Rants and Weekly Raves #131 (RAWR)
kakashi: No more Peach Wine! Only on this blog, for 27 more episodes, spread over more than 4 weeks from now on. Yay! This one will be very, very hard to let go.
JoAnne: I'm looking at my watch list and crying. Not just because Mark Chao is gone now, but because he was here in the first place. I may never recover.
I think I might start a rewatch.
I loved it, but I will probably never watch it again (barring the occasional clip.)
Me, I'll watch certain parts in certain episodes.
Trotwood: I'll watch it this summer when my non-Korean drama ban has been lifted. There are a couple of other finale discussions going on here, too, correct? Didn't Behind your Smile End? And I know Jo and I have to decompress about Voice.
Smile got a 1-episode extension :) We don't have to say goodbye to The Destroyer of Panties until next week.
Jaehyus: Adding things in late so no clue who will see this!
In other news, a few of the awaited upcoming CDramas have an air date!
The Advisors' Alliance: 1st June
Tribes and Empires: 25th September
Hunting Ground: 11th November
Oh, and Jin Dong's Surgeon drama starts in April.
I cannot and have not been able to move past episode 2 with this one. Why? BECAUSE OF THE STUPID MOUTH POUTING THING!!! this supposedly strong kick ass girl is supposed to drop aegyo like she's an SNSD member? nope. not believable and frankly annoying as fuck.
Well, she is trying to be the opposite of strong kick ass girl, because they've made her feel like her strength is a curse. I like that she's so terrible at being cute even though she is absolutely the cutest tiny human ever. And Gook Du (Ji Soo's character, the one she crushes on) makes reference to frail women, so I can see her trying to cram herself into that mold. As the show goes on, though, we see Min Hyuk (Hyung Sik's character) really enjoying and admiring her strength, and at this point in the story we're seeing him help her celebrate and control it. I love him, and I love her. I love them together. Also, they REALLY tone down the cartoony-bits after the first couple episodes, thankfully.
Again, I wrote a whole thing and it disappeared (same event.) In brief: I feel robbed by 1) the ending of 16th Disciple and Ghost Princess, 2) the lack of resolution for Third Uncle and Chang Ya, 3) not seeing Su Jin old, ugly, wrinkled, filthy, by the side of the road, begging, and 4) not meeting the man who WAS written on the Incantation Stone as Fengjiu's destined partner. Otherwise, I'm happy.
The lack of a Grand Wedding (other people complained about this) is due to all the content in the Pillow Book being in the possession of someone else.
Anyway, somebody posted this earlier. Mark, reading a love poem for his wife. Listen at your own peril.
JoAnne: I'm looking at my watch list and crying. Not just because Mark Chao is gone now, but because he was here in the first place. I may never recover.
I think I might start a rewatch.
I loved it, but I will probably never watch it again (barring the occasional clip.)
Me, I'll watch certain parts in certain episodes.
Trotwood: I'll watch it this summer when my non-Korean drama ban has been lifted. There are a couple of other finale discussions going on here, too, correct? Didn't Behind your Smile End? And I know Jo and I have to decompress about Voice.
Smile got a 1-episode extension :) We don't have to say goodbye to The Destroyer of Panties until next week.
Jaehyus: Adding things in late so no clue who will see this!
The Advisors' Alliance: 1st June
Tribes and Empires: 25th September
Hunting Ground: 11th November
Oh, and Jin Dong's Surgeon drama starts in April.
Korea
Shy Boss (Finale)
There's no way I'm watching the final 3 episodes before this posts tomorrow night...is there?
I am not sure, depends on your level of dedication?
Yeah, I didn't get to watch last night, and I know there won't be time during the day today of course, because I'm an adult at work.
Fuck adult. Fuck work.
I am not sure, depends on your level of dedication?
Yeah, I didn't get to watch last night, and I know there won't be time during the day today of course, because I'm an adult at work.
Fuck adult. Fuck work.
Rebel: Thief of the People
I continue to list everything I intended to watch this month, in the spirit of full disclosure. And because I am delusional and still think I might catch up someday. I blame you, Mark Chao. How will you make this up to me? You stole my time! You laid waste to my plans!
*Mark decidedly doesn't care but smiles*
I've been skimming this for Honey Lee and King scenes.
*Mark decidedly doesn't care but smiles*
I've been skimming this for Honey Lee and King scenes.
Defendant
I really have no grounds to defend myself, since I didn't have to watch every subbed episode the minute it aired. I just wanted to, alright?
Defendant is still on its ratings roll, getting over 25% for each ep this week. Finally, a show with good ratings that deserves them. Is the show perfect? Of course not, but the performances are stellar and the script keep you anxious and waiting, which is exactly what a thriller/suspense genre is supposed to do. I was and am still worried about the extension, but this week we get an interesting turn around (for some too quick) with a tragic death (more tears from me and Ji Sung) and with a time jump, Jung Woo not only out of prison but back at his prosecution job. Finally, the revenge and justice part is starting!!! Still, the person I hate the most is Jung Woo's ex-best friend who still (STILL!) has the nerve to blame his best friend for everything that happened when he's the one who hid evidence. And can I say how much I love these two? I want Ji Sung and Jae Yun to be in another show together or a buddy movie.
Min-ho's father was a bastard, but leaving him to die like that? There is no way they are going to be able to redeem Min-ho for this one, which is good. I find it interesting that the secretary is now working for Jung Woo. He's not stupid. he knows that he's got to be the next person on Min-Ho's "I must kill everyone who knows I'm not Sun-ho" list. I wonder how many more people have to die before he is caught?
bcook: Hello guys. I'm back (briefly). Have started watching Defendant but not sure my heart can take it.
Cookie!!!!!! I miss you around here :(
Defendant is still on its ratings roll, getting over 25% for each ep this week. Finally, a show with good ratings that deserves them. Is the show perfect? Of course not, but the performances are stellar and the script keep you anxious and waiting, which is exactly what a thriller/suspense genre is supposed to do. I was and am still worried about the extension, but this week we get an interesting turn around (for some too quick) with a tragic death (more tears from me and Ji Sung) and with a time jump, Jung Woo not only out of prison but back at his prosecution job. Finally, the revenge and justice part is starting!!! Still, the person I hate the most is Jung Woo's ex-best friend who still (STILL!) has the nerve to blame his best friend for everything that happened when he's the one who hid evidence. And can I say how much I love these two? I want Ji Sung and Jae Yun to be in another show together or a buddy movie.
bcook: Hello guys. I'm back (briefly). Have started watching Defendant but not sure my heart can take it.
Cookie!!!!!! I miss you around here :(
Ms. Perfect
I'm not, you know. I make lists, but I often don't follow them. I think I like feeling rebellious.
I'm just reading the recaps now. I want to start, but I really need more background about the creepy Eun Hee before I invest any real time on it.
I'm just reading the recaps now. I want to start, but I really need more background about the creepy Eun Hee before I invest any real time on it.
Saimdang
Well, MY story is that I will still watch this.
I don't think you have too, nobody else is.
There was that animal cruelty incident - production clearly tripwired a horse to fall and break its neck in episode 12 - so don't. I do feel sad at having to drop it on principle, though, because it's a lovely show otherwise. But I can't unsee that fall.
I don't think you have too, nobody else is.
There was that animal cruelty incident - production clearly tripwired a horse to fall and break its neck in episode 12 - so don't. I do feel sad at having to drop it on principle, though, because it's a lovely show otherwise. But I can't unsee that fall.
Chief Kim (Finale Week)
AND this.
This isn't (wasn't?) finale week, (it's not? Oh good! maybe I can catch.... hahahahahahaha *sobs*You really are in denial, aren't you?) but there's lots of good movement here and our team is starting to really get some wins and some help in more surprising places. I didn't get to post about this last week either because I had lesson and didn't get to watch until after too late for Rawr, so I've lots to say. First and foremost about the shining hero of eps 13 and 14. The lead lawyer from Chairwoman Jang. I love him. I love his minions. I want to learn how to gif so I can make gifs of when they show up. They make tweed and wool coats cool.
Coolest lawyer ever.
This isn't (wasn't?) finale week, (it's not? Oh good! maybe I can catch.... hahahahahahaha *sobs*You really are in denial, aren't you?) but there's lots of good movement here and our team is starting to really get some wins and some help in more surprising places. I didn't get to post about this last week either because I had lesson and didn't get to watch until after too late for Rawr, so I've lots to say. First and foremost about the shining hero of eps 13 and 14. The lead lawyer from Chairwoman Jang. I love him. I love his minions. I want to learn how to gif so I can make gifs of when they show up. They make tweed and wool coats cool.
Coolest lawyer ever.
Look at him walking down the hall like the upright high school treasurer, mother wanted him to be an accountant but mentor thought he had the mind for the law self. Protecting the part-timers.
I seriously would have a major crush on him if he were in more scenes. Anyway, we get more of Seong-Ryong crazy, but focused crazy. He really cares about the people around him, but he isn't completely sure of himself. He does get a scare when he almost gets killed, and it was yet another poignant moment between him and his dad-like boss, Nam-ho when he confesses about how frightened he was when he was being strangled and how he really thought he was going to die.
He really needed this hug. We all did. But it really didn't surprise me that the person who actually saved him was Yul. Some of the people on twitter are upset that the writers seem to be trying to keep Yul just this side of the dark--thinking he's getting preferential treatment because of boyband status (He's a member of 2PM for those of you who don't know) and that you can't have a boyband member be a straight up bad guy in a drama. Pfft. If he goes to the light, I'm going to be so irritated! I have actually been wanting Yul to not be the straight up bad person from the beginning. There is plenty of that in this drama. We don't need more. I'd like him with Ha Kyung because I actually think they fit together better than she does with Seong-Ryong (who is more like her annoying yet loveable brother). You saw how he changes and becomes different with her, and the longing on his face as he watches her walk away from him after the dinner she bought him. I think he ordered all that food because he really doesn't know what to say to her, so he just ate.
Still, I'd take this OTP over all else.
Their scenes together are the best ones in the whole show. But we will see how this extension and the new confrontation--led this time by Ha Kyung--shakes up the relationships and the slush fund cover up.
Radiant Office (New)
I think I'm going to like this. Eun Ha Won is someone to cheer for, her two duckling friends as well. We had humor and emotion and heart and a whole bunch of actors I enjoy watching - all the ingredients for success! P.S. I'm guessing NONE of the three new employees is fatally ill, and that doc was talking about someone else entirely.
It's good so far. Nothing brilliant, but then the shenanigans have only been teased so far.
It's good so far. Nothing brilliant, but then the shenanigans have only been teased so far.
Father, I'll Take Care of You
I made no time for Small/Tall Couple this week, sadly. I love you, my Giant Puppy! I will watch you soon!
wow, is this still going on?
wow, is this still going on?
Strong Woman, Do Bong Soon
This, I made time for. I love the Bong Soon/Min Hyuk couple too much to let it fall by the wayside. This week, he confessed. And girlllll, he made my heart jump. Really both guys confessed - only Min Hyuk confessed to Bong Soon, and Gook Du confessed his true, newly realized feelings for Bong Soon...to his ex. Which seems very honest of him. He took on the blame of the break up (which she initiated because she likes Bong Ki) by admitting that he couldn't devote himself fully because he apparently had feelings for another woman, and so he apologized for not treating her as well as she deserved. I thought it was kind of sweet, but we knew from day one that Gook Du would never win Bong Soon so it didn't care quite the oomph it might have. In other big news, the bad guy is revealed as kinda HOT. Google Jang Mi Kwan, and he goes from kinda hot to super hot, especially with long hair. Apparently this is his first role, and he's a bud of Woobs from wayyyyy back.
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| Precious Babies |
Well, she is trying to be the opposite of strong kick ass girl, because they've made her feel like her strength is a curse. I like that she's so terrible at being cute even though she is absolutely the cutest tiny human ever. And Gook Du (Ji Soo's character, the one she crushes on) makes reference to frail women, so I can see her trying to cram herself into that mold. As the show goes on, though, we see Min Hyuk (Hyung Sik's character) really enjoying and admiring her strength, and at this point in the story we're seeing him help her celebrate and control it. I love him, and I love her. I love them together. Also, they REALLY tone down the cartoony-bits after the first couple episodes, thankfully.
Voice (Finale Discussion)
Well. well. well. I was riveted and anxious until the end. And despite questioning some logistics (how did Tae-Gu get Kwon-Joo up on that roof?), I enjoyed it. Well as much as you can enjoy being scared to the core by the creepily fantastic Kim Jae Wook's Tae-Gu who was SO good at being scary-creepy-crazy-bad that I'm afraid he will never be cast at anything else. I enjoyed how they worked Jin Hyuk and Kwan-Joo grew from complete distrust to complete trust and really working together. I really liked how they had Jang Hyuk's crazy dog character keep his crazy focus but gave him the layering we needed to see growth and development. He did learn that he may be wrong and he worked on recovering from that. I think this is why he didn't judge Dae Shik like many people would have. I realized, though, that the show had prepared us for this because he didn't judge Chief Jang either. I did not think it necessary to have that weird drug nightmare for Tae Gu and I was disappointed about the ending for his dad--even though it was believable. I wanted to see that man in court.They are putting out two specials this week. I'm hoping that these get subbed.
I wrote a whole thing and it disappeared. In brief: I applaud Jin Hyuk's compassion and hope that it would have been my choice as well. It's always my theoretical choice, but that's easy with no skin in the game. I did like the hallucination and felt that it was fitting punishment for Tae Gu to be tortured by those he'd murdered. He thought he was 'allowed' to do those things because he was special, and his fear and rage throughout were always around someone threatening that belief, so being tortured by these people he considered beneath him is about the most awful thing he could probably imagine.
I'm watching the specials now, and it was interesting to hear that the writers put the show together partly to advocate for creating such a team like the Golden Time group. The other thing I remembered in the interim is that I really wish we got more about why Tae Gu was so fixated on Kwan-Joo. Was is just because she was a witness to her father's death? They are both correct. He could have killed her a long time ago if he had really wanted to, so we were given more about why he wanted her alive longer. And here's our Dae Shik--in his role as one of the hosts for special--talking about how most of the show he just says, "Hyung, Are you OK?" to Jin-Hyuk. I didn't realize it until they strung the scenes together. Apparently, he had to beg to do an action scene because usually all he did was chase people and never get to catch them.
That's a real shame because he's a very good actor. I did wonder why he had so little to do.
Pffft, Kim Ji-hoon?
I'm watching the specials now, and it was interesting to hear that the writers put the show together partly to advocate for creating such a team like the Golden Time group. The other thing I remembered in the interim is that I really wish we got more about why Tae Gu was so fixated on Kwan-Joo. Was is just because she was a witness to her father's death? They are both correct. He could have killed her a long time ago if he had really wanted to, so we were given more about why he wanted her alive longer. And here's our Dae Shik--in his role as one of the hosts for special--talking about how most of the show he just says, "Hyung, Are you OK?" to Jin-Hyuk. I didn't realize it until they strung the scenes together. Apparently, he had to beg to do an action scene because usually all he did was chase people and never get to catch them.
That's a real shame because he's a very good actor. I did wonder why he had so little to do.
Pffft, Kim Ji-hoon?
Tomorrow with You (Finale Week)
Tomorrow IS another day...
I'm sorta keeping up via recaps, and each time a read a recap, I'm glad I'm not watching.
Weirdly, considering my affection for both both leads and for the idea of it in general (and my deep love for the novel The Time Traveler's Wife, which is not really similar but does remind me) this is the one I could most easily let go. You know, in the unlikely event that I found myself unable to ever catch up.
I really want to know what denial drug you are taking. It's most effective.
I'm sorta keeping up via recaps, and each time a read a recap, I'm glad I'm not watching.
Weirdly, considering my affection for both both leads and for the idea of it in general (and my deep love for the novel The Time Traveler's Wife, which is not really similar but does remind me) this is the one I could most easily let go. You know, in the unlikely event that I found myself unable to ever catch up.
I really want to know what denial drug you are taking. It's most effective.
Father is Strange
Just how strange, I don't know yet. I'm sorry Joonie!
It lost me at Episode 4. I think it's because they had Lee Yoori's character suddenly get all thirsty for her ex, and I would've loved it if she had tortured him and his spaghetti bangs for 2 or 3 episodes more.
It lost me at Episode 4. I think it's because they had Lee Yoori's character suddenly get all thirsty for her ex, and I would've loved it if she had tortured him and his spaghetti bangs for 2 or 3 episodes more.
Not Korea
Peaches, Goodbye!
We'll have time to discuss the ending at length once we get there recap-wise, but maybe people want to vent rights now?Again, I wrote a whole thing and it disappeared (same event.) In brief: I feel robbed by 1) the ending of 16th Disciple and Ghost Princess, 2) the lack of resolution for Third Uncle and Chang Ya, 3) not seeing Su Jin old, ugly, wrinkled, filthy, by the side of the road, begging, and 4) not meeting the man who WAS written on the Incantation Stone as Fengjiu's destined partner. Otherwise, I'm happy.
The lack of a Grand Wedding (other people complained about this) is due to all the content in the Pillow Book being in the possession of someone else.
Anyway, somebody posted this earlier. Mark, reading a love poem for his wife. Listen at your own peril.
Because Love (New)
It's Jerry Yan! In a drama! That started Feb 28th! Who knows if it will be subbed...but it's here to keep me hopeful.
The Magicians
All caught up and sooooo good, Kakashi. Also continuing with the funny: there is a rebel group who want to kick the kids out of Fillory and reclaim Fillory for Fillorians. It's called Fillorians United and they refer to themselves as FU Fighters. Elliot laughs every time he says it, but it's kind of a pain too because his wife used to be one. And then there's the neighboring ruler - they were expecting a woman but Princess turns out to be Prince Es. They're still fighting Reynard these days.
Will I ever continue? I am not sure.
Will I ever continue? I am not sure.
Emerald City
Don't look behind this curtain, where I have all my pending episodes piled up.
The Walking Dead
Carol is BACK and ready to fight. That was last week. I'm trying to watch this week today. No one really cares but me though so I'll just post it next week :)
Behind Your Smile
In the (almost) end, Yiting chose love for Xinyu over revenge for his father. Like we ever doubted him. And then, reminded of her own past self, Xinyu's mom chose to turn herself in and help bring Tang Anshang to justice. Helping keep him in the country? Boss Hong, alerted by Yiting to Tang's plans to escape. Which he knew because Qianni went to Xinyu to beg her for help. Surprisingly, Qianni wasn't terrible in her confrontation. We still don't like her, though it's possible we could someday. Not surprisingly, the 4 kids we love (Yiting, Xinyu, and, yes, the budding couple of Xiaoyue and Zhongwen) come together to nail the final pieces down. That will happen next week. And it seems a path might be clear for Yiting and Xinyu, with both mama's blessings. I call all of this EXTREMELY satisfying. Way to bring it all home, you Smile people!
