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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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After watching, being disappointed with, and writing long rants about Twinkling Watermelon, I haven't started a drama yet. Nothing is grabbing me, so I will probably rewatch a few shows until something does.

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Fingers crossed for the upcoming shows taking the slots of everything wrapping up at the moment! 🤞

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While I'm one of those beanies who enjoyed TW, if I reflect on how it might have been as a binge watch, I can see how it might have been less enjoyable. It's easier to see the flaws when you binge. Funny how some dramas are better watched live and others once they are fully released. If only we could know which they are in advance!

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True. I never live watch, but there have been a few shows that I have thought would have been better live.

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On Prime I watched a Korean Musical version of TURANDOT. It was good but Puccini’s immortal opera is far better: If you have never seen it, you should. I have a Met Opera version on DVD.

This last week THE GORYEO-KHITAN WAR had no battle scenes, just politics. It made for a tough slog, I had to watch it in stages over four evenings.

My wife’s eyes have now improved to the point where subtitles are becoming possible again- at least on Netflix. We have been able to return to watching her favorite K-drama actress in MY DEMON. Viki shows should be possible in just a few more days and then we will recommence our watch of THE MATCHMAKERS. We also plan to watch STEALER on Pluto of all places (online- not on the planet).

In the meantime, my wife binge watched all the seasons of ALIAS. We really enjoyed the live action version of MULAN and found it better than the animated version. My wife also enjoyed the live action version of ALLADIN, gave up on the live action version of THE LITTLE MERMAID but has enjoyed PERCY JACKSON AND THE OLYMPIANS. Our temporary subscription to Disney+ has now ended.

I am looking forward to DOCTOR SLUMP coming next week on Netflix.

My very favorite show right now continues to be the daily UNPREDICTABLE FAMILY even though this week was harder given that we have had the separation of our lead characters which was hard baked into this story from day one. Still at least one nasty actress has received her well-deserved comeuppance and that was fun. Our half-sisters have indeed bonded over their shared feelings for our young father- they have both confessed to him and both been rejected, both of them reduced to some serious tears. It is high time he got over Ga-ram’s mother and so mom and grandfather have decided to go find her because until Ga-ram’s father finally gets the closure he needs (even if it will hurt) he cannot move forward and find the happiness he truly deserves. I was really looking forward to the next episode yesterday but found out that I will have to wait until Monday. How frustrating.

I have started the comedy LTNS (Long Time No Sex). It has an NC17 rating with very good reason: If you are at all prudish do not watch this one. I have very broad tastes and although is not the sort of show that I would watch most of the time I can appreciate burlesque humor on an occasional basis- but so far there is not that much humor in this show. It just isn’t that funny. I may not continue, particularly given that there are other shows I want to catch up on.

The plot of our weekender, LIVE YOUR OWN LIFE has definitely picked up and a number of its elements seem to be coming together.

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I'm so glad to hear about your wife feeling/seeing better!

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Thank you. She has come through this well and I could not be more grateful. It is different seeing her walking around without glasses (except for reading). And we have so many good shows to start or get back to, so this is a very happy time for me.

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That's really wonderful! Happy watching together!!

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I forgot to mention the J-drama DR. STORK (on Netflix). For me J-dramas are hit or miss but this one is a hit.

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Ah, Turandot by Puccini! So sad he could not finish it...

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Yes- although he had time to do so. He completed it through the scene where Liu sacrifices herself for the sake of her beloved Prince Calaf and essentially sketched out the rest- and then stopped. He lived for another two years after that. It was completed by Franco Alfano, but we have every reason to believe that Alfano was faithful to Puccini's intention. So, it is essentially complete as Puccini would have written it.

No doubt there would have been some differences in the music had he lived, but I think of it as a fully realized work by Puccini.

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I played the whole Act 1 on the piano back in college. A challenging but enjoyable experience!

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That sounds like a lot of fun.

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We also plan to watch STEALER on Pluto of all places (online- not on the planet).

Thanks for the clarification, Old Lawyer!! 😂

When you folks are through watching Stealer here on Planet Earth, do swing by the Fan Wall Community Watch posts and contribute your thoughts!! The final post just went up today and there're links to all the ones past too: https://www.dramabeans.com/activity/p/1522312/

I, too, am so thrilled to hear how happy this time is for the two of you!

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Happy to hear your wife is fully recovered and it was a success.

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Very happy to know your wife has recovered well. 🥳

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Thank you.

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I have recently completed, and thoroughly enjoyed, Doctor Cha.

I've also just finished My Man Is Cupid, which wrapped up nicely, so that's a plus!

Now onto the last 2 episodes of Welcome To Samdalri, which has been an entertaining watch, but I'm nonetheless glad it's ending soon ahah! Like, it's been good, but also fairly heavy for me, and I'm happy I won't need to be invested in the characters anymore.

And just like that by the end of the week I'll have no more dramas to watch!
But also I know a couple of shows I'm interested in will begin soon, so I won't be drama-less for long! ^^

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We have separated our watching for the moment.
My friend dropped the slow and now story Mister Sunshine while I still appreciate the beautiful shoots and the inside jokes.
I have dropped, as per @ceciliedk recommendations, A good day to be a dog after ep8. The new characters did not bode well.

Thus, I alternate between Mister Sunshine and Undercover. With spoilers of Marry my husband that I should skip if I want to watch it later (with reserve about the 2nd part and ending).
My Friend alternate between A good day to be a dog and <b<My Demon. She has just finished Flower Crew: Joseon Marriage Agency. These youths were able to make her watch a sageuk so close after The Secret Romantic Guesthouse that we finished last month.

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Welcome to Samdalri: This week's episodes really hit me in the gut. Everyone's starting to be a little less timid and more open. Yong-pil's dad finally got a clue and gave his blessing to our adorable couple. Only crappy part was the continued threat of Eun-joo. Popping up in the epilogue like a cystic pimple that I can't pop. Why are we spending time on her?

Live Your Own Life: Caught up with FF-ing! Grandma and Tae-ho reunite! Hyo-shim continues to live her own life. Her mom looks like she's getting a kdrama lobotomy just because we're more than halfway through the drama and I'll bet someone complained about her one-note whines. Youngest son continues to be a shameless gold-digger.

Knight Flower (ep 1-2) : Enjoyable so far, particularly the wry commentary about the virtue olympics these noble ladies are obsessed with. Honey Lee's charisma comes to the fore and makes me perk up at all her scenes. I want to see what scrape she gets into next and what asses she will kick. I'm not too into the other characters yet, except for the merchant lady.

My Boss (up to ep 16): Cdrama. I don't take it seriously and it's been a cute ride with the leads learning from each other. I like how the ML and his BFF intentionally built the firm to have non-toxic people, who can truly be a team. I sort of just want our leads to be in a "some" for the rest of the drama since I want to preserve the easy camaraderie of the office.

I am Nobody Cdrama. BINGED. LOVED IT. Thank you to those who recommended it, because it is one of the best dramas I've ever seen. Things really ramped up once we got to the competition. The drama so deftly switches between LOL humor and drama and even gut-wrenching emotion. The battles were so intense, and there were so many battles. I am impressed by the choreographer, director, and the actors being able to pull them all off. I can't wait for season 2 since there are still so many unanswered questions, and I'm still not sure what the Qi Apotheosis power is. Learned it was a webtoon and then an anime, so will check them out.

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You’ve sold me on I Am Nobody! Not that I’m short on dramas, but it sounds so good. 😊 I love when a show is greater than the sum of its parts.

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I agree with you on I am Nobody as one of the best dramas from 2023 between the OST, the fights with amazing CGI and then the WUXIA/Comedy (and those red tennis shoes!).
From what I learned someone said that the "Qi Apotheosis" power is kind of the collective power of everyone working together like they did in the last episodes.
Truly a great show and I loved every minute and now looking forward to Season 2!

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My Demon: Song Kang is the male equivalent of Han Ga In. Show is still pretty, but not all that interesting.

A Journey to Love: Discovered this was on YouTube and while the subs aren't great, I'm enjoying it so far (4 episodes in).

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VIU/iQiyi have pretty good subs for AJTL (not to mention darknet options). YT version is provided by production company and I've heard that subs there... leave to be desired. Didn't dare to check personally tho - my love for the show is too strong to tarnish it with MTL.

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I'm sure iQiyi provides better subtitles for Journey to love, but I don't have an account there 😶

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For most countries it's on VIU anyway since it's not an in-house production *shrugs* I watched iQiyi's version on darknet (badly timed OST lyrics are the dead ringer lol), but seen scans of VIU subs - they seems to be the best quality-wise.

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I have just checked and VIU is not available for Spain yet.
It seems a good site, I hope it's available in the future.

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I also alas do not have an iQiyi account and don't really want to add another streaming subscription right now. I do hope Amazon continues to pick up some iQiyi shows.

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I'm watching A Journey to love on YouTube too. The subs could be better, but they are not horrible (I had a look at the Spanish ones and that's unbearable 😅).

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I know people who managed to finish the drama with auto-translated YT subs... Now that's beyond my imagination)))

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The English subs are comprehensible, just occasionally awkward. Not ideal, but better than nothing (VIU isn't an option where I am either and iQiyi is expensive).

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Chinese-English translations are all kinda awkward by default, those 2 languages just refuse to work well together...

Of all streaming services possible I like iQiyi the most so far. If only they actually learned our language lol... It's not like I cannot understand English, but it's a matter of principle)))

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AJTL is worth the effort of tolerating bad subs. I love it and hopefully you will continue to like it (and the subs would improve in later episodes).

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Another uninspiring week, sorry. Between cooking survival show without subs - because who needs them, right? it's less of manufactured angst that way lol - and a drama that would probably end up as a hate watch if I continue it, there's literally nothing to put my heart into rn. Sad.

HEROES (2022 cdrama): *heavy sigh* If AJTL was wuxia written by a woman and obviously with female audience in mind, then this one is as testosterone overdosed as humanly possible - and then some. I suspect creators are huge fans of WATER MARGIN because all the points check: cool af dudes battling each other to death for pettiest reasons and calling the resulting bloodbath "the glory"; painful need to be the best of the best displayed by everyone with a d... daring dreams; sworn brotherhoods and mortal vendettas being proclaimed after people involved knew each other for hardly 5 minutes; very few prominent female characters being either flower vases good for nothing other than sewing their men's socks or tragic femme fatales destined to sow the discord between bros; romances so shallow that if they were a poodle, even baby ant wouldn't drown in it; shady government so nasty that it makes those jianghu maniacs look like saints in comparison; good old genre tropes like framing, tortures, cannibalism and all flavors of assault possible - with gusto; plot built on convenience and pathos and so on. Spiced up with rivers of uncensored blood - that took me by surprise, honestly - and dark/gritty/half-realistic half opera-like styling that screams retro.

Which leads us to the biggest question - who exactly is the target audience for this show? Because it has all the traits of old school serious wuxia - but lead cast is full of young cute idols and some scenes are clearly lifted from very different genres... Like the one where ML gets drugged and possibly taken THAT kind of advantage by a bored courtesan, but the whole thing is played like dumb teen romcom with jealous slap-and-storm-off FL and zero male solidarity whatsoever from his cackling bro. Ofc this humor is too crude even for a youth drama, but it makes little sense in a heavy adult story either. Show's also not glamorous enough to sell it as a bromance, despite boys doing their best to overcome tragic styling (the hell is going on with everyone's hair? and why ghostly makeup when ALL leads are naturally pale as paper?) and convoluted writing of their frenemiship with a solid chemistry. So, what again?

There are good points ofc - particularly camerawork and OST. Former is simply glorious (heard PD is famous and I can see WHY) - which makes lame (all posturing and editing) fight scenes all the more regrettable. Apparently covid lockdown didn't allow cast to have proper action training before filming, but why even bothering to do the drama then... Shame.

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Acting is... there, with the glaring exception of FL lol. LYN haven't been very impressive in the first 9 episodes - his character gets some epic crazy haired bad bitch upgrade face heel turn into villainy cuckoo-land later but I'm unsure I can take the promised xianxia-like gore and mindscrew it would be worth to last ~30 episodes more for. I did like how he acted falling in love at the first sight (those sparkling honey eyes were wasted on the wrongest chick possible) and angry "eff this, I'm outta here" tears. Should've just follow through with the latter, according to spoilers... Also wonder whether giving him sneaky assassin's daggers as weapon of choice instead of a noble sword like those his bros got was a deliberate foreshadowing - if so, wow *claps*

Anyway, If you love the cast/high on pathos tragic bromances/this particular flavor of retro drama, give it a try. I... wasn't in the right mood, I guess. Off to continue with a culinary show then - similar sausage fest competition vibes and he's there too, but thankfully no bloody torture other than too much pepper in a dish sometimes.

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Just finished binge watching:
SHE WOULD NEVER KNOW: one word- Rowoon :) I never knew I needed to watch this drama. I love that his character was always honest and sincere. Also, give me more close ups of his face anytime!

DEATH GAME: wow! Great casting and storytelling. Was at the edge of my seat till the end.

Live watching:
MARRY MY HUSBAND: fun to watch but I kinda regret starting it, should have waited till all eps are out

MY HAPPY ENDING: it almost feels like the drama MINE where the actors show alot of angst but there's actually not much plot

LIKE FLOWERS IN SAND: trying to get into it

LTNS: kinda crude and not funny. But oddly I'm liking the leads and wish they can rekindle the spark in their marriage

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Tried My Happy Ending, I really want to discover all the secrets and the storyline, but I don’t know if I can sit through a woman constantly unraveling. It feels too close to home versus therapeutic.

A Shop for Killers, amazing, it’s about killers but really it’s about relationships. I was thinking how many k-dramas i’ve been watching this year so far are violent and/or leaving me feeling awful. This one has that underlying sense of heart like Call it Love that turns dark into relatable. It’s what I was expecting from Death’s Game but never got other than the hint in the coffeehouse.

C-drama: Our Interpreter, so angsty for like 8 episodes, they drew out the revenge period, but now it’s getting cute.

LTNS: tried episode 1 but the ending felt like Parasite, the characters are making morally bankrupt decisions, and it’s not excusable just because they will pick on cheaters. (And Parasite was way more interesting) Also was really unsexy, despite all the explicit talk. I didn’t like the main leads, and I hope they also in the end have to come to terms with their lack of love for other people and/or face the consequences of their decisions.

I still want to try Please Marry My husband, maybe it has the heart the other shows don’t.

My Demon, felt more invested after episode 11&12, but will watch 13-16 in one go when I have time so I’m not stuck hanging in what sounds like noble idiocy.

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Marry My Husband💙(6/16): If a non-K-drama friend recommends a fun manhwa that coincidentally starts airing as a K-drama a few days later, and Beanies are having fun with it on the recaps and fan wall, you know you must give in eventually and catch up in two days.😇Now let me get straight to the most important point: Na In-Woo’s line delivery, bless my ears.🫡Whenever he speaks to Ji-Won, which is like 99% of his lines, his tone is drenched in gentleness with a dash of warmth and sweetness sprinkled on top.🤫👂

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Meet Yourself ep11-29 I enjoy the blossoming attraction between Yao and Hongdou. I like the people around them, the villagers and those troublesome kids. I can't believe they made me care for their own love troubles. I actually looked up how far Yunnan is from Beijing. Its across the country so its very far.

Flowers That Bloom At Night ep 1-2 its a fun first episode. HaNee is definitely the star of this show. Her widow has a mind of her own and unable to stand injustice of any kind. Her maid is more concerned for her well being than she does. I like that the ML is smart and will be able to figure out her real identity soon.

A Shop for Killers ep 1-2 It takes a bit of time for me to get a hang of the timelines and stitch the chronology coherently. I liked that we were dropped in the middle of the story to understand the stakes. I like it but I feel this is much better binge watched than 2 episodes per week. So I will see if I will continue watching weekly or pick this up again once all the episodes are released.

My Demon ep13-14 only read the recaps but may watch the last two episodes next week

Derailment on pause after I finish Meet Yourself.

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Among the many things Meet Yourself does right is the way the villagers aren’t one-note characters. All part of its phenomenal world-building.

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So true. The story is not only focused on the main couple. I equally love the villagers and their own stories. Also there is no murder mystery! Just this small village living their lives and making the most of the opportunities and situation they are in.

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Meet Yourself is so amazing! I just realized today that the grandma from that story is also in Our Interpreter. While the show isn’t nearly as strong, grandma is still amazing!

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I love grandma! She is so adorable. 😊

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Started: Marry My Husband. I hesitated because time travel and revenge are not favorite plots, but Park Min young is a favorite so after reading a few comments, I gave it a try. The 1st episode was a slog, but the next few episodes (I binged 2-5 in one sitting) demonstrated that this is more than a simple time travel/revenge story – the writer helps describe WHY certain things will happen regardless of whether the heroine wants to avoid them or not. The premise is very unique compared to the recent slew of predictable rom-coms such as My Lovely Liar, My Demon, King the Land and Destined With You. Planning to watch Ep. 6 before new episodes are released on M-T. This might become must-see immediately upon release based on the cliff-hangers thus far.

Continuing: Live Your Own Life. Last week, I talked about my fascination with this weekender but today (episode 34), the writer made it clear that a favorite character is nothing more than a plot device. Very disappointing and I will have some long rants when the weecap is released.

Knight Flower Enjoyable, but I just discovered that Episodes 3 and 4 are released so watching it apparently is not must-see (as in, get up early in the morning in order to watch immediately). Will watch when I don’t have anything better to do.

Completed: Stealer, the Treasure Keeper I never located the Beanie re-watch threads, but with a heavy hand on the FF button, I was able to finish. The early episodes were lots of fun as the” Skunk” retrieved various treasures, but the last episodes revolved around one very long series of violent scenes involving just one specific “treasure”. And the hints at romance (highlighted in every preview) never manifested on screen. I have some impression that a Season 2 may have been hoped for because of the open ending, but apparently ratings may not have been high enough to justify. It didn’t help that it wasn’t available on any prominent OTT platform (I’ve been watching on Pluto).

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Kathryn, links to all of our Fan Wall Community Watch posts for Stealer can all be found here on the last one which was just posted today!

https://www.dramabeans.com/activity/p/1522312/

Please do join us!

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I still have to finish kdrama from last year... but i totally fell into the anime hyperfixation again lol. I caught up with the anime Frieren, it's so damn good.. i am going crazy waiting for new episodes. It's especially fun that basically all characters have german words as names. I am german so i understand all of them and can kinda guess how a character will be based on their names.

Is this how korean (or any asian language, really) speakers feel when they read/hear the names of characters?? I love reading breakdowns of their character names and how it forshadows or tells about the character, now i can kinda do the same xD.

I caught up to a shop for killers/the killer's shopping mall. How is it so damn good??? This year is starting out amazing already. How am i suppossed to catch up to older shows when they keep releasing so much good stuff already??? A Killer Paradox is also coming out soon, i think early feburary?

I know this kdrama is a supposed parent story of a killer's shopping list, but besides being adaptations from the same novel writer, they have nothing in common in story besides a similar name. I don't mind, but i am still a little disappointed because i hoped Park Ji-bin and Ahn See bin to reprise their roles, but it's great seeming them on screen either way.

I had my eyes on that drama for a while because it features several amazing actors who all played in some of my favorite thrillers. Lee Dong Wook in Strangers from Hell, Park Ji-bin in Blind, Kim Hye Joon in Insepctor Koo, Seo Hyun Woo in Flowers of Evil... i hope i can add a shop for killers to my favorite list.

Other than that, i think i want to start Death's Game soon. I heard so much great stuff about it, the cast is fire. But i was hesistant because the synopsis sounded so much like punishing a suicidal person/victim blaming and i hate these type of stories. But apparently this isn't the case?

Knight Flower has also been on my radar for a while, the plot sounds good. I think 3-4 episodes are out already?

I have a regular watchlist (with like 400+ shows) and a 2024 upcoming kdrama watchlist (with like 90+ shows). I wonder how much i will watch this year lol. 2022 i finished 3 kdrama, 2023 45+... so this year it will be even more??? Is this my life now???

Anyway, since i get my wisdom theeth removed on the coming monday, so i will have a whole week to watch shows (I hope it doesn't hurt to much afterwards lol. I'm not scared of dentists but i am awake during the operation xD)

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I hope the op goes well on Monday and recovery goes well.

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I felt into dramaland, and watching dramas has been my life since ;)

Regarding Death's game, yes Death is punishing him for ending his life, but I did not feel an emphasis on this aspect. If you don't mind a few accidental (or not) deaths, go watch this collection of great acting.

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Aigoo. I downloaded a golf game and now it occupies most of my drama watching time . lol 😂
Watching K dramas MMH
Sand Flower
LYOL
Flower That Blooms At Night
Bequeathed
J drama Hikaru Kimi e (2024) I enjoyed the 1st of 40 episodes.
😌 At one show week…. Will watch as long as the subs keep up. 😌
C drama I am Nobody

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Just finished My Demon. Loved the chemistry. The last episode didn't go the way I was expecting, but it still ended better than the last two dramas I watched. I liked some of the points the drama made, ie. 1) stop blaming God/fate for the results of your own stupid choices, and instead, make better choices, and 2) every day we humans either save one another through sacrifice, or destroy one another through selfish choices. Life is short, so value those precious moments with each other. However (and this is a frequent complaint I have when Kdramas insert real religion into fantasy stories), the writers could do a little better in understanding the religions they are referencing to make their point (because I think they could make their point even better if they did). I'm curious what the reaction to the worldbuilding is for someone who claims neither Buddhism, Confucianism, Christianity, or ancient Greek beliefs (ie daemons). Does it hold together logically on a fictional worldbuilding level? I hope so, because I really did love the characters and generally have warm, fuzzy feelings towards this drama. (For reference, I HATED Angel's Last Mission and the way God was vengeful, angry, and forbade intervention into human lives, all the while appropriating Christian symbolism to do so. The intervention of God in the lives of humans is the whole crux of Christianity. In contrast, even though it was theologically uhhhh creative, shall we say :) ) I felt that the deity in My Demon was more like the Korean grandma who says harsh things and is strict with you, but who inwardly loves you to pieces.

Love Me, Love My Voice I don't know if I'll keep going with this, as I generally like a plot to go along with my dramas. But the voices are LOVELY, I like the music, and I feel like a recipe book should come with the drama. I made the mistake of watching this at the gym and came home absolutely RAVENOUS.

Being in between dramas and needing more plot, I pulled out Crash Landing on You to distract me into doing another workout. And now I'm sucked back into that world. It's every bit as fantastic as the first time I watched it. Worldbuilding, check, character growth, check, plot/fate happening because of character choices, check. The stakes rise both because the bad guys are smart and keep trying harder, and because the characters who know full well the dangers simply can't stop loving each other, and level up their commitment in every episode. If I could only recommend ONE Kdrama to someone, it would be this one. (But as a writer and editor, I also despair over this drama, as I know I could never write something this good. A happy-sad experience to watch it...)

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I think you’re right, Crash Landing is a great recommendation for kdrama starters, it was a success for friends of mine who have been making fun of my kdrama watching for years!

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Love your My Demon thoughts! I still need to finish, and will keep those in mind.

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Ajumma finds Na In Woo irresistable in Marry My Husband even though he is under 30. This is very confusing for ajumma who prided herself on only being attracted to actors above 30. There is something old school handsome about Na In Woo which fools me into thinking he is older than his age. Ajumma loves this kind of male lead.

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Finished Tell Me That You Love Me, deeply melancholic while also comic, tender, and life affirming. If Call It Love was tinted pink, this should have been tinted blue.

Started Welcome to Samdal-ri after seeing a clip of the seaweed fight, and I'm loving it. The sisters and parents are worth the price of admission alone, but the band of childhood friends and the gossiping ahjummas remind me of Like Flowers in Sand, and any similarity to that show is golden.

Still hanging in with Love Song for Illusion, perhaps out of sheer confusion. What does this show think it is? Psychological study? Revenge tale? Demonic fantasy? Cute love story? With the exit of Kim Tae-woo a lot of the energy and focus of the story are gone, and Hwang Hee just isn't an equivalent villain.

My Demon managed to hold on to its logic and theme much better, while remaining super pretty to look at (mostly the leads of course--how are they real?) The flashbacks from Do-hee's perspective added balance and nuance to their story. I haven't watched the last episode yet, but I'm hoping for a happy ending, with an expanded family for Do-hee that includes her sort-of step-sister and her two manic children (my favorite side character).

Every minute I'm watching Knight Flower I have a huge grin on my face. It's absolutely delightful, despite the darker societal issues that it doesn't shy away from, but incorporates so well into the story. Yeo-Hwa is a truly iconic character, with a heart as big as her smile. Her fanning herself and seeing a six-pack of abs in every element of her surroundings was the comedic highlight of the episode for me.

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COMPLETED:

Sweet Home, Seasons 1 and 2 - I really enjoyed this show and its creative way of exploring the line between human and monster, a line that in this case appears to be rather sketchy. It had some of my favorite elements, including found family, badass female characters, self-sacrifice (but not the noble-idiocy kind), and of course: monsters. The special effects were of uneven quality, but fortunately leaning more towards the awesome than the cheesy. There was a good balance between the action sequences and the character-building scenes that kept me engaged throughout.

Given the large cast, there were surprisingly few characters I wished would just disappear; almost everyone had some sort of interesting character arc. It’s a sign of great scriptwriting when your sympathies and antipathies keep changing as the show progresses. Credit to both the writing and acting that Hyun-Su remained a sympathetic character, even when he was in full monster mode. It was lovely to see that Song Kang is capable of being more than just a pretty face and hot body (though I’d be perfectly happy if that bare bod were given more screen time). This was his most nuanced performance I’ve seen to date.

I thought the transition from season 1 to season 2 was well handed. (It didn’t bother me that the children suddenly looked a lot older due to the three-year production gap between seasons.) It was a gamble taking the action out of the apartment building—almost a character in and of itself—but it made narrative sense that they couldn’t stay there indefinitely. I liked the idea of having our characters move from a high-rise confinement space to a subterranean one.

I would be interested in knowing if, how, and where the monster epidemic was having an effect outside Korea. Maybe it will be revealed in season 3?

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WATCHING:

Tell Me That You Love Me (13/16) – I spent episodes 1-12 grinning like an idiot every time the main couple appeared together onscreen. The gradual development of their relationship as they learned to communicate with each other was such a joy. Which is why I was so disappointed in episode 13 when Mo-Eun started ghosting Jin-Woo without giving him a decent chance to explain the situation vis à vis his old flame (see what I just did there?), Seo-Kyung. I didn’t feel there was enough of a setup leading up to the abrupt change in their relationship dynamic. I was intrigued, however, by Mo-Eun’s remark to her friend Ji-Yu that she found it easier to communicate with Jin-Woo before she learned sign language. If this thread continues to develop, I might be able to better understand her actions.

As I said, Mo-Eun/Jin-Woo have pretty much made the whole show for me up to now. The Ji-Yu and Mo-Dam romance feels forced and completely out of character. Please make them disappear. The other bone I’ll pick is with the plot thread involving Seo-Kyung, the stalker, the fire, and her breakup with Jin-Woo. It feels overly melodramatic and not in keeping with the more naturalistic tone of our lead couple’s relationship. But I’ll reserve judgment until I reach the end of episode 16. (Beanies—no spoilers, please!)

My Secret Terrius - Still loving this show the second time around—this time with an online watch party. Already knowing the twists and turns of the plot is not spoiling my enjoyment one bit, since the heart of the show for me are the friendships and found family rather than the espionage plot. I would love to give a big nose kiss to everyone responsible for this drama!

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I enjoyed My Secret Terrius so much. I generally hate second seasons, but I think I would have broken my rule for this one.

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I thought I'd already seen My Secret Terrius but I may have just gotten it mixed up with Phantom. So excited to check it out and hopefully a brand new So Ji Sub drama for me. Feeling nostalgic these days for oppa led dramas!

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Rewatching Terrius thanks to you and rediscovering what a gem it truly is!!!

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*finished*

THE NIGHT HAS COME -shorter ep made for excellent pacing in a well contained story that, uh, ALMOST sticks the landing.

*WATCHING*

MY HAPPY ENDING: If I had a nickle for every time a drama title reminded me of a specific Mica song I'd have two nickles- which isn't a lot, but it's weird that it happened twice.

THE HOPE- skipping love triangle stuff and enjoying the heart of the show- which is the kids improving themselves and overcoming difficulties

MAYBE I'LL START:

FLOWERS IN THE SAND- unlikely (the premise disn't grab me) but I hear soooo many good things from other beanies

TRAIN- twi dimention thrillers sounds like fun

The Bequeathed: I had a dream about it, and now I must give it a watch

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Train is one of my most favorite shows.

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Yoon Shi-yoon! And effective treatment of multiple dimensions, IIRC.

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Started watching it. Can't wait to see it all unfold

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Marry my husband: I planned to watch it and binge-watched all available episodes. I read the webtoon but I always try to come to the adaptation with a fresh mind and so far it does not disappoint.

Welcome to Samdal-ri: when is Eun-Ju going to get her lesson?? I want to see her go to prison. And they should start taking legal actions, seriously, this is ridiculous. That ex-boyfriend is useless, I wonder how Samdal went out with him. Also, Sang-Do as a second lead is tiring and annoying. Those two boys fighting as if Samdal were an object was irritating and ridiculous. Yong-Pil's Dad: le sigh

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Korean Odyssey Continues to be fun, twisting and turning and leaving us on the edge of our seats. Also Lee Se-young is stunning. I was enjoying watching her as Richie, but she is now switching between Asenyo/elements of Richie and it is amazing. Smoldering Monkey and cheesy Devil King are great too as well, in fact all the actors in this are remarkable.
Secret Inspector and Joy Started to drag in the second half, but managed to get some energy back in the last episode and a surprisingly fantastical upbeat ending. I was expecting them to at least have to go overseas in their search for a place to live together, but no, they were allowed to rusticate.
My Demon Speaking of surprisingly fantastical ending.. They dealt with the issue of him being a demon by just not dealing with it? And everyone got a happy ending, except the bad guy. They could have had even less story and more Tango, if that is what they were going to do. Also, Song Kang needs some properly tailored casual clothes. Maybe I just don’t understand modern fashion, but it looks like he is wearing clothing that is tall enough, but too wide for his skinny frame.

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Lee Se-young stole the show in A Korean Odyssey. She was way better than the FL.

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FL had a lot less to work with, so I am withholding judgement on if she was better/worse. The FL was supposed to be hesitant, not confident, according to her character backstory and the script. Even when she was Asenyo, she was Asenyo-pretending-to-be-Seon-Mi. Its hard to act like you have low self esteem, and also have a good screen presence.

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MOVING: finished. Good watch.

KNIGHT FLOWER: Great cast. Not sure, I felt a little bored through the first 2 episodes.

I was so busy through the holidays, I didn't have time to post/watch. I did catch some shows/movies like Minari, The Crown (last season). I started a bunch of kdramas that I had to put on hold like Saimdang. And, tonight I watched the original Top Gun.

So much to watch, so little time.

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Currently Watching:

Love Song for Illusion: I watched this because I just found the FL so pretty and it is my first time seeing her act. And I instantly liked her and her acting on the first episode. Not a fan of Hyun that much but when Akhee appears I suddenly become so invested in Jihoon lmao. Not a single boring scene although I am always waiting for Akhee to come out. I am just glad I haven't read any review or comments about this drama before actually watching this because I might not enjoy this as much as I did or worse I might have not watch this in the first place. For once I feel like I'm not part of the majority because I don't see any flaws in this drama so far. Also Hyera was the season 2 Naksu I have always wanted. This is becoming my favorite after AOS season 1

That's all. I actually dropped My Demon because I don't see any chemistry at all between the main leads which is sad because they are both an eye candy and have a lot of potential but no. No chemistry at all

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I don't think Song Kang is good at expressing adoration or yearning on his face. The story in the last episodes had Gu won expressing love/caring from a distance/in practical ways after DH was asleep, and that evoked romance much better than their scenes together.

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I really can't comment on his acting because it's the first drama of him that I have watched. But yeah either that or they were just wasn't meant to be an on screen couple hence the lack of chemistry imo.

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I also thing that the FL in Love song for illusion is doing a good job (to be a rookie actress).
I enjoy watching Ak-hee too. I think I'm getting a strong SMLS with him.

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Vigilante - finished. If it JUST gave the characters some storylines and not be so 1-dimensional then this drama could have been really good. It looks amazing though! It's one of those dramas if it just fills in the gaps I would watch it again.

Royal Secret Agent - I need a drama where I don't have to give my full attention.

The Bequeathed - Only watch episode 1 and I'm IN !!

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Finished Maestra, and I LOVED the violin concert scene. The whole drama built up to and culminated in this moment! That packed so much conflict, resolution, understanding and musicality into 3 minutes… Both FLs did a great job with the violin playing. And I had a unique experience here: The very next day, I went to a real-life concert, the Munich Philharmonics with Lisa Batiashvili and real-life Maestro Zubin Mehta played Brahms: first the violin concerto, and the first movement sounded so similar to the drama that I saw the whole scene again. Then after the pause, Brahms’ 1. Symphony, the one they practiced so often in the drama! This drama certainly will be unforgettable to me. (Oh, and I also used to play the violin, one more reason.)
Tell Me That You Love Me ended, too - did anything happen in the last few episodes?
My Happy Ending is great with all the twists and turns, I trust nobody, especially not FL and her memories.
Like Flowers In Sand: I had the biggest grin on my face at the end of Ep.10 when the kids met again! But country people are all really slow here, aren’t they?
Love Song For Illusion is really fun so far, that underwater first kiss was wonderful! I’m team crown prince, but Akhee is just so bold, charismatic and funny, I might be swayed 😉. Good that they’re both Park Ji Hoon!
I found Bad Buddy on Viki – after many current Thai BLs that I started and did not like this one is nice for a change, cute and very funny.
Awaken is reaching the end, I guess only a tragic ending can resolve this cruel story.
And I’m looking forward to finishing My Demon today and catching up on My Man Is Cupid and Samdalri later.
KDrama friend project: Besides a lot of BTS content, we started Death’s Game (grudgingly on Prime Video with bad aspect ratio, but good subtitles). Wow that first half is fast and intense! And what a fantastic cast!
What to start now, between Knight Flower, A Shop For Killers, LTNS, Between Him And Her, The Bequeathed, Captivating The King and my long WTW list? I guess I’ll make a decision by fate/luck/chance/impulse/bias/provider and see what that gets me!

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Waou, must have been quite the experience to have real life blend with kdrama through a concert.

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For me at least LTNS has been a disappointment.

NIGHT FLOWER is definitely good.

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