelling. Plus there's an amazing kiss scene on an ice arena. And that scene of them eating steamed silkworms on the beach. With two more episodes to go, I'm worried about how Sang-su and Soo-yeong will get true closure.

Crash Course in Romance: IT'S NOT A SCANDAL, IT'S A ROMANCE! *mic drop* damn right, Haeyi!

Our Blooming Youth: Jae-yi and Garam For the Win! I'm really glad that we're getting to Jae-yi crack some cases with possibly Garam and Myung-jin's help. I really love historical mysteries since they don't have access to the modern-day tools and advances.

Season of Kkokdu (up to ep 6): Mostly fun watch when you don't think about how messy and nonsensical it is. Just watch it for the humor.

Love to Hate You (up to ep 8). I really enjoyed it and the series length was perfect. I did find the "she's different from all the other (implied: inferior) ladies" mentions really annoying though. I went into it more for Yoo Teo, but ended up falling in love with Kim Ok Bin. Like why isn't she more famous?!

Under the Microscope (up to ep 5): A cdrama about a math genius finding out an accounting error in tax collection during the Ming Dynasty and trying to report it so the government can correct it. Shouldn't be interesting, but it is! It's a great commentary on how complex government bureaucracy is and how impossible it is for normal folks to navigate it and the special interests of the officials.

Crash Course in Romance: Watching for Jung Kyung-ho and the teens. I’m probably in a small minority, but I’m not feeling the romance between the leads, although it doesn't actively bother me. The metal-ball-shooter mystery is not interesting enough for me to even speculate.

Strangers Again: Inconsistent characterization plagues this drama, and in the face of the FL’s manipulation and self-absorption, the ML’s sad eyes are no longer enough to keep me in it. Eun-beom taking Ha-ra up on her tenth and last confession was a development we could see coming a mile away, so I wish the show had devoted less time to that and left more for the couple to talk about what went wrong in the past, why it would be any different now, and why they still want to be together - the little we got of that was the best part of the subsequent episodes.

Love to Hate You: Binged this and thoroughly enjoyed it, except the second half of the finale - ten hours of fun were not quite spoiled by 20 minutes of painfully cringey, “Notting Hill”-style public confessions. It's definitely not mindless, but shallow enough to take it un-seriously and just revel in the contrivances and comeuppances on all sides.

Kokdu: Kim Jung-hyun is officially playing a triple role (Kokdu, modern-day doctor, Joseon guy) but it looks like Im Soo-hyang is also playing three different characters just in this timeline: modestly competent doctor; lighthearted, idealistic romantic heroine; and complete flipping idiot. I don't see any connection among the three - she abruptly switches personalities from one scene to the next. The begging, bawling, and bouncing on the bed are unbearable. Despite my fondness for KJH, I might have already dropped this.

Love To Hate You❤️💔(10/10): A Valentine weekend well spent !👍 The first half on Friday night with snacks, the second half on Saturday with coffee. Objectively speaking it is anything but good, but I was really looking forward to another binge. I had fun and the lazy binge did wonders for my mental health afterwards. Sometimes that is all that matters.😉

Crash Course in Romance 👨‍🏫🍲(10/16): My weekly medicine to combat the Sunday blues.❤️I know I am reading too much into the teenage dynamics, but I still think Geon-Hu is a good influence. He tried to break up the fight multiple times, which I thought was very mature for that age. He also is finally getting the hang of studying and trying to make something out of his life, regardless of others. Hae-E, Sun-Jae and Dan-Ji are good people with lots of potential, but they are shackled by the academy dramatics, so they are walking on eggs all the time. They somehow loosen up around Geon-Hu and I hope to see them become a wholesome friend quartet by the end.😊

Fruits Basket (2019) Season 1🍙🐈(23/25): Two zodiac members left! I guess they will appear in the next season, since this first season added more debt to what was shown in the 2001 version and gave us the backgrounds of Uo-Chan and Hana-Chan. Those ladies are friendship goals, so it is only right to show us more about them than merely being Tohru’s besties.😊

The Golden Girls Season 1👵👵👵👵(18/25):🎵Thank you for being a friend🎵 Sicily 1922 might have been a wild place and time to be alive, but do not underestimate Rose Nylund and her childhood adventures!😉

We thoroughly enjoyed the first two episodes of THE HEAVENLY IDOL which is silly and fun.

We continued to really love CRASH COURSE IN ROMANCE.

My wife finally got around to watching the Chinese costume drama WORD OF HONOR which had long been on her watchlist. She binge watched it and really liked it. Having completed that in near record time she has now started the newer Chinese costume drama ICE FANTASY a show that may have been inspired by the classic LOVE AND DESTINY. She also really likes the new Sageuk OUR BLOOMING YOUTH and has continued to enjoy BRAIN WORKS.

On THREE BOLD SIBLINGS this last week we got to know that Shin-hye’s BabyMomma is a real piece of work- and generally full of herself- making for an interesting new villainess whose plans may be thwarted simply by virtue of the fact that she may have a fatal illness- or does she? The stunt she pulled at the end of episode 41 makes me wonder if it is simply a ploy. She reminded Mooyoung that Ji-hye is not really his biological daughter (This being Birth Secret Number 2)- this lady is major schemer but her plans obviously do not take into account that present day Mooyoung is far different from the naive young man she very badly hurt twenty five years ago and who has every reason to loath her- which he certainly does. You could say that her real problem is that her information about her target is way out of date- what in my long-ago naval days we would have described as an intelligence failure. Meanwhile, Ji-woo, our ML’s nephew and the subject of Birth Secret Number 1 ran away from home while we got a real unexpected twist on the story behind that first Birth Secret. This show has finally built up to an average audience for a Weekender in part by engaging more of its characters- and giving us some uniquely unlikeable antagonists. As we head into the final weeks I have reached the conclusion that this is a mathematically average weekender but not a typical one: The writer’s actual real talent does shine at times in some scenes and in the use of symmetry in the story lines but this is countered by an often plodding use of standard weekender tropes and sometimes an almost paint by numbers feel to much of this drama, although we have seen a few truly poignant moments, particularly in the story of Mooyoung and Soorim. This drama has a very uneven feel to it.

I have also fallen behind on STRANGERS AGAIN- and all of my Chinese romcoms as well.

K dramas Big Bet 2 Blooming Youth Heavenly Idol .
Back to 1 Ep a week for Big Bet
Blooming, I like FL’s BFF
Heaven Just to see

C dramas The Knockout Under the Microscope

Brush Up Life - 6 episodes loaded so far, so funny - like groundhog day but do-overs from birth...

Love to Hate You - finished, and was laffing out loud thru the last eps. really enjoyed this one and Kim Ji Hoon's hair, of course. i just wish he didn't have to do the "hair flings" so often... loved both couples, good chemistry.

Can We Be Strangers - they'd better fix this, the last 2 eps were dumb... not happy about the stupid "reveal" of his angst.

Payback - almost to the end, enjoying watching this one slowly. great cast, good story...

Agency - i'm really enjoying this, love Lee Bo Young's character and her wardrobe...

Kokdu: Season of Deity - want to like this more, still watching but there's something... i think it's the FL. she doesn't fit the part for me, it might be her juvenile behavior that belies her age/profession that makes it not believeable. maybe it's her voice? gosh, something bugs me, can't put my finger on it...

Our Blooming Youth - not sure about this one yet, am tasting...

Big Bet - can't wait for season 2 of this one! march can't come soon enough...

Bros on Foot - still chortling about the sheep herding....
: D

Lost Romance: The second lead syndrome to end all second lead syndromes continue. Nothing the main lead does could ever match that yoga scene.

Princess Agents: So many leading male actors of dramas past, all in one drama, and as side characters. I like the drama, but I'm not sure I like the male lead.

Live Up To Your Name: This got a lot more interesting when the characters started getting transported back to Joseon. Excellent choice of a breakfast drama.

After a very long week, I wasn't in the mood for anything other than an easy watch. So it's not surprising that I started but didn't finish Payback. I was excited for this show since it first aired, but it lost steam around episode 5. The narrative was not as good as the hype, and I just couldn't get into the storyline. Very disappointing since I had such high hopes for it being good.

On a whim, I started Good Job, since I'm unemployed and it's the only thing I want in my life these days. So far so good, but I'm already wondering if this is another rich guy saves the poor woman trope. Due to my own personal situation, I'm over this and just want to see a woman succeed on her own terms by her own merit. If other people help get her there, that's great, but so over a man saving a woman because he falls in love with her concept. I only want to be or watch a Cinderella scenario if it involves a good job at a great company.

Whether it's my mood or recent dramas, I'm just not finding anything exciting. Agency is the only remotely interesting one I'm looking forward to now, so hoping it's all that and more.

Finished The Good Detective Season 1 and started Season 2. And also finished also my third re-watch of When the Camellia Blooms.

I'm watching Trolley in small doses because it has a dark, foreboding, somber tone that tells you there's something up ahead (I'm still on ep. 6). And by the comments here, I'm not wrong. I'll take my time since I like to savor these type of shows.

I'll start Taxi Driver Season 2 tonight.

Love to Hate You - enjoyed this. Really easy watch that is just fun. No prolonged angst between the leads, no silly side plots, no forced ‘healing’ scenes. Just a fun romcom that doesn’t take itself too seriously and the best eye candy with 2 beautiful male leads!

Alchemy of Souls - finished season 1 and almost done with 2. One of the best dramas I’ve watched in some time. Interesting story, fantastic cinematography, beautiful costumes and great chemistry not only between the ML and both FLs but the cast as a whole vibes perfectly. Only regret is not watching this sooner. Special mention of Lee Jae Wook…he perfectly embodies the character Jang Uk.

I got sucked into Ireland, kept thinking do I really want to continue watching but couldn't stop. It's an oldie, so lots of young familiar faces.

KKOKDU: This show turned out to be very inspiring - I'm THIS close to follow titular character's footsteps and choke the writer for trying to pass this infuriating gibberish for a solid script. Ep7 was godawful, but that twist near the end of Ep8?! I have no words other than those that won't pass any censorship. Good for them to at least admit that drama could've very well end right now without any losses. Bad thing is that of course it didn't happen and we're still in for what, 4 weeks more of this torture? Oh my... When this is finally over KJH owes me a better drama. And a freaking drink.

OUR BLOOMING YOUTH: Don't let me talk about it even more or I'll never shut up!)))

THE HEAVENLY IDOL: Surprisingly good comedy with tons of juicy kpop meta. If only Kkokdu had the writing this clever...

Hello from Marvellous Melbourne! How are you all doing in the land of Kdramas and Soju - having fun and enjoying the latest series or scandal? Down here on the other side of the black stump which is just past woop-woop, we finally have Mr Queen available - it came out on 14 February just five days ago and having just seen the last episode in the series I was rewatching (Uncanny Counter) gotta love So Mum summoning the “Territory” I’m about twenty minutes into the first episode. Since reading about it ages ago, I’ve been dying to get my hands on it but it costs too much to purchase and going by the adage “all things come to he (or, she) who waits, the waiting is finally over.

I love sagukes this is right up my alley, so hold onto your hanboks ladies while I get comfortable and binge through Mr Queen!

Love to Hate You - Binge-watched this 10 episode lighthearted , fun and easygoing drama during the weekend. It was a nice watch and I enjoyed the drama. I liked how the main girl was strong in her own essence and it was a refreshing romcom. I knew the depth of the characters would be missing even before i watched it, so didnt hope for it.

Our Blooming Youth - I am loving this show so much and I cannot wait for more episodes. I loved how Jae Yi finds her own path and uses her brain to get to the place she wants. Currently she is one of my most favourite historical character write up so far. I love the small moments between Prince Hwan and Jae Yi. The apple scene was so sweeeet. I hope to see a moment in future, between her and the Prince so that she can grieve on her family's death. Poor girl hasn't got the time to properly bid a farewell to her parents.

Crash Course in Romance - I am so disliking Royal Consort Ji now.He has become so rude to Hae Song. Finally our leads are together and it is good to see them both enjoying each other's company. I also liked the confession of Geon Hu infront of the whole class. Haha, he actually told infront of the teacher. So cooool ! How I wish Nam Hae choose this boy over Soon jae.

I'm surprised in how little recent kdramas have been able to grab me. I'm still watching a few on and off, but I'm definitely finding it difficult to keep up week to week lately.

Our Blooming Youth *6/10*
It's not even anything spectacular, just an enjoyable show where I like the leads. Typical palace politics are unfortunately interspersed but I'll keep watching at least for now.

Love to Hate You *7.5/10* Completed
A fun quick watch on Netflix. I just liked the dynamics between the characters and ended up watching this one over two sittings. A woman whose favorite action star is Michelle Yeoh? Yes, please.

Strangers Again *5/10*
Average stuff. I liked the idea behind this one, but I find myself more frustrated with each character nearly every week. Will probably drop soon, as I'm mostly going through the motions.

The Heavenly Idol *6/10*
Another show I was kind of looking forward to that is kind of meh in it's opening episodes. I did end up enjoying the second episode more than the first but I'm not sure if I'll make it through this one.

Kokdu: Season of Deity *5/10* DROPPED
I watched the first couple, and just could NOT force myself to keep watching. Nothing grabbing me and bringing me back to watch

Crash Course in Romance *8/10*
Pretty predictable, but the characters themselves are pretty charming despite the cliched setup. I like our FL and her whole extended family revolving around the shop, and if it wasn't for the murder plot being stitched onto this one, I'd likely rate it higher. They really don't give the viewers too much credit with the obvious red herrings they're throwing our way. Maybe I've just watched too many kdramas, but the killer seems SUPER obvious.

The Full-Time Wife Escapist *8.5/10*
Popped up on Netflix and figured I'd give it a shot as Kdramas have been letting me down lately. An episode or two left, but I'm really enjoying this fairly standard jdrama rom com. It suffers a bit from that weird thing Jdramas do where people act like anime/manga characters (the FL parents, and the gay co worker especially) but otherwise it's surprisingly heartfelt. It's definitely zigged where I thought it was going to zag a couple of times and there's no cliched "vengeful ex" or weird murder plot grafted on. I definitely cracked up at a few of the inner monologues (the Evangelion stuff was pretty funny) but it's not really laugh out loud hilarious. More of a fun watch with a bit of a classic feel.

Silent *8.5/10* Completed
Good show that I ended up watching over a few days. I liked it because it was just a group of interesting people handling subject matter that's fairly uncommon in dramas. The ending seemed a bit abrupt but otherwise a great watch.

Reset *9/10* Completed
WOW. I REALLY enjoyed this show. It's been a while since almost everything hit for me. Maybe I'm biased because I love time travel hijinks but the...

Who is the actress in the photo?

Crash Course In Romance I would like someone to tell me why I’m not enjoying this show as much as I should! I’m actually more interested in the thriller part than in the romance right now…
Brain WorksStill liking this a lot, for the bromance, romance and the semi-reliable brain science.
Finished Trolley Seriously good, but also seriously hard to watch, as lies and guilt unfold. This show had so many turns and revelations, and not one of them was for the better. I would have liked to understand the background of the rape, but I guess not showing that was on purpose. It is also certainly no coincidence that at the very end, sun and brightness shone on four women and no man, hinting at a future together for these wounded, betrayed and harassed women who found their strength in bringing the truth to light.
FinishedPayback A good revenge drama, but it felt a bit flat at the end, even with all the twists. Maybe we were too certain that our hero’s plan was in place all along?
Strangers AgainI like the romance, I get the comedy, and the cases are “realistic” in a kdrama way. Last week was about having children (or pets…) and how you can’t make a compromise on that. Our leads whole romance is at stake over that – I think they would need to work out the issues from their first marriage before even thinking about children. Our second couple had another cringey public proposal, but that was killed quickly and replaced by the words that needed to be said: I’m going to stand by you; you make the decisions about your life; I will stay home and raise our child – all from the man! Bravo!
Our Blooming YouthEpisodes 3 and 4 gave me the feeling that this is going to be a new classic, I’m totally looking forward to many more episodes of this!
Seasons of KokduEpisode 3 and 4 gave me the feeling that this is going to be a new classic, I’m totally looking forward to many more episodes
Heavenly IdolFinally, a leading role for Kim Min Gue, and it looks like he is having a lot of fun! Me, too – any criticism is unwelcome.
Love To Hate You Ep.2Did we need Netflix to produce a romcom that is really funny and romantic? With great chemistry, a classic storyline with a twist (strong, independent, spirited women with streetfighter abilities), well-rounded characters, friendship and bromance, lots of eye candy, a couple that continues to touch and have fun together after their first night (looking at you Love In Contract and numerous others), enough angst in the last two episodes and not a psychopath in sight!! I was skeptical when I started this, but it was great!
KDrama friend project: Seasons of Kokdu is so much fun for us, the only drawback is that they talk so quickly that we can’t catch up on the subtitles. We’re also looking forward to watching the final episodes of Alchemy of Souls together.

Love to Hate You
I really like this drama. It was short (10 episodes), light, and entertaining. All the characters are likable. The most hateful character, in the drama, is the leader of Nam Kang-ho's fan club, and she appeared for a minute top. Also, Teo Yoo is so attractive.

Our Blooming Youth
I have a feeling I'm dropping this in a week. Cross-dressing eunuchs were fun in 2016, but now they bore me. And why can't the Crown Prince tell his supposedly best friend that his fiance is still alive?

Crash Course in Romance
I'm watching it and would continue to watch it, but I don't have any strong opinion about the show.