Watching K dramas

Secret Royal Loveshack The King knows there are plotters.
Good Bad Mom

J dramas
Otonari ni Ginga A manga artist hires an assistant, she’s pretty, nice, good with the kids, she’s out of this world ! A Princess from another world.

Watashi no Ojisan: Wataoji Struggling AD at tv company has a middle aged guardian Angel that only she can see. She needs all the help she can get.

Waiting for various other shows to be subbed .

C drama
The Ingenious One This is keeping my interest for now.

I have finished Reborn rich and I can see who it was such a hit in Korea. The chaebol machinations are a bit too similar to the red counsellors' machinations for me.

Chicago typewriter also has a bit of history, but also a lot more fun. And puppy Go Kyung Pyo.

To withstand the darkness (and blandness for I cannot care about the story despite my affection for the leads) of Memorist, we have started Where stars land / Fox bride star. This drama is a surprise : we went in for a slice of life romance, and got a fantasy workplace.
The work at the airport is very unrealistic, but there are two of the best manager I have seen. I would love to work with Manager Yang and Team Leader Choi. Here my fondness for the leads and supports make me gloss over the irrationnalities.
Maybe the conclusion is that Lee Je Hoon beats Lee Seung Ho.

Around this time last year, I was watching My Liberation Notes, a show whose underlying message of modernist alienation I didn’t like at all, but which was beautifully acted and filmed. I was really enjoying my favorite romantic comedy genre Sh**ting Stars, which really had some genuinely funny moments sending up the Korean entertainment industry, and I was gazing in awe at the spectacular beauty, er, I mean spectacular acting of Kim Hee-Seon, in the well-meaning but pretty silly anti-suicide fantasy Tomorrow.

Unfortunately I was soon to undergo a genuinely scary real life experience which took me out of kdramas and off dramabeans for months, but that’s not the point here. Instead its to bash this years crop of kdramas.

In comparison to last year at this time, I am watching a carried-by-the-leads romance that just seems off in the rhythm of its story, Bora-Deborah, am liking a light semi-parody action adventure Stealer that is fun, but requires no thinking at all, and started a time travel murder mystery Perfect Stranger which could be okay, but does not star Kim Hee-Seon.

If I do a fuller comparison of last year at this time, I had forced myself through a beginning of the year sageuk, Red Sleeve, which confirmed my dislike of sageuks and their inherent political conservatism, but was a true tear-jerking tragic romance; watched a very good romance, Our Blessed Summer, then a grim but very well done murder/suspense show, Through the Darkness, and two shows with extremely disappointing endings that were nonetheless very entertaining, Business Proposal and 25-21.

This year the equivalent high quality romance drama was Call it Love which had stunning cinematagraphy, good acting, but ultimately was pretty thin. Then there was revenge Taxi Driver 2 provided action and revenge, Glory portrayed brutalization and revenge, Payback accounting and revenge. The sageuk I attempted to watch was Our Blooming Youth which thankfully wasn’t focused on revenge but was a pretty unsatisfying, way too many episode viewing experience. As far as rom-coms, while parts of Crash Course in Romance and Love to Hate You were okay, the interesting premise and solid acting in those shows was squandered by writing blunders

Will the summer of 2023 turn this circumstance around, so I’ll be raving about the great kdrama year of 2023? Not sure, but at least one thing will be better for me—a regular participation in Dramabeans!

Joseon Attorney: Caught up to ep 10. The case with Lord Chu's son was compelling. What happened was just, but also tragic. The Kwon case wasn't that strong and had the misfortune of following such a great case. Seems like we're heading into angst territory. I'm worried about Eun-soo. She's got the vibes of the brother in 100 Days My Prince

The Real Has Come: The stress of almost getting caught!! EEE!! I've never been in a contract/fake relationship, but I feel like I can teach drama characters on the basics of what they need to do to not get caught. I'm enjoying the arguments AND the communicating. I'm interested in how the older sister and her husband can do the sexless coparenting thing when they're physically attracted to each other.

Meet Yourself (cdrama, up to ep 35) We're heading towards the end, and I really don't want to say goodbye. The characters don't just exchange dialogue, they have conversations where we're made aware that each person has their own viewpoint.

Taiwanese drama “Wave Makers” on Netflix. @pickleddragon - thanks so much for your recommendation on this one.

This is easily the BEST - and by a big margin - out of anything I’ve watched this year. As a drama about election and politics, this is as real as you can get without losing a beat about people at its core. I especially appreciate and admire how well the parallel storylines are played out covering work life balance, gender equity, the all too prevailing “Me Too” stories, the good and bad of politics (probably more bad than good). All these are blended in well with the right portion along the main election plank, in eight episodes @45 min. A great masterclass of what good scriptwriting could be.

I finished this over 2 days and fully recommend it to any one who’s looking for a drama about people and relationships - and it’s a big bonus if politics is your thing. It really reminisces the vibrancy of the two Taiwanese elections that I was fortunate to have witnessed myself. Everything here is top notch from writing (first time drama by two female veteran stage writers), directing (from the director of the acclaimed “The World Between Us”), to the acting (hats down to the wonderful Ying-Hsuan Hsieh and the rest of the cast), and the cinematography (so surprised how they only used 200 extras to create the massive campaign scenes).

Towards the end, when the two main leads talked about their job as kingmaker or queenmaker, I had a little chuckle because that’s what I thought the k-drama “Queenmaker” would be but it’s not (other than makjiang). The same for the Korean movie Kingmaker which is not makjiang but such an underwhelming piece.

Try out the trailer: https://youtu.be/Q8ryUSYemhk

I have sample-first-watched Tell Me What You Saw and My Roommate Is A Gumiho, and now tentatively continuing both.

TMWYS characters act too cool, and too condescending, making everything feel very unnatural and unlikeable, but I'm giving it another episode.

MRIAG on the other hand is so light and unserious. I keep telling myself it is not worth the internet I'm using for it, but I still come back to it. I have to be honest though, the leads aren't pulling me back, I have fallen for the second male lead who has awoken all kinds of memories from old favorite novels.

DR ROMANTIC 2: I must’ve slept through the part where they explained how a woman who faints at the sight of blood could make it through four years of med school and be in her second year of surgery fellowship before someone notices. Regardless, I am surprised at how much I enjoyed this very heartfelt tearjerker. For the first time, Ahh Hyo Seop impressed me with his acting chops. So sorry I won’t be able to catch RD3, which is being criminally denied to us of the wrong streaming persuasion.

17 BUT 30: or is it 30 but 17? A resounding meh. Found it recommended highly on fangirlverdict, which should have tipped me off, since fangirl and I hardly ever see eye to eye. An earlier drama with Ahh Hyo Seop, this time as SL frantically yapping at the heels of the other actors like a puppy on meth.

WELCOME TO WEDDING HELL: It struck me as too earnest in its depiction of escalating tensions. Did not care for.

SHOOTING THE STARS (2002): Eps 1-3 of 9. New release on Viki with Jeon Do-Yeon and Jo In-Sung. It has plenty of that vintage flavor, and so far, a very compelling story. Can’t imagine how they will resolve all this in 9 episodes.

Secret Romantic guest house: just watched episode 1 and I think I might continue.

Extraordinary you: I'm in a drama slump, and I usually watch oldies that I loved or oldies that I missed while they were playing. This was one of them. I started watching and can't stop. I can see some flaws in the world building, but I think the idea is innovative enough to keep me on my toes.

CDrama: Love & Redemption - naturally after finishing Ashes of Love, I had a whole evening to recover and then went for round two with this one. There was a discussion a few days ago about Cdrama openings/intro sequences being really pretty (and pretty long) and I agree! Love Between Fairy and Devil and Till the End of the Moon have some of the most prettiest intro scenes EVER, every frame is pure art. I actually also like the length of the intros because it gives me more time to admire the pretty. AoL’s intro was a little meh though but L&R’s one is much more visually pleasing.

Kdrama:

- As per my big fan wall proclamation tried Dr Romantic s2 (because a friend said watch s1 later) but dropped it after 4 eps - it just wasn’t my cup of tea. Maybe I’m not in the mood but I’ve rarely ever found a medical drama that’s kept me engaged, so it’s very much a me problem :(

- Finished the Tempted rewatch and gosh I forget how draining and low-key draggy the last half is. Every time I watch this drama, I go ‘this isn’t so bad??? Sure it’s very cliched but so far so good’ and then the second half hits and I’m like ‘ahhhh I remember now’.

Kdrama on air watching schedule is gradually shrinking:
- Joseon Attorney: albeit attention to plot declines a bit more every week, Woo Do-hwan, Bona and N keeping me going
- Secret Guesthouse: 18 eps rather than 16 is perf, it’s been a good ride
- Good, Bad Mother: only really invested in the Kang-ho x Mi-joo storyline so I have been ff-ing episodes a bit
- Finland Papa: is really lovely so far, shame it’s only 6 x 30 min eps but hoping the story continues/finishes well!
- I want to start Perfect Strangers but I think I might wait for a few more eps to come out so I can binge.

Other:
- Queen Charlotte: I love a good period drama and I’ve warmed up to aspects of Bridgerton (there’s not enough period dramas out there so I’ll take what I can get at this point) so I binged this one the day it came out basically. This spin-off is pretty solid though but it is quite heavy and tragic, the main leads’ chemistry was just dazzling.

- Merlin: I don’t know if anyone else has watched this show but it’s an absolute British GEM! I watched the series when I was a kid with my mum when it used to air on TV so I remember but don’t remember a lot of the plot, but it was one of the things that fed my love for fantasy and mythology/legend based stories growing up. Rewatching/watching it properly for the first time now has been so rewarding - I was a little worried that it wouldn’t stack up to the love I had for it has a kid, since kids tend to view things in very sparkly and rosy lenses, but happy to confirm that it is still objectively sparkly and rosy and lovely.

Still watching Lost and Under The Queen's Umbrella. Lost is like a puzzle, and the pieces are starting to click together (8 episodes to go). I like the music too.

Under the Queen's Umbrella is the palace thriller I did not know I needed.

Title: The futile attempts to get distracted lol)))
Like I really, really tried to divide my attention, but that one show holds me by throat and refuses to weaken its grasp even for a bit. I NEED to know the conclusion asap so I can finally relax and stop biting my nails (figuratively) in fear, but at the same time I don't want it to end(((

TILL THE END OF CURSED FATE THE MOON: "I just wanna be a lover, not a red-eyed, screaming ghoul." (c)
See, I've been thinking a lot since drama's start what ML's story reminds me of, and this week I finally had an eureka moment - Elric of Melniboné! Wtf was with my brain to not notice the parallels sooner, but thankfully someone pointed out his hair turning white after a certain event in the novel (drama didn't go there, which I'm hella conflicted about), then it clicked. And wow, the more you think of it, the more it fits. Is author a fan? Now I'm gonna forever imagine LYX in that role too... What a picture! Anyway, the shared central theme - unlucky guy being destined to suffer all his life and eventually bring Apocalypse, his own opinion on the matter notwithstanding - fully came to light this week, making a textbook dramatic reveal. ML's realization that all his endless misery was scripted - including attempts to break free - was the pure heartbreak, even more so than what he went through 500 years ago. Following sanity slippage(s) didn't even feel excessive at this point. I can see why some viewers complain that amount of bloody angst in the show made them feel numb and detached. Doesn't include me, ofc, this is 100% my brand of pain))) Now if only it all led to a satisfying, cathartic end that heals all wounds... I'm still praying and my sword is fully sharpened.

FL FINALLY came through, accepting her feelings and giving her man the benefit of the doubt and all around support that was long overdue *claps* So many great romantic scenes, now fully sincere! My favorites were her arrival at the trial and forehead touch exorcism, even kisses (ok, the chest scars one was fire) and proposal (pls stop with your many red weddings and just elope, guys, I've developed a phobia already!) don't hold a candle to that. Let's see if remaining eps manage to bring even more feelz. In other news, SML turned the worst ever, and along with loathed in all her lives SFL they make a very lame story that feels like a filler. At least FL's jerk of a bio-dad moves the main plot! Overall, this arc seems to be the one that suffered from episode cut/censorship the most, editing got really choppy at times, kinda affecting the story, unfortunately. Didn't stop the show from being epic as usual tho, particularly in action and angsty scenes. Yes, drama is a torture fest, but it's the most glorious torture fest ever! We're almost there with blood spitting count too, only 4 more to make a history)))

This week started off with Dark Hole to scare myself silly and be too afraid to go to the bathroom at night. Discovered the utterly irresistable oppa vibes of Lee Joon-Hyuk, an actor who shines in detective dramas with his sizzling alert glare. He is on the list of my favorite underused oppas now transitioning into ahjusshi land. Many viewers like me wish he would headline more dramas instead of those wet behind the ears babes. Gosh I don't understand why casting directors keep relegating him to second leads in other dramas when he is well able to carry first lead. So manly, so oppa. Followed up the scarefest of Dark Hole (scary but in a meaningful, allegorical way) with the detective thriller The Lies Within, selected specifically because the cast includes Lee Joon-Hyuk. Although he is once again tragically and inexplicably not a lead here, the screenplay makes up for it. I am quite impressed with The Lies Within. This is a solid thriller seasoned with plenty of comedic moments to keep you going. I love when darker dramas know the importance of including comedy to lighten things up. Comedy is a necessity when working with darker materials. A lot of dramas are stuffy and unbearable to watch because they take themselves too seriously. I love the writers behind The Lies Within. They also wrote Argon, which I will probably be watching right after this. To me, I would rank The Lies Within right up there with the top crime dramas like Stranger/Forest of Secrets. I warmly recommend checking it out if you're in a drama slump.

What I’ve been watching week ending May 6:

The Real Has Come Still enjoying this one, but I don’t know whether I can go the full 50 episodes. I will have to see the new episodes later this weekend.
Marriage Not Dating I watched 12 episodes of this 2014 romantic comedy. It has basically the same plot as The Real Has Come, but without the accidental pregnancy--fake marriage because the ML doesn't want to marry because of previous trauma. In Marriage Not Dating, the boy has a difficult mother and a lovely grandmother, and in The Real Has Come, he has a lovely mother and a difficult grandmother. The physical comedy is so amazing. It’s weird how the dramas from 9 or 10 years ago seem a lot more permissive about sexuality yet are also deeply old fashioned in their comedy—bathroom humor, a lot of flailing around and pratfalls, etc.

The Secret Romantic Guest House Still watching this but I didn’t finish the second episode of this week.

When the Weather is Fine For some reason, I decided to try to rewatch what I remembered as some of my favorite parts of this series. I found that I didn’t like it as much on rewatch, which is a shame because it was one I really liked. I'm really conflicted about a woman in her 30s playing herself in high school. I still love the book club though.

Two new Korean BLs this week, Merry Happy Ending and Love Mate. I wound up liking the first one but not the second, which was the opposite of what I expected. There was a lot more to the one about the former idol turned wedding singer trying to overcome trauma. (I also checked out whether any of the original manwha was online, and it was--and the show version was actually stronger!) The second one, about the guy who uses dating apps, was undercut by being so odd, with an undercurrent of workplace sexual harassment. I think what made it weird is that the show runners did not want there to be an implication that the protagonist was dating for casual sex. They show him going on a date and having a meal and then blocking the other person. It made no sense at all.

Long time anonymous beanie until today! I actually really wanted to give a Taiwanese drama a shout out because it seems to be woefully underrated. For anyone who likes supernatural contemporary with a mix of humour and emotional stories, I’ve been really enjoying [b]Oh no! Here comes trouble![/b] Pretty short drama that ends next Saturday with 12 episodes!

As for kdrama, haven’t invested too much in many of the recent ones. Was hoping for more episodes of The Good Bad Mother before diving in. Loved Lee Do Hyun in 18 Again.

I enjoyed [b]Tale of the Nine Tailed 1938[/b]’s premiere episode today, seemed like a lot of fun with a neat setting! Looking forward to checking out tomorrow’s episode. Although lol I actually haven’t made it through the first season tbh, so grateful for the quick ending recap in episode 1. Once I have a bit more time I’ll perhaps give S1 another crack to get up to date.

If anybody is looking for a rom-com, try Ousama ni Sasagu Kusuriyubi. It’s an ongoing j-drama but so far i’ve enjoyed all 3 episodes in one afternoon. It’s about a contract marriage btw..yep, a hotshot ceo and a poor girl (insert laugh-cry) cos i was just complaining about this dynamic the other day.. #noescapefromtropes
https://mydramalist.com/747811-osama-ni-sasagu-kusuriyubi

On a separate note, i love how j-dramas show us their set-up in like the first 5 mins and just dives into the deep-end straight away. It was shocking when i first started but now i find it so amusing.

Did DB just swallowed my comment n pretended to post it?? There was no moderation warning.. 😩 It was a j-drama rec for Ousama ni Sasagu Kusuriyubi. It’s a rom-com, still airing and i finished 3 episodes in one afternoon. Nothing ground-breaking but it was cute enough to be reccommended.

Still hoping my earlier comment will appear..

This past week I finished two shows that have gotten a huge amount of love here on Dramabeans. Given the raves, I went in with high expectations but emerged somewhat less enthusiastic than I’d anticipated.

TAXI DRIVER 2 - While I found myself scratching my head at some of the convoluted plotting and the occasional cluelessness of our lovable band of avengers, I thoroughly enjoyed the show, mainly because of the camaraderie among the team—each of whom was endearing in their own way. (If there is a third season, I hope they don’t develop a romance between Do-Ki and Go-Eun, which they seemed to be hinting at.) My favorite “mission” was the one involving the children who were being kidnapped and used as pawns in the apartment lottery scam—not so much for the revenge scheme, but more for the tender way in which the gang interacted with those poor abused children.

THE THREE MUSKETEERS - Having just finished TAXI DRIVER 2, I thought it would be fun to see a very different drama centered around a group of close friends banding together to fight evil and injustice. Unfortunately, I didn’t sense the kind of bond between our three musketeers that I so loved about the taxi crew. Part of the problem I think was the lack of scenes showing off their dazzling swordplay and how they fought together as a close-knit team. Given that THE THREE MUSKETEERS is renowned as the swashbuckler to end all swashbucklers, we saw very little actual fighting. (From the few brief clashes, I got the impression that executing fight choreography was not the actors’ forte.) In general, I just couldn’t engage with the story or feel much for any of the characters, with the possible exception of Yoon-Seo. And I needed more Jung Hae-In!

I’m halfway through SQUAD 38 and loving the Mutt-and-Jeff bromance developing between our two leads. SIG is the perfect smooth-talking conman, a characterization that will hopefully wipe all traces of CAFÉ MINAMDANG from my memory (I mean the show, not his performance).

Do you like Brahms?
Just finished. Binge watched in 3 days and loved it. Such a lovely drama. I think I’m hooked on introvert ML’s at the moment 😊
Love All Play
Loved this one as well. I watched it over the weekend. I have no life 😩 A big shout out to the Beanie team for their recaps. It’s my go to source for understanding complicated Korean specific actions (kneeling in front of someone and Korean family dynamics)
Oh My Venus
On pause at episode 14. Couldn’t understand the ML actions when he left for rehab. Another quick shoutout to the Beanie recaps as I discovered there was a word play joke that Netflix completely failed to translate. Mmm I can’t remember what it was now.. something about sounds like a mouse. Viki TV sub’s are the best at including jokes and similarities information in their subtitles.
Cdrama - The Love You Give Me
On hold at episode 12. Enjoying so far, except how many times can we interrupt the will they kiss scene. Waiting for all episodes to drop so I can binge watch.
On the look out for new slow burn romance. I can’t decide between Angels Last Mission or Chocolate or Come Hug Me.