Rants and Weekly Raves #135 (RAWR)
JoAnne: Will we be a third RAWR of mostly Peach comments? Will Saki finally break under the pressure?
kakashi: I told Saki that there are a few Peach-fans who are also corgi-fans, I think that mollified her a bit. Sadly, I am still not able to do anything else but recap Peach. I'm also terrified: what will I do once I'm done?! Write fanfic? Oups, yes. Doing that.
SakiVI: There is Whisper, Kakashi!!! And those corgi-fans should add corgi pictures to their comments.
Trotwood: I'm here and not watching Peach and I'm not watching until the summer (if at all) no matter what you people say. I'm not saying that I wouldn't love it, but frankly I don't need that type of obsessive love right now. I want frothy flirtation not sell my soul for you love right now.
I didn't get obsessed, Trot. You might not either. It is possible, you know!
Shuk: [skidding in] Hi! Easter concerts and other shenanigans are done. However, no rest for the wicked as in less than 24 hours, I'm leaving to fly out to my best friend for ten days. I'm bringing the first 12 episodes of Peach Blossoms and a couple of Thai dramas for the trip. We will see who wins the dramawatching!
kakashi: I told Saki that there are a few Peach-fans who are also corgi-fans, I think that mollified her a bit. Sadly, I am still not able to do anything else but recap Peach. I'm also terrified: what will I do once I'm done?! Write fanfic? Oups, yes. Doing that.
SakiVI: There is Whisper, Kakashi!!! And those corgi-fans should add corgi pictures to their comments.
Trotwood: I'm here and not watching Peach and I'm not watching until the summer (if at all) no matter what you people say. I'm not saying that I wouldn't love it, but frankly I don't need that type of obsessive love right now. I want frothy flirtation not sell my soul for you love right now.
I didn't get obsessed, Trot. You might not either. It is possible, you know!
Shuk: [skidding in] Hi! Easter concerts and other shenanigans are done. However, no rest for the wicked as in less than 24 hours, I'm leaving to fly out to my best friend for ten days. I'm bringing the first 12 episodes of Peach Blossoms and a couple of Thai dramas for the trip. We will see who wins the dramawatching!
Korea
Rebel: Thief of the People
Lots more Honey Lee! This week, she danced and played Korean traditional drums and was generally gorgeous and awesome. There are some other people in this too, but tbh, I don't care about them. Anyway, since a Jin Dong drama and a Luhan drama are starting soon, I will probably drop this show after this week.
Honey Lee is love.
Honey Lee is love.
Tunnel
Dropped.
Oh well, not me. This week we finally have some thaw in our Cutie Soo - circumstances lead him to reveal to a victim (and Prof and Kwang Ho) that he's experienced the violent loss of his mother, but it's not just that. He feels a connection to the Professor, and seems to feel tenderly toward her, even protective of her. And now, Kwang Ho is feeling more receptive to Cutie Soo, too, although it's not a bromance yet. We have confirmation that the kid Kwang Ho saw being chased on the night he transported to the future is the Kwang Ho he 'replaced' - and he's very dead - and Cutie is starting to collect the oddities about Kwang Ho's behavior, too. My biggest fear right now is that MaknaeSunbae is actually married to Yoon Soo, Kwang Ho's wife in the past.
I want to watch this but I just can't get started, so I'm thinking this is one of those that I'll keep on a list to watch sometime in future.
Oh well, not me. This week we finally have some thaw in our Cutie Soo - circumstances lead him to reveal to a victim (and Prof and Kwang Ho) that he's experienced the violent loss of his mother, but it's not just that. He feels a connection to the Professor, and seems to feel tenderly toward her, even protective of her. And now, Kwang Ho is feeling more receptive to Cutie Soo, too, although it's not a bromance yet. We have confirmation that the kid Kwang Ho saw being chased on the night he transported to the future is the Kwang Ho he 'replaced' - and he's very dead - and Cutie is starting to collect the oddities about Kwang Ho's behavior, too. My biggest fear right now is that MaknaeSunbae is actually married to Yoon Soo, Kwang Ho's wife in the past.
I want to watch this but I just can't get started, so I'm thinking this is one of those that I'll keep on a list to watch sometime in future.
The Liar and His Lover
The love relationship I'm actually most interested in at this point is between Han Gyul and Chan Young, each of whom both loves/admires and yet is very jealous of each other. I continue to be surprised by the fairly nuanced characterizations of several key players, considering this should be just your basic teen drama, and so I like it quite a bit. I will say this, though: So Rim just isn't on the same level, sweet as she is. That might be deliberate, since her character should be innocent and very, very, intensely young - even with the death of her parents she simply couldn't have the experienced enough to display the sort of conflict that Han Gyul and Chan Young do.
Whisper
OMG, our antihero is falling in love with our heroine, and I'm so down for that. And the twists and turns are so twisty and turny!
They keep JUST missing destroying each other, these enemies, and while in some dramas that is boring and repetitious, that is not the case here.
They keep JUST missing destroying each other, these enemies, and while in some dramas that is boring and repetitious, that is not the case here.
The Evils and their Goth Romeo and Juliet story are interesting too. Pretty sure one or both will end up dead, though.
They genuinely love each other. That surprised me - I thought it would turn out that he was using her to get ahead, but no. He loves her as much as she loves him, and it's that love that has put all of them in this situation. I have sympathy of sorts for her dad, who was the Dimples of his generation in this story, I guess. The people I've yet to see any true shred of human feeling from are Goth Romeo's father and Dimple's dad.
There was a bit in episode 2 where the dad hears a Jo Yeonhwa from his hospital is working for Dimples, and just accepts that fact saying the son needed someone on his side.
I completely caught up with this this week and I'm hooked. So many many twists that I'm worried they will run out. We are only 6 episodes in and more has happened in this drama than happens in most drama in twice as many episodes. They sure as hell don't drag things out. I was surprised that the Evils are actually really in love and how much of this stems from his desire to protect her and her desire to keep him despite the hatred her father has for his dad and grand dad. I still don't like her and her brightly lit ET, but they are interesting to watch. I am so glad that dimples is finally using the intelligence we know he has to start fighting back; however, he still is not at their or, frankly, his evil dad's level. I was actually afraid that his dad was going to operate on him so something could "go wrong" because I so see his dad able to get rid of even his own son if it would get him ahead. Poor Dimples seems to soft for this world still. I'd be a very happy person if Young Joo was able to punch someone in every episode. She is AWESOME!!!!
I have to say, I'm wondering how they will keep this pace up.
Let me be the party pooper and says: they probably won't be able to.
They genuinely love each other. That surprised me - I thought it would turn out that he was using her to get ahead, but no. He loves her as much as she loves him, and it's that love that has put all of them in this situation. I have sympathy of sorts for her dad, who was the Dimples of his generation in this story, I guess. The people I've yet to see any true shred of human feeling from are Goth Romeo's father and Dimple's dad.
There was a bit in episode 2 where the dad hears a Jo Yeonhwa from his hospital is working for Dimples, and just accepts that fact saying the son needed someone on his side.
I completely caught up with this this week and I'm hooked. So many many twists that I'm worried they will run out. We are only 6 episodes in and more has happened in this drama than happens in most drama in twice as many episodes. They sure as hell don't drag things out. I was surprised that the Evils are actually really in love and how much of this stems from his desire to protect her and her desire to keep him despite the hatred her father has for his dad and grand dad. I still don't like her and her brightly lit ET, but they are interesting to watch. I am so glad that dimples is finally using the intelligence we know he has to start fighting back; however, he still is not at their or, frankly, his evil dad's level. I was actually afraid that his dad was going to operate on him so something could "go wrong" because I so see his dad able to get rid of even his own son if it would get him ahead. Poor Dimples seems to soft for this world still. I'd be a very happy person if Young Joo was able to punch someone in every episode. She is AWESOME!!!!
I have to say, I'm wondering how they will keep this pace up.
Let me be the party pooper and says: they probably won't be able to.
Ms. Perfect/Perfect Wife
This is an example of a show that I wish was only 16 episodes because I think they could've satisfyingly end it with 16 and avoid turning my heroine into an idiot. I really like her and her friends, but I'm sort of worried where the ending of the last episode is going to go. I want Crazy Wife's mother to pay by being alone forever or maybe having to live with loser husband for some reason.
Radiant Office
Very back burner. Although I hear Mr. Perfect falls for the scrubby intern, so that might be fun.
Queen of Mystery
Our Queen continues to pick up on clues like a modern-day Angela Lansbury and our rough and tumble detective is by turns super impressed and really annoyed. He keeps barring her from investigations but when she speaks, he listens - although he does it from around the corner or behind a door, unwilling to admit to anyone that she's better than he is at figuring things out. The crines of the week come with twists, the characters (main and otherwise) are generally likable or at least interesting, and I love the bickering between our housewife with a dream and our detective with an attitude. On to next week!
Father, I'll Take Care of You
Good things happened this weekend but I didn't see them yet.
Strong Woman, Do Bong Soon (Finale)
I would never say that this didn't have flaws, but if you chose to focus mainly on the OTP and the development of their relationship, like I did, you probably ended this show feeling pretty satisfied: the bad guy is not only caught but sentenced to death; Gook Du got his moment of closure (and we got our chance to feel sad and see Ji Soo tears); Bong Soo legitimately earned her right to the game development team and saw her game become a big hit, but eventually all concerned realized that her true calling was to use her strength for the benefit of others. And very happily, BongMin Couple got married! We got to see the lovely, lovely Min Hyuk ask for her hand, then propose and marry his beloved girl, and even become the father of twins - and he stays home to watch over them while Mom is out saving the world, no less. I loved this couple and they were what I was interested in, so for me this show was a success.
Father is Strange
Joonie is moving in with his new family, we finally get the full story of the parent's secret (I hear...I haven't seen ep 14 yet) AND the bully is now sucking up to intern daughter. I can't wait til Joonie (I'm never going to remember his character name) realizes that his intern is now his half-sister. PD-nim's parents are getting funny: Snooty, lonely Mom is on strike and Cold Bastard Dad is learning what a difference she makes in his life.
Chicago Typewriter
Shit is getting weird. This show feels sort of like a Hitchcock movie, if a Hitchcock movie were full of Stephen King references and wasn't scary. It feels like it's juuuuust missing the mark, but like it could get there. I like it, but it requires full attention and the ability to wait for explanations to things that happen out of nowhere - because I think they aren't out of nowhere, actually, but we don't know enough yet. I like it, but I don't love it. Yet. We'll see.
Queen of the Ring
Watched all six episodes in one evening, schedule be damned. I loved it. Kim Seul Gi is always a gem, and that scrumptious puppy Ahn Hyo Seop is pretty easy on the eyes, isn't he? I also loved her bestie, Tae Hyun - what a sweetheart. Her friend Mi Ju, well, she has her issues to deal with. But the story of Nan Hee learning to appreciate herself, and Se Gun learning to pay attention to how he feels and not just what he sees - I liked it. I am not sure why some people thought the ending was shocking - it was always headed that way and clearly telegraphed, too, so I enjoyed being able to just go for the ride, and not spend any time worrying about what would happen. My only complaint is that at only six episodes, we aren't getting nearly enough Kim Seul Gi!
KIM SEUL GI!!! She should be in more stuff. Every time they cast some wooden idol girl I think of her and how she is good in everything. She can do lol physical comedy and pathos (I teared up when she sunk into her soju outfit in tears in this show). I didn't know people were shocked at ending, but I know people were outraged by the emphasis on the idea that she was "ugly" and how Scrumptious Puppy insisted on his quest for beauty, which I find ironic since the industry itself does this every time they cast Yoona in anything and don't cast Kim Seul Gi. I know that she might not be perfect in every role, but I'd be willing to physically fight anyone who would say that she wouldn't be better than Yoona. (prepared for the fangirl hate mail).
KIM SEUL GI!!! She should be in more stuff. Every time they cast some wooden idol girl I think of her and how she is good in everything. She can do lol physical comedy and pathos (I teared up when she sunk into her soju outfit in tears in this show). I didn't know people were shocked at ending, but I know people were outraged by the emphasis on the idea that she was "ugly" and how Scrumptious Puppy insisted on his quest for beauty, which I find ironic since the industry itself does this every time they cast Yoona in anything and don't cast Kim Seul Gi. I know that she might not be perfect in every role, but I'd be willing to physically fight anyone who would say that she wouldn't be better than Yoona. (prepared for the fangirl hate mail).
The Boy Next Door (New Web, Complete)
Who is in this, and where is it playing? First I'm hearing of it.
Choi Woo Sik and that new kid who played Jason in Love for a Thousand Years. Trot and Nelly loved it and thought it was hilarious. I laughed a few times but it wasn't hilarious for me, and either it's not over or it's very badly plotted, so take that for what it's worth. It's on YouTube. The episodes are only a couple minutes long.
The whole thing is only about 30 minutes, so yes I laughed throughout not because I thought it was particularly good but because how it worked in so many drama tropes which made me laugh at myself for falling for that stuff when the show itself shows how easily people in it a visually manipulated to buy into an incorrect narrative since we have been trained to think certain things based on repeated use of tropes.
Choi Woo Sik and that new kid who played Jason in Love for a Thousand Years. Trot and Nelly loved it and thought it was hilarious. I laughed a few times but it wasn't hilarious for me, and either it's not over or it's very badly plotted, so take that for what it's worth. It's on YouTube. The episodes are only a couple minutes long.
The whole thing is only about 30 minutes, so yes I laughed throughout not because I thought it was particularly good but because how it worked in so many drama tropes which made me laugh at myself for falling for that stuff when the show itself shows how easily people in it a visually manipulated to buy into an incorrect narrative since we have been trained to think certain things based on repeated use of tropes.
Not Korea
Mark Chao Fan Club
I'm still lost.
Sweaty Palms Anonymous
Now Mr. Sweaty Palms has crashed his car. It was actually Dreamer's fault, because he made Feng Suo sleep at the wheel, but personally, I don't think the sweaty hands helped Feng Suo's driving skills.
Legion
Oh, boy. That was a trip. I have no idea about Legion (a mutant from the X-Men universe) when I start watching, and so I have NO idea what i'm seeing on the screen. I can't even really explain it other than to say that Dan Heller can alter space and time and move objects at will, except he has no idea he can do things or has done these things. He thinks he's crazy, because within him lives a mutant parasitic consciousness who rewrites his memories every time something happens. The first season covers Dan's discovery of his powers and the battle he and his friends wage against the parasite, Farouk. Along the way, we all go slightly crazy. I loved it and watched all 8 episodes in a day.
The Magicians
I feel like a lot has happened since I watched this...Penny and Bad-Attitude Teen did get into the poison room, and Q and Mayakovsky were able to bring Alice back from being a pure Niffin. She's not happy about that at all. Reynard overplayed his hand, causing his son John to sacrifice his own life to help Julia and Katie stop his father - which they did with the help of The Goddess Underground, who turns out to be Persephone - and oh by the way, Reynard's mother. I think we still have to deal with all the rats in Fillory, though.
Dr. Qin
The Scooby Gang is officially adorable. Unfortunately I don't have much to say about the most recent episodes because I kept dozing off. Not that they were boring - with me it's a blood sugar thing. They solved a very sad murder involving a spurned fiance and started a case with a woman who was apparently frightened to death (on purpose) at a Halloween party. Note: This airs 4 episodes a week, 2 each on Wed & Thurs
I have no time to even start.
I have no time to even start.
Boku, Unmei no Hito desu (New! Kame! Yamapi!)
I haven't looked for it yet - it started but J-doramas don't get subbed too quickly. Still, there's no way I'm missing this reunion.
The Get Down Pt 2
We open several months down the road, if not a full year later (I can't remember, honestly.) Everyone is doing really well with their career progression, Ezekial is applying to Yale, and Mylene's mother and father are finally giving in to their feelings for each other. In case you wondered, Mylene's mother isn't married to Mylene's father...she's married to his brother. There are cracks in foundations everywhere, though, not just in the Cruz marriage. Shaolin Fantastic is jealous of Ezekial's relationship with Mylene, not that it's going so well right now. The Get Down Boys are not exactly in alignment with Shaolin's vision of how things should be, either. Still good music, still crazy 70s fashion, still fun to watch.
Sparrow
It's too much work to pay attention to each episode.
I think I'm going to pass, too. Someday later, maybe.
I think I'm going to pass, too. Someday later, maybe.
Master Devil Do Not Kiss Me
Or watch me, at least not this weekend. I used that time for trippy Legion.