Rants and Weekly Raves (RAWR) #461
Anne: Happy Tuesday drama lovers! I have been really late posting this month, mostly due to my frustrations at work (with QA) and the lack of desire to watch anything these last few weeks. But I have finally turned a corner (the situation with QA has been resolved) and I have finished my latest craft. Now my mind has been calmed, and my brain is back in focus. Now, before we get to the discussion on the shows I've managed to watch, let's take a quick look at my latest finished craft (I have a new one I'm itching to start soon).
There are a few mistakes, but otherwise I am very happy with how this turned out. Including all the lights!
Oh...one more thing...the 2024 slug invasion has started...
This was actually a surprise that popped on my YouTube feed. It's a Taiwanese BL drama that is based on a Priest novel. At 12 episodes and 1 episode a week, this will take a while to completely air. I was hesitant to start because of the timing, because as everyone knows, I have no patience waiting for shows. However, I was skipping between shows anyway, so I decided to start it. With only one episode in, I think this is a much better start of a BL story than the other Taiwanese BL dramas that have been airing lately.
Since we left with a Korean drama let's continue with another one! This just came up on Viki about a little over a week ago. And I started this for Moon Sang Min, whom I really liked in The Queen's Umbrella. So far, I've only a little bit into episode 2. As with other Korean dramas, each episode is about an hour, 12 total, and 2 episodes a week.
No one should be surprised that I started this... It's got Ding Yu Xi in a period crime solving drama. All episodes have dropped but I've only on episode 6.
I wasn't going to start this since it just looks like a war drama that would require me to pay attention. But in the end I wanted to find out what the fuss is all about and I also like Liu Yu Ning.
Unknown (2024)
This was actually a surprise that popped on my YouTube feed. It's a Taiwanese BL drama that is based on a Priest novel. At 12 episodes and 1 episode a week, this will take a while to completely air. I was hesitant to start because of the timing, because as everyone knows, I have no patience waiting for shows. However, I was skipping between shows anyway, so I decided to start it. With only one episode in, I think this is a much better start of a BL story than the other Taiwanese BL dramas that have been airing lately.
The story is about Wei Qian and his biological younger sister and an "adopted" younger brother whom he "picked" up from the streets. Wei Qian and his sister "lost" their parents young and were left to fend for themselves. Wei Qian, in order to survive, joined a local gang and worked to provide for him and his younger sister. On his way home one day, he ran into a younger boy, sleeping in an alley way. Being the person that he is, Wei Qian left some food for the homeless boy, and continued to do so from that day on. Finally, one day, Wei Qian invited the younger boy home to live with them.
This younger boy is named Wei Zhi Yuan.
Into this family is Wei Qian's best friend, San Pang, who helps the family of kids out with what he and his parents accomplish. The entire first episode is on how this family became a family, and how Wei Qian finally got of the gang and started to move his life in the right direction.
I've read the review for this novel, and almost everyone said that the story, while a BL novel, was focused on the idea and definition of a family. And the first episode certainly got this theme across. I eagerly await for the rest of the series.
Love for Love's Sake
This actually came out in January, but I didn't find the time to watch it until recently. And I was able to catch all 8 episodes and binged through them in a day.
The story actually starts rather mysteriously, with Tae Myung Ha talking to a senior of his and his novel. Tae Myung Ha complains that the book didn't treat Cha Yeo Woon very fairly or very well, and that of all the characters who deserves a happy ending, it was Yeo Woon.
The next thing he knows, he wakes up as his 19 year old self (10 years in the past) inside this novel where his ultimate mission is to make "Cha Yeo Woon happy", and his failure to do so within the prescribed time limit will lead to his demise.
Cha Yeo Woon is a young man who had gone through very similar situations as Tae Myung Ha growing up, having been abandoned by a parent and living with his grandmother. His talent is in track and field, but his "life" situation started to bring additional stress into his high school years.
Into this group comes Cheon Sang Won, a boy on the other end of the wealth spectrum who finds himself falling for Tae Myung Ha. And there is the shy and bullied Ahn Kyung Hoon, who becomes the link.
The story was quite good, mostly focused on friendship and the influences that they can make in one person's life. But the actual theme of this story was for one to love oneself in order to love someone else. Tae Myung Ha was looking at a mirror of himself in Cha Yeo Woon. It was very sweet, and it has some very sound advice. I really enjoyed this, and the ending left a very pleasant feeling.
Wedding Impossible
Since we left with a Korean drama let's continue with another one! This just came up on Viki about a little over a week ago. And I started this for Moon Sang Min, whom I really liked in The Queen's Umbrella. So far, I've only a little bit into episode 2. As with other Korean dramas, each episode is about an hour, 12 total, and 2 episodes a week.
This is more of a romantic comedy, at least this is how it's starting out, between Na Ah Jung, Lee Do Han, and Do Ha's younger brother Ji Han. Our FL, Ah Jung, is a struggling actress who is very dedicated to trying to get a break in her career. Her best friend is Do Han, whom she has no idea is the heir to a very wealthy family. Do Han was called back to Korea by his grandfather to complete a marriage alliance, in order to take over the company. The reason why he needs this marriage? Because both Do Han and Ji Han are illegitimate. Their mother is their grandfather's daughter. However, the marriage has to be on Do Han for reason I guess we will find out later.
Ji Han is all supportive of his older brother's marriage to Yoon Chae Won, because he has ambitions to help his brother to take over the company away from his cousins. Whereas his older brother could care less and has no desire to take over the company. But Ji Han can only count on him because his grandfather apparently will not allow Ji Han to be the heir.
There is just one little problem...Do Han has no desire to marry...a woman. And his sexual orientation is something that only Ah Jung knows. Being pressured to marry, Do Han "proposes" to Ah Jung, saying that she will get to star on the role of a lifetime, she will be the lead, and it's a job that will need to last 3 years.
Let's see how this story goes. Ah Jung who is trying to protect her best friend. Do Han who is trying to find a way around having to marry someone. And Ji Han who is hell bent on getting his brother to marry the "right" woman so he can inherit. This is a interesting set up, and I rather like the goofiness of Ah Jung and Do Han when they are together. Crossing my fingers.
White Cat Legend
The story starts with Chen Shi, who is new in town, and finds himself in the middle of an investigation assisted by a cat who can write. Unfortunately, Chen Shi can't read (that was a funny one, when the cat rolled his eyes). This "investigational" unit is headed by Shangguan Qin, who has a group of not so great male subordinates. They each of a quark that defines their character.
Chen Shi gets "accused" of being the perp and is thrown in prison. When a series of events happened that caused the "cat" to escape, the cat takes Chen Shi with him. The "cat" turns out to be Li Bing, the son of the last head inspector who "disappeared" years ago accompanying his father's coffin.
The irony of this entire thing is that the investigation keeps saying there is not supernatural causes when Li Bing is "supernatural" since he can turn into a cat!
The first 6 episodes set the stage and explains how Li Bing gets appointed by the empress to head the investigational unit.
I like the silliness of the characters, especially the scribe, who is the "black cloud" and always attracts disasters. Let's see how this plays out.
Eternal Brotherhood
I'm up to 3 episodes and I'm not sure what I'm watching. All I know is that Zichuan Xiu, Di Lin, and Siyi Lin are all best friends. Zichuan Xiu was being schemed against when he achieved an unparalleled victory against the enemy army when he was greatly outnumbered. The "ease" at which he won that battle, made those at court accuse of him of espionage and that the "victory" was all a sham.
I just have one question...who's the one with the supernatural powers?
Visually, this drama is quite good. I really like the battle scenes in episode one.
I will need to really focus before I start this up again. This is probably not something I should have in the background and expect to know what is going on.
And this is yet for this week. Hope everyone have a great beginning of March.
BTW...Fighting for Love, I got all the way up to episode 25 when Yi Zhi found out that his family was the cause of A Mai's family's deaths, and he says that his plan was to keep this information from her forever. Yeah...we all know how well this will turn out. I haven't continued since. I will need to finish. But at this point, I think she should just run away with Chang Yu Qing, who at least isn't an idiot!