Rants and Weekly Raves #97 (RAWR)

kakashi: More William on top. And that's almost my only contribution for this RAWR, goodbye!
JoAnne: Looks like that's what he likes.
Hmmmm... I will allow him to wear emu even in the bedroom if he smiles like that.
I am pretty sure I like how I imagine that would feel.
Jaehyus: Fur Fo Ye...  Okay, shaking myself out of this daze, just saying hello and good bye.  I'm swamped, and am also recapping, so I haven't had much energy to watch other things beyond Here Comes Love, a Korean daily that my dad is now watching every evening with me.  He's really hooked.
That's so cute!
becca: I'm baaaaaack! Well, sort of. I'm still very behind, but I want to watch all the things! And at the same time I want to watch none of the things. I just want to sit and exist and maybe sleep for six months. Anyhoo - even though I've watched hardly anything, I'm still going to chime in, and hopefully I'll have more to say next week.

New East

Whirlwind Girl 2

I thought I'd check this out for Cher's precious, Mr. Ji Chang Wook, although it doesn't seem particularly interesting. Imagine! In addition to a grumpy and VERY fit Wookie (always a good combo) I found a much more grown-looking Wu Lei (Fei Liu! And it's martial arts, too!) PLUS that Yang-Yang guy from Tombs, plus some kid named Chen Sean who's - well, let's just say there is NO shortage of well-qualified puppies here. I do have to admit it's really weird to have Wookie's mouth open and Not-Wookie come out. As far as stories go, well. University martial arts team founders after the death of a leader, in particular the girl who loved him. Wookie shows up to whip them into shape. Other boys love the girl. Another girl hates the girl. You know the drill. Episodes are odd - 1st of the week is an hour, second is 30 minutes or so. That's a plus, right? Episodes 5 and 6 will air this week.

W-Two Worlds 

Ohhh, this is FUN. Plus the set design and color palette are gorgeous and Han Hyo Joo is hilariously bewildered in the first two episodes. Next week should be enjoyable too, watching our hero find out what she already knows. Dad's face as he WATCHED the comic change before his eyes and then ask him, 'Who are you?' - that was such a great way to show us that there's way more going on than we can possibly realize at this point. I haven't heard one person say they didn't enjoy this week's opening and I think we're in for a fast-paced, twisty turn of a ride. Yay!
Trotwood: I think this is fun, too, even though I felt stressed and anxious throughout. I wasn't looking for anything stressful at all, but I now want to know how much Yong Chul knows. Do you think he's got an idea that his world might not be what he thinks it is? I hope they don't turn So Hee into and evil 2nd lead. And the brief time we see our climbing tree puppy, I'm positively giddy. I hope this show gives him stuff to do that will get him bigger parts. (Hmm. I'm pretty sure Jo is going to interpret this in ways in which it was not meant.)
When you mention Giant Puppy having bigger parts is there more than one way to take it?
becca: I was actually thinking I'd skip this one until someone reminded me it's from the writer of Queen In-hyun's Man and Nine. Now I'm getting excited, and I have to watch it.

Age of Youth 

I just watched a trailer and it could be something that doesn't suck...but I don't think anyone is subbing it yet. It does look like DF will have it at some point, and Viki has a fan channel set up, but no license. Update: I hear it's boring. Not sure where anyone is watching and not curious enough to dig.

Hot as Hell East

The Mystic Nine

Wait until you see half-naked William in 15. 
He's got nothing on half-naked Woo Bin.
Lies. He has a heat-activated tattoo and does not look pumped-up like a Russian athlete.
He's got a nice layer of meat over those muscles so he looks very inviting, and his voice activates the flutter muscles in my stomach. Although I do like the heat-activated tattoo?  Maybe Woobs should get one.
Trotwood: What? And give you an aneurysm?

Jaehyus: I... will get to WoobieMyWuv. After the family leaves. I really can't resist him forever. Right now, I'm behind on this show of all things. Also, hot tip: Skip to end of Lost in Wrestling, William's movie from last year, and he's half-naked there. 

Old East

Beautiful Mind

Aren't those "cold opens" clever? Revealing something about our characters bit by bit, giving us more and more context to see what drives them? This is good writing, people.
It's a device I always enjoy, yes. 

The romance-angle is kicking in and those of you who know me well might be surprised to hear that I TOTALLY love it. Yes, to put it mildly. This is just too cute for words because they're people falling in love for the first time. A man with no emotions and a girl to take him by the hand and lead him through what most certainly looks like ... something. I repeat myself, but the hormonal aspect of love is not everything there is to love. If it were, humans would not forge life-long bonds.

Here's the funny thing - I'd classify sexual urges as something other than emotion, so if he can't feel emotion I wouldn't necessarily assume he doesn't have a sex drive. But for the sake of this story I'm fine with them not really being distinguished, and I like the sweetness of this fumbling connection he is building.

This show is a slow burn. I absolutely love it. It has crept in and grabbed me by the heart. How ironic that a character who "supposedly" has no feeling would be the character that I love so much. Jang Hyuk is killing it and I hope that even though the ep count has been cut, people still give him credit for amping up the emotional connection with each ep. I felt so bereft for him at the end of ep 9 and then the storyline of ep 10 really showed his progression. He thinks he needs his Wi_FI (such a cute nickname by the way) to understand what is happening, but he clearly has the feelings, he just wants it all explained like he is in class. I love how she is so excited at his progress with his patient and he realizes that it's her; she is the one that has touched him deeply. (Though I'd argue for the kid patient as well). I also LOVED how his confrontation with traitor-doc Min-Jae. So cool, so pointedly scary as he has every right to be. The only thing that makes me sad is how the show has turned Cutie-Soo's role into a cold, bitter, puppet doc. :(

 

I feel very bad for Cutie Soo. His response to being too close to the little girl is to remove himself from any emotion about any patient. That's not the answer, either. Episode 10 made me cry - the part where Young Oh talks to the little boy about feelings and memories and being sick. I was very angry on Young Oh's behalf to learn that he wasn't born this way - his adoptive father injured him during surgery and this is the result. It explains the coldness compared to that warm photo we often see, now that we know Young Oh is the replacement/penance/hidden shame of his father. That man feels, but he's warped. I'd rather have Young Oh who is limited but at least tries.

becca: Three episodes in, and I could enjoy this very much. I am worried about Cutie Soo, though.

Doctors

Seo Woo, go the fuck away. We get it. You can't understand why you lose to this girl every single time when you have all the advantages and do everything 'right.' Guess what? You're not losing to her. It doesn't work that way. No one can take a thing that is meant for you. She's getting her own things, and you want want what SHE has. You're just a bitter, spoiled, immature brat. You're losing because even the universe is tired of you, and if you keep pulling this petty bullshit the universe is going to call her friend Karma, and Karma will take a big bite out of your ass. So far, you have one actual friend who will feel sorry for you when that happens. Don't fuck that up, too. The rest of you young folk keep doing what you're doing because you're funny, and Ji Hong Appa, get well soon, and Seo Woo Harabeoji and Abeoji, just fall in a hole and disappear will you please?

Bring it On, Ghost

More cute! So much cute! Taec and Kim So Hyun are completely enjoyable and I could watch them ghost-bust all day long. As for Kwon Yul - what's your guess? Is he like a cat demon or something?

Woobily, Suzily

I'm in love, I'm in love, I'm in love. Yes to recaps. I'm sorry but you probably won't get them on a super regular schedule, my DNA is missing the Kakashi recap gene. But you'll get them.

becca: I plan on watching this one for the writer, too, but for very different reasons. After I'm Sorry, I Love You and A Love to Kill, we have a love-hate relationship. Emphasis on love. Emphasis on hate. Bring on the angst and the gnashing of teeth!!!

WTF Wolf 

This too, as my antidote to the sadness I'll feel watching as Wooby gets ready to die. Same caveat, but at least with this one it's only one episode a week. I'm glad y'all like the addition of Viki comments!

Many Kids

I'm tired of Binnie's spoiled princess attitude and I'm tired of her grandmother feeding it. I'm frustrated with Sang Tae because I feel like he caused this problem by moving in with his in-laws in the first place. I want them to go away. Yeah, I get that they love the kids and they remember their daughter through them but goddamn, honor some boundaries! I'm ready for Tae Min's bitch of a mother to be exposed. I could not be less interested in Preggo's jealous worry over her idiot husband. I have tried and failed to muster up any sympathy for Soo Young and her baby dreams. You took your best friend's husband. As far as I'm concerned you should have a shit life forever, lady. But seriously, woman to woman - that is NOT a man you want to have a child with. Trust me.

The Drama with 38 in the Title

Oh Man Seok! You hurt me, guy. Deeply. I hope Episode 12 makes me feel better about how you used your old friend Baek Sung Il. Update: Okay, feeling better about Oh Man Seok but holy smokes, if this isn't out of the frying pan and into the fire! I'm holding out hope that the apparent destruction of the bromance is actually the longest con of all, but we'll see.
Only up to ep 10, but the show is making me so mad that I only watch intermittently. Don't upset my Baek Sung Il. The bad family here needs to be taken out to a field and beaten publicly.
becca: Ma Dong-seok! Sooyoung! Seo In-guk! That is all.