Rants and Weekly Raves #132 (RAWR)

We Have a New Look! Don't be scared, it's still us.  

I'll work out a few bugs in the next few days and from time to time, I'll change to color, to confuse everyone. Sorry if you don't like it, I'm definitely not going back to the old design :)

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kakashi: I almost don't believe it myself but I am actually looking forward to a KDrama! It's Whisper and it starts today.
SakiVI: Trying out Tunnel, too. Mostly because everyone in it is so pretty!
Trotwood: Whisper is another show (like The Defendant) that I will be too anxious to watch the set up and will start watching half way through when the real revenge starts.
JoAnne: Kakashi has been lured by the bare shoulders of Dimples, one of her favorites. But it does look good. (For those keeping track of my spiral into madness, get a flashlight. It's getting deep.)

Korea

Shy Boss (Finale)

Nice one, for me. Probably a 7 out of 10? We saw an entire cast of characters gain confidence in themselves and learn how to be open to others and encourage others to be open to them. I didn't hate anyone in the end, either, which is fairly miraculous. There were times when people seemed unredeemable, but then another layer would be peeled and I'd think, 'oh, okay...now I get what was happening.' It struck me pretty hard that how badly one person's issue or failing might affect another person depended entirely on how that other person was flawed - which made it easier to feel compassion for both rather than assign a good guy/bad guy judgement. When a drama makes me think about human nature, and how we move through this world - that's what I like. I wasn't one of the ones who hated the beginning of this, or necessarily needed the reboot it got around episode 5, but I did appreciate our heroine a little more after that, so win-win. In the end, I liked this a lot. It was all about being open and honest and giving people a chance to know you, and that's a message i can support 100% .

 

Rebel: Thief of the People

Watching this is so easy. I skip the jolly gang of thieves stuff and go straight to the court scenes and Honey Lee. Takes 15 minutes. 
I can't watch that way. But now that I realize this has 30 episodes, I don't feel so rushed to catch up. Yes, I see the flaw in this thinking.
Honestly, I just don't care about the hero and his gang. And with ff'ding, I still see the basic storyline, so I see where their actions fit with the king and Honey Lee. Basically, I'm skimming this show.

Defendant (Finale?) 

I know some people were a bit disappointed in these last two episodes because they wanted more twists but frankly, it was time for it to slow down and focus on getting revenge with such little time left. I like that they focused not just on putting Min-ho in jail but making sure everyone knew it was Min-ho and not his brother like everyone (well the public) thought this guy was. I actually liked that it was Min-ho's wife and her love for their son that really sealed the deal and not just Jung Woo, but I know that bothered some people. What I really couldn't fathom was how Jung Woo could forgive Joon Hyuk, but Voice taught me that I probably hold grudges more like regular people. I'd love to see Jung Woo from this show and Jin Hyuk from Voice in a drama together as friends. They both lost their wives to crazed murderers and have adorable children who could grow up to marry each other--Maybe the stories could be about these children who grow up, meet, and fall in love, and then they meet at the wedding.
Anyway, I did shed tears when Jung Woo and his daughter sang a lullaby in front of his wife's urn. And I loved the prison gang.

And was it just me, but I thought it was evilly hilarious that they used a toy truck to keep ramming into evil minion's face/head while they kept him hidden as repayment for him driving the truck of doom to kill people. I cheered every time that truck rammed into his face. Hurray Chul-Sik!

But from beginning to the cheeky wink at the end, this show belonged to Ji Sung.  He kept it all together with his complete agility as an actor to get all of the emotions, right. When he caught Min-ho and the tears in his eyes when he arrested him for killing his wife. His warmth and utter joy with his daughter. How bereft he was about Sung Gyoo (an unnecessary death in my opinion). He did it all. He deserves a great vacation, but it's his turn to take care of the baby since his wife will be on the set of her new show now. I hope they don't forget his performance during award season.

*weeping*

Ms. Perfect 

This week is my do or die with this show. If I remember to watch it, that is.
I tend to think of this one and Father is Strange in a little bundle, and I caught up on that one so now I'll try to catch up on this one.

The Liar and His Lover (New) 

I love this sort of story, usually, but I have weird and very specific irritations on this one: Joy's mouth, for one. I feel very petty and shallow about that. I can't figure out how old these people (other than Joy and her two classmate buddies) are supposed to be, either. They all look 20, but there's a girl sleeping with the agency head and seemingly quite in control of herself in that regard, and everyone was shocked that Joy was in HS and Lee Hyun Woo's Liar took her on a date...I don't care how old they are or how different in age people are, depending on the story, but I still need to be able to PLACE them. And The Liar himself, of course. Looks 10, butter wouldn't melt in his mouth, and yet...he's a control freak and a bit of a prick. I like his friend from Uniq, though, and Suzy's little brother from Uncontrollably Fond, and Jason from Love for a Thousand Years. We'll see.

 

Saimdang 

*whips around to glare at the door*  Who's laughing at me?  Who's LAUGHING?
Don't watch it. I'm not kidding about the production's horse abuse in episode 12. That is not CGI, and that is not a stunt horse trick. Someone broke a neck for that shot.  

Chief Kim (Finale) 

Stop saying this. It's still not the finale. The show is 20 eps!!! There is much debate on the twitter list about Yul's turnaround. Many cannot believe that he can be this different from the persona in the beginning, but as I have been stating--the show kept giving us inklings of his potential for good and a lead. They really struggled though with how dark they made his darkness and with not enough countering some of that. I get it. However, I was saying all along that I wanted him to realize that his real enemy was not Sung Ryong but the nasty chairman and his loyal sidekick. I'm glad to see this duo now working together:

I also like how they are working with the chairman's son and how he is actually blossoming because he isn't being browbeaten by the evil dad but welcomed into their work family. It must have been so difficult growing up in that household with his dad set up as the way to be a man when every instinct he has seems to point him somewhere else. Plus, in this week's ep, we got another glimpse of my favorite lawyer--Jang Seukhyeon. I finally found out his name because I got a shot of his business card. He deserves a glitter poster even for his 30 seconds.

I'm sorry, but now it seems funny to me that I keep thinking it has ended.  I really did, though, but maybe I can catch up.  I love a good turn around character.

Frankly, it's dragging out.  I got bored 15 minutes into episode 18. Should've been re-written to be only 16 episodes. Or 10.

I agree. I'm enjoying it, but it should've probably been a 16 ep drama.

Hey ho, I watched episode 5 this weekend! Real progress!

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Radiant Office 

Hmm, I don't know.  I guess it's do or die for this one as well.  Last week was not that engaging, despite my getting excited for it.  Not enough crazy or humour as promised in the poster.  Let's see if it picks up.
This is another one that I...just don't know. I like her little daydreams and I'm sympathetic to her situation (which I still think is a misunderstanding, and who doesn't go find out something like that for SURE?) and I really like the guy from Reply 1988 but...it's kind of meh, somehow.  We'll see.

Father, I'll Take Care of You 

*whispers* I didn't watch this weekend, either, Giant Puppy. I do still love you. I'll be back. I just need a rest from your awful family.

Strong Woman Do Bong Soon 

Ahn Min Hyuk! Ahn Min Hyuk! Ahn Min Hyuk. Oh, let me count the ways I love how you love Bong Soon. Do you have a year? Take notes. Actually, come see me. I'll demonstrate. The rest of it...eh. People are up in arms about her mom but I have taken the liberty of imagining her internal life, and so I have a bit of compassion for her despite her very glaring deficiencies and troublesome behavior. What she dislikes in Bong Soon and wants her to ignore and push down is the thing she hates about herself, and her intention is not cruel even if her behavior has been. She's a limited person in a shotgun marriage. Nothing about her life worked out the way she wanted or hoped. Me, I'm a person who says okay, well, what I ended up with is not bad at all and is in some respects better. But if she's not that kind of person, she's just not. So I'll continue to focus on our OTP, who are delightful, and will watch Gook Du with curiosity, to see how he works this all out in his head, and I'll wait for the back story on our creepy, creepy, creepy hot criminal, and that's enough for me.

 

Tunnel 

OMG Has it started? My Choi Jin Hyuk is back!! *runs to download episodes* Runs back...is nobody here watching Tomorrow with You? I quite like it. 
Is this bcook?  
Re Tomorrow with You - I was watching it and then fell into a peach pit; I didn't add this week because I thought it ended and I figured I would just do something when I finally did get back to it - but if you're watching that changes things - added below now!
Re Tunnel:  Neither Viki nor DF have it yet, but it can be found easily in places we shall not mention here.  I might try to watch tonight.
I got bored within the first 20 minutes. Oh well.

Tomorrow with You

The longer I go, the less interest I have in getting back to this.  Some one tell me if it's worth it?

Father is Strange 

I'm all caught up! I watched 6 episodes this weekend. I don't much care what happens with Lee Yu Ri and her Sunbae, and I find Hwayoung's character pretty insufferable (and badly styled, to boot), but I looooove Little Unni and her rocky start to working life. Love her to bits. The son studying for the civil service exam is worse than useless but isn't hateful, and I'm curious how they'll reconcile his awful bully of a girlfriend with the more tender face she presents to him. He has NO idea what she really is like. Based on the most recent episode and her questions about his father's business...she thinks he's well-off. If that's the case, then my question about her is answered, and I hope that pregnancy is a false alarm because I'm going to want Brother to light her ass up when he finds out how she traumatized his sister in school. Joonie is doing a great job of acting like he can't act, and then acting his socks off to show how it feels to be an actor who knows he can't act but also believes he CAN, if he just has another chance. He's looking pretty rough, though, our Joonie. Drink water! Rest! I love the parents and I am totally invested in their unfolding back story. There's genuine love there, but I'm curious - does Mom know all of Dad's secret or just part of it? I like Mom's sister in law, who insults everyone all the time in the most hilarious ways...they're never quite sure if she meant it the way it sounded or not. And even though the other parent couple are each individually objectionable, my deepest wrath is reserved for Dad, who is the most passive-aggressive shithead in the universe. He's such a jerk I'd almost want to kick his dog, and I'd never kick a dog.
Omo, that is exactly how I feel about Sunbae's dad! Between him and Hwayoung and the lame Lee Yoori-Sunbae line, I wasn't keen on watching this anymore, but after reading your description, I do want to see Joon and Little Unni. Maybe I'll just skip to them.

 

Not Korea

Because Love 

Sigh. Jerry, where are you?

The Magicians

I love Elliot. I might love Elliot the most. I hope he has a big part in the episode I haven't seen yet.

Emerald City 

A soon to be marathon to finish the first season, I guess.

Behind Your Smile (Finale)

You know what? This was good stuff. Really good stuff. It all worked out exactly like you'd want it to, it hardly dragged, the bad guys paid, the dead were revenged, the good guys pulled back from the precipice and stayed good guys, friendships were preserved, loves were approved, PROPOSALS HAPPENED. I am so happy with this drama, you just don't know. Sure, the lead girl was a little stiff, but in the end that worked in her favor, I think. And Marcus was...Marcus is a boon to the cotton industry, that's what Marcus is. Sign me up for all the Marcus dramas. I'm in.