INTEREST OF LOVE (Ep 11-16)

Woah.

I normally don’t like open endings, but it seemed fitting for this drama. After all that emotional upheaval, I can understand Soo-young being exhausted…too exhausted to love. Too exhausted give more of herself and also too exhausted to receive.

While Soo-young remained mostly an enigma throughout the series, Sang-soo questioning what he felt was interesting. Always regretting and replaying different scenarios in his head, what if…what if…what if…he didn’t hesitate?

Would they be a couple? But did he ever truly imagine being with her? Or did he imagine a rose tinted happily ever after? Where Soo-young didn’t have depression and display self-sabotaging behaviour? Where Sang-soo’s intensity would be reciprocated instead of being viewed as a heavy burden? Where both Soo-young’s and Sang-soo’s traumas wouldn’t effect their relationship?

Both their previous romantic partners illustrated their own flaws and insecurities. We saw how suffocating it was for Sang-soo to be in a relationship where Mi-kyung was fully committed and he was not. And yet do we not root for Sang-soo and his intensity for Soo-young? Do we not root for him because he is 100% committed to her?

Similarly, watching Soo-young navigate around Jong-hyun’s feelings of inadequacy, something Soo-young herself felt when Sang-soo hesitated, we can see how stifling those feelings can be in a relationship.

So then what if? What if Sang-soo didn’t hesitate? What if Soo-young remained at the restaurant? What if Sang-soo and Soo-young pursued a romantic relationship? Would they be happy together?

Our Blooming Youth: Hwan: literally runs away from Jae-i’s shadow because that is too much closeness for him. Also Hwan: let’s Jae-i dress him every morning. I’m still loving everything about this show, but I think Jae-i needs to figure out her feelings and someone needs to confess.

Divorce Attorney Shin: So far so good. I’m liking our characters, cases continue to be engaging, backstory is coming right along. Interested to see how the new lawyer will upset the balance of our sacred divorce attorney.

Delivery Man: I’m glad Young-min wasn’t childish for very long. I know that we probably wouldn’t have dramas if people would just learn to express themselves, but I don’t really understand why Ji-hyeon can’t tell him about her falling-in-love-disappearing problem. My money is on the lock they put up being significant later.

Reply 1988: I’m inching through this (it’s hard when the episodes are all movie-length and there are 20 of them!) and having the best time. Taek continues to be the best thing ever, Jung-hwan is exactly the type of person I would want to befriend, Dong-ryeon continues to impress me at unexpected moments, and Bo-ra is growing on me.

Road home - Chinese drama
Just started and hoping I can get into it after a slow start because it seems like it will be my kind of love story.

Emperor or Boss - Chinese
Web drama with time travel recommended by a Beanie quick watch enjoying it.

Divorce attorney Shin
Looking forward to this weeks episodes. I want to see if annoying intern is going to be an asset or hinderance to the team. I also need to know the real story behind the para legal’s ex wife rushing a divorce.

Three bold siblings
Finally the last episode takes place this weekend🥳 I am sure they will milk the upset for half the episode but then they need to either show a scan of the twins or fast forward at least a year to see three couples and babies living their happy ever after. I will be very upset if the Male lead’s sister gets the PD as her boyfriend; he deserves much better as his work colleague and partner won’t want to hang out with them. I hope Soobin is back for the ending and fully healed as he has been missing in action most of the later episodes.

In the six months this has been on air I have watched some great k dramas, unfortunately this wasn’t one of them🥺

Completed

Once and forever: the sun rises - Chinese drama
I have a feeling parts of this drama were removed because the last episode felt like it just ended. We had a scene of her adult self in most episodes but the majority of the drama was flashbacks to her teenage adventures with the other young people in her neighbourhood. There was the briefest scene that showed they maintained their friendships into adulthood. We also saw the new prosperity following the demolition of the old neighbourhood so it was very similar to the ending of Reply 1988 in that sense. I liked it and would give it a rating of 6 out of ten. Had to watch past the final credits to see shots of some of the other characters as their adult selves

UNDER THE SKIN (CH)—art, art history, crime and bromance. Could you get anything better? This drama has surprised me for its quality and immersive stories. But most surprising is the spotlight on women and their reasons for committing crime. I haven’t decided if the writer is sliding in social, even feminist, commentary past censorship (very daring, I would think) or if I am reading into it too much. On the whole, I suspect the former.

DIARY OF A PROSECUTOR — Okay, this is my kind of legal drama. The humor surprised me, and I am loving it. Of course the actors are fantastic.

OUR BELOVED SUMMER—my cozy /in need of a smart romance watch.
There is a freshness to how this simple story is told that makes it a treat to watch over and over. Woong and Yeon Su’s second chance love story gives me butterflies, and Choi Woo Shik and Kim Da Mi have this warm, natural chemistry that is my catnip. Plus, the OST is pretty much perfect.
My only fist shake to the skies is that the special episode is STILL not subbed in English (in full).

LIFE ON MARS —I gave in and went to the dark side, a.k.a unlicensed streaming. I blame you, Beanies. I only finished the first episode: color me intrigued. It is almost crossing the line in how graphic the murders are, but the story is so good and I can’t help but root for the ML (Jung Kyung Ho! ) so I am managing with FF.
How much does this depart from the original? Just curious since I have not seen it.

To watch list:
Our Blooming Youth—waiting to know how much torture and blood are coming before starting. Meanwhile, I am thoroughly entertained by @alathe ’s recaps.
Heavenly Idol—I decided this would be best to binge rather than give too much time to think in between episodes.
Oasis—I am torn, so torn. Jang Dong Yoon is back! But I am not in the mood for doomed, tragic stories.
Call It Love—curse you, Disney+

This week I have watched:

_ Flower of Evil (7 out of 16).

_ Solomon's Perjury (6 out of 12). It's getting more interesting episode after episode. I'm really intrigued with that mistery.

_ KBS2 Drama Special "Rural Outcasts".

_ KBS2 Drama Special "Socialization: Understanding of dance". Sooo cute mini drama! Nice non-romantic couple.

_ C-drama Meet Yourself (37 out of 40). I'm a bit sad because I'm finishing it. I love this kind of comfort slice-of-life series.

THE GLORY (Ep. 9-16). Glory is defined as "high renown or honor won by notable achievements" but I don't think Dong-eum found that at the end. It was a good series, with several excellent acting performances. Part Two had its flaws as discussed elsewhere. Overall, a very good drama.

Heavenly Idol - this is my fav for a post work wind down. The premise is ridiculous in the best way possible!

Our Blooming Youth - it's very much a me thing but I'm finding I have less energy in me with each passing week to keep on top of all the political bits. At this point I'm watching 90% for PHS and 10% out of curiosity to see how it all ends (eventually).

Shadow Detective - mum only vibes with k-crime thriller dramas so we just started this one (if any one has watched it, would love your opinion on it!)

Call It Love - just started it and already is my favourite 😍

Boys Planet - history has taught me not to trust MNET and this time is no exception but it's entertaining and I'm keen to see what the final group will look like (and how long they'll last for *cries in wanna one*)

Attorney Shin - the case of the week was frustrating and depressing, though maybe truer to life than I would wish to. I still love the main trio and then some side characters, like the ramyun lady.

Call It Love - I could do with less of CEO Shin and the Ex-girlfriend (and that closing scene of episode 8 asked a bit too much of suspension of disbelief and threw me out of the story). I think there is enough (and more interesting) without those two boomerangs (and I hope they will not cause some tragedy). Jigu and Dongjin living together is something I didn't know I needed... and I can't wait for the fake dating of Joon and Hyesung. 😁 Woojoo is all tough talk and emotional acts, but she is such a softie inside... and can't leave a loose button unattended. 🙂

Heavenly Idol - it's getting stupider and stupider and my finger on the speed up button heavier and heavier. Such a shame of a wasted potential.

Our Blooming Youth I don't think this story needed 20 episodes. I don't need to have a lot of action but at least to see the characters evolving but it's not the case... This title doesn't suit this drama.

The Heavenly Idol I completely forgot to watch the episode 10... It's how is my interest for this drama.

Divorce Attorney Shin Not sure about the FL working with them, it's kinda weird. But otherwise, I really like it.

Taxi Driver 2 Why Shin Jae-Ha?!

Korean Englishmen with British Students They chose the most adorable highschoolers. It's so nice to see their joy to visit Korea and eat all the food they can.

I just finished watching 2 Chinese short web dramas (both less than 3 hours) with Yang Ze. The first drama, Emperor or Boss, is from 2021 and is a super cute, fun time travel drama (ML time travels to current day from ancient China). This drama is on Viki.

The second drama, The Origin of Eternity/San Sheng Yuan Qi Shi Qing Huan, is a little more serious and features a immortal who turns a flower into an sweet, naive immortal who helps him with his final cultivation. While the tribulations have unhappy endings, the overall drama ends on a happy note.

I've decide that Yang Ze is the king of Chinese short web drama as I've now watched and enjoyed 5 of his short dramas. In addition to the above 2, Destined to Meet You, Bossy Husband Who Love Me (I still waiting for season 2 to air) and The Killer Is Also Romantic were also very good.

Delivery Man: 6.5 Parts are ok, but another suicide note on a cell phone!? 😡 And police believe it? 👎👎 Do kdrama police not watch kdramas? 😠😠😠 Also, bullying and fake hospital flatlining are not among my favorite kdrama things, although not quite a bad as...

The Heavenly Idol: 5.0 Framing the good guys and making things seem hopeless is probably my least favorite thing in kdramaland, and they didn't need to be nearly so heavy-handed just to say that candy is bad for you.

Taxi Driver s2: 7.0 We have two current shows where the ML is some kind of deity, so why does the ML here seem more powerful?

Our Blooming Youth: 7.5

Call It Love: 6.1

Kokdu: Season of Deity: 5.5 Another not-favorite thing is drug companies hiding high death rate test results to get their new drug approved. Crooked or not, anyone smart enough to be a top executive should be able to figure out that they won't be able to cover it up if zillions of their customers drop dead.

Re flatlining in the hospital -- veteran kdrama watchers know that it is shedding a single tear when in critical condition that kills you. Flatlining dry-eyed is just the Flatline of Non-Doom.

Delivery Man (Episode 5-6) - Mood: D+
So the best conflict they can come up for the romance is the fact that love will separate them? Why does no one consider a murderer who isn’t caught yet? Or the realities where Young Min is currently at risk of losing his home? Given that Kyu Jin is so underdeveloped in the 1st half of the show, it likely stands more than not that he’s the culprit: this reminds me of Seo Ji Hoon in Revenge of Others where the writer similarly wrote so little that they ended up undermining the plot.

Call It Love (Episode 7-8) - Mood: D+
You know, for once I just wished I wasn’t proven right when I called the cliffhanger from last week pure bait nonsense, but it seems like mediocre writers just cannot take the hint and do something different instead of saving the reveal for the classic third-quarter conflict. And of course Yoon Joon does what Yoon Joon does for the two sisters: seriously 0 innovative writing can be seen in this show. And there’s the corporate arc which frankly should have been dropped but somehow is still there?

The Heavenly Idol (Episode 9-10) - Mood: D+
By the time I got to watching the Grim Reaper telling Rembrary that he needed to sacrifice Dal for the greater good, I was a click away from closing the window. They might have played it off comically later, but it was a pathetic way of writing some tension when we’re all expecting nonsense in the penultimate week. And I hope the writer hasn’t forgotten about the actual Yeon Woo but they’ve already setup so much crap for the finale that I don’t believe there’ll be much if any time to resolve it.

Kokdu: Season of Deity (Episode 13-14) - Mood: D-
I was mildly impressed that Gye Jeol didn’t manage to somehow out noble idiot and sacrifice herself instead of Kokdu but it still sucks to see how we got to this stage because she after all prevented him from just killing the villain (who adds 0 value to the plot, his impending departure was a much better conflict and that’s still too cliche). The writer must have realised an episode too late that the 2nd OTP had some conflict resolution to be done but I don’t know if better late than never applies.

Taxi Driver 2 (Episode 5-6) - Mood: D
While part of the blame lies on Shin Jae Ha’s agent for willingly typecasting him (he had already played the hidden villain role before military enlistment, for god’s sake), another part lies with the tenuous writing for making it so predictable. To play devil’s advocate, maybe his agent believed that he needed to return from the army with a big bang and didn’t think too much about the actual roles? I already cannot trust this writer to give us a non-caricature, much less a nuanced villain?

After the palate cleanser post from a couple of days ago, I've been rewatching Lee Seung Gi scenes haha
Mainly The King 2 Hearts & You're All Surrounded
I've also been watching some scenes from The Law Cafe such as the noise complaint band.

I watched Peak Time and since it's my first time watching a show like that, I don't know if it's typical that they cut away from the emcee so much. There's been times when he just seems to be a disembodied voice.

I watched Happiness and it was kinda hard for me to get through because I hated so many characters. All I could think was this show is full of asses; either ass****s or dumbasses and it made it so hard for me to get through. And then there was the military guy and there were many times when I totally got where he was coming from so I would be annoyed with the main characters were looking down on him or being harsh to him. And then I started thinking I'm the inhumane jerk so I must be a "bad person". Yeah, this show brought up those feelings for me so I didn't enjoy it at all. The only reason I even watched it was it (a) was mentioned on Seung Gi's youtube channel Human Made (b) it was short. It's only 12 episodes (c) Hyo Joo & Seung Gi had said there was something different about her acting in Happiness compared to her previous roles and I wanted to see if I could see what they were talking about; I could not but I'm sure better, more critical people than me can see how her acting has changed or improved.

I watched The King: Eternal Monarch but I'm not even sure if I should put that down on my list of shows I've watched because I zoned out, fast forward, and barely paid attention to alot of it. Once the newspaper with Trump as President was shown, it killed my interest. I know it's a historical fact so it would be included in things but whenever I see him and his presidency mentioned in things, it kills my interest in whatever I was watching and then I'm filled with anger and/or annoyance so I can't go back and rewatch what I missed.
From that I do remember, I liked the guy who played the 2 roles most haha
It's always funny and impressive to me when an actor has to play dual roles who are SO opposite to each other and make both roles appealing and engaging.
I didn't completely understand what the villian's master plan was and he just seemed like a megolomanic. Seriously, the dude killed a version of himself just so that version wouldn't "win" or claim his victory.

I watched Move To Heaven. Yet another drama that made me go "wait, that's it?!". I did shed some tears over that drama and the discoveries that were revealed. I thought it was really touching and it made me appreciate people who would go that extra step to give closure to the deceased. (Oh, thinking about it now is making me teary eyed)

I'm currently starting 18 Again. As I'm watching it, I can't help thinking about 17 Again but I'm sure...

My Holo Love: Striking visuals, and at its best when it's exploring how relationships with flawed, problematic humans can be much more rewarding than ones with perfect simulated people, but I wish it had drawn less heavily from the k-drama cliche handbook. I also wished it had looked critically at the issues that might arise when an AI develops human feelings and has the ability to hack the power grid. Because that doesn't really seem as warm and fuzzy as presented here.

The Starry Love: The production values and acting levels are all over the map, but the set up is fun, and Luke Chen is very easy on my eyeballs.

Our Blooming Youth: I love how we got to know Hwan better and of course, Jae-yi, Garam, and Myung-jin are always amazing. I did take issue with some of the awkward editing and Minister Jo having like multiple scenes assaulting people this week.

Heavenly Idol: Wow, the second half feels like it's really falling apart, but I can't stop watching since there are so many questions! I FF through the devil's scenes. And that vitamin commercial was premium cheese!

Starry Love (up to ep 32): Love this drama so much. I'm saving the climatic final 8 episodes for this weekend so I can weep in peace. The writing manages to make so many characters in the huge ensemble individually shine. They get cute moments and bad ass, heroic moments and great lines that make you go HUZZAH! Lots of cast chemistry and humor in the best unexpected places.

Warm on a Cold Night (finished): Fantastic cinematography and well-choreographed fight scenes, but really weak writing and so-so characters. All that blood-spitting for nothing! I do love General Chilan and her amazing hats and her interactions with the crown prince.

Never Give up (up to ep 20) Chinese Gaus! The hilarity continues with lots of great loving skewering of white collar office life, and it has added some warm moments. I do have the call out the secret to using only 10mL of water to wash your hair. Almost did a spit-take.

Our Blooming Youth - I'm behind this week because I suddenly lost interest last week, but looking at the fanwall, looks like the pace is picking up.
Delivery Man - premiere was alright but nothing to interesting or new for me to continue.
Heavenly Idol - taking this slow. There are still funny moments but the villain is too 1D that I'm ffing the scenes.
Divorce Attoryney Shin - After watching last week's eps, I needed more CSW that I ended up rewatching FoS1 & 2 in 3 days xD no regrets, it's still an awesome show even to this day!
Call It Love - gave in to the hype on the fanwall, currently at ep2 so nothing much yet is happening.

k dramas
OBY, just watching
Heavenly Idol , I had hope for Monster slaying
Big Bet, Last Week ?
Divorce Atty Shin just watching
Oasis Hate the course our writer has plotted.

Haven’t watched this many k dramas at once in a long time.

J drama. fantasy Brush Up Life ❤️ Ando Sakura and Kaho.

A 30 something dies and has the chance to relive her life… in an effort to lead a better life … so she won’t reincarnate as a anteater or mackerel

C drama Luoyang Historical mystery drama. Good fight scenes.

YouTube: Pleased to watch British 1960’s tv series, Maigret , French Detective stories based on novels by Georges Simenon

Also watched a few of the Untouchables tv series. Robert Stackas G Man Elliott Ness

CALL IT LOVE: This remains my favorite of the currently airing dramas, and the one that I try to discipline myself to watch slowly over the course of three days instead of bingeing two episodes at once when they drop on Wednesdays. This is exactly the type of drama that made me fall in love with kdramas years ago: deliberate, poignant, quietly painful and beautiful at the same time, and achingly romantic even without tropes, skinship, or obvious flirting. It's also wonderful to feel real trust in the writer/PD that they know what they're doing and will do right by these characters.

OUR BLOOMING YOUTH: I wanted this to be more of a romance than it is, but it's still a very enjoyable historical mystery. After a couple of weeks where I thought his character had little to do despite being in nearly every scene, PHS had some great moments, especially the one where Hwan breaks down in quarantine because he fears his father has abandoned him (and he kindof has, the jerk). I continue to love the FL, although I find her cluelessness about both her own and Hwan's feelings to be a little hard to swallow.

OASIS: Last week, I loved ep. 1 but disliked ep. 2. This week, I loved ep. 3 but then felt so much irritation with ep. 4. It really is as if the even and odd eps are written by different people, with the odd numbers being more subtle and effective in both storytelling and characterization. The even eps feel like plot drops, and I always end up disliking the 2ML by the end of them. The romance also feels stilted--that was a particularly disappointing reunion/confrontation scene early on in ep 4--and the bromance falls apart as well. I'm curious to see if this trend holds in Week Three, so will continue to watch at least one more round.

Call It Love (8/16) ★★★★☆
Easily my favorite Kdrama airing right now. The tone of this drama is captivating. I particularly like the characters. I am such a sucker for the siblings and their antics.
Looks like next week, we can expect the sfl angst to ramp up, but I’m hoping it’s manageable.

Our Blooming Love (12/20) ★★★☆☆
I struggled a lot with ep 11. I just couldn’t figure out what all the fuss was about. I just want more love triangle bits, and this drama just seems to care about palace politics. Yet I do like the budding relationship between our two leads. Hoping for more next week.

Taxi Driver 2 (7/16) ★★★☆☆
Ep 7 was fairly watchable. I wish I was more in the mood for this episodic format. I do think I will be able to manage till the end, it's just not my favorite setup.

Call it love. I am absolutely in love with this drama, in love with all the characters (except for the evil mum, of course), the music... even the filter!!. Wednesday is too far away.

Fanletter, please. Last weekend I didn't know what to watch, so I decided to try this one, as I love both Yoon Bak and Sooyoung. The drama is quite silly but I watched the whole thing with a smile in my face, it delivers exactly what you expect from it.

I decided to give a try to Unlock my boss and I'm already on episode 7 in a week. I'm enjoying it so much I wonder why I didn't watch while airing.

Dropped Heavenly idol because the Evil One and the Evil Two are too boring and Divorce Attorney Shin.

I usually wait until I'm done with all the shows I watch weekly before posting this... but I have little to no desire or willpower to go through another 2 hours of Kkokdu today, so let's postpone or skip that.

OUR BLOOMING YOUTH: Hey, there is one thing that surely blooms here constantly - my love for Hyungsik as an actor. This week he made me cry (that scene in Ep11 was uncomfortable to watch in the best way possible), he made laugh, he made want to reach through the screen and choke several other characters, he made me be TERRIFIED of the show ending in a month - it's nowhere near the great drama, but I want it to keep going so I can see more of him as Hwan. Embarrassing fangirl rant aside, show keeps switching modes between genuinely exciting and lazily done. This goes for all aspects - mystery, politics, secondary arcs and, ofc, main love line that's hardly a love triangle anymore somehow. Because, you know, FL cares less and less about SML yet still didn't pick up she likes ML... Basically rn The △ exists solely in ML's head since he's the only person who knows what he feels - and why he shouldn't. That's... unique. Sort of. When it's not kinda annoying. Can we get some progress soon? That's too much of infamous modern korean "some" in a historical drama.

THE HEAVENLY IDOL: Show's lore and script are crazy, but I still love the humor, no matter how scarce it became, and handsome dudes doing unholy things and dirty lines with DIVINE smoothness are always welcome in this house. You go, Rembrary! Make us BELIEVE)))

I was so angry on Im Soo Hyang's behalf at Kkokdu writers who did the girl dirty that I've decided to temporarily ditch my "no makjangs" principle and watch her in GRACEFUL FAMILY. It's not as ridiculously fun as I'd hoped but still fine. She's SO much better than in 3K and there's also a Devil from THI as ML lol. What a small world kdramaland is))) Not sure if I'll last until the end, but currently chances are higher than with the other show I dunno how to force myself to finish.

Current/recent:
Our Blooming Youth: Clues are falling thick as arrows. Speed up the mystery-solving already! I can think of no romantic happy-ever-after between the leads that is both emotionally satisfying and true to their natures, so I almost hope there isn’t one.
Bros on Foot: I want to eat everything they’re eating, but I’m also baffled why they don’t try more local food.

Older stuff:
Circle: Mind: blown. Especially by the lead performances. I LOVED this and I can’t wait to rewatch so I can catch the clues I missed the first time round, while at the same time wishing this drama had had the budget, ratings, and sequel it deserved.
Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-joo: So sweet, I have a toothache after watching, but it still managed not to be cloying. And I swear Nam Joo-hyuk became a better actor between the first episode and the last.
Stove League: Just started.

As has been discussed on this site, real-life Korea is facing a demographic crisis, as young people are no longer having children and the population as a whole is rapidly aging. The sources of this are complex, but I think a major one involves two issues with Korean men. They refuse to treat women as full and equal members of society, worthy of full wages and support in the workplace as well as full assistance with childcare and domestic duties. Also they are afraid of emotional intimacy and exposing their vulnerability. So, with that, lets check up on my viewing this week, so see how kdrama men are doing. I’m sorry to say the news is….not good.

1. The historical antecedents of the crisis are in full display in Our Blooming Youth where a future king is showing women some respect, however is so afraid of intimacy that he doesn’t want even his shadow to touch that of the woman he loves. No wonder his reign resulted in no successor to follow his model of companionate marriage, and instead left a system of alienated queens and exploited concubines.
2. On the contemporary front, we have two taxi drivers. Unfortunately, one of those Taxi Driver 2 is totally uninterested in women, getting his emotional satisfaction from beating up bad guys, who incidentally, are exploiting women and children, not good for encouraging future population growth! The other, in Delivery Man, does treat women with respect, and tries to do everything that the female entity in his life asks. Unfortunately, she’s a ghost. There will be no children coming from this union, unless they come on “the other side” wherever that is, though its clearly not Korea.
3. Speaking of other realms, there was apparent good news for population growth when a likeable priest in the Heavenly Idol decided to give up celibacy. Unfortunately he will be having children in another, mystical world, where he will be battling the Evil One, so no help for Korean society there.
4. Finally, in what epitomizes the crisis, the tall good looking male lead in Call it Love has revealed that he is going to repudiate the love of not one, but two women. Why? He had a painful breakup in the past, which reduced his speech to occasional brief sentences, and left him with a permanently mournful look on his face. Apparently he thinks that he’s the only one who has ever had a relationship end badly. Toughen up a little, why don’t you!

If I could give some advice to Kdrama men: pull yourselves together for the good of the nation! Treat women better, and don’t be such whimps when it comes to emotional commitment! Otherwise your society will end up being filled with decrepit old men, like me!

Currently watching My Ahjussi. It's been on my list since it first aired. In fact, I remember keeping up with the recaps on Dramabeans as the episodes aired back in 2018. I'm loving it, especially the banter between the brothers three. And Ki Hoon, grumpy and sort of mean as he is, is my favorite brother. I think it's the glasses. And the hair.

Also watching Big Bet. I'm not sure where we're headed. Multiple backs have been stabbed, with more backstabbing to come, probably. I just want Hoon to come out unscathed. And for him and Mark to be BFFs. And for Mooshik to pay for the stuff he's done, but not too much, because I can't help but like him, in spite of all his problems.

Finished REPLY 1997. Although not as popular as R1988, this show has made it onto my list of top kdramas. There's a special kind of energy and intensity that leaps out from the first in a great series, whether a novel or TV show. R1997 is an incredibly detailed, loving account of awkward adolescent longings set in an era of radical fan culture. Much went right over my head, but I could still appreciate things like dial-up internet that got interrupted by your mom taking a phone call. Though the last three episodes, which follow the characters into adulthood in Seoul, felt like awkward last minute scrambling for plot resolutions, the first 13 episodes that take place in Busan will be etched in my memory forever.

WHATCHA WEARIN (2012 film on streaming site Tubi). Stars one of my favorites, Ji Sung. Nothing earthshaking here, but good for an evening's entertainment between dramas. It's an explicit rom-com in the way that Korean movies often are. I saw quite a bit more of Ji Sung and some actresses than I ever expected to.

Currently watching: Queen In Hyun's Man (AKA Queen & I). A fusion sageuk with Yoo In-na and Ji Hyun-woo (of Becoming a Billionaire). I figured I couldn't go too far wrong because Yoo In-na has a great track record for picking scripts. In fact, she is really the best thing going for QIHM, while Ji Hyun woo manages to look alternately bemused or perplexed throughout. Although reasonably fun, this wont be my favorite fusion sageuk - that would be Rooftop Prince.

DIVORCE ATTORNEY SHIN has become more interesting now that we have a backstory. And I too hate the nephew’s stepmother. I am a little more receptive to ‘legal’ shows now that I have come to accept them as legal fantasies. However, the human situations presented in the cases are quite realistic. It is also charming to see the found family that is his legal firm expanding- and each addition is actually quite logical.

We are enjoying THE HEAVENLY IDOL even though it is a total mess and not really the music and dance drama we were promised- so there is some disappointment s well.

As THREE BOLD SIBLINGS completed its penultimate weekend loose ends are being tied up. Symmetry is being preserved- the two birth secret mothers who abandoned their children at birth are being sued by their respective biological offspring. As episode 49 ended Ji-hye has finally freed herself from Soorim’s scheming Ex- who has now just been flattened by Mooyoung (probably the single most emotionally satisfying moment in this weekend’s episodes). We also got to see Mooyoung’s evil Ex carted off by the police. But now it is our ML who has decided to be a vengeful jerk (a really bad move by the writer). One final episode left. This weekend- the final episode: maybe a triple wedding?

My wife finished watching the excellent and highly rated Chinese costume drama THE BLOOD OF YOUTH. She gives it very high marks and says it is well worth watching. She then watched the Chinese costume drama LEAGUE OF NOBLEMAN which is more of a mystery suspense thriller- It was well done and fairly intense. She also finished WARM ON A COLD NIGHT, loved it and recommends it very highly.

She also continues to keep up with each episode of the Sageuk OUR BLOOMING YOUTH which she really likes a lot.

She has now started the C-drama MY LETHAL MAN, which was much-recommended by other Beanies. It is indeed really good.

Call It Love
My favorite drama at the moment.
I love the portrayal of loneliness, hurt, the tension and the growing feelings. So many things that I appreciate here: the understated dialogue, the muted pastel colorway and the pink filter, the normal clothes, the messy hair, slow walking and the purposefully shown distance between people, shots of feet, shots from above of streets and stairways, two tall people as leads but ML always with a slight stoop, the pharmacy set, the stupid sister with more behind her smile than meets the eye, Sam Kim’s OST with the acoustic guitar… My favorite item is the used backpack with the frayed straps! For a bit of comic relief: the romantic encounter between Dong Jin and little brother, complete with string music 😉
The show reminds me of Our Beloved Summer with the closed-up ML whose instinct is always to hide and aggressive FL whose instinct is always to attack, but I just couldn’t bring myself to understand and like Yeon Soo and didn’t like the drama very much. Whereas here I can relate to both leads – actually to almost everyone in the drama. Side note: I admire how versatile both MLs are – I still have them in mind as serial killer and maniacal monster respectively, but they totally overcame this picture.
Heavenly Idol
FL when she is possessed by evil: “I just want to be lazy…” 😊Thanks for the lovely progression of the romance – that kiss!! And please show a gig by Wild Animal already!!!
Our Blooming Youth
For me, the balance between mystery, palace intrigue, romance and comedy is just right, and I love that it is a longer drama with enough time to slowly develop the romance. FL seems a bit too naïve in matters of the heart, but since she was about to be married she’s maybe 18 or 20 at the most? The scene between CP and his father was fantastic. As for the cliffhanger: I also think our bodyguard is innocent and probably has a twin brother.
Delivery Man
Still fun and easy to watch, sometimes I get confused between past scenes and the present, but on the whole, the reveals on the backstory are done well. Something bad is happening at the hospital, and our dedicated doctor is my main suspect. He looked too good to be true in the first episodes, is always on duty and is wearing way too much lip gloss! Ji Hyun must be a coma ghost, judging from similar dramas and also from the way our bullied girl appeared as a ghost just before she thankfully didn’t die after all.
Peak Time So entertaining! Another great episode this week with the vocal and dance contests.
Finished Island
Not a good drama but so good to watch. My only complaint: there’s too little of it! I would have liked more hours of eye candy…
KDrama friend project:
Watching Season of Kkokdu together and were disappointed that there was only one episode last week. We both finished A Korean Odyssey in about a week, that was a challenge! (20 very long episodes…) Now this is one of...

We just finished The forbidden mariage and it was fun. I also got my first serious second lead syndrome. (first time it was because I did not like the main lead).
We still go two ep a week for Crash course in romance so we are just at the baddie reveal...
Taxi driver 2 is the highlight of my week. I love the team, I love the stories, I love the music.
I have started cdrama Under the skin where surnaturally gifted dessinator works with the police. And I do not stay out of spoilers for Road home as I appreciate the voice of Jing Bo Ran.

What I’ve been watching this week:

The Glory Part 2 WOW. That was fantastic. The script was so tightly plotted! I bet there was a script editor involved here, because that was just tense and amazing. I also watched watch-along youtube videos by nowadnah, just to enjoy crying along in the same places. You know you are wasting time on TV when you have to also watch videos of other people watching the show!
Our Blooming Youth This week was good, but not as good as last week. This is a 20 episode drama! I didn’t check when I started. It feels like they did more plotting of the mystery than the romance aspects of the story.
Divorce Attorney Shin Almost forgot that I watched this! Cho Seung Woo is much more interesting here than in Sisyphus or Life. He was great in Stranger aka Secret Forest, which was why I even bothered with those other shows. It’s good to see him as a somewhat sympathetic rather than a totally obnoxious character.
Moment of Eighteen I’m up to episode 12. I was really into this one, but I’m running out of steam a little now that the main couple is together. it’s like we’ve forgotten about all the other problems that they and the other characters face. Romance can’t be the sole focus of a high school drama. How many old dramas am I going to start enthusiastically and not finish?
Taxi Driver I watched 11 episodes of the first series. I thought I might not understand what was going on in Taxi Driver 2 if I didn’t.
Saimdang Watched the first three episodes. Might finish it, might not. There are quite a few dramas I watched through the first two thirds and then abandoned. At first I was captivated but I’m rapidly losing interest, and I can’t even analyze why. Maybe because I like the contemporary story more than the historical one? Which is weird, because usually it would be the other way around.
Our Dating Sim: I still really like this BL web series. The young actors give good face—they are beautiful and emotional in every shot, even where the character is supposed to be trying not to be emotional. OK, it does seem pretty unlikely that these two would be out of touch for seven years and never have other romantic partners.
All the Liquors: The actor playing the chef is really more of a model than an actor, but he has a very nice smile. I’m still finding it difficult to believe that these fellows like each other as more than friends. Also I’m still kind of weirded out by the overall pro-drinking messages of this! What are they even doing.
A Shoulder to Cry On Another Korean BL! They are all coming out at once. So to speak. This one has one of the most clueless characters I’ve seen in a romantic k-drama, and that, as you know, is saying quite a lot.

Non-kdrama watching:

Mononoke, a gloriously trippy and colorful anime from 2007 that I found on Netflix. Wow, is it good.
Shadow and Bone I started the second season, having both...

I'm in a bit of a kdrama funk, just flitting around different series and not really settled into any. I can't believe I grew up with just three TV stations and watched whatever was on. Anyway, did watch the first episode of Reply 1988 finally (I've only seen Reply 1994 in the series) and liked Go Kyung-po's character.

Outside of kdrama, I've been watching the new season of Picard and the new show School Spirits is good.

I'd been rewatching old shows while waiting for ones I want to watch to finish airing before I realized I needed new content, even if it was in viewing old dramas. I happened upon a newly added old one on my streaming service called Forbidden Love from 2004 (another that doesn't seem to be included in the DB drama list but just found out it's also known as Nine-Tailed Fox). I'm halfway through it with mixed reactions about the whole thing.

It tried to set itself up as a drama about gumihos with principles, in the spirit of age-old kung-fu movies mashed up with nods to Interview with the Vampire, the original Batman plot, and an X Files episode if it were to be stretched out into a series. The narrative starts out interestingly enough, with enough conflicts in the plot to keep the story moving.

Nothing is particularly compelling, but it's been an interesting viewing just from the perspective of seeing now-heavyweight stars at the beginning of their acting careers. HYS, a personal favorite, is really good in this despite the poor dialogue for her character, and it's easy to see how this may have led to some of the later roles that got her to success. LHH is another that I like, and someone who I particularly hope continues to be successful as an older actress playing main roles despite the ageism in the entertainment industry.

If anything, it's an easy watch, especially if you're in the mood for an uncomplicated fantasy action thriller-like show. I'm not completely familiar with the real gumiho lore, but this drama's modern interpretation of folk legend is an interesting enough backdrop for something different. While I can't say it's great, it is enjoyable enough to stick with the story despite some of the shortfalls.

Elvis: I've watched this movie in 3 setting so far. Still haven't finished. It's overwhelming. The Colonel is a conman. I don't care that he dies. And that's literally the worst thing I say about anyone. This seems like psychological abuse for Austin

The End of the world with you: Ritsu's life is sad. I don't know that it excuses what he did to Mazumi but I understand a bit. He did try to seek him out. It's sad how Mazumi was broken. I headcanon Mazumi as having BPD. I don't think sex will be happening. I gotta remember up to 2 sex scenes is ALL we're going to get.

Moonlight Chicken: when is the MC2's boyfriend going to matter? So it's a live in ex-boyfriend. Interesting. Okay, well Alan sucks. He pushed Wen and made him BLEED. I'm not sure if Wen cheated but idgaf.

My School President: "When our lived ones are gone, they don't go empty-haded. They take our hearts with them."
The secret dating is adorable but I NEED public dating.
"Why act cool then?"
"I'm cool without acting."
Watching Sound and Win fall for each other is almost more enjoyable. I love second couples because I know what I'm getting with the main couple but the rest of the show is a surprise. I'm mad at Tinn for not going to the doctor introduction. I know it's sweet but Gun told him to go. Tinn kissing Gun's forehead was great. But if I was Gun I would have been like "bullshit, I'm not waiting. I have agency too." And just kissed him.
"3 day, 12 hours, 7 minutes, and 35 seconds." Tinn is WHIPPED.

Call It Love: I like that he returned her to her place even though he knows she doesn't like him. I ship Jun and the Hulk. Is Jun a second generational wealthy? That's rarely seen.

Jack o Frost: I finally got the sex scene I've been asking EofWwY for. Man, ph man, going back to the place they confessed and slept with each other for the first time! This show has more flashbacks than my books.
So I was wrong. Fumiya is the one who thought so Ritsu wanted to break up. Idk why he phrased it that way. Ritsu clearly did not want to break up. So the memory loss is true. Completely changes the dynamic. I want the show I created but I guess that would make Ritsu a bad guy.

Grown-ish no Disney+ this week
Miraculous Ladybug: no Disney+
Emma Agenda: I've decided to use this sho to stretch. It's perfect! Link is the worst. Like Emma sucks but she doesn't suck on purpose. Link does.
Wakanda Forever: no Disney+
But I've now seen the first half of this movie twice in 2 different settings. Seeing it in theaters would have been an experience! But for now I just want to finish. I want to see Shuri and Riri kick ass.