COMPLETED
When the Phone Rings - LOL 😂

ONGOING
Who is She? - Only 4 episodes left and we haven't progressed much on most of the major plot points. My biggest problem is that Kkeut-soon/Emily is much more likeable than our FL.

Check-in Hanyang - More interesting in the school shenanigans than in the palace politics. I'm worried they'll fridge the sick prince as some sort of character growth for our ML.

Namib - I was so happy when they protected Jin-woo even after finding out who filmed the video. Watching Jin-woo come to life is lovely.

STARTED
Love Scout - Slightly more serious than I expected in its tone but I liked it. Lee Jun-hyuk finally getting his ML dues is nice.

When the Stars Gossip - Liked this one even more! The plot is frankly rather insane (the ice-cream 😭) but it's working. So far.

C-DRAMAS
Breeze by the Sea (T-drama, up to Ep. 8) - The story behind the break-up made me so mad at the Village Chief. I don't like where we ended the week but the not-quite-a-confession on the beach was really sweet.

Still watching Guardians of the Dafeng (up to Ep. 26) - The mythology for this is a bit too dense and some emotional beats don't really land. I like Shen Shu though - the character and the actor.

Still watching We Are Criminal Police (up to Ep. 11) and enjoying the in-depth story arcs.

Started Moonlight Mystique and it's the standard xianxia routine. Might have dropped it if not for Bai Lu.

Started Flourished Peony. This was way better but got quite serious in Ep. 3. I'm ready for her to throw off the useless husband and get cracking.

Live Watches
When the Phone Rings: What a ride. This drama was a hilarious amount of fun, and I’m glad to have seen it with all of you. The last episode went off the rails in a big big way, but what a fun drama to share on the fanwall before we put it to rest.

Older Dramas:
No Gain No Love: (10 episodes in) I’m liking this a lot, but not soaring to the heights of the Beanie hype, which I’m actually a little glad of. I’m headed into the home stretch and hoping we get some decent resolutions. I’m more on board with the second couple than I was expecting to be, but I do wish Sajangnim would grow a bit of a backbone and stand up to his terrible parents.

Gyeongseong Creature 2: (3 episodes in) Ooh, I like what they’re doing so far. It’s cool to me that season 1 was absolutely a monster drama, but they wouldn’t have been able to shift that into a modern setting as well, so the monster has morphed into a corporation. It’s really just a different vehicle for hubris, and so far I think it’s working. Plus the action sequences are cool.

Current watches

Who is she
Still loving this drama.

Namib
Still struggling with the lack of real support for the traumatised boy. Anyone else getting My Lovely liar vibes from the vengeful brother going all out on the wrong people?

Love scout
I am enjoying this one.

When the stars gossip
What an unexpected joy this has been, I am really hoping it does not let me down as we get further into the story. This has brought back some of the ‘only in K-dramaland’ joy of dramas like Shooting Stars (SS), Twinkling Watermelon, The Matchmakers (TM) and No gain no love (NGNL). This is not as consistently laugh out loud funny as SS and NGNL or as visually beautiful as TM but it is a fun watch.

Motel California
Just started this one so will see how I feel after episode two but so far seems like one I will enjoy.

Aoshima-kun is a bully - J drama
Continues to be a no stress watch.

Book corner
Thank you, thank you, thank you to the beanie who recommended the Digital library of Korean literature. Their list of translated books has opened my access to the lesser known seminal works that have shaped the modern Korean books which are readily available. I have been surprised by the number of older works I have found available in Audible’s vast library of international offerings.

My latest find: East goes west - Younghill Kang
I have just listened to the foreword and already I am looking forward to the next 16 hours.

Finished: She who became the sun - Shelley Parker-Chan
If I had known this was part of a series I would not have started it. It was not as good as The Poppy war and had random sex scenes which did not add anything to the story of rage and the quest for power. I finished it because it was a free listen on Spotify but don’t care enough about the characters to listen to the next instalment.

Motel California (1): I don't know what I was expecting, but I certainly wasn't expecting the leads to have sex in the first 20 minutes. Really liked the first episode, and I love the FL. She's brave, bold, straight to the point, and stands up for herself at basically every turn, though she struggles as the whole world seems to be against her for some reason. Jury's still out on how this develops, but the first episode is a winner, and Lee Se-young & Na In-woo have great chemistry.

The Queen Who Crowns (1-2): History doesn't exactly seem to be on the Queen's side, but I do hope she scores at least a few wins against the king. I like that the show doesn't really sugarcoat anything, and that it touches on aspects that similar shows like to conveniently ignore, but that certainly doesn't make it an easy watch.

Love Scout (2-3): Of course Ji-yun and Eun-ho's kid immediately started arguing when they met. Can't wait for her to actually find out that's Eun-ho's kid. These two are gonna grow really close, which is good news for us, and bad news for Eun-ho, because they're gonna drive him crazy. Bonus points for the pink umbrella!

Check In Hanyang (5-6): Lady Seol remains the most intriguing character here, and I find myself constantly trying to figure out where her true loyalties lie, and what her plans for Deok-soo are. I also quite like Do-kyung, so I hope we see her again, and that she actually gets the freedom she yearns for instead of being thrown into a political marriage with Eun-ho. As for the rest, it's as fun and stupid as ever, and I love it, though we do seem to be moving into more serious territory now.

Namib (5-6): Chris is quite an interesting character. It's obvious that he does actually care about Jin-woo, but the way he goes about it is completely wrong. Hopefully he improves himself, and gets to heal from his past (and maybe move forward with Hana, because I do quite like that pairing). Also, I really enjoy the friendship of our two Jin-woo's and Ji-young. Shim Jin-woo obviously has a crush on Ji-young, so hopefully she doesn't break his heart (and hopefully this doesn't turn into a love triangle).

The Tale of Lady Ok (9-10): How are we only at episode 10? Because it honestly feels like episode 20. And sadly, this isn't really a good thing. Because with how this show works, everything gets the bare minimum of development, before the show then quickly wraps something up and moves on to the next big thing. Rinse and repeat, over and over again. Sure, it's enjoyable, but, I kinda just want it to get to the end now.

Love Scout: (1-2) ❤️🏹 This is it... the drama that will warm my heart in cold January. I loved the intros to our characters and how the ML and FL's living spaces reflect their inner lives. I liked the directing, art design, and music. I like the FL and I LOVE the ML. He's so kind and honorable, and his relationship with his daughter is wonderful (is she the little girl from Unlock My Boss?). I also like the internal logic of the drama - people's choices make sense so far based on their character. Lee Jun-hyuk oppa, 사랑해!!!! Fingers crossed for the rest!🤞

When the Stars Gossip: (1 & 50% of 2) 🚀✨️ It was weird and wild and surprised some laughs out of me, but I didn't really like it (except for the three moms. I'd watch a whole drama of them!). A provisional drop. I guess I'm in the mood for sweet, not edgy. Things I think will happen: something will malfunction and they'll be stuck longer than anticipated. In space. Someone will make a noble sacrifice to save the rest of the crew. In space. Someone will get pregnant or have a baby. In space. (For science.) 🔮

Check in Hanyang: (5-6) 🗝 It's cheesier than Velveeta, and I'm still having fun! This is such a tropey, old-school fusion, and the familiarity itself is comforting. It's so relaxing to watch because no matter what they say or do, it FEELS low-stakes. I like that I can watch this while doing dishes 👍

Mom is recovering from her first hip replacement surgery she had on Dec. 31, and is doing well. Dad and I have been taking care of her with her recovery process. She rewatched a lot of Psych, which is a great relaxing show. Things have been very busy with taking care of mom and heading back to work, so I'm paused on all my other K-dramas. However, I did taste-test the first episode of Moonlight Mystique, The Blossoming Love, and Guardians of the Dafeng, and loved what I saw. Some of the producers/directors/art directors of The Starry Love (my favorite C-drama of 2023!), and Back From the Brink and Warm On A Cold Night (two others I enjoyed!!) are on MM and TBL, which is very exciting!

SORRY NOT SORRY (Ep 5) After a long hiatus, we are back to a core bittersweet theme: adults having a hard time finding real friends. Work colleagues, neighbors and school mothers are just people you interact with not true friends who can share real thoughts, feelings and problems. I predicted our Song-Yi friend group triad. This week the comedy was a little thin and the men still weak to creepy, especially in the runner’s hook-up club. (The Korea Herald published this morning an article on the loneliness of new mothers.)

WHEN THE STARS GOSSIP (Ep 1-2) This appears to be another bait-and-switch series. It was marketed as a slice-of-life story but set into space. Episode 1 quickly turned into bad chaebol makjang: spurned ex-boyfriend arc and a really dumb space secret mission. There was some bad GCI/AI used for earthly building backgrounds. The space part undersold the dangers of objects hitting a space capsule and liquids in the cabin. Having grown up watching the ups and downs of NASA programs, this portrayal is a disappointment. Ironically, Koreans are hypersensitive when dramas air when their subject matter is in the news in a negative light, but that does not appear to follow when ISS’ current problems and American astronauts being stranded in the station. Also, the proposed love diamond (combined two love triangles) does not seem to interest me.

Episode 2 was total trash. A ten minute voyeur fruit fly sex scene? Smuggling ice cream in unsafe containers, then pulling loaded gun on a person? Then an impossible open heart surgery on a psychotic lab mouse to the thrill of most of the crew? It was all unprofessional, scientifically flawed, and just hard to watch. The only character I had any empathy for was Go-Eun (Han Ji-Eun) who went from doe-eyed breeding stock to a pawn in her father’s weird IVF gambit.

I like Gong Hyo Jin as an actress though many believe her acting style is understated to boring in many performances. But in this space closet, she was the forgotten skirt hanging under a boring blouse. Her over-reactions to anything that is “life” formation is bizarre. This show is an easy DROP for me.

THE PORK CUTLETS (2024): You can do a comedy when you hire comedians and good character actors. This 2-episode series had a very simple premise, good pace and characterizations. Overall, it was a good light comedy.

When The Phone Rings: 5.0 for the finale, 7.5 for the show, 8.0 for the early episodes, 9.5 for Chae Soo-bin.
- She was still staying in that expensive house after hubby gave all his assets away?
- Shouldn't all those assault rifle bullets trash that car and its occupants?
- Idiot shows how much he loves her by leaving clues to lure her into a war zone??

The Tale of Lady Ok: 8.0 Parts are so-so, but the legal case in the 2nd half of ep 10 was nice.

Check-In Hanyang: 7.0 How many sets of trick dice do they have? Only men can apply to be apprentices, but they have lots of female staff?

Love Scout: 4.0 Starting with the Flashback and Childhood Trauma, ep 2 was some of the worst K-crap I've seen in a long time. Unlike the recapper, I am immune to the charms of the ML, so no reason to continue.

When the Stars Gossip: 8.5 We've got Eve and an apple. Adam and Eden next? Or just satirizing everything in sight?

Queen Who Crowns: 5.0 After Queen Woo, will Korean queens ever stop crowning around? I thought the leads seemed wooden, the FL's brothers were cardboard, and the best things were Lee Sung-min and the sensible Goguryeo-style hats that some people were still wearing. Out partway thru ep 1.

Who Is She: 6.5

Motel California: 6.5 I normally don't like small-town-healing shows, but this one is ok-ish so far.

Also watching Family Matters for sort-of the 4th time, although this time I'm skipping the childhood Special Trainings bits and last time I just hit the good parts. Watching Bae Doo-na's character practice smiling in front of a mirror and do a terrible job of it is a hoot. And her character is a "10", so to speak. There's a non-zero chance that most of my Beans in the 2025 year-end poll may go to a show that aired entirely in 2024.

Squid Game 2 and the “making of” on Netflix It was characteristic of the Making of, that the interviewees talked how the show, in arranging the game as child’s play, gave a chance to present to the world a part of Korean folklore, and how the contrast between the happy colors and the murders made it more exciting for the audience.
Only towards the end did the creator speak, pipping something about the game and socitey.
It seems to me that he entered into the project with a kind of message, but that he was caught up in the collective strife for money and fame and that the point he was trying to make, got twisted.
As for the show itself I enjoyed it very little because I don’t enjoy ice-cold murders and purposeful twisting of minds very much. Still, I succeeded in enjoying Gong Yoo being such a horrible person, and the repeated lie that “This is your own choice” , which was easy to say for someone who wasn’t hungry … It was very well delivered by Gong Yoo as well as by the main villain. The villain actor said that his character was beginning to feel things, softening up. To me, that was not what I saw. I saw those feelings, but as something he could afford to indulge in and still keep the game going, and I do think his little trip into emotion-land was masterfully disgusting.
If any of you have ever seen “Den Enfoldige Morder” The Simple-Minded Murderer this kind of disgusting ”moral” feeling of “justice” together with the satisfied sentimental enjoyment of emotions is rendered clearer, though less schematically obvious, in the famous scene where the rich man teaches a poor farmer something about the importance of moral principles. Moral principles is something that means the poor farmer’s family will starve, and not all of them will survive. Just like “You chose this yourself” signals democracy and liberalism, so economical reliability is easy and feel-good for the rich man, but death to others.
It is a marvellous film, even if it is Swedish, not Korean. Just saying.
Iron Family: I love this show still. I am way too tired now to say more, but I actually did write a good deal on my Fan wall, with gifs. I heartily recommend for you to swoop down by while it’s there.
When the Phone Rings: It ended well, everybody was happy, more or less. I think too much was forgiven too easily.
Sex in Space When Stars Gossip: I love this show and it’s too-much-ness. It has inspired a new kind of gif from me, that took many hours to make. But soon all this will turn to dust…

Check in Hanyang: Buahahah! This show is so fine, and the FL is managing her boyishness so well, except for talking about it all the time. And hearts will be broken – are already being broken. It feels to me like tall Hyungnim has stepped directly in with his character from Secret Romantic...

Just finished: WTPR
Live watch: Iron Family l Love Scout l What the Stars Say
Catching up on recent: Family Matters
Toggling Older dramas: Kairos l Chicago Typewriter l Bittersweet Hell l Hospital Playlist S2

My wife and I loved the first two episodes of WHEN THE STARS GOSSIP. There was a lot of humor and also tension built into the first two episodes. This is a fun show and we will keep watching it. Some of it bordered on the absurd (open heart surgery on a mouse?) but even those moments served to underscore a central theme of the drama: Nothing less than a celebration of life itself. Still the funny moments were something of a guilty pleasure like watching Lee Min-ho literally screaming as he is being blasted into orbit. I was not that surprised to find out that the writer is the same Seo Sook-hyang who has given us the excellent currently airing Weekender IRON FAMIY. She has become one of my favorite writers.

In sharp contrast has been our reaction to the new Sageuk THE QUEEN WHO CROWNS. My wife loves costume dramas in general (not just Chinese ones) and we had really looked forward to it. We watched the first episode and that may be all that we will see. Perhaps my personal disappointment stems from comparing it to the fabulous KING OF TEARS: LEE BANG-WON given that it is supposedly telling the same story from the viewpoint of his queen. It may be a premature judgment based upon just one episode but my impression was that it was difficult to tell what story was even being told as my impression was that I was simply watching a disjointed mess. KING OF TEARS was a beautifully told and coherent historical tragedy that never left the viewer at a loss as to what was happening and why it was happening. The writing was the full equal of Shakespeare. Indeed, if Shakespeare had been a Kdrama writer this is the sort of screenplay that we would have seen from him- after all, his greatest play is HAMLET which is also a historical tragedy. In the case of KING OF TEARS we saw a the descent of a monarch who began as the most reasonable and enlightened of men into a paranoid despot- ultimately to see his ways repudiated by his son who would become known as King Sejong the Great. In any case I will not be watching further episodes of THE QUEEN WHO CROWNS although my wife might try it again as she tends to be much more tolerant than I when it comes to costume dramas.

Last week things got very real with the Weekender IRON FAMIY. There were a few funny moments but also absurd ones, like our crew desperately racing to re-bury the money before the police arrive- the cliff hanger which ended episode 30. Bom’s Oppa rocks and so does Cha-rim who really came through for her family when it counted. This has been the best weekender in years, and I hope it sticks the landing in its final six episodes.

Namib: All parties are getting closer to each other. Soon Jin Won will be firmly a part of the family. As for our CEO trying to get revenge, I get it man.

The Queen who Crowns: The first episode was kind of all over the place, but the second episode settled into itself. I have no idea what is happening with the King and why he collecting her court ladies, but it feels like a punishment. I feel bad for her, but she lives in a man’s world.

The tale of Lady Okay: Please let there be forward momentum and more interesting cases. Last week’s episodes were so tedious.

Love Scout: Awwww our leads are so cute. To quote Ed Sheeran, “people fall in love in mysterious ways, maybe just a touch of a hand.” I also really liked the scouting this week as well. The Chef and the sous chef who needed to find her way. I am glad they didn’t sugarcoat anything for her and she understood she had to stand on her own two feet. Huzzah to Byul learning to read through sheer stubbornness and grit.

Check in Hanyang: I wonder if the Prince will find out this weekend or if we have to wait some more. Hmmm.

Happy first Saturday of 2025, Beanies! Most of his week I spent sick and not in the mood for anything really, so forgive me for being a bit behind on my dramas. I'm fine now tho, don't worry)))

GUARDIANS OF THE DAFENG: Read spoilers from the novel and it killed my anticipation a bit, because I both don't think this will work in drama AND don't like the idea altogether. Romance is still meh with the capital M, not even being done with misunderstanding helped me to vibe with the pairing. Could've been worse, ofc – apparently source material is a R-rated harem written by a horny teen boy... As a certified harem (of any kind) hater I don't mind drama cutting that part one bit, but what's left is just... should've trim it entirely, princess ditz included.

THE REBEL PRINCESS: Another princess here, but so unlike the previous one – up to Ep13 or 14 and I think it's safe to say that FL is the only blue blood in her generation that inherited her famous ancestors courage, nobility and brains. Everyone else are both impressively intellectually challenged WHILE being total backstabbing snobby trash. Says a lot about country's elite if even minor barbarian prince antagonist with all his murder-happy, training suicide bombers, kidnapping his enemies wives and rapist tendencies looks more human in comparison.... Heard he's gonna be back later, tho not sure how – his survival sounded fantastical even by cdrama standards.

Overall this particular arc was written quite weakly and some episodes probably cut because leads getting together post-kidnapping was FAST. Like I appreciate FL not wasting her best years pining after her wet mop of first love, but pacing (of the version I watch) made it look a bit desperate on her part – girl was betrayed by literally everyone at once and here is this strong, dependable man very willing to lend her a shoulder and other notable body parts to lean on, who also happens to be her legal husband... Not to dismiss his courting style – many drama heroes can jump off the bridge for their FL, but how many make sure to take her on a period version of camping date before going to war so they part on solid “I love you, wait for me” terms? Man's got moves. That bathing once a month spartan routine needs to be fixed asap for the longevity of their marriage tho...

LIVE WATCHES:

1. LOVE SCOUT - I adore this romance and its Cinnamon Roll ML (TM). *Heart Eyes*

2. NAMIB - This drama is definitely exceeding my expectations. The main cast is stellar and I'm looking forward to watching new episodes every week.

3. MY HAPPY MARRIAGE - The first episode of the 2nd season is gonna lose me if they don't get rid the toxic mother-in-law who is an absolutely piece of work. Also - why replace the catchy-as-heck opening theme song from season 1 with a forgettable song? That really has me scratching my head.

And that's basically it - the first week back at work has been very hectic and with my TEFL course added on top of that, 2 dramas and 1 anime is just about what I can handle right now.

WATCHING
Iron Family This drama continues to get better and better. The 10 billion won plot device continues to reveal things about the characters in realistic and yet some unexpected ways. What’s great is that no one really deserves the money—Kang Ju’s mom, ostensibly the rightful owner, was hiding it to avoid taxes and was living fine without using the money, and everyone else had some need for the money, but also, at heart, it was not theirs. Also, there is an interesting twist on knowing the truth. Here, when the whole truth about the money is revealed to someone, it doesn’t clear everything up and solve the problems—it actually complicates matters and makes each person have think more broadlly about the ramifications for other people which is leading to growth even it makes their lives more diffiicult. A weekeneder allows there to be character development of multiple characters, and for the most part, there are no cartoonish, single dimensional characters. Thus far, in a refreshing change from recent dramas, no trucks of doom, no serial killers and no evil chaebol families just being evil because power has corrupted them. Kim Jung Hyun is absolutely killing it in this role—from the physical comedy to the heartfelt emotions in his eyes. This is the show I look forward to each week.

Love Scout I must admit this show isn’t really working for me, maybe because Han Ji Min is really good at making someone so brittle and unlikeable. Sure it is an inversion of the tsundere male and candy female, but somehow this extreme (she bumps into furniture! And he cooks like a dream and plates beautifully!) Is a little much for me.

Breeze by the Sea. This slow pace drama, where nothing much seems to happen, is a nice respite. Chen Bolin and Puff Guo are delivering in a show about slowing down and dropping all the pretenses, If you want something big to happen, it’s not a show for you. However, if you want to vacation somewhere and just be, this drama is lovely

. WATCHED
KBS SONG FESTIVAL.The Baby Vox reunion at the end of the year made me really want a Yoon Eun Hye comeback in a drama. She still has that jjang (and her dancing is still amazing), and I hope she is given another chance to be in a good drama.

Namib I'm more interested in Chris's arc and his relationship with Hana. I want them to be happy.

The Queen Who Crowns It was good idea to make the drama from the Queen's point of view but by giving her too much credit, the writer made the King as a puppet and it doesn't work.

Sorry Not Sorry I'm not so interested in this drama.

Check In Hanyang There is no tension in this drama.

The Tale of Lady Ok In an interview, Choo Young-woo said it was his young brother who was playing his understudy when his 2 roles were in the same scene. It's cute. They're sons of a famous Korean model, lucky DNA!

Motel California I didn't specially like the FL in the first episode. I didn't find her appareance issue credible. Korean people love white skin and light eyes... Her behavior with the ML was awful too.

Love Scout The ML reminds me so much Ha Seok-Jin in Your House Helper. A girl can dream.

When the Stars Gossip I wonder how they will the story in space. But please, stop with the poor animals sexuality. They deserve privacy too!

Ai no Nai Koibitotachi (Jdrama) I watched it because I loved Fukushi Sota's "rugged" style :p It was a nice first love arc.

I finished WHEN THE PHONE RINGS, and while I enjoyed it very much, the nonsense ending ruined a good deal of my enjoyment, ngl.

This weekend, I plan to start THE QUEEN WHO CROWNS, and Han Ji min's new show (I have miss her on screen).

THE BLOSSOMING LOVE still has me in it's thrall. I can't believe I'm loving a drama that's mostly filler so much. It's so refreshing, truly. I love the OPs characterizations and their conversations. I see all the flaws, and I don't care. I went into it with no expectations, and I remain so pleasantly surprised through 20 episodes.

FLOURISHED PEONY Ah-Mazing. Li Xian is always a revelation onscreen, but I am only now realizing that he's hot, too! And Yangzi is doing so well, too! I can only hope the drama continues so wonderfully. ❤️❤️❤️

Unexpectedly, I started 3 new k-dramas, and I'm enjoying them all for different reasons.

LOVE SCOUT appeals with its balance of old school and newer approaches to the ceo/secretary theme. Plus the mature romance, which is the biggest draw, along with the leads themselves.

WHEN THE STARS GOSSIP had an engaging first episode. The second one felt draggy, and I ff'd through most of the mouse scene, but there are some interesting storylines, so I'll give this the 4-episode try. However, the more dramas I've watched that have been held up for release (whatever the so-called reasons), the less I find I want to watch them.

The big surprise this week was MOTEL CALIFORNIA, a show I was pretty adamantly against, but the call of a new melo was too compelling. The first episode was somewhat uncomfortable but I like edgier characters who don't behave as expected. Ten minutes in and we have an unexpected plot twist. LSY as FL is not immediately likable but still she intrigues me. NIW is, well, they've styled him perfectly. Actually, I'll give him props for being decently emotive. As long as his character doesn't go full puppy dog, I'm in. MC is not likely to have the emotional depth of Call It Love (for example), but it could be a solid entry into the romantic melo genre. Let’s see what happens.

I'm still watching CHECK IN HANYANG because it's just silly good fun. I know I say the same thing each week, but it's keeping me entertained, so I'm watching.

I finished WHEN THE PHONE RINGS with y'all and had the same wth moments in episode 12. Still, this makjang managed to walk the fine line between addictive and ridiculous for most of its run.

Over the holidays I started WEIGHTLIFTING FAIRY KIM BOK JOO and finished it this week. What a delightful story that lived up to its ongoing reputation as a charming and heartfelt watch. 2016-2018 continue to be my favorite years for k-drama.

Have a great week beanies!

Vincenzo

I dropped this at ep 4 about a year ago because I felt completely disconnected from the leads and their goals, and I couldn't tolerate Jun Yeo Bin's acting.
But honestly I couldn't stop thinking that I wish I could watch Taec being wacky.
This week I hit play somewhere in the middle of episode 6. I have forgotten most things about the leads' origin stories and now I can pretend that I'm just watching a show with no protagonists.
I'm laughing a lot. I'm loving Taec whether he is being crazy, or talking English, or appreciating the girl's crazyness!
I'm loving Jo Han Chul being silly and his great chemistry with Taec and mostly everybody else.
I don't know how long I can go on pretending I don't need anyone to root for ( I can't root for Taec... can I?) but for now I need the laugh.

I still have Iron Family , Midnight Romance , and Marry You on hold. Don't know which ones are being dropped... I think I need to go back to a few rewatches.

Hi Beanies! Happy New Year again.

What I am watching:

_ Tale of Lady Ok (10 out of 16). Even though I totally understand FL's acts and why she is the way she is, sometimes her self-control is frustrating. The ML is adorable and as I said in the recap discussion, the last addition to the "loser in love" trend.

_ Check in Hanyang (2 out of 16). I didn't plan on watching this drama, but I wanted to add something light and funny to my week. There are more interesting dramas on air but I want to binge-watch them once they are finished (When the stars gossip, Love Scout, Motel California...). So I picked Check in Hanyang. The first two episodes are a little darker than I thought, but it's entertaining. The main characters could be more interesting, but it's soon. They can get better. There is room for improvement.

_ C-drama Flourished Peony (5 out of 32). Wow. It's very good (and hooking!) imo. Direction, OST, characters, pace... I can't fault anything yet.
I hope it maintains this quality.

_ Reply 1997 (9 out of 16). There is a character I find annoying and cringey, but overall it's an endearing show.

What I have finished:

_ C-drama Sword Snow Stride. My favorite parts were the first 15 episodes and the last 8 (amazing! There is a scene where two main characters have to say goodbye and part from each other. It was so well acted! Very touching).
The central episodes are a little draggy, but it's a good show and I'll watch the next season.

On-hold:

_ Goblin. Watching this drama was one of my New Year's resolutions. I'm afraid this is not the moment. I have watched three episodes and I only like the songs, the music and sometimes the cinematography, but the script and the characters are messy and chaotic, and I try to like them but I can't. I really wanted to love this show, so I'll try again later.

Crash: Episode 1 has been sitting pretty since the premiere week so I decided to watch it to wile away time. It was a blast! I'm deciding to watch only the premiere week so I'm going to give episode 2 a go when my mood aligns.

When The Phone Rings: It was a blast while it lasted! It understood it's assignment and delivered promptly.

The Whirlwind: Another 2024 debt I want to clear. I'm up for the political tussles here and there. I already have a side I'm supporting - the prime minister. This is one drama I am going in whilst having the full information about the story from start to finish. Still, I'll love to see what I know unfold right on my screen.

The Queen Who Crowns: I think I'll agree with the fact that this drama will agitate me a lot but I'll still watch it anyways.
Whoever casted Lee Si-a did a very good job.

Iron Family
This was such a stressful week!
I nearly fainted from all that tension... 🪭
I can't wait for this weekend to see the reveal(s). Let's hope all ends well, especially for uri hardworking Kangju!

Phone, not ringing anymore
I was so excited about our main couple (and then about Saeon and his faithful secretary 🙂) during the first half of the drama but then Show shifted focus on the culprit and crazy family dynamic and sort of lost me... and I think I don't have enough fingers to count how many times I said But this is so stupid or This doesn't make sense during last episodes. 😆 Also, I was so expecting some importance of the sign language at some crucial moment... perhaps saving their lives 😁... but no, nothing... nada...
Yoo Yeonseok and Chae Soobin were still doing their best, but... I have to admit that towards the end it were more the scenes of uri secondary couple I was eagerly awaiting (they were so adorable together 😊). (Another character I liked was Stepsister, she was unexpectedly refreshing.)
Anyway, I don't regret watching this, but wish the ending episodes made more... sense? 😄

Ask the Stars
I'm enjoying this a lot and part of my enjoyment probably comes from knowing what to (at least a bit 😁) expect from this screenwriter, Seo Sook Hyang; she can be really good at mixing absurdity and reality (btw anybody else mourning the abandonment of the talking horse in Greasy Melo (Wok of Love)?) and I just dig her kind of humour.
I'm also fascinated with the aesthetic of the chaebol world... and I, gasp, love Lee Min Who 😁 here! (I liked him already in Blue Sea, but here, it is love so far). I hope all the other actors will be used well as well (my new discovery from Phone, Heo Namjun, is there!), it is packed... and I enjoyed the cameos of Park Jinjoo and Jo Jungsuk from Jealousy Incarnate. 🙂

My Perfect Secretary Lee Joohyuk
I'm enjoying Han Jimin as the no nonsense boss focusing only on some important things (I could do without her double tragic backstory though)... and I'm maybe enjoying her friend and second in command even more. 🙂
As for our Male Lead, I was prepared for the swooning 😍 but not for the heartbreak. 💔 I'm glad Fresh New Secretary now has a job where he can start again and get the praise he deserves. I also like the small steps Secretary and Headhunteress do towards each other and that they are both open to adjust their views of each other.
Oppa biased squealing:
Oppa on the playground, in shirt! 😍
Oppa with the sweets looking like a cute hamster 🐹 😍

Life has been crazy busy so no drama watching this week, but I did catch the Broadway premiere of the Korean musical Maybe Happy Ending and it's lovely. I particularly appreciated the k-drama trope call-outs from red umbrellas to "let's just pretend to be a couple". If you happen to be in NYC any time soon I highly recommend it.

Grey January, prime drama watching time.

WHEN THE STARS GOSSIP. Pretty much in love with this well done drama, blessed with two veteran performers in Lee Min Ho and a wonderful Gong Hyo Jin, who reward my faith in experienced talent. Hope the storytelling stays the course.

LOVE SCOUT. 11 out of 10. My happy watch of the week goes to Han Ji Min and the production team for physical comedy. (Banging your head on an open file drawer? Done that. Confusion over which way a door opens? Done that. Can't find my car in a parking lot? Done that.) This would not work without the swoony, anchored Lee Joon Hyuk, and a delightful cast of secondary characters. The soundtrack is terrific, with the music propelling the storytelling right along.

Thank you kdrama Gods for these two dramas, a great start to 2025.

ANTIQUE BAKERY (2008). Picked up this kdrama movie on a whim, and holy moly -- could they even make this today? What a trippy film. Ju Ji Hoon, Kim Jae Wook, Yoo Ah In, Choi Ji Ho. It's 1hr. 49min. of surreal storytelling, based on a childhood kidnapping incident. Enjoyed the heck out of this, although I'd like to know what happened to the Director's Cut!

FLOURISHED PEONIES. I hereby confess that I love peonies. This is a very good start to what looks like a women's empowerment cdrama with Yang Zi and Li Xian (both top quality performers), although so far Wei Zhe Ming is acting circles around them (he's got the better role).

LOVE SONG IN WINTER. A tricky police procedural, and just what the doctored ordered for grey January. Johnny Huang has his niche, and he does very nicely within that niche (no shame on him, it's good to have a niche). A good supporting cast, especially the always watchable Kira Shi and scene-stealing Xiao Kai Zhong, make this a very credible watch.

THE PRINCESS ROYAL (2024). I have a problem with Netflix's subtitles, as they flicker on and off the screen so fast it's impossible to read the entire phrase (maddening). So, back to Viki. I'm actually loving this talky, talky reincarnation story because of Zhang Ling He and Zhao Jin Mai. Has anyone else noticed what excellent diction this actress has? These two highly watchable performers act with zest as they re-negotiate their second chance love story. It is so enjoyable I actually rewind and rewatch portions of their dialog together. While so many other cdramas get all the attention (looking at you, THE DOUBLE), to me this one is an out-an-out winner.

Next week, back to SWORD SNOW STRIDE for more shenanigans with Zhang Ruo Yun/forever more known as Fan Xian.

cannot find anything likable under currently airing so I am saving and screenshotting my fan wall and taking notes of old dramas I liked that I have forgotten about. Like, I apparantly loved a lot but have no memory at all

little busy at work doing our own clips of folklore and feeling like a proud producer bc our team now has me as writer and producer, my colleague as actress, editor + art director, cameraman, distributor, social media marketer & occasional guest actors. haha.

I also have to be a narrator and actor but I sincerely prefer writing and producing because I don´t really like my own voice. nor am I photogenic in video because I flinch way too much & cannot control my reactions.

one old drama I seem to have liked but have no memory of is Frankenstein no koi in like 2017

around 6 pages of my wall were all about Shopping King Louie

oh, I made a blog to post some old gifs, jokes and ideas
https://imaginarydramauniverse.blogspot.com/

go check & bookmark

Love Scout: (ep 1-3) Ep 1 was a slow start. Loving it by ep 2. Obsessed by ep 3. I love how we get a CEO FL and an assistant ML for a change and love how the leads grow closer together in such a quiet way- romantic but not overtly romantic. The slow burn is so good. I've replayed all the ML's organizing moments multiple times. I am reminded me of this book from many years ago - Porn For Women - featuring pictures of hot men doing chores and saying considerate things. I do wonder if the recruiting industry truly still use that much paper.

Check-in Hanyang: (ep 1-6) The Kim Min-jung and Kim Ji-eun moments are the ones that keep me watching. The moments when they're in the same scene or thinking about each other feel so emotionally-charged and real while everything and everyone else feel like construction paper cutouts. I'm really dreading how Kim Min-jung is only a "special appearance". Also, did I miss why there can't be female interns or are they just interning in the women's section?

Debit Queen: (cdrama 1-15) Seems cliche but with enough interesting flourishes and characteristics to keep me watching. For example, both leads aren't nobles or children of officials, but are born and raised from the merchant class (albeit still very well-off), which is refreshing. I also like how two of the young antagonists in the early episodes end up being part of the friends circle.

OF MICE AND (SPACE)MEN: The moment I heard the premise and the leads, I wrote this one off. "A gynecologist and an astronaut fall in love in space" seemed like the opening to a terrible joke, and although I have no strong opinions about LMH (I liked him in "Tale of the Blue Sea" and "Faith"; didn't get past the first episode of "Heirs," "BoF," or "The King") I would not have counted myself among Gong Hyo-jin's fans (I did not care for her performances in either "Master's Sun" or "When the Camellia Blooms" despite how much praise I've read of her talents here on DB). But I loved these first two episodes. This show is quirky (synchronized swimmers highlighting our hero's medical devotion to expectant mothers and covert invitro fertilization in space via eggs smuggled in ice cream cups), funny (the banter between the leads and our lead's zero gravity struggles), and then, suddenly, quite poignant (the pain of an ectopic pregnancy, the floating space suit, and of course, open-heart surgery on a mouse). LMH and GHJ are utterly delightful here; he's goofy, charming, and sincere and she's both a bad-ass and an adorable science nerd. I have to give him props, too, for those suddenly smitten looks--they were perfectly on-point. Oh, and finally, an English speaking actor with the proper inflection! All the bonus points for that.

LOVE SCOUT: This is pure fantasy but has this understated slice-of-life feel that's getting me. It's just a story about two lonely people with love to give who are forced to get to know each other and (I presume) will find that they're perfect for each other. That's all I really ask of my romances, and so far, this one is a joy to watch.

IRON FAMILY: I must re-iterate that this is a really well written show, even though I would have personally liked more of a focus on romance and less on the central money mystery and suspense surrounding it. That said, it is impressive to watch the writer use the money as both a driver of plot and character, and a thematic focus. These two episodes were stressful and tragic in many ways, but also explored a lot of difficult questions regarding honor to one's family and loved ones versus adherence to basic moral conventions and beliefs. It's good stuff, especially for a weekender. But I do wish the writer had actually told Cha Rim and Tae oong's love story--I get why we ended up where we did, but those kisses would have been so much more satisfying if we hadn't been forced to fill in a lot of the blanks about their behavior and motivations behind it ourselves. If the endless scenes of Da Rim crushing on Tae oong had been replaced by a few more substantive scenes between him and Cha Rim and Kang ju and Da Rim instead, the show would have been better overall.

WHEN THE PHONE RINGS: This show stayed true to itself to the end, so I felt no anger or annoyance at the ending episodes. It was pure mindless fun from start to finish, and made me happy. There was...

Completed C drama Riverside Code at Qingming Festival Song Dynasty Mystery with the odd mix family of mystery solvers . Learning about the actual painting Along the River During the Qingming Festival was fun.

Watching K dramas
Tale of Lady Ok
The Queen Who Crowns
When The Stars Gossip 1st Ep
Might give Motel California a look

Started C drama Lost in the Shadows

Started the J taiga (historical) drama Berabo: Tsuta Ju Eika Osamu Yume Hanashi

What a mouthful . If this will be fully subbed I would be surprised . 1 episode a week 😂They rarely are subbed all the way through , very hit or miss 😢
I wish Viki would carry these shows.

Young boy is abandoned by his family in the red light district. He’s adopted to work in a tea house by a mentor. As he matures becomes a book seller on the side .

He moves on to publishing guides for the red light district. His contacts with entertainers pays off as he publishes woodblock prints of the latest actors and entertainers , early social media influencer . Leave it to the Japanese to make a drama about an obscure topic. The subs were not the best , probably machine .

Ah the perils of watching J dramas

STARTED

JAIPISUT (2024) - ep. 1 : I pass, the mafia side doesn't interest me.

KISSED BY THE RAIN (2024) - ep. 1 : I find Mario too old to play the adolescent.

HIGH SCHOOL FRENEMY (2024) - ep. 1 : I found the episode classic, with a new and novice professor, who becomes the homeroom teacher of the worst class of the high school.

When the Phone Rings. I was enjoying all the Terrible Family Secrets enormously, and I was happy to overlook the horribly contrived writing at the end of episode 11 which led to the ML learning the most Terrible Family Secret of them all. But episode 12 was just so painful I had to fast-forward through it. (Final episode noble idiocy separation? Civil war in unrealistic imaginary country? Writers, just say no!)

Love Scout. Lee Jun-hyuk in killer suits! *fans self* And I love the perfect ideal male secretary trope. But I'm at episode 3, and so far the romantic elements are no more convincing than the product placement. We'll see.

When the Stars Gossip. Dropped midway through episode 1. I have considerable powers of suspension of disbelief once I become invested in the characters of a drama. But if you do not take the time to get me invested in those characters, do not blame me for baling at the first plot hole.

C-dramas:
Blossom. I started watching again, after I learnt it had a happy ending. And after the rather saggy middle, it did pick up very nicely at the end. It wasn't anotherMinglan, but it was a pleasure to watch, unlike most Chinese costume dramas made last year.

Binge-watched the first eight episodes of Flourished Peony. I do like a nice battle of wits between a clever female lead and a weaselly male lead. Makes for some excellent chemistry. And stylistically, this is gorgeous. But it's early days yet. Must try not to get my hopes up that the writing will stay this good.

WHEN STARS GOSSIP - Love the weightless floating in the space station, not only of the people, but also the equipment. The fertility plot seems insane and the mouse re-animation even more so, but the production of the drama looks impressive. I even like Lee Min-ho in this.

LOVE SCOUT - Another gender reversal of the typical chaebol and poor Cinderella plot, but Lee Jun-hyuk makes a nice Cinderella to watch. I have to ignore some of the business practices shown here, but otherwise love the drama so far.

CHECK IN HANYANG - A lovely relaxing drama.

THE QUEEN WHO CROWNS - Could not even finish the first episode. It reminds me of too much of a Chinese costume drama which I generally don't like.

MOTEL CALIFORNIA - Could only watch the first few scenes so far, but like it a lot, especially the cast. Choi Min-soo usually picks interesting projects.

All of my current watches are going great!
When the Stars Gossip
The Queen Who Crowns
The Package
Family Matters

Live watching is slowing down my older dramas watching but got 2 episodes left in both.
Between The Package and When the Stars Gossip I am ready to take a trip and do some roller coaster rides.
Family Matters loves its cliffhangers!
Lets see what fresh whack stories When the Stars Gossip gives us this weekend!

When The Phone Stops Ringing (finale): I'm one of the few that didn't hate the ending. I think this drama was consistent: The dumb and dumber couple were and dumb and dumber until the end.
I don't hate or like this drama. I'm pretty sure I'll forget about it pretty soon, and that's okay because I only watched it to enjoy beanies' comments in full capacity, and my mission was a total success.
Also, I guess this is the last show we talked about freely on the fan wall. So I feel kind of grateful it exists.
Iron Family: *insert Seung Gi's voice and his baby face from K2H* AH STRESS.
Love Scout aka. Her Perfect Secretary: something's truly wrong with society if the expected reaction to a guy who visits his noona with freaking cake and plays with children during the day is "omo, he doesn't have a job? He Poporo?" LMAO
He's already my fave for taking care of his noonas, tbh.

PS. I would marry anyone who fixed that bloody door for me. I know uri CEO's pain a little too well. Those type of doors are the worst!
Always Dark in Motel California (20min): can't we stay in 2013?? They were so cute. 🥺 But I'm excited about 2023 too. I hope it's good.
Ask the Stars Who Gossip: the writer said "let's go crazy" and the director took it personally. I love it. It's like they just want to have fun.
And well, me too.
Check In Hanyang (half? of wtv EP we got on Sunday): we have so many "Queens" these days and no one called Kim Min Jung to be one of them? Crazy.
And I'm loving Hoya in this role, too. He's the fun, tbh.
Namib: I feel like Chris needs a good cry and a hug and he'll stop the big bad boy act after that. Maybe Ha Na can help with that.
Who is She: the son in law is my fave, and I'm happy at least his hoobae is on his side. I feel like she will help him to get a job his wife will respect (even tho there's nothing wrong with his current job).

BTW, Mal Soon hates her sis because she left to the States with their mom and step-dad? She really holds extreme grudges. Like daughter like mom?

BONUS
I decided to give up on Queen Who. It seems like the type to binge (no way I'll remember all that info dump next week) or just ignore for the rest of my life (if it turns out bad).

Guzaarish (rewatch): I was so overwhelmed about the number of episodes I had to watch when the week started, I just decided to give up on everything and watched this instead.

I had fun with my "late to the game" but half live watch of WHEN THE PHONE RINGS. Loved the main leads and, like most others, could forgive the crazy Rambo ending since it was such a fun watch.

I typically do not like live watches as I would rather see more than one episode at a time, so I'm waiting to see what will be my next choice. Most likely, after reading all of the comments here, it will be LOVE SCOUT. Will wait on Minho in Space, I think.

So, I previewed several older dramas from my watchlist and chose A PIECE OF YOUR MIND (2020). It rose to the top mainly because of  Chae Soo Bin, who I was not familiar with until WTPR, and I wanted to see more of her work. I was also inspired by Beanie comments here. It did not disappoint and earned a spot in my all time favorite list. I was sad to learn that it got such low ratings and so many watchers were turned off after the first one or two episodes. I fell in love at the very beginning and was amazed at the beauty of the cinematography, the story and writing, the actors' portrayal, the OST- everything was lovely. Would have loved to see what more we could have seen with a full 16 episode drama instead of the cut version. Beautiful drama!

For now, I'm reviewing more off of my way too long watch list. Thank you for all of the helpful reviews here!

Last night at dinner, inspired by Love Scout I neatly aligned the salt and pepper shaker, and thoughtfully moved the pepper slightly closer to my wife, so she could reach it easily. Disappointingly, she didn’t notice. Apparently she is too color blind to realize that I’m a walking green flag.

Also, last night we watched the first episode of Motel California. Since I helped raise a daughter in the intensely self-aware Internet era, I am very conscious about the harmful effects of body shaming. (Although I do think the Korean pop culture obsession with thinness is itself harmful). However, one thing I have no trouble making fun of is an actor wearing a ridiculous fat suit. I hope the fat suit in Motel California wasn’t just making a cameo appearance, and will show up again in this drama. Could the fat suit be the trope of 2025?

Finally, I found the first two episodes of When the Stars Gossip very interesting. The problem, though, with combining a cheesy plot with heavy metaphors in an attempt at absurdist comedy, is that viewers can

Interpret it literally, and say things like “massaging a mice’s heart with your finger in space!?! That’s ridiculous!”

OR

Judge it by the cheesy plot, and say—“I don’t think the ML observing the FL’s enthusiasm for fruit flies having sex would be enough to have him fall in love with her.”

OR

3. Be a pompous “intellectual” and say—“is that visual metaphor really consistent with the foundational theme of the narrative?”

I’ll not say which kind of viewer I am, but I will be interested to see whether the metaphors remain consistent!

I am very much in love with Love Scout. If I didn't know I liked men in a nice white dress shirt, now I know.

Check in Hanyang is still fun, though pretty shallow. I pretty much only know Hoya from Reply 1997, so I am surprised how good he is as a jerk. He seems to be having a lot of fun with the role and I had no idea he had it in him.

I am not sure what to make of Motel California. It's an odd mix for me and I can't take the fat suit seriously. So far I only watched the first episode and I am nut sure if I even liked it.

Finished watching The Light Shop and Fiery Priest 2 this week. I was delighted by the "Moving" cameo in Light Shop, and overall low key enjoyed its nightmare vibes. I had a grin on my face for most of Fiery Priest. The fight choreography was great, as was the rematch between Nam-gil and Sung Joon, our protagonists from Island. So many over-the-top characters. I didn't even recognize Kim Sung-kyun from Flower of Evil, but he makes a great villain.

I so relate to the accident prone heroine of The Love Scout. I generally have at least one bruise, burn, or cut healing on my body at any one time, and only I know where the order is in the chaos of my papers. Very much rooting for this duo. Lee Joon-hyuk makes a great non-weasely hero for a change.

Rewatching Awaken (leaving Netflix January 19). One of my absolute favourite Namgoong Min characters, and a delightfully twisty turny plot. Not a unique premise (abused super kids), but done well, and Min and his lollypop are wonderful, as are all the strong women who are trying to cope with him. An underrated show.

I finished When the Phone Rings last week and commented about it here while it was still on my screen. But I'm mentioning it again!

I watched some of Check in Hanyang and some of Namib. I'm not sure I can say I'm live watching them. I am still reading the recaps? I might finish one of them? I'm really not that into either of them.
I also watched Love Scout and was really into it. I think part of what made it good for me is that the POV character is the male secretary, but the person whose childhood trauma is being dissected is the FL character. If you recall, I watched (and really liked!) The Trunk, and got a copy of the novel that was the basis of the drama. The novel is about the FL and the ML is barely in it. I realized, rereading the novel and rewatching the series (which I have been!) that there were more overlapping plot elements than I realized. But the main difference is that the ML's childhood and trauma is centered. I think I prefer the drama for many reasons, but...not that one. It's frustrating when a piece of media about women's experience of marriage (say) becomes a story about men's experience of childhood. So far, that's a big point in favor of Love Scout. It's a show about the FL.

But. It's also Lee Jun-hyuk being basically the perfect man. For me. As I've commented. I also appreciate that Han Ji-min whom the show runners cast to play me is so much prettier and more adorable than I am (or even was, at her age.) Thanks, guys! I would like her to be cast as me in real life also.

The other media I consumed this week: I finished Violets, by Shin Kyung-Sook. It's my second novel by her in translation. I can't decide if I love these books or find them too emotionally manipulative. Well, they are emotional in any case. I also read the latest Kate Atkinson Death at the Sign of the Rook, which was comparatively low key. (Maybe you read her big popular book, Life After Life 10-12 years ago? Dunno.)
I'm not watching much television, just tons of doom scrolling of short videos about cooking and exercising. I did enjoy the first episode in the new season of My Happy Marriage, a super fancy anime on Netflix. Oh my gosh, I do love it when animators show off. The other anime I was watching on there, DaDanDan, ended on a cliffhanger. Presumably there will be another season.
I love watching videos about Korean language and I think the algorithm on every platform has figured it out. I'm getting all kinds of advice about how to pronounce Korean and several other languages I've been interested in over the years.

I am feeling the pain of all the Beanies who regularly posted on fanwall. The Dalia Lama said every human being is entitled to happiness but never at the expense of another human. Check in with those who started their own blog, not piggybacked on an existing site (cyn-lynn, avenueX, fangirl, marcus here etc).
I read a lot this week but started a far few dramas. Might stick with Motel Cali and perhaps Love Scout although I hate the twee background music. The show with my heart is Flourishing Peony.
If you can drive an abacus you are my heroine.

Under the Queen’s Umbrella 11/16: I want to be under this queen’s umbrella too, she’s awesome! This drama started very strong and slowly lost some steam along the way but I still find it enjoyable. I think there are some plot holes though, such as the chief state councilor not looking into the disappearance of the previous crown princess and the grand heir.

The Phone Drama 8/12: After 2 weeks of no internet access, I unfortunately missed the finale week discussions of When the Phone Rings and my interest in finishing the drama completely withered away with it. I guess I was only into it for the thrill of watching and spazzing with the community lol.

Love Your Enemy 10/12: Will finish.

Blossom 21/34: Nope, can’t do it. Dropped.

Flourished Peony 4/32: This is like an ancient painting come to life with its sets and the costumes. We’re still getting to know our characters and the drama seems to have no rush whatsoever.

Finished When the Phone Rings ridiculous and fun
Watched Namib and Check in Hanyang but am enjoying Love Scout more. All of them fairly easy to watch. Namib is trying to be a bit edgy with it's self harm theme, but they are pretending that someone with self esteem issues can be healed in a pressure cooker environment, so it's impossible to take their social consciousness seriously.
Spent most of the week binging Blossom was really interested in the themes of trying to be exceptional and doing your best/ while trying not to catch too much attention and be too exceptional. I am sure I was catching only a tiny percentage of the subtext and political references there. But even what I caught I thought was fascinating, I was hoping they would continue. Instead, the focus has shifted and it looks like they are determined to have everyone except the lead couple come to grief through either evilness or victimization. And the lead couple seem strangely un-empathetic to it all. Why are you behaving in that way to your little brother? Is someone betraying you in a past life sufficient justification to cut them off in this one? Paused for now, but will probably start watching again this week or next

Cdramas:

Begin Again (2024) - 4/18 / my rating: 9 - It's good so far. But, of course, the ship I'm most into is the one that gets less screen time currently. I do like the other ship, though, so it's not too bad. I love the setting of this drama. It's so pretty!

Kdramas:

I have 4 more days on my current Prime trial so I really want to watch No Gain, No Love and Spice Up Our Love before it's over so I don't have to pay for an entire month.