Current watches

Who is she
This is a good remake of the popular film.
I am not sure if the constant tracksuit wearing is PPL or an inside joke but it is distracting.

Namib
I dislike adults treating young people badly especially when they clearly have issues. The producer husband taking his frustration with his wife and her solo projects out on the kid she brought home is not working for me.

To watch this weekend
Love scout
When the stars gossip

Begin again -Chinese drama
I was so looking forward to this having loved the Director’s Fake it til you make it and Remembrance of things past. This is beautifully shot in Macau and is like a love letter to the region reminds me of Meet yourself. The sound track is light and breezy which reflects the gentle pace of the story. We meet various characters around the main ensemble cast made up of a friendship group and people they meet at work and play. The three female friends again have the out of place ‘obsessed with men and doesn’t seem focused when at work’ character. I struggle to see why this type of character is included when the other friendship group members are always high achievers in work and may or may not be in relationships. I don’t see what this character brings to the storyline as they don’t bring anything to the friendship group as they are often immature and self centred, always seeking reassurance from their friends and the men in their lives. If they insist on writing them in having them as a relative or work colleague works best, they did this in Fake it til you make it. Personally I wish they would leave them out the story as they don’t add anything.

I am not sure if it’s my mood or the fact they got too complacent but I keep getting thrown out the story to notice something: one opening credits fade into first scene still had the clapperboard clearly visible, or noticing the similarity in the music tone to Fake it til you make it and then seeing the inclusion of one of the Fake it til you make it OST tracks written into the story, but the worst was my annoyance that the Elvis character insists on wearing his glasses backwards instead of putting them away when he doesn’t need them.

I will watch to the end as it’s well acted and a calming watch and put my disappointment down to my mood rather than the drama itself.

Aoshima-kun is a bully - J drama
The usual no brainer contract relationship/office romance. The male lead has women throwing themselves at him and treats them with the usual disinterest. We later find out his dad has been married several times and therefore the male lead had several step mothers parent him. The female lead is happy being alone and focused on her career.

Finished

Can we love (2014)
Discovery of love (2014)

Both these dramas showed that romance dramas can be written without stalkers.

Book corner
Mater 2-10 by Hwang Sokyong.
This was a fascinating listen providing a thorough study of life from the perspective...

Love Scout (1): The first episode was enjoyable, but I really don't think it needed to be 80 minutes long. The leads have chemistry, even if they didn't have a lot of scenes together yet. I am curious how the ML actually ended up getting the assistant job at the end though. Because, honestly, I'm not sure if I would willingly wanna work as the assistant of a boss who I previously had a tense argument with, especially when said boss basically ended up being right.

The Misery of Lady Ok (7-8): This woman will never know peace, and yet it's also exactly what keeps the show entertaining. The pacing might be a mess, but the show is at it's most entertaining when we see Goodeok dealing with everything life throws at her, however, it falters when it randomly decides to turn into a rom-com (which is funny for 5 minutes until you realize it's essentially filler).

Check In Hanyang (3-4): This show is stupid, and that's not a bad thing. I'd rather have a stupid but entertaining show than a show that doesn't seem to know what it wants to be and excels at nothing. This show excels at being stupid, and it works.

Namib (3-4): While the first 2 episodes felt kinda messy and a bit all over the place, I feel like this week was more consistent in terms of everything, and I liked these 2 episodes way more than the first two. I like how flawed our characters are, and this applies to the "villains" too, because even they don't seem to be inherently evil just for the sake of it.

Captivating The King (1-16): I declare myself a Shin Se-kyung and Mong-woo defender. SSK did good with what she was given, and I supported all of Mong-woo's plans (except the assassination one). They might not always have been the smartest ones, but the alternative was worse. Anyway, this isn't the best show, but it was consistently entertaining & most certainly very captivating at times, and it certainly didn't disappoint me. I also like that the ending was open, in that they didn't say whether Mong-woo would continue living as a man or as a woman. I'm choosing to believe the first, as I think it would give her more freedom (and the finale established she didn't wanna be a concubine). Also, I love the idea of everybody in the palace just continuing to be under the impression that the king is in love with a man (and most of them just being perfectly fine with that).

COMPLETED
Love on a Single Log Bridge - Didn't live up to its potential. Till the very last week the young cast were so much more believable and interesting. Definitely didn't need the illness or all the drama with the foster son.

ONGOING
When the Phone Rings - Felt so bad for Do-jae - it was nice that he got a redemption arc. Obviously they won't kill off Hee-joo so I'm guessing the finale will be all kinds of crazy.

Who is She? - Young granny crossed the line from abrasive to annoying this week - she acts like the whole world owes her something. Mr. Park turning young is an interesting development. Let's see how it goes.

Check-in Hanyang - Jun-hwa found out the truth pretty quickly. I think the Yongcheonru bosses might actually be the good guys - compared to the Minister of War at least. Wonder how they'll spin Deok-su in hanbok…

Namib - How did all these people hear about the self-harm and not immediately put this kid into therapy?! The Dad is shaping up to be my favourite followed by Son Jin-woo.

WATCHLIST
Love Scout and When the Stars Gossip of course!

C-DRAMAS
Completed Under the Skin 2. Went too far down the psycho-babble, pseudo-science path and then we ended on doppelgangers and a cliffhanger 😣.

Breeze by the Sea (T-drama, up to Ep. 8) - Watched a chunk with my eyes only half-open given my massive phobia of geckos 🙈.

Started Guardians of the Dafeng (up to Ep. 13) - Nothing spectacular but serviceable as a costume version of a cop buddy-comedy. Can see the harem novel trappings in how uninteresting all the female characters are so far.

Also started We Are Criminal Police (up to Ep. 5) - Immersive and engrossing. Taking my time with it because it deserves attention.

Next week will have Small Police Station, Flourished Peony, and Moonlight Mystique. Sooo much content 😵

Namib: I hope this is a healing drama because everything happening is so tragic. The only joy that seems to be happening is when we have a Jin Woo Ji Woo sandwich, with my girl Ji Woo bringing the happiness jam. However, we are still in the set-up phase, I get it.

When the Phone Rings: Holy filler Batman, lol. Onto episode 12, nice kisses though, ha.

Love Scout: The number of times I shouted you are both adults in their interactions was alot. However, I liked the headhunter angle and I like our leads. I would prefer kdramas dispense with making every grown women swoon a good-looking man though, it is annoying and stupid.

Check in Hanyang: This is stupid. Watch it, ha.

The Tale of Lady Ok: The romance is moving in a circle. A very annoying circle. The rest of the drama is jumping from storyline to storyline to move the plot without actually moving the plot. I need it to pick a story settle in and then cut the circle and make it a line that is moving forward. So we can all move forward.

Live Watches
Love Your Enemy: I really enjoyed this drama for the most part. The high school versions of the leads really shined, but in the end, the adult versions of the leads did too. The villain was not a psychopath for no reason, the feud was put to bed, and I liked the strange and partial bromance between Grandpa Yoon and Daddy Seok. But always the best part of this show (besides our secretary’s facial expressions) was the relationship between the leads, and I loved that it was sweet and strong by the end.

When the Phone Rings: I started this on Monday and binged through so that I’m now caught up! It’s been super fun so far, but I didn’t love how they left things after ep 11. What could Original Sa-eon have said to make Replacement Sa-eon abandon Hee-joo when literally his whole thing is not abandoning her? The only things I can think of are something guilt-inducing (to do with her dad?) or something Greek tragedy-inspired (secret siblings?). Between those two, I’ll take guilt please.

Older Dramas:
No Gain No Love: (3 episodes in) I totally get why everyone loved this, and honestly, contract marriages/relationships are high on my list of fav tropes. Also super high on my list, I realized, is people who are not actually in a relationship (but who are pretending to be) being asked how they met, and one of them giving an absolutely honest and true answer that throws off the other person entirely. Specific? Yes. Adorable? Also yes. And I’m into how savage Ji-uk’s banter is with everyone; if his conversations with Hae-young soften, I hope he picks up other side characters to become recipients of his dead-pan insults!

Gyeongseong Creature 2: (1 episode in) Jeez, apparently I started a lot of dramas this week! My partner and I started this one because we realized we couldn’t just binge through the second season of Pachinko, and this breaks it up nicely. I really enjoyed season 1 (though I think it could have been much stronger with some relatively minor changes), and I’m interested to see how the lore of the world will shift with the modern setting.

What did I watch this week? Nothing, except the sad news stories on the Jeju Air tragedy and the childish political chaos in South Korea.

I was very busy at work this week so I don't even know if the next episode of SORRY NOT SORRY aired this week.

Iron Family: What I am most interested in is the OTP finally dating – and, oh happiness, ML Kang-ju finally telling the Unfairman some truths, straight to his face! (Giffed that)
Also, It would be nice to see Tae-ung come back to niceness – he has only been a horrible person for a few weeks, and maybe he could be a brother, kind of, for Kang-ju. Also – it has been put aside, but there was that DNA-test that had been in the dustbin … Imagine if the straw in the plastic bag ended up being something a certain young keen police officer had sipped from while doing his job at the crime scene?
I have wondered all week about a clear gesture the Unfairman made while talking about Laundry Mum potentially having an admirer. @attiton found the nearest thing yet to a plausible answer to what the gesture means, but it was GAI, so maybe it’s true, maybe it’s only as true as that people have three arms – if anybody knows the hand-to-chin gesture (can be found in my gifs) I would love to have it confirmed.
When the Phone Rings: Stakes are high most of the time here. Last week, some of all those family relations were unraveled, (I had totally suspected the smooth bodyguard, since he was so smooth, so trusted, and wasn’t Im Chul Soo) but I am still not sure about whom is left to trust, and I can just hope that the 2FL gets her orabeoni and that he is not a bad person.
Marry My Husband: I liked this! It had its flaws, but it had an amazing number of non-flaws, too, I think. Like great depictions of the worst kinds of men, skilled hilarious and scary performance of pathetic and violent privilege entitlement, as well as of course really nice men, enough for the FL as well as of the friends she found along the way. And for once, the FL as a person did not cease to exist, only to become a nurse for ML’s childhood wounds. He was for her, admittedly, and opinions differ on whether he was a person at all or just a coat hanger for a suit with ML on the chest. I liked him, though. Even for his mostly unsmiling introvert-ness and definitely for his undisguised, only-know-sincere being-in-love-ness.
I also liked, that at some point, risks were taken knowingly, instead of one person knowing the other was in danger and then not saying anything “to not scare them” or whatever, which often happens in dramas. Training so as to be ready when danger knocks on your door: Yes, please, good idea.
Trope of the year: A discussion here on Dramabeans on tropes.
Should I watch: I hate the premiss that everyone dies unjustly and horribly, I want people survive, fall in love, and be happy, but maybe I will end up watching Squid Game 2 because it’s so star-studded?
***
Not a K-drama:
A Man on the Inside: I am liking Ted Danson a lot. I realize by now I maybe say this about too many men but … he reminds me of my dad. (Generally, if they are tall and charming, and easily become the centre of attention, I am not...

When The Phone Rings: 7.0 Not all bad, but they put "drama" too far above believability. Cast are better than the plot, esp Chae Soo-bin who has been one of my favs since Strongest Deliveryman and I'm Not a Robol in 2017.

The Tale of Lady Ok: 7.5

Check-In Hanyang: 5.5

Who Is She: 6.5

Love Scout: 6.0 So this time Han Ji-min is after heads, not butts? Ep 1 story was uninteresting but besides HJM, supporting cast include Seo Hye-won from Alchemy & Business Proposal, one of the performers from Jeongnyeon, and a baddie from Family Matters, so I can't just drop it without giving them more of a chance.

Shogun: 6.5 Finally finished the miniseries.

Happy new year, everyone.

I just know that WHEN THE PHONE RINGS is going to piss me off with that ending. Going by episode 11, they won't be able to stick the landing. And I am so annoyed. Perhaps we need to stop Kdrama and CDrama writers from starting a show if they won't end it well. I'm reserving final judgment for when I watch the final episode later today.

I am going to check out LOVE SCOUT this week. I also finally caught up with GOOD PARTNER.

On the CDrama front, while I wait for FLOURISHED PEONY, I am watching THE BLOSSOMING LOVE , and it's actually exceeded my expectations. It's watchable and funny, and I am looking forward to more.

On the book front, I finally got a copy of Sharon Shinn's latest book, ALIBI, and I can't wait to sink my teeth into it. She's one of my top three favorite authors. So all in all, my year has been off to a good start - imaginary worlds-wise. Real life, though...that's a whole 'nother story

Love Your Enemy (Series review) - Mood progression: D+ / D+ / D / D / D / D
Lmao, they really went with the dementia trope and resolved all the obstacles in the most narratively dumbest ways ever. It was looking very bleak for a moment but thankfully the Yoon Park card at least made me stop yawning for a bit, at least until I realised he’s a consolation prize for the 2FL. Then we have the standard long-distance and reunion ending. Lol.

Who Is She (Episode 1-6) - Mood: D+ / D+ / D
Oh, it wasn’t a body swap drama? There’s actually more makjang involving an identical twin who might have actually been the ‘actual’ Emily who disappeared for fantasy reasons? And why does the show keep trying to push an unneeded and erm super weird romance between the hot, young, rich, traumatised ML and the FL, with love triangles prepared on both sides?

The Tale of Lady Ok (Episode 7-8) - Mood: D
Yeah, to say that the story underwent a huge downturn would be an understatement. We’re really going through trauma all over again with the same boring villains? What happened to the identity theft or the FL’s dad or the twins? After last week’s cliffhanger, you would think they’ll at least cover the husband but nope, they just dragged it out for yet another cliffhanger.

Namib (Episode 3-4) - Mood: D
I can’t believe that the show just went “one car accident for justifying shitty adult behaviour isn’t enough, let’s have two”: it baffles me as to why writers can’t actually take the effort to write a non-makjang backstory to distinguish themselves from other mediocre shows. And then we have another case of a mental disorder being downplayed since love will save the day.

Check In Hanyang (Episode 3-4) - Mood: D
It’s hard to get excited about the plot when it’s clear that a love triangle is incoming now that everyone’s aware of FL being a woman. Sure, they can tease about Kim Min Jung double-crossing everyone but that’s just lame sageuk politics. I guess the only hope left is the sole lead who isn’t hiding an identity: it’s clear his arc’s being hidden, maybe it’s very epic?

When the Phone Rings (Episode 9-10) - Mood: D
As makjang explodes left and right, the only thing I’m really interested in what the writer has in store for the 2FL next week. As of now, she’s not even a plot device relaying info between the characters but an exposition and romance tool unless the finale has some gigantic plot twist waiting for us. At this point, who really cares that the FL got kidnapped more than once.

Happy New Year, Beanies!

Here's what I've been watching over the Christmas - New Year break:

LIVE WATCHES:

1. NAMIB - This is my first live watch of the year. 4 episodes in and I'm hooked. I'm rooting for the ousted CEO and her one-last-chance trainee to WIN and for the back-stabby backstabbers to receive the appropriate comeuppance.

ONGOING:

1. SIGNAL - I started watching this because I liked Lee Je-Hoon in TAXI DRIVER. It's not bad at all for a time-travel cop drama.

2. GRID - This is okay Korean superhero-ish Sci-Fi. I quite like the vibe and action.

3. ARCANE - I'm finally buckling down to watch this most excellent animated series and it lives up to the hype.

COMPLETED:

1. LOVE YOUR ENEMY - A short, sweet, and straightforward rom-com drama with some family feuding thrown in. Was it as well-written and well set-up as ROMANCE IN THE HOUSE? No. But it was entertaining. That wedding dress though...

2. DOCTOR WHO Christmas Special - I really loved it and how they tied the special in to the song "Joy to the World".

Watching When the Phone Rings and wondering if I am watching a different show from the one so many are hailing as one of the best of 2024. Let me begin by saying that while I’m a fan of the ML, the intensity of his character at the beginning of the show was overkill and the jump from arrogant controlling husband to a devoted one left me a little cold.

The plot itself is constantly asking viewers to turn off our brains…that opening scene with the attempted kidnapping, the fall that should have killed the FL twice over, the haphazard bodyguard cover for the FL although her life is under active threat, the disjointed story telling with the backstory and yet another tired childhood traumatic connection.

Additionally, I find the supporting cast to be dull adding nothing to the show with the exception of the funny aide…he understands comic relief well and nails it in all his roles.

I am fast forwarding through the last few episodes but this one is being added to the overhyped pile…King the Land, Marry My Husband, Queen of Tears etc.

Iron Family - Crosswalk baring his claws at Unfairman was the highlight this week. I look forward to the follow-up from it.

Cinderella at 2PM episodes 3-6: I see why I dropped it earlier. The plot is not moving. It has been circling the same orbit for stories now. And, even the saving grace keeping me going - Yoon Park and So-jin - does not occupy up to 20 minutes from episode 3-6 combined.
The school bullying arc with her highschool brother was superb though. I loved the message they passed.

Love Scout 30 mins into episode 1 - So she's a headhunter CEO. Eun-ho with his daughter 😊😊😊. That dance🤭🤭🤭🤭.

Namib - The reason for the divorce was so endearing. I love me such a husband.

Feng Shui - The human greed displayed is palpable. I liked how both parties ended up though. Good Feng Shui guy really a great service.

Not much going on for me right now, because you could say I’m getting ready for takeoff with LOVE SCOUT (waiting so I can binge two episodes later today) and maybe WHEN THE STARS GOSSIP. Undecided whether to keep WTSG off until it’s done airing though, too many live watches can be distracting… 🤔 I’ll let the FOMO decide later, I guess. 😂

Anyways! Finished TODAY’S WEBTOON from the reserves, and really liked this. It had a nostalgic feel and great ensemble. The cast is stellar in this! (And it’s always delightful to come across Im Chul-Soo, who seems to have „fancy wardrobe“ built as a precondition into his standard contracts 😂)

Also started with IRON FAMILY, and so far it’s delightful! I’m not sure if I’m able to stick with it until the end (… so many episodes, lol!), but do like the soapy feel for now 🥳 Plus: My favorite grandparents.

Hope to see you on the LOVE SCOUT discussion threads later 😉🤩🥳

Happy New year beanies and overlords!
Thank you for all the hard work in keeping this site up and running. Hope everyone has a peaceful 2025.

I am losing interest in most dramas I was watching but will finish them eventually - Phone Rings and Iron Family.
I watched Love Scout - why are these episodes so long!! It was a mostly a set up ep 1. But I do like the leads.
I am weirdly excited for the Space drama airing today (forgot the title).

Non k-dramas, I started 'Only Murders in the building' on Hulu. I like it so far. Saw only 3 episodes.

So many dramas! We have started LOVE YOUR ENEMY and NAMIB but have not yet been able to get to LOVE SCOUT.

I am enjoying SORRY NOT SORRY even though it is only one episode per week. I also continued to enjoy the new contemporary C-drama BEGIN AGAIN.

My wife and I are watching WHO IS SHE? and also the T-drama BREEZE BY THE SEA, the Taiwanese remake of TOP STAR YOO BAEK.

My wife completed her watch of the Chinese Costume dramas BLOSSOM which she says is very good (she recommends it highly) and also BROCADE ODYSSEY which she found entertaining. She has now started the new Chinese Costume drama GUARDIANS OF THE DAFENG.

We only have eight more episodes to go in what has been the best Weekender in a long time. How good? Two of the actors have been nominated for a Daesang. Our OTP are finally together while our FL’s Unni is coming through for her at considerable self-sacrifice- we have spent much of this drama disliking her but now we see where she has been coming from and hope that her sacrifice may actually be the golden opportunity that she has truly earned. Our 2ML needs to get himself out of a rut. But we also know that our Police Family is about to experience major angst. Meanwhile we all got a serious giggle out of seeing our pretty but larcenous aunt staring into an empty locker at the end of Sunday’s episode. How will the writer resolve the situation over the money without harming the people we have come to love? That is the burning question now.

Hi Beanies! Happy New Year!

This is how my year has started:

What I'm watching:

_ When the phone rings (11 out of 12). Or when the makjang makjangs. Everything is so exaggerated... I can't with this show.

_ The Tale of Lady Ok (8 out of 16). It's a good drama but I could do without the villains smiling as villains (in case we didn't notice). I love the main couple and their chemistry.

_ Reply 1997 (6 out of 16). I didn't know this drama had several short episodes. I'm enjoying it. It's quite endearing and relatable.

_ C-drama Sword Snow Stride (26 out of 38). I love how this drama keeps surprising me. Some scenes are fascinating.

Western shows:

_ French-Japanese series Drops of God (7 out of 8). I have no idea about wines (I don't even like wine) but this drama is interesting and entertaining. Great cinematography too.

Happy new year, beanies! I hope we all have a wonderful time in kdramaland this year.

Uri unnie decided to sleep early so only uri oppa and I got to rewatch High School Musical (with uri omma watching only a few scenes). Which means I was the only one singing along. He was laughing harder at the jokes, tho.

After ending 2024 with our childhood memories, we decided to start 2025 with something new... For him. Because I've already watched Bottoms a million times. At the end he said he prefers Booksmart. I haven't watched it yet tho.

What I'm really watching.

After I Checked In Hanyang I checked out from Tale of Lady Ok. So it's a drop. Every episode I care less and less about these characters and their stories.

On the other hand, Iron Family did a great job at making me care about everyone this week. I hope things don't get too complicated to the point uri Mu Rim, his wife and MIL get in trouble too. And I hope things work way better for Cha Rim in her BIL's company.
BTW, I love how the Iron Squad became the Cha Rim-defender-squad this week. 😁

Also, OMO URI CROSSWALK COUPLE IS EVERYTHING.

And, Sorry Not Sorry but I didn't bother with this week's episode. I'll wait for the recap to decide if I should watch it, wait until the show is over and binge the show, or just drop it.

I prefer using my time figuring out Who is She? and what the heck is that taxi driver's angle? 😂 What is he doing messing with the halmonis and harabojis of our neighborhood? I was NOT expecting that twist! But I love it.

Another thing I loved was the first episode of Love Scout. I love how we started the year with a romcom of two imperfect yet likable individuals with their own lives. I hope that's the trend of 2025.

And finally, When the Phone Rings I do like Hui Joo by putting it on speaker and under my pillow.
Tbh, I was shocked when I thought I enjoyed yesterday's episode, just to realize I had only watched like 25min of it. So I just started reading my webtoon.
However, that didn't prevent me from witnessing Sa On's stupidity.
Next time you're driving a freaking car and some psycho who hates your guts points at you with a gun, just run them over. Don't act like paper actually wins against rock in real life, ffs.

Oh, wait, I almost forgot about how Namib has me all sad and stressed, but I also feeling kind of hopeful. I just want everyone here to heal and be happy.

When The Phone Rings: Still sitting rapt for the last episode tonight. Ep 11 went full-on QoT, but somehow, this show is so much better than that... The acting has elevated the same story onto another level altogether. It's like the writers were told to redo the BaekHong plot, but make it 100x better, and it's worked somehow. Hope they stick the ending 🤞

Love Scout has been interesting so far, halfway through ep1.

Enjoying House of Ninjas thoroughly! Thanks to the Beanie who recco'd it! Seems like jaded superhero families are the trope of the year.

Waiting to watch the first episodes of Space Station show together tomorrow. The previews have been really interesting. I like Gong Hyo Jin, and I've never watched a Lee Min Ho show before, so I'm quite excited about it.

Fiery Priest 2 going to miss this drama. This season is not as strong as the first season and while the absurd humor is right up my alley, it spent a little too much time on it. Still, I'm grateful that it got made and that I have gotten to experience joy from watching it. I watched the finale 3 times. There aren't many kdramas that do this sort of irreverent, go-for-broke wacky humor.

When the Phone Rings: (up to ep 8). Not hooked, but very intrigued. And hot damn, it is thrillingly romantic and at times, hilarious. I'm glad I was spoiled as to the episode 1 ending reveal so that I could LOL through the last 12 minutes of the first episode.

Blossom: Cdrama. Finished. So terrifically good and with a happy and satisfying ending, though I do side-eye what they did with Song Han. I love how this drama really has the FL be the primary hero, through to the very end. I appreciated the fast pace, though I think it could have been improved with some of the developments and scenes adding a minute here or there to make some of the cuts and scenes connect better.

Guardians of Dafeng (cdrama, eps 1-7): More of a watching-while-doing-chores. From the trailer, I was expecting it to be a lot more sharp, comedic, and slick. I do like the warm family aspect in the early episodes, but it looks like he's now moving onto the next arc.

Under the Skin 2: (cdrama, up to ep 27) The last two cases have been boring, with this final case being really hard to get through with the pacing and the characters feeling insufferable. I know I have one more episode to go, but I read about the cliffhanger, so I feel like ep 27 is as good a place to stop.

When the Phone Rings
I was slightly disappointed with Ep. 11, especially after Ep. 10 ended at a high emotional point. I didn't think it needed any more drama, and the writer could have focused on catching the bad guys, finding the girl, tying up loose ends, and giving us a lovely dovey Ep. 12. But no...they didn't do that. Will see tonight .

Squid Game 2
If violence is not your cup of tea, you should know to skip this show. Contrary to popular opinion, I liked Season 2. Gi-hun's plan was reckless and stupid, but that is the point. He was so focused on getting his revenge and taking down the "evil" guy that he was willing to make small human sacrifices. His action is not that different from what is happening in the world right now.

WHEN THE PHONE RINGS: This show is so extra and yet completely earnest that it's always one beat shy of going completely off the rails. But for me, it's still clicking even though I realized at some point after watching that I don't really understand or buy the main mystery driving the plot and peril. Who cares, though? I still can't wait to see how everything wraps up.

LOVE SCOUT: I wasn't sure about this one in the first 10 minutes or so because that opening with the race car dude felt too slick and try-hard. But as the tone and style settled more into slice-of-life I was hooked. I find the whole headhunter angle to be interesting and original in dramaland. Here in the States I feel that this profession somehow carries both prestige and the taint of presumed insincerity and suggestion of viewing humans as chattel (the pejorative name alone suggests this even though, of course, capitalism writ large is all about the buying and selling of labor). And although I didn't like seeing the ML suffer obvious abuse and retaliation from his supervisor, it was interesting to see a narrative that women so often live out written for a man. There were a few WTF moments. First, the fact that it went from full sun to black-as-pitch while the leads were walking to their cars after their first meeting. Were they walking exceptionally slowly or did it really take over an hour to progress that far? Second, how does a wayward parent expect to log any brownie points with their child by showing up *after* the soccer game is already over? Of course, there were also way too many flash scenes of women losing their minds over the ML's face (I know this is a common kdrama trope but really, we all have eyes! We don't need you reminding us every 10 minutes that the lead is hot!). Finally, wouldn't it be a major step down professionally for our male lead to go from his managerial position to a CEO's assistant? That's not a lateral move, I don't think, and the jobs really aren't the same. But ok, show, you hooked me when the endearingly hot-mess FL got in the wrong car (again) and locked eyes with our bewildered ML. Now I'm all in.

IRON FAMILY: This show has been extra good lately, and I'm loving how everything is unraveling. It also helps that Da Rim finally came to her senses; I love her and Kang ju together! I appreciate that none of our characters are stock--they are complex and often interesting. That said, the aunt and her planned trip to Singapore did not sit well with me (honestly, did she think it'd be ok after stealing all that money to just leave her family like that?) and whatever it is between Cha Rim and Tang-woong is an incoherent storyline that I think the writer bungled (I see no real warmth, understanding between them, let alone love or passion, and that needed to be there for their personality clash to be something more than a flashing red sign that these two people bring out the worst in each other and should never get together)...

It's a brand new year. Fresh out of the gates, I'm watching:

LOVE SCOUT. Now we are talking! More kdramas with skilled performers, yay! Personally, I despise headhunters so this one should be interesting. Also, a good single father, love that.

KNIGHT FLOWER. Catching up on a backlog of good 2024 dramas. Half-way through and while I like it, I don't love it except maybe I love Lee Jong-won in this role way more than BREWING LOVE.

IMITATION (2021). Rewatched this great kdrama, thinking to myself, was it really that good? Yep. It was. Highest recommendation, just wonderful storytelling and wonderful performances.

GUARDIANS OF THE DAFENG. Technically, I think this is my first (?) Dylan Wang watch having failed miserably multiple times on LBFAD. Good comic chops in DAFENG. Once they dropped me into Blue Land (ep. 11) I kinda realized I may need Cliffs Notes to get through this one.

SNOW SWORD STRIDE (2021). Oh boy! Up to ep. 8, and while this is a confusing story so far (recap support), it's still hugely enjoyable. Happy watch of the week to veteran cdrama actor Yang Hao Yu as the adorably warmhearted Lao Huang. Notable power-entrance by Gao Wei Guang as general Chen Zhi Bao. I love that this screenwriter gifts the viewer with so many distinctive, fascinating characters and that these productions (including JOL series) don't short the viewer and cast top quality talent in these roles.

@missvitrix about the whispering; It would be so nice it the really smart plot lines one can imagine were actually part of the drama more often!
I would want to see your thing with the lip reading!

SQUID GAME 2 (completed): The best compliment I can give to any kind of entertainment is that I was entertained! From start to finish, I was never bored. I didn't stop to look at the time, my mind never drifted. So, I'm pleased. Yes it was violent. Yes it wasn't as exciting as the first. Yes, Yes Yes. But, I'm so thankful for the 7 hours that I was immersed in a different world. So, am looking forward to season 3.

IRON FAMILY: Grandma is my favorite character. Everyone should have a grandma like her. A tad mean, but with good intentions.

LOVELY RUNNER: Back to watching after a Squid Game interruption.

Happy first Saturday of 2025, Beanies! Sorry, I'm a bit unwell and hence late tonight...

GUARDIANS OF THE DAFENG: Silly little drama – no more, no less. Rather pleasing one: silly humor, cheeky meta references (FMA one got me, ngl!), overall “fun hero adventure with all the genre tropes milked to death” vibe etc. Technical side is decent – nothing to write home about, but nothing to rub you wrong either. Love most of supporting cast, it's an ensemble show for me. OST is quite good too. My only issue with FL: she's dumb as rocks in cringe way hardly an interesting OR funny character (in story where everyone is funny that's a big deal), ML's insta-crush on her just because she's pretty looks lame (did writers even try - not even a proper meet-cute, just meet-and-bam?), also the chemistry is barely there. ML is still far from being nuanced melo king, but for this bravado unserious story he's alright (chemistry with everyone – sans FL - helps). Pls give us more scenes with riot family/yamen and less of “romance”.

THE BLOSSOMING LOVE: Indeed feels a lot like TTEOTM/angsty xianxia parody (some visuals/scenes/archetypes are basically the same bit to bit, just more budgety lol), but I don't think the drama commits to this self-ironic angle enough if that was intention. Plot is all over the place while not grabbing, which wouldn't be too bad if acting/chemistry served at least... but ML is far too stiff, both character and performance, so no amount of FL's shameless flirting could build two-way street between them. Imo, Youku did this show a huge disservice by turning it into TTEOTM wannabe – the difference in acting, intensity, crack factor and overall grandeur is just brutal. No matter how much I like SZN, she alone cannot carry this entire thing on her pretty strategically bared shoulders. Folks seem to like it tho, guess I'm the odd one again)))

THE REBEL PRINCESS: I know, seems random – blame cdrama tumblr for keeping to shove it down my throat with delicious promises of fantastic OTP with adult veteran actors in an epic they-don't-make-them-like-this-anymore 68 episodes war and court intrigue romance epic. 8 episodes in there's barely any OTP yet – leads just got force-married and far from even liking each other, let alone more – but other stuff already delivers: scheming, class commentary, scheming, betrayal, scheming, The Angst of aristocrats golden cage, scheming, bloody harem fights, scheming, war-and-revenge action... did I mention scheming?))) Natural lightning, bleak palette, gorgeous framing, serene OST, mostly good acting (SML gets on my nerves with his both deadpan AND overacting performance, and he's not alone with such disaster combo here) and the kind of confident, naturally unhurried pace that I mourn being lost currently due to damned 40 episodes cap.

Besides watching When the Phone Rings which after the whispered secret in episode 11 has turned into a celebration of family love in all its forms (look, I know its hard for young people to meet these days, but there really should be certain boundaries!) I watched the first episode of Love Scout which highlights the universal problem for men in the workplace, caught as they always are between their home and child care responsibilities and their job. As the plight of this show’s ML reflects, if Korea doesn’t provided more support for men in their domestic work, I predict the nation’s birth rate will drop and their population will decline!

While romance is on life support in Korea, I am happy to report for New Year’s I watched a very engaging 2023 rom-com film on Hulu, Rye Lane set in a nation known for its delight in passionate intimacy, in a city many refer to as “the City of Love.” No, I am not talking about the U.S., and Duluth, Minnesota, but rather England, and London—specifically the African-Caribbean English living in South London. It features a charismatic, smart, and physically attractive couple, with terrific chemistry and a funny, if at times a bit earthy, script. Highly recommended if you are a rom-com fan like myself and are getting a little frustrated with the inability of Korean shows to portray the process of falling in love as fun, rather than just fraught!

Squid Game 2
This season was so much more violent. Honestly I found this season good- it got better each episode and the last episode was exciting. I agree Gi-hun's plans or lack of it sucked- but it was better than doing nothing. I am impressed with Gi-hun's presence of mind and the learnings from his previous experience, despite knowing he wasn't a very smart character last season, and also find his naivete realistic. Also player 001 did do a lot to earn his trust. If only his allies wouldn't have withheld key information about 001 to Gi-hun! I was suspicious of the boat captain. Now they are cornered both inside and outside, don't see how they'll win against the game organisers. Also why are they letting Gi-hun stay alive this long! I think Wie Ha-joon and Park Gyu-young (some rebellion from the soldiers may help?) will play a bigger role next season. I'm so happy Hyun-ju survives for the next season!! Did anyone catch who players 096, 100, and 353 are?
I also agree with some views that this season lacked the intensity and seriousness of the previous season, there were too many new characters, and some of the comedic scenes and background music didn't fit.
All the Squid Game memes and theories are a hoot!!

The Package
Halfway done! This drama is as slice of life as it gets- these are the kind of people you actually meet in a package tour. Really enjoying the tour and all the characters' stories. I especially find Ha Si-eun and Choi Woo Shik's characters and storylines so realistic. Yoon Park is doing so well in the role! Its only a bit slow paced for me so I watch it at 1.2x. I'm liking the leads romance too, having eyes only for each other, conversations, and so many kisses... although I feel Maru is coming on too strong..already feeling love?.. focus on the trip and treat it like the fling that it is!

I will be alternating The Package with Family Matters. Watched the first episode and its so gory! Interested to know more!

I am ready for When the Stars Gossip!

When the Phone Rings don’t pick it up. Just finished it. Unpopular opinion: this has got to be the most overhyped, badly written, illogical show with contrived situations where you actively must turn off your brain. I nominate @darkcc to write a proper rant.

Hospital Playlist has been on my watchlist forever and I just started it. I needed something to watch in between these nonsense phone calls. I’m up to episode 2 and I can barely keep track of all the characters. Probably because WTPR killed all my brain cells. Should I keep powering through?

Rewatching Its Okay to not be Okay. It’s been a few years and it holds up really well. What really got me was how great the soundtrack was. Janet Suh is an OST genius. And I’m looking forward to a Seo Yea-Ji comeback.

We are putting the phone down. I don't know why last week was weaker. Maybe I was not in the mood. But the last 2 ep of When the phone rings are back with more twist n turns kidnapping and revelations.

I didn't progress on others dramas.

We just started Gu Family book and maybe the 2 eps of backstory are enough. After, it's spot the familiar face but the story has yet to really start.

I'm strolling in Macao with Begin again. I could have done without the parents. So, it seems that sometimes I can do without a story when there are enough enamoured smiles and tourist tours.
There are 3 songs from Fake it till you make it, but Elvira is not here.

Last week I finished Love your Enemy which ended perfectly satisfiying. I don't think it's a show I am going to rewatch, but I was entertaining enough.

I just finished Whent he Phone Rings. It was a good finale, but let's not talk about the reason why he left. But logic was never big on this show. How did they get the security video where she was hidden? I have no idea. One thing I liked about this drama compared to other, was how many scenes the leads had together. That was the main thing I was missing in the last two episodes.

I started Love Scout and I already love everything about it. More please.
Check in Hanyang is a nice distraction but not enough yet to make me anticapate every episode.

I also finished the C-Drama Blossom and I really liked it. I took me a long time to get into C-Dramas but I am finally in after enjoying several shows like Are you the One, The Double and others. I just started The Princess Royal.

Happy new year Beanies!! 🍾

Completed

The Trunk - A dark/steamy melo liked the ending though.

Love Your Enemy - Oh the flashbacks😍 this was a nice feel good drama to end 2024.

Fiery Priest 2 - I loved the S1 but S2 was 🤷‍♀️ I wish it had more action than unwanted plot points.

Face Me - I wish they showed the romance between the leads in depth than just for few seconds/glimpse in the end.

Ongoing

When the Phone Rings - Suspense?! Its good as good as the acting of all of them.

Iron Family - Congratulations and good luck to KJH and PJY for getting nominated for Daesangs.👏💐

My 2025 Kdramaland wish is to have more kickass heroines like Kang Bit-na.🥂

Namib Not convinced.

Sorry Not Sorry I'm behind (Paris in family instead!)

Check In HanyangThe FL is the most lucky because she's clearly not the most smart around...

The Tale of Lady Ok This drama is so weird. The situation and characters changed so much, I'm still waiting for the beginning of the story.

When the Phone Rings This drama is entertaining and hot!

Love Scout Han Ji-Min has a thing for single dad, stickers and Lee Sang-Hee !

When the Stars Gossip Finally! From the moment they started talking about it, a star could have died!

Love Your Ennemy I still have to finish it...

When the phone rings One more episode to go for me. Sounds like there are some mixed opinions on whether the last episode is worth it. One thing I am appreciating about it is the cleverness of including multiple dream sequences. We continue to have tension about our leads being hurt/disappearing, but at the same time get the lovey dovey scenes of them happily together.
Check in Hanyang As other people have said, its stupid, but in a way that is making me smile.
Love Scout I'm going to keep watching it, but the intersection with reality is going to keep bothering me as well. In office romances between boss and secretary are never a good idea, even if gender reversed. And if only real life head hunting firms were like this, instead of relying on AI scans of resumes.
Namib I wish they had not inserted self-harm into this. If anyone cared for the lead, they would get him into counseling, and put him into a different career path. One that does not have so much external pressure related to his body.
C-dramas
Breeze by the sea continues to be a slow relaxing day by the ocean
Under the Skin 2 On hold, though I am tempted to skip to the end credits of every episode just to see what the music is.
Blossom Started because of the recommendations here. Took me a while to get thru the fighting in the first episode, relieved that it is not every episode.
The road home On hold. Has some interesting landscapes. FFing thru half of every episode because of copaganda
Other-with my husband
Veronica Mars Season 3 on hold. I've never seen S3, it did not screen here, so I'm a bit anxious because S1 and S2 are so good.
Coupling Rewatch (for me) first time (for him)
Parts Unknown We've both watched this a lot, but this time we are sitting down and watching thru the seasons in order, to catch any episodes we may have missed. Bourdain was a great storyteller and fascinating man.

Love Your Enemy 🐦ep11-12 *finale* The show managed to wrap its main storylines. Its nice to see our main couple happy together. Also for the cute secondary couple. I enjoyed the cameo by Yoon Park. I still dont care for our SFL. I like the introduction of Seok Jin's grandma. It changed the dynamics in that family meeting very quickly. Where have you been lady?

Light Shop 💡ep5-8 *finale* It took me longer to get back to this drama than expected. Second half answered a lot of the first half's mystery and horror elements. As expected of Kang Full, he injected a lot of heart to the story and also ser the stage for a possible crossover? Or maybe just establishing its in the same world as his previous drama.

When the Phone Rings 📲ep11-12 not yet done with both episodes

The Tale of Lady Ok 🌹ep5-6 the episodes are so darn long. There are so many elements going into this show that I am not sure I really care for all of them. I will still persist and give this show a chance.

Rented in Finland 🌲ep4 just dropping by to watch the dorks experience the simple life in Lapland. I needed to watch something to take away from real life stuff. Also to feed my wanderlust and this show delivered. Wow! That private lake was so pretty!

Europe Outside My Tent: Romantic Italy 🎒🥾 ep11 just watching the ladies explore Hallstatt. Its a beautiful town like in a fairytale. Same comment as Rented in Finland. Escapism at its best.

Well, right now I am supposedly watching the last episode of When the Phone Rings. I was going to watch it in the living room where my partner is reading, but I can't figure out how to use the "play at 1.75 speed," on the TV. So I'm on my computer in the bedroom with the TV playing the last episode as fast as possible on the other screen. I am frequently disappointed by stupid, bad drama endings. But this is such a let down! I mean really, what is this? Why is this so bad? I am definitely finishing it, don't get me wrong. But I am peeved about it.
Speaking of bad, I'm also watching Check In Hanyang and Namib. They are both weak in different ways, but not as terrible as this bad stupid ending to a drama I really, really liked a lot! Not sure whether to stick with them.
I realized how much I liked The Trunk because I got the novel of the same name on which the drama was supposedly based. It had definite similarities. It seemed like someone had written a fan fic for the novel as the basis of the screenplay for the drama. The original novel is much darker and focuses on the female protagonist. It is a more thorough indictment of marriage than the drama.
But what that made me realize was, the visual language of the drama The Trunk and the repeating motifs in the screenwriting were so sophisticated. It is really a worthy version of the story.

Just finished a 2-day binge watch of Good Partner. I wasn't exactly disappointed—I just never felt emotionally invested in the characters and their stories, except for the fraught mother-daughter relationship between Eun-Kyung and Jae-Hee. The two actresses—Jang Na-Ra and Yu-Na, respectively—gave the show's standout performances.

When the Phone Rings: I'll save my comments for the recaps, but even when this is ridiculous it's highly entertaining, so I wholeheartedly endorse this for general consumption.

Finished a bunch of romcoms for the Bean count. The most satisfying may have been Romance in the House, as rather than romance what it really was about was earning the trust and learning to trust the people in your life whom you already love but have issues with. A well-earned ending.

Watched an episode of Lightshop but was too sleepy to make sense of it. Will need to start over. Am still pondering where I can watch Family Matters.

Caught up with all six episodes of Who is She? in a day, due to the wonders of fast forwarding. Only the granny interactions really interest me. I am mourning the loss of her curls. Somehow they made her look even younger.

Will try Love Scout, but may wait for a favourable general consensus before wading into the other new shows.

WHEN THE PHONE RINGS (ep9): Christmas and binging western dramas interrupted my watch after ep 7 and I've had difficulty getting back into the show after this. And seeing as ep 7 would have made an okay ending in itself, I'm not boosted by the beanie comments on how things just seems to be going downhill from there. But it's only 12 eps.

And this is why I decided against dropping LOVE YOUR ENEMY, at least for another episode. Sadly ep 9 featured the still detestable side characters and new ones at that.

AOSHIMA-KUN IS A BULLY (ep3): This, on the other hand, is quite delightful. At least the ML is, I'm finding him surprisingly complex and can't wait to find out more about his family. The FL gave a good impression in the first episode but she is turning out to be the standard door mat Jdrama lead. The actress is doing a great job though so I hope they remedy this.

BLOSSOM (ep26): Is by far my favourite watch right now. I love how the FL doesn't go for revenge but just tries to steer bad people out of her life.

I tried several thaï dramas this week.

RIVALRY (2022) - ep. 1& 2 : It's promising, but the episodes are too long. I pass.

10 YEARS TICKET (2022) - ep. 1 : I'm curious to see how the show will evolve.

BECAUSE OF LOVE (2023) - ep. 1 : I pass, the beginning was draft.

MOONLIGHT CHICKEN (2023) - ep. 1 : I was bored. I pass.

LIAR (2023) - ep. 1 : How can we appreciate the FL ? She is stupid and unbearable (like her father). I only liked her mother, brother and colleague. I pass.

I'm waiting : DEAR MY SECRETARY (24/01/2025), the thaï remake of "What's Wrong with Secretary Kim".

A rarity for me that I'm watching so many dramas live right now.

I however watch them in the following priority as they are all weekend dramas":

1. Iron Family - I first watch the raws at YT when they come out like two hours after airing in Korea, then the Viki subbed-version the next day. Very, very few dramas are great from beginning to end but this may be the exception. In fact, it is getting better and better now that 30 episodes are out and you can see how all the threads are now in forward motion and in sync - a big feat for a family weekender with so many characters and intricate plots. These last few episodes manage to alternate me in crying and laughing modes. Well done! I just hope the eventual rating will cross the 20% mark. The cast and crew fully deserve moe love and accolade.

2. Breeze By The Sea - I enjoy watching this warm and comfy drama so much that I always watch it as soon as the Viki episodes are out (which happens always before new Iron Family episodes are available). The minute I see the blue sea and the Kinman Bridge in my screen, I feel relaxed. This is pretty much a healing drama for me with the lovable scenery and characters that calms me and gives me joy. Chen Bolin and Puff Gao is a perfect pairing - Chen is his usual charismatic self in delivering the top star character and Puff makes the extra effort to make herself look plain and not 'pretty' for this role. The drama surpasses my expectation as a remake of K-drama Top Star Bak Seok.

3. Love Your Enemy - This started as a 'drop-or-not'drama but I stayed for JJH and JYM. A good decision because by the end of it, it was a more-than-OK drama. At the beginning, I liked none of the side characters but that changed along the way. The thing I like most is how mature the couple is in their current phase - so good to see them both realise the importance of not wasting any more time just to be themselves and happy. Yet, the most moving moment for me is the 2FL confessing her sin in the final episode. We have so many evilish 2FL all the times and it's refreshing to have a scene like this. Kim Ye-won has done this type of semi-villaineous roles so many times but here she pulls off a performance that is heartfelt and sincere.

4. Love Scout - Ep 1 is solid and Ep 2 is good. It has now laid the foundation for a heart-fluttering romance. Please keep it that way. I love the role reversal here, in particular HJM's ace headhunter but clumsy in real life character. I can also see the production team put in efforts to project the HR/headhunting world. Good work!

5. When The Phone Rings - Well, after the high octane eight episodes, the addictiveness has dropped thereafter somehow. It has to do with the plots and pacing in that the final part became the inevitably part to rush out the rather complicated (or convoluted) story. I can see the ML become an ordinary citizen but there's no need for the adventure in Argan, right? There...

Watching K drama

Tale of Lady Ok
The Queen Who Crowns Not familiar with either leads. The costumes are beautiful, the picture is crystal clear .

Looking forward to Ep2

C drama Riverside Code at Qingming Festival Enjoying it. Zhang Song Wen was also in The Knockout which I enjoyed.

Just finished:
- When The Phone Rings. Good lord, what an ending. I loved how both leads just threw their brains (and requisite communication skills) out the window in ep 12. /s But hey, it was a fun show overall!
- Bloodhounds. Always wanted to watch it, powered through although there was less bromance and considerably more grisly violence than I anticipated. An interesting story, although it was funny how Hyeon-ju (the girl) basically yeeted out of the story in ep. 10, never to be heard of again. Was that the actress with a DUI or something?
- Family By Choice. It was fine but honestly I liked the c-drama better...the drama around ML's mom was better-handled. In this one she just kind of drifted off at the end. Not a great ending for someone who caused so much suffering.

Ongoing:
- The Devil Judge. I started this probably a year ago and am dragging my feet on finishing, mostly because I've seen spoilers and also got sick of the judge's insane mood swings. Lol.
- Are You the One (c-drama). Looooove this one but it was dragging on so again, still need to finish. Heard the ending will be good so yay.