My drama week is so barren and with two ongoing shows ending by Tuesday, it'll be even more so 😫. All the new shows can't start soon enough!

COMPLETED
Miss Night and Day - Didn't live up to potential for me. Mostly because I never warmed up to Mi-jin and her mumbly silences. Would always prefer the Lim Soon scenes - Lee Jung-eun is a star.

ONGOING
Good Partner - N/A

The Auditors - The buddy cop comedy vibes of the last two episodes were weird but entertaining.

Serendipity's Embrace - The mom, and the ex, are disrupting the mildly sweet feel of this. I think it's good this ends next week.

WATCHLIST
Planning to try out Romance in the House.

C-DRAMAS
Couldn't get into Dashing Youth at all so have put that to the side for now.

Started You Are My Secret, a sweet little workplace/marriage drama. Am up to Ep. 13 and the romance seems a bit one-sided so far but hopefully it'll get better. Not sure why this needs 32 episodes though.

T-minus 1 day until ATEEZ!!!!

Currently Watching
Love Andante: 🎹 it feels like a made-for-tv movie in terms of quality, and uses the goat sound effect. The episode was short and required little attention. Not sure if I'll continue. Probably a drop.

The Auditors: 🏗📈 I liked these episodes much better. I LOVE Seo-jin - she's thoughtful, serious, and competent, and I'm glad she got more focus this week, along with VP. I'm continually fascinated with VP and his motives and choices. And we finally got more backstory!!! Seo-jin may not be his actual niece, but he still does Dad Stuff and treats her like a daughter, which I love. This drama really missed out on not making Seo-jin and VP the main characters. Without personal connections and agendas, the cases can feel hollow. Two more to get my bean! 🫘 (P.S. if Shin Cha-il is Batman and Han-soo is Robin, then VP is Nightwing 😂)

Miscellaneous
75% done with both River Where The Moon Rises and Hwayugi. Both are slow going; reviews will be forthcoming. Started Welcome to Samdalri and loving it so far. Will try Romance in the House for the plot, and Perfect Family for the cast.

C-dramas
Snow Fall: (10-15) Decided to drop this after 15 because I got emotionally invested, read about the ending, and didn't want to feel depressed. To wrap up, our mature vamp paid visual homage to ALL of the vampire tales that came before, and FL doesn't bat an eye at any of the weirdness, which (hilariously) nonplusses our vamp. He has been falling against his better judgement, and she's already there. ML and FL are both excellent. That reveal in ep. 13 was paced very well, and the events of ep. 15 were an emotional high point. The drama turned into an examination of what it means to be human (along with cartoonish levels of violence and moody emo vibing), which is great until all the consequences + censors lead to the inevitable ending 😅

In other news... Mom finished watching Go Ahead and said "It was just excellent, but very intense emotionally." I think she'd recommend it, but with the caveat that it can cause anxiety. My Sweet Mobster is next!

Live Watches
Miss Night and Day: I hear all the criticism and acknowledge that you are all correct and I still don’t care that much. Apart from the noble idiocy I was reasonably happy with how it wrapped up. I wish that Mi-jin had a different reason to need some distance (“I need to figure this situation out” “I’m trying to focus on studying right now” etc) but at least it was short. I’m also applauding the show for only having a six month time skip at the end - usually dramas are absolutely married to that one year mark and I have no idea why. I liked that they took time to focus on the central relationship of the show - Mi-jin’s relationship with herself - and was glad that they gave it time to breathe.

감사합니다: It seems like we are supposed to think Se-ung killed his hyung (and maybe he did) but I’m interested to see if hyung’s wife ends up being a baddie. Maybe she’s the one who’s been stealing from the company forever? Or murdered her husband? We’ll find out soon!

Is it fate?: I don’t really mind that our leads got together without knowing each other super well. There is mutual attraction and interest, and they have fun when they are together, which is enough for me. I do sort of wish the show would show them talking and getting to know each other more - I’m starting to get uncomfortable whenever they are in the car together. Sickness/disease noble idiocy is my least favorite type, so I was cheering when Mr. Vice Principal told his nephew to keep walking. I was absolutely on Gym Teacher’s Team until the very last interaction and now I really need him to get his words in the right order. I’m still having fun though - it’s nice to have a chill drama once in a while!

Recent Dramas:
Welcome to Samdalri: (4 episodes in) I love the flashbacks of the friend group so much! My heart hurts for Sam-dal and Yong-pil though. The scene at the end of ep 4 when he was practicing asking her out was adorable and I’m going to need them to get back together immediately.

K-action Movie of the Week
Mission: Cross: This is a brand new offering from Netflix and I thought it was super fun! Definitely a Mr and Mrs Smith type story, but cuter. It was fun to watch both sides of the pair circle around the same case, and the eventual team up was just as good as I was hoping! Special shoutout goes to the cop underlings when they acted out what they imagined was being said at the bus stop between the husband and “his girl” - definitely the funniest moment of the whole movie! They should be makjang writers! It’s fun and light and stick around for the Narco Saints reference during the credits!

One Spring Night (13-16): Really loved this, despite some problems and annoyances. As for the problems: the way the show treats Seo-in's sexual assualt. Ever since the pregnancy reveal, the show seemed afraid to actually mention that huge elephant in the room, until they finally mentioned it once, before basically forgetting it again. Seriously, why is it ignored 99% of the time, like the show is afraid to even mention it? Another annoyance is how Jeong-in kept apologizing to Gi-seok, when I don't think that was necessary? Yes, she should've been more proactive, but he should've actually listened when she asked for a break, or break up. Calling it a betrayal is a bit of a stretch. But anyway: I loved the leads, the romance, the sisters, friends and families (except the dad obviously).

Come and Hug Me (20-21): The evil reporter is dead! But the other annoying reporter is back, because we can't have good things. Also, that kiss was bad, I'm sorry. It was also so short that it felt like show just wanted to get it over with (though maybe that was a good thing).

Twenty-Five Twenty-One (1-4): Full disclosure, I know the leads don't end up together, but I decided to watch it because I wanted to have trust that the writer from Search WWW had more to say beyond just a sad ending. And I really like it, and I can definitely sense the writer from Search WWW at work here: it has great (female) characters, interesting stories, great dialogue & humor, and of course a good amount of queerbait! All the elements are there, and so far so good.

Bossam: Steal the Fate (1-4): I avoided this show for a long time, mostly because I saw the kidnapping premise and was like "yeah, nope", but my curiousity finally got the better of me. And… it's worse than I imagined, because I certainly didn't expect the ML to sell the FL off into prostitution. I certainly hope the ML grows over time, because my respect for him is basically non-existent. Despite that, it is good though.

Hot Stove League (1-16): I do love a good sports drama about a sport I know nothing about (all of them), and this was exactly that. It had heart, good stories & characters (though admittedly, I would probably hate the ML in real life). Also, was Se-young the general manager at the end? Because I love that idea.

Alienoid: Return to the Future: Just as crazy, stupid and fun as the first one!

Serendipity's Embrace: I am continuing to love this drama. I am rooting for our OTP, not so much Kyung Tae.

Romance in the House: I really hope this is good, I want a really joyous drama.

The Auditors: If it isn't dramatic until the end, what is even the point, lol

No Way Out: I am tired of dramas about people who are desperate for money, smh.

THE AUDITORS (Ep 9-10) Audit in this show is far afield from official financial examination of the organization’s accounts. It is a corporate cartoon crime fighting unit that has bulldozed through various departments (construction, bidding, subcontracting, HR) to exterminate “rats” (the bad guys.) Maybe it should have been called the Exterminators. I was hoping for more and better use of Seo-Jin in these episodes. The show could have been better centered with Shin and VP sharing more airtime together in designer suits and man buns.

The show’s final approach is a well worn trope of corporate fratricide. The final “audit” is going to be a murder investigation because that is . . . what superhero accountants do.

THE ZONE SEASON 3: The new season with two new cast members seemed to be a walk through even though the execution of the premise was good. The chemistry seemed lacking and their actions weak.

VOLCANO HIGH (2001/MTV dub) A wonderful cast (Jang Hyuk, Shin Min-A, Kim Soo-Ro, Kwon Sang-Woo, Kong Hyo-Jin, Jung Sang-Hoon, Heo Jun-Ho, and Byun Hee-Bong) in a Korean version of a classic 1970s kung fu movie. It has the basic elements of high school angst in a fantasy setting to be a cult film. The dub was funky because in 2004 MTV had to shift programming since the music labels were pulling MVs and demanding royalties. MTV golden age of counter-programming including strange movies and anime series.

Miss Night and Day (Series review) - Mood progression: D+ / D+ / D+ / D / D / D / D / D
Oh hey it’s Yoon Park! I’m looking forward to his next drama even if he’s playing yet another 2nd lead (but I hear he is already married so that’s promising). As for this show, I wished it used the fantasy concept to explore ageism or even the fragility of life, but the writer just went serial killer childhood trauma parent death random romance deus ex machina, yeah.

Love Andante (Episode 1-2) - Mood: D+
It’s nothing tragic but it’s clearly nothing more than a show to pass the time as the Olympics conclude and shows resume. I don’t see anything beyond the awkward cohabitation romance and a few clumsily assembled side plots but who knows, I’m always up to be surprised? But I hope I won’t be disappointed by the usual political drama, even if I can’t help but expect it.

Bad Memory Eraser (Episode 1-2) - Mood: C-
Ok, this is better than I had envisioned it. Yes, there is still an outlandish setup and the drama is already teasing some stuff that’s underwhelming like the little bro being responsible for the accident or the first love being related to the FL (implying it might be true that the FL might be some childhood love for the ML) but it’s kinda fun to watch? And Lee Jong Won!

Serendipity’s Embrace (Episode 5-6) - Mood: D
I mean, how do you expect me to like the show when you toss in such a lousy and lame cliche in the ML’s overbearing mom, whose sole job is to drag out the romance (mind you, the show is ending next week). It’s also telling that they’re rushing the 2ML’s arc because two romance obstacles in the finale would be too much. Is the solution to just toss in two shirtless guys?

LIVE WATCHES:

1. THE AUDITORS - What in the heckin' heck? Are these still auditors? It's still entertaining but logic holes everywhere LOL!

2. SERENDIPITY'S EMBRACE - The romance has finally properly kicked in but 2ML please get your act together before 2FL writes you off.

OTHER ONGOING DRAMAS:

I've paused LACK, BRING IT ON GHOST, and THE CURSED for now as I'm dealing with a huge post-sabbatical pile of work. I've return to them once I'm gotten everything back on track.

OTHER WATCHES:

I've been in a Studio Ghibli re-watch roll this week - they are really good for falling asleep to during bedtime. So I've had the following on while I get ready for bed: HOWL'S MOVING CASTLE, MY NEIGHBOUR TOTORO, WHISPER OF THE HEART, OCEAN WAVES, THE WIND RISES, and ONLY YESTERDAY.

I've also watched 18x2 BEYOND YOUTHFUL DAYS which is a Taiwanese-Japanese romance drama with a Taiwanese ML and Japanese FL. It's very autumnal and is all about lost second chances and treasuring real love when it's right in front of you. It's pretty subdued and poignant.

Overall, I'll be watching fewer dramas now that I'm back at work with priority given to the two live watches which I now watch during lunchtime. Hopefully I'll be able to fit in 1 or 2 more dramas to be watched on Fridays and Saturdays.

Hi Beanies!
I hope you all are having a great weekend.

What I am watching:

_ C-drama You are my secret (16/32). On air on Viki. It keeps being entertaining, the chemistry between the main leads is very good, the ML (Miles Wei) is a huge green flag, the FL (Karlina Zhang) is a flawed but nice and hard working woman, her parents are great, co-workers are interesting enough (their scenes are never annoying)... Recommended if you are looking for an unpretentious and slide-of-life romance.

_ C-drama The Story of Minglan (27/78). I keep watching it but slowly. It's not very bingeable, because some episodes (like 27th ) are very hard.

What I have finished:

_ The Red Sleeve. If only all the show had been like the last two episodes, which were very good... But the whole drama is very inconsistent. It's like three dramas in one, one after the other. It never moved me, but at least the last two episodes were how I thought all the drama would be, and the script improved noticeably.

_ Drama Special KBS 2023 "Love Attack". Cute and simple in a good way. A feel-good watching. A pure, whole rom-com condensed in 63 minutes.

_ Anime Wakako Zake (12 episodes. 2 minutes each). It's very simple. A young woman likes to endulge herself trying foods and drinks everyday after work, in her way home. If you are very interested in Japanese gastronomy, this is a must watch.
There is a live action drama too. The first season (there are seven) was released in 2015. I have watched two episodes (23 minutes each) and it's exactly like the anime, but better (more informative too. All the restaurants are real).

Western shows:

_ The Umbrella Academy Season 4. (1/6).

Live watches

Serendipity’s embrace
I have enjoyed this mini series so I really want it to end well.

Bad memory eraser
This is not going to be a rewatch but it is an ok light watch on a Friday which is usually an empty slot. The Saturday episode is competing with all the other weekend watches.

The Auditors
I hope they tie up the loose ends well a lot has happened but yet not a lot of explanation for the early flashbacks for Chail and his cold demeanour.

Tiger with wings - Japanese
Finally new episodes have been released we are still two weeks behind but hopefully there will be more next week as the two week wait was torture😞

Umi no Hajimari - Japanese
Beautiful drama of a quiet and thoughtful man who finds out that his university girlfriend ended the relationship because she wanted to keep the baby but not burden him. He finds out at her funeral that he is the dad of a 7 year old and we watch him come to terms with this and the implications for his current relationship.

Looking forward to Romance in the house when the first episode is released later today. I am hoping that it is a better fit than Love Adante which I had to drop after the first episode.

Finished UNCLE SAMSIK. It was such a good drama right through to the end! Samsik was such an amazing mastermind and character.

MISS NIGHT AND DAY went out with a whimper, which is often the case with dramas that rely on a fantasy element. Loved Lee Jung-Eun, she is one of my favourite actresses. I think she was wearing very little or even no make up for most of the time to make her character look older.

THE AUDITORS remains breezy and unrealistic and very watchable.

None of the new dramas are tempting for me, so I rewatched DR. CHA and enjoyed it even more now then the live watch. Uhm Jung-hwa and Kim Byung-chul are both excellent and the birthday cake scene is now my new favourite, I could rewatch this alone over and over again.

My Sweet Mobster🦌🏰(16/16): Fifth Bean of 2024!🥳I normally take in whatever I am given like a sponge, but even I noticed the decrease in writing quality in the last quarter. However, I can let it all slide because the cast, Uhm Tae-Goo in particular, ran with whatever the script gave them and performed the heck out of it. As a result, the show never lost its humor or its big heart. This show was my weekly reward and I will subscribe forever.❤️

The Matchmakers🦆🦆(13/16): Lady Park!!!😱 I have myself to blame, I had been wishing and hoping that she would eventually snap, but Yowza!😮Please tell me she won Best Villain in the 2023 Roundup!😏

Life on Mars 🥳ep14-16 The last three episodes just flew by and a lot has happened. Tae Joo went through a lot in these episodes as he try to resolve his present and future realities. All the eventual talk about finding his happiness already made me realize that he will chose that reality. His found family needs him and he can't let them down.

The Auditors🤞 ep9-10 I enjoyed Cha Il and Dae woong's partnership. I too wished they started this sooner. As they say better late than never. Se Woong is looking more suspicious though. I sure hope this drama wraps up the story well next week.

Joy of Life SE ❤️ep11- 18 I am hesitant to talk about the details of the show and the various court intrigues to avoid spoiling it for those who have not seen it yet. I like the continued humor bits here and there amidst the serious topics with the imperial family, officials and the ML and his family. My favorite characters are Fan Xian and his siblings RuoRuo and Sizhe. Song Yi is also styled prettier here than in FYH.

The Princess Royal ❤️ep31-40 I am rooting for PWX and LR. Our fake divorced couple are improving on themselves and their relationship. SRQ is a hypocrite and I tune out whenever he is onscreen. He did get his swan song which I ffwd though since I do not want to see him a second longer. It is enough to know his fate. I liked our lead characters's arc as well as Chuan, Ya and other key players. My heart broke for LR when she found out who killed her in her past life. But I am wiith her when she said that this is a new life and should make better choices to make it the best version they could. Also you must watch the special episode, its light hearted and cute.

Jinny's Kitchen S2 ep6-7 I do not write about this show weekly but I do enjoy it a lot. They are back and in Iceland. Iceland is such a beautiful place. The cast endured in their daily tasks and was finally rewarded by finally seeing the aurora on their fourth day. The episodes are long and the food they make always makes me hungry. I would like to add that Minsi is such a great addition to the group. She is such a talented and amazing intern who is very capable around the kitchen.

Story of Kunning Palace⭐️ ep11 - I will start this soon.

2024 is still a disapointing year for Kdramas... I hope the second helf will be better!

Serendipity's Embrace The characters's actions don't really make sense with their behavior but it's cute.

The Auditors The other auditor is the only character who knows what she's doing and in a professional way. The team should take notes.

The Umbrella Academy S04 It's over. It was kinda sad but I liked how some characters were more active and other ones focused on themselves.

Completed: Connection - best of 2024 so far
Ongoing: Serendipity's Embrace - palate cleanser
Rewatch: The Red Sleeve - ninja court ladies bother me less this time

Bad Memory Eraser: 7.0 Jin Se-Yun is doing much better than I expected. The ML really grates but I think that is more the character than the actor, so things might improve when/if he gets a growth arc. Meanwhile the brother gets lines like "They say amnesia is a common aftereffect of an accident" -- is that the writer apologizing?

Miss Night & Day: 7.5

Serendipity's Embrace: 7.0 Besides KSH, the best thing about this show is that it is a show -- on a day when I don't have any other shows.

Love Andante: 6.0 This is also a show. One that I am likely to drop. Everything else I could say has been said by others in First Impressions.

The Devil Judge!!!!!
I didn't plan on watching, tried it on a whim and from the first ep I can say I've found something really special.
Ji Sung as Judge YoHan is a force to be reconed with. He have a theatrical quality to him that is very hard to pull off, and every moment he's on you can tell exactly why this person reached the status he did.

I also loved looking at the small reactions in the background - Kim GaOn started clapping only a moment after everyone else.

I was in a Kdrama slump for the longest time and I feel I've found my way out of it!

WATCHING

Finally caught up with Is It a Coincidence?. Overall I find it satisfying and the soundtrack is surprisingly good. CJH is wonderful as always. Love the FL's two best friends.

Also tried the first ep of Love Andante, which is low-budget in every way. It doesn't shy away from poking fun at itself with CLOY references, but don't expect deep (or accurate) reflections on North/South relations. It's a drop.

I'm thinking about giving Romance in the House a try tonight. (It's only 12 eps!) The premise is a little different and I'm curious to see how they handle it.

For c-drama I'm enjoying the modern romance You Are My Secret, with its slightly different take on the contract marriage trope. I really like the leads who have cute chemistry. Enjoyable support cast too. A pleasant watch with both romantic and amusing moments.

The big winner this week for me is Love Between Fairy and Devil which I started on a whim. The script is so well-paced and quite funny at times, at least in the first half. The second half delivers some drama dished up in realistic character growth. Wang He Di and Esther Yu are really perfect for their roles. High quality costumes, sets, and CGI. ❤️

Meanwhile I'm patiently-ish waiting for this coming week's releases of Mom's Friend's Son and Hidden Charm. They both have fabulous casts, so I have high expectations for these two dramas 🙃

Finished: c-drama Love Me, Love My Voice, which has beautiful ancient/fusion music and excellent ensemble cast chemistry. This is a gentle and heartwarming story filled with good friendships and great music. Some storylines get a bit repetitive/drawn out, and the FL is sugary sweet. But overall it's an easy on the eyes, ears, and heart experience. Recommended for Tan Jian Ci fans. He has such a pure, soft, deep voice - and we get to hear lots of it in this drama. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QfRAW5vMnlY ("100 Years of Dreams Gone By")

Have a great week beanies! 💕

Summer doldrums for kdramas. So, after noting Dramabeans contributors comments on DREAMING OF A FREAKING FAIRY TALE, I picked up IMITATION (2021). This was my happy watch of the week. An impressive cast, especially the two leads Lee Jun-young and Jung Ji-so, and an impressive production. Episodes 9 & 10 are pretty much perfect. This isn't so much a kdrama as an example of craftsmanship (despite the odd titling). IMITATION is what LOVELY RUNNER would have looked like at 12 episodes instead of 16. So, here's hoping FAIRY TALE will end up on an accessible platform. Any Lee Jun-young recommendations welcome!

I'm up to date on SNOW FALL, but find myself confused and may resort to recaps. Still, it's a baffling wonder of a show -- unexpected, gothic, beautiful, trippy.

Ending my week with AMIDST A SNOWSTORM OF LOVE. Leo Wu is eminently watchable in virtually every drama he's graced, and an actor that will continue to grow and reward the viewer. He's just a big, big talent. Also, bonus points, there's The Duke. Hard to believe this promising young actor Wang Xingyue is only 22 years old (and now I'm prepped for THE DOUBLE).

Finished:
The Forbidden Flower - skipped all the scenes that weren’t the main couple. I still don’t know why they fell for each other when they barely talk at all, but man, their chemistry was on fire. I eventually got past the age gap.

Watching:
Empress Ki (1-14) - All the men can’t help but want Seung Nyang, even the evil older brother. I’m more amused than annoyed by the Empress, and LOVE the wise and savvy Empress Dowager. I’m even intrigued by the politics. I still have a ways to go, but I’m hooked.

Just the Auditors and China's Snowfall. The others are not my cup of tea. I miss Good Partner, though. I am going to start Romance in the House tonight and tomorrow.

Avengers' Social Club: This has a lot of trope-y plot elements (chaebol family drama, school bullying) but it was fun watching a female-centered show about three middle-aged women that didn't focus on romance. Ra Mi-Ran is always awesome, but Lee Yo-Won was unexpectedly hilarious in this.

The Auditors - I liked the steadfastness of the external auditor that was brought in this week. I was thoroughly deceived by Kim Ji-hyun's cutting through laser sharp gaze in the previews for last week's episodes and it made me worried for nothing. I won't be against another Kim Ji-hyun cameo if her character is going to piss Se-woong off one last time.

Seo-jin and VP Dae-woong is goals. I really wished the drama gave some focus off Han-soo and diverted it to both of them instead, individually and together.

The complaints about the job description had me going to Google to verify if perhaps it got lost in definition that auditing can be in-company CSI+Batcave but nope, it is not.

Love Andante - I don't think I'm going to go past episode 1. But, it was very patronizing to the NK counterparts. Comparing the depiction of NK in Curtain Call (my reference point to this), Love Andante was stereotypical.
Language wise, for a North Korean, the FL doesn't know how to speak with the NK inflection. She sounds like the regular SKorean coming to the unification programme. It was very distracting because that was one very minute detail that can be used to recognize their differences but there's no difference here at all. The ML on the other hand is one self-absorbed human who had 3 men lifting a piano that had wheels all because he wanted the perfect position. He could have just wheeled it in🤦🏽🤷🏽.

But, I did find very much to my amusement how they got documented as a couple. That epilogue was the best way to wrap it up.

The North Korean program lead guy is my favorite part of this drama.

I'm looking forward to watching the movie Intimate Strangers (2018). I hear it is packed with a stellar cast all bringing their A-game to one setting, a parlor's dining table.

My Friend's Graduation - I heard about this drama some weeks ago and had it saved on my watchlist almost immediately. I finally dug in and 3 episodes in, I'll say this is a good watch for when you're busy doing some cooking or slightly busy. There's not enough happening here. And, the younger ML is insufferable. I'd like to see how he grows up to walk straight, shoulders high, chin upright, instead of bent inwards, defeated even before conflict.

I'm giving Hyena and Find Me In Your Memory a pause. The short stint of Jeong-hoon with his late girlfriend had my attention in such short little time, with me wanting more and I'm left wondering why it is not working with Ha-jin and I want to see their story less.

And, for a character who as we are told high schooled with his late girlfriend and they did a lot of things together post-that time, Ha-jin is portrayed immaturely. Is it because she's a celebrity? Is that why she is portrayed as a teenage idol who stumbled into fame and doesn't want her fans to lose that innocent character they met in high school? I can't for the life of me exchange that maturity that...

Happy Saturday and Qixi Festival, Beanies!
Me: *on my way to catch up with other dramas *
Certain vampire flick:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/GUSUkerWgAAw4j9?format=jpg&name=large

You've guessed it right – all my plans to watch more of STRANGE TALES OF TANG DYNASTY 2: TO THE WEST etc went into the window, I had no physical, intellectual nor emotional capacity left for it, unfortunately.

THE ART OF SUBTEXT SNOW FALL: If you expect to be let down, c-writers could never disappoint you. In other words, yes, I've finished the drama fully and have A LOT to say about its overall pros, cons and especially controversial conclusion. But since regular VIP run still hasn't ended, that topic will be talked about next week maybe I'll be more calm and objective then. If you need a friendly advice on the matter, it's OK to stop at 23 episodes and completely ignore the 24th one.

What I DO want to talk about is how this show suffered through multiple censorship “fixes” and had to cut completely, replace/redub or tone down many of its crucial elements – like vampirism AND main love story. Not gonna pretend that all this didn't affect the drama negatively, but I find it very interesting how show got around those limitations by resorting to visual clues, subtlety in language and – thankfully for the production – most actors in it being capable enough to deliver through their performance what was hidden between the lines. Like at one point FL is fatally wounded and ML is forced to throw away his “no biting people” principle by turning her – but outright vamp stuff had to be cut! All of it – biting, blood drinking, fangs whatnot. Show's solution to this dilemma? A suggestive shot of their shadows during a bite and slow mo twirl while floating in the air ala classical vampire horrors. Ann Rice would've 100% approved))) Or how OTP dynamic quietly, but obviously changed around the time of FL's transformation: now they wear a lot of color coordinated outfits, exchange LOADED stares, have constant dramatic dialogs about how much they mean to each other in this oh-so-Victorian passionate yet super elusive and restrained style (“by hitting you, she's also hitting me”), get romantic framing for “casual” scenes (embrace under flower arc – does this remind you of anything?), do traditionally reserved for couples only stuff like bowing to ancestors graves together etc. Compare this delicate, careful portrayal of blossoming relationship with 3ML's blatantly overacted dysfunctional obsession with ML he pretty much screams of in public all the time – or equally desperate 2FL's fixation on said 3ML - and things start to look REALLY funny... All the ships in this show except main one need to be burned with fire, they are hopelessly shallow and ridiculous. Don't even let me start about THAT scene, ewww, I haven't been this grossed out in a while.