Rants and Weekly Raves #222 (RAWR)

JoAnne:  This is the inbetween week, the week where you don't know what day it is and your sleep schedule goes to whack and everything you eat is decided on 'oh well, it's the holidays.'   I hope you all have a safe and happy New Year's Eve and that 2019 brings you far more good than bad.
Trotwood: I'm back!! Well, sort of. I agree. I've lost track of days and times, especially because it gets so dark so early. I got to watch some things but so far behind that I gave up on others (sorry God's Quiz Reboot team).
kakashi: In German, this inbetween-time is called "Zwischen den Jahren" (between the years) and I think this totally fits, because it feels like falling into a weird gap of timelessness. I want to wish all of you a GREAT 2019! My best wishes for happiness, money, luck, and pleasure.
SakiVI: Did a year go by already?  I'm not making any resolutions for 2019.  Except maybe to kiss more pony nosies.  I think that's doable.
Panda: Happy New Year POTUPers!!!!! I hope you all enjoyed your holiday time. I spent mine bingeing and loving Yanxi, eating and decompressing. Wishing you all a fantastic and amazing year ahead. Mmmmmmwah

KOREA

Mama Fairy and the Woodcutter (Finale) 

Finale was a little weak, but wrapped up everything nicely, and since I still loved the show, fine by me.  I wish there had been a human form for the son, though.
Agreed - the ending was a little rushed but they did cram everything in there so I can't really complain. Like you, I'm disappointed that we never met Jeom Dol in human form, but at least the little worm thing was cute.

Less than Evil 

Jang isn't dead!  He's not even really scarred, which you think being trapped in a car and completely engulfed in flames would cause something more than a few facial scratches.  I really like the cliff hanger this week - what if Yeo Wool was always a psycho?

My Strange Hero 

I don't think I'm ever going to be able to see Kwak Dong Yeon as a sweet, handsome young guy again. His 'Director' just looks unhinged to me, especially when he smiles.  I'm enjoying the show, looking forward to whatever healing is going to happen, but can't help laughing every time I think of this week's long, intense close ups alternating between YSH's eyes brimming with tears and JB's eyes brimming with tears.  It occurs to me that the scene might have been the impetus for casting both, not that they aren't competent actors just...you know.

The Last Empress 

The only reason I was able to keep up with this is because I found recaps. It's a doozy, more like a lakorn than a Korean drama even the makjang ones. It's like the writers are having a contest concerning who can out crazy plot the other. I'm glad it's doing well in ratings.
Gosh, I love this show!
Oh me TOO. That family is freaking batshit crazy and I LIVE for the next insane thing they do. That mother, bathing in colostrom.  *shudder* I also live for Jang Nara to destroy them, but that's another story. I don't know about you guys, but as pretty as CJH is in this drama, I don't particularly like his character and feel like he crosses the line too many times...so I'm not invested in him getting revenge the way I am in her getting revenge. (But damn, he is FINE in this.)

Children of Nobody 

I'm still confused.
And this is why I did not start.
I'm following along sort of okay at this point. But who's the guy hanging from the ceiling in the barn with his back all carved up?

Fates and Furies 

I was so caught up in Minglan I could not watch this weekend.  Maybe I'll watch over the work week this week.  Dad is here, but he wants to watch Urdu dramas.

Memories of the Alhambra 

So tell me, please, how it is that her brother can be ALIVE but in the game, but Jin Woo's secretary and Hot Dead Friend are only in the game because they're dead? Is he hiding and just using the game?  I liked the scene where Living Friend brings Ms Tears up to speed about what's going on from his perspective, filling in blanks about danger and all that.  I kind of forgot she didn't know any of that part.

Sky Castle 

People are raving about this, so I have to check it out for sure.

Top Star Yoo Baek

I'm up to episode 7 here - this is not being carried by any of the standard sites and either it only airs once a week or it's being posted very, very slowly, but that's okay with me.  If I miss it sometimes, at least I'm not that far behind when I get back to it, and I'm always happy to get back to it.

Kang Soon and Yoo Baek are clearly end game, but Ma Dol is really making a solid effort to win her heart.  Both men are sweethearts who truly love her, but each also has their own immature behaviors that can be pretty irritating for Kang Soon.  I keep being surprised by just how much this show catches my heart, considering that its pretty broadly humorous.

CHINA/TAIWAN

Story of Minglan

I am rolling in ecstasy over this show.  I love it so much that when I am short of subs and raw video, I go through the raw previews to see what could be next.  I want that rotten 4th Miss crushed, I tell you, crushed!  I think 5th Miss and her mother aren't even that bad, they just are following Confucian norms, but they aren't cruel and nasty like 4th Miss and Little Madam Lin who basically killed Minglan's mother.  I am an addict now.  

THAILAND

Our Skyy

This concept is brilliant. Take five audience favorite couples from previous dramas and give each an hour special follow-up to their stories that are completely self contained. Why hasn't anyone thought of this before? BL story favorites are Pick/Rome from Senior Secret Love: Puppy Honey, Inn/Sun from My Dear Loser Series: Edge of 17, Tee/Mork from 'Cause You're My Boy, Pete/Kao from Kiss: the Series and Kiss Me Again, and Kongpob/Arthit from Sotus and Sotus S. They aired for five Fridays in a row. The most surprising to some was the Tee/Mork story because it was quite good and they are so natural together, but their original series was just plain dreadful. Their characters were wasted in that show, and this special clearly showed that. 

JAPAN

The Count of Monte Cristo: Great Revenge

Everyone knows that I'm always up for a good revenge tale, and this one is based on what is to me THE classic revenge, so despite starring one of my favs, Dean Fujioka, I was sceptical. it didn't disappoint. It started out so gloriously happy that it was almost painful to watch knowing where it was going. It went really really dark, manipulations to the point that I was on the edge of my seat worried about possible collateral damage,  but it was smart revenge (if there is a thing) until the end, but I'm not sure if all the victims really learned what they needed to learn though they did suffer as they should have.  

Thank you to whoever decided to sub it. The first two episodes were subbed  in April when it first aired, and then the rest came out this past month. 

Ima kara Anato wo Kyochaku Shimasu/May I Blackmail You? 

Talk about needing patience for subs. This aired beginning October 15, 2017. Yes, I said 2017. The first eps were subbed in December of 2017. The last ep was just subbed. I'm not complaining. I'm just thankful that someone (or more than one someones) kept at it and remembered when they no doubt busy with lots of other things. 

This was a fun show with lots of heart. Revenge and justice with Dean Fujioka? There were lots of interesting characters and even the side characters helped make you care about this team and their network (the Jenga-playing gangster was one of my favorites). I especially like the relationship between our two leads. I think when I have time this summer, I will marathon the whole thing to try to capture what it might have been like to really have connection between episodes rather than watching it with months in between.



WESTERN

I watched all 3 season of Travelers this week and I regret NOTHING.