COMPLETED
Brewing Love - Glad it ended as a warm, healing drama. Min-ju was unexpectedly delightful. But tbh I was mostly watching for the ahjummas - may they have a happy retirement!

Face Me - If we'd gotten more of the vibe that the last 15 minutes had, I'd have been such a happy camper. There was a good police/plastic surgeon procedural hiding in there somewhere.

ONGOING
The Fiery Priest S2 (Ep. 10) - They really resurrected Fire Eel 😂. I'm assuming that was a non-cliffhanger because Hae-il won't die (at least not yet!) but the lead-up to it was good - from the shenanigans on the ship to the ending.

Marry You - Finally actual progress for our OTP. Looking forward to their dating era.

When the Phone Rings - N/A 😔

Love on a Single Log Bridge - Did we all fall into a time slip - back to an era of unbelievably unlikeable SFLs? The worst part is they'll probably give her a redemption arc - ignoring the nearly 2 decades of pain she inflicted on people she calls friends 😤.

C-DRAMAS
Completed See Her Again. The 'past' moments were much more memorable than the present ones. The present scenes really lacked emotional impact. Getting a happy ending was a relief.

Started Under the Skin 2 (up to Ep. 10) - Feels a bit serviceable. I don't think we've had an arc yet which grasped me like S1 did.

Also started Blossom because of the rave reviews. Am 4 episodes in and it's a bit diff from The Double in that the bad things of the past don't seem to be avoided much or at all?

Brewing Love: This drama was the definition of low stakes. It was cute and gave you exactly what you were looking for. Fluff and a little bit of circumstance. It is a good background drama if you understand Korean or a good scrolling through your phone drama. Plus, our leads were cute and no love triangle.

Light Shop: This is an interesting drama because I wasn’t sure I understood the point. It seems to be a horror drama, but it isn’t not really. It is a treatise on grief. I feel like all our comatose patients know that their loved ones are dead or dying, they just can’t bring themselves to see it, so they need a light to show them the way. I’m not sure I understand the lizard eye motif, but there are only 8 episodes, so I guess we find out next week.

When the phone rings: Sir……how can you figure out your wife is mute because of her situation at home, but can’t figure out she is the one talking to you, lol? I need them to start speaking to each other literally and figuratively. It is time, my God give us the sugar for all of this SPICE. Things that make me go hmmmm, if Sa Eon isn’t the son, is it the weirdo kidnapper? Also, I think this is the only time I cheered when an accidental love emoji was sent, everything is so fraught with these two.

The Tale of Lady Ok: So, we have a love triangle with doppelgangers, who will win? It looks like she has to get married regardless, also hopefully that tyrant she called a master doesn’t recognize her, it is too soon. I am sad it is only one episode this week too.

Family Matters: Can’t wait to figure out what the dad can do. This should be good.

Marry You: 💍 (7-8) I've loooved this drama!! It's been so sweet and the conflicts never lasted for long. When he confessed at the end of 8 and we got her reaction, I shrieked!! I'm hoping it ends well tomorrow - they still have time to do the ending I've written! 😂 It's been a true comfort watch these past weeks.

Aside from Marry You, pretty much the only other thing I've watched this week is 19 episodes of Love You Seven Times. This is SO much better than I was expecting; it's a standard xianxia plot, but with a high-stakes element added to the romance. The visuals are great, the OTP has excellent chemistry, and it has Ryan Ding/Ding Yu Xi as the ML. He emotes soooo well and makes everything 10x more romantic. The SML is a trashbag full of deluded persistence and SHE'S JUST NOT THAT INTO YOU, BRO. Needless to say, I'm invested in this drama!

I watched one episode of Blossom, and it was AMAZING - directing (check out the director's other works!!), writing, acting - but will likely end in tears. But I'll watch anyway! This is will be up next after Love You Seven Times. I also started Skeleton Crew (Disney+), which I liked FAR more than expected, because it's essentially steampunk Treasure Island, or live-action Treasure Planet, depending on how you look at it.

Everything else is on pause until I see how Marry You finishes up (e.g., Family By Choice; She Would Never Know) and until I'm less stressed (e.g., Parole Examiner Lee; Cheat On Me If You Can). My next designated "comfort watch" is Brewing Love.

Live Watches
Brewing Love: A sweet end to a sweet drama. Multiple happy couples, lots of learning more about yourself and growth, great conversations, and all conflicts resolved. I liked this drama so much and I think I’ll come back to lots of these scenes when I need to feel its comfort and warmth.

Love Your Enemy: I am entertained by this and that is enough. Maybe we’ll get more of that devastated and devastating pre-kiss look Seok-ji gave Yoon-ji and get more emotional depth from the adult leads soon? In the meantime, our SFL is hilariously terrible - stealing phones because she can’t steal men!

Recent Dramas:
Jeongnyeon: (finished!) This ended up being so great! I could watch those gukgeuk scenes forever and I’m only sorry there weren’t more of them. I do wish Jeongnyeon and Joo-ran could have performed as the male and female lead in a production; I was so sad that was a promise they couldn’t keep. In some ways I would love to know what happened to our characters after this last performance, but in other ways it’s not that crucial because I know they all made it work somehow. The real question is: why on earth is Joo-ran not included in the opening curtain call?

Good Partner: (2 episodes in) I know Han Yuri is going to get better as the show goes on, I do, but I hope it happens quickly. Right now she is so insufferably arrogant and self righteous I had to pause to collect myself. I get that she has a tragic backstory, but I was so relieved when Cha Eun-gyeong made her apologize to that (her own!) client in the second episode. This is only my second Jang Nara drama but I’m loving her in this role. CEG can come off as ruthless, but she’s so incredibly practical and that’s exactly who I’d want on my team if I had to go through an experience as painful as that.

Brewing Love (Series review) - Mood progression: D+ / D+ / D+ / D / D / D
A forced conflict leading into a breakup but then suddenly all is great yet bad news crashes upon the story and the ML has a superpower that allows him to talk down the villain who suddenly gets a backstory: it’s a narrative development that’s so classically horrible? And there’s not much to talk about the predictably happy ending: the romances didn’t really catch me.

The Tale of Lady Ok (Episode 3) - Mood: C-
Well, it wasn’t a fantasy show so the only natural explanation for the doppelgängers was separated twins and birth secrets (sadly) as mentioned by the comparatively more stoic officer. I wasn’t too thrilled by the royal decree plot device: the show does not need a love triangle, though luckily it seems like the officer won’t be overstepping. So far, the show is staying put.

Love Your Enemy (Episode 5-6) - Mood: D
I was just holding out the tiniest bit of hope that the 2ML was going to keep his feelings buried because it’s obvious he’s no chance and he knows it, but did we expect anything else from this writer? Of course, the ML forgets sexually assaulting the FL and conveniently remembers it during the cliffhanger. Obvious villains and uninteresting side plots aside, it’s just a joke?

Family Matters (1-4): Weird, twisted, messed up, and absolutely delightful. This might just be one of the best surprises of the last few months. This family is so chaotic & funny, and I love each and every one of them.

Face Me (11-12): The Jung-woo that smiles and shows emotion is a surprisingly direct person. Like, what do you mean he just straight up asked Min-hyung if she was interested in him? These last 2 episodes were largely predictable, but I'd be lying if I said that I didn't find them exciting, especially episode 11. I liked how episode 12 was mostly focused on the healing aspect, and the hopeful futures that each of our characters are facing, and I also liked how they brought back some formers victims for this. The romantic turn at the end might seem sudden for some, but I liked it, and I think it's a logical next step in Jung-woo's arc. While I don't think this show was anything particularly great, I think it was thoroughly entertaining, and I very much enjoyed it.

Light Shop (3-6): Well, that was depressing. Episodes 5 & 6 were my favorite so far, as I actually felt for these characters and their stories. In retrospect, however, did it really need to take half a season for the show to get to the reveal that quite frankly wasn't that surprising to begin with? Or maybe it's because I've seen a certain Japanese drama that made me figure out exactly what was going on the second the words "will to live" were uttered. It's not that the first 4 episodes were bad, but I didn't particularly connect with them either. When literally everything, including the characters, is a mystery, why should I care about them when I know nothing about them?

The Tale of Lady Ok (3): Funny how the FL has the capability to somehow make every attractive guy she meets more open minded in a manner of seconds. Does this work in real life too?

Summer Strike (8-10): I could write a 2-hour essay about how the people in this town are annoying, but I could also write a 2-hour essay about how all of their actions actually make a lot of sense. I think the show is particularly good at this "human" aspect. Yeah, these people aren't the most likeable, and that's exactly why it feels so real. Oh, also, why don't Korean dramas have more rain kisses? Give me more rain kisses!

The Tale of Lady Ok: 8.0
- Waiting for her identity to be challenged so I can say "It's Okay to Not Be Ok"
- S. Korea is going to need a legal wiz like her to handle certain prosecutions and impeachments.

Marry You: 6.0

Parole Examiner Lee: 7.0 That lady is going to give loan sharks a good name...

Face Me: 6.5 I thought the performances were ok-ish, except that Han Ji-hyun was a bit too cheerful and upbeat for a detective in the early episodes. But in ep 11 the character's actions & motivations were a bit too contorted even by kdrama standards.

Family Matters: 9.0

When The Phone Rings: 8.0

Fiery Priest s2: 6.5

Silly me. I couldn't really respond to the "Keep Your Bean" post because I didn't keep notes on the many shows I dropped. I'll do better next year, so I hope they keep that year-end feature.

MARRY YOU (Ep 7-8) Episode 7 was all about making and keeping promises with a side dish of the meaning of family. Clearly, Bong cares more about his niece and nephew than his divorced brother does (which again begs the question where is their mother?) I wish Bong would take his brother by the collar, drag him back to the island, and make him work on a fishing boat to “man-up” for his children. In-A tries to paint herself not as a villain (she kinda was) because her life is now going toward an endless quagmire of parental blind dates (sympathy meter barely moves). Again, the Twins are the fluffy cream inside a Korean milk bun with their “Cupid” play. It seems everyone knows about the love connection except the OTP.

Episode 8 centers around Hana’s extremely logical approach towards couple relationships ending in marriage. We see her try to navigate between the twisted paths of similar interests, opposite interests, relatability, empathy, emotional compatibility and maybe a little infatuation dream or two. The mayor doubled down on what I said weeks ago that maybe Hana is not good at marriage matchmaking because she is bad in relationships. The cliche excuse of Hana having to recreate her own wedding planning with proxy Bong was the match that finally lit their eventual, but awkward, smooch. They are both too nice, wavering between a natural syrupy sugar and an artificial sweetener, to be as boring as the “busy” couple. There needs to be some real personal conflict to show they are compatible with each other.

SORRY NOT SORRY (Ep 1-2) JSM has a history of leading a show and doing comedy well. The first episode was packed with information and humor as she plays a crushed divorcee with massive debts, a nutty sister and cute Korean-American nephew living in a vicious upper class social circle. The English kindergarten reminds me of the HIGH CLASS premise, with nosy and judgmental mothers, but SORRY has a more pathetic vibe to it. Episode 2 confirms that observation with the mother group having their own secrets. Song-Yi’s ghosting of Ha-Na was because she was a “condescending” friend. Song-Yi calls the neighborhood weird after her confession of white lies and mother group gossip to Ha-Na, her re-befriended friend. Ha-Na learns to rely on others, which in the long run, means Song-Yi with her twins.

MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO (theater): A special fan showing of the classic Miyazaki movie never disappoints on the big screen. You can see the brush strokes in the hand painted backgrounds. The fantasy story line is in perfect harmony with the slice of life story. There were two Japanese families in the theater with me, with one small child reacting out loud to all of preschooler Mei’s actions on the screen.

JOY, A PODCAST (YouTube) Hosted by former late night talker Craig Ferguson, it is a the lost art of conversation show that embraces science, philosophy, experience and life’s comedic moments; a modern version of the Algonquin Table. I saw the...

Happy Saturday, Beanies! After being late yesterday I'm very early today. Codec update this morning messed up with my settings and now I cannot unfold long comments or like anything, ouch, so don't think I'm ignoring anyone, I am not(((

SEE HER AGAIN: Just a few episodes more and I'll be done, yay! Sadly, plot does NOT get any better as drama progresses – unwise narrative choices I talked about previously only escalated, adding even more stupid stuff and doubling down on elements utterly foreign to the OG plot (more gangs conspiracy?! oh well, cultural differences again, I guess...). Which isn't 100% detrimental to the drama, thankfully, but sometimes comes pretty close. And entertaining psycho guy isn't there anymore to make things more lively, so here's that. Look forward for it to be over soon.

LIGHT SHOP: Watched 2 episodes and was left with nothing but questions, most important being “When will all this start making at least some sense?”. Searched further and apparently the answer is “from episodes 5-6 onwards”. Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't the ENTIRE show have 8 episodes only? And now you're telling me I need to sit through 4 more hours, aka ¾ of the whole thing, just to get A BIT of understanding wtf is going on here? Eh... sorry, I'm afraid even I am not THAT cultured for this kind of “creative” pacing. Sure, visuals are stunning, atmosphere eerie, performances solid but... there is NO story. At least for way too long to make it worthwhile for an audience. I believe (perhaps wrongly) that I do not belong to the Tik-Tok level attention span crowd, but this is ridiculous, I felt like a lab rat being experimented on by a mad drama-maker over “how long one can last watching a creepy, puzzling nonsense until their patience runs out?”. Sorry again, JJH, it truly doesn't work for me and you this year(((

BLOSSOM: A miracle – 2024 cdrama with PLOT! Rather standard, tropey, nothing groundbreaking really kind of plot, but there IS one! And it makes sense so far, at little to no points you feel like writing is purposefully insulting viewers intelligence – can you believe it? Me neither, but perhaps?.. Better stay skeptical for now, I know, I know. Otherwise – still nice in all aspects, not VERY gripping subjectively (I'm not losing my sleep over it, sadly – I'd love to, really!), but more than good enough. Also it's been a while since main OTP romance in the drama was developed so gradually and wisely, so bonus points for that. Let's see if the second half will hold up as well.

When the phone rings - The wait has been miserable. Loved ep 5 too. Watching Paik Sa Eon losing his composure is so much fun.

Trunk - finished it this week. Enjoyed it. The performances of the leads and the visuals was incredible. Gong Yoo was just fabulous as the broken fragile man. His entire being was acting. It was a joy to watch him.

Brewing Love: Well it was a decent romcom. nothing irked me and at times boring with extended workplace issues. But a very pretty show. An easy watch with likeable leads. No unnecessary angst and no love triangle.

Face Me: we all knew from ep 1 who the killer was. Just waiting to finish to find out ‘why’?

Light Shop - ep 3. No time this week.

Iron family: on hold. Will catch up next week.

Current watches

Marry YOU
I really like this drama again the second female lead and second male lead are behaving in ways that are just unacceptable from adults both competent individuals in work settings losing it in persaonal life. The second female lead is just so unbelievable how is she so affected by her feelings when she barely knows the man?

Love your enemy
Its an OK watch I know it is funny but still not laugh out loud moments sweet to see how much the male was consistently there in the past not sure why any grown adult woman would agree to date someone even if it was a bet who cares. The second female lead is just annoyingly immature when she was a teen it was understandable that she would limited skills for managing her jealous but now….It’s just not acceptable. I loved how they addressed the issue of touching someone else’s phone to delete evidence in Love next door.

J drama corner
After school doctor
For some reason subtitles took forever to be uploaded on this one. Enjoying seeing the story unfold with the doctor and teacher both learning more about themselves whilst working in the school context. As per usual teachers and doctors in dramas seem to be doing the work of social workers.

Talentless Takano
Very silly drama. I am still trying to work out if she is an undercover plant to see how companies work or someone who gets away with being rubbish because her aura distracts people until they finally realise her limitations. I am leaning towards her being inadequate because of the change of companies.

My Housekeeper Nagisa -san
The competent in work incompetent at home theme showcased yet again but this time the man to the rescue if the ‘old man’ who wanted to be a mother when he grew up. Wondering where this will go.

Recommendation
Good to see the amazing sad but so beautiful J drama Where does the sea begin being promoted on Viki. This is one of my favourite dramas for 2024 and I am hopeful Viki will continue to showcase quality J dramas.

On hold
Beyond Goodbye - J drama
Started this one but put on hold as I need to be in the mood to watch.

Finished
Brewing Love
Lovely little drama really enjoyed low angst sweet couple calming to watch in the midst of busyness

Social class 101 - webdrama
Ok youth drama.

Later, I laughed - Chinese
I enjoyed this one but can’t believe it decided to bring out the elements I hate so close to the end when I had got complacent and thought it was going to be my go to Chinese drama for 2024. Other than that slight random deviation from the finding oneself key theme it was a solid watch.

Book corner
Songbirds - Christy Lefteri
Darker theme than I expected but I love this author’s The Beekeeper of Aleppo so started reading and don’t want to abandon it without knowing how it ends. Focussing on the stories of the hidden women who leave their families to work as low paid housekeepers and nannies but sometimes become enslaved as sex workers in Cyprus...

LIVE WATCHES:

1. LOVE YOUR ENEMY - And so the dating era for adult ML and FL has begun! Seriously, they just need to get on with it and also kick the FL's two-faced frenemy out of their lives forever.

2. MARRY YOU - I'm glad ML decided to not date In-Ah at all. He is soooo cute when he realised he really likes the FL.

3. LIGHT SHOP - The most recent episodes fill in a lot of the back-story for the various characters who are either dead or in a coma. And we got to see the light shop owner's eyes (creepy!). I'm just wondering how they are going to wrap it all up with just two more episodes to go.

COMPLETED

1. BREWING LOVE - This was a nice little fluffy romance with no serial killer storyline. I stan "romance with no serial killer" dramas for sure!

Iron Family
It still has humour (the whole street gathering for the family drama) and great moments (Mom's lipstick scene), on the other hand, it also feels somehow stagnant (where is Kangju's and Charim's and Taewoong's career advancement? Not even mentioning their romances.)... and with only 14 episodes left it makes me a bit worried. Nevertheless, I'm still enjoying it a lot.

Face Me
I got the bean.... not sure it was worth it (and if it was worth the talents of the actors). The bridge in the final scene was nice though. 😁

Phone Messages 😍
Still so good. Saeon making effort, because of his wifey. 🙂 (Though he now knows???)
Also, Marital Advisor Im Chulsoo is a scene stealer and I'm now looking forward to his scenes with Yoo Yeonseok as much as to the ones with the main couple. 🙂

Cinderella Game
My new makjang crack. ☺️

C-DRAMAS: BLOSSOM -I have a soft spot for Director Zeng Qing Jie. I've enjoyed some of his short dramas, such as "A Familiar Stranger," where I first saw Cheng Lei, "Provoke," and "Butterfly Lover. " His directing style in BLOSSOM reminds me of those three dramas.

Something Old to get me through winter- EMPRESSES IN THE PALACE rewatch. I loved this show back then, and I love it more now. It's been a real treat, given the lack of well-made epic old-school historical dramas and sageuks.

KDRAMAS: LADY, OK, is ok. I'm probably falling out of love with K-dramas these days. Nothing seems to stick.

DISNEY +: We are enjoying SKELETON CREW as a family. It's hard not to cheat and watch early. LOL

BOOKS: Brandon Sanderson's WIND and TRUTH was released last Wednesday, and my whole family is excited about it. Santa is getting me a copy for Christmas, so I can't wait to read it.

WATCHING
When the Phone Rings 5/12
This continues to be entertaining, although I suspect the mystery isn't going to be that surprising at the end of the day. Still, it's hard to deny the leads' chemistry and the excitement of wondering what will happen when the FL finally talks to the ML. I'm intrigued by how this has taken off like a house a-fire, much like Lovely Runner, so I've been pondering what it is about these two dramas that has such universal appeal. There's a vicarious thrill in watching two characters you know will be together in the end keep missing opportunities to reveal what you as the viewer already know about each of them. Perhaps these 2 dramas are so popular because the story and the direction work this thrill angle to the max.

FINISHED
My Secret Romance 2017
A classic, super cute, and fluffy (sometimes spicy!) romantic comedy (a real one!) that is better than most thanks to some hilarious dialogue, on-point direction, and great comedic acting, particularly from Sung Hoon. I laughed long and loud right up to the very end. Despite being a lower-budget production, and going 2 episodes too long, the attention to detail overall is notable. Don't miss the epilogues! (And the bloopers at the end of the final episode.) Bonus: the soundtrack!

My Journey to You 2023 c-drama
This dark and intense fantasy thriller is tightly constructed and gorgeously produced. Perfect for these December days as nearly every scene is filmed in low light or under misty skies. The story and characters are deeply layered, the many talented actors perfect for their roles, the direction is nuanced, and the cinematography flawless. One of things I find most exciting about the wuxia genre is the choreographed fight scenes where men, women, and children can be equal combatants. The flying acrobatics are jaw dropping at times and this drama is no exception. The beautiful soundtrack is icing on the cake. I did find the resolution of the main mystery to be too expository, and I would have liked a clearer ending. But overall, this was one of my favorite dramas this year. It really was a mood. Thank you @hopefulromantic for another amazing recommendation! 🤗 (Vibe check: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJEYro-6Q44&ab_channel=iQIYIRomance-GettheiQIYIAP)

Have a great week beanies!

Hi Beanies! 🎄🎇

What I am watching:

_ Marry You (8 out of 10). This show has done some things very well. I like the different reflections on relationships, couples, families and marriage.
But unfortunately, the whole show is very uneven. I hope we get a good ending. The main couple is adorable and the children too.

_ The Tale of Lady Ok (3 out of 16). I'm enjoying this a lot. By large, the best drama I'm watching on air.

_ When the phone rings (5 out of 12). Well... I keep watching it and having a good time reading other people reactions.

What I have finished:

_ Jugglers (2018). Such a nice rom-com! I loved the main couple and how strong their relationship was. No noble idiocy, no doubts, no triangle...
The drama had some funny secondary characters too (several co-workers). There are tropes, but I think they are well done. A perfect drama to watch these days because the entire story takes place between Christmas and the first days of the new year.

_ C-drama Later, I laughed. I didn't liked it as much as I thought I would when the drama started (the central episodes were a little boring and I never found the monologues funny), but it has a very good ending and one of the characters grew a lot on me.

What I'm starting:

_ C-drama Sword Snow Stride. Because I miss Zhang Ruo Yun and because this drama is written by the screenwriter of Joy of Life (that should be a guarantee of quality).

Mr. Plankton was like I'm Sorry I Love You on steroids and I loved it. Now I am catching up with Iron Family and When The Phone Rings.

Parole Examiner Lee. I'm in love with Baek Ji Won and her Hwa- rang (even if she is manipulated by our very smart Han-shin. The drama is predictable but I'm enjoying it.

The trunk. I binged it last week. I liked it and the acting was superb, although it's just a big McGuffin filled with McGuffins. GY and SHJ were great, as it they always are.

Love your enemy. I'm just holding because JJH and the younger versions of the leads, because I just want to kick the heads of all the other characters. FL is ok but JYM is doing her a little favour with her acting and her once face expression.

The light shop. I was about to drop because I hate horror movies and dramas, but after episode 4 I realised this is not exactly that. And also JJH.

Face me. They had to do it and make LYK the badie. Booooooooooooooooooooo. Why did I finish this drama no one knows. Don't be like me and drop.

The Fiery priest. I hadn't watched S1 and I loved it to bit. Laughed so hard. And there is also KNG and his hair.

When the phone rings. I know I shouldn't be loving ML so much, because, let's face it, he's is toxic: he has never spoken to her wife in 3 years although he has been caring for her for years, and protecting her in that toxic romantic way in which ML in Kdramas act because they know better than dumb candy FL. But I'm mesmerised by this hot version of YYS. I confess: I AM WEAK.

When the Phone Rings: Stop playing with me show!
The emoji though 🤭🤭🤭🤭.
Sorry to be a realist here but I thought Sae-on was on the phone with I-na in episode 2 or 3 where he decided to go for Hee-joo in her absence. So how is it that I-na is deaf? Who had that conversation with Sae-on?

Iron Family: Can we get to the stew of the drama please.
Mi-yeon shooting lasers at Bom Appa though. I loved her for it 🙃. Sucker punched Bom halmoni😂.
I always felt Bong-hee will be endgame with Seong-don with the way things went the episode he ate at her laundromat. I also reasoned that for that to happen in peace and we won't have a Its Beautiful Now situation repeat, Airhead Mom and Ji will not be together at the end of it all.

Love Your Enemy episode 3-3⅓: I have gotten to the lilac bloom bet.

The highlight for me was school nurse considerably rejecting Ji-won's drunk blurt out request. What I don't seem to fathom is the rejected way Ji-won is acting. Would she have felt better if he acquiesced to her drunken statement? A statement she clearly beats herself for saying and want to take back. Besides, he said an affirmative no in the most respectful way possible of both himself and her person. I don't know why she's acting like a child denied sweets she doesn't want in the first place but asked for on impulse. I'm assuming she has never been told no before or never lost hence wasn't pleased with the no despite her not wanting him to say no.
The man has eyes for our other female lead which I'm most definitely game for. Now that is a romance I'm eager to see build up until our leads decide to stop their quibbling.
In the meantime... SFL, you're not a friend.

Been two weeks since I've posted!

Fiery Priest 2 (up to ep 9) I feel like this drama is using up all the jokes the writer has been storing from the last 5 years or something. I love how it leans into the absurd, but the balance has been a bit off. Though I did love how the puppet police chief installed a literal puppet to take over the case. It was both too much and too awesome! And I low-key want the lackey who has been insisting that Gu Dae-young was Gu Dae-young to be vindicated.

Love Your Enemy (up to ep 3). And I give up. Just not vibing with it. I feel like we barely got to see the leads and it looks like the tropey evil 2FL will be causing trouble again. Maybe the leads were looking to act in an old-school rom-com kdrama before such opportunities aren't available anymore, while I was expecting a more refreshing take on the trope.

Youngblood (cdrama. Finished!) It was pretty solid from middle to the end. I wish it didn't end in a cliffhanger. I know season 2 is out, but feel a little less inclined to pick it up since they had to recast one of the characters.

Blossom (cdrama, up to ep 11) I love it. I was not feeling the first 15 minutes, but once the heroine floats back up as time turned back, I got goosebumps and I was on board. This feels like "The Double" with a pinch of "Story of Minglan". I feel like the writing, acting, directing, visuals, and chemistry has been great so far. My only complaint is that it's a little too fast-paced sometimes. Anyways I like how while the ML is great at general-ing, he's still got a ways to go at politics and that's where the coolheaded FL can be a good guide.

Looking forward to my holiday break in 10 days when I can finish up all the dramas that I've been part-way through and really want to finish!

Iron Family: Bong Hui, we get it, you're salty those two got to be with your crush or wtv, but that's no way of talking of fellow women. I'm only gonna let it slide because hearing you bragging about washing a grown ass man's underwear was high-key sad.

Da Rim, I wanna give you a million hugs. 🥺
Light Shop (EP3): I don't have one reason to play next, but I don't have any reason to drop it either. LOL
Family Matters: I loved everything about this episode. Starting with its title "Samaritan's tears".
I'm sad this is such a short drama, but I'm not really worried, since they seem to be using everything wisely and keeping a grate balance.
It was nice to learn more about mom, dad and their relationship. And it was nice to learn what's behind mom's abilities.
I'm also loving the progression of the omma-tal relationship. And that ending... LMAO I love this show.
When the Phone Rings: I don't get the logic.
Sa On looks plain stupid not realizing everything on his own at the beginning of the episode. Even if they want to play it like him being in denial it doesn't add up, imo. And the whole thing with the sister in those flashbacks... I'll wait until they try to explain it. It could be a TW situation, I guess.

I liked that everyone seemed happy for Hui Joo. She does have good people around her. If her hubby stops crashing her dates with friends maybe she'll get an even bigger circle...
Lady Ok: this one is competing with Iron Family as my favorite show on air. It's just so much fun, and our Tae Young is so charismatic as a main character. I'm excited for her journey and I can't wait to see her two twin husbands meet. LMAO
Sorry Not Sorry: awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww.
This is adorable.
Cinderella's Game (dropped): the childhood flashbacks were great companions while I was cooking my dinner, but the second they grew up I couldn't even use the show as background noise.

BONUS
Como Agua Para Chocolate (dropped): my friend made me watch it (so I could rant about how bad of an adaptation it is with her) but I dropped it in episode 3. I watched the 1991's film tho.

Bad Monkey (dropped). uri oppa and I wasted a whole hour of our lives because I told him the poster said it all (as in "bad") and he didn't trust me. But thanks to that, I got to make him watch a few episodes of Interview with the Vampire.

I also started The Days of the Jackal (EP4?) or wtv the name is, and I like it. It's very cliche but in a good way.

Light Shop: Aah so all the characters are either dead or in between life and death. The stories this week were sad. Need more explanations of why they are going through their current situations, will read through the recap.

Work Later, Drink Now: This show didn't get off to a good start, to the point, I was considering dropping after the first 2 episodes, but got stronger thereafter. These girls are amazing friends. They match each others freak and don't care about anyone else. Their bartender friend is so nice too. About the finale- I think Ji-goo will be the one who fulfills her Christmas wish, but I really hope its Ji-yeon! :P A bit tropey, cause troubles always strikes all 3 at the same time, but a light breezy watch on weekdays after work. Onto S2 next week, and glad to have their recaps here on DB.

Brewing Love I found this drama quite bland. The characters were nice, the plot made sense but nothing was exciting.

Face Me Another drama that was meh.

Sorry Not Sorry I was happy to see the friends reconnecting.

Marry YOU It's more like a webdrama. The stalker didn't really make sense...

The Tale of Lady Ok Curious to see more her as a lawyer.

When the Phone Rings I love to watch this couple!

Love Your Enemy it's too hard to act as adult? What is the point to get 40 years old actors if we can't get a mature relationship...

Light Shop I wants to know more about the shop and its owner.

Rented in Finland We can see that Kwak Dong-yeon lived alone since he's 15 years old.

Currently Watching
When the Phone Rings I liked the first few episodes with its mix of suspense, tension, comedy and chemistry between the leads. Then Episode 5 happened and dampened some of the charm. Either Paik Sa Eon is the stupidest smart person or the smartest dumb person because he couldn’t figure out that 406 was Hee Joo when he was on the phone with 406 (whom he quickly found out after was at the same hotel as him), he found his “mute” wife with a phone up to ear as to be talking not reading/texting. Maybe he has selective blindness when it comes to Hee Joo. To quote Paul Simon, “a man hears what he wants to hear and disregards the rest.” Also, nothing is less romantic or sexy to me than a fall on a hard marble floor and accidentally mash lips (and probably teeth)—it would have been better to have them stuck in close proximity than to have the wide-eyed mouth mash. A lot of cliches came out this week making it a little more high school (indeed, the high school scenes appeared). Their past connection as shown this week makes Sa Eon’s treatment of Hee Joo in the previous 3 years of their marriage more problematic and inconsistent, but alas, the slow drip of episodes due to preemption by important events makes the show almost tsundere-like and remote—absence may be making the heart grow fonder for the show.

Iron Family. My current favorite watch. The money plot has turned out to be one of cleverest devices in recent dramas—a welcome change from serial killers or evil mothers. It has created such moral dilemmas for so many of the characters—none of whom are completely in the right or completely in the wrong. Sure, it may be keeping the main couple apart, but it is also now bringing them together in their realization that the other may have similar values in trying to do the rightest thing for the most amount of people while protecting their loved ones. The acting by Kim Jung Hyun has been extraordinary in this drama—his comedic timing to his heartache and longing. Let’s hope that the writers can keep this drama on track—if so, it may be the unexpected gift I needed during this so-so drama year.

Looking forward to
Breeze by the Sea With Chen Bolin and Puff Guo, this Taiwanese drama looks promising.

Whoever put the cover photo to this week's WWW is an absolutely adorable person! They get it! 😍❤️

(Also, everyone who watches When The Phone Rings, we do have our hearts and heart-eyes flying around our heads. We get it, we get it.)

I have been so busy with the 2024 Roundup that I have not prepared the "What I'm watching" as I usually do.
But ehm ...
Ended Brewing Love. Nice, okay. sweet.
Watching Iron Family and having a hard time waiting for next episodes. Want to binge.
Watching Parole Examiner Lee and enjoying it. Especially the comical talent of Baek Ji-won.
Have started watching Seoul Busters ... I am laughing, enjoying it, and strangely bored at the same time ... I don't know what will win.

Right out of the box, my happy watch of the week goes to cdrama BLOSSOM and ML, Li Yun Rui. First, in BLOSSOM he's utterly different from the annoying (and lovesick) gossipy top scholar Yuan Shen in LOVE LIKE THE GALAXY (standout performance). Second, because he flat out tells FL Meng Zi Yi that she is the "most sophisticated woman I've ever met," and says it wistfully. This cdrama has propulsion. I am so happy!

While working on my 2024 Top Ten watch list (both kdrama and cdrama -- next week), I'm building up a library of 5-episode IQIYI watches (until you hit the free limit) while I drag my feet for an end-of-year subscription sale. Barely made it through 5 episodes of yummy ETERNAL BROTHERHOOD without folding. Now captivated by THE STORY OF KUNNING PALACE. Holy Moly. Historical cdrama with time travel and schizophrenia thrown in? Zhang Ling He, wow he's manic as all get out.

Still very much enjoying jdrama JIN on Netflix. Rewatching A DREAM OF SPLENDOR, one of my top dramas of the year. And, like Isa, and others, am very much missing Fan Xian and the wonderful storytelling of JOY OF LIFE.

As a family we are slowly watching JEONGNYEON A STAR IS BORN. It is great. Once we are done I will probably trade in my Hulu subscription for another temporary Disney+ subscription to catch shows like skeleton crew.

Another week when life and work severely cut into my drama watching, although because of its short episode lengths I was able to squeeze in all available episodes of the new Daily CINDERELLA GAME that had been posted to Viki (a half hour here, a half hour there…). Great news: Han Groo is back and is the FL. Less great news- this one tends a bit towards makjang which does not play to her strengths. That being said it has some very intricate and intriguing relationships, both known and, as yet, in some cases still secret.

I did manage to squeeze in the first episode of SORRY NOT SORRY and mostly liked it except for the surreal consultation with the divorce attorney which was dramatically awful. But only one episode per week?

I am now well behind on just about everything else.

My wife finished the Japanese Costume drama JIN. She has nothing but the very highest praise for it- it was very well done indeed. It has always astonished me that the quality of the Japanese live programming that we get on Viki tends to be largely subpar- even though Rakuten, which owns Viki, is actually a major Japanese company. And in fact, she did not watch JIN on Viki but rather on Netflix, who probably regrets not picking up this gem sooner.

My wife loves mysteries and Chinese Costume dramas and is doubly happy when she gets both in a single package- and that has been the case with DAWN AMIDST HIDDEN CLOUDS. And, even though she would never call it one of the best Chinese Costume dramas, in the end she actually enjoyed THE STORY OF PEARL GIRL which had many elements that catered to her specific tastes. It is possible to enjoy even flawed shows.

She just started the Chinese Costume drama BLOSSOM, which is highly rated, but so far, she is not far enough into it to say more than that it seems promising. She has also been watching BROCADE ODYSSEY but does not seem nearly as excited about it yet she continues to watch it.

Our Weekender IRON FAMILY has hit that middle stretch where things appear to be at their nadir- and they are. However, as last weekend’s episodes ended our two leads now have a need to work with and trust each other- and so we finally have a solid beginning to build a romance: It helps that our ML was truly seeing our FL’s pain at the end. Also, our 2ML has actually (at least temporarily) moved in with his newly found bio-dad and his birth mom is dead and she cannot interfere anymore- so that is another relationship which can be built from here. What is most interesting about that is that he will see how his own rigidity and biases are reflected in his dad- and perhaps start to have a more charitable, flexible and tolerant view of the 2FL as a result- she for one is absolutely in his corner (whether he likes it or not). What the writer seems to have done is start the second half as if those episodes are the beginning of a standard sixteen-episode romcom, but with our knowledge of the characters having been informed by the first half. Will the final fourteen episodes be sufficient for all of the relationships? I think that it is actually quite possible and in large part because of what occurred last weekend. While it looks like no progress has been laid, I think that in fact a lot of groundwork has been laid for all of those stories to unfold.