Rants and Weekly Raves #138 (RAWR)
SakiVI: Either I'm running out of time or energy or both, but I feel inclined to drop everything except the daily dramas I never talk about here.
kakashi: Every year, this time of the year is hellishly busy. It quiets back down sometime in June - I honestly can't wait.
JoAnne: I'm feeling it, too. Plus, I'm feeling a little out of balance and need to re-calibrate. You may have noticed that while I'm watching a lot, I'm not watching as much, and not trying very hard to keep up. I kept telling myself I wanted to but then I kept not doing it, and finally I realized what that meant. I'm not tired of dramas, but I'm mostly snacking. Is it a Peach hangover?
Shuk: I'm just fiendishly busy, without a lot of time to sit still and enjoy dramas.
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| He's like: "Me? Don't mind me and that thing that moves down there" |
KOREA
My Secret Romance
Myyyyy goodness Sung Hoon worked that hurt puppy look for us this week, but he also gave us plenty of swoony stuff, too. Still having fun with this, still making involuntary noises due to the Swoon effect. Right now he's making her go on meal dates with him, I forget why. So she learns his taste? But really because he doesn't like to eat alone and because he doesn't like to not be with her. She's enjoying herself, although I wish he'd just confess that he actually really likes her instead of pretending it's all work. I can see why he doesn't, though. She clearly likes him, but we know she isn't ready to admit that, yet.
He was SO hurt when he thought our favorite best hot best friend was her boyfriend. He has so fallen for her, it isn't funny. I can't believe her hair doesn't curl when he gets all up in her business though. He keeps thinking he is ahead of her, like when he discovers the pattern to her hiccups. He is so pleased when he thinks she gets nervous around him, but I love how he deflated when she says that he just makes her uncomfortable. I also love how petty he was when he realized our favorite hot best friend (OFHBF)is actually pretty successful. Fears: that there is going to be a misunderstanding later because someone will think that her little brother is her and our favorite hot best friend's kid. He did, after all, tell that guest that he was his son. I know he did this to get rid of that admirer, but still. Fear #2: that there will be a love line between OFHBF and that deranged girl who insists that Sung Swoon is her man when it's so obvious that he finds her kind of repulsive.
He was SO hurt when he thought our favorite best hot best friend was her boyfriend. He has so fallen for her, it isn't funny. I can't believe her hair doesn't curl when he gets all up in her business though. He keeps thinking he is ahead of her, like when he discovers the pattern to her hiccups. He is so pleased when he thinks she gets nervous around him, but I love how he deflated when she says that he just makes her uncomfortable. I also love how petty he was when he realized our favorite hot best friend (OFHBF)is actually pretty successful. Fears: that there is going to be a misunderstanding later because someone will think that her little brother is her and our favorite hot best friend's kid. He did, after all, tell that guest that he was his son. I know he did this to get rid of that admirer, but still. Fear #2: that there will be a love line between OFHBF and that deranged girl who insists that Sung Swoon is her man when it's so obvious that he finds her kind of repulsive.
Tunnel
Kwang Ho knows the bad guy is the medical examiner, and the M.E. knows Kwang Ho is the same guy from 30 years ago. I think everyone in on the secret of Kwang Ho (apart from the M.E.) knows that Goth Prof is his daughter. Cue adorable father/son-in-law interactions between our partner detectives, of course. And also, of course, now that everyone knows everything (mostly) Kwang Ho has been returned to the past. But it is it his timeline or not? We wait to find out.
The Liar and His Lover
Wow, Chan Young resolved really nicely, I'm impressed. What I didn't expect: happy-go-lucky drummer's not-entirely-an-accident. Seems like the only person in this drama we haven't got much of a story on yet is that blonde kid in Crude Play who always looks like his nose is out of joint. I wonder if they'll give him one? Week after week with this I remain pleasantly surprised with how well it's working. We have not one or two but multiple characters with layers and history, a topical story that brings in multiple elements of interest ranging from personal issues, family issues, work issues, even social commentary - and I don't know about you but I actually like most of these people, and at least have some sympathy/understanding for those I don't.
Whisper
I keep wondering why they don't all just kill each other? Or rather, arrange to have each other killed? That would not be nearly as satisfying as this, of course. May I never tire of your cat and mouse games, Whisper, because right now I could watch you forever. You know how I know this is a truly fabulous story? They could have told it from the perspective of any one of the main players, and it would still be a great story. In fact, if they did some kind of omnibus thing where the POV changed from episode to episode, I think that would be really cool.
I love watching this because I feel so completely wrapped in cool rage. This may not be healthy I admit, but I'm relishing in this. I'm always at a low-level simmer that I mask with an attempt at good will towards man, but this show lets me really bask in my bloodthirsty desire for revenge. As a bullied kid, such fantasies were the only thing that got me through. I was heartbroken (and feeling like I was being punished) by the pain of episode 11 and watching our heroine alone at her father's funeral. Favorite moments? When Jung-Il decided to donate his father's business to the country. THAT was a masterstroke which had me applauding on the treadmill (don't worry--no one gets on the machine next to me anymore). When Dong-Jun disowned his family on his brother's birthday (though I did feel sorry for big brother). When Young-Ju calmly leaped over the escalator to kick Secretary Song in the chest and take him down (cheered out loud with hands in the air on treadmill). I do feel a bit sorry for him though. And despite all the seriousness of this (or maybe because of it), I really appreciated Dong-Jun's adorable look over the "we make a great team" comment and how he picked something out of her salad. At least they weren't haven't sandwiches again.
They are exhausting me. Also, I wonder if Ms. Evil will die? I've a feeling she will die.
I love watching this because I feel so completely wrapped in cool rage. This may not be healthy I admit, but I'm relishing in this. I'm always at a low-level simmer that I mask with an attempt at good will towards man, but this show lets me really bask in my bloodthirsty desire for revenge. As a bullied kid, such fantasies were the only thing that got me through. I was heartbroken (and feeling like I was being punished) by the pain of episode 11 and watching our heroine alone at her father's funeral. Favorite moments? When Jung-Il decided to donate his father's business to the country. THAT was a masterstroke which had me applauding on the treadmill (don't worry--no one gets on the machine next to me anymore). When Dong-Jun disowned his family on his brother's birthday (though I did feel sorry for big brother). When Young-Ju calmly leaped over the escalator to kick Secretary Song in the chest and take him down (cheered out loud with hands in the air on treadmill). I do feel a bit sorry for him though. And despite all the seriousness of this (or maybe because of it), I really appreciated Dong-Jun's adorable look over the "we make a great team" comment and how he picked something out of her salad. At least they weren't haven't sandwiches again.
They are exhausting me. Also, I wonder if Ms. Evil will die? I've a feeling she will die.
Ms Perfect/The Perfect Wife
This show should have been called Miss Crazy and Her Craziness. I watched until the end because I like Jae Bok and I felt assured that she would not get back together with her loser husband. It was a surprisingly satisfying ending or maybe it was because it reminded me a lakorn in the closing moments, including the unhinged wedding and the house going up in flames with the would-be bride inside. I don't think I'm giving a spoiler, Kakashi, because I don't think anyone is watching this besides me.
Nope, no one.
I'm certainly not.
Nope, no one.
I'm certainly not.
Queen of Mystery
Now that agasshi's urgent situation has been resolved, we return to the rooftop girl whose panties keep getting stolen. It starts off light, really, and we meet her again at the little side-dish store, so I was thinking maybe she'd be a romantic interest for our puppy police chief - but no. She's murdered, and it's particularly scary to watch, and particularly painful for our policemen to discover. Like them, I cried a bit for the young girl from the country, so full of simple dreams. This is the case that finally gets our cocky detective to reveal his own self-doubts because he treated her complaint so casually, and now her death brings up memories of his murdered first love. He's determined to catch the murderer, but so is the rest of the nation, apparently. There's a new task force and our self-taught profiler is part of the team. Hmmm.
Father, I'll Take Care of You
Caught up through 48! Sung Hoon turns out to be the biggest loser out of Hyung Seob's kids and actually makes his entire family homeless. Sung Sik is surprisingly supportive emotionally at various points, which was a nice change. Mostly everyone else continues to whine 'what about meeeeeeee.' I should feel sorry for these people, but with a couple exceptions I really don't, and it's because they're really selfish. In a big twist, turns out Chang Soo and Ji Hoon weren't switched at birth - Dr. Kang did this to give Ji Hoon a break from his harpy mother after he threatened suicide. And Hyung Seob knew about it all along! I don't really like the way they handle this, by the way, acting like this poor kid was being selfish. He was drowning and he grabbed the only floating object he could find. In Small/Tall news, Small was kidnapped for two months by Mi Joo's dad, but then she signs away her inheritance to save her grandmother and goes back to her normal life, except her clothes are more tailored. Tall is awesome, like always. His brother is not, like always, until suddenly he IS because Sung Joon needs him and everyone bands together to do whatever they can to help. I do not mind his redemption at all, but I'm not fully on board with theirs. Whining should be punishable by death.
P.S. The wedding is NEXT WEEK. This is a spoiler, but it's all over the web of course, so that's not really a problem. Just saying, this is why I didn't mention it.
P.S. The wedding is NEXT WEEK. This is a spoiler, but it's all over the web of course, so that's not really a problem. Just saying, this is why I didn't mention it.
Chicago Typewriter
Okay! Now we're good. I'm catching up and in episode 6 this settles into the story enough that I can get a handle on it, and I like it. Se Ju's ghostwriter really IS a ghost, the only one of three friends from the Occupation that hasn't reincarnated. He'd like to know why, and he'd like to know how/why he died - and he thinks that Se Ju finishing the novel he began in his previous life (now being serialized in the current) is his key to finding this out. Se Ju is a prickly bastard but the people around him do care about him, which means he's decent underneath it all - but the current situation has him acting crazy and looking a lot meaner than he really is. The big surprise to me was Kwak Si Yang's character turning out to be something other than the mild-mannered reluctant rival he appeared to be at first. He's good at play evil/conflicted characters, so this should be fun.
I felt sick when Kwak Si Yang referred to himself as oppa to the cat and then threw her against the wall in episode 5. That's when I dropped it, but I hear adorable doggo is back in episode 6. So, I'll be picking this back up when I have time.
I felt sick when Kwak Si Yang referred to himself as oppa to the cat and then threw her against the wall in episode 5. That's when I dropped it, but I hear adorable doggo is back in episode 6. So, I'll be picking this back up when I have time.
Man to Man
This show is hilarious. They play it straight for the most part, but man, Park Hae Jin's aegyo is killer. I love those stories where someone pretends they're in love and then falls in love for real, but add the crazy spy stuff to it and somehow have all that center on the drama industry, and I'm just eating this up.
Where is it being subbed? I might watch it later on.
Lucid Dream (2015)
With the advent of Netflix (USA) additions of SoKor dramas, I've managed to watch a few that may have slipped through the cracks the first time. The first is this movie-turned-miniseries. Netflix has it broken up into eight 'episodes' of around 20 minutes each. It stars several of the cast from...[swallowing hard] Blood. Ugh, my fingers hurt just typing that. But I watched it over a night while under a tornado watch, and actually, it wasn't so bad. Ji Jin-hee is a gaming mogul who has strange dreams of a Joseon woman saving him by fighting bad guys with a red sword. Elsewhere, Lee Ji-ah has dreams of dying while saving a Joseon man. Anyway, it's a short but fairly enjoyable romp with a few too many closeups.
I watched this last year and really enjoyed it. But then again, I'm the person that keeps waiting for Ji Jin-Hee to get back to his Spring Days golden years. I think I rewatch that show once a year.
I watched this last year and really enjoyed it. But then again, I'm the person that keeps waiting for Ji Jin-Hee to get back to his Spring Days golden years. I think I rewatch that show once a year.
NOT KOREA
Cult of Chao, Peach Blossom Sect
Done recapping 3310. First recap went up on Valentine's Day, the last on 5th of May. Wow, that was crazy. I don't even remember what I did before 3310, and I sure don't know what's coming after.We still have one ep of Snail left, Kakashi. Don't feel completely bereft.
I'm done, so done.
I Love Lucy / Lucifer
Our favorite devil is back! The cases are still sooooo baaaaaad. Both the writing AND the acting could improve, but Lucifer sings! How could I possibly not love him.We've heard him sing before, but I liked it better this time around. I wasn't really thinking about it so it was a nice surprise that the 'wife' is completely fake and that he's doing all this not because he's mad at Chloe, but because he loves her and wants to protect her. I don't mind noble idiocy all the time, I guess.
Game Payabaht / Game Of Vengence (Thailand)
Yes I am back on my lakorn kick, mostly because I managed to finish a few projects which opened up a bit of time for pure drama-watching. And I've been jonesing for a good revenge plot. This show recently restarted after going on hiatus post-mourning period, Typical revenge plot, but the leads (Film Rattapoom Toekongsap and Amy Amika Klinprathum) were leads in one of cutest rom-coms of 2016. So I though it would be interesting to see them together in a dramatic role. Turns out the chemistry is there! The plot is pretty standard: he kidnaps her to a remote island to torture her for the perceived death of his sister at the hands of her brother. They fall in love over snakebites and monsoons. The subbed episodes can be found on Dailymotion here.
So many lakorns. So little time. But I'm in the mood for revenge as long as it doesn't involve Ken crying (I can't take Ken crying). Don't think I've seen either in anything, so I may try it after semester ends. Does this mean you're done with Cupid?
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| Best way to fall in love? The obligatory body wipe after a night with a fever. |
So many lakorns. So little time. But I'm in the mood for revenge as long as it doesn't involve Ken crying (I can't take Ken crying). Don't think I've seen either in anything, so I may try it after semester ends. Does this mean you're done with Cupid?
The first two arcs are completely subbed. The next two are in progress. But, yes, I squeeze time to watch them as they become available. Also for the glimpses of fluffy-hair Ken!
