Rants and Weekly Raves #137 (RAWR)
kakashi: This week, on Wednesday, I woke up at 8:27 (overslept!) and had to be at an important meeting at 9:00. 15 Minutes from wake-up to the tram - and I made it. I am so proud of myself. This is about all I can tell you.
SakiVI: If I knew I could do that, I would drag things out until 8:45 and still be late.
Trotwood: So many events going on at work because every group is trying to stuff its end of year event/award/recognition thingy in at the same time. Every night there is a show or ribbon cutting or award ceremony. I feel behind in everything. No time for much. I've started taking my tablet to gym to watch shows.
JoAnne: I feel like this week was in stealth mode Where did it go? What was I doing while it went? Even this weekend: judging by what I actually did, I spent most of Saturday and Sunday in a coma? Did I black out or something? Apparently I spent two days sitting in my living room staring at a wall. Did I eat? Did I pee? Who can tell? I'm drawing a blank.
I want to read the original version.
Of course you would.
SakiVI: If I knew I could do that, I would drag things out until 8:45 and still be late.
Trotwood: So many events going on at work because every group is trying to stuff its end of year event/award/recognition thingy in at the same time. Every night there is a show or ribbon cutting or award ceremony. I feel behind in everything. No time for much. I've started taking my tablet to gym to watch shows.
JoAnne: I feel like this week was in stealth mode Where did it go? What was I doing while it went? Even this weekend: judging by what I actually did, I spent most of Saturday and Sunday in a coma? Did I black out or something? Apparently I spent two days sitting in my living room staring at a wall. Did I eat? Did I pee? Who can tell? I'm drawing a blank.
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| I thought long and hard about what to have as a top picture. He is hard to recognize here, so Saki won't have a fit. |
KOREA
My Secret Romance
Not as outright sexy as last week, but it's pretty clear to just about the entire world that our swoony hero has it bad for our cute heroine. Even he's wondering what's up with himself. This definitely has that fun, breezy pace that the remake of 1% of Anything had, and I'm enjoying it a lot. I can tell, though, that I'll feel bad for the adorable friend/landlord/would-be boyfriend. He's a published author, owns a cafe, and is always ready to help our girl and looks very, very cute doing it. Sigh.
Sigh times a thousand. He is perfectly swoonworthy like deserving his own show with focus on him. It was so painful this week when he confessed and complimented her, and she still thought he was joking and trying to use her as a shield. Not that she minded, but wow, she really doesn't have a clue. In pretty much in any other competition, he would win, and I'd be (once again) on the second lead sinking ship, but the competition here is Sung Hoon. We are talking SUNG F---ing HOON. There are lots of other actors I like. Lots of other who, intellectually, I know are even better looking and others who are definitely better actors. However, he makes me make these weird noises when he is on the screen. This is NOT a show I watch at the gym. I tried that last week. Big mistake.
Sigh times a thousand. He is perfectly swoonworthy like deserving his own show with focus on him. It was so painful this week when he confessed and complimented her, and she still thought he was joking and trying to use her as a shield. Not that she minded, but wow, she really doesn't have a clue. In pretty much in any other competition, he would win, and I'd be (once again) on the second lead sinking ship, but the competition here is Sung Hoon. We are talking SUNG F---ing HOON. There are lots of other actors I like. Lots of other who, intellectually, I know are even better looking and others who are definitely better actors. However, he makes me make these weird noises when he is on the screen. This is NOT a show I watch at the gym. I tried that last week. Big mistake.
Tunnel
A couple things we've suspected for a bit now have been proven accurate: that medical examiner is a bad guy for sure, and the professor is 99.99% Kwang Ho's daughter. Knowing that if he can get back to his time might save his wife's life adds real urgency to Kwang Ho's quest to find a way home, and I really enjoy his emotional reaction to everything that happens. He's just so earnest and straightforward that I can't help rooting for him. Seon Jae, too. He's been buttoned up for a long time, but underneath it all he's a big teddy bear poofy pile of emotion who is crazy in love with our nutty professor. I look forward to Kwang Ho's processing that news.
The Liar and His Lover
I really feel for Chan Young. He's definitely worthy of being loved and appreciated all on his own, and for years now he's been stuck in this repeating cycle of filling in for Han Gyul, never feeling like he really gets to belong to anything on his own merits or have people want him around just because he's HIM. That isn't what anyone intended, and the truth is that the members of Crude Play do care deeply about him, but that situation is complicated, and no one really talks anything out. I was pissed this week at Choi Depeunim, but I can get even his motivations and lack of understanding. The fact is, most of the key characters in this drama are surprisingly well done. There's plenty of depth and conflict to go around and you can see the tightrope they all walk, each with their own conflicting hopes, dreams, and resentments. This is still much better than expected for me.
Whisper
Lost track of all the twists and turns. For some reason, despite being totally, openly against Taebak and the Evils and Evils' Dads, our hero and heroine are still at Taebak.
Also, my biggest thought after last week was that Sooyeon (I think that's Girl Evil's name) is only clever and powerful as long as a man protects her, while Young Ju, our heroine, is totally badass on her own terms.
I feel like I'm going to repeat myself again, but I LOVE the dialogue in this show. It's so scathing and smooth and often scary (even coming from the good guys or the truth coming from the bad). I thought while watching that the words here made me think of the bath of blood that Kim Jae Wook's character took. So creepy, scary, focused, and impressive despite the fact that I should know better and not be attracted. Young Ju and Dong Joon were as good as always. I really like how she and his secretary work together and how he's coming to admire her skill, too. However, this week's episodes really belonged to Kwang Yool's Jung Il and Kim Hyun-Mook's Song Tae Gon. They are on the bad guy's team, but I really felt for both of them. Jung Il has been completely conflicted about his father, but he just learns that his dad respects his desire to live a life outside his dirty business right before the man's death. When he asks his friend/slash secretary to help him find the body to bury him next to his mother, my heart broke for him. [His secretary friend's tears were sad,too.] I've never liked Tae Gon, but the pain on his face as he became to realize the one person he admired and looked up to as his savior was as evil as everyone else was so sad to see. He's still conflicted, so i'm not sure how this is going to end for him.
I set episode 9 to play and the computer froze and I pushed buttons to make it restart and then I woke up two hours later and went to bed, so I never saw any of it. I'll need to watch tonight.
I feel like I'm going to repeat myself again, but I LOVE the dialogue in this show. It's so scathing and smooth and often scary (even coming from the good guys or the truth coming from the bad). I thought while watching that the words here made me think of the bath of blood that Kim Jae Wook's character took. So creepy, scary, focused, and impressive despite the fact that I should know better and not be attracted. Young Ju and Dong Joon were as good as always. I really like how she and his secretary work together and how he's coming to admire her skill, too. However, this week's episodes really belonged to Kwang Yool's Jung Il and Kim Hyun-Mook's Song Tae Gon. They are on the bad guy's team, but I really felt for both of them. Jung Il has been completely conflicted about his father, but he just learns that his dad respects his desire to live a life outside his dirty business right before the man's death. When he asks his friend/slash secretary to help him find the body to bury him next to his mother, my heart broke for him. [His secretary friend's tears were sad,too.] I've never liked Tae Gon, but the pain on his face as he became to realize the one person he admired and looked up to as his savior was as evil as everyone else was so sad to see. He's still conflicted, so i'm not sure how this is going to end for him.
I set episode 9 to play and the computer froze and I pushed buttons to make it restart and then I woke up two hours later and went to bed, so I never saw any of it. I'll need to watch tonight.
Radiant Office
I did not avail myself of my extremely generous offer to give this another chance. Perhaps someday.
Queen of Mystery
Ahhhh, I love this show. The onions have so many layers but all of them are either so sad or so sweet that they just make me CRY, unless our housewife/detective combo are bickering, in which case I'm laughing. Yes, the crimes are ridiculous...but who cares if agasshi happens to get kidnapped by the very serial killer that ahjumma happened to watch on a true crime show? It means she gets saved in the end, and since I like her that's what I want! I like everyone. I want them all to be saved and healed from their traumas and find happiness. Yes, even the lady lawyer, who clearly adores our detective.
Perfect Wife
I can understand if I am the only person left watching this show. It really should have only been 16 episodes, and there was no good reason to kill of Na Mi when they killed her only to bring her back only to kill her permanently this time. I was also worried that they were going to try to have our heroine get back with that loser husband of hers and that we'd have more fighting amongst her great friends over a loser guy. However, ep 18 reassured my faith and even gave me a perfect confession and hug between Jae Bok and Bong Gu which was perfect for their characters and the situation. They have become such good friends first that though quiet, it was delicious. Jae Bok got to tell off her husband and her friends got their groove back.
Wait. She doesn't end up back with her husband? Bong Gu confesses his crush? They won't be together, though, will they...bittersweet. I like them together but don't really see them as a couple. Wait, though. They really kill Na Mi? Who kills her?
Wait. She doesn't end up back with her husband? Bong Gu confesses his crush? They won't be together, though, will they...bittersweet. I like them together but don't really see them as a couple. Wait, though. They really kill Na Mi? Who kills her?
Band of Sisters/Unni is Alive
Coma.
Father, I'll Take Care of You
Coma.
Father is Strange
Coma.
Chicago Typewriter
Gimme a C! Gimme an O! Gimme an M! Gimme an A! What've we got? C-O-M-A!
Man to Man
This show is funny and I like it, so of course the home audience is dropping it in droves. I love how it plays with our expectations. The vain action hero is a really nice guy with a big soft heart, his manager is no-nonsense and capable when it comes to her job, but views the world through a very romantic lens; the rich ex-girlfriend broke Action Hero's heart so that she would be in a position to protect him and watch over his career, and her husband is evil - but a devoted husband and father. Our two master spies are gossipy ahjummas, and our mysterious Agent K who looks so incredibly competent is always juuuuust barely not getting caught by that very capable manager, who thinks he has a big crush on her. (Who could blame her, though?) I love how he always tells her the truth, but in ways that are so easy to misinterpret that she's guaranteed to do so every time.
Royal Sister Returns (New)
Coma.
The Boy Next Door
I think it's over at the 15 eps, but I enjoyed it all the way through. I loved the musical interlude which sounded like a kpop song of lost love and how it's clear that they should just admit they are best friends but also clear everything up with Mina. I'm glad my tlist friends suggested it. I needed something that was just fun.
Coma.
Coma.
NOT-KOREA
Mark Chao Fan Club and Association for the Advancement of Adult Literature
Yes, quite adult. I wrote a rather hardcore scene today but some of my collaborators were quite shocked, so I made it more tame now :) Writing together is fun!I want to read the original version.
Of course you would.
Ice Fantasy Destiny
We are anxiously awaiting episode 5!
Queen Sugar
I suddenly remembered where part of the time went. Friday night at 9pm I started this series. I finished Season 1 (all that has been produced so far) on Saturday afternoon. Thirteen episodes of truly excellent, multi-generational, class, sexual, familial, religious, and socio-political issues woven into one very compelling story about one family trying to save their sugar cane farm, set against the always-unique backdrop of Louisiana. Watch it and be mesmerized.
Operation Proposal (New)
Coma.
Dr Qin
Coma.
Boku Hito no Unmei Desu
Guess.Yep, coma.
American Gods (New)
Super bloody. Ricky Whittle is hot, Ian McShane is enigmatic, Pablo Schreiber is freaky tall and has very dark skin for a redhead. I liked it but parts of it are super trippy. Looks like lots of big names are attached in upcoming episodes. Happy me.
Across the Ocean to See You
Comacomacoma.
Medalist Lawyer Heir
No idea what the title is getting at. Yes, our leads are lawyers and heirs, each with an inheritance dispute, but medalist? What does that mean? I watched on a whim, and it's beautifully made and a repeat comment on viki is that there is no need for comments because it's so good. Me, I also noticed that our heroine is incredibly good at emphasizing her bust without showing any cleavage at all. I'm taking notes.
Really? Because that is one dumbass title.
Really? Because that is one dumbass title.
