The Problematic of the Unproblematic

Okay, this episode almost gave me a heartattack. It's subtle tension, but it mounts and mounts, until it becomes quite unbearable. And at the end of it, we're deep in "Oh SHIT"-land. I still feel shivery. I mean, I just now watched it, but it's been at least 10 minutes and I have lingering tension. For reals. I really think that there were moments while watching that I forgot to breathe. 

This episode started taking me to one of my least favorite places in kdramas, and I'm sure we all know what "ville" that is. It certainly ups the action and provides some good edge of your seat watching as long as you don't think too long or hard about the plausibility of things. There is also a lot of talk about hair washing (although her hair dirty looks ten times better than mine does clean.) More excuses not to kiss.  I DO NOT GET IT.

This episode has so many adorable scenes that I had trouble picking which ones to concentrate on. With a decidedly lighter feel to it, this episode delivers to the viewers the cute and heart-fluttering moments we've all been waiting for. Now that the rescue from the earthquake is over, things are falling back into place and love is in the air. But enjoy the lightheartedness while you can - things never stay calm in Urk! That kiss was worth waiting for.

Mei Changsu continues to be gravely ill and the world around him starts disintegrating while he sleeps, as Prince Yu shows us what he is capable of. Oh, that tricky man! They are clever, our bad guys. I want Su to get better, but I also want him to not be asleep while the bad guys are so tricksy!

Kakashi: We had a bit of trouble this week with Disqus or Blogger or both, but now we're back in operation and you should all be able to see the comments again! Anyway, not sure what happened, but I find myself without Kdrama again. Maybe the new ones will keep me hooked? JoAnne: You worked very hard to fix that!  If it were me I'd be like, oh well, no comments, and go sulk in a corner. Thank you very kamsa because we love comments! You know what's really hard work too? Watching television. There's just TOO MUCH STUFF. Very overwhelmed right now. Eh. Watch what you want when you can, and the rest of it isn't going anywhere. It's just TV. Refuse to let it be a bully! By the way, I just heard about another show adapted from a comic: Preacher. Sounds interesting... Jaehyus: I'm going to have to drop shows soon enough. Block B is coming back!   Asian Shows Six Flying Dragons(Finale) Beuller? Beuller? Beuller? I think I need to deliberately...

Lafer: Once again, Shi Jin puts it all out in the open, but once again our heroine is remaining silent. This episode provides a lot of opportunities for Mo Yeon to realize how much she cares about Shi Jin, and slowly but surely Shi Jin is feeling more hopeful about Mo Yeon's true feelings, especially when a twist of fate at the end intervenes. Luckily, this episode gives us a lot of what we're here for in the form of plenty of adorable Song Joong Ki expressions. JoAnne: It's fortunate that this is all we really care about. Well... this, Dae Young smiling, and just sort of ogling Daniel. And maybe the occasional shirtless platoon run.  Those don't hurt.  We could go back to that lagoon, too. Actually that McInnis guy isn't bad either, but he should not speak or try to act.  Just stand there and look pretty and slightly menacing. Shi Jin approves of our interests

Shuk: Yay! Another week, another chance to whine and drool, hopefully not at the same time. Lafer: The drooling over SJK is getting a little much, especially since the Chinese government has to issue a warning statement about how he is affecting marriages, lol. I preferred it when there were only a couple hundred thousand drooling over him instead of millions. JoAnne: Hello. My name is JoAnne and I'm a dramaholic.  It has been 30 seconds since my last drama.  kakashi: It's okay. I got Netflixed this weekend. Matt Murdock on my mind. If only Ben Affleck had never sullied that name. Jaehyus: Nugu? Oh, never mind. I've watched so many drama episodes this week, they've blended into my mind. I'm waiting for at least half to get really stupid and really bad so that I don't feel like I must watch them all . What, no comic book nerd? It's Daredevil, the Marvel comic .

Episode 7 had a lot of action going on as everyone pulled together to do rescue and recovery. The soldiers were forced to figure out ways to search the rubble for trapped workers, while the medical team figured out how to best take care of the wounded with limited hands and supplies. All the while, our first and second leads kept an eye out for each other. And we kept our eyes on them, because almost everything else is silly but they are mostly perfect, if annoyingly resistant to each other's charms.

Watches, watches, watches! And more watches! There aren't enough people in the world to buy them all. I must say, I pity Jin Dong who seems to be stuck at Baselworld on this day too when it's a beautiful, warm spring day outside. There are tons of pictures of him (and watches) and of watches (and him) but I think we don't need to see them all. I selected the ones that bring out either his or a watch's beauty the most.

Did you like the two videos ? I hope we get more! We also got new pictures, which I want to share as well. Below, you see Jin Dong in front of the Kappel Brücke (Chapel Bridge). It's the oldest wooden covered bridge in Europe and contains a number of interior paintings dating back to the 17th century. Sadly, many of them were destroyed along with large parts of the centuries-old bridge in a 1993 fire. Damn you, wood. Why do you burn so well... (it's restored now, so you can walk across like before).

No, I couldn't go to Basel. But hey, let's just pretend I did go and I did see him, okay? Also, we're getting more Jin Dong goodies, this time, in the form of two videos! (Many thanks to Joyce for making them available for me) Documenting him strolling around in Lucerne - and him packing his suitcase. I must say, I'm mighty impressed by his packing skills. And he's so very handsome...

Dear Squeeglets, it is very much uncertain I can skip work tomorrow to go see Jin Dong because of some other commitments, which is of course DAMN %&?!%&* unfortunate, but part of the thing called Real Life or Adulting. In any case, my weibo-literate friends are busy supplying me with Jin Dong in Switzerland pictures, which gives me warm-fuzzy feels, because it's just like that time I picture-stalked Lee Jun-ki when he was in Switzerland . Fond memories. And this is what we got from weibo:

It's only been two months since I managed to successfully stalk an Asian Star and now, miraculously, another opportunity has arisen. Is this fate, telling me to go for it? Or can I expect to fail this time because meeting TWO OF THE MING BROTHERS is just too much luck for one girl? In one year? Well, I am not sure we will ever know, but Jin Dong is in Switzerland right now and with the help of my Weibo-literate friends, I now know exactly where he will be this Thursday.

As the relationship hangs in the balance, we're left waiting to hear Mo Yeon's answer to whether she wants a confession or an apology for Shi Jin's kiss. But just when we think the die is cast, Episode 6 gives us a natural disaster to facilitate second chances that our leads didn't expect to get.  Lots of dramatic earthquake footage, rescue efforts and bad-manager antics take place, but it's the relationship of our leads that drives this story forward and keeps me hanging on their every word and expression. In case I miss the whole storyline due to having blinders on for the Song Song couple, Joanne, the woman of 1,000 dramas, has agreed to continuing commenting. I'm excited to have her input! JoAnne: I know, I never shut up, do I? Thank you for inviting me :) While Mo Yeon is indeed charmed by Shi Jin, she also realizes he is dangerous - too dangerous for her to become involved with. In fact, she just doesn't like him now. OUCH. Shi Jin apologizes and l...

kakashi: This is a very long RAWR. It seems we're collectively watching the whole of TV.    JoAnne: I'm melting, I'm melting... Why, is it hot there? .... ah. No. You mean because of Mr. Sex below. I still can't believe he is making me watch his shit drama.

Episode 5 is a perfect example of how everything happens just to give our OTP an opportunity to come together and separate again, only to come back together and discuss their relationship once more. I'm OK with that as that's why I'm watching. Something about these two make me feel every emotion as if it was happening to me. Wishful thinking I guess. JoAnne:  I'm so happy, I get to squee with you!  I'm glad this is the screen cap you put at the top, too - I vividly remember that slow movement of his hand down her side, almost-but-not-quite touching her.  We know what that feels like, and it's good, good, good. But it makes me wonder who's the lucky lady in real life that our baby boy has been able to develop such moves?

Hu Ge in green is ...... but unfortunately, his incredible beauty is severely spoilt in this episode by the immense stupidity of Man Zai and Jin Yun combined. Or rather, the writer must have temporarily lost his (her?) mind. It's so stupid I want to rip my hair out. JoAnne: It felt very K-Drama. Eleanor: Yes, I felt very ragey about this episode. 

Descendants of the Sun - some love it, some not so much.  I do feel the writer was out of her element in picking this subject matter for DotS, but also believe that most kdrama watchers know what they are in for, which is usually inconsistent writing, unrealistic scenarios, and lots of tropes. I, for one, am thoroughly enjoying DotS because of my obsession with Song Joong Ki, and the only way I would have been disappointed is if he had a face transplant during his military service or got knocked out during bootcamp and lost his acting ability, which neither, luckily, have happened. Here are episodes 3 + 4 as told by the OTP's story. Those who predicted Shi Jin would stop and pick up the scarf from the end of Episode 2 were right! Although no words were spoken between them.

Preparation begins for the next big assignment - a prison break - and Ming Tai is back to being fully professional. Well, there's a little something called "defection" on his mind, but the forces around him seem to think that it's still too early to change camp.  JoAnne: But I'm so used to him pouting now that this face of determination just looks a boy plotting revenge on the kid who stole his marbles. Eleanor: LOL Dang those eyes! 

kakashi: I didn't do too badly this week with KDramas! I even liked one ... and then another!!  Shuk: This week I've actually pulled away a bit from my Thai stuff to tackle a couple of other countries. Post-op forced convalescence helps with dramawatching, but I still plan to sneak my car keys away from my mother.  Jaehyus: Popping in to complain about the download site not having a single link I need, I.e. Jang Yeong Sil or Come Back Ahjussi. 😡 Okay, popping back out... JoAnne: Looking back over this week it feels like a really long time ago and it's all kind of hazy...I remember liking some stuff though.

Ming Tai's leisurely days of ease are over and I bet you he will soon wish for some gentle backside beatings instead of the barbed and rigged lemons life is handing him! Ming Lou decides it's time to hasten his KMT exit, which means quite a bit of "Communists are so much better"-propaganda, but let's just pretend it's not there. I'll also pretend Miss Cheng Jinyun isn't there. I will just focus on Hu Ge in blue. He looks so damn good in blue. Shame it's going to be waisted on That Woman. Eleanor: Hu Ge does look so good in blue. It fits the tense mood as well. 

We are still in a post-old excitement, pre-new excitement phase, which is good, because we need to get mentally ready for what is coming. That said, I wish the education of Ming Tai would be done already, because I'm getting a bit bored with the "whose fault is it" questions and the seemingly endless peace restoration process in the Ming Family. JoAnne: We could have some Ming Lou romantic action for a change of pace. You know, just to break things up a bit. I mean, I'm fine with things as they are but you sound a little bored so I guess I could be a good sport and accept a change in direction gracefully. Because I care about you, you know? I really do. Eleanor: Imagine being romanced by that gorgeous, gravely voice of his...mmmm, was that the sound of JoAnne hitting the floor? ;P

At the request of Jaraket and seconded by Breeze, I have decided to feature Song Hye Kyo for the second episode of Descendants of the Sun. As it turns out, this is very much her episode, and her acting and beauty are spot on. Here, then, is a recap of DotS episode 2, as told in Song Hye Kyo gifs.