Rants and Weekly Raves #96 (RAWR)
kakashi: It has to be William on the top here, of course.
JoAnne: ...I don't even need to say it, do I.
*blinks innocently*
Jaehyus: He's from Hong Kong. He'll know English. We need his non-Weibo SNS to tell him how much we love him.
In case any of those guys we go crazy about READ what we write about them, I can rest easy because it's really high-quality fangirling we engage in.
Uh, William seems skeptical about that.
In other news, I'm getting slightly panicky due to my upcoming holidays. It always happens this time of the year. Leaving this blog for two weeks is like leaving your child unattended (and then I'm usually not even fully gone)
I'll be on vacation for two weeks beginning the 18th, when are you away? I'm not travelling like you though - my baby girl is coming home to see her mama and eat some lobster.
One week of overlap! Ohhhh, who is going to hold the fort :O
Since I don't currently know whether I can survive without O9G, which is good news, because I will hunt those WiFis in the Cairngorm National Park like people hunt Pokemon.
I'm sure I'll have some drama watching time, never fear. Re: Pokemon - I don't want to play, but I want to know if I'm standing next to one - so I went to download the app and my phone is too old, I guess...you need IOS 8 and my software is 7.2.1 and 'up to date.' Oh well.
Yeah, you need to get a new phone. Like me.
I'm not into playing games like that. I sometimes do jigsaws and coloring pages on my iPad, but hunting Pokemon doesn't really sound fun to me.
Lafer: My favorite video of the week - A mom playing the adult version of Pokemon Go called Chardonnay Go! Now there's a game we could really get in to.
I have a friend who thinks there should be a game where you can see what demons or monsters are around you. I think he's a genius. I would buy a new phone for that game. Think about it. At the beach or on a boat? Sea monsters. Near a bridge? Trolls. In the woods? Fairies. In a cemetery at night for who knows what stupid reason? Vampires clawing their way up out of the earth. Winged demons flying overhead. Ghosts in that empty house down the street, or patrolling the dark halls of your high school at night. It would be awesome!
Shuk: Every day at work, I'm getting calls for people walking into traffic and such. Just imagine if people were chasing ghosts or something. But yes, that would be one I might be willing to download.
I suppose if it were a real kiss I'd have an issue with it, but as is? It's barely lips touching, not sexual at all, with two professional actors on a set with dozens of people, playing similarly aged characters. I wouldn't want my 12 year old doing it, but with appropriate supervision and mood I don't have an issue with the 16 year old. I'm much more concerned for the many, many episodes of shows we've all watched where much younger children are exposed to/directly experience violence, gore, verbal abuse, and other evidence of morally corrupt behavior - but no one ever raises an eye over that.
Well, we had a long convo on twitter today about child actors and how to "protect" them. The point of it all is: the onus is on the parents. They are the ones who have the responsibility to protect their kid! (Also, I still don't get why they have to cast minors in roles for non-minors. Did all the 20so year old actresses leave the country?)
AGREED. But I must have missed that whole bit. Anyway, this is breezy and fun. I laughed out loud several times in both episodes and everyone is doing a great job so far. I love the GhostNet team, the has-been monk, the interaction between our hero and heroine - everything. It's far from original - you will recognize bits from most of the more recent ghost stories - but it's a simple, enjoyable plot and an easy hour of television.
I wanted to watch this, but who knows when there'll be time.
Online it said it was scheduled to start July 12th, 2016? UPDATE: Viki has obtained the license as of July 15th and videos will be uploaded 'soon.' They are looking for subbers, moderators, etc, etc, etc.
I'm pretty sure this only starts to air in China in August.
I am deeply fond of Young Oh and beginning to understand why they worked so hard to get Park So Dam as his counterpoint.
I am deeply fond of Young Oh to the point that I start to worry about myself and how much I don't care at all about anything or anyone else in this drama. It's not that I dislike the other people like I have in other dramas; it's more like I just want jang Hyuk to be in every scene so I can watch him make me love Young Oh more and be amazed at how well he is playing this role and making me think of ways I could get him to feel some emotions.
And DAMN, then he forms an attachment to her and I find that the cutest thing EVER. It's totally believable. She gives him warmth and friendship and you do not NEED love hormones to be drawn to that. Even if he is just acting on instinct, this woman is about the only thing in his world that is keeping him together. We don't spend much time on his break-down, which I liked... he gets back on his feet pretty quickly and regains his confidence. He is changed in the process, however. He was arrogant before, now he is no longer. And we ask ourselves... if he can change in this regard, what else can change?
I still say how he gets there is different than how I get there, but he GETS THERE. Isn't that the point? I mean, at least as far as being a human who needs to understand other humans?
I didn't dislike our female lead before like some although I could see why she was annoying. I just didn't see her as much different than any of our other naive bumblingly earnest there must be justice in the world female leads. However, it was these two episodes that made me realize her necessity to Young Oh (because really in my head I call this The Young Oh Story) because what he needs is warmth. She is as warm and comforting as hot-buttered toast. Even if he "reads" her, she shows exactly what he is going to get. I loved how she won the bet and how he liked it that she won the bet. Someone without emotions does not have hope for humanity or desire for normalcy (whatever that means) His father completely underestimated him. Think what Young Oh could've been earlier with just a bit of love and pride from his father.
And then, he asks her out. I was literally squeeling and laughing at the same time ... how clumsy! And yet, how sweet. And she has absolutely no clue, because she's not exactly more experienced in these kind of things. Awwww, cuties. I hope you get to be HAPPY (or the equivalent of happy if you cannot feel happy). You both deserve it (and the preview! The preview!)
Preview? I didn't see a preview. GAH!
Apparently, the director is really shocked that everybody likes Jang
Hyuk's character. Supposedly, he should have been the most unlikable
one. That didn't really work out, dude, ahahahaaaaa.
I do not for one minute believe he seriously thinks everyone would dislike Young Oh. There were people on set. There were people reading the script. The audience is not his first bit of feedback. Although... when I think about the really bad dramas out there that someone thought were good enough to air... hmm.
I can't believe that he thought that no one would like Young Oh, especially after he made so many other people who ought to know better pretty despicable.
JoAnne: ...I don't even need to say it, do I.
*blinks innocently*
Jaehyus: He's from Hong Kong. He'll know English. We need his non-Weibo SNS to tell him how much we love him.
In case any of those guys we go crazy about READ what we write about them, I can rest easy because it's really high-quality fangirling we engage in.
Uh, William seems skeptical about that.
I'll be on vacation for two weeks beginning the 18th, when are you away? I'm not travelling like you though - my baby girl is coming home to see her mama and eat some lobster.
One week of overlap! Ohhhh, who is going to hold the fort :O
Since I don't currently know whether I can survive without O9G, which is good news, because I will hunt those WiFis in the Cairngorm National Park like people hunt Pokemon.
I'm sure I'll have some drama watching time, never fear. Re: Pokemon - I don't want to play, but I want to know if I'm standing next to one - so I went to download the app and my phone is too old, I guess...you need IOS 8 and my software is 7.2.1 and 'up to date.' Oh well.
Yeah, you need to get a new phone. Like me.
I'm not into playing games like that. I sometimes do jigsaws and coloring pages on my iPad, but hunting Pokemon doesn't really sound fun to me.
I have a friend who thinks there should be a game where you can see what demons or monsters are around you. I think he's a genius. I would buy a new phone for that game. Think about it. At the beach or on a boat? Sea monsters. Near a bridge? Trolls. In the woods? Fairies. In a cemetery at night for who knows what stupid reason? Vampires clawing their way up out of the earth. Winged demons flying overhead. Ghosts in that empty house down the street, or patrolling the dark halls of your high school at night. It would be awesome!
Shuk: Every day at work, I'm getting calls for people walking into traffic and such. Just imagine if people were chasing ghosts or something. But yes, that would be one I might be willing to download.
East New
Bring It On Ghost
Lovely! Another drama with a 16 year old and a 30 year old man! Hahahaaaaa, I do see why people are upset about it, actually. Yes, I know it's just acting and it's not real. They're not even acting in characters that are 16 and 30. But I, as a parent, would NOT want my 16 year old daughter to kiss a 30 year old man, even if she were an actress and even it it's not a real kiss. Yes, for me, the fault is with the parents.I suppose if it were a real kiss I'd have an issue with it, but as is? It's barely lips touching, not sexual at all, with two professional actors on a set with dozens of people, playing similarly aged characters. I wouldn't want my 12 year old doing it, but with appropriate supervision and mood I don't have an issue with the 16 year old. I'm much more concerned for the many, many episodes of shows we've all watched where much younger children are exposed to/directly experience violence, gore, verbal abuse, and other evidence of morally corrupt behavior - but no one ever raises an eye over that.
AGREED. But I must have missed that whole bit. Anyway, this is breezy and fun. I laughed out loud several times in both episodes and everyone is doing a great job so far. I love the GhostNet team, the has-been monk, the interaction between our hero and heroine - everything. It's far from original - you will recognize bits from most of the more recent ghost stories - but it's a simple, enjoyable plot and an easy hour of television.
I wanted to watch this, but who knows when there'll be time.
Stay with Me (Wang Kai!) (yay!)
Hm, I think this isn't starting yet :DOnline it said it was scheduled to start July 12th, 2016? UPDATE: Viki has obtained the license as of July 15th and videos will be uploaded 'soon.' They are looking for subbers, moderators, etc, etc, etc.
I'm pretty sure this only starts to air in China in August.
East Old
Doctors
I think there's something wrong with Ji Hong, seriously. He's too freaking happy, like a little kid, and it's sort of weird. (maybe he got all the emotions that Jang Hyuk over in the other drama does not have?) I'm glad they didn't kill JiSoo because there would be RIOTS - noonas love JiSoo very much, and he must never die but he should always have some scenes where he cries. Overall I'm enjoying this - but I do have to keep saying 'the clinical trial cover up is in the OTHER medical drama' every time I get confused about where Cutie Soo is and why he's not on my screen. Yoon Do is hilarious, Hye Jung and Ji Hong are otherworldly pretty, and I have some sympathy for the bitchy second lead. For a change, I can see why she feels some resentment. Note that I don't say I agree with her...but I can at least put myself in her shoes and see why she feels as she does.
Anyone wants to make a comment about PSH? No?
Trotwood: You are just egging us on because of that troll aren't you?
I did think long and hard about fangirl psychology this morning in the garden, yes. Not that it helped much.
Anyone wants to make a comment about PSH? No?
Trotwood: You are just egging us on because of that troll aren't you?
I did think long and hard about fangirl psychology this morning in the garden, yes. Not that it helped much.
Beautiful Mind
Still a very intriguing drama! One of our readers wrote: "I love the exploration into humanity, morality and ethics", and that is exactly IT. My eyes didn't stay dry during episode 7. We continue the journey with an emotionless (?) man whose foundation was ripped away, a woman who keeps helping him build another, gently nudging him on from the sidelines, and a set of doctors at the hospital, some of which are monsters and some of which are very, very human - and some might turn into monsters because they are too human.I am deeply fond of Young Oh and beginning to understand why they worked so hard to get Park So Dam as his counterpoint.
I am deeply fond of Young Oh to the point that I start to worry about myself and how much I don't care at all about anything or anyone else in this drama. It's not that I dislike the other people like I have in other dramas; it's more like I just want jang Hyuk to be in every scene so I can watch him make me love Young Oh more and be amazed at how well he is playing this role and making me think of ways I could get him to feel some emotions.
I still say how he gets there is different than how I get there, but he GETS THERE. Isn't that the point? I mean, at least as far as being a human who needs to understand other humans?
I didn't dislike our female lead before like some although I could see why she was annoying. I just didn't see her as much different than any of our other naive bumblingly earnest there must be justice in the world female leads. However, it was these two episodes that made me realize her necessity to Young Oh (because really in my head I call this The Young Oh Story) because what he needs is warmth. She is as warm and comforting as hot-buttered toast. Even if he "reads" her, she shows exactly what he is going to get. I loved how she won the bet and how he liked it that she won the bet. Someone without emotions does not have hope for humanity or desire for normalcy (whatever that means) His father completely underestimated him. Think what Young Oh could've been earlier with just a bit of love and pride from his father.
Preview? I didn't see a preview. GAH!
I do not for one minute believe he seriously thinks everyone would dislike Young Oh. There were people on set. There were people reading the script. The audience is not his first bit of feedback. Although... when I think about the really bad dramas out there that someone thought were good enough to air... hmm.
I can't believe that he thought that no one would like Young Oh, especially after he made so many other people who ought to know better pretty despicable.
Old Nine Gates
So pretty! So dangerous! So mysterious! Fine...I'll stop focusing on Fo Ye and say something about the show. So pretty! So dangerous! So mysterious! I love this. But Fo Ye. He is something. And I think he shares a tailor with Mr. Glorious Pants himself.
Amazing man, er, drama. It's funny, 4 episodes a week is a lot but not nearly enough. I'm so glad this is 48 episodes long! 12 weeks equals three months ... three months of intense FoYePleasure! Life has meaning again.
I am almost ready to succumb to the peer pressure and watch this, but I have to say that if I do. I will watch it because of her. Zhao Li Ying is the most adorable thing ever. I just want to make muffins.
I'm also SO EXCITED about the upcoming auction! It's going to be GOOOOOOOD. I watched all the available episodes (that's until 12), 4 of them raw.
That is amazingly dedicated. Me, I don't follow enough Mandarin like I do Hangulmal - and that's just words and phrases here and there - to watch raw.
Believe me, you could follow the important stuff perfectly well even with zero Mandarin.
Amazing man, er, drama. It's funny, 4 episodes a week is a lot but not nearly enough. I'm so glad this is 48 episodes long! 12 weeks equals three months ... three months of intense FoYePleasure! Life has meaning again.
 |
| She is all of us (Fo Ye's future wife) |
I'm also SO EXCITED about the upcoming auction! It's going to be GOOOOOOOD. I watched all the available episodes (that's until 12), 4 of them raw.
That is amazingly dedicated. Me, I don't follow enough Mandarin like I do Hangulmal - and that's just words and phrases here and there - to watch raw.
Believe me, you could follow the important stuff perfectly well even with zero Mandarin.
 |
| I just like it when he's astride things. |
Uncontrollably Fond
So.... I've been meaning to ask. What does this title even mean?!Who the fuck knows. They like each other despite their own best intentions? I give up trying to understand these English-language titles, because very often the LITERAL translation of the Korean title works perfectly fine (better, even) but they don't go with it.
Is "uncontrollably" even a word? Ah, yes. Like in: "I am shaking uncontrollably".
Fatigue, from stanning William Chan.
So freaking hot, that Chipmunk Hunk.
Speaking of hot. Oh. My. God. This drama will wreck me. Woobs will wreck me. This is making me feel like Rain and Shin Min Ah did in A Love to Kill, like I felt about Shin and Chae Kyung in Goong, like I felt about Soo Hyun and Ji Woo in Time Between Dog and Wolf. I NEEEEED them to be together and happy. I don't think it's going to happen. I will happily sob heartbroken tears over this and you will laugh and I do not care one bit. Are any of us PotUppers besides me watching this because I need to recap it. I need to wallow in this beautiful happy misery in as many ways as possible and this needs Kakashi's superior giffing and screencapping skills. All you have to do is take pictures whenever someone gorgeous is on the screen, Kakashi. Is anyone watching? OMG why are you not watching this? This is glorious! And basically it should be called Fuck This, I Love You
I'll do pictures for you.
*makes that tiny heart thing with two fingers then shoots kisses at with Shin Min Ah's 'pew, pew' sound* thank you very kamsa my Kakashi! Is anyone watching besides me?
(*crickets*)
I keep wanting too and then I remember about the illness and then I remember how I cannot deal with Woobs crying or my heart breaking this summer even though I don't care if Suzy does (are there any Suzy fans out there?) and I don't. I'd read your recaps though.
I might do something periodically. Toying with calling it 'Fond Glances' - I can't in good conscience make Kakashi spend a lot of time on this when she's already doing so much. And she totally would because she loves me and feels sorry for my melo-loving heart.
38 Squad
I don't know about you, but after the end of episode 10, I'm sitting here repeating to myself, 'No, but he said he was going to Bang Pil Gyu, right? Why does Sung Il look like that? This is all part of the plan, right? Right? RIGHT?
Five Children
I really liked how Five Children was able to move forward for the most part without unnecessary angst, but now we are getting a full dose of it with the secondary couples. I expected that the children would start stirring things up at some point, because honestly I felt all along that they ordered these children from the Stepford Company as I've never run across even one let alone five such perfect children as these. So I'm accepting this development and just maybe making use of the fast forward arrow. But my heart is really breaking for Sang Min, and at the same time I'm ready to ring Sweet Pumpkin's neck.
I guess I have a lot more sympathy for her than most people do. I can see why a reserved, shy woman like Yeon Tae would be completely thrown by the prospect of having Tae Min as a brother-in-law, knowing that he would know how she used to feel and how strongly; not to mention that Jin Joo would also end up knowing, plus she'd know her part in that. Also, his evil mother has it right when she says that families who are so interconnected can have difficulties because there's no privacy.
That said, I'm really glad we appear to be moving past that crisis in this week's episodes. I also like the realistic portrayal of families dealing with the issues that come with second marriages.
I guess I have a lot more sympathy for her than most people do. I can see why a reserved, shy woman like Yeon Tae would be completely thrown by the prospect of having Tae Min as a brother-in-law, knowing that he would know how she used to feel and how strongly; not to mention that Jin Joo would also end up knowing, plus she'd know her part in that. Also, his evil mother has it right when she says that families who are so interconnected can have difficulties because there's no privacy.
 |
| Five Children |
Prince of Wolf
I think this is actually only one episode a week? Or do two episodes both get released on Sunday? Not sure. I've seen two, and I'm hooked. Tarzan is always a good story, even if Jane is annoyingly cutesie and there are logic fails every 30 seconds. Our prince is so unbelievably cute that I will put up with these things and in fact will document them elsewhere. It's been a long time since we had a WTFcap. Too long.
This.Is.So.BAD!
This.Is.So.BAD!
The Good Wife
I would love to watch this, but I have no time, with the upcoming holidays and all.I figure I will someday, but it doesn't strike me as one I need to see live, or one where spoilers would matter. Or exist.
If I ever get reborn, I want to be as fierce and as talented as Jeon Do-Yeon.
East Ends
Beautiful Gong Shim (Finale)
The OTP were cute. Adorable, even. They're together. Evil people don't really get punished to our satisfaction. The End.LOL.Yes, the end was a lot of fluff, typical some extremely obvious PPL and a less-than-satisfying final kisshug. But, hey, I wasn't exactly watching it for the gripping tension or an Oscar-winning plot. I'm happy the wig was off in the last bit of the last episode. And we DON'T see her eternally Schemy McSchemerson sister end up with Joon-soo, may that never happen. It did feel good to see Evil Uncle finally on the correct side of the Plexiglas, rotten toad that he is. And, quite frankly, I never understood the wig. GS never seem to have a poor self-image, so why wear it? [shrug]
Mirror of the Witch (Finale)
Dammit. Seriously, dammit. Why do you have to hurt me like that? I honestly thought...never mind. I was wrong and my heart is fucking broken and yes, I know, those last couple minutes are supposed to make up for it but I'm not ready. I'm not ready. I really, really, really believed that it would be okay. And the reason why it wouldn't be was staring me in the face the entire time, of course, and maybe you all knew it - but I didn't and I'm so sad right now you have no idea. I never made the connection that Heo Jun was THE Heo Jun until the very end. Did you?
I loved this story so much - a cursed princess and her fight against the evil witch who wants to destroy her/her family will always be a favorite. What elevated this was that such care was taken to show that both sides were completely human in their strengths and weaknesses. Despite being the very definition of a throw-away child Yeon Hui knows love in her life, and then is betrayed by those who love her - more than once, in some cases.
We see people struggle against their worst inclinations, we see people who can be altruistic one day and vindictive the next, we see people who think they do well when in fact they do wrong, we see people who know they do wrong but feel that they must. Throughout, Yeon Hui acknowledges her rage and sometimes-hatred but still tries to understand the other person, and always places blame where it belongs - ultimately, Hong Joo. She never gives in and sinks to the level of those who would hurt her. I loved her sweetness and her strength and her moral compass and her determination to protect herself and those she loves.
I loved her stalwart hero, Heo Jun. We should be so lucky to have such a loyal and compassionate person by our side. I loved Shaggy and his faith in Sir Choi and his loyalty to Yeon Hui. I even loved Poong Yeon, although there were times I did not. Kwak Si Yang did a fabulous job with Yeon Hui's Orabeoni, didn't he? He'd probably get more recognition for that if it weren't for Yoon Si Yoon's fantastic performance as Heo Jun. That man is truly gifted - I can't wait to see what he does next.
The King! What a great character! He wanted to do well, he suffered through no fault of his own, he took bad advice, he tried to make up for it, he faltered again and suffered dearly as a result. I had sympathy for HIM, throughout. For the Dowager Queen, same. Not so much for Hong Joo. Maybe for about 10 seconds when we learn her back story, but then I was over it and back to hating her for being such a hateful, vindictive, soul-corrupting bitch.
What hurt this show was length. There were too many skirmishes with Hong Joo - three or four would have been enough. 1) Good guys are attacked and lose; 2) Good guys come back to fight and think they win but turns out it's only temporary; 3) Bad guys rally and good guys lose in a big way; 4) Good guys learn from previous mistakes, make a final big effort, and vanquish forever. That's it. That's enough. Still, I think that this drama will stand out because of the characterizations. If I were an actor, I would jump at a chance to play any one of the roles here. If I were the author, I would be thrilled at how the actors brought my characters to life and how the world I created came to life on the screen. As a viewer, this will stay with me for a very long time.
I didn't think so. They part for a while, but he makes it clear that he's not leaving, he's letting her go. Whenever she's ready to come back, he'll be waiting for her. And of course, after about a year, events (and friends) make it so that they see each other again. They've each developed games which perfectly describe their own growth as individuals. His is called Miracle and her's is called Will, which I thought was a nice touch. All characters receive the conclusions you'd want for them, and our sweet, sweet couple lives ever after, taking each day as it comes, choosing to be happy. I liked the story very much and thought everyone did a fantastic job - it's clear that Ryu Jun Yeol in particular is going to be a big, big star. I don't know how someone so 'new' could be such a physical actor. He uses his face and his body with amazing skill. It's for sure that I will make it a point to see anything he does in the future.
Yes, he was amazing, but I was disappointed in the ending. the time jump just didn't seem needed or important to me at all when the only thing that seemed to change was that Bo Ra is better than before. I came to care more about the second OTP than our main one because I was annoyed that there was that accident and then the separation after so many conflicts occurred. I also was mad that the stupid asshat of a fortune teller got away with messing with people's lives so much and that the racoon thing wasn't closed with only a side comment when that began so much of the strife here.
What hurt this show was length. There were too many skirmishes with Hong Joo - three or four would have been enough. 1) Good guys are attacked and lose; 2) Good guys come back to fight and think they win but turns out it's only temporary; 3) Bad guys rally and good guys lose in a big way; 4) Good guys learn from previous mistakes, make a final big effort, and vanquish forever. That's it. That's enough. Still, I think that this drama will stand out because of the characterizations. If I were an actor, I would jump at a chance to play any one of the roles here. If I were the author, I would be thrilled at how the actors brought my characters to life and how the world I created came to life on the screen. As a viewer, this will stay with me for a very long time.
Lucky Romance (Finale)
Went out with a wimper, I hear.I didn't think so. They part for a while, but he makes it clear that he's not leaving, he's letting her go. Whenever she's ready to come back, he'll be waiting for her. And of course, after about a year, events (and friends) make it so that they see each other again. They've each developed games which perfectly describe their own growth as individuals. His is called Miracle and her's is called Will, which I thought was a nice touch. All characters receive the conclusions you'd want for them, and our sweet, sweet couple lives ever after, taking each day as it comes, choosing to be happy. I liked the story very much and thought everyone did a fantastic job - it's clear that Ryu Jun Yeol in particular is going to be a big, big star. I don't know how someone so 'new' could be such a physical actor. He uses his face and his body with amazing skill. It's for sure that I will make it a point to see anything he does in the future.
Yes, he was amazing, but I was disappointed in the ending. the time jump just didn't seem needed or important to me at all when the only thing that seemed to change was that Bo Ra is better than before. I came to care more about the second OTP than our main one because I was annoyed that there was that accident and then the separation after so many conflicts occurred. I also was mad that the stupid asshat of a fortune teller got away with messing with people's lives so much and that the racoon thing wasn't closed with only a side comment when that began so much of the strife here.
