Rants and "Weekly" Raves #17 (RAWR)

bcook: First! hahahaha. I'm finally first for something. Which is good because my kdrama watching is at an all time low. The heart is willing but the soul is lazy AF.
I am fully caught up on Superman Returns. Those kids are just the adorabliest!! I'm totally a fan of Miguk such cute winks.

JoAnne: I ranted here yesterday and now today I feel better so I erased. (aww. hope everything is ok)(Everything is fine. Sometimes people are dicks and I lose my ability to laugh at them, thus permitting cracks in my cool exterior.)Wayyyy better than a therapist! Lots going on in KDramaLand so let's focus on that!
kakashi: Awwww, you people give me the standard color? I'm not sure how I feel about this. Important? You are our leader. 
Lafer: Exactly.

Blade Man

I am supposed to feel sorry for Tae Hee (are they all called Tae-hee these days?) but mostly I just want her to go away because she's interrupting our Se Dong/Hong Bin time. On the other hand, I feel like this show could really give us a satisfactory, compassionate response to this question: What do you do when you are in love, and someone you loved and lost tragically (thought to be dead) comes back? What do you do if you're the new love?
kakashi: Well, old love is old love and new love is new love, right? That reminds me of a tongue twister in German: Blaukraut bleibt Blaukraut and Brautkleid bleibt Brautkleid. Say it! Three times, fast. Another that I found out myself is: Froschlurch bleibt Froschlurch und Schwanzlurch bleibt Schwanzlurch. Man, I can barely type it!
I can't say it once, slowly.
 

My Lovely Rain

My Beloved and his dog deserved a better drama. I still say the story that should have been is this: They have some feelings for each other. He struggles with it. They go on one date. It's awkward as all get out and they both agree it's not going to happen, they're going to be oppa/dongsaeng. She and Shi Woo are growing toward each other when she finds out about Oppa's relationship with her sister. It ruins things between Rain and Se Na for a while, but Shi Woo is instrumental in bringing them back together (despite his awareness that Rain actually DOES have feelings for Se Na, Shi Woo comes to understand they will never be acted upon, and he wants what's best for Se Na, so...) In the end, it's Rain and Se Na as a genius song writing team, Shi Woo the huge star. Se Na and Shi Woo in love happily, Rain the supportive oppa, now fortified with bromance. Final scene, he has a meet cute with a woman and you know he'll fall in love. For meta (plus max squee) it's Kim Tae Hee.
That one tanked big time, didn't it. Sorry for Rain.
Whoever is choosing his dramas needs to be shot. He should like go on tour or something.
Sometimes I'm so darn proud of myself for bucking the trend and passing on a drama altogether.
becca: I have four episodes left, and I'm probably going to drop it. I never bought the main romance and actively disliked it as the episodes wore on, so I'm not sure what the point would be in finishing. Better luck next time, Rain! See you farther on down the line!
Define 'tanked' - it was a big hit in China, apparently. It appears that the loudest complaints are those who were deeply fond of Shi Woo, who was dangled like a tiny little sulky man-prop right up until practically the last minute. I really didn't give a rat's ass what happened, I just wanted to watch Rain.
I was referring to the very dismal ratings in Korea. The show has good company though - lots of dismal ratings these days. Bad Guys as a cable show gets about the same %

Misaeng

Could not possibly love this more. Perfection. Everyone has a story in this world, and every episode I sit enthralled, waiting to learn them.
becca: I've only seen two episodes of this one, so I'm seriously behind, but I do love it.
Sadly, I keep falling asleep during this. So I'm thinking it's not really holding my interest and have gotten behind.
I want to read the manga. And this goes on my "watch" list
 

Jane the Virgin

This is an American show. If you can find it, watch it. Cuban girl in Miami saving her virginity for marriage is artificially inseminated by accident and turns up pregnant -with the only sperm ever available for one particular man, who happens to be someone she had a crush on 5 years before, and oh, is now also her new boss. Think Jang Nara with some Latina heat, and Jang Hyuk without the crazy.
There's a lot of buzz about this on my T-line ... I have put it on the list of potentials. DAMN.
becca: Oh, I am LOVING this show. Seeing a new episode has become one of the highlights of my week. It's fast-paced and smart and pokes (very loving) fun at soapy telenovelas. Also, the storybook narration gives me strong Pushing Daisies-vibes, which I enjoy very much.
Watch Baby Daddy propose to his real life wife.

Three Musketeers and Secret Door

I loved every minute of 3M. I adored Samchongsa, Park Dal Hyang, and our plucky princess. I can't wait for Season 2 to find out what ELSE Hwang Sun is going to pull, that witch who won't die. See you in March, boys!
I use my T-line as indication of popularity. 3M lost a lot of that as time progressed. The rave factor decreased substantially, but it never went into rant-territory.
becca: I watched one episode and fully intended to come back to it. Maybe I'll be able to marathon it over the holidays....

Secret Door still fascinates me. Living in that sort of environment, though... it would make anyone crazy.
This one is similar: it's become much more quiet.
I think Alexe and I are the only ones watching it (Issy as well), but it is good stuff. There's some shit with switching the girls out (younger for an older, so they could hype the romance line. I reserve judgement on that.)
It also has dismal ratings. Sigh. Are the ahjummas no longer watching TV? What are they doing instead?!  

Liar Game

Good thing no one wants me to figure out how to win a round. I love watching it, though.
This comment made me laugh. And made me feel better about myself. I admit I mostly watch to see if I'll catch a glimpse of a dimple.
kakashi: I watched the first three episodes, so don't spoil! I hope to catch up over the weekend though. So far, I like what I see. And I haven't seen a dimple yet!
bcook: Did somebody say dimple? I did not see dimple. I hope it picks up soon because I wasn't really impressed with doe-eyed painfully honest what'sherface.
becca: I don't even know where to start with this show. It keeps me on the edge of my seat, it makes me think, and I love every single minute of it.
People!!! My husband is watching this!!!! And we have a date tonight!!!!!!! We will watch a Korean Show together *dies* 

Cantabile Tomorrow

I'm a little behind, but I like it. Yoo Jin is prickly but caring, Nae Il, Il Rak, and Timpano Dude are all adorably sweet and nuts, I don't like Streseman at ALL, but I love Bald Professor a lot. I'm all caught up now. I still don't really like Streseman, but I don't hate him AS much as I did. PARK BO GUM.  I luff luff luff him.
This is a drama that people love to hate, we knew that from the beginning though. In fact, it didn't have a change. I'm not watching because the overall premise doesn't interest me in the least. The ratings are dismal. I always feel sorry for a production when that happens. Blade Man's are even worse. I know we non-Koreans wouldn't have to care about ratings, but ever since I've learned how important it is for the industry there, I keep an eye on them.
bcook: What is this about? Is it worth my time?
JoAnne: A college for music students. Oddballs abound, both on staff and in the student body. Personal growth and hijinks. Decent eye-candy, sufficiently funny/touching.
I tend to avoid college/high school dramas like the plague (come here, sister). And I don't think I've ever felt like I've missed anything.

Pride and Prejudice

I like this! I love it! I even like Min That Fuck. Dammit.
This was a total Viki ploy. It automatically followed something I was watching and I just had to watch a teeny, tiny bit. That turned into the whole episode. Then another. We'll see how long I hang in there. I'm starting to get a lot of dramas on my plate at the moment. But I do love the OTP. Oh, and the chief prosecutor. He's a beautiful, slightly surly older man. 
Nope, pass.
bcook: How can you pass on dimple eyes! If he were/when he is (gotta have hope) my boyfriend I would do everything to make him smile. Coz his smile gives happiness. ^ ^. I like lose all cyncism when I see him smile.
becca: I think this one is my favorite of the current drama crop. It makes me laugh and cry, and I want to watch each episode as soon as I can get my hands on it. I like it so much that I look forward to Monday. Yeah.
Ah, youth. So enthusiastic. I just really like all the man candy, plus they aren't completely incapable at their jobs for a change. And yet... NO ONE has used the word 'genius.'

Legendary Witch

Watched one episode. Haven't been back.
It took a few episodes, but I am finally into it. I'll give it a few more episodes to see how the characters grab me, but it could turn into a good revenge drama. With Ha Suk Jin. A nice Ha Suk Jin, not a Woman Who Married Three Times Ha Suk Jin. Yum.
I don't even know what this is about!
Am amending my review. The time line is so messed up that it's nonsense, which doesn't work for a serious drama. It only gets one more viewing chance. Sorry Suk Jin, I'm not devoted to you (or anyone for that matter) like JoAnne is to Rain, so if your drama stinks, I'm out.
becca: I could live with the messy time line, I think. Maybe. Mainly, I'm enjoying Ha Suk-jin and that cuuuuute little girl who plays his daughter, Han Ji-hye, and the older couple. It's the family that really drives me bonkers. What a nest of vipers!

Birth of a Beauty

I surprisingly like this. It makes no sense at all, but I don't think that matters. The OTP is very cute. For the time being, it's an easy and fun watch. And now it's getting funnier and more intriguing.
I still haven't recapped episode 2 and am now thinking I might not recap it at all. It's not that I don't like it - and there's my Wookie! But recapping is such a commitment ... and such a load of work. I feel that I would have to do it all if I did two ... and do I want that? *Sigh* Life is so complicated. --> am now recapping, ahahaha. 
becca: It's a fun, silly show, but I'm not sure it demands recapping. Whatever you decide is fine by me, Big Kahuna!
Your Wookie is entertaining and so is Han Yi Seul but I'm not captivated, not by a long shot.
It's fun enough for me to do short recaps. Joo Sang-wook being silly deserves my attention. And lots of gifs. But then, do TEN3, right?