Rants and Weekly Raves (RAWR) #354
Trotwood: There are a lot of people I know who experienced flooding this past week. I hope everyone has dried out somewhat. The drama flood keeps coming. I don't know what to do about these dramas that are putting out 3-4 90-minute episodes a week. I know I'm busy with work, but I wouldn't be able to keep up even if I were retired!
Anne: Hello Trot! Hello Everyone! I can finally contribute! This is the wettest summer I've ever lived through in South Texas. Luckily, there has not been anything beyond flash flooding yet... (I should knock on wood. Hurricane season technically just started.) I agree with the pace of the dramas... I would have to give up all other activities and forgo sleep to even catch up. Even so, I'm still waiting in anticipation.
Welcome, Anne. So glad you are taking this on. I may pop up again every now and then. I just can't do the whole thing. I'm here now after getting up at 2 am to do final run-through of a 60-page grant proposal that was sent to my inbox at 9 PM. Seriously, people. I need a vacation!!
kakashi: HI!!!! I'm so happy, Anne, that you're saving this blog from a slow death. Here, too, its very wet, we had an incredible thunderstorm with hail tonight, no public transport is working today so I'm staying at home. Not that I'm not used to that, bleh.
"Interesting, but I'm never going to watch"
There really are soooo many, but this week I'll just mention the Korean show, You Are My Spring. If anyone is watching or know someone who is, please talk about it in the chat. I'm hearing from people that it's giving them whiplash because they promo material made it seem like it was going to be a "healing romance" (whatever that means) but changed into suspense tinged with horror.
Personal PotUp Favorites:
In the fall of 2016, the site held a contest for best alternative ending, and the prize was that we would recap a favorite show of the winner. That show was 2009 To Get Her/ToGether, which is also a comfort drama for me, so I was excited to be involved. Even if you haven't seen the show, the recaps are funny. Rainie's wig was absolutely defiant. 
Comfort Drama of the Week:
One of the most mouthwatering dramas of all time: Let's Eat (1, 2, and not so much 3). I've rewatched season 1 and 2 multiple times, not for the plot, not for the mystery, not for the romance, but for the FOOD. This was the first drama that opened the door to all the possibilities of Korean cuisine (and is the reason I plan to travel to South Korea just to eat). It's not that I didn't eat Korean food before, but this opened the door to trying things that I didn't before. And come on...look at his face... whatever can make you feel like this deserves a taste!
And I want to eat this...
And this...
And... Okay. that's enough. I'm getting hungry.
Besides all the food porn, the story is also pretty ok in season 1. I liked the FL (Lee Soo Kyung), a whole lot, in the first one compared to the others. Actually, the entire cast was better in the first one. The female attorney (Lee Do Yeon) was the slightly stalker-ish 2nd FL that I actually liked. She and the "office manager" were the comic relief. Sometimes when I'm just flipping through Netflix, I'll still scroll through the episodes for the food highlights.
So glad you picked a comfort drama. I spent far too much time debating which one I was going to pick! I loved Let's Eat 1. I didn't even watch the third season because I was annoyed by and dropped second season after first three episodes.
KOREA
The Devil Judge
I'm still an episode behind in this drama (blame my marathon of Unforgettable Love!--see below), but if we continue to bring down the baddies--even with Yo-han's scary ways I'm in. The turnaround with the scummy chairman's son's trial was very satisfying. They might have been able to buy off/scare the original victims but he had so many that the new evidence was actually more damning. Ga-On is one of those characters that is going to make me nervous until the end. Props to Soo-hyun for staying friends with him this long because I don't think my nerves could take it. He was probably that kid who was always like "I wonder what is making that sound in the basement. Let's look."
CHINA/TAIWAN
Be Together
I LOVE THE FRIENDSHIP in this show. I know I said this last week, but it just improves. We already know the end game in their romantic lives, and I like the variety of men that the drama provides for each of these very different women and to us. They go beyond the stereotype in age, looks, and professions with the exception of Bin Bin's CEO character. I can even put up with the stereotypical spoiled, lazy brother character and the evil second FL character to see these friends together. If you didn't know that this show focused on the friendships, you would after seeing how when the FL has her emotional breakdown in the rain after her breakup, it isn't the male lead that comes, but one of her friends. They film it the way they do with every other romantic rescue rain scene, but when the camera pulled back Han Shuang instead, I cheered. You will, too.
Flaming Heart
I wanted to like this show. I really did. I've loved search and rescue shows since the 70s when I was hooked on the American show Emergency. This show promised not only firefighters but emergency room personnel and rescue medics. The opening scene in the tunnel was really well done as was the set up of the future conflict was good. Even the meet cute between our couple with the FL hearing the ML comfort a pregnant woman over the radio was great and the bonding over the delivery of the baby was something we would understand. HOWEVER, then we get the rest. The female lead is actually annoying. How can you be this trained medical daughter and act (and sound) 12? The goofy firefighters didn't help nor did the tired trope of why they are going to be hostile to the new guy. And why is the headquarters soooo glaringly white like their in a space capsule. Even Simon Gong in dress uniform couldn't save this for me.
Unforgettable Love
I had heard nothing about this show. It just showed up on my list because someone said that the kid in it was cute, and I looked at it thinking it might be a show I'd and to my "interesting, but probably not going to watch list." Somehow, my entire Sunday got swallowed up by this show. Yes, the child actor in this is beyond adorable, like stopping your video to want to by him birthday presents adorable. But then I really enjoyed the show. It's nothing new really. Adorable child in perfectionist CEO's care. Child doesn't talk because of trauma and throws tantrums to get the CEO's time and attention (just like Down With Love kids). Contract marriage happens because kid takes a liking to FL who just happens to be a child psychologist. You will figure out some of what's supposed to be a "mystery" in the back story very quickly, but you will not care. You will be invested in them all becoming a real family. I gobbled up ten episodes Sunday. 
Be Loved in the House: I Do
Am I the only one still watching this? It's not great by any means...but I'm kind of drawn in now. Episode 9 ended with the appearance of the ex??? Seriously, how much plot can they do with only one episode left?
I'm watching, but some shows I only do series reviews because I don't have time to comment on them weekly or I don't think they are worth commenting on weekly. I really like the main actors here; Aaron Lai is always lovely, and I wish he were in more quality shows. The directing in this show is wonky. Their relationship progression only makes sense because we know that they are the end game. I think I mentioned in the comments before that I watched some BTS footage and the actors were surprised themselves, asking why are they doing this, and the director's response was "Oh, you like each other now" I was like "what?" You know we are going to get past love or some reason for why Yu Zhen went from the warm college kid who clearly fell for Shi Lei at first sight back then to the cold, reserved anti-relationship person he is now.
JAPAN
Chef wa Meitantei/ Chef is a Detective
Episodes didn't get subbed in time for me to watch, but now there are three more episodes subbed!!.
Ichikei no Karasu/Inchikei's Crow
This show delivers moving commentary about justice but is also laugh out loud funny. I think Flaming Heart is trying to go for that mixture, but you need to have every character committed to it to make such extremes work together, and this show does it. I know everyone is supposed to find Chizuru annoying with her by-the-book standards and efficiencies self, but I really like her because I'm a lot like her. As much as I'd admire our handsome judge. He would make me crazy bending the rules, taking so much extra time doing things. My anxiety would be through the roof and how calm he is about everything wouldn't help. I understand her coming from nothing and rising up and wanting only to be able to make her grandparents proud, but she also has a great imagination (as soon by her spiraling story about what will happen to her if she gets kicked off the bench), and her sense of justice actually matches his even if she isn't a rulebreaker.
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| This would be my expression all the time if I worked with him, too. |
THAILAND
I Need Romance
I watched last week's episodes and I'm reminded of why I dropped the Korea version only to pick it up later. I don't have any patience for the competition between the FL and the 2nd FL which is based on a misunderstanding by both. I won't pick this back up.
Song Sanahea (final)
I had stopped watching this show for a bit because the evil deeds by the evil twin were becoming uncomfortably evil as were the revenge by the people trying to bring her down. Like Kakashi mentioned, I really can't deal with rape scenes, and this show had multiple rape scenes of both women and a male character. I did watch the finale to get closure on the violent wedding. Happy ending finally for the good people because it's a lakorn.
Nitiman (series review)
I spent the entire time watching this show, which I renamed name "Worst Friends Ever, the series," ranting because of said friends. It was clear that writers wanted us to see them all as funny prankster cupids but stalking, cyber bullying, and date rape drugs should not be part of trying to get your friends to date. In fact, the OTP would have probably been happily together by episode three if the friends plotting didn't create so many misunderstandings. When I saw them all together and found out about the bigger plot, I just threw my hands up in the air and hoped people would graduate soon. Maybe the OTP could transfer.
46 Days
Picture Lucy and Ethel from I Love Lucy fame and transfer it to modern Thailand and cast Baifern and Mild, and you pretty much have this show. Two best friends who are trying to recover from being dumped (Baifern) and being fired (Mild). They are on a Hangover (the movie)-type escapade mission to break up the wedding of Mild's first love because she thinks she is destined, and it's crazy goofy fun if you like that sort of thing. 
