Rants and Weekly Raves #12 (RAWR)
It's a new week, full of new adventures!
Mary: *giggling* *still thinking about Eel Tail Technique*
JoAnne: I need to watch this, but I haven't seen anything this week. Not one thing.
kakashi: It's horrible when this happens. (But I have my baby girl here, so I'm ok with it.)
It also has Jeon Hye Bin (recently in Joseon Gunman) and Seo Do Yeong, who looks a bit like Choi Jin-hyuk from time to time but doesn't quite have his voice, which is unfortunate. They're brothers on opposite sides and things turn bad pretty quickly. I'm pretty sure everybody dies at the end. Cutie Soo is also in this, though his role is margimargimarginal.
Mary: So is Shinichi like a male Jin Se-yeon? Will he die in Bad Guys too?
JoAnne: Well they do say live hard, die young, leave a good looking corpse.
Mary: I just hate sleeping. LOL. I resent the fact that humans have to sleep. Because there are too many great shows to try and foods to taste and books to read and people to talk to and things to learn. So that's my stand on sleeping. It's not that I can't. I just don't wanna. XD
Shuk: For me, it's because of my job. Since I work a C-shift (11pm to 7:30am EST), I tend to sleep in a broken pattern. But I do sleep with one (or both) notebooks nearby, and usually watch a drama until I fall asleep.
JoAnne: I had never needed more than 4 or 5 hours to operate well when I was younger. Now that would not be enough, but for a long time I was unable to sleep for more than 4 hours at a stretch. Sometimes for more than 3. I curse you, my bladder. It definitely wasn't KDrama related, although sometimes it IS twitter-related, you addictive people, if I get less than 4-5 hours a night. But once I was out of my first flush of OMG I MUST WATCH THIS ENTIRE SERIES TODAY and switched to a more WATA schedule, KDrama hasn't affected how much I sleep. Generally.
becca: I've always been a night owl - ever since I was a baby. If I'm thinking about something, if I'm doing something - it's really easy for me to stay up into the wee hours. Like JoAnne just said, I'm kind of past the "marathon every episode right now" phase, partly because I watch a lot of current shows and partly because I just don't feel the need to immediately press play on that next episode. Unless of course, something really good comes along at the right moment. Pretty much all I did Christmas week last year was watch Nine: Nine Times Time Travel.
bcook: I too am a night owl and I usually want to finish something that I'm enjoying so the next chapter becomes the next three, or the next episode becomes the next 5 and next thing you know it's 6am and I have a flight to catch in 4 hours and my room isn't packed up. I have gotten better with shows and i'm able to set a limit but put a good book in my hands and ....
Mary: Maybe James and John and Alan (and other squeeglets) can answer your question. ^_____^
JoAnne: I just realized Ricky doesn't read us.
becca: *sad face*
bcook: *confused* I thought everybody reads us. We're like internet famous baby! No?
kakashi: I stopped at 11. Haven't looked back once.
JoAnne: I stopped at 12. I wasn't going to pick it back up again, but people were remarking heavily about the last couple episodes, so I will probably watch them.
becca: I'm just echoing JoAnne today, aren't I? I dropped it at 13, but I think I'll go back to it next time there's a drama lull. The people who stuck with it until the end seemed satisfied, and I do feel some loyalty toward Junki.
kakashi: And I feel very, very bad toward Jun-ki. He used to be among my top 3. But now? I think he's at 5 or 6.
bcook: Wow. Collective desertation? It's that boring?
kakashi: Well, maybe just unlucky there were so many other things to watch at the same time. I'd certainly have continued if not, i.e. for It's Okay, It's Love.
JoAnne: I'm behind. So behind.
becca: We should get back to this one, too.
becca: Ooh, that sounds fun! I hope Bodyguard gets the girl! (I tend to ship even if I'm not watching a show, heh.)
kakashi: ooooooh, sounds good! Damn. No. Nothing more fits into my life. Nope. No. No (It does sound good.)
Shuk: For those who are looking forward to my next Pakistani watch, help! I can't seem to find an entire copy of Zindagi Gulzar Hai with eng subs, so I may have to fall back on one of the other recco's.
(because it's effing weird that's why. Seriously guys... that show puts WTFIronMan to shame)
becca: *stares at paragraph and wonders what to respond to first* Okay, from the top: I don't want to watch My Spring Days, but I'll probably give it a shot because I want to see if Sooyoung is as enjoyable in this as she was in Dating Agency: Cyrano, which I loooved - also, I like the rest of the cast. I'm not checking out Iron Man because, um, there's nothing there to interest me. At all. Still don't care about It's (Not) Okay, It's Love but very glad for those who love it that they still love it. I may watch Greatest Marriage, but I haven't decided yet, and I will never NOT think of Bae Soo-bin as the bug-eyed fiancé in 49 Days. *stops for a moment of silence before diving in again* Not watching Valid Love, looking forward to Rain, and SO. EXCITED. about Bad Guys. *puffs and puffs, trying to catch breath*
kakashi: Nice Guys. That's it for me. I'll watch nothing else. Ah, except for Sleepy Hollow, of course! And Outlander. Scotland, my love! I've watched the first three and am very intrigued. It's so beautiful. And wanna bet that all the Scots that watch this show will vote YES for independence next week?!
bcook: I've been watching Criminal Minds on netflix. Now every white male between the ages of 25-45 looks suspicious. So basically half the people in my office. Also I saw that a new season of Haven was up so might watch that while I wait for Bad Guys. Oh! Oh! Have to catch up on Doctor Who (i've been really bad) and so so so excited for Viola Davis's new show How To Get Away With Murder. It has been touched by the hand of Shonda Rhimes so I'm expecting big things.
JoAnne: I will! I will! I love this drama! I love when the family is together and I do like 19, who is actually an idol I guess? I'm not as interested in 9. He's cute, but I only really like the hook of his storyline, which is babies acting out an adult love triangle. So funny! But ohhhh, 29 and 39. They are squeezing my heart in such good ways. And Kim Young Kwang is just balm for the eyes, is he not anyway? Just the longest most delicious looking boy and then he stares at her with those puppy dog eyes full of love and I just melt. Same for Oh Jung Se. I would fall for that guy in real life, you know. I have known that since the moment I met him as Pony Tail Partner in I Miss You.
Shuk: Okay, I went ahead and started a watch folder for this drama based on our JoAnne unni. I realized there have been very few SK Dramas in my life recently, so maybe this one will break the dry spell.
bcook: Hmmm I'll wait on the sidelines for a little bit longer. I could do with a little WTF in my life though. I was expecting that with nightwatchman and was disappointed. (yeah, they are really pulling their punches) I was pleasantly surprised by It's Ok That's Love quick, logical sensible ending and once again proving that the live shoot system is what fucks up a good show. I was horribly surprised by the last two episodes of Fated To Love You which were clearly stretched out in the hope of ratings (I sincerely hope they didn't get them). I mean... talk about rehashing old material.
JoAnne: A well-deserved WTEverLovingF for the treatment of well, treatment, not to mention medical ethics... but in every other possible regard, a spectacular outing. I recounted the 'goodbye' scene to my daughter and she had tears in her eyes just hearing about it. So very well done, in an extremely irresponsible way. Of course, no one should be taking their medical advice from a television show, so I have that to console me.
On Hot Abs-Nose aka Jo Dong-hyuk
kakashi: For example, how has A Yaksha (or Yaksha or Ya Cha or Demon, 야차 (夜叉)) been able to escape my notice?! It's a 2010 OCN drama and it stars ... my Shinichi! I'm all over this right now! It's very much 19+ rated and trying very hard to be as gory and lusty as an HBO show (it's not) and ... well. There's Shinichi. Or whatever his real name is.Mary: *giggling* *still thinking about Eel Tail Technique*
JoAnne: I need to watch this, but I haven't seen anything this week. Not one thing.
kakashi: It's horrible when this happens. (But I have my baby girl here, so I'm ok with it.)
It also has Jeon Hye Bin (recently in Joseon Gunman) and Seo Do Yeong, who looks a bit like Choi Jin-hyuk from time to time but doesn't quite have his voice, which is unfortunate. They're brothers on opposite sides and things turn bad pretty quickly. I'm pretty sure everybody dies at the end. Cutie Soo is also in this, though his role is margimargimarginal.
Mary: So is Shinichi like a male Jin Se-yeon? Will he die in Bad Guys too?
JoAnne: Well they do say live hard, die young, leave a good looking corpse.
On Sleep Deprivation and Choco Abs
There's something else I'm interested in (and I'm serious): the link between KDramas and insomnia (or sleep-difficulties). I have noticed that many people on my T-list have difficulties sleeping. This is not any proof for correlation, of course. I, for example, have absolutely NO problems sleeping. When I lie down, I fall asleep. Immediately. Doesn't matter when and where. If I'm awake late at night, KDrama is not the remedy, it's the cause. Yeah ... busy life. Recapping and watching at night. But there are others, people that cannot sleep and then turn to KDrama. So - what is your story?Mary: I just hate sleeping. LOL. I resent the fact that humans have to sleep. Because there are too many great shows to try and foods to taste and books to read and people to talk to and things to learn. So that's my stand on sleeping. It's not that I can't. I just don't wanna. XD
Shuk: For me, it's because of my job. Since I work a C-shift (11pm to 7:30am EST), I tend to sleep in a broken pattern. But I do sleep with one (or both) notebooks nearby, and usually watch a drama until I fall asleep.
becca: I've always been a night owl - ever since I was a baby. If I'm thinking about something, if I'm doing something - it's really easy for me to stay up into the wee hours. Like JoAnne just said, I'm kind of past the "marathon every episode right now" phase, partly because I watch a lot of current shows and partly because I just don't feel the need to immediately press play on that next episode. Unless of course, something really good comes along at the right moment. Pretty much all I did Christmas week last year was watch Nine: Nine Times Time Travel.
bcook: I too am a night owl and I usually want to finish something that I'm enjoying so the next chapter becomes the next three, or the next episode becomes the next 5 and next thing you know it's 6am and I have a flight to catch in 4 hours and my room isn't packed up. I have gotten better with shows and i'm able to set a limit but put a good book in my hands and ....
On Men and KDrama
kakashi: And finally, this: Why do the few men that watch KDrama regularly like KDrama? Too bad we're not qualified to answer this. But somebody might know.Mary: Maybe James and John and Alan (and other squeeglets) can answer your question. ^_____^
JoAnne: I just realized Ricky doesn't read us.
becca: *sad face*
bcook: *confused* I thought everybody reads us. We're like internet famous baby! No?
On Joseon Gunman
Shuk: Has anyone watched this to the end? I stopped at episode 18, and have been singularly uninterested in watching the last four, even though I have them downloaded and everything.kakashi: I stopped at 11. Haven't looked back once.
JoAnne: I stopped at 12. I wasn't going to pick it back up again, but people were remarking heavily about the last couple episodes, so I will probably watch them.
becca: I'm just echoing JoAnne today, aren't I? I dropped it at 13, but I think I'll go back to it next time there's a drama lull. The people who stuck with it until the end seemed satisfied, and I do feel some loyalty toward Junki.
bcook: Wow. Collective desertation? It's that boring?
kakashi: Well, maybe just unlucky there were so many other things to watch at the same time. I'd certainly have continued if not, i.e. for It's Okay, It's Love.
On TWDrama Love Myself or You (Pleasantly Surprised)
Shuk: I watched this one for the food porn, not for the crazy outfits, so it was a pleasant shock to see our Boy of Many Flowers don a business suit. I'm not sure how many episodes are left, though. The canon couple have declared their love, the family crisis / misunderstanding is almost done, and all that's left is a bit of media scrum, the unconscious bro waking up, and the BadDad going to prison after apologizing to his daughter, Surely they can do all that in one episode. But we are at episode 16, so there's gotta be at least two more, right?JoAnne: I'm behind. So behind.
becca: We should get back to this one, too.
On the Shuklist: My Thai Dramas and Whatnot
Shuk: I'm going to blame Belinda for my second WATA Thai drama. The first was Full House Thai, which, since I was recapping it, I never really anxiously waited for the next installment (much). But, now, I antsy-antsy to the point of watching raw: La Ruk Sut Kop Fah (Chasing Love To the Final Horizon). It's a Thai Channel 7 production, so I know little about the actors (my man Chakrit is contracted to Channel 3). But the lead male is a shuriken-throwing, high-kicking Royal Bodyguard, and the lead female is into extreme sports and kicking butt. The plot is familiar: commoner daughter betrothed to playboy prince, being trained in her royal duties and falling in love with the bodyguard. But those two are great together, and, really, the prince isn't too bad, at least so far. Eight episodes are eng-subbed out of twelve that have been released. becca: Ooh, that sounds fun! I hope Bodyguard gets the girl! (I tend to ship even if I'm not watching a show, heh.)
kakashi: ooooooh, sounds good! Damn. No. Nothing more fits into my life. Nope. No. No (It does sound good.)
Shuk: For those who are looking forward to my next Pakistani watch, help! I can't seem to find an entire copy of Zindagi Gulzar Hai with eng subs, so I may have to fall back on one of the other recco's.
On other shows - a whole load of others
JoAnne: This week starts My Spring Days and Blade Man, both of which I intend to check out. I guess it's only a plus one though, since It's More Than Okay, It's What's His Face's Face ends this week. (Hehe. Awesome title Jo. I just finished it. I'm so happy it ended well) Next week Jang Bori ends (sob! (well, not that soon, cause we have 6 episodes left) and Greatest Marriage starts. Which - something about Bae Soo Bin's face makes me want to punch it, but I want to watch this story so I'm going to try. And then in October we have Valid Love, with Vampire Director, and My Loveable Girl, with My Beloved Rain - is it just me, or does his face look entirely different lately. Like work's been done different. And also Bad Guys, which has me and Kakashi practically spinning into orbit with excitement (you're not the only one. It looks awesome!!): : . Plus The Walking Dead will start soon (me) and Sleepy Hollow (Kakashi and me) (and Shuk!), and I have been watching Outlander which is awesome and The Strain which is not but I'm still watching it anyway because who the hell knows why.(because it's effing weird that's why. Seriously guys... that show puts WTFIronMan to shame)
kakashi: Nice Guys. That's it for me. I'll watch nothing else. Ah, except for Sleepy Hollow, of course! And Outlander. Scotland, my love! I've watched the first three and am very intrigued. It's so beautiful. And wanna bet that all the Scots that watch this show will vote YES for independence next week?!
bcook: I've been watching Criminal Minds on netflix. Now every white male between the ages of 25-45 looks suspicious. So basically half the people in my office. Also I saw that a new season of Haven was up so might watch that while I wait for Bad Guys. Oh! Oh! Have to catch up on Doctor Who (i've been really bad) and so so so excited for Viola Davis's new show How To Get Away With Murder. It has been touched by the hand of Shonda Rhimes so I'm expecting big things.
On Plus Nine Boys
becca: Does anyone want to talk about Plus Nine Boys with me? Because I'm loving this show! Sometimes it feels a little slow, but for the most part, I like the way this show is shaping up. 9 is annoying, but his scenes are short, so I'm okay. 19 is just... kind of there. I like him more when he's interacting with the other leads, but unfortunately, we don't get as many of those scenes as I would like. As for 29 and 39 (who, really, are the proper leads) - the former makes my heart physically hurt, with his puppy dog eyes and longing glances. (And who else is dying to know about "that incident"??) The latter squeezes my heart in a different way: it's slower and softer, but every bit as meaningful. I suspect his story will be more of a slow burn in that way, and Oh Jung-se plays him so perfectly. Squeeglets, I think I actually like this more than My Secret Hotel right now, which is saying a lot, as I continue to adore that drama to pieces. My only major complaint right now: Where's all the bromance?? I'm hoping it will come into play more as we get further into the show because I'd like to see the relationships among the guys, not just between the guys and their girls. On Being Surprised (by Blade Man)
JoAnne: Holy Freaking Batman, Boy Wonder - I laughed my butt off at Blade Man last night. Not so much toward the end of the episode when they began to introduce the melo elements, but the beginning and the middle? It's WTFery at a very high level of execution, possibly. I'm very, very excited to see what they do with this. VERY. It's not just knives - he also creates electrical storms. And there's a good chance he does not know about his abilities. But his body guard does, oh yes. And Kim Mi Sook as his housekeeper? Fabulous. Pissy Face was kinda funny but I need her to not scream ever again. And there are PUPPIES. My kind of puppies. Wookie was a trip beyond describing. This could be good WTF, folks. This could be really good WTF.Shuk: Okay, I went ahead and started a watch folder for this drama based on our JoAnne unni. I realized there have been very few SK Dramas in my life recently, so maybe this one will break the dry spell.
On It's Okay, It's Love
kakashi: Alright, I don't know how I will get over this one just now, but maybe a marathon of That Winter the Wind Blows plus What Happened in Bali AND Frozen Flower and Dirty Carneval will stop my heartache? Or should I just start over? I want to thank you, KDramaland, for throwing this our way. You know, I often doubt you. Whenever you shower me with template X of trope Z once again and think you can draw me in with just some abs and a pretty face. But then, you come up with a show like this and all is well again. What acting. What writing. What directing. Just .... wow. See, I've been burnt so many times I don't even expect good endings anymore - but hey, you even delivered that! An ending that made sense, that was satisfying, that didn't feel forced, that stayed true to the characters ... Thank you. SO MUCH.JoAnne: A well-deserved WTEverLovingF for the treatment of well, treatment, not to mention medical ethics... but in every other possible regard, a spectacular outing. I recounted the 'goodbye' scene to my daughter and she had tears in her eyes just hearing about it. So very well done, in an extremely irresponsible way. Of course, no one should be taking their medical advice from a television show, so I have that to console me.