Bora!/True to Love: The leads’ makeup conversation was great this week, and I think I’m enjoying Bomi and Jinho’s relationship more than most folks are. The voiceovers continue to be a delight to me.

The Good Bad Mother: The cancer seems like too much in an already busy drama, but whatever. I would honestly just watch a show where Kang-ho and Mi-joo were adorable and in love the whole time, figuring out their lives together.

Call it Love: Ugh, this was so good. I understand some folks wanting a bit more time at the end, but honestly I just don’t want to mess with such a good thing. The fact that we got to see them both smiling in the end even as they still longed for each other was beautiful.

The Silent Sea: I think this show was a love child between the Doctor Who episode The Waters of Mars and the 2007 movie Sunshine. But, not in a bad way. It was just 8 short episodes, but I think it worked because the whole thing happened over such a short timeline and in an enclosed space. Bae Doona was great as usual, but I wish they’d given Gong Yoo a little bit more to work with. He was totally believable as a stoic, competent leader who is cautious but a loving father, but I think he was underutilized. I wish we could have had more scenes with him and Luna - she could have brought out his fatherly instincts and they could have had a sweet but short relationship that would have made the ending hit a little harder. Still, totally enjoyable.

Taxi Driver: Lee Je-hoon is hilarious and amazing in this, as I suspected he would be. I don’t know how to feel about the leader of their little band of vigilantes - he seems like the most ambiguous one and I can’t quite decide about him - but I love pretty much everyone else. I think the dweeby substitute teacher is my favorite Do-ki persona so far. The way his face shifted so thoroughly from aghast victim to bored and in control was beautiful to watch.

Dr Cha
Eunso is badass for revealing the truth. Though I didn't like her double game and animosity towards Yirang. And on one hand I understand the children trying to protect Jungsook from the hurt (and to give her first time to properly heal and have enough energy to fulfill her dream), but on the other hand, Jungsook should know and make her own decisions, especially with such a cheating scum as a husband (Inho blaming Jungsook for lying to the family about the art school was such an irony!). Btw, whoever casted Kim Byung Chul as Inho was a genius. It's a delight to watch him (and hate him as Inho 😁).

Bora Deborah
The pattern seems to stay the same - I don't like the odd episode and like the even one. I also still like Yoo Inna (and dislike the husband) and I finally found out who Bora reminds me of - the famous Bridget Jones. 😄

The rest is on hold because I marathoned Kim Sabu 2. I loved it, warts and all, and Ahn Hyoseop was rather good there.

ONGOING
Secret Romantic Guesthouse - Noble idiocy and leaving the villain alive? What are you doing show??

My Perfect Stranger - Much improved week 2 though we need to get our leads communicating more.

Stealer - The puzzle scenes were fun even if the puzzles themselves were pretty lame. We better get the fun back for finale week.

Bo-ra! Deborah - That line about Auschwitz should have been left in the drafts.

The Good Bad Mother - Young-soon's life has already featured 2 trucks of doom and now she gets terminal cancer too 😒.

STARTED
Tale of the Nine-Tailed 1938 - This show only works if you completely ignore S1. Still, staring at Kim Beom in suits is a pleasant way to pass the time.

C-DRAMAS
Completed Till the End of the Moon, which was true addictive goodness till the end. While the forced editing down to 40 episodes was confusing, it did make for a no-filler, pedal-to-the-metal show.

Paused The Ingenious One due to lack of time.

DR. CHA (Ep. 7-8): Many netizens were upset with the Crohn’s disease patient story line that contained misinformation (which happens a lot in dramas) about the disease and mental health complications. The producers apologized for it.

As for Cha’s dangerous rooftop counseling, I do believe both Seo and Kim went overboard: Seo’s reaction that she could have been hurt and Kim’s public embrace. The onion is being peeled too slowly for everyone to understand the inter-connected, bad, and strange affairs. Seo is a narcissist who has convinced everyone his way is the only way. In Episode 7, there was a fleeting moment where I wanted to see a Truck of Doom when he attacked and attempted to destroy I-Rang’s dreams. But it seems everyone, including the daughters, can leverage the family’s secret to their advantage. I do like that Cha learned of the betrayal on her own; I don’t like Kim’s forward advances.

Cha learning about her son’s relationship should have put her on her own medical internship flashback with Seo. Maybe that is why she kept quiet.

I do have an issue with MIL transferring a building (not marital home?) to Cha’s name without her knowledge and mortgaging it to the hilt for an investment scheme. This is mortgage fraud--- making Cha liable as the building owner in case of default. For a family sensitive to public reputation and honor, the hypocrisy is overwhelming.

BLACK KNIGHT (Ep. 1) So it is MAD MAX UPS DRIVER playing Robin Hood. OK.

The opening episode was more about environment SFX than clear back stories. We know that Deliveryman 5-8 is a folk hero who wanders around an area like The Fringe from MAX HEADROOM. The science is off. The idea that anyone in an arid, oxygen deprived land can take off their mask and kung fu fight 6 men to submission without breaking a sweat is pretty unbelievable. Breathing air containing 6 to 10 percent oxygen results in nausea, vomiting, lethargic movements, and perhaps unconsciousness. But I guess the fight scenes were the only way the writer thought to show how dangerous this world is and the typical disparity between the classes. However, the world building information is still too scant to see if this series has the sci-fi foundation to succeed. So far, it is nothing I haven’t seen before.

The perfect Stranger: I continue to enjoy this drama. It got the sharing of information out of the way early on, Thank the lord. I like the chemistry between the two leads and I love love the relationship between Yoon Young and her mother.

Bora!Deborah: Awww our leads are becoming friends. I like that for them. It seems like everyone is finally getting some form of closure, they are all need it to start a new. As for our married couple, they need communication and couples therapy because who forgoes sex to meet up with a friend, smh.

The Good Bad Mother: She isn't a particularly good mother and I really hope she works on that before she dies from cancer. Mi Joo is my favorite!!

Stealer: I'm a stealer, lol, continues to be delightful.

Black Knight: It was fine. It was missing character development and motivations though. We don't truly know any of our characters that well. What is the importance of mutants, why did that man need his blood, how did 5-8 become the strongest? How did he form his organization? etc etc.

Race: Also just fine, they are all so bland to me, there is no spice and the chemistry is almost non existent, but Moon So Ri will be more visible in the next episodes, so I'm hoping it gets better.

Kim Sabu: 😍

Joseon Attorney: Almost to the end.

Finland Papa
I will miss it but I am so glad we finally get to see what is going on with the cafe owner. My theory is that dad and grandmother set it up and used her future husband Woohyun. I am not sure what the connection is with his dad but because, she cut off all ties with him after her father’s death it became a secret only to be revealed when she was ready to handle it.

The Good Bad Mother
Is this the show where the impact of an ‘ends justify the means’ approach will be shown in all its terribleness. We have so many examples of it, a loving mum withdrawing her affection to raise her child to have access to the parts of society where money and power have the loudest voices. A prosecutor turned politician who drives his daughter to the brink of insanity in order to gain command of the country. A gangster who will destroy anyone and anything in order to live the lifestyle of the rich so he can pursue his love of baseball.

All that we loved.
After the fake out, we see more of the reason for the brotherly closeness between them and the potential for the boys’ relationship to become strained beyond repair. As they recover from the operation it was surprising that alcohol would not have been considered a no go zone as they wouldn’t want to make their one remaining kidney have to do so much work filtering out the toxins from the home brew.

What is with the current crop of dramas not providing pre views? This is the third show that has left me hanging.

Race
I am not sure about this one it is creatively shot and edited with the best transitions and opening shots for the scenes. It has some interesting examples of work situations and colleagues. They have the hangout run by a friend and like all such hangouts never seems to have other customers so not sure how they keep it running.

The wind blows
This melo came highly recommended by a beanie and I can see that it has the potential to be a real tearjerker. I am on the home stretch so bracing myself. I am disappointed that the storyline to hasten the divorce was included as it was beyond ridiculous and didn’t really fit with the feel of the drama. I just fast forwarded through it. I also did not like the glossing over of the ex wife’s disruption of his routine leading to a significant incident taking place that sped up his decline. Other than that a really thoughtful reflection of the issues that arise with the early onset of dementia for the person living with dementia and those around them.

Completed
Brush up life - Japanese comedy about earning a way to return as a human the funny side of reincarnation. I enjoyed it.

My Perfect Stranger I like our main characters and I'm intrigued by the story.

The Secret Romantic Guesthouse I'm disapointed they made Shi-Yeol being ashamed and leaving at the worst moment. He deserved better.

Bora! Deborah For a dating coach, she's really bad at handling her own life.

Finland Papa I don't specially like it. I thought I woud love it because healing stories with a founded family are the best. But in this case, the different stories sound cliché, the flashbacks are overused and the mysterious man acts in a very creepy way.

Joseon Attorney At this point, it's just for the bean.

Romantic Doctor Teacher Kim 3 The 2 interns are hilarious.

Tale of the Nine Tailed 1938 Kim Bum with short hair in a vest is the best part.

Race I didn't understand why her CEO allowed herself to be humiliated like this when she already knew she won't win it...

Black Knight A comet touched the Earth, some continents went under water but the country that was surrounded around 80% by water survided...

Dr. Cha - I’m on ep 3 and so far so good. That husband and mil duo, can’t wait for them to get theirs!

Black Knight - A little weird. Don’t think too much about it.

Till the End of the Moon - I’m on ep 12, and I’m not feeling it. Not feeling the chemistry or curiosity to continue. Maybe everyone hyped it up too much and the expectations were high.

Back From the Brink - I recently read the novel so I remember the characters and story. The drama is far what I expected. The cgi is soooo bad. Hopefully the story and chemistry makes up for it.

Blood of Youth - Finished! This is probably my favorite drama of the year so far. It is soo good. Love love the 3 male leads.

My perfect stranger (ep.4). So our leads have decided to trust each other and try and solve a mystery. They only need to connect the dots to understand how much their stories are connected. As everyone said on the weeps, I also love the sweet relation YYooYoung has with her mum, getting to know the person she was before she was her mum, and also her relation with her dad. I know she wants to hate him because he never behaved as a dad, but let’s be honest, teenager HeeSeob is just a sweetheart.

Bora! Deborah (ep. 10). I’m still here for YIN. I’m glad the drama thought, as I ddi, that the kiss was a bit too early, because this week we’ve seen our leads dealing with it. It was also refreshing seeing a ML going through trouble with a break up. So far SuHyuk had been very stoic about it, and it felt like he understood what he had done wrong in his relation, but we’ve never seen him actually suffering or trying to overcome the situation. It was only on episode 10 that he decided to get rid of her ex things, realizing he needed a closure, just in time for ex-girlfriend to show up and give him a wedding invitation with the sole aim to hurt him. Sorry, but that girl is pure trash. She just wanted to get married to anyone. Literally ANYONE to say to the world she is a (very unhappy) married woman. It’s barely a couple of months that she broke up with a guy she’s been dating for years and… she’s getting married. She obviously was seeing two men at a time, and girl, that is trash.

Good bad mother (ep.6). I hate the cancer plot, and honestly the revenge plot. Young Soon turning back to her bad parenting because she’s learning she’s going to die is just awful. She really deserves her son despise. And adorable as 7 yo KangHo is, I can’t forget he’s hurt so many people in his way to revenge, I’m not sure I want him back. Anyway, both LDH and AEJ are delivering impressive performances.

Tale of the nine tailed: 1938 (ep.2). I’m here for the pretty boys. Kim Bum and Lee Dong Wook in tailored suits. I just don’t need a plot or any sense in time traveling. Bring everything you have, drama, I’m just enjoying the view.

Doctor Romantic 3. (Ep. 4). I was not going to watch this season, because I’ve already watched Doldam being Doldam for two seasons, but here I am. I roll my eyes at the baddies, the stereotypes and the tropes, but I just can’t stop watching. Kim Saba, I love you.

Doctor Cha (ep.6). I binged this over the week. I wasn’t going to watch either, because it feel makjangish, but I just couldn’t stop playing the following episode every time. I’m having so much fun while watching this, and I’m all for a woman who decides she is a woman before a mum and a house (and a maid, because that is what she’s been treated for the last 20 years).

Planning to try Race and Black night, although don’t ask me where I will find the time!

After a rather meh few months, things are looking up with two time travel shows. I have finally travelled forward in time to a period when not all kdramas are mediocre :)

Doctor Romantic 3: 6.0

Joseon Attorney: A Morality: 7.0 The trials were starting to all seem the same and got tiresome. Day 13 changed things up a bit but now it seems like we are in for another trial real soon now.

All That We Loved: __ Well, didn't love the first 5 minutes. Since the premise didn't sound interesting and beanie comments didn't seem enthusiastic that's all the chance I gave it.

Tale of the Nine-Tailed 1938: 9.0 😊🤣😂😭 But how is he going to keep that phone charged back in 1938?

My Perfect Stranger: 8.0

Secret Romantic Guesthouse: 5.5 2nd-lead noble idiocy. The watchman is broken up over having killed the original betrothed of the woman he loves -- but he preemptively got rid of his competition and I expect it will turn out well for him.

Bora! Deborah / True to Love: 7.0 Yoo In-na and Sojin and... and... Help me out here, there must be some other things to like. Because even they aren't quite enough.

Stealer: The Treasure Keeper: 6.5 Were those revolving head kimono dolls supposed to remind us of the giant doll in Squid Games? Or supposed to make our heads spin at the logic of it all?

Dr. Cha - I'm up for Jung-seok's decision with respect to her husband's affair. But I hope forgiveness or understanding is nowhere lurking in the corner.

My Perfect Stranger - Anything but the leads messing with the anti-guys and spilling future information on them or speaking in premonitions. One of the rules of time-travel - keep your information to yourself.

Tale of the Nine-tailed Ep 1 - I liked it.

I've been too choked to watch Bora! Deborah, Finland Papa and TSRG. But, I really do not understand the wrong burden of guilt weighing down on Shi-yeol, or why the hell did they decide to kill off Hwa-ryung. Did that plot point really have to play out?
I hope to catch everything up in time to enjoy the finale next week. Shi-yeol and Hong-joo better come out alive...,and together.

The Secret Romantic Guesthouse (Episode 15-16) - Mood: D
You know, since this show has 18 episodes, I was expecting some mind blowing plot twist where Jang’s son wasn’t killed by Si Yeol and instead was Si Yeol’s watchman predecessor who got killed in action protecting San, with that fateful night also being a tragic one for Si Yeol since he lost his friend. The song Si Yeol hummed previously was a secret code of friendship: I fantasised about it being a turning point in which Jang realises tragically that he’s been hunting down his son’s best friend, leading him to turn against the king and maybe sacrifice himself to kill the king’s guard? That would’ve been so good! Sigh.

The Good Bad Mother (Episode 5-6) - Mood: C-
No matter how much I like Lee Do Hyun, that’s way too much makjang with a Truck of Doom and terminal illness! It baffles me as to why they even added the nuisance that is the trot singer character when Young Soon’s noble idiocy will be taking center stage next week. And I couldn’t care less for the villains, even if I found the henchman duo morbidly hilarious.

Doctor Cha (Episode 7-8) - Mood: C-
Major oof that both son and daughter (especially the son) elected not to tell Dr Cha about the affair when they found out: it just stings when they’re in a position where they should interfere unlike Roy Kim. Last week, I prematurely celebrated about the possibility that we’re 100% getting a divorce: now I have to eat my words given that horrible preview? Why, show, why?!

Tale of the Nine Tailed 1938 (Episode 1-2) - Mood: D+
After watching the 1st episode, I was hopeful that this might turn out to be a sequel that’s better than the 1st season? It felt like we traded a one-note villain and romance for frenemies and bromance! But that hope dissipated after the 2nd episode: female lead is obsessed, fire guy has lame revenge origin story and there’s the Japanese demon being the one-note villain.

All That We Loved (Episode 1-2) - Mood: D
Was there a need to add school bullying into the picture when we’ve already got terminal illness and a love triangle listed in the synopsis? Even without the kleptomaniac So Yeon (who’s managed to hide it given that she’s become an actress?), just Dr. Go’s identity was enough. Did the transplant donor sacrifice himself for the donee or was the latter doomed regardless?

My Perfect Stranger (Episode 3-4) - Mood: D+
While it’s good that the leads won’t be withholding information from each other any longer, it still sucks for the viewers who have known everything and will be waiting one more week for the characters to play catch up? Personally, I’m disappointed that the car fix was a fake out: it’s 2021 and not 1987 that holds the answers, especially if you’re changing 1987’s timeline?

Stealer: The Treasure Keeper (Episode 9-10) - Mood: D
Bora! Deborah (Episode 9-10) - Mood: D-

Joseon Attorney
Since it’s been almost a week since I saw the episodes, I only remember Woo Do Hwan, beautiful orchestral music, a wonderful shot from above for the last scene (nowadays possible with drones) and unusual hanbok: a green skirt with a black transparent jacket- which reminded me of the unique modern hanbok fashion in Mystic Pop Up Bar.
Romantic Guesthouse
The dramatic week-before-last-episodes where everyone isn’t thorough enough and acts as if they have all the time in the world while the king is not dead yet!!! And letting your enemies live!!!
Bo Ra! Deborah
I have nothing much to say, my favorites are JU-NE and Bora’s sister as a couple (“No, I don’t really believe in fate, it was just an opener to find the courage to talk to you.”).
Doctor Cha
I like this drama and the Korean watchers do, too! These episodes were great, funny and moving. What I liked best were the relatable reactions to the reveals: mother-in-law gets angry and aggressive, daughter is actually relieved to know that her father is the trash bag he acts like, son has to throw up; Jung-Sook shakes, doesn’t know what to do with her hands and body, gets up, sits down, shivers, cries: that was great acting!
Dr Romantic S3
Loved last week’s episodes, love Lee Hong Nae as the new doctor (remember him as an evil ghost in The Uncanny Counter), hate the villain – but we do need “a bad person” as a contrast, and I have a feeling that he’s going to change, too.
The Good Bad Mother
7-year-old Lee Do Hyun is a treat to watch, the playful romance with Mi Joo is wonderful, and then he changes suddenly and becomes ice cold – great acting in all his personas. I do have a problem with the overblown comedy (the trot composer and the face mask…) – sure it’s fun, but the contrast is sometimes grating. And now we’re in for more tragedy. Did it have to be terminal cancer again??? Mother shouldn’t get compassion for being ill while still being abusive to her son. She treats her pigs with more consideration than him!
Bonus: OST song by Melomance, AoS reunion, Kim Ji Woong guest role and the real 7-year-olds 😊
My Perfect Stranger
So I’m getting into the 80ies nostalgia now and recognize not only the hairdos and accessories, but the cut of the clothes (I sewed some of my own back then) 😊 But why would you not talk openly about your story and your agenda when you are in such an extreme situation, stranded in the past and knowing that terrible crimes are going to happen? Anyhow, I like the storyline, acting and the pace and will continue to watch.
Stranger
Again, travel for work, download a Netflix drama. This was on my watchlist the longest. I’ve seen Cho Seung Woo from Life, but almost didn’t recognize him from Divorce Attorney Shin. It deserves all the praise, but I do have to be very attentive not to miss anything!
Love Revolution
I watch this in between airing dramas and am drawing it out on purpose, so...

On Air:

_ Secret Romantic Guesthouse (16 out of 18). What I wish is a happy ending for all of them, I don't mind who gets the throne, I only want they can enjoy life from now on, because all of them have faced too many hardships in their early lives.

_ Bora Deborah (10 out of 14).
Episode 10 has been specially great because the relationship between the leads has improved a lot. I love how they need each other even though they are trying hard to define their relationship (Mulder and Scully, Leo and Winslet? XD).

_ Finland Papa (4 out of 6). Not much to say. Well, I loved that the "false son" is sharing messages with his sister. It was cute and unexpected.

_ All that we loved (1 out of 8). 🤔

Old dramas:

_ Six Flying Dragons (29 out of 50). I feel that the pace of this drama is getting faster since episode 25. Love the fighting scenes.

Western:

_ The Mandalorian Season 3 (6 out of 8). Just after finishing Boba Fett series, of course. Luke training Grogu was 💕

—Love Story In Harvard (rewatch): I love this show so much, I even know the OST by heart.
Long live the touchdown kiss. It's so lame (but meaningful) it's iconic. 👌? 👌

—The King: EM (dropped): This would've worked so much better as a BL.
The whole plot and the romance would've been better. I think the male characters had an interesting dynamic/relationship and the actors had nice chemistry. It would've been a nice friends to lovers trope, and the story could've been about them protecting their kingdom from the evil uncle, with the help of their 2019/Republic of Korea versions.
Idk, I just think anything would've been more fun than... Yeah.

Btw, isn't this guy (the ML) like the worst king in kdrama history? And we were saying that San (Yi Seol) has messy priorities, well, the guy from this show goes beyond that.

—My Perfect Stranger: I'm just going with the vibe since this show is exactly my style. 😎

—Race (EP1): Nice intro. I like all the characters already, they're cute and passionate. The ML really did her dirty tho, I'm really trying to understand why he didn't say anything.

—The Secret Romantic Guesthouse (EP15): I didn't watch EP16 because I feel like it's better to binge watch the whole finale, but I'm so scared. Anything can happen.

—Dr Kkondae, I mean, Dr Romantic 2 (dropped): I couldn't stop rolling my eyes when Kim Sa Bu was talking about morals and stuff to a kid that almost got killed because he didn't have money to pay his debt. LOL I was like "wow, someone wants a job because they need money, what a crime. Rich coming from the dude that sat still for 30min even when multiple emergency patients were dying in front of his eyes".

—Stealer (EP2): it's fun, but hard to binge watch. At least for me.

—IOTNBOkay (rewatch): the show healed me. Again.

—9T 1938: I really hope they stop mentioning Yeon's "wife" (Ji Ah) because I'm trying my best to separate both seasons and enjoy this second part as an independent story.

—TOT9Tailed (rewatch): Season 2 made me feel salty, so I rewatched some parts of the first season and know I'm more salty. LOL

Finished the found family C-drama Go Ahead and my take away is that somebody on that writing team has mommy issues. The female characters in the mother generation were, from bad to worse: a parasitic stage mom, a noble idiot who hid her jail time, a complete control freak and a flat out psychopath. The only good mom was the dead one. Please K-remake writing team, you can do better than that.
Having sat through that drama I decided I would give Reply 1988 another try (she admitted sheepishly). I know, I know its a classic. I started on Ep 1 again and realized why I dropped it before - all the screaming, shouting and fighting. I grew up in a big noisy family and always sought out the quiet places. However I am determined to turn the volume down and committed to watch it to the end. Hwighting!
The C-drama Till the End of the Moon will never make it on my completed list, despite the fact that I was sort-of enjoying it. I thought I was so allergy muddle-headed that I couldn't make sense of the climax of the plot. Turns out not many watchers could figure out those last 5 episodes. Another promising drama cut up into hash in order to comply with the new episode number rules.
Late night recharge after an overly-social week The Love You Give Me is an entirely predictable, trope laden rom-(com?) brain bubblegum that features the cutest kid to appear on my screen in a long while. Redheads in China? Is that genetically possible?
Given my pollen allergies, I'm saving My Perfect Stranger for another season seeing as how I'm mentally allergic to time travel.

GOOD BAD MOTHER: Although not without its flaws, this show is the one I'm enjoying the most right now. LDH is amazing, of course, as he truly inhabits the character of a grown man going through life with only his childhood knowledge. But I also love the character of Mi-joo; I've always liked this actress (she was really good in "The One and Only" which very few people watched) and she's pulling me in with her genuine performance. And those twins are painfully adorable! I was put off by the cancer twist at first, but after reading some Beanie comments and re-thinking it, I'm more open to the fat that it's going to accelerate the plot. Also, I really love the villain's henchmen and their goofy closet hiding, manure buying antics.

BORA: I hated episode nine with a fiery passion, but then loved episode 10. The thing this show does well is the conciliatory conversation, although it's too bad it's always preceded by Bora acting the fool. When Bora finally was honest to Soo-hyuk and told him exactly how ambivalent and, frankly, scared she's feeling about either growing closer to or losing him (not to mention exploring any kind of attraction) she was so much more believable and likeable. Prior to that, she seemed either unbelievably emotionally immature or mean to Soo-hyuk; he was absolutely right to call her out on the fact that she only thinks about her own feelings and insecrurities, never his. I also did not expect Yu-ri to be this manipulative, although Soo-hyuk really should have just answered her question about whether or not he ever loved her, especially since I'm not sure I know the answer and would like to.

DR. ROMANTIC: Behind on this, but I'm already tired of the main antagonist, both actor and character. I really dislike the kind of stoic, manipulative paternalism he represents and the actor never plays nuance.

FINLAND PAPA: Not wild about the surveillance culture of the workplace, even if the boss has good intentions. This show would have been better to watch in the winter, because there is so much scenic eye candy, and the soundtrack is very cozy. I hope the main protagonists meet next week because even though this is a very short drama, it feels like their inevitable reunion has dragged out too long.

I tried the first 20 minutes of RACE and just couldn't get into it. I liked MY PERFECT STRANGER, but also couldn't get into it this week. Last night, gave BLACK NIGHT about 10 minutes because Kim Woo-bin, but I am really just not a sci-fi person. In non-kdrama news, I think "Charlotte" is the best Bridgerton universe installment yet even though it's a very bittersweet story all the way through. I also think the casting directors for this show deserve all the awards; they find little known, extremely talented (not to mention gorgeous) actors who inhabit these roles perfectly.

Alchemy of Souls: I loved the central couple in both its versions and how their experience as outcast misfits gave them a shared contempt for social norms and freed them to use pretty much any strategy to challenge and defend each other. What I loved less was the awkward transition between the show's two parts. Nothing about the last episode of part 1 or the mysterious 3 years in between made any sense, not just on a "magical" level but on a character level. I hate it when writers take away the agency of their characters or force them to act in out-of-character ways in order to shove the plot in a particular direction, and it was especially annoying in this case because I could actually see Naksu choosing to stab Uk to unleash his full range of powers. That moment also encapsulated my bigger frustration with the show. It felt like it wanted to be both safe and fun and edgy and subversive. It wanted to show the rot in the social structures but it didn't want its characters to really overturn them. Once the "few bad apples" were eliminated, everyone could be comfortably reabsorbed into the status quo and the genuine danger represented by Uk and Cho Yeong could morph into "cute couple quirks". I wish the show had had the guts to unleash the full anarchic energy of its leads as readily as it unleashed its firebird.

I've been on a Lee Jun-Hyuk streak lately. Fell hard for him in Dark Hole, his heart fluttering blend of oppa-detective with piercing eyes who will go to the ends of the earth to protect you is so comforting. Recommend his Naked Fireman (what a title!!!) a short and sweet 4 episode drama. I just finished 365: Repeat the Year, another hit as well. Currently watching A Poem A Day. He shines in the detective/medical niche so well. Sigh, wish I could find someone like his character in real life. This guy never gets to sit down in his dramas, he's always on the move.

TELL ME WHAT YOU SAW: Watched 4 episodes and can't go on. What I love about Korean cop shows is that they are usually amazing at telling me immediately who these people are, how they work, and make me feel for them. I have watched 4 eps and don't know, or feel, anything about these people, except that they are all conceited and rude.

THE GOOD DETECTIVE: This show on the other hand did the important parts well, but is very boring. I finished episode 5 after many days and have no real urge to click on ep 6. I wish it was more procedural than just one case of an innocent inmate who practically EVERYBODY is trying to prove guilty. The rival team right beside them seeing and hearing and ruining everything was ridiculous at first and is now becoming frustrating.

AT A DISTANCE THE SPRING IS GREEN: I started this show at the recommendation of @lapislazulii when I fell for Bae In Hyuk in My Roommate is a Gumiho, and I liked it very much.
The back stories, and some side characters were unnecessarily over-dramatic and excessive but the core story was very sweet and heartwarming.

Non Korean:

GACATTA: Watched this 1993 American movie for the first time, and now I have an unrelenting voice in my head repeating that I had either watched it 30 years ago and forgotten it, or watched a very similar movie. That legs lengthening scene was wildly familiar!

I am in the process of trying to catch up and wrap up two historical dramas and then take a short sabbatical from kdrama series and focus on films I have queued up and return to the cdrama 2020 ‘Light On’ crime dramas available on iQIYI. They are all 12 episodes and I have watched 3 of the 5 (KIDNAPPING GAME, THE BAD KIDS, and CRIMSON RIVER). That leaves SISYPHUS and THE LONG NIGHT to finish the year. I jumped ahead in the series and watched one that recently aired in China: THIRTEEN YEARS OF DUST (24 eps). I have enjoyed all of them.
My two historical dramas that I want to finish are:
1. Cdrama: JOY OF LIFE (2019) (Viki US) 34 of 46 episodes watched. Wonderful cast and ML Zhang Ruo Yun continues to amaze me. I love his work.
2. JOSEON ATTORNEY (Viki US). I pick up at episode 10. Woo Do-hwan is giving a tour de force performance.
Side bar. As I observed the shirtless WDH in a couple of scenes in episode 7 (one was a wrestling match he impulsively entered during a festival) I had a thought along the lines, “Yes, he has been training for those boxing scenes in his upcoming BLOODHOUNDS on Netflix”.
Check out the recent BLOODHOUNDS trailer and you can confirm my thought. That is the WDH post military drama I have been waiting for.

Current/recent:
Bora! Deborah: I wasn’t sure why I was still watching - I was enjoying Yoo In-na’s performance and Yoon Hyun-min’s wry, amused reactions and not much else. And then episodes 9 and 10 came along and this show suddenly turned into the bittersweet comedy-with-feels it should always have been. I’m going to forget almost everything that came before and hope this turn for the better lasts another 4 episodes.

Older stuff:
Stranger (Forest of Secrets) 1: I can’t say enough good things about this show. It’s gripping. The actors are fantastic.

Do You Like Brahms? through ep. 8: I’m not sure what to make of this. On the one hand, the classical music setting is lovely and fresh; on the other, it’s a pretext for a whole new set of clichés plus some old familiar ones (conductors and professors must be arrogant, temperamental assholes; men are natural geniuses at music while women struggle, practice more, work harder, and still fall short; child prodigies are secretly abused; SFLs are bitter backbiting bitches, etc.). I do love Park Eun-bin and it seems like Kim Min-jae got a lead role worthy of his talents in this one, but the relentless insecurity and self-pity displayed by every main character are a drag. I’ll keep going, though wary of warnings that it gets super-angsty later.

SOMETHING IN THE RAIN: Eps 1-6. Revisiting SITR because it’s leaving Netflix May 25. The first half dozen episodes are lovely, although uneven. Seo Joon-hee, self-assured tech guy just returned from the US, has modern ideas about relationships that make traditional, submissive Jin-a uncomfortable even while she is attracted to him. That part is strong, and I love the way their characters are drawn. The screen lights up when they are on it, but the corporate coffee workers story seems to me relatively lackluster and the writers of Something in the Rain make heavy weather of too many different taboos: noona romance, office sexual harassment, filial disobedience, marrying down, etc. And I’m only at ep. 7.

Noona romance month!
SHOOTING THE STARS (2002): I liked this drama, which starts out as a simple tale about a pretty-much-a-mess woman who, along with her brother, takes in an aspiring young actor with severe dyslexia. A sweet noona romance evolves with Jeon Do-Yeon & Zo In-Sung exuberantly throwing themselves into it. Lee Seo-Jin makes a great villain. Also I appreciated the dyslexia angle. The writers show how crippling dyslexia can be, and the ML realistically does not make an overnight leap into literacy.

I’m not watching a lot right now - looking forward to the next batch.

The only full-on watch is Kim Sabu. I just love him and the Doldam family. In fact, I rewatched Christmas in August for the nth times last week. Han Suk-kyu is so versatile and this is among my all-time favourite Kmovies that I re-watch it like once a year.

Still ‘following’ The Real Has Come but Miss Jiang is too makjiang to my taste. I’m looking forward to the friendship transitioning to love of the main couple - and more of the maknae couple development.

Will go back watching Family: The Unbreakable Bond now that the back story is now revealed! It’s really misleading that this was promoted as a family comedy that set the wrong expectation among audience. Thanks to @mellowarmadillo for persevering!

The Unbreakable Bond said it all about what the drama is about.

I want someone to sit Hong Joo down and explain to her that it was her fiance's father who put his death in motion. Without Shi-Yeol, Joseon would be stuck with the horrible king forever. Complex, but that's the reality.

Watching K dramas

Secret Royal Loveshack
Oh no, we need a king and a queen ? With two episodes left, not sure how they wrap this up .

Good bad Mom not sure where drama wants us to look.
Cute couple reunite with kids (daddy tbd) ?
Revenge drama with crooked pols?
Thug that killed your father wants to adopt you ?
I like the cast, most of the characters, not sure of the story .

C drama
The Ingenious One

Various YouTube, WWII stuff.

I need something good to watch.

Loved this week's STEALER with the creepy Japanese dolls and the riddles solving. The drama has a good balance of tension, action and making fun of itself at the same time. Great entertainment.

DR CHA is also very good at that, mixing comedy and makjang in a very clever way. One of my favourite dramas just now.

Lee Do-hyun shines in GOOD BAD MOTHER, I love his child-like persona and the his rapport with the twins. Best scene of the drama so far is the two goons bursting out of the wardrobe to fight of the knifeman and Kang-ho's expression at that. Mum not believing his tale was great, too. The villagers and their side plot is getting annoying. I just wish the masked lady would disappear.

Kim Sabo needs to come off the pedestal his staff have placed him on and he knows it. It will be painful to watch, but they cannot rely on him for ever. DR ROMANTIC will have to retire, he is old enough now.

Yo In-na is still the one to carry this drama. I probably would not watch it without her cheeky charm.

Scifi and time travel are my least favourite drama categories. I gave both PERFECT STRANGER and BLACK KNIGHT a chance, but both confirmed what I do not like about them. I really like the actors, but not the stories. Sorry and good bye.

I still enjoy JOSEON ATTORNEY, RACE looks promising, but I am not fully sold on it yet. I am not impressed with the way Yoon-Jo is running her PR business, I would not want to work for her. TALE OF THE NINE TAILED is as over the top as expected from Lee Dong-Wook, he is one of the few who can pull it off, and I am still hanging in there.

I've been intermittently watching Till The End of The Moon because it is so addictive despite being so depressing and the female lead being so thick. Luo Yun Xi and Bai Lu are among my favourite actors and I might've dropped the drama by now if it wasn't for their amazing acting in sheer exasperation over the FL. Everything except for the FL is well done. The CGI is amazing, Leo is pure love and it is never dull. I have ten episodes to go and am dying to read the novel after I'm done.

Speaking of novels, I happened upon the audio drama of Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation after finishing the anime and by God, it is exquisite. The detail of the novel, awesome voice acting and soundtrack. I've never been into audio books but here on out, I will be. I just hope I'll be able to find equally interesting books to listen to.

My wife and I love DR. CHA. It is definitely my favorite show right now. It would probably be my wife’s favorite show if it were not for the Chinese Costume fantasy TILL THE END OF THE MOON, which has been fantastic.

I have been enjoying the Jdrama romcom OUSAMA NI SASAU KUSURIYUBI but there is just one episode per week, so it is a slow watch. Jdrama romcoms are either hit or miss but this one seems to have just the right balance.

Ms. Jang Se-rin just refuses to go away on the THE REAL HAS COME! but there are a lot of things happening beyond her dogged pursuit of the ML (Prediction: in order to dodge the latest incoming bullet our leads will decide that they actually must register their marriage after all). We are finally seeing the other family stories develop, something that was much neglected in the previous weekender. Our FL and her wonderful mother-in-law have developed a real bond and some of the same can be said for our ML and his MIL as well. The maknae’s of the two families continue to run into each other- and still have no idea that they are in-laws. Our once divorcing couple have decided to remain together in order to coparent their coming baby- and are actually starting to become friends. A hint was just dropped that FL’s uncle may have a secret child that he has not been aware of. In short there are a lot of stories that are being woven together in a skillful fashion and that is what makes for a good weekender.

I am still watching BORA! DEBORAH and I still think that the character of Sojin’s husband is simply too stupid to be believable. On the other hand the side story of Bomi and Jinho is simply so sweet and I have realized that it serves a purpose: It is the contrast with our other couples and their baggage.

My wife and I have one episode left of the Chinese Costume Drama MISS CHUN IS A LITIGATOR. Not great drama, certainly not on the same level as TILL THE END OF THE MOON but a fun watch.

THE GOOD BAD MOTHER is a good show and so is FINLAND PAPA.

We just finished Memorist in a streak and with strong desire to fast forward. I normally like detective shows, but this one did not pull me in. The absence of cases of the week, and the long flashbacks introducing somebodies from the past without link to the rest until one or more additional episodes made a dull ensemble. The avenger team was good, but way too scarce.
I would have dropped this drama without my friend love for Yoo Seung Ho. Downside of synchronised viewing.

We already started our next watch together : Sell your haunted house. Jang Na Ra is great, and it looks like fun.

I'll comment tomorrow when we'll have finished Where the stars land.

I'm also at the end of Chicago typewriter which is easily the best of the bunch, but it does not play in the same category. Acting, music, filmography... everything is so rich and well done.

What I’ve been watching this week:

The Real Has Come Still watching and enjoying!

The Secret Romantic Guest House Much better and more emotional and suspenseful this week. I’m now much more invested in the ending.

Finland Papa: This one has acquired a plot! I’m starting to like it.

Doctor Cha: Started it on Friday after Youtube bombarded me with excerpts. It’s really good!

Watched Merry Happy Ending and Love Mate, the two Korean BLs I watched last week. I also watched some free episodes of the Japanese BL Our Dining Table.

I also watched some of the videos from this channel, K-drama Research Institute, on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@kdramaresearchinstitute/videos There are only six of them. I liked them!

I have A LOT to say this week, so beware the heated rant below)))
TILL THE END OF THE MOON: aka Tantai Jin: Dead and loving it
Oh, how I loved this show despite its many flaws, inconsistencies, beyond imagination backstage drama and whatnot... Yet after the finale it feels like the relationship we had were abusive to the core. The worst part? I still love it and have no intention to ever let this feeling go. Perhaps that was the point? Anyway, I will NEVER forgive writers for turning this story into yet another controversial overkill tragedy posing like an open ending as not to enrage viewers too much. Because - surprise! - we're still very much enraged, and that's to put it VERY mildly. Catharsis? Justice? Satisfaction? Nah, who needs that when you can make a propaganda-heavy speech about greater good! The biggest insult to an injury? Trying to fool us claiming that ML was HAPPY to do what he did. Yeah, as we didn't spent latter half of Ep39 being told in giant neon caps what he actually wanted if he had any REAL choice. The gall of claiming the whole story was not about "power of love" but "collective effort of saving the world" is truly laughable - if not for one man's love, all these efforts would be futile. One thing doesn't exclude another in this case, but sure, anything will do in order to calm the well deserved backlash. As a literature major I can go on about structure of a proper tragedy, definition of messianic archetype and how writing in TTEOTM failed in both aspects for much longer... Maybe next time when I'm less pissed and soul-crushed (har).

Rant about finale aside, last 4 episodes were quite good - not as good as Eps1-30 ofc, but still decent, and in this drama decent=awesome. ML's showdown with OG!Devil God (is that what therapists mean by accepting your inner demons?), extremely pleasurable to watch beating of FL's bio-dad, demon wedding and arguably the saddest love scene ever (love REALLY hurts here!) - so many things to not miss. Final battle was a bit meh, but it was just there to stall time for a real main event so it's ok. The amount of loose ends tho... Damn you, stupid regulations!

Anyway, I have no regrets of watching this show all the way till the bitter end. It reminded me that my stupid extreme empathy is still intact even after so many numbing pains and losses lately, it gave me joy and tears, it proved to me that xianxia dramas can be unironically outstanding, it introduced me to the treasure that is LYX... I'm happy and grateful for all that. Farewell, crow boy, you are so loved and missed! Hope you'll get a good rest (someone should write a fanfic of other gods babying you as a team's new youngest in nirvana) and against all odds will eventually find your way home to have that happy trophy matrilocal husband's life you absolutely deserve.

Finland Papa is confusing me. There doesn't seem to be a story arc, just a collection of rather tepid scenes. Is the story actually going anywhere?

Bora! Deborah is my happy place this season.

The C-drama 'Girlfriend' is the messiest agglomeration of problematic tropes and stock characters I've ever seen. Why am I watching this? Perhaps because I don't actively *hate* it, which is a low bar to clear.

Still slowly rewatching the drama 'Misty', I remain amazed by the writing. I did hit on the single line in the series that annoyed me when I first heard it where the heroine said she's 37 years old. Honey, you're a senior news presenter at a major network nearing retirement being played by a 46 year old actress. You're not 37 no matter what the timeline demands.

And there are several new dramas that I haven't been able to get past the first episode for various reasons.

Currently watching C-drama The Starry Love. It’s so refrahing to see supportive relationship between twin sisters. I also became new fan of Oliver Chen. He acts as 5 different characters.

Finished:

SQUAD 38 - It was well worth putting up with all the commercials to watch this one on YouTube. So many things to love about it! For starters, the intricate plot lines were ingenious and superbly written. I had to re-watch several scenes and consult the recaps now and then to follow some of the elaborate long-cons, double- and triple-crosses, and shifting allegiances. But it just demonstrated the impressive talents of our conman and his unlikely apprentice…talents they needed in order to outwit some formidable baddies.

I was also impressed with how the plot never overshadowed the characters. The writing, along with some stellar acting, brought to life complex, individualized characters rather than the usual generic stereotypes. SIG was brilliant, as expected, but for me the standout performance came from Ma Dong-Seok. He brilliantly portrayed the gradual growth and transformation of tax collector Baek Sung-Il from schlubby office drudge into determined avenger, uncovering some hidden talents while giving him a sense of purpose. Even when consorting with criminals and breaking the law, his integrity and sense of justice shone through.

And did I mention the bromance? 😍

CRASH COURSE IN ROMANCE - Another show that I enjoyed despite some exasperating flaws, including too many plot threads, often clumsily woven together. My favorite part of the show was the relationships among the students. I was mostly okay with the main romance (meh), the cutthroat helicopter moms, and even the serial killer. Really disliked the out-of-left-field romance between FL’s autistic brother and her best friend, as well as the totally unnecessary return and quick re-disappearance of the daughter’s obnoxious birth mother.

I rewatched My Girlfriend is a Gumiho and I think it's worthy of its title as a classic. I think it has everything that can be appealing about kdramas and I think liked pretty much everything about it.

I watched Bait/Decoy and I don't even know if it's just because I'm a blackheart who doesn't know a quality show but ugh, I didn't feel for anyone (except the former college student and even for him it was the lower end of caring). I really didn't need to watch the second half but it was short and I was curious how it would all wrap up.

I watched Black Knight because it was short and wow, it's just blah/meh to me. I'm sure there are people who like it and enjoy it but it was just not even remotely as exciting or intriguing as the trailer might've made it seem. Based on the trailers/promos, I thought it would be more badass and while there were some coolish moments, it was nowhere near as satisfying as one might think (in my opinion).

I'm liking The Good Bad Mother. There's been times I chuckled and I think it has heart. My favorite dynamics might just be Kang Ho and the twins (who I'm still suspecting are his kids which just gives things an added layer to me). How adorarable was it that he wanted to tattle and since he couldn't go to his mom, he wanted to go to the scariest adult he's heard about which is their mysterious dad haha. I love how the girl twin was like "who dared to speak to our friend like that?" and was gearing up to confront the guy haha. Aww, that trio is adorable and precious to me. This is the only show that I'm currently waiting for each week.

Anything else I check out is a take it or leave it curiousity.

Over the past couple weeks, I finished
Go Ahead, which was recommended by a few beanies, and I loved it. Fun, cute, heartwarming, and made me cry a lot. Some familiar faces in the main and supporting casts and some really enjoyable performances. I particularly liked Tan Song Yun here and may want to see more of her filmography. Hoping she has some more good stuff in there. And the rest of the cast was great--especially the dads. Looooved the dads omg.

Also watched The Diplomat on Netflix, and it was fantastic. Great performers here, so no surprise. But I loved the story more than I thought I would. It was a well-thought out and considered story. Tightly written and well-made. And surprisingly, given where the story ends, it was a very satisfying series. I’m looking forward to more.

Rewatched The King: Eternal Monarch this week, and I still love it. I remember when it aired near the beginning of pandemic lockdowns, it happened to be the exact show I needed at the time. I mean, I could not believe a show so beautiful and full of actors I enjoy (or came to enjoy) could also have almost nothing happen in it. I think Kim Eun-sook is a genius at writing watchable and rewatchable shows, despite their shortcomings. And Hwa&Dam/Studio Dragon is good at ensuring production value is out of this world.

I’m currently watching
My Perfect Stranger, which is fun in parts and frustrating in others--mostly in the Jin Ki-joo character telling everyone she’s known them for years.

The Real Has Come remains a fun part of my weekend. Baek Jin-hee is a wonder who can do anything.

Black Knight has only 6 episodes and, more importantly, Kim Woo-bin so I will watch the entire thing, but I am hoping it pulls me in more in the remaining 4 eps.

Binge watching Yoo Na's Street after some Beanies wrote here that it is a good 50 episode drama. This was a great find and I highly recommend this too. It does not have the common tropes of other similar dramas and quite emotional which is very refreshing. What a wonderful cast with Kim Ok Bin as the FML and many veteran actors such as Ahn Nae Sang, Kim Hee Jung, Oh Na Ra to name a few. For a 50 episode drama this is one of the better ones.