Rants and Weekly Raves #136 (RAWR)

Yes, we wake up THIS cute

kakashi: it's been a crazy week. This is all you're gonna hear from me, folks :D
Trotwood: But you opened with an absolutely adorable piglet! I feel like I'm in a crazed space with end of the semester crazy, but then there's dramas.
JoAnne: That was Eleanor's gift to the T-List the other day and I stole it shamelessly!  
SakiVI: Yes, it's adorable. I had a horrible week. And I'm cutting down on dramas drastically. Drastically!

Korea

My Secret Romance

Yes, yes, yes. I know. Tropes. You know what? I'm gonna lay a little truth on ya: all stories have tropes. Period. So complaining about tropes is kind of silly. If you don't like a particular trope, avoid those dramas. Otherwise, accept that this is how things move forward. There may be 8 million stories in the naked city, but there's only about a dozen ways to tell those stories because we are limited creatures using only 10 % of our brains. Anyway, a trope is only bad when it becomes a cliche. So if you feel like a story is lazy and relying too much on same old-same old, then call it what it is: a cliche. Me? I'm boycotting the word 'trope' from now on. I am sick of it. Don't use it around me. Trope is now the 'moist' of drama discussions, and I will shut.you.down.
Back to the story: very standard plot line punched up by outright lust (and orgasms, we assume) on the part of both main players. Not to mention the limitless appeal of Sung Hoon, God of Nether Region Fluttering. Plus, FUNNY. I like. Easy watch.

I made the mistake of watching this at the gym after being so proud about figuring out the free wifi. I thought, self, you need motivation to add three more miles. What better motivation than Sung Swoon swimming? I think I scared the lady on the elliptical next to me because I kept making these odd noises. However, it was better than the heart attack I gave her earlier when I almost ran right off the treadmill. He is just so . . . he really makes a person want to start undressing. And of course, there is my favorite secretary in his great suits. I even got to see him in glasses. He can still do the parent imitation but he's much sassier. And it looks like he might get himself a girlfriend! Plus here we have a dad who's obsessed about having grandkids. Am I a horrible person because I am not obsessessed about getting grandkids?

Tunnel 

Awwww, they KNOW! Gwang Ho knows that Sun Jae is THAT Sun Jae, and Sun Jae believes that Gwang Ho is from the 80s, and together with SunbaeMaknae, they're gonna figure this shit out. Sad news: Gwang Ho finds out his wife died in a car accident a few years ago. He cried. SunbaeMaknae cried. I cried. And oooooooooooh, something we know but he doesn't: That whistle that his wife gave to Gwang Ho, she gave to his daughter later. And Goth Prof HAS IT. Does that mean she's his daughter? Does that mean that Sun Jae is going to be Gwang Ho's son-in-law someday? WE DO NOT KNOW. Also: the Dot Killer does appear to be the boy who killed puppies in the 80s, but I'm not sure if that's a red herring or not.

 

The Liar and His Lover 

All is happy happy joy joy in Young Lover Land, except for when it's not. In other words, The Liar appears to be experiencing character growth, but His Lover does not. Plus there's all that other shit with the grown ups, and Yu Na. Looks like Halmeoni gets sick next week, too.

Whisper 

This is like watching a tennis match where the two players take really wild shots but still manage to return every one - you think oh, this time for sure...but then nope, they catch the ball and send it back.  Plus say really condescending things to each other.  It's so much fun! I both despise and feel sorry for the two young lovers, I have great sympathy for Doong Joon and his frenemy partner Jeong Hwa, and of the two chaebol dads, I have a sneaking fondness for Tae Baek, but no such feeling toward the arms dealer.
I thought I would be upset that Young Joo has stopped going around punching people, but I'm liking how she strikes with words. The words in this show are like knives dipped in salt and then twisted in slowly but everyone is trying to be too classy to respond to any of the pain. They say things that I wish I'd be able to come up with in the moment but only think of hours later. Also, any time you can make me feel sorry for people I do not like ... I admit it, I felt a bit sorry for the Evils here. I wish they'd team up together. If she'd just told him she was going to meet Sang Gu. They need to die, but I was hoping they would take down his dad first. Still, who know what might happen. This show is completely unpredictable to me even though the characters always seem to be always thinking ahead of each other.

Ms. Perfect/Perfect Wife

Watched a few episodes of this, still not quite caught up though. Eun Hee is still crazy. Jae Bok is still way too patient with her useless lump of an ex-husband. We know more about Eun Hee's past, but it doesn't make us care for her even a tiny bit more. A random Lee Yu Ri appears in a pleasant little cameo. Sung Joon is still cute and still not playing a big enough part.

Annnnnnnnd 5 minutes into Ep 15, I am quitting this show. Setting aside the incomprehensible premise that not one but two women would have ever found Goo Jung Hee attractive, ignoring the fact that these ridiculous parents would have EVER let their children anywhere near the batshit crazy that is Lee Eun Hee...to now have the story tell me that not only does Jung Hee believe Eun Hee is 'fixed' now and they can be happy together - yes, a cozy marriage with his fucked up stalker - but he's going to take his ex wife to court and ask for custody of his kids? Put them in a house with that bitch? Nope. I'm done.

 I'm still going to partly watch this show. Part watch/part read recaps because now I just want to see what crazy they are going to put together to wrap this up. Please. Please. Please. Don't have Jae Bok take back her husband. However, to be fair, I don't think he believes that she Eun Hee is well. He knows she isn't. He is, however, stupid enough to believe, that he can control her enough that he will be able to be successful. He does miss his kids, but I think (just like too many people who start divorcing) that he says he's going to fight for his kids because he wants them and out of spite for feeling like a loser for so long. I can't believe they "killed off" Nam Mi again. What the heck! And why are they making her great friends so stupid?!? Hmm. Maybe I should drop it after all. I might be able to start lakorns again.

Radiant Office 

I decided to give this another chance. Well, to be accurate, I decided to give this room for another chance. We'll see if I take myself up on that.

Queen of Mystery 

I'm really enjoying this show - I love the partnership developing between our gruff detective and our quirky heroine. They're becoming friends, and they have more in common than they realize. I'm also very happy that we've finally met the husband, and that it's clear he and his family genuinely love her. She loves them, too. Caring about meeting expectations doesn't always come from fear, after all, and it's nice to see an alternative.

 

Band of Sisters (New)

I watched the 4 available episodes of this, and I was excited going in: three women who experience a tragedy on the same day band together to support each other and help raise one of the women's daughters. Doesn't that sound wonderful? I have some very close, sister-like friends, and I'm grateful every day for their presence in my life. I thought it would be very refreshing to watch a K-Drama that celebrated these friendships.

Well, I guess I forget it was K-Drama, because first we had to get through the tragedies and OMG these women have terrible people in their lives. The bad people are so over the top that I'm sure they're supposed to be funny but it was SO.STRESSFUL. Anyway, it's over - if the rest of the drama ignores the crappy people, who really have no reason to interact with these women ever again, then I'll be okay. But if it's going to be a drama where these three women get shit on over and over and over again? I don't have the emotional fortitude for 50 episodes of that.

Father, I'll Take Care of You 

I checked out a new family this weekend, so nothing to report here today. (I love you, Giant Puppy!)

Father is Strange 

Dad told Mom and Mom told the kids, and Joonie is moving in, I guess next week. That's pretty much all that happened. We know why Dad is so retiring and why he feels an obligation to Joonie (he assumed his friend's identity) but we don't know why he did that. Well, he did it because Mom suggested it, but we don't know why she suggested it.

Chicago Typewriter 

Such a weird show. I still like it but it really requires your attention at every moment.
This week, I started 5, and just couldn't continue somehow. So, dropped it. 

 

Man to Man (New) 

This was fun! The roles seem tailor-made for our leads, and the story is full of action and intrigue and humor. I thoroughly enjoyed myself and I'm looking forward to next week.
I'm planning on watching this. No time left over this weekend. Hoping to catch up during the week.

 

The Boy Next Door

There are four more episodes subbed, bringing the total (so far) to ten. I haven't seen them but I hear they're very funny. Is this the end? No one knows...

Not Korea

The Mark Chao Fan Club and Literary Writing Society 

I'm having very pleasant dreams lately. 

Sweaty Palms of Destiny 

Episode 4 was hilarious. I have to start recapping it for a mental break from the rest of life.

Surgeons (New) 

Saki says the only good thing about this drama is Jin Dong, and I have too much to do right now for that to be enough so I'm being adult and I'm saying 'No, thank you. Perhaps next time.'
Yep, I kept watching for him, but now that Luhan's drama is finally getting subbed, I can't bring myself to care anymore. I got my Jin Dong fix. I'm good.

I watched him every night because he was so gorgeous, but it's a terribly dull show.

The Magicians (Season 2 Finale) 

Oooooh, the kids save Fillory from extinction but in the process they piss off the Old Gods and now magic is dead everywhere! Or is it? Season 3 doesn't happen until 2018 and I hate the wait already.

Dr. Qin 

Sorry, Scooby Gang. I owe you one.

Fighter of the Destiny

This could easily be my new drama obsession. It's early days yet, but the costumes are fabulous, the heroine lovely, and our hero Taoist absolutely adorable.