Rants and Weekly Raves #129

JoAnne: Hahahahahahahahaaha I open this and am happily assaulted by an image of Kim Jae Wook, Mr. Handsome himself, with an expression that makes me wonder very seriously what exactly he might be doing. You know what I'm doing? I'm trying to correct the devastation that Peach has brought to my drama list...it's a wasteland, I tell you. But I'm working hard!
Trotwood: The question everyone wants to know though is whether he's bathing in blood. It wouldn't surprise me. His character is one of the scariest I've seen in ages.
kakshi: Hi, this is kakashi. Remember me? I'm not even here. I'm still in Peach Blossom Valley and it will be a while until I come out. But Ice Fantasy Destiny starts in two days! Yay, another thing to recap, CAN'T WAIT. We also have two Novoland episodes scheduled for some of you. And two Snail recaps are in draft mode, but our commentors are busy. Patience! 

Korea

Shy Boss 

This week's catch-up project, so I can finish on time with the show next week.

Rebel: Thief of the People 

I will at least attempt not to fall farther behind, because this will be next week's catch up project.

Defendant 

Same here, but I don't have to fully catch up for another two weeks.
I finally got some warmth in the eternal heartbreaking pain that is Ji Sung. I'm sort of getting worried about him, he is so clearly physically putting so much into this role. But I hear that the whole cast is getting a trip afterwards because ratings are so good. The band of prisoners working together is wonderful. I love the surprise ( I was, too) about who happens to be a surgeon. I am also extremely relieved that his brother-in-law knows that he isn't guilty anymore, but Joon-Hyuk is super crazy for revealing to Min-ho that he knows who he is. How can he not know that he's pretty much signed his own death warrant?

Missing Nine 

Wow, the indestructible serial killer idol isn't so indestructible after all. Sucks to find out that all those murders you committed to cover up the murder you only thought you committed weren't necessary after all, huh, Tae Ho? Prosecutor Yoon, I hate to say this but I've finally made up my mind... your sister So Hee was not a nice person. When she had proof of murder and who did it, did she turn them in? Nope, she used it to her advantage. Disgusting.

Saimdang 

Plenty of time for this one.

Chief Kim 

This one's on the same schedule as Shy Boss, but I'm farther behind and maybe less interested, so it might be a bit of a struggle.
I'll keeping posting about this one. I wasn't sure I was going to like it because Chief Kim is the kind of person that makes me crazy or rather nervous because I am a "by-the-books" need to plan everything kind of person. However, I can see how he has helped the team think about themselves but also how they have affected him. I'm particularly impressed with the relationship he has developed with Nam-Ho as his father figure. When Nam-Ho greets him with soup and tells him how everyone didn't blame him and was worried about him, I teared up. I love this team and can't decide if I'm interested in any love lines at all. Frankly, I'm still holding out hope for our villain Seo Yool. If anything, I'd want him to figure out that Min-Young is his real enemy and start working with the business department to bring her down. I'd like to see him have a future with Ha Kyung. But I think that is not to be.

Father, I'll Take Care of You 

Family members occasionally made reference to a child that died in the accident that caused the trouble between Revenger's family and the main family - only they didn't die, apparently, they got a scar. It's a girl - Jung Hwa - and she's been living in the states with her American husband and their child. Well, now she's back due to marriage troubles and wow, I do not like her at all. She is extremely unpleasant. I almost look forward to The Revenger's acts against her, when they come. If they come - Jung Eun has finally figured out the deal and maybe she'll do something to stop him. In other non-news, Whiny Ex-Lawyer is still whiny, still an ex-lawyer, still kicked out by his wife. Dong Hee isn't doing too well on the writing front but has finally accepted Sung Hoon as a suitor and they have a very nice kiss. Dong Hee gets in a lot of trouble for staying out all night, and we're about to move into the serious phase of family objection since they're in-laws. In the second ep, Revenger starts making moves on the the obnoxious US sister, and Jung Eun's dad gets serious about winning back her Mom. Apparently he got chased off by Grandma, and had no idea Mom was pregnant 30 years ago. Whatever - I could listen to him sing all evening.

Strong Woman, Do Bong Soon 

This is adorable. Min Hyuk the chaebol has a real thing for Bong Soon and her strength - he keeps commenting to himself that she's cute and sexy, and he watches her with this adorable smile while she sputters with rage at his teasing. She is very cute, too. Unfortunately for us who love both male leads, we'll soon be moving into the jealousy phase, because Min Hyuk realizes sooner than the others that Gook Du maybe kinda sorta unconsciously has a bit of thing for Bong Soon, too. Maybe that will lessen the blow for him when he finds out that his musician girlfriend has a little crush on Bong Ki, the doctor twin. PS. Creepy kidnapper guy is still very, very creepy. Oh, and who wants to bet that it's the meek older brother who's actually doing all the crap to Min Hyuk while he pretends to be the one who looks out for him?
 I want to like this show, but I don't. I like her. Min Hyuk could easily become an obsession, And my feelings for Ji Soo go without saying. However, I HATE her mother and the way she shames her and pimps her out. Yeah, her mother is pretty unlikable for someone who is clearly intended as a comic character. I'm not finding it fun at all because I'm just so aggravated by the way this 'secret' is being handled. Perhaps because I spent too many of my years teaching about how to teach gifted kids and pretty much the mom does everything wrong and has given our heroine a complex and yet we are supposed to be sort of amused by her. I was so needing something fun, too. It's super popular though and getting very high ratings, so I'm glad for the actors.
"Min Hyuk could easily become an obsession." Become? Become???? I don't know what happened to Park Hyung Sik between Heirs and High Society but whatever it was, it hits allll my pretty boy buttons, AND he can act. There is no 'become'. There is only 'is. Even his little dumbo ears are adorable.  I am actually dethroning King of Puppies for him, I think.  The King is dead, long live the King.

Voice 

I'm as caught up as I can be. DF doesn't air the weekend's episodes until Monday, which sucks.
I'm going to watch after my stitches get removed today, so I may or may not be able to comment before Kakashi posts this.
This is where that pic up top should have gone
But that's a great opening pic.  We don't get nearly enough of Kim Jae Wook in dramaland anymore.
Okay. I watched ep 13 and it took me over 90 minutes because I kept stopping to tweet about how freakin' scary Kim Jae Wook is. I don't think I'll ever be able to see him in a rom-com again. His character has so many layers of crazy and because he enjoys and thinks he's justified in his killing and not just simple killing but nasty, mean, now I'm going to wrap your body up in saran wrap and save your hair so I can comb it later crazy. His father knows he's always been this way and has worked his whole life to cover it up. I think he started working on bribing the police just cause he knows his son is crazy. If I wasn't so distracted by how afraid I am whenever he's on screen, I would note how Jang Hyuk has really mellowed into this role and had very delicious, quiet mournful moments thinking about his wife and what he should have did for her. I'm back to thinking that Dae Shik is the mole in the police station, too. Going to bed. Nerves can't take other ep tonight.
Oh, no....it can't be Dae Shik.  It can't.  It can't, I'll cry.

Tomorrow with You 

Same time frame as Shy Boss and Chief Kim, but much farther behind. People are picking it up lately and saying good things, though, so I should try. (Psst, I think you said that last week) (I probably did, but more people were saying it this week too, so I'm saying it new, not repeating myself about comments from last week.) I do really like the leads, in general, and time travel is fun.
I tried to pick it up again, remembered immediately why I dropped it. Feel in mourning for Shin Mina and Ji Hoon because this is another show that I want so badly to like because I like them. I wonder if it's just me being cranky?
Maybe?  I know Lafer and a few others are loving it but yeah, I'm not entirely thrilled with SMA's portrayal and hoping it mellows out.  I luff her to bits so it hurts me to say that.

Father is Strange (new)

Oh, I like.  I like a lot.  This is zippy and generally light-hearted and so far, no one is hateful.  I'm sure we'll get some darker moments, since this is a 50-episode weekender, but I feel an immediate affection for the main family and this drama is crammed to the rafters with actors who can more than do the job.  I'm excited! Saki isn't here this week but I know from talking to her briefly that she really liked it, too.  Now, you guys might not have noticed, but Saki and I don't often like the same things.  So let that be reason enough for you to check it out!

Not Korea

Behind Your Smile 

Finally. Finally! The secrets are all out, at least as far as Xinyu is concerned. She knows about Yiting, she knows about Cutie Pie Roomie. She knows about the farm, she knows about her mother. Yiting knows about Qianni's dad, too, and he's following that info. As sad and as hard as it was to watch the fall out from Xinyu and Yiting, it was sadder by far to watch the roommates implode. Really heartbreaking, in fact. Please, please, please, put these people back together again, somehow. Only two more episodes to do it in, too. Watching everyone who has hurt her suffer from the knowledge that they did so while trying to give her space to heal and yet still watch over her carefully, with all the love they can muster... I should feel frustrated with them but I don't. Even when Yiting continues with his false tough front.  Everyone is miserable and sad and they deserve to be (except for Xinyu) but they're so filled with sadness that I can't even be angry at them.  Besides, they all race to protect Xinyu when she goes up against Qianni's dad because loooove....
 
PS.  Marcus, don't think I don't still love you just because Mark Chao made me forget about you all week. I was wrong and I admit it.  I love you both.

Eternal Love / 3310 / Peach Blossoms Forever / CRACK ALERT

Like there'd be any doubt I'd manage to keep up with this one. (Actually, I'm surprising myself that I'm watching both episodes each week-day.)
I'm definitely NOT current, at least not with subbed episodes. I've been focusing my limited time on recapping this. I am addicted to recapping this. I want to recap all the time. I looked at the ending though. I had to know.  

The Starry Night, the Starry Sea

Nope. No more Feng Shaofeng if I can't help it.
Not for me, either, but the last I knew Saki was still on this ride so I will leave it here. But know this, dear readers: Saki is travelling the world to see her Jaehyo, so she's not commenting this week. NB: I will miss that house a lot.

The Magicians 

I didn't get to see yet but I don't count myself behind since the next episode hasn't aired yet, either.

The Walking Dead 

I'm going to watch this tonight, but I need to post this before Kakashi wakes up so...I'll comment next week :)

Emerald City 

I'm a month behind, but feeling no pressure.  I'll get there.