Crash: AWWWWWW we are almost at the end. I am glad her dad survived, phew. I like how our little team is their own little family now. And their stray stiff puppy is now a good big dog, lol.

Player 2: We are still hijinking away and that is fun. Let us continue on in this vein.

My Sweet Mobster: It was fine, not as funny as it could have been. Uhm Tae Goo has a voice that can melt diamonds though, my God what a beautiful voice. I am enjoying his reformed gangster character. The chemistry is okay and Kwon Yul is the same, unfortunately he often plays similar roles. It is when he goes against type that I like him the most, and this isn’t against type. I shall continue on though.

Uncle Samsik: So MANY players lol. So Ahn Ki Chul might be behind it all or not. It could still be Uncle Samsik or hell even Tae Min. Who knows, but we are in the home stretch, so will find out.

Dreaming of a freaking Fairytale: This continues to be the winner in my weekly dramas. It just has so much HEART and the funnies, but HEART. The episodes zip by and I just want more. Plot twist of a BL author, unexpected, and they are handling pretty well. Initially, I thought oh maybe Baek Dong(hehehe) is gay, but they cleared that quickly, but listen if he writes a good book, we love it.

The Midnight Romance in hagwon: SWOON for our current romance and would be romance. They are hitting all the right notes here. I am curious our they are going to end this standoff with the two hagwons now. I think the discussions they are having about the system in SK are really important.

Miss Night and Day: Please please please be good. I am rooting for you

COMPLETED
The Atypical Family - It was a happy ending but I'm not sure if it was a good ending. Just left with a vague sense of dissatisfaction. Still maintain I-na was the best thing about this show (along with Joon-woo).

ONGOING
Dare to Love Me - Realised this week that this show has 16 episodes 😑.

Crash - The way the entire team worked together smoothly to apprehend Jung-wook was admirable. Love how Yeon-ho is beginning to blend into the team with his clothes - going from suits and ties to jackets and sweater vests 🥰.

Uncle Samsik - Saw the preview and decided I'll watch the last 5 episodes together next week. I think the entire arc starting with the actual coup attempt would work better at one go.

High School Return of a Gangster - Love how Deuk-heon is helping Se-kyung. The bullies framing Deuk-heon made me so mad. Also feel bad for Dong-soo and Co, who've been left adrift since Deuk-pal's passing.

Dreaming of a Freaking Fairy Tale - Gosh how cute are these two! Although Cha-min is pretty well-sorted for a chaebol. I love watching him flail - I think my favourite bit was when he started singing a hymn to drive away 'dirty' thoughts 🤣.

STARTED
My Sweet Mobster - TBH I found the self-righteousness of the FL super grating in Ep. 1 but Uhm Tae-goo's voice got me through to Ep. 2, when she toned it down a bit. In it for the Thirsty Deer folks, who are all ADORABLE.

WATCHLIST
Planning to try out Miss Night and Day

C-DRAMAS
Up to Ep. 20 in The Double and it's still enjoyable in a 'don't think too much' way.

I'm curious about The Tale of Rose. Genre-wise, it doesn't seem to be my thing but the reviews have been good, I think?

Saw news that Follow Your Heart and The Grand Princess might both premiere next week 🤞.

Currently Watching
Dare to Love Me: 🎭🪡 Yoon-bok is so sweet, and now he knows what he really wants for the first time. And the squeeeees as Yoon-bok respectfully, but purposefully, makes sure the FL knows he like-likes her. That huge bag of supplies he packed for their date!! 😂🥰

My Sweet Mobster: 🍭🦞 Oh my gosh... I'm in love!! Silliness, sweetness, and redemption with a side of heart... I really hope they follow through with the themes and messages they introduced in ep. 1! I also hope we'll get a juicy mix of bubblegum-sweet romantic (mis)adventures and angsty backstory (I betcha some ghosts of the past will come back to haunt our ML). Also - the cat gang has cat-carrier-toting mobsters; I can't even 😂 And what a cast!! So many familiar faces and fun cameos (plus, our ML is GORGEOUS and funny, too!). #ThirstyLobsterClub

River Where The Moon Rises: 🏞🌛 (10-12) The midway point set up the dramatic arc for Act II, and things really kicked into high gear! I love the high drama, the music, the ill-fated relationships, the inevitable sense of tragedy, and the mystical epic-ness from its folktale origin. Also nice to see Na In-woo's swordsmanship training from Mr. Queen kick in. Ga-jin has successfully shaped On-dal into a warrior, and now they both have to live with the consequences of that choice. His turmoil over what he did (and now knows he is willing to do) to save his loved ones was well done. Which also leads to my other observation: there's a lot more blood in this than in some sageuks. 🫣 But now my watch will be slowed down due to three currently-airing dramas... 🐌

Finished
The Spies Who Loved Me: 👰‍♀️🕵️‍♂️ (14-16) The end was nice, but not "great." The last three episodes didn't implode, explode, or fizzle; but they did lose their fizz, like pop that's been left open on the counter too long. Still, it was a mostly fun romp about trust in relationships as told through the lens of spycraft. AND it's now my favorite Yoo Inna role!!

In other news... I'm very fickle when it comes to C-dramas and lose interest, drop, and jump ship for greener pastures with abandon... but after seeing y'all talk about it, I tried the first episode of The Double and it was WILD! It's makjang squared with... (*Continued below*)

Live watches

Lovely Mobster
This is very similar to Dreaming of a freaking fairytale in the cartoon style actions to add humour, however I think I prefer this one as the characters have more substance. The ex gangster has such a husky quiet voice I thought it was because of the random sweet in his throat incident but it maintained for the two episodes so I guess that’s his normal voice. It’s so quiet and calming I wonder if it’s natural or cultivated as a standout feature.

Did anyone else think of Healer when he said she should close her eyes and count to ten.

Crash
I am so glad my theory was right for once re the killer. I also can’t believe the commissioners son is beyond cruel when it comes to self preservation just locking him up is not going to restore him to being human.

I liked the fact the crew finally had the chance to one up Taejoo, he was so smug when he opened the car door ready to make the arrest and take the glory.

Uncle Samsik
Still have this weeks episodes to watch. They came out a few days later than expected prior to them finally dropping I wondered if they had not been on this week due to some sports event.

High school return of a gangster
I am really enjoying this drama but it is so sad that the kids are all fending for themselves and the one teacher who is trying to be helpful really isn’t do a good job. The gangster’s following the boys on the trip to the beach and celebrating the successful learning to ride a bike was so funny. Another example of a boy not being taught to ride a bike as it was not seen as an important skill (Queen of Tears)

Dreaming of a freaking fairytale
Interesting to get some more background on all the characters. Not sure if I will stick with this one for the duration but we will see.

Binge watch
Yumi’s cells rewatch prompted by the first episode post I had to go back watch and that was it sucked in again and loving every moment.

Book corner

Can’t I go instead - Lee Geumyi
A story of two women and their lives when they were sent off by a rich man who chose to become an explicit Japanese collaborator whilst under cover he was using his wealth to fund the Korean Independence movement.

The Atypical Family (Series review) - Mood progression: D+ / D+ / D+ / D+ / D+ / D
So the villain mommy gets a brain transplant and suddenly decides to mend her ways. And we suddenly learn that the ML’s not immune to danger in the past (come on, he didn’t find out about that previously?) and noble idiocy strikes again. Then I watch as the fantasy rules change at a whim. Of course it ends on a deus ex machina and an extremely rushed one at that.

My Sweet Mobster (Episode 1-2) - Mood: C-
While I like the angle the writer is going for with the whole ‘ex-convicts deserve another chance’ narrative, it’s kinda hard to overlook the inevitable love triangle and childhood connection cliches dumped in our faces. The story would have just been as well if not better without the FL, but maybe I can give the show another week to see if she gets any good developments?

Dreaming of a Freaking Fairy Tale (Episode 3-4) - Mood: D
Please tell me that the tsundere ML isn’t attracted to the FL because she reminds him of his mother, please no. But this is a show where character motivations aren’t particularly great: watching the 2FL is like seeing paint dry, while the 2ML is what a writer includes in when they have terrible ideas on how to develop an OTP. He’s mysterious, sure, but I’m not that curious.

High School Return of a Gangster (Episode 5-6) - Mood: D
It’s kind of amusing that a DNA test wasn’t performed by the gangsters when Yi Heon fibbed about his relationship to, well, himself when Se Kyung did exactly just that despite Yi Heon insisting he was himself. As the show heads into finale, the real Yi Heon’s nowhere to be seen which is equal parts troubling and concerning, but regardless I doubt the story can be saved.

Crash (Episode 9-10) - Mood: D
There were many lame scenes that happened this week alongside multiple attempts to manufacture fake tension with all of the flashbacks, but nothing really beats the awful humour the writer tried to pull with the ‘he’s not a police officer’ skit. And I guess we’re well into makjang territory with the ‘coming back from the dead with a new identity for revenge’ stuff. Oh well.

Bad Prosecutor

I'm so glad I stuck around with this. That last episode was so so good! Even though completely unearned. The actors delivered all the sudden punches that the writer forgot to lead up to in the previous episodes! Felt so so good! Funny what a positive impression a great last episode can leave even though I was basically ff'ing eps 7-11. Although eps 10 and 11 did start to get better.
The first 3 eps had been sooo much nonsensical fun. Then it suddenly turned serious which wasn't bad per se, just startling and too illogical, but ended up being satisfying, because how else were they supposed to bring down the ultimate powers by sticking to logic and reason?? (or law for that matter)

Rewatched Kiss Goblin
It's so sweet and so complete despite being only 120 minutes.

Please Don't Date Him

A drama I had never heard of. (A quick dig into past WWW posts tells me that 3 Beanies did in fact watch it)

First the short version: this show was the sweetes lovely surprise I could ever wish for.

The long version: for a show that has a friggin talking fridge and an NIS microchip in its synopsis, the characters and their feelings were incredibly real. I hadn't even finished ep 1 when I felt like I have known these people my whole life. I'm even living with some of them. I know exactly how they move, how they talk, how they think... Amazing, simply amazing. Don't give any thought to the fridge and the chip, don't even read any synopsis. This show is about very normal people being very believably normal, and so sweet!

It's mind-blowing that the director and the team of the writers have so few credits to their names. They are some of the best i have ever seen in kdramaland.

I only clicked on this because I was searching in all Dramawiki pages of "List of dramas aired by networks" from 2019 to date, looking for something sweet. I clicked, saw Jun and Song Ha Yoon, and decided that it's a sign, because I had been struggling to wait for Freaking Cinderella to end to watch Jun in a non-evil role.

Him and Song ha yoon have quite an age gap here, but both of them are so so so good in their roles. Jun's acting is incredibly natural, better than any show I have seen of him. He was perfect.
Song ha yoon is also so natural that it feels like she is acting as herself.
Actually everybody feels like they're just being themselves.
The show has a bit of an ensemble cast, or at least many prominent roles, which are all so well done, nobody feels out of place. Even one of Jun's coworkers who is in only one scene feels like he naturally belongs in there.

The show is amazing in constantly flipping our perception towards the characters. Someone is depicted as not very nice, then suddenly you find yourself completely understanding their point of view, or at least how their mind ticks. Another person might be a bit of a jerk but if they says...

CONNECTION (Ep. 5-6) Suddenly, we week of both Jae-Kyeong and Yoon-Jin acting true professional investigators. More secrets are slowly being uncovered especially how powerful Tae-In was within the high school group. A new theme is bubbling to the surface: addiction. Tae-In is addicted to power, control and money. Jong-Soo has the chabeol family but not its respect so he is addicted to pills to overcome his inadequacies. Likewise, the late Jae-Seo seems to have led this own secret life intertwined with Tae-In’s group, including testing the drug on innocent patients with deadly consequences. The drug deal does give Jae-Kyeong the golden opportunity to get medical withdrawal treatment since he was injected with the weakened form of the drug. Will he take that opportunity or continue to be a rogue? I predict the latter.

BITTERSWEET HELL (Ep 5-6) In episode 5, we see flashbacks of No and her future husband, the prank engagement event, and their cute romantic moments. Again, the theme is not knowing a person’s real secrets. No finds out that her husband was an OR wreck, unable to cope with surgeries. Oh covered for him. No finds out that her husband drained their investment account to run away with Se-Na before faking his suicide. Episode 6 fills in the portrait of Se-Na’s life. She is a quick witted liar who is not hiding her evil intentions to destroy the Choi family. The presence of Tutor Moon in son’s after school life (now including his girl crush) is another screaming red flag as well as summarily dismissed Oh as another scorned person to the bad actort list. We get a big cliffhanger ending . . . how good is the PPL car brakes?

HOKUSAI TRUTH (NHK) A short documentary on the life Japan's iconic ukiyo-e artist Katsushika Hokusai who created the famous print, “The Great Wave.” He was an artist who made more than 30,000 works during his lifetime. He gained global fame later in life.

The Atypical Family: 8.5 Don't spend so much time talking in the middle of a fire! How much money can the kid make finding lost treasures? Like the script for the lost good ending of Heartbeat.

Missing Crown Prince: 6.5

Crash: 6.5

Player 2 - Master of Swindlers: 6.0

High School Gangster: 7.5

My Sweet Mobster: 8.5 One of the worst titles ever, not the worst start ever.

Dreaming of a F***king Fairy Tale: 8.0 I wouldn't have believed this a week ago, but possibly not the funniest show I'm watching now.

Some Beanies have commented that since the new kid in the Atypical Family finale can summon things from the past, better not get him interested in dinosaurs. Actually, I think that would make one heck of a 2nd season :) Imagine dinos godzilla-stomping suburbs while the authorities and scientists try to figure out where they are coming from and the family tries to hide their involvement while getting the kid interested in something less messy, like stamp collecting or North Korean state secrets. I don't have any proper dino-destroying-city music to accompany this fantasy, but here's something to set the mood
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fY6tJ_IG4CU

I'm only watching shows I like so now I feel light and positive coming here. LOL

Dare to Love Me: Yoon Bok being the clingy one? 😆☺️
Yoon Ah the jealous one? 🤭😆

Openly yada yada Cinderella: "It has no nutricional value" HAHAAHAHAHHAHA.

Oh, and I clapped so hard when our Cinderella was like "who's a toy, girl? Not me. I enjoyed it too! Your fiance is good kisser. Oh, wait. You wouldn't know" 👏

Also, the sis feeding Cinderella just to smoothly steal her food is so relatable. LMAO she's my fave.

The Woman Who Plays With a Lobster: the ML is super cute. And all the characters are hilarious.

I'm glad this show isn't pretending to be something it isn't. It's cute and simple. Nothing more.

I-can't-see-anything-in-Hagwon: Joon Ho needs to start paying for Cheong Mi's meals/taxi fare. She can't keep giving him the answers for free.

Painter of the Wind (EP2): this show is so beautiful and interesting.
The dialogue and messages in the drama are all on point. And all the other aspects like acting, cinematography, etc. are great too.

Also, I finally found a believable gender bender that isn't Coffee Prince. Moon Geun Young unnie is so cute, I thought it wasn't going to work. But it did. I believe it.

Oh, and I need a MoonxMoon couple reunion now. I wouldn't mind in another sageuk.

BONUS
Interview with the Vampire (S02E05): I want to hate one character and defend another and move on, but I can't. People weren't joking when they said this was all grey.

My Siblings Romance (finale): this was my replacement for weekend/daily dramas. What am I supposed to watch now.

Girls on Fire: they should make two groups. 🥺

In the battle between our two under-budget and over-the-top comedies (time and palate constraints), I think I'm going with My Sweet Mobster. First, it's on the right side of legal. Second, it lands in the barren midweek stretch. Thirdly, Umm, Umm, Uhm Tae-goo. 😂 But, yeah, expectations remain low here.

I wasn't The Atypical Family early episodes, but at the urging of @hacja kept going and discovered a wonderful twisty, dark-humored most atypical tale that unfortunately ended not with bang, nor with a crash, but a meh. Yes, we got some glorious moments and a happy ending that didn't violate the show's time-traveling logic (tho in guise of a deus ex machina child). But if I'd my druthers, it would have ended more atypically. An awful mother wouldn't get her un-earned redemption. An "adopted" mum might find her loving side, but not forget her lethal one. A romance wouldn't be shoehorned in, but friendship elevated. And just one day I'd like a happy ending that doesn't require a model-thin shape. Still, it was great for a long spell, and the editing, cinematography and the music, especially the music, was top notch.

The Midnight Romance in Hagwon continues to give me as much stress as it gives me squees. How could you not love those two falling all over each other (literally too)? But they both have a lot of growing and maturing to do, both individually and together. I liked how Hye-jin and Joon-ho overcome their first roadblock with an assist Cheong-mi (the best). So there's hope we won't have a relationship mess like SITR. But while Hye-jin's character and her arc feels fully fleshed out, I wished Joon-ho would also have a bit more depth. And as someone from as academically cutthroat a society as SK, the workplace conflict feels uncomfortably too real (tho it would be just as impactful with less overwrought music and dialogue). Keeping fingers crossed for the second half of this one.

I love comedy and particularly one that refuses to take itself seriously. Thank you, fellow Beanies, for recommending DREAMING OF A FREAKING FAIRY TALE. I have not laughed this much since GAUS ELECTRONICS. This show just keeps a smile on my face.

Speaking of comedies, we have a nice new one in the form of MY SWEET MOBSTER. I was really looking forward to this one and so far it has not disappointed.

Thanks to more than one Beanie recommendation (again, thank you Beanies) I started watching EYE LOVE YOU. This is definitely one of the better Japanese rom-coms.

My wife has loved MISSING CROWN PRINCE.

My wife really liked the Chinese Costume drama WONDERLAND OF LOVE- it was very well done. After which she watched THE LAST IMMORTAL which kept her glued to the TV- a genuine binge watch in every sense. Then she started a new one entitled THE DOUBLE which she finds to be both good and a mess at the same time. When episodes for that show ran out she turned to LADY REVENGER RETURNS FROM THE FIRE. Her question: “Where do they get these titles?” She almost did not continue with this one- she found some elements of it to be kind of stupid but now the show is moving right along.

The parade of Chinese Costume dramas was abruptly interrupted by the arrival of the second half of the third season of BRIDGERTON. My wife definitely enjoyed Season 3.

The third chapter of our weekender BEAUTY AND MR. ROMANTIC is clicking right along. Pilseung’s birth secret has been revealed to the person who needed most to hear it. Our secondary couple no sooner got together than they ran into trouble with their families. Our female villain still cannot curb her temper and our male villain is still a scoundrel- but at least neither are tiresome. I wish I could say the same for our ML’s aunt- the show has that one fly in the ointment: It would be too much to expect a fifty episode show to be perfect so I just accept it- and remember to use the FF button when she appears. It subtracts nothing from the story to do so- she really adds nothing of value but the good news is that she does not take up that much airtime either. On the positive side of the ledger: The first actually positive use of the amnesia trope, which has given our FL a happier life and allowed her to discover her passion for acting. Unfortunately, the logic of drama demands that at some point her memories will return and a load of angst with it – and then the past will need to be addressed: It is a good thing that we still have 26 episodes to go because we are going to need them all to do justice to the stories which have developed this far.

Crash The plot of the past shouldn't have lasted so long because it's the most boring villains. I like the team and they deserve better investigations!

Dare to Love Me I don't really care about it. I watch it, it's fun and kinda forget after.

My Sweet Mobster Uhm Tae-Goo is really good in this role and looks handsome in his dark suits. I wished they chose an another actress, one he didn't already act with. I hope Prosecutor Kwon Yul will change his opinion about people who can't change and have another chance...

The Midnight Romance in Hagwon It's so good! The romance and the work setting. I wish they show more teaching by the characters.

Dreaming of a Freaking Fairy Tale The characters are too childish.

Bridgerton 3> What a weird season. But there were good moments, Benedict and Eloise are the best duo for me. I'm just disapointed for the change in Francesca's story.

Bloody Luck Day. I was looking forward to this because of Lee Sung Min's performance in Reborn Rich but then I couldn't find it anywhere and forgot about it. I happened to come across it on Paramount+ and after watching Beyond Evil, I thought why not try this as a comparison. I don't even know how it compares because I kinda ended up feeling the same way about both: kinda underwhelmed and more curious about the missing parts. Both also featured good performances & both had back halves that made me go🤔🫤. I did like that it was short (only 10 episodes).

Crash. As always I've learned so much with this show and now that includes how seatbeat usage is actually recorded (or is this a work of fiction?). I would've never thought about that. Also, while watching a cast interview for BLOODY LUCKY DAY, they said in order for dramas to air/not be censored on tv seatbeats must be worn. Learning this tidbit makes the fact that a seatbeat was not being worn AND how it was used as evidence stand out even more.

High School of a Gangster. I am so enjoying this show. Deuk Pal is such a caring guy and I love how he's just genuinely trying help all these young boys (which sometimes involves having to smack them up). I've said it before and I'll say it again: this show is surprisingly wholesome for a show that features violence and gangsters. The thing is Deuk Pal is the heart of the show so I feel like when he leaves to let Yi Yeon live, it's gonna feel kinda unsatisfying. Maybe I'll be wrong. After next week, I'll have nothing to watch on Wednesdays.

High Society. I didn't watch much of this but it just reinforced for me that I'm not into melodrama haha. Oh, just so much was so... baffling and frustrating. A lead who is like "I'm independent! Hear me roar!" As she plans on using her family's resources. A guy who is painted a backstabber and betrayer for using chaebols for upward mobility and financial security meanwhile the parents are trying to marry their kids to each other to maintain their social status and financial security. The elements I liked was the second lead couple and how they were just constantly acknowledging tropes and reality and even having actual communication. So I just watched their clips on youtube haha.

Midnight Romance in Hagwon (through Ep. 9): Will be putting in some hagwon-style hours this weekend to catch up! I love Chung-mi so much. She's my favorite type of SFL -- the kind who has her own story and isn't there to serve as anyone's thinly characterized foil for the sake of a love triangle. I am feeling anxious waiting for more angst to drop for Hye-jin and Jun-ho, especially as they don't seem very skilled at being covert with their relationship.

Dare to Love Me (through Ep. 10): It has a cute OTP and airs on Monday-Tuesday. 'Nuff said.

Beauty and Mr. Romantic (through Ep. 22): What a relief that Pil-seung has learned his lesson and is standing up to his family in order to support Dora. HIs grandma is just awful. She might have as good a chance as Jin-dan at being unredeemable, even with 50 episodes.

Missing Crown Prince (through Ep. 18): The dowager's expression as she spied on the OTP's secret rendezvous reinforced that she's not a one-dimensional antagonist. A love with a body count as high as hers isn't likely to end well, though. Hopefully history doesn't repeat with the younger generation.

The Player 2 (through Ep. 4): It's not deep, but it's fun. The drama equivalent of a summer action flick.

Crash (through Ep. 4): Gave it a try thanks to the positive Beanie reviews. The team has an entertaining mix of characters and I like how they're opening up to the newbie. I'm realizing procedurals can make for a relatively stress-free watch.

Also, restarted Joy of Life 2 and felt the show's magic return after the second episode. Will now have to pace myself or risk falling behind with everything. And in non-drama watching, I spent more than four hours absorbed by a riveting YouTube video on the failure of Disney's Star Wars-themed hotel. The creator, Jenny Nicholson, had some great insights about the relationship between profit-driven companies and fandom that apply to the entertainment industry as a whole. Is the system sustainable long-term when corporations maximize profits to appease shareholders/investors but offer their most loyal supporters less and less in return, so that fans literally pay a price for their loyalty and feel progressively worse about it?

Crash (9-10): Great episodes this week, with lots of great action as well, and I love how the show involves all of our characters into the action, and nobody gets left out. Great teamwork!

Dreaming of a Freaking Fairytale (5-6): This stupid and ridiculous show got even more stupid and ridiculous this week, but it's still an absolute blast to watch, even if some of the jokes are questionable at best. The Taxi Driver cameo was hilarious. 50 bonus points for establishing consent before the first kiss, because that made the whole thing 20 times better.

Midnight Romance in Hagwon (9-10): I'm expecting lots of drama ahead, but I'm counting on our second couple to deliver the fun.

Player (8-14): Really enjoyed this, but the finale was pretty disappointing, with an absolutely infuriating act of noble idiocy. Like, they leave Ah-ryung behind, when she explicitly says she was fine with going to jail. Even worse is when it gets spinned in a "live the life you want" way, but she literally told them how she wanted to live 30 seconds before they abandoned her. Was nobody listening?

Player 2 (1-4): Had a feeling as to what was coming, but her death still broke my heart. It's kinda frustrating how the show quickly and seemingly moves on from that though, but luckily future scenes lessened that frustration. The epilogue from episode 4 is a highlight to that, even if I still have no idea where Ah-ryung's sister came from (I really like her though). Other than that, the show is still as fun and ridiculous as ever.

My Perfect Stranger (1-2): Has been on my list for a while, so I'm finally watching this. So far so good, even if I liked episode 2 a lot more than episode 1. Already like the FL and her young parents, though I do really wonder how her dad went from breaking heads to being an absent and drunk father/ husband.

COMPLETED
The Atypical Family
In this year of mostly cookie cutter k-dramas, TAF really stands out. To say nothing of the crazy good soundtrack. I loved it from start to finish. 🦸🏻🧡

STARTED
My Lovely Lobster
Unexpectedly delightful! Sweet and salty with a healthy dose of camp. They've gotten all the little details right. Great cast overall, and I'm loving the leads. 🩷🦞

WATCHING
Missing Crown Prince eps 17-18
I'm hoping this underdog sageuk stays consistent and wraps up well this weekend. Maybe I'll post some final final thoughts.

Dreaming of a Freaking Fairy Tale
Oh my gawd this is so amusing 👸🏻🤴🏻😂

The Double c-drama eps 6-14
This fantasy historical romance makjang is seriously addictive. It's got a magical combination of highly entertaining story with appealing OTP, gorgeous costumes, and beautiful music. It may be walking a fine line between fun and ridiculous but I'm loving every minute of it. 😜 Youku's Youtube channel is parsing it out one episode a day and it's nearly killing me, but I'm still a week ahead of Viki's release schedule, which is also inexplicably like molasses.

Fake It Til You Make It c-drama
If you heard raves last year about this short (for a c-drama) modern romance, I can confirm they were valid. I'm loving it. This is a story about the many ways people consciously and unconsciously end up "faking" it (whatever "it" is in their lives). The 30-something lead actors' chemistry is sizzling 🔥

Have a fun week beanies!

COMPLETED:

A Shop for Killers - This drama was consistently absorbing from start to finish—a solid premise executed with skill and imagination. Along with When My Love Blooms, the show was a textbook example of how to intercut flashbacks with present day, slowly revealing pieces of the puzzle until a complete picture emerges. (This narrative style isn’t for everybody; much of the negative criticism I read came from people who found the flashbacks and repeated scenes confusing and/or boring.)

I’ve never particularly liked Lee Dong-Wook, but I was pleasantly surprised by his strong performance here. I thought Kim Hye-Jun was perfectly adequate as the FL, though I think there are other actresses out there who could have brought more punch 🤣 to the role. Park Ji-Bin seemed to be playing the same psycho-in-nerd’s-clothing character as the one he played in Blind. He does it well.

From the way the show ended, it would seem a season 2 is in the works. 🙏🏻 There’s so much I want to know about Jin-Man’s backstory!

Doctor Lawyer - You know a drama's in trouble when you find So Ji-Sub boring. This was a flat, paint-by-numbers, entirely predictable show, where the writer’s and director’s imaginations limited to a dull gray. The weak story, based on a cockamamie premise, had no clear dramatic arc. Potentially interesting characters and relationships were left largely unexplored. (Shin Sung-Rok’s demonic smile added a little bit of color, until I realized that was pretty much his only expression.) There were so many head-scratching moments, I won’t even attempt to list them.

BTW - So Ji-Sub would have been truly awesome in the lead role of A Shop for Killers…don’t you agree?

DROPPED: -

Lost Happiness (Taiwan) - Super-cheesy. Dropped about midway through episode 1. I wanted to strangle the FL about 20 seconds after she first opened her mouth.

Hi, beanies! I hope you are having a good weekend.

What I am watching:

_ Sweet Mobster (2/16). As I said in the recap, the first episode left me cold, but the second one was better and the characters started to be more interesting, so I'll watch episodes 3 and 4.

_ My Ahjusshi (11 out of 16). I can't say I love these characters, but I'm enjoying the experience. This is a very special drama. The OST is wonderful.

_ I watched two Drama Specials in Kocowa.

2021. Do you know Ashtanga?, starred by Joo Jong Hyuk (SML in Frankly Speaking) and Bae Yoon Kyung (SFL in Wedding Impossible). I liked watching them together, but the plot is too simple. This could have been a good short drama (around 8 episodes).

2023. Dog days of Summer. One of my favorite Drama Specials so far. This is a cute movie starred by uri Moon Woo-Jin (Castaway Diva, Atypical Family). A story about a teenager who has to move temporarily from Seoul to Daegu in the summer of 2002. Highly recommended if you like slice-of-life kind of shows.

_ C-drama Joy of Life 2 (5 out of 36). So far so good. It's simply great spending time with these fabulous characters.

What I finished:

_ Atypical Family. This is my favorite k-drama released in this first half of 2024.

Bitter Sweet Hell Episode 3 - I can see the alliance between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law forming. There are some rough patch to be taken though. MIL already knows what sort of men she has in her family. I'm guessing what's remaining is for the wool to fall off her DIL's eyes.

Uncle Samsik - I wasn't able to get to this one this week.

Player 2 - The likelihood of dropping this is high. I'm yet to watch episodes 3&4 but while 1&2 was quite a ride, I don't think it will be enough to make me stay.

Missing Crown Prince - I skipped episodes 7-9 and mindlessly clicked play on episode 10. I learnt two things - Choi Sang-rok was shot and, the King might likely meet his end in Choi's hand. QD taking charge of the royal court once again had me cheering. I know she's a baddie but I'm glad that a woman of the Internal Court in this drama rose up to the occasion. I am of the opinion that some dramas that occured in Korean history would have been averted if the women of the Internal Court took the reins at the demise or absence of their husbands. All those coups could have been prevented if one of them rose up.

Connection Episode 3-6 - I'm not a fan of any of the main characters and supporting, save for the Jae-gyung's Unit Chief.

But the competence of the leads in pursuing the story has me on my seat through each watch.

A marvelous week of drama watching!

MY SWEET MOBSTER was my happy watch of the week. This is basically a scrambled BALL OF FIRE (classic, 1941) wherein the fabulous Uhm Tae-goo mobster boss is gangster moll Sugarpuss O'Shea/Barbara Stanwyck and Han Sunhwa is the hilarious innocent Prof. Bertram Potts/Gary Cooper. Throw in the terrific crew of reformed mobsters and the handsome, intense prosecutor Kwon Yul, and you've got a gold-standard screwball comedy. Anytime drama land wants to gift me a laugh-riot screwball comedy, I'm in!

After 27 episodes of c-drama NIRVANA IN FIRE, I had to step away and think about what I was seeing. This is maybe more than a drama series. It's maybe a masterpiece. Following my own rule, it has hold up for at least a decade before I can put it in that rarefied category. I'm so grateful to Alluvial_Fan for helping me enter this dense world so full of heart, it's almost unbearable.

And another grateful thanks to Old Lawyer and Mrs. Old Lawyer, I haven't forgotten your treasured list of 5 great c-dramas! I'm half-way through THE STORY OF MINGLAN. It's wonderful. I love this wise grandmother, this troubled granddaughter, this flawed and reckless hero, all of it. Thank you!

b>Starting:
Zombie Detective: Really sweet, or at least the zombie attempting to live inconspicuously was hilarious and touching at the same time, and I think the FL is maybe the *only one* I can like with aegyo. Or maybe her and Bong Soon – I loved the mixture of brutality and aegyo that was a main feature of hers.
Soundtrack #1: Lovely mini-series, with a impeccable representation of a kind of relationship that is often seen in creative professions, and which made me so angry I had smoke coming out of my ears.
This was definitely not lessened by the documentary described under “Not a K-drama”. If I didn’t recognize what happened by myself, I certainly had it confirmed by that documentary. I will be giffing profusely about it in the week to come.
Finished:
Atypical Family: First and foremost my hope for Grace and Dong-hee came true, even if the writers just had to spoil it afterwards. Or half spoil it – it was obvious where the chemistry was and stayed.
As for the main couple, I was super disappointed with how the dilemma was solved, it could have been so much more fun and with not time skip. I had excellent ideas for it.
Could be worse, though. No corpse. I will not let my ideas about how much better it could have been spoil a whole show that I actually loved for me.
Links for Gifs will appear in the comment section when the DB staff has seen and approved of them.
Not a K-drama:
Sexisme I Musikbranchen (Sexism in the Music Industry): A Danish documentary about the habitual condescending treatment of women and the extra thick glass ceiling of a business that often believes itself to be neutral and just hire “the best”. Oh, and the harassment … so much harassment.
Inside Out 2: Didn’t cry buckets like with the first one, but did need to hug a certain person afterwards, who laughingly said: But it was only like, 24 hours in that movie, not five years!

TWINKLING WATERMELON: Finished. Sweet story, engaging young cast.

WORLD OF THE MARRIED Thanks to the DB’s post about good first episodes, I started this. First episodes are a hurdle for me, so that was a great post that I’ve bookmarked. This is just my kind of show so far (episode 5). The actress (Kim Hee-Ae) is incredible, as she was in SECRET LOVE AFFAIR.

EXTREMELY INAPPROPRIATE (Japan): I was told that it was extremely popular in Japan, so I thought I would give it a try. Extremely confused. I really don’t know what to say. I will continue to watch this, but it sure is weird.

Atypical Family: Bought the instrumental - Journey through time- on apple music. Woohoo! Overall, I was satisfied enough with the ending even though originally I was like "that's it?". I think the finale week could have used an extra half hour to flesh things out. I'm so glad I picked it up. It has been such a lovely journey with beautiful music.

Dreaming of a Freaking Fairytale: Caught all aired episodes this week. It has such a fun, purposeful absurdity, and it reminds me of Gaus Electronics. There is humor and twists at almost every corner! And the show also knows to bring the flashes of emotion so it's not just characters doing wacky things. I also love the
chemistry between the leads. And that party kiss was exhilarating.

Joy of Life 2 Up to episode 31. Only 6 more episodes before the long wait for season 3. The emperor's maneuvering is truly incredible and fearsome. The guy can't bother to tidy his robe, but he's playing a meticulous game of 4D chess with all the characters.

Current/recent:
The Atypical Family: Best drama of the year so far for me. Quirky, unpredictable, hilarious, sometimes frustrating, with terrific sly performances especially by the women. Was the ending real? Or an illusion? Works either way.
Dreaming of a Freaking Fairytale: I expected the show to throw in a little genuine sentiment and a light moral or two, but fortunately it got those out of the way quickly and returned to the self-aware absurdity that it does so well. The umbrella is really coming into its own.
High School Return of a Gangster: This is a surprisingly good mix of comedy, action, and HS rebellion, and the two younger MLs are doing an outstanding job. Can’t wait to see them fall in love.
My Lovely Mobster: Very mixed start. The ML is well-established as a character already (his voice does a LOT of the work) and we even know more about the 2ML after his few minutes of screen time than we do about the FL, who is a bright, bubbly blank. The turn from farce to sentimentality at the end of episode 2 doesn’t bode well. Not sure I’ll continue.

Older shows:
Crazy Love (2022): Crazy fun for 13 episodes or so. Then not as crazy, and not as fun. It was an enjoyable ride that petered out about 90 minutes before the end.
Mission: Possible (2021 movie): How can something with such a high body count be such a silly, sweet, ridiculous romp? And ToD was OUTSTANDING in this - truly a bravura performance.

Happy Saturday and Dragon Boat Festival, Beanies!

THE DEBATE CLUB DOUBLE: Continues to be THE outrageous makjang, for better or worse. Not more xianxia tho))) Instead show went even harder on visual storytelling and barely-subtle erotic metaphors – fooling around in rose buds bath AND shirtless rain swordplay, really, show? Well, whatever helps you deliver the message loud and clear without triggering censors. As long as there's no kissing parrots or soaring phoenixes once we'll get to the wedding night...

Theme-wise drama is still more of a spectacle than anything deep. Those big words about justice and whatnot in court were great, but not delivered in a serious enough fashion. The only wisdom that properly sticks the landing is “choose carefully who you trust, esp in important matters like love/marriage”, with all the possible scenarios of that going horribly wrong played out in front of our eyes. And it's not limited to feminine rage only - dudes also get scorned repeatedly here, starting with ex-hubby, who now looks fully ready to not only commit regicide to Princess Crazy, but also burn his whole household with mom and sister locked inside, not that anyone would miss them...

But the best thing is generous use of sophistry – this is almost as guilty pleasure good as harem dramas at verbal stabs and smoothly talking one's opponent into hanging themselves. FL's identity trial was a riot, pls debate more, it was really fun!

“Drama news” segment:

- Youku finally woke up and graced us with TSOPG character posters and shorts:
https://x.com/YoukuOfficial/status/1800000526001885387
https://x.com/FKShi/status/1800201349545754943

Interestingly, festival is also FL's birthday - she was named after it:
https://x.com/moccavanilla88/status/1800002563775086853

- FYH, almost guaranteed to premiere on June 22th, shared poster+shorts as well:
https://i.mydramalist.com/2wzpRw_3f.jpg
https://x.com/e_hualiu/status/1800043078428086340

Plus new comedy-filled trailer (that ending, lmao!) and romantic angst-filled MV. And both LYX himself and LYN are in rumored OST lineup – yes, pls! No subs yet tho:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ecT32ZAliU8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfGRjqsdT70