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Team Dramabeans: What we’re watching (January 20, 2024)

So, what are we all watching this week?

What kept you reaching for more (or agonizing when there was no more), and what made you want to throw your remote through the screen? Time to weigh in…

 

missvictrix

Currently covering: Like Flowers in Sand

My Happy Ending: Okay, I’m having a little less fun now that Jae-won has gone into vicious revenge mode instead of floundering around in total chaos, but then again, this drama just doesn’t stop, and every time you think you know which way things are facing, they go and invert everything again. I have no idea where we’ll land, but I will repeat, the Jang Nara x Lee Ki-taek storyline and chemistry is just sooooooooo good. I will keep watching through anything they throw at me just to see where those two end up.

Marry My Husband: Well, to start, Na In-woo has fully grown on me in this role and I love how he’s all dapper now with an awesome hairstyle, but he’s still an awkwardly tall nerd inside (takes one to know one). But really it’s that episode-ending time-travel reveal that left me with a gasp because it’s so soon in the drama for this to happen! Which is exciting! It immediately changes the scope of the story, and I can’t wait to see how they’ll handle it.

 

mistyisles

Currently covering: Captivating the King

Knight Flower: I had high expectations for this, and these first couple of episodes 100% delivered! Actually, it was probably more than 100%, because while I expected the show to be as fun as it was, I didn’t expect to be this invested in the characters and their relationships this quickly. There’s a whole lot of heart and intrigue mixed in with the humor, and I am so excited to see where this story takes us.

 
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Live watches:

Between him and her
I think I am in for the duration despite certain elements being hard to watch such a ‘friend’ consistently body shaming one of the side characters and him still falling in love with her. I am interested in seeing the main love story play out alongside getting to know all the characters around the main couple.

Welcome to Samdalri
I hope this ends well as there is a lot to tie up with the sisters. I hope ratings climb even higher so Wookie can get some good offers for future dramas in genres I can watch. Whilst there have been annoying elements in this drama it has been an enjoyable experience acquiring the bean for the year count.

Completed

Tell me that you love me.
Whilst I loved the show a few things were disappointing; the second female lead constantly over stepping the professional boundaries against the male leads wishes tainted the show for me. The main couple storyline would have benefitted from the air time given over to wrapping up the side characters issues. I was happy we saw the grown up art students at least. It was a show like Would you like a cup of coffee and Twelve nights that work well with the slower pace and focus on dialogue and the context setting.

Bingewatch corner:
Dr Storks - Japanese
I am quite enjoying this medical drama it reminds me of the staff who support each other whilst supporting the mothers and their families through their pregnancy in On a starry night. It’s quite old 2015 season one and 2017 season two but feels modern and has lots of public health awareness features regarding complications of pregnancy and childbirth.

Love me, love my voice -Chinese
The main leads are a Dr who is a top voice actor in his ‘spare’ time and university student graduating in music composition. Most K-dramas just mention the traditional food’s name and show the meal on the table or have someone cook the meal from scratch for their special person. In this show the voice actor is a pro level cook and the fan just likes to hear him talking so rather than go with the joke of having him reading the phone book I think they adapted it to him going through the cooking instructions for at least one dish per episode. It’s an interesting way to showcase traditional meals and as he is quite shy and new to the world of flirting it’s filler for when he can’t think of anything to say during their frequent phone calls. I guess with 33 episodes to fill this is a convenient plot line running through each episode!

One second ahead one second behind - Japanese film 2023
A man wakes up to find he has lost a day and it just happens to be the day he was supposed to go on a date.

One day - film 2017
A man is mourning the recent loss of his wife and has to investigate an insurance claim involving a visually impaired woman who was knocked down while walking without her stick. He meets her coma ghost and is the only one who can see and hear her.
Sad tale themes of abandonment, grief...

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and friendship.

Webtoon corner:
Second lead syndrome

Book club:
Whale - Cheon Myeongkwan
Very strange tale of three different women at different stages of life, their friends and lovers. The growth and decline of industry and the impact of the environment on community.

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I'm with you on Between Him and Her. Is it like a train wreck that one can't tear one's eyes away from?? It's not like the show itself is bad...but it's not, enjoyable? And yet, I know I'm going to watch to the end?

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‘ It's not like the show itself is bad...but it's not, enjoyable?’ 👈🏾 This is it exactly. I have a track record using this approach it got me through Strangers Again and the Good bad mother.

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At least Strangers Again had Mr. Adorable Eyes and Ms. Acting Ability!! 🤣😂😶

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Good point ☺️

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Good bad mother
Those poor pigs x 🐷 🐷 🐷 !

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According to the translator of the novel for LMLMV, the author used the novel as a vehicle for her love of food and ancient style music.

I loved the main couple and didn't mind the secondary couples, but for some reason my interest waned by the time it reached the last 6-8 eps or so. The drama was definitely too long for the story. I already liked TJC from Lost You Forever, but this drama made me love him and his voice :D I'm still listening to the OST.

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Oh thanks for that explanation which makes sense as the reader could actually cook from the recipes included in the text.

I feel they are dragging things out with their embarrassment trying to communicate now they are a couple. I also think they are doing too much of a good thing with his friends and fellow voice artists always teasing him in front of her etc. It was fun initially but now we are on the fourth round of it…not so much.

I was thinking of going to the last 6 episodes to see what happens as I feel they will stick in real time dating land for a few more epsiodes. But maybe from what you are saying it would be better to stick with it and end at the usual 24 epsiodes which already feels too long even though that’s the usual 16 episodes stretched out by making the episodes shorter. My other thought is to drop it for now and start The Hope instead as that sounds like a quality drama and is 30 episodes which hopefully will be just right. I can come back to Love me love my voice if things get dry in K drama and J drama land later in the year.

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I'm not sure if Love Me, Love My Voice has enough plot to keep me going, but after watching a couple episodes, I can't help but wonder if I should be taking notes when the recipes come on?? I started watching while I was at the gym and left absolutely RAVENOUS.

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🤣 that’s so funny.

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ONGOING
Like Flowers in Sand - "I've liked you for 30 years". "We're 32 years old". "Ah. It's 31 years!" 😂. Loved the way both episodes came full circle to their childhoods. The writing is excellent.

My Man is Cupid - The line about JDY's baby face was legitimately funny (and relatable! I can imagine some of my friends saying it!).

My Demon - What would drama writers do without last-minute noble idiocy? So many finales depend on it 😑.

Welcome to Samdal-ri - YongDal's conversation at the hideout was lovely and moving. Glad we're over the Dad drama. Still have the Eun-joo drama to go though.

STARTED
Knight Flower - Good enough start. Nothing particularly new but the usual elements play smoothly. Bok-kyu as the King amuses me.

WATCHLIST
4 of the 5 dramas I'm watching end this week 😔. Doctor Slump can't come soon enough!

Debating watching Sejak. It has Jo Jung-seok but it also has Shin Se-kyung…and the writer…

What else is upcoming 🤔?

C-DRAMAS
The Hope is exactly as good as Beanies said! I'm savouring it so only on Ep. 15 right now but there are so many scenes that are already embedded in my memory. I love the cinematic feel of the flashback scenes too (esp. Li Ran's life).

Gave a pass to the new Chinese Paladin shows but am planning to start Yang Zi's Stories of Youth and Love.

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Upcoming could be Chaebol v. Cop (CVC: that's my title and I'm sticking to it) too??

I will be very interested to see which Beanies will watch Captivating the King. I sure have no interest despite liking all the actors!

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I was looking up upcoming dramas and the Flex x Cop title made me cringe too!

I feel like a lot of Beanies will watch Captivating the King. It's the kind of show that gets a lot of traction.

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I don't know what to do with Captivating the King... Watching on air or binge-watching later? 🤔
Maybe I'll have a look at the first episode and then decide.

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That's my plan too 🤝

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I was interested in Captivating the King, but decided against watching it, because I think the way the drama will feel is not the way I want to feel right now 🤷‍♀️

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Oh that's a good point. You really have to be in the right mindset for certain dramas. It's why I haven't pressed play on Death's Game, The Bequeathed, and others that are nominally on my 'watchlist'.

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The bequeathed is actually the best “healing” drama of the year so far. It’s (weirdly enough) best “family” drama of the year so far. I don’t even know how to express it but despite its grim topic, it actually ends on a very hopeful and healing note. It’s not your garden-variety “serial killer” drama. If you are in a mood for some healing through some weird and traumatic family events that transpired in the past, this is a drama for you.

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Baek Du earnestly counting the number of years!! 🥰🥰🥰
Baby face - pfffttt. Metamorphosis to maintain baby face?? I am starting to think God us just mad that Cupid has such a pretty baby face while he ended up with this old body and face 😂😂
Can’t wait to start The Hope.

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Baek-du is earnest in everything. Such a cutie!

Just finished the Cupid show and the old God was full of nonsense oof. I think he really might have been jealous of JDY's face lol.

The Hope is really good. I expected as much given that it has ZRY, but all the stories are moving and impactful. Loving it.

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THE HOPE is terrific. I love those kids- and how different each of their arcs is

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Live-ish Watches
My Demon: I’m holding off on episode 15 until they are both out, but very excited. As for 13-14: I am still really into this show. I’m not sure exactly what it is, but the leads feel magnetic to me and I’m so invested in their lives and happiness.

Death’s Game: I powered through and I’m glad I did! I watched Kim Jae-wook’s episode almost entirely through my fingers, but the whole thing was so well acted and really knew where it was going, which I so appreciate.

Older Dramas
Stealer: The Treasure Keeper: romantic hints all around! They didn’t quite have time to push any of the ships fully into the water, but they left them all open and that’s enough for me. Maybe it was because I watched the last two episodes in a few different chunks, but the end felt anticlimactic to me, although I’m glad Huin-dal featured prominently. Still, honestly I don’t mind. This drama was so much fun.

K-action Movie of the Week
Mission: Possible: It’s been a little while since I watched a K-action movie and this was a great way to jump back in! I love the trope of “acts like an idiot to mask absolute competence” and Kim Young-kwang does it so well! His grin is so infectious and it’s so fun to see him in a role so completely removed from where I first saw him (Call It Love). Lee Sun-bin is great here too, but there’s no way around it - her character is just not as fun as his. Then again, his character wouldn’t shine as much without her earnest top-of-the-class energy, and I really enjoyed her too. There is a massive tonal shift that happens somewhere in the middle (and they go from knocking bad guys out to shooting them pretty quickly), but it’s somewhat justified and pretty interesting to watch. I sort of wish we’d gotten more backstory for both of our leads so that we could understand their motivations better, but that’s not really what the movie is, and I respect that. What we get instead are super fun action sequences (the kitchen fight scene might be my favorite) and KYK taking people out while wearing a plaid suit that matches a tablecloth. Since that’s what I signed up for, I’m happy.

Random other thing
Yuri on Ice: My partner and I blasted through the 12 short episodes of this show this week, and it was so great! For a show that is almost entirely a string of skating competitions, I was surprised how much I was on the edge of my seat for every performance, and I truly didn’t know who I wanted to win in the end. It’s a very understated romance, but incredibly sweet, and I love how much they both grew over the course of the season. The opening song has been living rent free in my brain for the past week and I’m not mad about it.

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Hahaha forgot to close my bold 🤷‍♀️ I kind of like that it emphasizes the last part that someone might otherwise skip over. And I do feel pretty bold font about Yuri on Ice, so I think it’s working 😁

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Lol it worked! My eye went straight to that section and I read it with great curiosity 😀

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Don't stop us now, the moment of truth, we were born to make history~ 🎶✨

After 12 episodes I just knew the entire lyrics.

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🎵We’ll make it happen, we’ll turn it around, yes we were born to make history!🎶

Saaaaaame, it’s so good! I could just watch the epic opening forever.

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...We were born to make history, we were born to make history, we were born to make history, YES, WE WERE BORN TO MAKE HISTORY~!!! 🎶😂

Yes! It's addictive! Such a good opening for such a good show.

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Oh my gosh I love Mission: Possible SO MUCH!!! Kim Young-kwang can do that flip from derpy to hot on a dime. I need to watch that movie again!!!

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Oh, thanks for reminding me that Mission: Possible and Yuri exist! MP has been on my watch list, and I started Yuri ages ago and can't remember why I couldn't finish it (availability, maybe?) but loved the first few episodes.

I enjoyed My Demon all the way through. Not exactly intellectually demanding, but it's been a fun watch.

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WELCOME TO SAMDAL-RI (Ep 13-14) The show continues to meander with the same conversations, the same non-solutions, the same of village gossip. Any sudden character change is unearned. So far, I think the viewers have been chained up like the village square dog.

TELL ME THAT YOU LOVE ME (Ep 15-16) This series did not disappoint. It was well written, well acted, excellent direction and pace. The pace was slow enough for the leads to breathe, reflect and act. The silence put us in the room with JW and how ME would perceive it. Even though it could be considered slow and not enough time given to secondary character arcs, it made sense. The OTP story was believable beyond belief. We got all the characters get through their insecurities and getting closure in a reasonable, adult manner. The ambiguity of the ending did not distract from the journey. Excellent series from beginning to end.

THE BEQUEATHED (Ep 1-6) Netflix is pushing k-content to its taboo limits. This mystery-murder series starts off with the basic cop-greed-double fakes of a drama, but then it goes dark and then very, very dark in its story. It was above average but none of the performances really stood out above the ensemble effort.

LIVE YOUR OWN LIFE (Ep 32-33) Still lurking and not really caring for any of the characters. The show’s current overwhelming truth is that everyone in the show is coupling up with the wrong person. Incompatibility and ulterior motives is not the basis for a relationship.

THE CONCUBINE (2012) It is very hard to find old k-dramas, especially films. On Amazon I saw a re-issue of this movie after the Parasite Oscar award so I purchased a copy. It is a standard early Joseon palace story with more graphic violence than R-rated scenes that showed beauty, attraction and sex as palace power. It did not have a great English dub, but it was a pretty good story, however the title seems to be a misnomer because part of the story seems to be lost in translation. I will probably have to watch the english sub version.

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So far, I think the viewers have been chained up like the village square dog👈🏾🤣

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Thank you for expressing so well the constant circling in one place, you’ll never escape feeling that made me drop the show!

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@welh did a grand job sorry I forgot to put the speech marks round the quote from their comment.

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Yes, they did!

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Do you think 12 episodes would have solved the village square dog problem?? I'm finding most show do so much better without those extra episodes that they just have to fill with recaps

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I disagree with your assessment of the Bequeathed. I encourage the Beanies to watch it and look behind all the taboos and understand what it’s trying to say. It’s not as simple as the events depicted in it. Great series.

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Knight Flower: 8.0 Because just one show per season in which a character's family was massacred when they were young just wouldn't be enough.

My Demon: 7.0 Show has both standard kdrama reincarnation and contracts to sell your soul and go to hell. How does that work? Do you reincarnate out of hell after a while? A short enough while to make it a good deal? I guess it depends on how evil you've been (?)

Goryeo Kitan War: 6.0 With the focus now on reigning in the powerful regional lords, I was wondering if they might draw some parallels to powerful chaebols, but so far they haven't gone there yet.

Love Song for Illusion: 6.5 Because just one show per season in which a character's family was massacred when they were young just wouldn't be enough. But they were doing ok until the end of day 5 when they came to that cliff with the deep river and they somehow failed to have them splat into rocks along the river bank. Sigh.

A Shop for Killers: 8.1 😲🤣

Moving: 9.0 (ep 9/16 rewatch)

The Bequeathed: 1.8 Bored now. Out after 18 minutes.

LTNS: __ Soon

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The family massacre storyline does seem to have been particularly prevalent in the last year. It's a convenient plot device for sageuk writers. Sometimes it feels effective, but other times I just roll my eyes and think "Here we go again."

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It's almost like how so many children/YA lit are orphans. Families - good, responsible ones- typically get the way of adventures and prevent characters from taking risks.

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The family massacre seems to be the bread and butter of sageuks...

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Sageuk family massacre

Of course ! That way the child actor can scream abeoji

Bonus points if the child is blood splattered, additional points if the screaming takes place while it is raining and the child is crying. Said child has to disappear, along with some kind of identifier, be it a birth mark, some sort of gewgaw trinket or talisman .

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Wow. That called to mind scenes from MULTIPLE dramas. 😅 Very accurate, John!

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It's a job - u hv to sell d product - then u don't hv d quality and u hv to provide for 16 episodes - ur livlihood epends upon it. u know bring hero-heroine together by any nonsense is ur key to surivival n hat's what u do - side characters r fillers but can't fill in for 16 episodes n that's y u need 2nd engagement tht nowadays mostly is police or prosecutr related. that's y u need kdrama with barely 10 episodes.
a show can't survive on accent or worse ji chang wook's smile alone. for tht you hv youtube.

The only good and above avg. is a young king seeking comfort that some1 side with him n the guy who is same as him but even more stubburn.

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Like Flowers in Sand (Episode 9-10) - Mood: C+
Seok Hui’s intuition is fascinating: on one hand, he was able to analyse that someone was purposely releasing Snowball for yet unknown reasons, on the other hand, he remained totally oblivious about Du Sik until the cliffhanger. Which by the way, it was glorious and I recommend rewatching it, though it’s annoying that the male leads sans Baek Du are underdeveloped.

A Shop for Killers (Episode 1-2) - Mood: C
Given the body and autopsy, I think it’s safe to assume the uncle’s really dead: that usually indicates some sort of betrayal, which means I’m really suspicious of the people inside the house rather than outside, particularly Park Ji Bin’s face which is somehow more of a baby face than Lee Dong Wook himself. The story isn’t particularly great but it’s okay.

Knight Flower (Epsiode 1-2) - Mood: C-
I guess Kim Mi Kyung got bored of playing so many good mom characters and this is a good change of scenery for her, but I did just watch this exact same setup for the virtuous woman title minus the time travel fantasy. Instead, we got all the usual power struggle nonsense (yawns) and a who’s oppa mystery. Surely it’s not the adopted Soo Ho: that’ll be incest!

Marry My Husband (Episode 5-6) - Mood: D+
There’re moments when you can feel like the writing’s going somewhere: take for instance Ji Won pretending to like chicken so as to bait Soo Min into her main character syndrome (this ties in nicely with the whole ‘steal my fate’ theme). But there’s still too many tropes and the cliffhanger felt like the writer gave up and said ‘what’s the easiest way of revealing the truth?’.

Welcome to Samdal-ri (Episode 13-14) - Mood: D-
Well, the good thing is that they finally got blessings from Yong Pil’s dad and we can now move past that uninspiring arc. In return, the bad thing is that of course, the assistant’s still there to muck things up in the finale alongside the reporter. Sang Do continues to be written so badly that it would’ve been better if he was a villain instead (the actor has skills to pull it off).

My Man Is Cupid (Episode 13-14) - Mood: D-
Ok, now that we know who’s the killer, can we actually get back to finding out what on earth did the gods want since Cupid was dragged into their tug of war? And will there ever be an explanation as to how come the king’s reincarnated as the cop with the same physical features whereas Baek Ryeon changed bodies each time?

My Demon (Episode 13-14) - Mood: D-
So you’re telling me that a normal human being can survive falling from a clocktower? What bullshit is this nonsense! And it gets even better when Do Hee inevitably gets into danger as she always does with Gu Won having to save her. I didn’t even mention about Gu Won’s amnesia or the soul-sucking procedure Do Hee coincidentally witnessed or that pathetic breakup.

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I kinda want someone to draw the image of "adult Du Sik" he had on his head. 😂 I feel like it was something wild. He looked so offended every time someone said she was Du Sik.

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And Baek-Du was imagining her 2m high... 😂

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These boys 😂😂

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Knight Flower - I had briefly suspected Yoon-hak of being her missing older brother, but he can't be if he's childhood friends with the king.

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It can't be Soo-ho cause
1.) It's her older brother not her younger brother.
2.) Soo-ho was in his early teens when the massacre happened and his family line is clear. Even the King knows his father.
I am guessing the inspector who sent a report to the King might be her lost brother but then, we do not know for how long that inspector has been gone. Perhaps 15 years?

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Marry My Husband: Not as crack-y as PMR but still enjoyable. It’s easy to root for the FL as she makes the most of her second chance. Also, her so-called BFF and boyfriend are delivering a masterclass in toxic friendship, reverse victimization and gaslighting.

Knight Flower: I really hope this stays fun and sassy instead of taking a hard turn to tragedy like about 80% of so-called fusion/comedy sageuks. The societal injustice is already tough enough to watch. Don't waste Honey Lee's comedic chops. Have her dismantle the patriarchy but let us have some laughs at the same time. Otherwise I’ll wish Yeo-wha and Yeon-sun would have made that run for freedom 12 years ago.

Welcome to Samdal-ri: I'm eagerly anticipating Eun-joo's ultimate crash and burn as she doesn't have the good sense to realize she's not main character material. Also looking forward to resolutions for Jin-dal's and Hae-dal's romances. Show should’ve spent more time developing their bacsktories and less time wallowing with Mopey and Grumpy.

Shop for Killers: It’s different and it’s so good! I was hooked after the brilliantly executed opening scene. Maybe things will eventually get noisy with nonstop gun battles, but for now I appreciated the quiet moments of character development in the first two episodes.

My Boss: Has taken a turn for the better! The OTP are catching feelings and it's quite cute. The titular boss might be a bit emotionally stunted, but he's never cruel. He also gets points for promoting a healthy working environment and rejecting compulsory drinking culture. It says something about the sad state of most drama offices that I was surprised how supportive the veteran colleagues were of our newbie FL. Both sets of OTP parents just appeared, but I think they’ll be funny rather than frustrating.

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‘Show should’ve spent more time developing their bacsktories and less time wallowing with Mopey and Grumpy’👈🏾😆 thanks for sharing this observation

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I would have liked more about the sisters instead of more backstory...but backstory would do!! 😜

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Your comment on KNIGHT FLOWER is spot on! Crossing fingers this will be another surprise gem for us. 🐅👏

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Yes, for the ML promoting a healthy working environment! He's had a few bad moments, but has overall been supportive. I like how the law firm is recognizably an office where people work, but without the terrible office culture, and I like how they intentionally hired people who can be collaborative and sweet while being top-notch lawyers.

That time when the FL was crying in the office, I loved how the veteran colleagues all exchanged a look and then came over with a coffee, a cake slice, a cupcake, and a tissue.

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It was so refreshing to see an office with kind, competent coworkers. I know some dramas get plot mileage out of petty conflicts, but it can get tiresome.

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Currently watching
1. Knight Flower: High on my list as Honey Lee is back on screen, with plenty of social commentaries, humor and mystery.
2. Welcome to Samdalri: Love the friendship and the slice-of-life aspects.
3. Goryeo-Khitan: Love the Goryeo historical aspects.
4. Marry My Husband: I have not watched a PMY drama for a long while.

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Started watching : Dr Stork A Japanese medical with lots of heart, a wonderful and warm-hearted hero who used to be an orphan.

Planning to add on my watch list
1. Captivating the King/Sejak: Jo Jung Suk and the writer of the Crowned Clown is basically the drawing factor.

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I love Dr Stork too.

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I started watching it today, as I am in need of something different that has nothing to do with Kdramas. My friend recommended it to me a few days to me.

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Me too.

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Sand Flowers: that final scene was wonderful.
Tell Me That You Love Me: do couples just change the way they handle problems after the relationship becomes official? Is that a real thing? Serious question.
I didn't get it with 25-21 and I don't get it now.
Unpredictable Family: the mom had no right to say that. You just don't talk about someone else's parents like that.

Watching my babies in pain was heartbreaking. Eun Ah needs to do something. Someone needs to do something. 🥺
Welcome to Sam Dal: ajá.
Knight Flower: loved the first episode. I didn't get to watch the second one because of Percy Jackson, tho.

BONUS
Percy Jackson: the books are about the quest, the ambience the action; while the show is focused on the characters and their stories. That makes reading and watching at the same time great. I get the full experience by combining both versions of the story.

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I don't know the answer to your question re TMTYLM, but I think maybe it's because when the relationship becomes official, one or both of the parties might expect more from the other? I don't see the logic in this either, but I do think there is a real difference between the before-dating and officially-dating phases in which some couples maintain the same dynamic and some don't.

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I like your theory.
In both cases (25-21, TMTYL) the relationships kind of survived the "first round" (pre-dating) because the female characters wouldn't give up and tried to understand their partners. But then they just didn't, and that's why the relationship died.

The male leads stayed the same but the female leads changed and that's what ruins the balance. It's like the FL was carrying the relationship.

But it makes sense that the ones that were so passionate and confident at the beginning are the ones that get more exhausted. It's like they used more energy on the relationship.

Thank you for answering. Now I feel a little different about the ending. I think I understand Mo Eun's change a bit better.

Well, in TMTYLM it was a bit different since the male lead didn't get the chance to carry anything. When she told him how she felt, it was too late. But I guess I understand where she was coming from.

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Your comment reminds me of a saying here that goes somewhat like "After marriage, women want their man to change, and the men want their woman to stay the same".

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Both perspectives are understandable... 🤔 Romance is too complicated, aigoo.

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😂😂 Aigoo..

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There are many different ways and stages to the beginning of relationships, and the journey through dating phases. Generally, the five stages of dating are attraction, reality, commitment, intimacy and finally, engagement that every couple experiences. At each stage, there are different expectations, goals and openness. At the intimacy stage, couples are experiencing their insecurities; each are vulnerable with each other. At the beginning it may be fun, exciting, different; but as time passes this initial rush and activities may slow down to become more serious (a fork in the road towards fears of commitment, mistakes or desires).

Couples have to change during their time together in order to stay together.

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Thank you! This is really helpful.
I'll keep this in mind during my kdrama viewing.

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When you're dating you're on your "best behavior" (theoretically). Once you're in an "official" relationship you're more comfortable and more of the real you comes out. It's the difference between wearing a social mask and not. Navigating those differences causes (imo) a lot of relationships to fall apart.

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Thanks!!

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After watching and enjoying the available episodes of Percy Jackson tv show, I picked up the first book and now finished that also. As you said, it was great watching and reading at the same time. Is it just me or the latest episode of PJ shorter than the earlier ones?

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IKR? I feel like every week the episodes get shorter. 🥺 But I heard that the final two are a little longer. Maybe they'll make them 40min long like the first episode.

I don't want them to cut much from the visit to the underworld (it's my favorite part in the book) so I hope they make them long.
For season two they should stick to 45min at least.

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I'm so so glad you're enjoying the show and the books!!!!!!!! 😊❤️

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Yes!! I started the third one today. It's just so much fun!

And book two introduced a character I can't wait to see on screen.
Now I'm even more excited about season two than this season's finale. 😂

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Tell Me That You Love Me It was a good drama. It's sad that the writer couldn't choose an ending and let the public choosing himself.

Love Song for Illusion The difference between the 2 MLs is not very clear and doesn't make sense at all. The OST I Was You, You Were Me is nice.

Marry My Husband None character feels like real person but just clichés.

Between Him and Her I wonder what Lee Seol is doing in this drama, the writing is bad, her character not so interesting, her ML is not really good at acting...

Like Flowers in Sand I don't want it to end!

Welcome to Samdal-ri I just want to see Eun-Ho loosing everything now.

Knight Flower If I need to compare this drama to another one, it's not The Matchmakers but The Story of Park's Marriage Contract with the widow virtue and abs making the FL loosing her mind :p

My Demon The villain can fly?

Captivating the King Jo Jung-Suk is back! It's the only important thing.

My Man is Cupid (and not stupid like I read one in two) The story is so slooooow.

A Shop for Killers I liked the first 2 episodes but the FL seemed very naive.

LTNS I didn't like the first episode. I didn't like the characters. I wonder why KDramas always are so cynical with formed couple and can't show the same romance than in other dramas.

Aishiteiru to Ittekure After watching Tell That You Love Me, I was curious about the original JDrama. First, this one aired in 1995, so it's interesting to see the difference with the technology, no phone to write on, so the FL signed more. He's a painter and she's an actress and otherwise, it's very different. I read the second part will show the insecurity of the FL, so I guess the KDrama followed this part too.

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@missvictrix Have you started The Matchmakers or The Interest of Love? Or do you need a kick in the butt to motivate you? 🤣

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Please kick me in a few weeks ^^ Right now I'm at max capacity lol

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/me notes in her calendar.

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😅

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Do not feel bad, my wife and I will finally get back to THE MATCHMAKERS this week.

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I'm happy to know your wife is feeling better now and will be able to fully enjoy The Matchmakers!

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I dropped LTNS after the masturbation scene in 1st episode. For crying out loud, this is not why I watch Kdrama. Extremely surprised (and disappointed) to see something like that on Kdrama, and I've been watching kdrama for a decade. What audience are they aiming for? I was psyched up waiting for this drama, but no way.

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It was actually out of place as it really has no relationship to the plot. What were they thinking? I went on to watch both episodes even though that scene was a turn off. In retrospect that scene should have served as a warning that I disregarded.

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I don't mind this kind of scenes if it makes sense in the story. But in this case, it's just about the sex life of this couple (or the lack) and not about them as people.

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Like Flowers in the sand: 💙💙💙💙💙
My man is Cupid - what happened there!! Shook. Can’t wait for Ep 16 today
My demon: I will earn my bean.
Sam dal ri- I am here for Eun Joo’s epic downfall.
Knight Flower - Fun so far. But not sure how long I will last given all the politics coming soon.

Derailment - Ep 24. Or enough time to finish this.

Hope - need to get started soon!
Marry my husband - definitely ready to start once all the live dramas end this week.

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Finished:

1. Tell Me That You Love Me: An exquisite art piece.

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Love Song for Illusion. Not as much fun as the first 3 episodes to me but I'm still curious about how things will play out, more specifically how Park Ji Hoon will continue to play the characters now that they're away from the palace and the king is dead so argubly, Hyun's now freer (even though he is also on the run) to be himself and both he and Gyera know the truth about each other.

Night Has Come. I watched this solely because a Youtuber that I watch covered it and said it was one of the best shows they had seen recently. When I watched it, it just made me think that I thought I had seen a Japanese recap of a show with the same premise. About the actual show, I'm not a fan of the ending because it sucks that people have to be punished for others' actions. How can not knowing something or not being able to stop be equal with actual perpetrators? But I guess that was the only way of showing that things would continue indefinitely.

Knight Flower. Abs! Haha. But seriously, those are the kinds of moments that I liked; the comedy and the interactions between the leads. I kinda tune out everything else because I just hate it all so much: the way women are just seen as how they can improve the look of the family, how poorly people are treated because of their social status, and whatever political scheming is afoot. I know it's important for the plot but I just like the comedy. I think Honey Lee is doing an awesome job playing the different aspects of this character.

A Shop for Killers. After reading the weecap and seeing some of the comments, it made me think "do I really not grasp *good* shows?". When I was watching it, I never once thought "this is so suspenseful", "what good world building". I thought that Jinman was kinda relatable and pragmatic. He definitely seemed like he had lived a life that made him that way because even though he didn't see his family for years, I got the feeling he did care about them in some way. I also thought his approach with Jian seemed like something I would do. Not necessarily the driving off (the world is a dangerous place, she could get kidnapped) but the silently coexisting in the same house. I also thought Jian is kinda relatable (sidenote: I was also reminded of, I think the movie is A Cry In The Dark, where the dingo ran off with & killed a woman's baby but because of how detached and stoic she was, people thought she wasn't grieving properly so she must've killed the baby). Not everyone grieves the same way, especially if there's complicated or complex feelings involved. I liked the scene where she finally cried and asked the guy to sit with her. It doesn't seem like she would easily ask for help or comfort so I thought that was a nice moment.

Welcome to Samdal Ri. Something I thought was nice was Yong Pil's devotion to Sam Dal and how he never allowed himself or others to make him feel uncomfortable about or around her. He was...

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...content to love in silence and while I think for some, many, that could seem idiotic, the way it's shown in the show was nice. I think it's probably the kind of feeling some people want to be the recipient of at least once. I liked that Sam Dal seemed to be the realist between them. I thought some of her actions made sense for the type of person she was and it was nice seeing how being back in her hometown has helped her find a newer, more enpowered version of herself because even though the town is full of gossips, it's also filled with unwavering support.

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Love your beautiful descriptions of the characters and relationship of Yong-Pil and Sam-dal ☺️

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Abtastic episode! 😂 I hope it'll stay light-hearted and fun!

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Starting
The Secret Romantic Guesthouse: I also finished it, so look at the end of this post.
Knight Rider: Very exciting. But why do all my new dramas drop on the weekend?
Watching Continued
Welcome to Samdal-ri: I am still charmed and also, still really like Shin Hae-sun. A vicious circle of shame and violence coming from the parents (at times tragicomic: I mean … what? https://www.dramabeans.com/members/CecilieDK/activity/1516681/ ) was revealed in more fulness last weekend. I am looking forward to seeing a rebellion from all the lovers, putting an end to it. Hopefully!
My Demon: I like it. It’s very beautiful. I think scary uncle is more scary when he looks normal, it’s a pity they changed that.
I really hope they will show a beautiful end today … I think they will, considering that self-sacrifice has been the key to magic power hitherto.
Finished:
The Secret Romantic Guesthouse: Very exciting, and a very well-written. My first “love” in that drama stayed my favourite throughout. The final was lovely!
Hold on to that thought
, because here comes my sour face:
It stresses me out when people are noticeably DUMB and ought to be really busy saving their own lives or that of someone dear to them. At the time when many dramas lose momentum, this one had people standing around uselessly in stressful situation, and a person killing a small squad of young soldiers, no problem, and then having scruples about their obviously evil commander. Really?
There was a really wonderful character who suddenly turned into a toddler towards the end. She was my favourite women until then. And she could have had all those psychological problems in a much more satisfying way. My fan-fic idea will appear in my spoiler gif post: https://www.dramabeans.com/activity/p/1521241/
Also: Queer-coding the king (i.e. plugging into many people’s fear of ambiguous gender expression and confirming that fear by having a very feminine king indeed and then letting him be insanely decadent and sadistic.
Also: Slutshaming the courtesans in the way they are written (which was just repeated in My Demon) stupid, gossipy, horny, mean – and a homogenous mass of the same, as a generated species in a computer game. And then only *one* who is different, as if a prostitute who is a human being is an exception.

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That female character in Secret Romantic Guesthouse is FL's sister, right?

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Yes it is. gif and rant up in the link now.

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LIVE WATCHES
Welcome to Samdal-ri
Still like this one too. Eager to see how it wraps up this week. Even if it ends poorly, I'll still be satisfied. It was just one of those dramas that got me around episode 6 and never let me go. But it took more than four episodes to get interesting, that's for sure, and there's probably no hope for a rewatch except for targeted scenes from our attractive, chemistry-packed leads.

Marry My Husband
A delightful show about a cat! And Judo! And BTS!

My Demon
I think the least said the better, but I must say just this one rant comment somewhere: OMG HE ABANDONED HER AGAIN. That's twice in two back-to-back episodes. It's like he doesn't actually love her at all, only himself. I will not be moved from this position, so feel free to push back, but it will be on an immovable object.

Flowers in Sand
I'm in. It's great. I almost only want to show pictures and not even turn my thoughts into words.

Between Him and Her
I keep watching this! I have literally no idea why...but it keeps pulling me back in. I don't watch carefully and I freely 10-second skip, but I know what the plot is, unlike...

LTNS
I was up from 1-4am last night, just 'cause, and watched the first two episodes. Well, "watched." It took me maybe 1 hour total to watch 2 hours of show. It got way better once the actual blackmailing started, but I don't think that I really kept up with the plot. So, dropped except for at 3x speed to see if our leads actual show signs of chemistry/healing/anything.

FROM THE RESERVES
Stealer: The Treasure Keeper
It's the last week for the Fan Wall Community Watch, and what a ride it has been! I'm team Stealer/Ae-ri 4 Lyfe.

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I'm not going to try to change your position on My Demon, but just respond that, given his status as a demon, the stakes are a lot higher than the usual noble idiocy plot line. He was afraid that being together would drag her into hell. And also, I think the only way he could save her was to save himself.

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I completely disagree.

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😂😂😂

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I think that this second time it was either him or her, saving her, and not making contracts, made him go up in flames, but also I imagine he simply couldn't live a life of persuading other people to forfeit their souls on a quota anymore.
But as I said elsewhere, the key seems to be life-or-death self-sacrifice, so probably this is the way he could come back to her also, even if probably he would have to not know it for it to work.
I was relieved that this happened before the last episode, because that means he must be coming back, right?

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Nope.

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😐😨😡

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Those emojis didn't come out right.
I haven 't seen the last episode yet but what I wanted to say was
what
NO, that can't be true!
WHAT! GET HERE, WRITERS, IMMA BOUT TO GIVE YOU SOME OF THAT SWEET KOREAN MOTHER LOVE THAT LEAVES YOU YELLOW AND BLUE ALL OVER FOR DAYS!

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Teehee, Cecilie. To be clear to you all, I have not yet seen episode 16. My "Nope" is not a spoiler (that I know of!!)

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I watched LTNS hoping for a true comedy, but it simply wasn't that funny.

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Truly not, and the comedy, such as there is, is pretty cruel. The very first scene I found to be thus.

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Sad thing is how much I looked forward to this show. It had such a comical premise but somehow the writer was just not able to truly grasp those comedic elements. I know that comedy is harder to write than other things, but this really should have been a natural.

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Same, I fast forwarded thru LTNS

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Does everybody watch Marry My Husband on prime, or are there other ways?

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Tell Me That You Love Me - This is a masterpiece no doubt. It left me with mixed feelings, such that I do not know exactly how and what to feel.
I'm okay and satisfied with the way it ended. But I don't think I'm okay with it. That's the only thing I'm sure of after having finished the drama that I have been expecting since November 2022.
The heartbreak was too personal. But, I loved the fact that Jin-woo was the person doing the breaking up.

The Intro song by Kim Kyung-hee and the Don't Try to Cry are my favorite OSTs. It is hard for an OST to catch my attention even in a drama I adore but Tell Me That You Love Me succeeded to grab my attention in that drama aspect as well.

Jung Woo-sung was Jung Woo-sung. Kim Ji-hyun owned it. Shin Hyun-bin finally sold a romance for me. Heo Joon-seok redeemed himself from Grid (Gosh! I didn't know I'd fall in love with Ki-hyun).

Overall, I enjoyed this. It is more than worth the wait.

Before I forget. The scenes of Jin-woo and his students, or his students doing their thing are pure gold. They were a complete look forward to each week since their introduction. l loved every single moment they had on screen. I'm lending my beanvote into having a spin-off of Jin-woo and his students doing their thing.

Marry My Husband - One douchebag down, more to go.
The time travel reveal over music was perfect and realistic.

Goryeo-Khitan War Episode 17 - With Kang Gam-chan's once again sack, I'm looking forward, in episode 18, to his wife tearing his ears to pieces and him sulking as she lectures him once again for the umpteenth time to not use his stubbornness to jeopardize his career.

Live Your Own Life - Once again. "Tae-min. Get a grip!"
I love love love Tae-hee.
Hyo-do 😒😒😒. He sure knows how to sink into the unlikeable territory.

Kinght Flower - What a premiere episode! Honey Lee is sashaying through this like the pro she is. I'm getting the evil Kim Mi-kyung I've always wanted (I really hope they keep her this way). And the king...he's one of the best.

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Live your Own Life
I got tired of hating every character on this show, so I decided to like atleast some of them, whether I want to or not.

Unpredictabe Family
Noble idiocy on steroids, unnecessary angst, childish situations, so all in all, pretty good. The SFL sobered up, and now the ML's mother has taken her place

My Demon
Gawd this is a good succesor to PMR. So love this show

Welcome to Samdalri
Its interesting in parts. meh in parts

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I got tired of hating every character on this show, so I decided to like at least some of them, whether I want to or not.

THIS IS SO BEANIE LIFE!!! We've been there, Asha! 화이팅!!!!

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Is it the drama equivalent of Stockholm Syndrome?

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Haha. Certainly sounds like it. Just tired of complaining about the characters

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Had to use translator for that 😂 🫘 🍃

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Two dramas wrapping up this weekend! About to be fully in 2024 kdramaland.

LIVE WATCHING
Marry My Husband: This just gets better by the episode. The four leads are nailing their roles. And the instrumentals are bomb 🤓

Like Flowers in Sand: Almost caught up and thoroughly enchanted by this warm and refreshingly different story. More dramas like this one please! 🥹

Knight Flower: The story is fun. The comedy is smart and lol. The heavier topics are skillfully woven in. And the acting is on point. What more to ask for?! 🦹🏻‍♀️

Love Song for Illusion: Started this on a whim. It's entertaining me right now so I'm sticking with it 😉

My Demon: This drama has had it's ups and downs, but there really have been some brilliant and surprising episodes. Last night's denouement was certainly one of them. I admit to shedding a few tears when Gu-Won said, "All things are possible through him who gives me strength." (Phil. 4:13) It was beautiful and unexpected.

Welcome to Samdal-ri: Last week's episodes were the best of the series so far. I'm looking forward to the final eps this weekend and really hope it finishes strong. This story grew on me in the second half. 📸

Have a great week everyone!

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Two dramas wrapping up this weekend! About to be fully in 2024 kdramaland.

You're forgetting My Happy Ending 😁

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Since I'm only enjoying it vicariously through your comments it wasn't on my radar when I wrote that lol 😄

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The only show I am totally caught up is Goryeo Khitan War probably because no other family member likes history stories. I guess now the king is in a coma, his queen and others may try to change his plan to remove all the regional lords including the loyal ones. Will the fired Kang join?

Slow watching Welcome to Samdari. About 3 episodes behind. That chaebol ex-husband is so dorky but his adoration for the older sister is so cute. I can’t believe how long they are dragging out the SML story. He is just coming across acting like he’s entitled to a chance with FL just because he has liked her forever. She seems clueless that they are fighting about her.

Cdrama- The Hope. So far pretty interesting. Reminds me of the movie Stand and Deliver based on a real life math teacher in LA. I am a bit distracted by what they did to Li Ran’s hair though- are they trying to add gray to make him seem older than 35? His psychology partner doesn’t look like they tried to age her. I wonder if that rich kid was cutting himself. The pain that hides inside.

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Watching:
Samdalri - I've enjoyed the ride but I'm ready to move on to the next one.
Marry My Husband - this is my favorite of the week. My first NIW drama...how have I missed him all this time? Tried to resist the temptation to read the webtoon because for once I didn't want to be spoiled, but I eventually caved lol.
Castaway Diva - started this one mainly to distract myself from the wait for new eps of MMH. On ep 4 and struggling to continue.
Our Interpreter - another one started to fill up time between MMH eps. Has a lot going for it, but I'm on ep 16 and getting tired of the FL constantly pushing the ML away. I could deal with it if the drama would simply give us a reason why, but there's no explanation.

Will probably start Knight Flower today.

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I am at episode 10 of Our Interpreter, so bummed to hear she keeps being stupid for no reason. She’d just given him a chance to at least be friends last episode, but it sounds like it will be back to more of the same before more progression. Glad to know it might not be worth it.

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Breakthrough at ep 18-19, in case you want to stick it out :D

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What I am watching:

_ Love song for illusion or The most bizarre k-drama (I have) ever watched. (5/16) This is a roller coaster: intense, dark, sad, silly, funny, weird, cute, dark again, romantic, makjang, wuxia-wannabe, etc. I'm having fun. I'm loving Park Ji Hoon in this show because it seems he had a blast too.

_ My Happy Ending (2/16). I watched the first two episodes yesterday. I started it because I like the main actors, but it happens the drama is good and well directed. Fortunately, it's not a makjang so far, it's a thriller. I'm in.

_ C-drama A Journey to love (10/40). I started to enjoy it after the first four episodes. I love the male lead (Liu Yuning) to pieces, since his brief first scene in the show, but I can't say the same about the female lead, I hope I can warm up to her.

What I have finished:

_ My name is Kim Sam Soon. I was so hooked that I watched the most part of the show in three days. The series has its flaws but the script is good! The OST too. This is the oldest k-drama I have watched so far (I had watched dramas which were released in 2009 and 2010) but it is bolder than some modern shows.

_ C-drama We Go fast on trust. What can I say? It was not bad nor good. I won't miss it, but there were some nice dialogues and sequences.

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Some of the older kdramas are definitely less chaste and proper than some of the more recent ones, which was a bit of a surprise when I first started watching. Your review of Love Song for Illusion is intriguing - keep me posted about how that one goes.

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I can't say Love song for illusion is a very good drama, to be honest, but it's entertaining. I hope it keeps this way.
In the genre of fantasy sageuk I much prefer Mirror of the Witch (it was very bizarre too, but with more heart).

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MOTW got quite a bit of bad reputation back in the day due to age gap between actors but otherwise it was a very nice - and super innocent in that sense - show.

Speaking of fantasy sageuks... Have you seen ARANG AND THE MAGISTRATE?

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I think in MOTW they managed to make a believable love story in the nicest and most innocent of the ways, as you say.
I almost shed tears in the ending, I think it was beautiful (and the song too).

I have not watched Arang and the magistrate yet, but it's been on my list for so long... I think I'll watch it soon.

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@isagc I cried a lot, but I often do with dramas, it's very therapeutic))) One of the few such endings that did not anger me.

AATM is really good, especially in fantasy aspect - the most consistent kdrama in terms of lore I've seen in... *counts* wow, it's gonna be 13 years next month, I should think of a creative way to celebrate this anniversary))) Show's also fun, romantic and has great fight scenes (and OST). It's absolutely worth trying.

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It's nice seeing someone else talk about love song for illusion.
When watching BTS videos, it makes me realize just how effort Park Jihoon is putting in to playing both roles. Especially those dramatic scenes or when he's in pain. That's numerous takes! Repeatedly, as both characters! It made me respect his efforts even more.

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Park Ji Hoon is a great actor, I have no doubt about it. He was very good in At a distance, spring is green and in Weak Hero Class 1.

Here in LSFI I'm seeing different facets of him, specially as Ak-hee.

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Kim Sam Soon is the best!! I watched it back when it first came out. The young Hyun Bin has come a long way :)

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Hyun Bin was the first k-drama actor I met (in Memories of Alhambra, where he did his best acting, imo).
And what to say about Kim Sun Ah... Such a great actress. I now understand why Kim Sam Soon is an unforgettable character.

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AJTL's FL started out, as ML once brilliantly put it, like a living marionette - with little to no feelings and purpose in life beyond a few goals that weren't even really her own. She gradually grows into normal-ish person with attachments, desires and aspirations over the course of drama - in fact, some viewers were even unhappy with just how much human she becomes in the end, which I find quite ironic. If that was putting you off, continue without worries, she improves a lot.

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I can see the start of the character's evolution in episodes 10 and 11👌🏻
This is a good drama, I'm sure it deserves the praise.

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The best is ahead, enjoy)))

We love the drama very dearly here, I'm super happy with every new viewer - and LYN's fan - that it attracts. I'm also currently doing weekly playlists of his music in Open Threads, can also tag you if you're interested.

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I'd love to be tagged! Thank you! 😃
Count me as a new Liu Yuning fan (I only knew him as a singer).

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So true! It was pretty awesome and bold how the FL made the ML go buy a condom and then showed the ML going from store to store trying to buy one. I think at one point, he was going to buy the last one on the shelf, but a woman took it before he could get to it.

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That scene was so funny. Yeah, that's a good example of "bold".
Or having the male lead kissing and loving another girl in the central episodes.

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Or another character leaving money on the bedside table for her one-night stand (who thinks they’ve just started a grand romance) 😂

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And they actually had sex! In a bed! (followed by nosebleed, hilarious).

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Saw this in the comments stream...laughed... and then had to come over and see in what exceptional drama this had actually taken place!!!

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In the super funny My name is Kim Sam Soon!
Once you start it and get used to the male characters looks (and to bad quality imagen), you can't put it down.

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Re AJTl, Ning Yuanzhou is definitely a green flag. He is a badass with a heart. As for Ruyi, she needs getting used to. I like her and I did warm up to her as I continue to watch her with the ML and the other members of the delegation team. I love her interactions with certain characters, you will see what I mean as you continue to watch it. 😊

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Maybe my problem is that I can totally understand why she likes him (who couldn't?) but I still don't see enough reasons why he could like her 😅
But in the Episode 11 I'm starting to understand both characters better.

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Ah yes when they started talking more about themselves and her pursuit.
I always see her as the typical ML in the relationship: stoic, dealing with personal trauma but steadfast in her feelings for him.
There is still a lot of episodes to enjoy all the characters in the show. I enjoyed watching the show a lot and love a lot of the main characters.

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Didn't he pretty much spell out at some point WHY he likes her? His reasoning was... unusual indeed, esp for that setting, but I think it made sense given his personality and lifestyle. These two were far from normal people so them having unorthodox preferences is not that surprising. Not entirely unrealistic either - some men irl are just into THAT, tho probably without giant body count involved (and even that would've likely attract a few). Had they both live in stone ages no one would've bat an eye at both citing "strongest and deadliest" as the most desired trait in potential partner lol.

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@gikata yes he did. As clearly as possible to avoid misunderstanding. He has specific taste and it was understandable given their situation. It was a long explanation that endeared him to me. I don't remember the exact episode number but he definitely did.
The heart beats without rhyme or reason. Like or love can happen in an instant. They were lucky to have found each other at the right time.

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@jillian he also told her point blank - with like hundred other people as we-did-not-sign-up-for-this witnesses - that she's hot for killing a dude with a leaf... Man who knows precisely WHAT he's feeling and for what reasons - rarest unicorn ever))) Tho Yuan Lu probably sensed what's going on even before he did - right from Ep2, I bet, what an intuitive kid! "Boss, you're acting weird"^^

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I am now watching Episode 13 and I think I can pin point what's happening to me with this couple: they go faster in their feelings than my understanding of them. I feel as I have missed the train or my chance to understand how and why they are loving each other so "soon" and I have to take a leap of faith 😅
I see they still have lots of things to share and talk about in their journey to better knowing each other. I think I would have preferred the love to arrive slowlier, after the friendship.

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Once you complete the show, you'll get why it had to be this way and this way only. More traditional slow burn wouldn't work here for a bunch of reasons.

From a non-spoilerish standpoint, don't forget that they're both around 30y.o. and in that era it was quite a lot, middle age basically. They're simply too mature - and too fatalistic given the nature of their jobs - for wasting their precious time. Plus they pretty much had massive hots for each other almost right away, would an attempt at friendship first really succeed when they both were acutely aware of the fact?)))

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I agree with what you said. They were almost instantly attracted with each other. They didn't have the time to waste especially with the dangers posed by their respective missions at the time. Them actually finding each other at that time was too precious to waste.

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@jillian I do get the confusion though - this is not how most drama romances work. Very little chase (and even that was flipped upside down by having FL do the chasing while ML was all flustered and reluctant - something tells me this approach will never win majority of female audience, heh) and will-they-won't-they, even less of internal conflicts between the OTP. Even designated "love triangle" utterly lacked any real competition. Where's the thrill and mystery in that lol?

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Maybe my problem is that I didn't think that the ML had fallen for her in the first episodes, but suddenly I realized it was a fact. That happens a lot in Western series, the main characters fall in love very soon and I can't see the process.
Something I enjoy in K-dramas and C-dramas is that I usually understand the feelings because they take their time... But when it's different, that puzzles me and then is when I have to take a leap of faith (that happened in Attorney Woo too).

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@isagc that's 100% his fault then, he was hiding it quite well at first - I mean, dude is a pro at deception))) The signs were always there, but really tiny, blink-and-you'll-miss-it kind of - some are only noticeable on the rewatch after you know his character much better.

Personally I believe he was a goner once she told him her real identity - his borderline fanboy admiration for her top assassin persona combined with "omg, it was a woman all along! a gorgeous woman! the one right here!" made the boy a toast right then and there))) And suddenly he's giving her expensive sweets out of nowhere (with significance of the gesture only properly explained a few episodes later) and pointedly refuses to introduce casanova YSS to her...

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NYZ fanboying was cute. He was indeed a goner once he found out her true identity but he was attracted her before that. Ruyi is very pretty and graceful.

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@jillian well, she marked bit him as her introduction - he admits to know lots of pretty women in his life, but that was surely something he's never experienced before. Men are so weak for novelty)))

To think of it, drama really went HARD with adult innuendos right away - she got herself all cozy in his bed coffin while he's seen... things when bandaging her injured collarbone after she fainted into his arms (that was classy, unlike the rest of her seduction repertoire). I love the scene where she drives away his ex ("I was never popular among ladies" - say again, mister?) - you can clearly see which woman makes him more nervous)))

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A fellow My Happy Ending enjoyer!!!
I call shows like that "drama centered thrillers" because everything is so twisty and over the top

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Now I have watched 5 episodes. It keeps being interesting, I'm having a good time. I hope there are more twists.

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TELL YOU THAT YOU LOVE ME had all the typical k-drama ingredients: orphans, love triangles, break up before the last episode, 1 year time hop, hints of noble idiocy. But the script and acting and directing was so good, they never became boring. A wonderful drama indeed!

LIKE FLOWERS IN SAND is also very well executed and I am pretty sure that I know who the killer is, he did not have much screentime so far.

SAMDAL-RI has run out of content last week already, it should have been shorter. I will still make time for the last two episodes, but do not expect any surprises. The father's personality change was entirely predictable.

Love KNIGHT FLOWER and have fallen, as usual, for Honey Lee's charm and ability to talk back and have the last word (or mutter).

Am also intrigued by SHOP FOR KILLERS after the first episode. I will stick with this one.

I gave up on BLODDY LUCKY DAY, even though I love all the actors. They are just too good in acting violence, psycho behaviour and fear.

MARRY MY HUSBAND is still very watchable. Na In-woo has found his acting niche here with this lovely, warm-hearted character (his voice is so soothing). I am not sure about Jin-woo's choice of office wear, a bare shoulder top is really a no-no. I admire the actor of the terrible, creepy boss. He was fascinating as serial killer in Through the Darkness.

Looking forward to CAPTIVATING THE KING!

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I agree that one of the appealing factors of Marry My Husband is great casting, especially with the baddies. There were dramas that I dropped because the bad guys over-acted. I love that you mentioned Through The Darknessm, which I also found remarkable for the excellent acting from the bad guys. Ideally, you want to get the casting right for both the good guys and the bad guys. It's a beautiful thing when dramas get the bad guys parts perfect, like in Through The Darkness and Marry Your Husband.

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Looking forward to continue with KNIGHT FLOWER later! I love Honey Lee in this role already, and am very grateful how the show doesn’t shy away from heavy topics, yet stays enjoyable due to the well timed humor. I guess without the comedic angle, this would be a very heartbreaking watch - but somehow I’m still laughing out loud all the time (and hoping for romance to bloom between our leads). 🫰

Somehow, despite my dislike of body swap plots and thus dodging the hype around the hilarity of MR QUEEN, I finally caved in! Started this recently and am laughing my way through it, which is a good sign. Not sure where they’re going with this (I’m only on episode 3), but I have the popcorn ready! Shin Hyesun is acing this role.

Aaaand I am also watching SCENT OF A WOMAN super slowly (such heartbreak must be taken in small doses), which is another drama I never thought I’d pick up, but I was intrigued for some time now… 😢🤧

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oooh it will be fun to relive Mr. Queen through your comments as you watch it!

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I will gladly oblige, then! *deep dives for gifs* 😂

@reply1988 The comedy is really just the right kind of OTT for me at the moment! (The „wedding dress attire cut out game“ had me cackling! 🤣)

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It's one of the most consistently funny, irreverent, and well-acted ensemble k-dramas I've watched. I'm looking forward to your gifs!!

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Yes Mr Queen was ridiculously funny.

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WATCHING:

LIKE FLOWERS IN THE SAND: This show continues to be a gem. Besides all the things I have rhapsodized about the acting, especially by JDY, and the writing on other posts on DB, one thing I haven’t mentioned, but struck me this week, is how natural and real the drama is. Because it takes place in the sirreum world, there is a lot of skin showing, and it is treated so matter of factly without any titillation. The actors are all comfortable in their bodies and skin, even though very few of them have super ripped or “ideal”/idealized bodies. Similarly, the way Baek Du’s father moves or even sits in the world is so natural and so comfortable. There is no flattering filter or heavy makeup; instead, the drama has what seems to be regular people who are not caricatures or buffoons and still manages to be compelling.

KNIGHT FLOWER: Fun ride so far. Like the tension between the societal virtues imposed on the FL as widower versus the sense of doing good like feeding the poor and helping those less fortunate. Also, I totally relate to the difficulty of being decorous when you just want to be your glorious badass self.

BEFORE WE GET MARRIED: This drama captured the complicated nature of relationships, love and responsibility. The chemistry of the mains was on fire. If you want a simple and pure love story, avoid it like the plague. If you want to see complicated and messy, this is for you. And the female best friend is goals: someone who lives proudly how she wants and yet is a true ride and die.

DECIDED TO FINALLY DROP AFTER PUTTIMG ON HOLD:

SAMDAL-RI: Dropping because of LIKE. FLOWERS IN THE SAND. LFITS answers so many. frustrations that I had with SAMDAL-RI; What if the gossipy townspeople were called to task for how harmful their idle gossip can be instead of just being treated like noisy busybodies? What if the parents reflected on their actions, could admit their limitations and possible mistakes even if they were well meaning, and actually cared how their children young or grown felt? Could a dog be an interesting supporting character if someone tried to free it instead of keeping it tied up?

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