Rants and Weekly Raves #150 (RAWR)

Kakashi is still floating down the Danube. I have it on good authority that her boat is riding significantly lower in the water after several weeks of excellent wining and dining, too. Feel free to envy her!
Trotwood: Kakashi is having the ultimate vacation--floating on a river, getting fed (lots) and being able to see some of the most beautiful scenery and architecture without having to even get off boat or, I think, even sit up. Somehow, though, she is still doing blog work. (bowing low before her awesomeness)
SakiVI: I've got mum here, and she hates listening to Korean and Chinese. So, I can't run episodes as I do things around the house like I used.  This means, after 3 episodes of William Chan, I will have to put him on hold. Sigh.
Shuk: I'm just popping up for a quick hello before going under again...

KOREA

Bride of the Water God 

This is all I've seen so far this week.  The story is becoming more complex and I like it, but mostly, honestly, I just love Big and his beloved (though he won't admit it yet) and I would watch complete crap to ship him with yet another co-star because when he smiles or looks sad or just sort of flexes or turns his head, I melt.  I even love his ankles.  I'm finally grateful for too-short pants.

The King Loves 

You'll see I didn't watch nearly as much as usual this week, between work travel and my daughter visiting home this past week.

School 2017 

This latest edition of School continues to make me happy. I genuinely like our 3 main kids and there aren't any evil second leads, really - I can see some conflict brewing but it seems organic thus far.  Yeah, there's a really tragic backstory that ties our 3 together which they're just now discovering, but even that feels based in reality.  I also really like most of the teachers, even the ones who seem unsympathetic at first.  Of course I enjoy the naive, earnest newbie the best, but the snarky gym teacher and cynical older guy are also likable in their own ways.  And the mysterious X...well, I like that there is opportunity to see what he/they does/do as both exciting tension relief and also an unwelcome complication within the kid's lives.  I really want to know who is behind all of it.  They're pushing us toward Tae Woon but I don't know...I still have a suspicion about Guitar Boy. But wouldn't it be awesome if it was one of the girls?

Falsify (New)

So I was excited about this drama and the characters and the actors, but it looks like it has Defendant syndrome. Byt hat I mean that the show is going to make me suffer for awhile in the showing how screwed over our heroes get--how far they fall from grace--before I get what I really want:the path to revenge. We even got a white truck of doom in this, which ironically provided some relief just because show had you so anxious about the misery pile on that it was a bit of a relief that someone isn't going to to be miserable anyone even if that meant death. I may just read recaps until the come back starts.  Hoping it will be earlier than usual because here are a LOT of people looking for revenge in the this. 

Duel (Finale) 

This ended about as I had hoped.  I would have liked for them all to be alive, but if one had to go, I knew it would be Sung Hoon.  I do love that the brothers were able to clear the air before the end, and I actually really did love that Sung Hoon took out San Young, and that Seo Jin and her brother were arrested, too.  But I still think that prosecutor was truly creepy, even if she did turn out to be a good-ish person.  This was enjoyable, overall.  Not as engrossing as Secret Forest, but a good watch, and for sure I'll be keeping my eye out for Yang Se Jong, whose debut this year has landed him hit after hit.

Secret Forest (Finale?) 

I didn't get to last week's episodes before the RAWR was posted, so I'm going to comment a bit here. What an excellent show. What an excellent group. I was on my the edge of my seat the entire time. Also, the show is still surprising me. The scary wife is still scary, but it seems that she really does have a soft spot for her husband. I also don't think Yoon is guilty of what people think he is. How could he have killed her and remained so clean. He looked complete shook up about the death and torn about his break from the team. But is that just wishful thinking on my part?  Also, can we give a shout out to Shi-Mok's hair?

I have now finished it, and I have to say I haven't felt this empty after a show ended since Signal. I loved this team and wanted to work with them the way I loved the Signal team. The finale was more satisfying than Signal's; it had good closure but also left it open to go on. This show held surprises for me until the end, making me sympathize with people i didn't think i would. The evil FIL was evil until the end, but there was a surprising love story here that I did not predict. Two actually. One between a man and wife and another between a man and his country. That man was ready to sacrifice himself for both and did. He turned out the be the tragic-hero of the entire piece, and I wonder at the actor and whether he knew about his story arc all along. (He also had great hair, but you don't know that unless you see the BTS of the cast going out to dinner).  I also liked that we had interesting female characters and not just the lead, but the side female characters were just as interesting as the male side characters.I'm going to stop. It's still too fresh, and I don't feel like I can do it the justice it deserves.

Seven Day Queen 

The mad king is breathtakingly cruel and loses whatever shred of humanity that remained within him, and finally in desperation, the entire country and most of the government revolts.  Yeok is going to be king, and Chae Kyung will be his Queen.  Because they are decent human beings (seemingly alone amongst everyone in the palace) they do not take any joy in the situation.  But even after all this, that bastard minister and Yeok's scheming mother are not done destroying these poor kids lives with their visions of power.  I don't know how much more my heart can take.

Reunited Worlds 

This was a casualty of the schedule for me.

Criminal Minds (New) 

This as well, but I also didn't hear great things so I wasn't feeling particularly bad about it.

Father is Strange 

I started because Moony had a cameo.

But I'm staying because of Joon-Hee and Mi-Young, and Hye-Young's clothes. I also can't imagine how the parents are going to get out of this lie.

They won't.  I just finished episode 44 and I already can't wait to press play on episode 45 next week. Let's hope it's better than some other 45s we've got lying around...

No, but seriously:  things are cranking now! Joong Hee realized he couldn't hurt the other kids, and he wants to try and let forgiveness grow in his heart, so no turning his fake dad into the police AND a confession to Mi Young. (yay for both!)  But wait:  Hye Young figured out the secret, and she confronts her parents, and basically pushes them to 'fess up to everyone.  Well, Dad already really wanted to just end all of the secrets, so he makes everyone a big breakfast and then goes to turn himself in, leaving Mom to break the news.  The police are as confused as the kids are.  Other stuff happens: meet the future inlaws and get passed-out drunk stuff, pregnant with twins stuff, don't give my loser mom money stuff, How to Be Nice to Your Spouse classes, etc.  I love it. I love them all.  Even Whiny Mom has gotten so cute I can't stand it.

Bad Thief, Good Thief 

Poor Dol Mok is going on 3 weeks of being just about to be discovered in the principal's office now.

Teacher Oh Soon Nam 

Well Mad is getting pushed over the edge because now her dad knows she has an 8 year old son. Ironically, he's excited about it. He wants his grandson (who wouldn't want Cheekos?) and his grandson's dad, who is a self made rich man with a great back story. Added bonus? He hates his daughter's current husband. I can't figure out what she really feels about her son, and the show is setting up for her husband to be increasingly jealous of his ex-wife's potential new boyfriend. We've got probably 60 episodes left, so they could feasibly turn it around and make these new pairings happen, but I'd sure be angry if they do.

Also, these are some of my favorite side characters ever.  They work in the office with the new wife and the ex-wife, so you can imagine what it must be life. They really try to get their work done, but often it's like trying to plant vegetables in a hurricane. I imagine they drink a LOT after work each night.

I think Mad likes her son but is confused by her like for him.  And come on, it's Cheekos!

Also, this show is inadvertently making Mad the real heroine since it just focuses on her almost the entire time.  I wonder if the writers and director realize what they are doing?

I don't think the writers have a plan except for the set up, and now they're just going with it.

Strongest Deliveryman (New)

I thought this started on August 4 (?)
Whatever it was that I checked had it for 28-Jul, but I didn't check to see if it showed up anywhere.

NOT-KOREA

It's a Mark Chao World and We're Just Living in It 

Hi Mark.  Do a drama.

Rush to the Dead Summer 

Skipped this week.

The Eternal Love 

And this, despite the charm of the Eternally Horny Prince.

Advisor's Alliance 

And this!

Lost Love in Times (New)

Sorry, William.  Not this week.